
Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams both signed with the New York Knicks last summer as the team looked to make a small splash towards making the playoffs once again. Unfortunately for them, they fell dramatically short of that goal.
Afflalo and Williams were two players the Knicks were looking at to help their progress
Following from Ian Begley of ESPN New York.
Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams have informed the Knicks that they will decline their 2016-17 player options and test free agency, according to league sources.
Afflalo declined an $8 million option for next season; Williams declined a $4.6 million option.
With Afflalo and Williams opting out, the club could have close to $30 million in available cap space this summer.
That number would increase to $34 million if the Knicks renounced their other free agents.
Afflalo, 30, averaged 12.8 points on 44 percent shooting last season. He played primarily as a starter under Derek Fishers but he was moved to a reserve role late in the season under interim coach Kurt Rambis. Afflalo had previously said that he still believed he could be a starter in the NBA and that belief would factor into his free-agency decision. Williams, 25, averaged 9.3 points in 18 minutes per game primarily in a reserve role for the Knicks. He brought energy and excitement off the bench and possibly revitalized his value in the NBA with his solid performance this season.
Both players are expected to make more money this summer respectively, primarily due to the rising cap in the NBA.