Interested in signing Raja Bell could be a bit of over-selling the situation. Bell has been called up to workout for the New York Knicks, hoping that one year of being exiled by the Utah Jazz is enough, and he can find himself an NBA team going into the 2013-2014 season.
Bell, who will turn 37 in two months, is still a very good defender, but on offense he can’t do much except for hitting open shots and trying to move well off the ball. However, with the Knicks needing to fill their roster with some minimum contracts, preferably veterans, their age over youth trends seems to continue with Bell.
Bell was on the payroll for the Utah Jazz last season, but was asked to stay away from the team after bashing through the media head coach Tyrone Corbin. He was paid $3.4 million for last season, and averaged 7.4 points per game during the two seasons in which he actually played for the Jazz.
Bell seems to be doing well in these workouts according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com, which might land him an invitation to training camp and possibly a roster spot. However, a two-time All-defensive selection is going to have to find a way in on a roster filled with shooting guards.
The Knicks already have Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, and Tim Hardaway Jr. signed for next season, although Sumpert did play a lot of small forward last year for the team. In certain smaller lineups, with the Knicks playing a lot of small-ball last season, Bell can play the small forward position as well, but it probably all depends on how well he does at training camp.
Despite being an experienced veteran, Bell doesn’t bring too much playoff experience. He has been in the NBA since 2000, but hasn’t been in a postseason series since 2008, when he played for the Phoenix Suns.