Metta World Peace to Sign With the New York Knicks

All along, despite the numerous potential suitors, the New York Knicks were considered the favorites to land Metta World Peace. And in the end, they won out. MWP has reached an agreement to sign a two-year deal with the Knickerbockers. Per Yahoo! Sports and the AP: “Metta World Peace has reached agreement on a two-year, $3.2 million contract with the New York Knicks, league sources said. The second year of the deal is a player option, a source said. World Peace and his agents met with Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald and coach Mike Woodson on Monday in Las Vegas and agreed to the deal in the meeting, league sources said. […] ‘The team is amazing, the players. I’m excited to play and hustle,’ World Peace said Monday while attending the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. ‘Yes, this is going to happen,’ World Peace’s agent, Marc Cornstein, said. ‘He’s really excited to be joining his hometown team. That’s obviously been something that’s been a dream of his since growing up in Queensbridge. He’s just thrilled to be joining the New York Knicks.’ World Peace was waived Thursday by the Los Angeles Lakers, who used the amnesty clause to create salary cap space. The 6-foot-7 forward will still be paid the $7.7 million that was owed to him by the Lakers. Cornstein said the new deal came about pretty quickly. The Knicks expressed interest right after they were allowed to reach out to the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year. ‘Obviously, Metta being from the area, and also much more importantly than just being a New Yorker, seeing the way he would fit in the team,’ Cornstein said. ‘Coach (Mike) Woodson did an incredible job explaining what his role would be. (Knicks GM) Glen Grunwald really made him feel wanted. They just did a tremendous job; quite frankly, it became a pretty easy decision.'”