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Report: Will Bynum "drawing interest" from Knicks

Makes sense.

By Seth
USA TODAY Sports

Most of the Knicks rumors we've encountered so far this summer have either been draft-related or Summer League-related. Free agency is just a couple weeks away, but we've heard little about New York's targets beyond their own expiring contracts. Well, here's one for that category from the Detroit Free Press's Vincent Ellis (via Kurt Helin):

Since Ellis is probably hearing this from Bynum's agent or someone else in his "camp", one can't rule out a Grant Hill Maneuver©, but this is a case in which interest would make a lot of sense. It's funny to feel this way, but with Raymond Felton in place and visions of what worked last season in mind, I find combo guards to be perfect targets. Bynum's a pouncing, scoring guard who can also handle the ball and create a bit (downsides: relatively turnover-prone as a Piston, doesn't really rebound). I think he'd fit nicely into New York's point-guard tandems-- if that's something they're aiming for again this season-- and give those lineups a bit more slashing and shooting (EDIT: Okay, maybe not shooting. I should have consulted those numbers.) than they typically got this past year.

I also just love the guy. Bynum's a sturdy, dogged li'l bantam; he's got some stylistic virtues in common with Felton, actually. I recall at least one point this season when the Knicks were drubbing the sleepy Pistons and Bynum got all grouchy when and single-handedly punched Detroit back into the game (which says as much about New York's perimeter D as it does about Bynum, but still...). Dude spikes on people now and then, too. Ask our friend Tyson. Bynum's a cool player.

The outcomes of the J.R. Smith and Pablo Prigioni reacquisition efforts will obviously affect both the money and role available to someone like Bynum, who made $3.5 million and played about 19 minutes per game last year. Pending draft-night additions, there should at least be a Jason Kidd-sized hole in the rotation. Beyond that, we don't yet have a sense of how viable a Bynum-Knicks marriage would be.

But hey, there's a rare free agent rumor for this time of year, and it happens to regard someone I quite like as a Knick target. Your thoughts, catdogs?

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