The New York Knicks have signed forward Jeremy Tyler of the Erie BayHawks, and waived guard Chris Smith.

Tyler, 6-10, 250-pounds, has averaged 18.0 points, on 47.8-percent shooting, and 10.2 rebounds over 31.0 minutes in six games (all starts) with the BayHawks. He originally signed with New York on Aug. 6, after playing for the Knicks’ entry in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV, and was waived on Oct. 25 while recovering from a broken right fifth metatarsal. 

Smith, 6-0, 200-pounds, signed with New York on Sep. 10, and appeared in two games, playing two minutes. He was assigned to Erie on Nov. 18, where he played six games before being recalled on Dec. 17.

Jeremy Tyler reached completion on his deal with the New York Knicks on Monday afternoon, and the center is expected to receive an opportunity in the playing rotation this week, sources said.

Tyler signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Knicks in the offseason, but he was a final cut before the regular season due to a fracture in his right foot. He's healed since and joined the Knicks’ Development League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, where he averaged 18 points and 10.2 rebounds over six games.

Tyler bolsters a frontcourt that has dealt with widespread injury issues, including Tyson Chandler missing an extended stretch and Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin on minutes restrictions.

Tyler was a second round pick in 2011, and the 22-year-old spent parts of two seasons with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. Tyler had played in Japan out of his junior year in high school, prior to placing his name into the NBA Draft.

The New York Knicks will waive Chris Smith.

Smith is the younger brother of J.R. Smith.

Smith's contract for the 13-14 NBA season is already fully guaranteed.

Smith played in just two games with the Knicks this season, along with an additional six in the D-League with the Erie BayHawks.

The New York Knicks have struggled for more than a decade under James Dolan despite spending heavily on the players on the floor, as well as investing in renovating Madison Square Garden.

"I don't think there's an owner who wants to win more than James Dolan," Thomas said Saturday. "He commits the resources. He does everything he can for the players. He just spent $1 billion on the arena for the fans. I think he'll do whatever it takes to win."

"The people in the Garden aren't basketball people," said an unnamed veteran executive. "They think they're basketball people. They're New Yorkers, so they watch a lot of basketball, but that's a far [bleeping] cry from working in it."

The Knicks have struggled to sustain any type of success with the impetus to win now always at hand.

"The solution for every problem, whether it's in team-building or in the corporate world, is a coherent long-term strategy," said another longtime sports executive. "And the requisite follow through. Sure, you have to be nimble and flexible enough to make midcourse corrections when necessary. But if you did a good job plotting your course you can't keep changing plans every year or two."

The New York Knicks are discussing re-signing Jeremy Tyler, according to a source.

Tyler is playing for the Knicks' D-League affiliate, but remains an NBA free agent.

The Knicks could wait until Jan. 5 when 10-day contracts can be signed.

Tyler was cut at the end of training camp in a controversial move in which the Knicks kept Chris Smith.

James Dolan addressed the New York Knicks before Thursday's practice to assure the team that no trades or changes to the coaching staff would be made, according to sources.

The Knicks lost by 29 points on Christmas Day to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dolan's move is an attempt for players to rally together and focus under Woodson.

Woodson announced after practice that he believes the Knicks will again win the Atlantic Division.

"Eventually we'll get healthy and we'll see how it all plays out," Woodson 

The New York Knicks are interested in acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks hope that Rondo will eventually try to force a trade to the Knicks in a way that was similar to Carmelo Anthony in 2011, according to sources.

The Celtics have consistently denied wanting to trade Rondo, but he will have just one guaranteed season remaining on his contract after the deadline.

The Knicks fully expect to re-sign Anthony in the offseason and at the very least have enough cap space in 2015 to sign a max player.

"They're one confident bunch," a league executive said this week. "To listen to them, they expect to have Carmelo re-signed and have another star with him in another year. They're so sure about it you'd think they already know what will happen."

Attempts between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors to revive discussions centered on Kyle Lowry remain dead, according to a source.

The Knicks have pursed Lowry to bolster their point guard spot.

The Knicks are unwilling to part with their upcoming first round pick years down the line.

Metta World Peace is considering surgery on his left knee that goes beyond just a draining procedure and it would cause the New York Knicks' forward to miss an extended period of time.

“He mentioned that, but I don’t know where he’s going in terms of that direction,’’ Mike Woodson said. “He’s in tune with our medical people. I’m sure they’ll figure it if he decides he wants to do something. I don’t know the severity of it. I know he’s had his knee drained a couple of times and that’s it. Then he rests a few days and then he plays. We just have to take it a game at a time, see how he’s feeling, and if he tells us he’s ready to play, we’ll play him.”

Woodson believes World Peace's knee injury has affected him "a little bit."

In an interview that aired over the weekend, but was taped a month ago, Carmelo Anthony spoke openly about his admiration for the success of the Miami Heat in constructing a Big 3.

“They were smart,” Anthony said. “I think it’s smart. It was their choice.”

Anthony will opt out of his contract to become a free agent on July 1.

“I’m not saying I want to go somewhere else,” Anthony said. “When I first got to New York I always told myself it would be a three- to 3½-year plan just to rebuild. I knew we took a step backwards as an organization for me to get here. So we had to rebuild.

“You’re not going to build a mansion in a year or two years. It takes time. That’s where I’m at right now.”