It wasn’t until he was 28 years old that Chris Copeland made the NBA, and this summer he will hit free agency as a 29-year-old. So attaining maximum financial security would seem to be a very important priority for the Knicks forward.
Yesterday, though, Copeland said he never has cared about the biggest possible payday. A restricted-free-agent-to-be, Copeland said he cares about being comfortable — and he does not want to sever his Knicks relationship.
“I would be lying to you if I said [money] wasn’t a factor, but people don’t know. If you look at my career overseas and stuff, I’ve never chased the highest bidder. I’ve never been that guy,” Copeland said. “I’ve played on teams for multiple years. When I’m comfortable, I usually tend to stay in those situations.
“I love it here. The finances play a part, but I have a lot of emotional ties here that it would be harder for me to break.”
Copeland was one of the Knicks’ biggest surprises this season, not only making the opening-night roster but becoming an important contributor and fan favorite. The 6-foot-8 scorer from Orange, N.J., averaged 8.7 points, and although his postseason playing time was initially minimal, Copeland saw extended minutes in must-win Games 5 and 6 against the Pacers. He poured in 13 points in 19 minutes in Game 5 and had nine points in 19 minutes in Game 6.
“[Staying in New York] would be a dream come true. To be here has been a dream come true, but to stay here — this place means the world to me,” said Copeland, who played in Belgium the previous two seasons. “As a guy [who] took forever to get here and [has] been on the outside looking in, this is the first team that really gave me a shot and gave me the chance and believed in me.”
Because Copeland is a restricted free agent, the Knicks can match other teams’ offers up to $3.183 million per year through their taxpayer mid-level exception (if they’re taxpayers). Still, it’s possible Copeland could hunt for Steve Novak-type dollars. Novak just finished the first season of a four-year, $16 million deal.
The sharp-shooting Novak barely played in the postseason, especially against the Pacers. He admitted “it was definitely frustrating,” but said he understood.
“I definitely do think I could have had an impact, but it’s hard to look back and question and say if I would have this, if I would have that,” Novak said. “[Mike Woodson] had to make tough calls on who to play and I trust him on those things.”