4. Lance Thomas (1 year, $7.1 million; $7.58 team option for 2019-20)
Originally signed to a four-year deal, Lance Thomas is on Year Three, except with a team option that’s basically an unguaranteed salary for the fourth season in 2019-20.
Thomas makes $7.1 million in 2018-19. It’s an interesting salary to make a trade work, pending there’s ample money floating around in a deal to match what the players involved make. But, for someone that provides something on defense and nothing offensively, it limits his trade value overall, even for a team that wants to take a flier on a player.
It seems difficult for the New York Knicks to find a taker for this salary via trade. Not impossible, since there’s some value in matching money, but he holds minimal value in a rotation if that’s what a prospective team wants.
3. Tim Hardaway Jr. (2 years, $35.74 million; $18.97 million player option for 2020-21)
Tim Hardaway Jr. is the New York Knicks’ best, healthy player. He leads the team in scoring, which also sits as his current career-high, 21.0 points, as of Wednesday, Dec. 19.
Then, there’s the underlying plantar fasciitis, per the New York Post, and 39.5 percent shooting, the culmination of a difficult December for the sixth-year man. It paints an inefficient player, lowering his value for the team and via trade.
Hardaway already owned an undesirable two-year, $35.74 million contract, which includes an $18.97 million player option for 2019-20. Adding this inconsistent scoring line lowers what formerly made him a higher value player, despite the contract, and places him near the bottom of the pack.
At this point, to move Hardaway, the Knicks may need to attach a draft pick, with 2019 free agency ahead and a priority. If he heals and improves statistically maybe this notion changes, but, for now, it’s difficult to think his value is high.