Feb 22, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Utah Jazz forward Josh Howard (8) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Jazz 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

Josh Howard has been linked off and on to the Knicks over the course of the past couple of months and according to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, the Knicks are still targeting the former All-Star.

Howard is 32 and on the downside of his career and if signed would be the seventh player over the age of 30 on the current Knicks’ roster.

According to a source of Zwerling’s, the Knicks are still interested in the 32-year-old swingman and have had recent conversations with his representatives.

While they do remain interested in Howard, the Knicks will likely wait a while in order to evaluate the talent they have currently in camp. If they do decide to try and sign Howard, they would have to cut someone with a non-guaranteed contract as the Knicks are currently at the maximum 20 players in camp.

Howard, who has career, averages of 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, spent the offseason recovering from surgery on his right knee, but is apparently ready to go. He’s coming off his two worst seasons in his career, averaging only 8.4 points per game in Washington in 2011 and only 8.7 in Utah last season.

If the Knicks get even more serious about Howard, they would likely want to bring him in as the backup to Carmelo Anthony at small forward. In his prime, Howard was a versatile player with a solid inside-outside game, but he’s still a better than average defender, which would fit in nicely on this current Knicks team.

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February 20, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz small forward Josh Howard (8) passes the ball during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Energy Solutions Arena. The Spurs defeated the Jazz 106-102. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, the Knicks are among three teams (Bobcats and Bulls are the other two teams) that are still interested in Josh Howard.  At one point in his career, the 32 year old veteran was one of the top small forwards in the league, making an All-Star Appearance in 2007.  But injuries have plagued him the past 3 years – after leaving the Mavs in the 2009-2010 season to play for the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz, Howard has only played in 65 regular season games.

As long as he stays healthy Howard could be a great addition to the Knicks.  We all know he’s not going to average 20 points a game like he did in 07-08 but that’s not why the Knicks are after him.  The Knicks think the 6’7 forward can make a great contribution on the defensive end since he has the capability of guarding many positions.

Although Howard knows he’ll act as a backup for the now talented Knicks team, he will definitely get playing time since Novak, the other backup forward is not known for his defense.  With Ronnie Brewer out for 6 weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee, Howard will also see some additional time.  Woodson can even use Howard with Carmelo Anthony in the game so that he could move to the 4 spot, which he excelled at last season.

Josh Howard is also willing to sign cheap which is great for the Knicks since they could only offer the veteran’s minimum which would be around 1.23 million dollars.  Overall this addition will add even more talent to an already deep team with all the acquisitions made this summer – and as long as Howard stays healthy and plays under control, he will work well for the Knicks.

Howard, who played his first seven seasons with the Mavericks, is a capable scorer and defender. He was an integral part of the 05-06 team that made it to the finals, scoring 15.6 ppg and shooting 43% from  beyond the three point line. His 3-point shooting has been inconsistent, with a career percentage of 33.3 percent.

The 6-7 forward would probably back up Carmelo Anthony, and add to the veteran depth the front office has put together. The biggest downsides of Howard are that he lost a lot of his athletic ability after tearing his ACL in 2010 as well as his only decent 3 point shooting. The position is also crowded–the team already has Chris Copeland and James White as potential back up forwards, as well as sharp shooter Steve Novak.

The Knicks have 15 roster spots filled, although Chris Smith (J.R.’s brother) is only guaranteed through training camp, and you can invite as many players to camp as you would like. There have also been rumors that the team would rather sign a potential back-up for Amar’e Stoudemire. The only power forwards on the roster besides STAT is Kurt Thomas if you don’t count him as a center.

Other potential options are Kenyon Martin, Sean Williams, and Andray Blatche. Martin is less likely, because he is looking for more money than the veterans minimum. Blatche is probably looking for a larger role, and is also known to have maturity issues that would not fit in with the Knick’s win now attitude. That leaves Sean Williams as the best option. He can defend and block shots which would fit in perfectly with Mike Woodson’s defensive schemes.

As for Josh Howard, he could serve an important role as well. The lack of offensive weapons that can create their own shot caused a problem last season when ‘Melo and STAT were not getting it done. Outside of J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton, the roster is made up of a lot of supporting players that need to be in put into ideal situations to score. Adding Josh Howard would bring an additional player who can score the ball himself, which may be needed if someone goes down with an injury.

However, I don’t envision Howard signing with the Knicks. The lack of a need for a scorer to back up our best player is the leading reason. STAT, unlike ‘Melo, has a history of injury, and the lack of depth behind his position is the only hole left in the roster.

February 29, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz small forward Josh Howard (8) dunks during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Energy Solutions Arena. The Jazz defeated the Rockets 104-83. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

Josh Howard once looked like the type of player that would have a promising NBA career for years to come, but injuries have slowed Howard’s game down to a crawl since making the All-Star team in 2007.

Yahoo! Sports Marcus Spears reported a couple weeks ago that Howard was close to making a decision on where he would sign and the New York Knicks were one of the teams on his short list.

Jazz free agent forward Josh Howard expected to make a decision soon, source tell Y! Sports. Utah, IND, GS, BK and NY in mix.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 29, 2012

While Howard was once a nice player, he’s one the Knicks should say no to.

Sure Howard would add depth and is a capable defender, but there’s really no fit for him on this Knicks team.

The Knicks bench is currently one of the more dangerous ones in the league with Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, Kurt Thomas, Ronnie Brewer and J.R. Smith (once Iman Shumpert is healthy).

There’s really nowhere for Howard to fit in.

Brewer is an outstanding on-ball defender and while he will play the 2-guard in Shumpert’s absence, he will be able to play the 3 as well.

Howard has lost a step and may have lost his jumper as well, shooting under 40 percent on the season for Utah last year. In fact, Howard hasn’t shot over 45 percent from the floor since the 2008-09 campaign. Because of injuries, Howard lacks the athleticism he once had and can’t slash to the rim effectively anymore.

There’s not a whole lot of minutes to go around as is and by giving minutes to a guy like Howard, all the Knicks would be doing is taking them away from a better player.

The Knicks may be going all-in to win now, but Howard doesn’t make much sense in the short or long-term plans for this franchise.

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Could Delfino be a Sixth Man in NY?

SF Carlos Delfino (2011-12 salary: $3.5 million)

Delfino is an interesting player on the free agent market. The Milwaukee Bucks used him last year in a sixth man role, where he did more than hold his own. Delfino averaged 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists a night in roughly 29 minutes of action. His first two years in Milwaukee, he actually averaged better than 11.0 points a night while shifting between the starting rotation and the bench.

Delfino would be an interesting option for the Knicks to consider, especially if J.R. Smith doesn’t re-up with his player option. He can provide an offensive spark, while not commanding a high volume of touches, and more than hold his own on defense (averaged 1.5 steals last season for Milwaukee). The one deterring factor would be price. Delfino is likely to at least equal his 2012 value on the free agent market this season.

Could Flynn return to MSG?

PG Jonny Flynn (2011-12 salary: $3.4 million)

The former Syracuse Orange star has had some huge moments already in Madison Square Garden, just none as a professional. Once the sixth overall draft pick (immediately following the selection of Ricky Rubio), the star has faded on Flynn so badly that he was rather lost on the Portland Trail Blazers bench last season, and has already played for three different organizations under his original rookie contract.

There is virtually no chance of Flynn coming remotely close to matching last year’s salary figure after a year in which he averaged just 4.5 points and 3.3 assists. However, as a buy-low option, I’m completely intrigued by his skills. A return back to New York could be just what the doctor ordered, especially considering the expectations wouls be as low as they have been in a long time. There’s also his performance in the last game of the season when he put up 18 points and 11 assists against a Utah Jazz team that was fighting for a playoff berth. If you can buy into Flynn as a back-up point option that has started in the past, why wouldn’t you roll the dice on him?

Could the Knicks look to add size?

C Aaron Gray (2011-12 salary: $2.5 million)

One thing the Knicks did not have coming down the stretch last season was a true back-up big man. They often used Jared Jeffries or Steve Novak at the four and five on their second unit, and the team found themselves undersized at pivotal moments in games.

Aaron Gray would be a nice fit on the Knicks bench that could see some minutes and give Tyson Chandler a breather. Gray will never be a scoring threat underneath, but he can guard the rim reasonably well and grab some much-needed rebounds when Chandler or Stoudemire isn’t on the floor. He averaged 5.7 rebounds a game, while only seeing 16.6 minutes of action each night. His 48-minute average would be a remarkable 16.6 boards a night, with an equally encouraging 4.9 offensive rebounds per 48 minutes. If Gray would settle for equal or less than his salary last year, he’s another name the Knicks should give a lot of consideration.

Is Stevenson's defense worth the money?

SG DeShawn Stevenson (2011-12 salaray: $2.5 million)

Deemed as “LeBron’s kryptonite” after his strong defensive performance against King James in the 2011 NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks, Stevenson’s play went pretty much unnoticed with a disappointing New Jersey Nets squad. Last year, Stevenson offered nothing offensively, averaging just 2.9 points on 28.5% shooting from the field. However, he can still bring the effort on the defensive end, and should obviously be rejuvenated by playing on a competitive team with the spotlight the Knicks will command next season.

He’s another guy like Flynn that didn’t play to his salaray last season, so he could be another buy-low option to fill the 8th or 9th rotation spot on the bench. If used correctly, Stevenson is still a useful piece, and will be cheaper than other defensive stoppers on the free agent market, like Delonte West.

What would Howard bring to NY?

SF Josh Howard (2011-12 salary: $2.15 million)

Once a budding star with the Dallas Mavericks, Howard has become a good option for teams to look at on their bench over the last few seasons. Playing around 23 minutes a night in Utah last season, Howard brought in 8.7 points, 3.7 assists and 1.2 assists. There isn’t anything Howard does to seperate himself from the field anymore, but considering his price value and the quality of play he can bring to the court each night, he’s worth a look. He shouldn’t be one of the first options the Knicks consider in the off-season, but if their other plans fall through, he’s better than most fall back options.

How much will Lucas get in free agency?

PG John Lucas III (2011-12 salaray: $900k)

Of all the players listed before him, Lucas is the only on this list that has absolutely earned himself a raise heading into next season. How much that raise will be will determine if the Knicks consider him off their bench. With Derrick Rose missing so much time to injury last season, the Bulls had to play C.J. Watson and Lucas more than they were probably prepared for, but both players proved their real value in the unexpected playing time.

Lucas flashed a strong ability to score, but never wowed anybody with his distribution skills. Should Lucas fall into the Knicks price range, he’s a good piece a a back-up point guard/potential swingman. However, how other teams evaluate Lucas and what they offer him may determine the Knicks course of action.

Both Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O’Neal are struggling to find work, but for different reasons. McGrady is struggling to get a non-guaranteed contract and Shaq wants too much money. Both were top players at one time in this league, but both have fallen and fallen hard at that.

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Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks

As we discussed after the recent Knicks/Hawks game, JJ has a nice relationship with Coach Mike D’Antoni from their time together in Phoenix, plus the Knicks have somehow managed to look competitive this year in the three games he played against us.  When JJ was on those D’Antoni Suns teams, although he was huge for them, at the time he was considered to be at best their fourth most important player (after Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudamire & Shawn Marion).  Joe rightly felt he could be more, a centerpiece, and he wanted to be paid accordingly.  Having achieved all that with the Hawks, he now has reached the point most vets get to: the main thing he wants now is the chance to play for a championship.  He is even one of the few stars who has literally put his money where his mouth is and has stated he’d be willing to take a bunch less money to be on such a team.

Now don’t misunderstand: he knows he has a very good thing going with the Hawks and that they are a really, really good team.  He’s not gonna just leave them to play on a mid-level Knick team.  So ignore this quote in the NY Daily News:

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