Marco Belinelli, Sacramento Kings
Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 30 (3/25/1986)
Salary: $6,333,333 ($6,606,061 due in 2017-18)
Slash Line: .386/.306/.833
Season Averages: 24.6 MPG, 10.2 PPG, 1.9 APG, 1.7 RPG, 1.3 3PM
The best chance the New York Knicks have of dumping Jose Calderon‘s salary is taking on a slightly less unfavorable deal. The flexibility in doing so is improved by the arrival of Jeff Hornacek, whose system can bring the best out of shooters.
Marco Belinelli had a rough 2015-16 season, but with just two affordable years left on his contract, he could be worth acquiring.
Belinelli is coming off of the worst season of his career, but he was playing for the abysmal Sacramento Kings. He’d one of the most consistent shooters in the NBA over the previous seven seasons, never once dipping below 35.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The fact that Belinelli is coming off of a poor season, however, suggests the Knicks could get him in a straight-up deal for Calderon.
For the Kings, Calderon’s expiring contract would give it an out from having to pay Belinelli for two more seasons. For the Knicks, landing Belinelli would create nearly $2 million in additional cap room in 2016, and his $6.6 million salary in 2017-18 will be under a projected $110 million cap.
This is something of a gamble, but Belinelli is the caliber of shooter whom coach Hornacek can help return to his near lights-out prominence.
Next: 3-Point Legend