New York Knicks: Was waiving Allonzo Trier worth it?

Did the New York Knicks make the right decision in parting ways with Allonzo Trier?

The New York Knicks waived second-year guard Allonzo Trier last week, ending a rollercoaster ride that saw him progress from an undrafted signing to a two-way star to an NBA guard with an uncertain future.

His offensive abilities drew the eyes of fans as he exploded to the basket for a dunk. Trier averaged just under 11 points per game in his rookie campaign and averaged a solid 12 points in games his team won.

The Arizona product was an 80% free throw shooter and shot 44% from the field. The first game he played as a Knick, he recorded 15 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in a win over Atlanta on Oct. 17, 2019. Trier bumped his offensive production to 48% from the field in the 2019-20 season appearing in 24 games.

Despite some injuries, he was relatively strong on the offensive side of the ball and should have been kept on the roster. The only real eyebrow-raiser was his numbers on defense, averaging only one defensive rebound and 0.1 steals per game.

Theo Pinson doesn’t offer the Knicks much of a better player than Allonzo Trier.

Now, circle in Theo Pinson, the newest Knick and former Brooklyn Net. After the Pinson signing was announced on June 26, Trier was released in an effort to make room for the player who played in fewer games and has lower numbers than Trier.

The 6-foot-5 Pinson averaged similar defensive numbers, grabbing 1.3 defensive rebounds per game and only averages 0.1 blocks.

Did new Knicks president Leon Rose gain anything by letting Trier walk? A little early to tell right now, but it’s hard to say Pinson offers more value than Trier on the roster, other than possessing a more team-friendly contract.

Pinson appeared in 33 games this season, averaging 11 minutes, and put up a mere 3.9 points per game on 29% shooting. Nothing extravagant by any stretch of the imagination.

Trier was set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season which would have given the Knicks the ability to match any offer sheet given to him. It’s possible the team wasn’t comfortable with the idea that he would accept his qualifying offer of $4.5 million.

However, keeping Trier along would have been an acceptable move going forward. He was a good complement to the starters and provided valuable minutes off the bench in his two years in New York.