New York Knicks Sign Tony Wroten to Long-Term Contract
The New York Knicks are finalizing a long-term contract with free agent guard Tony Wroten. Find out the details here!
The New York Knicks have been tied to free agent combo guard Tony Wroten for quite some time. Rumors of the Knicks’ intrigue and Wroten’s shared interest in coming to New York have been abundant, but nothing has legitimized these reports.
That all changed on Monday, March 7.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York reported in late December that the Knicks had expressed interest in signing Wroten. Many others provided the same information, thus resulting in the belief that it was only a matter of time before he joined the main roster.
Just over two months later, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports that the Knicks are finalizing a three-year contract with Wroten.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York provided an updated report that the deal is a two-year deal with a non-guaranteed second season.
The Knicks' deal with Tony Wroten, when completed, is expected to be for 2 years, per league sources. 2nd year will not be fully guaranteed.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 7, 2016
That’s a huge development for a Knicks team that parted ways with Jimmer Fredette to clear the 15th and final roster spot.
Phil Jackson clearly believes in Wroten’s long-term potential if he’s signing him to a three-year contract. It’s hard to blame The Zen Master for feeling the way he does about a 22-year-old who has the size and skill to flourish from either guard spot.
Whether he’s slashing and finishing over and around length, or distributing as a facilitator, Wroten has the ability to be a genuine game-changer.
The issues for Wroten are clear and concerning. He suffered a severe knee injury in 2014-15, struggled to return from it in 2015-16, and hasn’t proven capable of consistently hitting jump shots at any stage of his basketball career.
One is inclined to believe that Wroten’s in good health if New York is willing to hand him a three-year contract.
For those unfamiliar, Wroten is a 22-year-old combo guard who stands at 6’6″ and 205 pounds with a 6’9″ wingspan. The former Washington Huskies star was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and played 110 games with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Prior to going down with the knee injury in 2014-15, Wroten was averaging 16.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 29.8 minutes of action for the Sixers.
In New York, Wroten will be mentored by Carmelo Anthony and a crop of backcourt veterans who thrive as shooters. Arron Afflalo, Jose Calderon, and Sasha Vujacic all have deep range and quick releases, and even a mere 18 games with his new Knicks teammates should help Wroten prepare for a critical offseason.
Keep checking back with Daily Knicks for more updates on Wroten’s contract situation.
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