With Chauncey Billups now out of the picture, the Knicks need at least one point guard to run the show and have signed Mike Bibby to a one-year deal, reportedly worth the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million.
“I’ve been trying for about six years to get him playing for (coach Mike) D’Antoni, but at the time this guy named (Steve) Nash was blocking us,” Bibby’s agent, David Falk, told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard. “I’ve always felt Mike would flourish in his offense.”
Bibby, who has averaged 15.2 points, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals on his career but is a sub-par defender, was slated to attend training camp Sunday.
“I have a lot of confidence in him,” D’Antoni told reporters Saturday. “He’s a smart player who can shoot the basketball. You know what you’re going to get. Did he have a great year last year? I didn’t follow it that much what he did in Miami.”
Bibby struggled in the NBA Finals, averaging 3.6 points and shooting 25.8 percent from the field.
The Knicks are also involved with J.J. Barea, but a source told SNY.tv the Lakers also have interest in Barea now that the Chris Paul deal is dead. New York can only offer the new $2.5 million mini mid-level to Barea, or $5.1 million over two years.
Meantime, Billups continues to launch frustrated shots at the Knicks and other past employers, even signaling that he would retire instead of playing for a team he doesn’t want to join.
He told ESPNNewYork.com that Miami would be an appealing option, and that he’d like a shot at the Knicks.
“I would like a chance at them, I’ll tell you that much,” he said. “I would absolutely love that.’
Knicks interim GM Glen Grunwald said amnestying Billups was a no-brainer in order to land Tyson Chandler.
“When I talked to him today, I told him, ‘Chauncey, it’s not like we’re waiving you because we don’t want you,” Grunwald said. “Look at what it is. We traded you for the starting center on the NBA championship team.”
