Knicks coach Derek Fisher said it’s out of his hands whether to fill the open roster spot but admitted their unsigned second-round pick, shooting guard Thanasis Antetokounmpo, continues to be discussed as an option.
Antetokounmpo, brother of Bucks star Giannis, is playing for the Westchester Knicks and earning $25,000 this season after declining a $500,0000 package from an Italian League squad. The Knicks have had an open roster spot since buying out Amar’e Stoudemire during All-Star Weekend.
Though this is a time to audition young players for next season as the club has been out of the playoff race since well before Christmas, Knicks brass has yet to make a move.
“Ask Phil [Jackson], Steve [Mills], Allan [Houston] in terms of the philosophy of leaving it open,’’ Fisher said. “I don’t factor into the equation if we should fill it or not. I’ve stated my opinion who it may or may not be. It hasn’t been brought to me that it’s being heavily considered.
“I’m not really involved in those daily discussions if we’ll stay at 14 or 15. It’s not on my radar as a priority. Obviously all our guys on the D-League team are being evaluated. Thanasis’ name has come up in different discussions.’’
One factor in keeping Antetokounmpo in the D-League is if he signs a contract, he will count as a second-year player next season and his salary would be $850,000. That’s $300,000 more than if he were just a rookie.
The 6-foot-6 Greek-born defensive stopper is considered a project. As The Post first reported, he was drafted by Jackson as “a stash player.’’ But nobody figured the Knicks would be on pace for the franchise’s worst record and spending March and April developing the young players.
The Knicks have been monitoring players who are being bought out as well as Westchester prospects, Orlando Sanchez, a St. John’s product who was on their training-camp roster, and shooting guard Doron Lamb, a recent pickup who played for the Bucks and Orlando and hails from Queens.
“In terms of [Antetokounmpo’s] future, he determines that in how hard he continues to work,’’ Fisher said. “I enjoyed working with him when I had the opportunity in the summer. He’s a hard-working young man and passionate about the game and loves to play defense. There’s few of those guys left in this business. I think his potential is whatever he wants it to be. Whether he gets to play on our team or NBA team now, I don’t think that will give us an indication if he’s ready.”
PG Jose Calderon missed his fifth straight game with a strained Achilles tendon. He said he may play on the upcoming five-game West Coast trip and will fly with the team to Denver. The Knicks feared in Boston that Calderon had torn his Achilles, which is why he was given an MRI exam after the recent road trip. Calderon had battled pain there for a couple of weeks and it intensified in Boston after getting hit on a layup attempt.
Free-agent-to-be Wesley Matthews of Portland was diagnosed Friday with a torn Achilles after racing upcourt in Thursday’s game. He could miss eight months, making his free-agent foray even more intriguing. Perhaps the Blazers may not be willing to pay him his skyrocketing market value while the desperate Knicks will as he fits the triangle to a tee — a 3-point shooting, big defensive shooting guard.
“That is the worst,’’ Calderon said of Matthews’ injury. “That was what we were making sure of.’’