The New York Knicks aren’t done with their signings, still trying to find a player to fill in their guard situation, with the two point guards that seem closest to ending up with them are Bobby Brown and Beno Udrih, getting plenty of attention around the league.
Brown hasn’t played NBA basketball since he was with the Lakers in the 2009-2010 season. Brown recently signed with the Dongguan Leopards of China, but has an opt-out clasue in his contract to an NBA team if he signs with a team by August 15, 2013. He has spent the last three years playing in Europe, including a very successful season with Siena last year, averaging 18.8 points per game in the Euroleague.
Brown is scheduled to work out with the New York Knicks in what should be his final chance of landing an NBA contract this summer. He’ll be turning 29 in September, so overall his window of finding himself playing in the NBA again is small, with this chance on the Knicks one of his final opportunities if not the last.
He averaged 5.1 points and 1.8 assists for the Kings, Hornets, Timberwolves and Lakers during his four seasons in the NBA before leaving to Europe, where he has played in Poland, Greece, Germany and Italy.
Udrih, on the other hand, might eventually make the opposite trip after being in the NBA for the last nine seasons. He’s the number one choice for the Knicks for their roster filler as a guard who can play both positions and has plenty of NBA experience, but Udrih is looking for more than the minimum contract, and the Knicks can’t give him that. If no one in the league is willing to give him an above minimum deal (Udrih is probably looking for a mini mid-level exception), there is probably a better contract waiting for him in Europe.
Udrih made $7.3 million last season, averaging 8.2 points and 4.6 assists playing for both the Bucks and the Magic.