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.
ESPN.com first reported Wallace had worked out for the Knicks.
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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