New York Knicks: Free agency and trades in 2018, reviewed

Knicks sign Noah Vonleh

The next signing was unheralded and seemed like a training camp-only move, as the New York Knicks signed Noah Vonleh to a partially-guaranteed contract in July. He played for three teams in four years and never lived up to the lottery hype in 2014.

Vonleh’s deal was guaranteed for $100K after Sept. 25, with a maximum payout of $1.62 million. Well, over six months since this deal happened, it’s clear, he will receive that full salary.

Only five games into 2018-19, Vonleh jumped into the starting lineup. He flashed two-way play in the preseason and a chunk of games off the bench, so Fizdale bought in and tested the fifth-year man.

Aside from a second, brief stint on the bench, Vonleh has remained a frontcourt starter for 31 of a possible 38 games.

The Indiana product does it all for the Knicks, averaging 8.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 46.7 percent shooting and a stunning 39.7 percent clip from behind the arc; that was not an advertised part of his game.

Vonleh is perhaps New York’s most consistent player and hardly exits a game without making an impact. That makes him, and this contract, that much more valuable.

Whether the Knicks can retain Vonleh remains to be seen. He has played above this minimal salary, but as this organization preps for 2019, they may have to bite into the salary cap to continue this partnership.