Arron Afflalo is excited to be a member of the Knicks, and said the lure of playing in New York, as well as the team’s emerging culture, were the main reasons why he signed with the organization, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “It was just the fan base, the environment, the chance to play with Carmelo Anthony again, the chance to play with other great players, the mutual interest from the coaching staff and [front office], and the culture they’re trying to build,” Afflalo said. “I just thought it was a good fit for me.” The veteran guard believes he can thrive in the triangle offense, Kennedy adds. “I’ll fit well,” Afflalo said. “I’m pretty versatile with my game, being able to post up or shoot threes to create small pockets of space or get my teammates some shots. I think I’ll fit fine.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The first year of Pierre Jackson‘s four-year deal with the Sixers carries a guarantee of $750K, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Alexey Shved‘s contract with Khimki Moscow will pay him a total of $10.2MM, making him the highest paid player in Europe, David Pick of Eurobasket.com relays (Twitter link). The 26-year-old had reportedly turned down a contract offer to return to the Knicks.
- Sixers second-rounder J.P. Tokoto understands he’s unlikely to see regular minutes this season, but is willing to do whatever the team asks of him, Pompey writes in a separate piece.
“I know what it is,” the No. 58 overall pick said of his role. “I’m a realist. I know what it is coming into it. Being a defensive guy coming in, whether it’s garbage minutes or giving the vet, you know the guy playing more minutes than me, giving him a breather, coming in disrupting the other team’s offense.“