HOUSTON — When David Fizdale rested sore-shouldered Emmanuel Mudiay for Friday’s 120-96 blowout loss to the Rockets, the Knicks coach made a comment that he didn’t want to do anything that might affect Mudiay’s career with his first free agency upcoming.
“I think about these guys’ careers from the standpoint of, we’re not going to the playoffs, this kid has now established himself and put himself in position to have an offseason where multiple teams are going to want to talk to him,’’ Fizdale said of Mudiay, who will be coming off his rookie-scale contract. “I don’t want to risk that after that he’s done so much to get to where he is.