New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Isiah Thomas announced today that the team has exercised the fourth-year options on the contracts for forward David Lee and guard Nate Robinson and the third-year options on the contracts for forward Renaldo Balkman and guard Mardy Collins.

As part of the collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts are two years in length, with team options for the player’s third and fourth seasons.

Lee has the most value of the four players. With terrific basketball fundamentals and a nose for rebounding, he's a star role player. Robinson brings explosiveness and big hops, and he seems to have improved over the summer. Balkman is fantastic at doing the dirty work, using basketball smarts and athletic ability to help in ways that don't show up on that stat sheet. Collins is still developing.