Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |
New Knicks free-agent signee Reggie Bullock underwent surgery on Wednesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery for a cervical disc herniation, the team said.
Bullock initially reached a two-year $21 million agreement at the beginning of free agency, but re-worked the agreement in wake of the disc herniation. Bullock agreed to a two-year deal for less than the $4.7 million exception, his agent David Bauman told SNY.
"(The) Knicks were fantastic through this process," Bauman said.
There is no specific timetable for Bullock to return to the court. The team said it will provide an update on his rehab around the start of training camp.
Prior to the surgery, SNY sources said Bullock was expected to miss at least a month of the regular season due to his ailment.
Bullock's re-worked deal with the Knicks is structured similarily to their other two-year agreements, per SNY sources: it isn't fully guaranteed in the second year, which essentially makes it a team option.
The restructuring of Bullock's deal gave the Knicks more cap space to work with. It was spent on another NBA veteran in Marcus Morris, who backed out of his deal with the Spurs to officially sign a one-year, $15 million contract to play at The Garden next season. It's not unheard of for a player to renege on a verbal agreement during free agency, but this situation is complex because San Antonio traded forward Davis Bertans to Washington and re-worked an agreement with DeMarre Carroll to sign Morris.
The Knicks see Morris as a strong influence on their younger core, which includes RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, and Allonzo Trier.
"With Reggie & Marcus we are adding two more versatile, hard-nosed & accomplished players to an already improved roster," Knicks GM Scott Perry said in a statement. "We value both players' perimeter shooting and their strong presence on the court and in the locker room. We're excited to have them in New York and are confident they will excel playing for this team under Coach (David) Fizdale."
Playing with the Lakers and Pistons last season, Bullock averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over 29.8 minutes on the floor. Morris averaged 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 27.9 minutes in 75 games for the Celtics last season.
After missing out on Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving, the Knicks used their $70 million in cap space on Morris, Julius Randle, Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington, and Bobby Portis.
Once Bullock returns to the court, he will compete with several players for minutes at guard/small forward, including rookie RJ Barrett and Damyean Dotson.