Brandon Jennings is gone for good, Joakim Noah might be done for the season and the Knicks’ focus on playing the young guys is about to go into full swing.
However, coach Jeff Hornacek firmly denied the Knicks are in tank mode — four games out of the No. 8 seed with 23 games left — after a busy Monday morning before a 92-91 loss to the Raptors.
Phil Jackson finally sprung into action after being shut out at the trade deadline. The Knicks waived Jennings, the disgruntled veteran backup point guard, finally signed their summer-league/D-League sensation Chasson Randle while Noah’s disastrous first year in New York may have come to an end.
According to a source, the 24-year-old Randle is signed for the rest of the season with a partial guarantee for next year. Expect him at training camp in the fall. The Jennings move also has opened the door for undrafted rookie Ron Baker to assume backup point-guard duties.
Hornacek said the Knicks are still trying to fight for wins despite admitting the Jennings waiver was done to open the door for Baker and Randle, who was cut in training camp.
“Who says we’re trying to lose?” Hornacek said. “Sensibility of trying to lose? What does that mean. As a team we’re not thinking about losing. We’re still trying to win. Brandon being waived doesn’t mean [not] trying to win games. We feel Ron Baker can fill right in. It’s a different dynamic. He can control things and provide defense.”
Meanwhile, Noah’s first season as a Knick is all but over, leaving rookie Willy Hernangomez with the starting center’s job, possibly for years.
After feeling a pain in his left knee three days ago, an MRI exam revealed a “loose body” existed. Rather than wait, Noah, who had missed the previous seven games with a hamstring strain, underwent arthroscopic surgery and will be reevaluated in several weeks. If the Knicks are out the playoff race, the $72 million man is done too, finishing the season having played in just 46 games.
Sources denied a report Jennings had asked to be traded to a playoff contender, but the club “knew he was unhappy with his role.” Another source told The Post the Knicks felt he “was no longer a fit” and sensed if his playing time reduced to play the young guys, he would have created a problem.
“Brandon wanted to play more minutes here,’’ Hornacek said. “With Derrick here, it made it awfully tough.”
Hornacek indicated Baker is a stronger defender than Jennings. The Knicks coach admitted Jennings pushed the pace well, but now that the club is emphasizing more triangle, the decision to go Jennings-free became a no-brainer. Jennings will be a free agent and the Knicks weren’t interested in re-signing him. They didn’t receive any sensible offers at the deadline for him.
“It will open up more minutes for Ron,’’ Hornacek said. “Chasson, we really liked in training camp. We were surprised nobody picked him up earlier. He’s a young player we can develop, knows the system and has a real good feel for the game.’’
Mike Miller, coach of the Westchester Knicks coach, was on hand to view Randle’s debut Monday. Randle played some triangle at Stanford and in the D-League.
In January, Randle signed two 10-day contracts with the Sixers, but was cut before the trade deadline as Philadelphia remade its roster with a series of trades. The Westchester Knicks had Randle’s D-League rights, but he refused to rejoin them, according to a source, as he was in talks with two other NBA teams.
“Organizations try to do best for themselves and the players,’’ Hornacek said. “You see a guy not happy or wants to play more minutes, a veteran guy like Brandon, and we had Ron and Chasson, we saw an opportunity help Brandon out and help us.’’
Jennings could sign with the Wizards, in third place in the East, or Charlotte. Meanwhile, Derrick Rose, nearly traded for Ricky Rubio at the deadline and who created speculation he may want to be bought out when he said he had a flight to Chicago on Friday, will stay.
“He may play more minutes,’’ Hornacek said.
The Knicks are considering keeping a cap hold on Rose in case they can benefit by using Rose in a sign-and-trade in July to gain an asset — even if it’s Rubio. That would benefit Rose, too, allowing him to sign for an extra year in a sign-and-trade with another club.
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