Could New York Knicks fan favorite Alexey Shved find his way back to the NBA?
The last time the NBA saw Alexey Shved, he was winning the hearts of New York Knicks fans during an impressive stretch with the team at the end of the 2014-15 season. After spending the past five years competing in Russia, the tenacious guard might consider a return to the NBA.
The general manager of Shved’s EuroLeague team in Russia hasn’t ruled out the guard being allured to return to the NBA in the right spot. Shved’s next contract is up for negotiation.
"“We want him to stay in Khimki,” Khimiki GM Pavel Astakhov said (translated by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). “The negotiations with his agent have been held. We are in pause now. If he gets serious proposals from the NBA – not about the money but about the role in the team – it won’t be easy for us to keep him. He will accept a proposal with certain guarantees from the club and the coach. If he doesn’t get a good offer from the NBA, I don’t see any reason why he should change clubs. He is the absolute leader. But the final decision is up to him.”"
Before Linsanity, there was Shvedsanity. After being acquired from the Houston Rockets in a deal that sent another fan favorite Pablo Prigioni the other way, Shved put together an impressive stretch of games in late February and March of an otherwise forgettable Knicks season.
Shved’s best moment in a Knicks uniform came in a 21-point , 7-assist effort in an upset win over the San Antonio Spurs. He had several games like this in New York, stealing minutes from Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jose Calderon. In another stand-out performance against Utah, Shved scored 21 points, swishing four three-pointers, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists, on top of two blocks and one steal.
Knicks fans were seriously starting to map ways he could stay in New York as a bench piece past the 2014-15 season. However, the Russian guard ended up signing a lucrative three-year, $10.2 million contract with Khimki, where he has played since leaving the NBA.
At 31-years-old, Shved still has plenty to offer on the basketball court. Last season, in the EuroLeague, he averaged 21.4 points and 6.2 assists on .390/.329/.892 shooting.
There have been no rumors to link Shved to the Knicks, even though they could be looking to add a guard to their backcourt during the offseason. The economic landscape will make it difficult for players like Shved to negotiate high-dollar deals this offseason. Although, based on the comments made by Khimki GM Astakhov, the bigger worry, for him, is Shved finding a role with an NBA club.
As someone who belonged to the Shved fan club during his time in New York, it’s fun to think about him returning to the NBA.