Knicks Not Picking Up Larkin's Option

[SSj4Wingzero]

Multiple sources are now saying that the Knicks will not be picking up Shane Larkin's $1.7 million option for the 2015-2016 season.

It's on the front page of TheKnicksBlog and also tweeted out by Marc Berman of the NY Post. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports also reported a few days ago that the Knicks were leaning towards not picking up his option, so it sounds like the decision has been made to let him walk.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, they get some extra cap room for free agents. But on the other hand, if Larkin puts up good numbers this year, we just missed out on the chance to sign him for really cheap. Any thoughts on this?

 

[tiger0330]

The bad thing is we don't have his early bird rights so he's headed to unrestricted FA. Odds are he won't be on the team next year, it's a gamble esp since he looks to be improving.

 

[Kiyaman]

I like Larkin a lot but not enough to make him a back-up PG in the NBA, right now.
Larkin remind me of Charlie Ward, raw athletic skills, great teammate, but it took 3 seasons on the bench before Ward decision-making help his teammates improve their performance as a back-up PG.
I dont know what part of Larkin performance in the summer league game convince Phil or Fisher he was a decent backup PG to have for the 2014-15 season. It must have been his $1.6M contract.

Phil Jackson poor 2014 offseason as a GM has no excuse for not getting the Knicks a veteran backup PG to challenge veteran backup PG-Calderon for minutes in the 2014-15 season. Prigioni is our 3rd PG incase of injuries.

 

[Broadway]

Maybe smartest move we've made yet

 

[Weissenberg]

Larkin struck me as an average or even below average player at his position, so I can understand why Phil didn't pick up his option.

 

[htr10]

It's the right move at this point in the season. If we commit money to him, regardless of how small the amount, and he stinks for the rest of the year, we are stuck yet again. Fisher controls Larkin's minutes for the rest of the year and potentially can make him the 3rd string PG full-time when Calderon comes back. Larkin can only bust out and make us look bad for not picking up his contract at this point in the season if Fisher decides to let him do that.

 

[Kiyaman]

It's the right move at this point in the season. If we commit money to him, regardless of how small the amount, and he stinks for the rest of the year, we are stuck yet again. Fisher controls Larkin's minutes for the rest of the year and potentially can make him the 3rd string PG full-time when Calderon comes back. Larkin can only bust out and make us look bad for not picking up his contract at this point in the season if Fisher decides to let him do that.

Larkin is the 15th man on a NBA team. Ok, maybe not Dallas.

Phil better hurry-up and make the trade for Rondo.
Rondo is coming to the Knicks for the NY $$$ contract

 

[pat]

Larkin is the 15th man on a NBA team.

Don't judge a young player too early kiya. He seems to be very nervous atm, but he knows where to get people open, he can be molded into a system-pg. Think about Barkley what you want but he has a point when he says you cannot teach players a new system when they have been in the league eight or ten years. Larkin is one of the players who can actually become a triangle specialist. I assume Fisher sees a lot of himself in Larkin.

 

[DrB]

Don't judge a young player too early kiya. He seems to be very nervous atm, but he knows where to get people open, he can be molded into a system-pg. Think about Barkley what you want but he has a point when he says you cannot teach players a new system when they have been in the league eight or ten years. Larkin is one of the players who can actually become a triangle specialist. I assume Fisher sees a lot of himself in Larkin.

WE NEED TO STOP QUOTING KNICK HATER CHAS BARKLEY....."the Knicks should win this game {againt the Cavs}, see that's why the Knicks are going to loose this game {on a Cavs run} and not be a playoff team this year." WHOOPS the knicks won Sir Chas. you jackass.The triangle is basic good basketball which features ball movement, hitting the open man, creating movement wthout the ball and makes sure that the bigs get touches and become play makers. The Knicks need better than ISO MELO.That beats ISO MELO...chucking away JR and AMARE having to create off he dribble on his own.I THINK SHUMPERT could be an outstanding point guard.....my starting team is DALENBERT, SHUMPERT, JR, MELO, and STAT OR JASON SMITH depending on matach ups at the 4. Then when Calderon comes back he works into the starting line up.

 

[htr10]

Yeah, I totally agree with not taking anything that Barkley says too seriously. Early in the Knicks/Cavs game, they asked him to name a team in the East that would surprise people and make the playoffs that did NOT make the playoffs last season and he picked Charlotte, who were a 7 seed last season. He has no awareness of anything in the NBA right now and just spits out the first thing that comes into his head. Even Shaq has immediately surpassed him in basketball analysis value to the TNT show, while Barkley remains there almost exclusively for just comic relief.

 

[pat]

WE NEED TO STOP QUOTING KNICK HATER CHAS BARKLEY....."the Knicks should win this game {againt the Cavs}, see that's why the Knicks are going to loose this game {on a Cavs run} and not be a playoff team this year." WHOOPS the knicks won Sir Chas. you jackass.

My post could easily work without reference to Barkley. Please do not dwell on that. I see Larkin getting more comfortable on the floor from one game to the other. There is nothing wrong with molding him into exactly the kind of player we need in this system. Give him some time. He has a high basketball IQ and seems to pick up things quickly. You cannot teach that.

 

[Kiyaman]

Don't judge a young player too early kiya. He seems to be very nervous atm, but he knows where to get people open, he can be molded into a system-pg. Think about Barkley what you want but he has a point when he says you cannot teach players a new system when they have been in the league eight or ten years. Larkin is one of the players who can actually become a triangle specialist. I assume Fisher sees a lot of himself in Larkin.

The athleticism and team-spirit is all there, it's Larkin decision-making at crucial moment in the game that makes Larkin the 3rd PG off the bench.
I would not get rid of Larkin, he's a future backup PG that may be very creative in the triangle next season.

Larkins talent reminds me of a young PG-Charlie Ward.
Larkin talent has to be a season tutored by a veteran teammate PG just to become a backup PG.

 

[skisloper]

My post could easily work without reference to Barkley. Please do not dwell on that. I see Larkin getting more comfortable on the floor from one game to the other. There is nothing wrong with molding him into exactly the kind of player we need in this system. Give him some time. He has a high basketball IQ and seems to pick up things quickly. You cannot teach that.

Just zero reason to pick up Larkin's contract.......No need to have any extra salary going into next season......If we found Larkin this time we will find another next time.......The goal of Phil Jackson is to have something the Knicks have not had since we signed Amare and that is a ton of cap space......Now the talk of the JR for Copeland deal is another brilliant move if it happens......Copeland's an expiring and JR can opt in for close to 7 million we do not need that or more important do not need JR on this team next year..........Lets hope Phil does all he can to get rid of whoever will cost us money and start fresh,,,,,,,,,

 

[pat]

Just zero reason to pick up Larkin's contract.......No need to have any extra salary going into next season......If we found Larkin this time we will find another next time.......

Other than that he might turn out to be much more expensive next year. I can see the whole "shedding salary" point, however it did not work really well in the past, did it? At this point I am much more inclined to give it some time and rebuild through developing young players. If I'd trade for anything, it would be draft picks.

 

[Kiyaman]

Other than that he might turn out to be much more expensive next year. I can see the whole "shedding salary" point, however it did not work really well in the past, did it? At this point I am much more inclined to give it some time and rebuild through developing young players. If I'd trade for anything, it would be draft picks.

I agree ...the NBA draft has turned a lot of season bottom-teams into contenders in the past 20 years.
A winning team shed salary by trading their players for draft picks, this way the winning team could sign a star FA or sign a FA star role-player, plus draft a star player or draft a star role-player.

The Knicks has not had any success trading draft picks for expensive players or signing expensive FA in the past decade.
Hopefully, president Phil Jackson has an additional plan to go with the 2015 salary-cut to get a expensive FA star to go with the guaranteed ($40M) contracts of Melo/Calderon/JR.

Larkin is not ready to be a starter vs the East PG .. Rose/Rondo/Charmer/Wall/Lowry/Teague/Deron/Kemba
Plus several starter PG in the West will tear young Larkin a part.
When the Knicks get some same-page chemistry flowing amongst several teammates, then Larkin would be ok as a backup PG.