The New York Knicks made the decision to waive guard Luca Vildoza on Sunday, electing to go with some of their younger pieces and allow a few NBA veterans to compete for a roster spot this upcoming season. With Dwayne Bacon and Wayne Selden both on the training camp roster, they will be competing for one of the final spots, as Thibodeau mentioned the importance of wings in the league right now.
Vildoza, though, has been dealing with a foot injury the past few weeks, which kept him out of Summer League play and likely any preseason games. Ultimately, the team had to make a business decision regarding the Argentinian guard, who they anticipated will play a big part moving forward. However, the team brought in Kemba Walker and drafted Miles McBride to serve as their new point guards, seeing Vildoza’s contributions become a moot point.
“You gotta make roster decisions this time of the year, and so availability is a big part of it,’’ Thibodeau said. “And we feel that the guys who are here, those are the guys that are fighting it out for that last spot. But he’s a good player and we wish him well.
With training camp underway and the regular season rapidly approaching, the team can only work with their healthy players, and waiting for Vildoza to return was simply going to take too much time.
“We couldn’t wait, and we just felt like we’ve had guys here all summer doing a really good job,’’ Thibodeau said. “So, we feel that’s the best decision for the team.
Last season with Baskonia in the Euro League, Vildoza averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 assists, and shot 41% from the field. He will now be looking for a new opportunity, potentially in the NBA, once he returns to full health.
The Knicks originally signed him to a four-year, $13.6 million deal, but it was completely non-guaranteed unless he made the roster out of training camp. They will save that full amount, so they will have a bit of wiggle room regarding salary space heading into the season.