Knicks reward Jarrett Jack by guaranteeing contract for season
New York Knicks guard Jarrett Jack (55) grabs a loose ball past Houston Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Houston. Credit: AP / Eric Christian Smith
DALLAS — The Knicks have guaranteed the contract of starting point guard Jarrett Jack for the rest of the season, general manager Scott Perry announced on Sunday.
When he signed a non-guaranteed deal in September, Jack, 34, was supposed to be the team’s third or fourth point guard, but the Knicks appreciate his veteran leadership and steady play.
“Jarrett has been a leader for the Knicks on and off the court,” Perry said. “He’s a valuable member of the team and we look forward to him continuing his successful play for the remainder of the season.”
Jack went into Sunday night’s game against the Mavericks averaging 7.2 points and 5.9 assists. Coming off a serious knee injury, he didn’t know how much he’d be able to play this season, so the contract guarantee is icing on the top of a season-long cake.
“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “Pretty gratifying coming back from all the rehab and the injuries and the couple setbacks I had along the way. To make it to a point where I guess I’m solidified for at least the rest of the season, it’s a cool, nice little point where I guess I can look back and appreciate all the hard work.”
Speaking Frankly
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said the Mavericks “desperately” wanted to meet with Frank Ntilikina before the NBA Draft but were unable to schedule anything. Carlisle has been impressed with the rookie, who entered Sunday’s game averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 assists in 21.3 minutes per game for the Knicks.
“I like him a lot,” he said. “I like the way he competes. He’s young and he’s growing quickly. I love the consistency of his competitiveness. Defensively, he’s really ahead of the curve for a rookie with his length and his intensity and anticipation. I understand why New York drafted him at eight.”
Beasley out
Michael Beasley missed the game with a left ankle sprain suffered Friday in Miami.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
