The New York Knicks’ first order of business in the wake of Phil Jackson’s departure/dismissal/firing/ousting/whatever?
Showing interest in Jeff Teague.
From ESPN.com’s Ian Begley:
With Phil Jackson out and the triangle de-emphasized, the Knicks, under general manager Steve Mills, have interest in free agent point guard Jeff Teague, league sources told ESPN. League sources say the interest in Teague is mutual. The Knicks, under Mills, had talked to the Hawks about trading for Teague two years ago.
This is a bad idea. Teague is a quality point guard, and he might end up costing under $20 million annually with the way the point guard market has shaken out between the draft and now. But he’s 29. He doesn’t fit the mold of a team that’s still supposed to be rebuilding.
It’s totally fine to have a buffer between Frank Ntilikina and the starting job for a while. That bridge can even be a veteran. But he should be cheaper, and preferably younger, and he most definitely shouldn’t be Derrick Rose.
Someone along the lines of Patty Mills makes more sense. He’s about the same age as Teague, but it’s better to pay him $14-16 million per year than $20-plus million annually for Teague–particularly when you factor in Mills’ experience playing off the ball in San Antonio, which makes for an easier coexistence curve with Ntilikina.
