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We figured out who "the big man from Lithuania" was this morning. It's 7'2", 24 year-old Ovidijus Galdikas, who was one of three big men-- along with Sean May and D.J. White-- to work out for the Knicks on Wednesday. That they worked out big men suggests they'd still like to add a big man-- if not to a guaranteed contract, then at least to the training camp roster-- and so do some recent rumors from the internet. These are all updates on guys in whom we already knew the Knicks were interested, but they're all from today:
Source: #Knicks have interest in Lou Amundson to add depth to frontcourt. Few other teams in mix. Lou is hoping to make decision next week.
— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) August 9, 2013
3 more teams interested in FA F Anthony Tolliver are Knicks Magic & Spurs, joining Lakers Bobcats Jazz Bulls. Decision hoping made next week
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 9, 2013
And this article on Hamed Haddadi playing through pain in the FIBA Asia Championship, via Steven von Horn:
Another reason why Hadadi was kept on the floor may be the New York Knicks scout who is set to fly him to the Big Apple for a possible audition.
"Actually, I’m here to evaluate all the players in the tournament," said 45-year-old Gary Boyson, who has 16 years’ experience working as a scout for the NBA. "It’s no secret there are players here with NBA experience who have no contracts yet. We have a spot or two probably."
Aside from Hadadi, Boyson is reportedly looking at China’s 19-year-old Wang Zhelin, a 7-0 prospect who could be the Great Wall’s next NBA export.
All of those (except for Zhelin, who I hadn't heard of before reading that article) are names we've heard previously this summer, and they encompass a wide range of "big man" types. Any of these guys would be an end-of-the-bench, someone-got-hurt-or-got-in-foul-trouble kind of big man, but each would provide something different: Amundson annoys everyone and rebounds sometimes; Tolliver doesn't really wrassle down low, but he can spread the floor; Haddadi is the biggest, probably the best interior defender, and prone to fouling folks; Galdikas and Wang are...well, here are some videos (Zhelin seems pretty talented, but he's also like six years old).
So, it seems the Knicks would like to add another big man, either on a minimum contract or as a training camp invite. They've got a decent bunch of options-- from Lithuania, from Iran, from China, from Tollivermont, from wherever Lou Amundson is from-- and plenty of time to explore.
That'll probably be all for today. Links tomorrow. I love each of you very much.