Jared Jeffries could be headed back to the Knicks.
The Houston Rockets waived the seldom-used forward on Friday after a pair of trades made just before Thursday’s deadline.
The 6-foot-11 Jeffries, acquired from New York in the Tracy McGrady deal last February, is in the last year of his contract and will make about $6.9 million this season. He appeared in only 18 games this year – none after Feb. 2 – and never found a place in coach Rick Adelman’s rotation after joining the Rockets.
Jeffries’ agent, Andy Miller, did not immediately respond to phone or text messages.
Having dealt 7-foot-1 Russian Timofey Mozgov in the Carmelo Anthony trade, the Knicks need a big man to back up Ronny Turiaf for the stretch run.
Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said before Friday’s game in Cleveland that the team has interest in Jeffries. He added that general manager Donnie Walsh is working to do “what’s best available.”
“He’s a winner,” D’Antoni said of Jeffries, who has had two previous stints in New York. “He played well with us.”
Jeffries’ release comes the day after Houston acquired center Hasheem Thabeet and point guard Goran Dragic in separate deals that sent Shane Battier to Memphis and Aaron Brooks to Phoenix.
(The AP contributed)
