Alexander Wilson
Jordan Clarkson might not be finished with the Knicks after all, which is fun for the bench-scorer crowd and mildly annoying for anyone trying to keep the cap sheet clean.
According to Stefan Bondy, Clarkson remains a possibility to re-sign with the Knicks even with the team’s mandate to avoid the second apron. He added that he could not rule out the reunion.
I get why that line is still hanging around. Jordan Clarkson averaged 8.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this season, and his case is pretty simple: he can still get a shot off when a possession turns into mush.
The Knicks can want Clarkson and still hesitate
This is where the whole thing gets awkward. Clarkson makes basketball sense in the narrowest possible way. The Knicks need shot creation behind Jalen Brunson, they need someone comfortable taking a weird late-clock look, and they already know Clarkson can live in that role without asking for the ball for 30 minutes.
The money part is colder. A title team trying to stay under the second apron does not get to keep every useful veteran just because the vibes were good. Leon Rose has to treat the back of the roster like a pressure test now, and Clarkson only works if the price stays friendly.
I would keep the door cracked, but not wide open. There is a difference between bringing back a veteran scorer on a team-friendly number and talking yourself into a sentimental deal because he was part of the ride.
Clarkson still gives the Knicks a real bench tool
The easy pushback is that Clarkson’s role shrank late, including a six-minute appearance in the title-clinching Game 5. Fair. The Knicks won because Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart carried the heavy stuff, not because Clarkson was some hidden engine.
Still, bench shot creation can disappear fast. Jose Alvarado is a different kind of guard. Deuce McBride brings defense and toughness. Landry Shamet spaces the floor. Clarkson is the one who can turn a broken possession into something weird enough to work, and playoff teams always talk themselves into needing one of those guys by February.
That does not mean the Knicks should chase him at any cost. It means the idea is not silly if the price behaves.
The Knicks should make Clarkson wait
If Clarkson wants to come back on a clean, short deal, the Knicks should listen. He knows the room, Mike Brown knows what he can and cannot do, and the team would not have to spend September teaching him where to stand.
If the market pushes the number up, I would let him walk. The Knicks have earned the right to be picky after winning a title, and the second apron is exactly where nice little veteran reunions can start biting back.
Clarkson is worth a call. He is not worth the Knicks losing flexibility before the real offseason work even starts.
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