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Knicks free agency rumors: Trio of former players leave for new contracts

By Rob Wolkenbrod

WHITE PLAINS, NY - JANUARY 19: New York Knicks players Noah Vonleh, Luke Kornet and Emmanuel Mudiay attend the Westchester Knicks against the Delaware Blue Coats NBA G-League game on January 19, 2019 at Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images)
WHITE PLAINS, NY - JANUARY 19: New York Knicks players Noah Vonleh, Luke Kornet and Emmanuel Mudiay attend the Westchester Knicks against the Delaware Blue Coats NBA G-League game on January 19, 2019 at Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The New York Knicks still had a handful of their own free agents entering Tuesday, but three of them quickly found new homes.

The New York Knicks have not re-signed any of their own free agents, choosing to add six new players instead, all of whom agreed to contracts with team options. In the meantime, DeAndre Jordan left for the Brooklyn Nets, and Mario Hezonja signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Entering free agency’s third day, the Knicks still had five of their own free agents on the board: Noah Vonleh, Emmanuel Mudiay, Lance Thomas, Luke Kornet and John Jenkins.

On Tuesday, three of those players went off the board.

According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, the Minnesota Timberwolves will sign Vonleh to a one-year contract.

Knicks head coach David Fizdale once called the Indiana product the team’s “most complete player,” delivering his best season in the process, but it did not stand out in a 17-65 season.

Per Stadium and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Kornet will sign a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls.

Kornet spent two seasons with the Knicks, taking his biggest role yet in the 2018-19 season. He started 18 games and was proficient from the three-point line.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Utah Jazz will sign Mudiay to a one-year contract.

The four-year man spent the past one-plus seasons in New York, taking a starting role in both seasons. He became a favorite of Fizdale’s and enjoyed a career season in 2018-19.

Just Thomas and Jenkins remain on the open market from last season’s team, but the former could return to fill the 15th and final roster spot.

The continued work is a positive for these ex-Knicks, each of whom should find extensive runs with their new teams, especially Mudiay on the new-look, intriguing Jazz team; they also added Bojan Bogdanovic in free agency and Mike Conley via trade.

Next. Grading each free agent contract. dark

The Knicks replaced these players on June 30 and July 1, with Elfrid Payton, Julius Randle and Bobby Portis among the signings entering the fold, so their roles are covered. Now, it is how Fizdale works with them and continues this organization’s developmental phase.