Knicks considering retired All-Star Rasheed Wallace
Boston Celtics center Rasheed Wallace runs down the court after scoring a 3-point shot in the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. (May 26, 2010) Credit: AP
The Knicks are considering signing former All-Star big man Rasheed Wallace, league sources said.
Wallace, 38, hasn't played in the NBA since the 2009-10 season. But multiple sources said Wallace worked out at the Knicks' practice facility last week and is considering a return to the NBA. He has a good relationship with Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who was an assistant with Detroit when Wallace helped the Pistons win the 2004 NBA championship.
The Knicks are looking for a defensive-minded backup power forward/center. Wallace can be volatile, but he would seem to be a low-risk, high-reward option for the veteran team, which is looking to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
Believing they have a chance to win now, the Knicks already added 30-something players Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas and Pablo Prigioni this offseason.
The 6-10 Wallace has averaged 14.6 points over 15 seasons and was one of the better low-post defenders during his career. The four-time All-Star played in 177 postseason games, and appeared in three NBA Finals.
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