Knicks waive former Arizona guard Kadeem Allen, but it could be a good thing

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The New York Knicks have waived former Arizona Wildcats guard Kadeem Allen, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Allen, 27, was on a two-way contract with the Knicks, who he joined in 2018-19 after one season with the Boston Celtics, who selected him in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

Knicks have claimed two-way guard Jared Harper on free agency waivers and waived two-way guard Kadeem Allen, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2020

Allen appeared in 10 games for the Knicks before the coronavirus crisis postponed the 2019-20 season. He was averaging 5.1 points, 2.1 assists and 0.5 steals in 11.7 minutes, shooting 43 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from 3.

Allen had spent most of the season in the G League with the Westchester Knicks, where he averaged 13.7 points, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 28.8 minutes. He struggled with his 3-point shot, converting just 26 percent of his triples.

The Knicks (21-45) are one of eight teams not heading to Walt Disney World to complete the 2019-20 season next month, so this could be a blessing in disguise for Allen, who might be able to latch on with a contender as a replacement player in the event of injury or illness. (For instance, the Lakers were recently informed that Avery Bradley, a guard with a similar build as Allen, won’t be rejoining the team in Orlando for health reasons.)

In 2018-19, Allen showed he can hold his own in the NBA, when he averaged 9.9 points and 4.8 assists in 19 games with the Knicks. Arizona fans know he can defend at a high level, it’s just a matter of finding a role offensively.

Apparently some folks in the Knicks organization thought he was the best young point guard on the roster:

Sources confirm Knicks have claimed guard Jared Harper from Phoenix as a two-way guy for next season and waived PG Kadeem Allen. Allen got raw deal this season with all their PGS. Some in organization thought Kadeem was best of the young PGs.

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) June 25, 2020

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