Should the New York Knicks pursue Tyreke Evans?

It’s time for me to ask a question I figured I would never ask: Should the New York Knicks pursue Tyreke Evans?

It’s no secret that the New York Knicks have a lot of issues this season, sitting at 25-33 while being 2-8 in their last 10 games.  Things have gotten to the point where tanking is a viable option.

One of the biggest issues has been the point guard position.  Derrick Rose has been injured, and Kemba Walker’s been inconsistent and has the second-worst defensive rating on the Knicks at 112.7.  Rookie Deuce McBride has shown flashes of his ability to break out and should probably get more minutes; however, he is still very raw.

New York Knicks: Is Tyreke Evans worth a look?

Tyreke Evans was recently reinstated by the NBA after a two-year suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, and there’s a good chance some teams will be in pursuit of the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Evans, 32, once had wild potential but was ahead of his time with his knack for positionless basketball and was also hindered by a disastrous Sacramento Kings team that had no clue how to develop him.

After Evans’ rookie year in the NBA as a 6’6” point guard, Sacramento moved him to small forward, whereas a playmaker and not a great shooter, he was never able to match his rookie year play.

The closest Evans came to matching his play was in the 2017-18 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he averaged 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 45% from the field and 40% from three.

After signing a one-year deal in Indiana where he once again had the ball taken out of his hands after a successful point guard season, he struggled, putting up 10 points and 2 assists on inefficient shooting.

Evans will now be attempting a comeback and has spent time working out with John Wall and Michael Beasley in Miami as he awaits Friday, February 18th, when he will officially be a free agent and be able to negotiate and sign a deal.

The Knicks have many guys who currently need rotational spots, as Leon Rose stood pat at the deadline, something nobody expected.  Fitting Evans in could be a challenge, but it could be worth it.

Evans averaged 15 points on 55% shooting from three during the 2019 NBA playoffs, where Indiana was swept by Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics even after his worst NBA season.

Evans is a dynamic player, and the Knicks need a spark plug, especially with Immanuel Quickley going through a nasty sophomore slump.

My big issue with signing Evans is that knowing Thibs, he’ll somehow take minutes away from Obi Toppin or Cam Reddish to play Evans.  If the Knicks had traded Kemba Walker and Alec Burks at the deadline, I’d be more interested as Evans is a good fit; however, the move probably would not make sense.

I am a Tyreke Evans fan, though, so if New York does sign him, it will be interesting to see how he plays, and if he signs somewhere else for the rest of this season, don’t count him out as a cheap veteran free agent target this summer.