Allonzo Trier played his way into a two-year contract with the New York Knicks and Ron Baker is the odd man out.
Allonzo Trier is one of the biggest surprises in the NBA. The undrafted rookie played his way out of his two-way contract and the New York Knicks are signing the guard to a two-year deal first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Trier is signing two-year NBA deal using Knicks' bi-annual exception, league sources said. Trier has become part of Knicks' future after going undrafted and agreeing to two-way deal on draft night in June. https://t.co/Ks1X8ZsiNi
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 13, 2018
The Knicks waited until the last possible second to sign Trier because doing so would require an open roster spot. Ron Baker is the odd man out according to Ian Begley of ESPN. Furthermore, Begley is reporting that Trier’s deal is worth $7 million and it includes a team option for the second year.
New York didn’t have many options to clear that final roster spot. Other than releasing Baker, the Knicks could have released Luke Kornet or find a creative trade to clear the spot.
But the Knicks couldn’t find a trading partner in time and must feel that Kornet brings more upside and potential to the team.
Trier is currently out with a strained hamstring he suffered in shootaround prior to Sunday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. It’s unclear when he’ll return to the court, but he will be re-evaluated sometime next week.
Trier burst onto the scene early and the undrafted player looks like he’s one of the best rookies in the 2018 class. He plays with a proverbial chip on his shoulder after being passed over in the draft. It’s worth noting that the Knicks also passed on Trier in the second round.
This was a necessary move for the Knicks to make. There was no sense in sending Trier to the G League at all this season and the two-year deal locks up one of the brightest young players on the Knicks roster.
