Getty
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks gets the loose ball before Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
Shortly after Amir Coffey was linked to the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks beat them to the draw.
Coffey agreed to a one-year deal with the Bucks on Aug. 14, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports, citing sources.
Two days before Coffey chose the Bucks, Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus linked the former Clipper to the Knicks.
“Any team with roster space left needing defensive and shooting on the wing should look at Coffey (perhaps the Golden State Warriors or New York Knicks),” Pincus wrote on Aug. 12, ranking Coffey the third-best free agent remaining at the time.
Getty Amir Coffey celebrates his basket and a foul from Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks.
The 6-foot-7 Coffey spent his first six NBA seasons with the Clippers after going undrafted in 2019. Last season, the 28-year-old wing averaged a career-best 9.7 points on 47.1% field-goal shooting and 40.9% from the 3-point range. His two-way play could have boosted the Knicks’ bench depth.
Nevertheless, the Knicks made progress in addressing their bench depth that hounded them last season. They added former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson and French big man Guerschon Yabusele.
Jordan Clarkson Supercharges Knicks Bench
Knicks stars Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson were particularly excited about Clarkson’s arrival.
“I was excited, “ Hart said of Clarkson on “The Roommates Show” on July 17. I mean, great dude, gonna fit right into the culture that we have, obviously, something that can create his own shot.
“[Clarkson] can break down the defense, and we needed it at times, you know, last year. So it would be a great addition in terms of role. And also as a locker room guy.”
Clarkson could be the steal of the offseason. He signed for the veteran minimum after reaching a buyout with the Utah Jazz, which makes his addition to the Knicks more impressive from a value standpoint.
Getty Jordan Clarkson will boost the New York Knicks’ bench scoring.
The 32-year-old spitfire guard averaged 16.2 points and 3.7 assists off the bench for the Jazz last season. He also shot 36.2% from the 3-point line.
Clarkson is expected to boost the Knicks’ bench, which placed last in minutes and scoring last season, and to ease the burden of Brunson.
“I know him. I’m not as close with him as Josh, obviously, but I know him,” Brunson said of Clarkson. “I talked to him a little bit. Good dude. He surrounds himself with some good people whom I know. A great addition for us, sure.”
Clarkson won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2021. He was also in Manila, quarterbacking the Philippine national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where Hart and Brunson starred for Team USA.
Clarkson averaged 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 36 minutes in the tournament.
Who Will Take the Last Roster Spot?
After losing out on Coffey, the Knicks still have plenty of options for their final roster spot.
Former No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, Landry Shamet and former Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon are still in the market.
The Knicks were one of the few teams that expressed interest in Simmons, a three-time All-Star and a two-time All-Defensive First Team, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
Last season, Simmons averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in his final 33 games in Brooklyn. He only played 17 games for the Clippers and was an afterthought, averaging career lows 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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