Fansided

Ron Baker isn’t making free agency easy for the New York Knicks

By Rucker Haringey

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 25: New York Knicks guard Ron Baker (31) sticks his tongue out before a jump ball with Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the third quarter on January 25, 2018 at Pepsi Center. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 25: New York Knicks guard Ron Baker (31) sticks his tongue out before a jump ball with Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the third quarter on January 25, 2018 at Pepsi Center. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /
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Ron Baker exercising his player option was the easiest NBA free agency decision of the summer. It’s still a blow to the New York Knicks.

The Knicks’ hopes of having significant cap space to wield this summer have taken a significant blow. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Ron Baker has elected to exercise his player option for the 2018-19 season. That decision will cost the Knicks a shade over $4.5 million next season.

In fairness to Baker, this decision was a no-brainer from his perspective. He only played in 29 games last season due to injury. That, combined with a lack of proven value, would clearly have prevented him from earning anywhere close to $4.5 million on the open market.

In fact, it’s very possible no team would be willing to offer Baker a contract above the minimum. He’s a decent energy player off the bench, but he simply lacks the athleticism to guard even average perimeter NBA players. Perhaps things would be different if he were a knock down perimeter shooter himself, but his career three-point percentage of just 28.6 percent makes it obvious that isn’t a skill he possesses.

The only good news is that Baker’s deal expires at the conclusion of this season. It was only a two-year mistake by the team’s front office. Even so, it could prove costly for the Knicks this summer.

New coach David Fizdale would love the opportunity to add talent to this roster via free agency. The prospects of the team having anything other than the mid-level exception are pretty dim. Unless Enes Kanter makes an inexplicable decision to opt-out without knowing a big offer from the Knicks is forthcoming, that’s all New York will have to work with this summer.

Next: 6 steps Fizdale can take the revitalize the Knicks

The unfortunate truth for Knicks fans is that their favorite team will need to wait until next summer to be serious players in free agency. That means the 2018-19 season will likely be another developmental season for the franchise. It could be a long year in the Big Apple for Fizdale and company.

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