Duhon Agrees to Terms with Knicks

July 5, 2008 - According to the both the New York Post and Yahoo! Sports, Chris Duhon and the New York Knicks have reached a deal. Though the financial terms of the deal are still not certain, both reports confirm that Duhon has made a verbal agreement for two years with the Knicks. Duhon, who has spent the first four years of his career with the Chicago Bulls, became expendable when the Bulls drafted Derrick Rose. The Knicks, on the other hand, have been looking for a point guard in part due to the unstable situation with Stephon Marbury. They have also been looking for a pure point guard to run Mike D'Antoni's system. So what exactly does this news mean for both Chris Duhon and the New York Knicks?

For Duhon, the Knicks bring a second chance. His career started in Chicago with a lot of promise, but due to a logjam in the backcourt and the caliber of players that the Bulls have held at the guard positions, Duhon's role with the Bulls has been diminished over the years. Part of what attracted Duhon to the Knicks was that the fat that they courted him from the first day of free agency. The Knicks also offered Duhon the opportunity to compete for a starting position this year with a relative assurance that the job will be his next year.

For the Knicks, Duhon provides defense, leadership, and ball handling skills. Duhon has been known for his defense, something the Knicks sorely lack, throughout his career. Although he hasn't had the opportunity to show it much in the pros, Duhon was an effective leader for the Duke Blue Devils in college. Duhon led the Blue Devils to three ACC Championships and one NCAA Title. Statistically speaking, he is one of the most productive players in Duke history. He also takes care of the basketball. An effective ball handler in college, Duhon holds a four to one assist to turnover ratio in his NBA career.

Signing Duhon to a two-year deal will also provide the Knicks with the financial flexibility that they are looking for going into the "Summer of LeBron." Though, if Duhon plays well for the Knicks, chances are that he could sign an extension down the line, this deal signifies that the Knicks are not willing to tie up long-term money and jeopardize their future for uncertain returns. In other words, for the Jerome James and Jared Jeffries of the world, Isiah's tenure is over!

For Nate Robinson, this deal makes his future with the Knicks uncertain. Robinson is under contract this season for just over two million dollars, but the Knicks have three point guard on the roster at this point. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't consider Robinson a true point guard, but at 5'9", he may not be able to defend the two guard effectively. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, the acquisition of Chris Duhon could free up Robinson to be part of a pre-season trade.

For David Lee, this deal may provide a little stability. As the Knicks most valuable asset with a reasonable contract, Lee's name had been the subject of several trade rumors. The most recent rumor had David Lee going to Charlotte for the Bobcat's starting point guard, Raymond Felton. With the Knicks' void at point guard being filled, it's safe to say that Lee, a fan favorite, and his modest salary will stick around for another year.

For Stephon Marbury, this deal signifies that the Knicks don't trust him anymore and his days in Gotham are numbered. It does not mean that the Knicks are going to cut him or buyout his contract; it just means that they are planning for the future. Duhon's signing may not lead to an immediate demotion for Marbury, but it will provide him with competition for the starting position. It will also provide the Knicks with some insurance should Dr. Marbury diagnose his surgically repaired ankle as unable to sustain the rigors of a full NBA season.

For Jamal Crawford, Chris Duhon provides the freedom to play his game the way it's meant to be played. Crawford by all rights is a scorer who should play the shooting guard position, but has been forced to play the point due to the Knicks shortcomings at this position. With Marbury, Duhon, and Robinson on the roster, Crawford's ball handling responsibilities should be extremely limited.

For Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph, it gives them a fair chance to co-exist as for the first time in their tenure together, as they now have a legitimate point guard and playmaker on their team. For Randolph personally, the acquisition of Duhon also provides a teammate with whom he can peruse the streets at night when the simple life of playing basketball gets too boring for them.

For the direction of the Knicks, this deal reaffirms that this team belongs to Mike D'Antoni. Donnie Walsh's words about embracing the past were just words. Patrick Ewing never got an interview for head coaching position, nor was he truly considered for a position as an assistant, despite the impact that he has had on Yao Ming and Dwight Howard and the fact that the Knicks' center Eddie Curry could desperately use Ewing's tutelage. In fact, Herb Williams was probably only retained as an assistant because Knick fans would have ripped the Garden up from its foundation if he had been let go. D'Antoni, on the other hand, has pushed to get rid of one of the league's top rebounders in David Lee because of his lack of offensive firepower. He influenced Walsh into drafting Danilo Gallinari, the son of his former teammate, with the sixth pick in the draft. Now, Walsh has signed a new point guard, who came highly recommended from D'Antoni's Team USA colleague Mike Krzyzewski, to lead D'Antoni's offense and provide an alternative option to the point guard that D'Antoni exiled from Phoenix.

Overall this deal provides a fresh start for Chris Duhon and brings some benefits to New York without financially crippling the team. Duhon does come with some baggage, but the risk does not out way the reward. While this may not be the type of blockbuster off-season acquisition that some fans were hoping for, it's a step in the right direction that will not hold back the team in the future.

Sources Cited:

AP, "Report: Duhon Agrees to Deal With Knicks" Yahoo!Sports

Berman, Marc, "Chris Duhon Agrees to Deal With Knicks" New York Post