The Knicks needed bench help. Now, they’re bringing in a hired gun.
New York is reportedly set to sign vaunted sixth man Jordan Clarkson when players can officially ink deals on July 6. Clarkson, 33, won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021 and has scored more bench points (3,637) than any player in the last five seasons — an impressive feat, especially considering he started all 61 games in the 2022-23 season.
Drafted 46th overall in 2014, Clarkson has averaged 16 points per game over his 11-year career and is expected to provide much-needed backup scoring for a Knicks team eyeing a championship push this season.
KNICKS ADDRESS A GLARING WEAKNESS
The Knicks owned the NBA’s lowest-scoring bench last season, averaging fewer than 22 points per game in the regular season and just 16 per game in the playoffs.
Clarkson has built his career as one of the league’s premier bench scorers. He averaged 16 points on 41% shooting from the field and 36% from three for Utah last season and has recorded at least 3.7 assists per game each of the last three years.
That playmaking is critical for a Knicks team that struggled to generate offense without Jalen Brunson on the floor, losing those minutes by an average of 4.6 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass.
Clarkson not only creates his own shot but has long been capable of orchestrating offense, regularly logging minutes at point guard during his time with the Lakers and Cavaliers. His arrival projects as a natural fit alongside Miles McBride, who thrives off-ball as a spot-up shooter but benefits from a true initiator in the backcourt.
Clarkson can also share the floor with Brunson. He shot 37% on catch-and-shoot threes and 36% on pull-up triples for the Jazz last season, giving the Knicks a true secondary playmaker to punish defenses when they trap or double Brunson.
WHAT ABOUT CLARKSON’S INJURY HISTORY?
Clarkson played 37 games last season before undergoing a season-ending procedure to address plantar fasciitis in his left foot. A hamstring injury limited him to 55 games in 2022-23, and he missed additional games late that year due to hand injuries. However, Clarkson has appeared in 55 or more games in seven of his last eight seasons and has largely been durable prior to last season’s setbacks.
WASN’T CLARKSON UNDER CONTRACT?
Clarkson entered the final year of his $14.3M contract before reaching a buyout agreement with the Jazz on Monday. ESPN first reported his intent to sign with the Knicks upon clearing waivers. He is expected to join on a veteran’s minimum deal.
That means the Knicks will still have their full $5.65M taxpayer mid-level exception available to strengthen the roster further while remaining under the second apron.
KNICKS ROSTER AT A GLANCE
Clarkson’s pending addition brings the Knicks’ roster to 11 players: Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, McBride, Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, and now Clarkson.
The Knicks still need to add a center behind Towns, Robinson, and Hukporti, each of whom battled injuries last season. They could also benefit from adding more size and versatility in the frontcourt, ideally a forward capable of guarding multiple positions and spacing the floor.
New York also retains the option to bring back their own free agents, notably Landry Shamet and Delon Wright, both of whom played key bench roles during the conference finals run against Indiana.
Clarkson’s arrival could spell the end of Cameron Payne’s time at Madison Square Garden. A fan and locker room favorite, Payne found himself glued to the bench during the conference finals as Tom Thibodeau pivoted to Wright and Shamet after falling into an 0-2 hole against the Pacers. Despite his energy and occasional spark, Payne’s tenure in New York was marred by inconsistent shooting efficiency and shot selection.
