Villanova Grad Ryan Arcidiacono Inks 10-Day Contract With Knicks

NEW YORK, NY —Former Villanova standout guard Ryan Arcidiacono on Thursday signed a 10-day contract with the NBA's New York Knicks, the team announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Knicks (18-19, 11th in the Eastern Conference), like many teams in the league, have been forced to add to their roster recently after players entered the NBA's COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols and because of injuries. Guards Kemba Walker (knee) and Derrick Rose (ankle) currently are out injured for New York.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Arcidiacono, 27, previously spent four years (2017-21) in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 17.6 minutes per game.

This season, the Langhorne native played six games for the Maine Celtics, the NBA G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, where he averaged 12.7 points, 8.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Mark Wessol a reporter for DailyKnicks.com, said he believed Arcidiacono could be a good fit for New York.

"What intrigues me about Arcidiacono is his playstyle and how well it matches up with how (head coach) Tom Thibodeau coaches," Wessol wrote. "He won't wow you in the box score by putting up 20-plus points, but he sure will do the dirty work, dive on loose balls, make that extra pass, get teammates involved and most importantly defend/give effort."

Wessol added: "One of the main parts about defending is simply giving effort, and if there is anyone who appreciates hard work, it's us New York fans. The gritty plays (Arcidiacono) makes could not only get the fans going, but light a fire under his teammates and give energy where at times it is missing with the Knicks."

Arcidiacono played four seasons at Villanova and was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 2016, as the Wildcats captured the national title. The Neshaminy High School grad was named First-Team All-Big East and Big East Co-Player of the Year as a junior in 2015.

Chris Arcidiacono, Ryan's younger brother, currently is a member of the Villanova basketball team.

The Knicks were scheduled to host the Boston Celtics Thursday night at Madison Square Garden before traveling to Boston for a game on Saturday night.