After two years of retirement, one-time NBA champion Rasheed Wallace is ready to make a comeback by signing with the New York Knicks according to the New York Post:
“Wallace has told the Knicks he has elected to come out of retirement and join their training camp, according to an NBA source.”
Over the past two years, Wallace seriously considered making a comeback after playing his final season with the Boston Celtics. Before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals in 2010, it was a forgone conclusion that the veteran forward would call it a career, but there was a lot of doubt that he’d actually stay retired.
At one point during the 2011-12 NBA season, Wallace was seriously considering signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Ultimately, Wallace never ended up in Los Angeles and has kept his options open ever since.
Although there is no lack of big men in New York with Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas already in the fold, Wallace elected to come out of retirement in order to help the frontcourt in the Big Apple.
As of right now, Wallace is on the training camp roster with no guarantee that he’ll be on the depth chart to start the 2012-13 NBA season. With a few veteran centers and forwards already in New York, Wallace will have to prove that he’s a difference maker in order to make the cut.
Initial reports say that Wallace has been impressive thus far in workouts with the team. The veteran forward will have to shake off two years of rust, but there seems to be a good chance that he’ll find a spot on the final roster.
Wallace’s versatility will be put to good use with the Knicks with the ability to be a force from beyond the arc and in the paint. The real question remains whether or not he’s got anything left in the tank.
