Knicks to cut Jimmer Fredette despite 'record-setting' stint
The New York Knicks have badly needed help in their backcourt for quite some time, so in late February they signed former lottery pick Jimmer Fredette to a 10-day contract.
Did Fredette do anything to show he belongs in the NBA and deserves one of New York's 15 roster spots? Not exactly. Instead, the 6-foot-2 shooter only played five minutes in two games, and the team reportedly won't sign Fredette to a second 10-day contract, and he'll go back down to the D-League's Westchester Knicks on Thursday (via the New York Post):
Jimmer Fredette will not be re-signed to a second 10-day contract and likely will rejoin the D-League Westchester Knicks for Thursday’s game against Canton at the Westchester County Center, according to an NBA source.
Believe it or not, there was some good news: Not only did Madison Square Garden absolutely loved Fredette, 2011's 10th overall draft pick made his only field goal attempt in those five minutes and knocked down four of five free-throw attempts.
Which puts him in a rare Knicks record situation (sort of):
Jimmer will leave the Knicks with the highest effective FG% in franchise history. https://t.co/myKqSVVOEU
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) March 2, 2016
It's odd that New York, a team that's lost eight of its last 10 games and has about a zero percent chance of making the playoffs, wouldn't give Fredette more playing time. He's had tremendous success down in the D-League — averaging 21.8 points per game (not to mention D-League All-Star MVP) — and can't possibly be that much worse than Jose Calderon or Sasha Vujacic.
But Knicks head coach Kurt Rambis apparently isn't about to give Fredette more of an opportunity to show what he can do. And now, sadly, the 27-year-old's NBA career might be over.
