The New York Knicks made a big addition to their second unit by signing former Sixth Man of The Year Jordan Clarkson to a one-year, $3.6 million deal earlier this offseason.
Clarkson has been one of the league’s best bench players over the last half-decade, leading the NBA in bench points since 2020. He spent the last six seasons with the Utah Jazz, where he averaged 17.5 points per game off the bench, and won the Sixth Man of The Year award in 2021.
The Knicks are presumably pleased with bringing in Clarkson for next season, as is the team’s superstar point guard Jalen Brunson, who on his podcast ‘The Roommates Show,’ told his reaction to the team bringing in Clarkson.
“I know him,” Brunson said. “Talked to him for a little bit. Good dude. Surrounds himself with good people that I know. A great addition for us, for sure.”
The Knicks were last in total bench points, and bench points per game by a wide margin last season, bringing in the league’s top bench scorer will surely help resolve at least some of those issues.
Additionally, signing Clarkson gives the Knicks another ball handling scorer to take some of the pressure off of Jalen Brunson, and allows the Knicks showcase their depth on a level that they haven’t been able to in quite some time.
Last season, Clarkson averaged 16.2 points per game while shooting 36 percent from three-point range in 37 games (28 off the bench).