The New York Knicks re-signed veteran forward-center Jared Jeffries and signed free-agent point guard Mike Bibby, first-round pick Iman Shumpert and second-round pick Josh Harrellson, the team announced Sunday.
Bibby, 33, is a key acquisition because the Knicks amnestied starting point guard Chauncey Billups to clear cap space for the acquisition of Tyson Chandler.
“Mike is a veteran point guard who we know can be successful in our system,” Knicks interim general manager Glen Grunwald said in a statement. “He’s an effective player who has a long track record of leading his teams to postseason success.”
The Knicks did not announce the details of Bibby’s contract. On Saturday, his agent, David Falk, said it would be a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $1.4 million.
“I’ve been trying for about six years to get him playing for [coach Mike] D’Antoni, but at the time this guy named [Steve] Nash was blocking us,” Falk told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard. “I’ve always felt Mike would flourish in his offense.”
Bibby finished last season with Miami, which lost to Dallas in the Finals. He has averaged 15.2 points and 5.7 assists per game in 13 NBA seasons. He enjoyed his greatest success during his 6½ seasons in Sacramento, when the Kings were Western Conference contenders.
He helped a successful Atlanta Hawks team reach the playoffs for three straight appearances from 2008-09 through 2010-11.
Jeffries, 30, has averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in nine seasons. He returned to New York last season for his second stint with the Knicks and proved to be a solid defender.
The Knicks selected Shumpert, 21, with the 17th pick of the NBA draft. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard left Georgia Tech after his junior season.
Harrellson, 22, was selected in the second round by New Orleans, but the Knicks acquired his rights on June 23. The 6-foot-10, 275-pounder played for Kentucky.
–ESPN
