The Knicks’ newly signed combo guard Luca Vildoza is flying into New York Friday and will wear the number of an old Knicks icon when he arrives, according to a Spanish-language Twitter account run by his press team.
Vildoza is slated to don “17,’’ the number of former Knicks PG Jeremy Lin – aka Linsanity.
Whether Vildoza actually will wear it in a playoff game this season is unclear. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said Vildoza’s signing is more of “a summer thing.’’ Integrating him into the playing group might be too daunting a challenge on such short notice.
The Knicks open the playoffs Sunday at 7 p.m. vs. the Hawks at the Garden. Game 2 is now set for Wednesday with Game 3 in Atlanta on Sunday. Everything is fluid but Thibodeau said recently, “We’ll have time to evaluate him over the summer.”
Vildoza, 25, who played for Baskonia of the Spanish League, signed a four-year, $13.6 million deal earlier this month. The final three years aren’t guaranteed. Vildoza’s second season becomes guaranteed the day after the season opener, The Post reported.
He will make $3.5 million this season – minus his Spanish buyout. The signing costs the Knicks players a bonus of $200,000 because the team no longer is under the salary-cap minimum.