Knicks is expected to have an open spot on the roster, with a 10-day contract from John Henson expiring on Thursday. The Knicks do not intend to give him a second 10-day pact, according to an NBA source.
The third-string center, Norvel Pelle, stepped up on Wednesday, when starter Nerlens Noel was scratched at the last minute with an ankle sprain that sealed Henson’s fate.
Henson injured his calf on the second day of the contract during a training session with matched Knicks players. The 30-year-old NBA veteran never entered a game, but brought in $ 119,000 from his 10-day pact to rehabilitate the calf. Henson did not make the two-game trip to New Orleans and Dallas.
Meanwhile, Pelle had a strong defensive game in the Knicks’ victory against the Pelicans on Wednesday. Pelle, playing with the dislocated finger he suffered on his debut in Detroit, played 13 minutes, blocked a shot by Zion Williamson and scored two inside baskets. More importantly, it was a plus-19.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t know much about Pelle when they first signed him earlier this month, saying the “scouts” like him. But he came impressed. Pelle has a second 10-day contract waiting to finish the season with the Knicks.
“Norvel was great,” Thibodeau said. “It simply came to our notice then. He is still finding his way, learning the system. But its length, impact lock, rim protection is huge for us. ”
Thibodeau looked at both Pelle and Henson as “insurance” for Noel and the Taj Gibson Reserve. Center Mitchell Robinson, who has not made the trip in two games to New Orleans-Dallas, is expected to come out in the season with a broken leg.
“These guys did a great job all year,” Thibodeau said. “When Mitch came out, Nerlens was ready, he intervened, he did a great job. Taj intervened, gave us wonderful spare minutes. The only thing about Taj that you know is that you can turn it on, you can take it off the bench, you can have it situational, it’s the same every day. Always ready, always the first team. ”
It is unclear whether Knicks is using last place on the list and may decide to end up with the Noel, Gibson and Pelle trio.
One striker the Knicks have considered is Kenneth Faried, the robust rebounder and former Denver Nugget. Faried, 31, who recently played in China, is from Newark. But the beating on Faried is that he is still poor.