The Knicks are adding some desperately needed scoring prowess to their bench, as multiple reports indicate that they will sign veteran shooting guard Jordan Clarkson on Tuesday — the first official day of NBA free agency.
Clarkson agreed to a contract buyout with the Utah Jazz on Monday, which made him an unrestricted free agent. He can finalize the deal with New York when he clears waivers on Wednesday, which is expected to come at the veteran’s minimum deal. That is a key term in all this, as the Knicks are already well over the luxury-tax threshold and do not have much to spend in free agency.
After struggling to find a consistent role in the NBA, the 33-year-old became one of the league’s top bench talents in Utah, which included a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 16.2 points with 3.7 assists per game and a 36.2% mark from three-point range.
In his second full season with the Jazz in 2020-21, he won the NBA’s 6th Man of the Year Award. The following season, he started each of the 61 games he appeared in, averaging a career-best 20.8 points per game.
Clarkson’s scoring punch off the bench will prove vital for the Knicks’ backcourt, which received little relief under the non-existent rotations under former head coach Tom Thibodeau.
New York’s bench averaged the fewest points and minutes played per game in the entire NBA last season. While Brunson handled the ball for a league-high 8.6 minutes per game, Bridges played the most minutes, the only player in the NBA who eclipsed the 3,000-minute mark in the regular season.
Clarkson’s scoring ability also will provide the Knicks with alternate looks in crunch time, as he would provide another threat alongside Brunson, Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns in the final minutes.
