Damian Lillard Wins Three-Point Contest
Damian Lillard isn’t playing this season while recovering from a torn Achilles, but his jumper was still sharp enough to win Saturday’s three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Appearing on an NBA court for the first time since he suffered the injury last April 27, the Trail Blazers guard sank 10 straight shots at one point during the final round to defeat Devin Booker and rookie Kon Knueppel.
It’s Lillard’s third victory in the past four years and it ties him with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges, the only other three-time champs in the history of the contest, which began in 1986.
“Every day I’m up early in the morning warming up and shooting the ball, off the dribble, catch-and-shoot, every style of shot you can shoot. I’m shooting them every day, hundreds of ’em,” Lillard said. “So I knew that this would not be an issue for me. I can’t say I knew that I would win ’cause you just never know. But I knew I would be able to be strong out there and have a chance. I came in confident.”
Lillard was a surprise inclusion in the field of eight contestants because of the injury and his long layoff. He jokingly told a league official that he was ready to go, and he later got the opportunity when another competitor dropped out.
“It felt like a game for me,” Lillard said. “Coming into it, I was like, I don’t know if you can compete harder at a three-point shootout, but I definitely cared more. I didn’t come in, ‘Oh, it is what it is.’ I was like, ‘No, I’m trying to win.’”
Woike notes that the favorite of the L.A. crowd was Heat guard Norman Powell, who spent three years with the Clippers before being traded last summer. Powell scored 23 points in the first round before being eliminated along with Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey and Bobby Portis.
“I just ran a little bit of time,” Powell said, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (subscription required). “I slowed myself down a little too much, because last year I was sped up and going through the course too fast, so kind of said I’m gonna calm down, relax. and take my time with my shots. But, in the end, I ran a little bit of time.”
Second-year Heat forward Keshad Johnson won the Slam Dunk Contest, defeating Carter Bryant in the finals. Jaxson Hayes and Jase Richardson were eliminated in the first round.
The Shooting Stars competition went to the Knicks‘ contingent of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Allan Houston, along with their celebrity passer, assistant coach Rick Brunson.
Jeremy Sochan Signs With Knicks
February 13: The Knicks’ signing of Sochan is official, the team announced (via Twitter).
February 12: Fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan plans to join the Knicks once he clears waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
The Knicks have an open roster spot and made some moves prior to the trade deadline to create additional flexibility below their second-apron hard cap. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (Twitter link), New York went from roughly $148K below the second apron to $1.15MM last week, giving the team room to sign Sochan for the prorated veteran minimum and remain under the apron.
Since Sochan was waived well before the March 1 deadline for playoff eligibility, he’ll be able to suit up in the postseason for his new team. He’ll be a free agent again after the season.
Sochan was placed on waivers on Wednesday by mutual agreement with the Spurs. According to Charania, 10 teams were interested in signing him following the waiver procedure. He had an expiring $7.1MM salary, which makes it highly unlikely he’ll be claimed on Friday.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Sochan had fallen out of San Antonio’s rotation since December and was viewed as a change-of-scenery candidate ahead of last week’s trade deadline. The club reportedly gave his representatives permission to explore a potential move leading up to February 5. The Knicks were one of the teams who were said to be interested in trading for him.
Sochan made 149 starts and averaged 27.3 minutes per game in his first three seasons with the Spurs, contributing 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per contest during that time.
He could provide depth for the Knicks at a number of positions and his defensive prowess could come in handy during the playoffs. Sochan’s main weakness is his outside shooting — he has made just 28.7% of his career three-pointers.
Knicks Notes: Sochan, Alvarado, Diawara, Deadline, Grades
The Knicks like Jeremy Sochan‘s “defensive versatility, upside” and ability to handle the ball, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link). The former lottery pick will reportedly sign a veteran’s minimum deal with New York covering the remainder of the season once he clears waivers.
As Begley observes, the Knicks’ ability to sign Sochan is largely due to the fact that Guerschon Yabusele agreed to decline his $5.8MM player option for next season because he wanted an opportunity to play again. New York was able to deal Yabusele to Chicago for Dalen Terry, then flipped Terry ($5.4MM) and a pair of second-round picks to New Orleans for Jose Alvarado ($4.5MM).
The Knicks saved enough money in those moves that they were able to add a player on the buyout market right away, rather than having to wait until the final weeks of the season.
The Spurs reached a buyout agreement with Sochan on Wednesday once he had another team lined up, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. While McDonald’s use of the term “buyout” suggests the fourth-year forward gave up some money as part of his release, that hasn’t been confirmed or reported elsewhere.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Backup guard Alvarado has quickly made a strong impression on his new team, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Alvarado took umbrage with Trendon Watford on Wednesday after the Sixers forward committed a hard foul on Mitchell Robinson, sparking a Knicks run that blew the game open and ultimately resulted in a 49-point victory. “He did a hard foul, but I think he did a little extra with the staring,” Alvarado said. “I’m just not gonna go for none of that. It was just in the moment. That’s when I’m at my best, I guess, getting a little active. It worked out in my favor.” The Brooklyn native had a huge game, tying a career high with eight threes en route to a season-high 26 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds in just 19 minutes. He was a team-high plus-35 as well, Schwartz notes. “That’s what we need,” Josh Hart said of Alvarado. “That’s what we want from him. Obviously that toughness, ability to help us get organized, ability to knock down shots. And defensively bring energy, bring physicality, get in the passing lanes, those kinds of things. That’s why he’s here.”
- Second-round pick Mohamed Diawara wasn’t expected to play much for the Knicks as a rookie, but the 20-year-old forward has taken advantage of his recent opportunities with OG Anunoby sidelined, James L. Edwards III writes for The Athletic. Hart says he noticed Diawara’s potential in training camp. “In camp, I thought he was going to be real good,” Hart said. “He’s young, raw and inexperienced. He’s good defensively, and he’s an even better shooter than I thought. It always looked good, but now it’s going in. I think he’s a good decision-maker in the pocket. He’s athletic and can finish at the rim, get guys involved. I love where he’s at, and he’s continued to work.”
- Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic review New York’s deadline deals and look ahead to the remainder of the season. Both writers stuck with their preseason predictions that the Knicks will make the NBA Finals, though neither feels as confident in that prediction as they did a few months ago.
- In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Stefan Bondy gives out midseason grades for each player on the standard roster, with Jalen Brunson receiving the lone A (Hart and Landry Shamet each got an A-minus). He also grades the performance of head coach Mike Brown (B) and the offseason moves of Leon Rose (C-minus).
Knicks Notes: 15th Man, Anunoby, Diawara, Alvarado, Clarkson
At the trade deadline, the Knicks were able to free up enough room below their second-apron hard cap to sign another player to the roster immediately rather than having to wait until late in the season to do so.
While they’re prohibited from adding a free agent whose pre-waiver salary was $14.1MM or higher, the Knicks can bring in anyone waived by March 1 and still have them be playoff-eligible. With that in mind, The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III breaks down five potential Knicks targets on the buyout market, singling out Chris Boucher, Marvin Bagley III, Haywood Highsmith, Drew Eubanks, and Mason Plumlee.
Edwards views third-string center as one of the remaining holes on the roster, hence the ample big man representation on his list. He also notes that the team could try to add another wing who can guard ball-handlers. Highsmith is one such name, as is Jeremy Sochan, whom he mentions as another player to keep an eye on — his article was published before news broke that the Spurs were waiving Sochan.
Given rumors that the Knicks had checked in on potential deals involving Sochan before the trade deadline, it stands to reason that the versatile defender, who is significantly younger than anyone on Edwards’ list, could be of interest to the team that is thin on bench forwards with size.
We have more on the Knicks:
- OG Anunoby is missing his fourth straight game tonight with a toenail avulsion on his right foot, and head coach Mike Brown says there’s no clear timeline for his return, per Edwards (via Twitter). Anunoby is considered day-to-day as a result of the injury. The Knicks are 1-2 during his absence heading into Wednesday’s game against the Sixers, having been blown out by the Pistons on Friday and then losing to the Pacers in overtime on Tuesday.
- One player benefiting from the absence of Anunoby is the Knicks’ lone rookie, Mohamed Diawara. While the 51st pick in the 2025 draft has been impressing offensively, he showed out defensively in Boston on Sunday and turned some heads while doing so, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. In that game, he guarded both Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown equally well and was rewarded by the team by being named the defensive player of the game, a tradition the Knicks have started under Brown. “It was tough because they’re both great players, but I was ready to take the challenge to guard them,” Diawara said. “And I was happy the coaches put me on them because that means they think I’m a great defender, and I appreciate it.” Brown noted that it’s the little things Diawara has shown the willingness to do, such as diving on the floor, making the right pass, and defending hard, that have impressed him the most.
- Jose Alvarado called his first game for the Knicks in Madison Square Garden “one for the books,” Dan Martin writes for the New York Post. “Playing for the Knicks is a huge thing, but I’m literally a kid from the same streets the fans are, and to be part of everything here, it’s a blessing,” the newly acquired point guard said. “It’s something I had to get used to and to get it out of the way, let’s get the ball rolling.” It wasn’t Alvarado’s best performance, as he finished with four points and five assists in 18 minutes as the Knicks lost to Indiana, but he believes it helped him calm the nerves related to his much-anticipated homecoming. “I was nervous today, for sure,” he said. “There was a lot going on. I was glad I got it out the way. I can’t wait to come back and get better and win some games here.“
- Jordan Clarkson, who spoke recently about adjusting to his diminished role with the Knicks, took to social media to vent some of those frustrations, Stefan Bondy writes for the Post. “Stop saying my minutes, I never had minutes,” Clarkson wrote in response to someone posting a question about how Collin Sexton would look with Clarkson’s playing time. Clarkson is playing the fewest minutes of his career and has struggled to find consistency, especially with his outside shot.
Spurs Agree To Waive Jeremy Sochan
The Spurs have agreed to grant Jeremy Sochan his release, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The team officially announced in a press release that the fourth-year forward has been placed on waivers.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Sochan had fallen out of San Antonio’s rotation since December and was viewed as a change-of-scenery candidate ahead of last week’s trade deadline. The club reportedly gave his representatives permission to explore a potential move leading up to February 5.
The Spurs, one of three NBA teams not to make an in-season trade, didn’t make a deadline deal involving Sochan, but he’ll still get a chance at a fresh start before the summer. Assuming no team places a waiver claim on the forward and his expiring $7.1MM expiring contract, which is probably a safe bet, he’ll reach unrestricted free agency and will have the opportunity to sign outright with any NBA club. According to Charania, multiple teams are expected to have interest.
Sochan made 149 starts and averaged 27.3 minutes per game in his first three seasons with the Spurs, contributing 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per contest during that time.
Although he’s a solid, versatile defender who earned a regular spot in Gregg Popovich‘s and Mitch Johnson‘s rotations for several years, Sochan has struggled with his shot, having made just 28.7% of his career three-pointers. It also never seemed as if the Spurs entirely figured out how they wanted to use him — at various times, he was deployed as a point guard, a small-ball center, and almost everything in between.
Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported after the trade deadline that Sochan wasn’t expected to negotiate a buyout with the Spurs and would likely finish the season in San Antonio, but the 22-year-old’s plans changed within the past week as he remained out of Johnson’s rotation, Weiss tweets.
It will be interesting to see whether Sochan draws more interest from playoff contenders looking for help in the short term or from retooling teams who view him as more than just a rest-of-season addition. The Spurs reportedly discussed possible Sochan deals with the Suns, Bulls, and Knicks prior to the deadline, though it’s unclear whether all of those teams had legitimate interest in him as a player or were intrigued by his expiring contract for cap-related reasons.
Because he’s in his fourth NBA season, Sochan technically remains two-way eligible, so that could be an option if he isn’t offered a standard contract or wants to join a team without a 15-man roster spot available.
NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots
A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.
For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
These situations remain fluid, with more roster moves being finalized each day. But with the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Tuesday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)
Multiple open roster spots
- Teams with multiple 15-man openings:
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Teams with one 15-man and one two-way opening:
- Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings
The Celtics entered trade deadline week with 14 players on their standard roster and sent out four players (Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Josh Minott) while only taking back one (Nikola Vucevic). They promoted Amari Williams from his two-way contract to the standard roster to get to 12 players, but they still have three roster openings.
Given how tight their margins are below the tax line, the Celtics will likely use their full two-week allotment and wait until February 19 before making two additions to get back to the roster minimum of 14.
The Nuggets dipped to 13 players on standard contracts by trading Hunter Tyson last Thursday and also have until Feb. 19 to get back to 14. Two-way standout Spencer Jones has reached his 50-game limit and is the obvious candidate to be promoted into that spot, though he’s in the concussion protocol for now, so Denver may not to need to make that move until after the All-Star break.
The Timberwolves went from 14 players to 13 when they sent out Mike Conley on Tuesday of trade deadline week, so they have until Feb. 17 to reach the roster minimum again. It sounds like their old 14th man will likely become their new 14th man, with Conley expected to re-sign in Minnesota after being dealt twice ahead of last week’s deadline.
As for the Warriors and Kings, both clubs both briefly went down to 13 players, but they’ve since promoted two-way players Pat Spencer and Dylan Cardwell, respectively, so they’re back to 14 and there’s no urgency for them to make additional moves. Still, it’s worth noting that both teams technically have multiple roster openings, since they’ve yet to sign new two-way players to replace Spencer and Cardwell. Both Golden State and Sacramento are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
One open roster spot
- Teams with a 15-man opening:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards *
- Teams with a two-way opening:
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Clippers *
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers **
The Nets, Cavaliers, Rockets, Pacers, Heat, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.
The Suns, meanwhile, are in the same boat as those teams but might create a second opening on their 15-man roster in the near future — the expectation is that they’ll waive newly acquired guard Cole Anthony. If they do so, they’d have 14 days to add a replacement.
The Wizards have perhaps the most fluid situation of any team in this group. They have 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with Keshon Gilbert on a 10-day deal that will expire during the All-Star break. It’s also possible that D’Angelo Russell, acquired in the Anthony Davis blockbuster, won’t be on the roster much longer, with buyout rumors swirling around him. If Washington parts ways with Russell and doesn’t re-sign Gilbert, the team would have three 15-man openings and would need to fill at least two of them.
The Pistons, Clippers, Bucks, and Sixers all currently have full 15-man rosters and one open two-way slot, but L.A. and Philadelphia will soon open up standard roster spots.
The Clippers have Dalano Banton on a 10-day deal through next Monday, while the 76ers have Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. on 10-day pacts through Saturday. Both teams are at or near their limit of “under-15” games for two-way players, so if they want to continue using their players on two-way contracts, they’ll need to ensure they maintain full 15-man rosters.
No open roster spots
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies *
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
The Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Raptors are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.
In some of those cases, there’s an obvious release candidate on the roster. For instance, it’s believed to be just a matter of time until Toronto officially waives Chris Paul. A few of those clubs will also need to make room on their 15-man rosters to convert two-way players — Ryan Nembhard in Dallas and Sidy Cissoko in Portland are among the top candidates for promotions.
As for the Grizzlies, one of their 15 standard players – Lawson Lovering – is on a 10-day contract. His deal will expire after the team’s Feb. 20 game, opening up a roster spot in Memphis.
Stephon Castle, Jalen Johnson Named Players Of The Week
Spurs guard Stephon Castle has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has won the award in the East, the NBA announced today (Twitter links). Week 16 of the 2025/26 season covered games played from February 2-8.
Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, helped San Antonio go 3-0 last week. The 21-year-old filled the stat sheet, averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 block in just 26.7 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .630/.364/.769.
As Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com details, Castle’s week was highlighted by a phenomenal performance in Saturday’s victory vs. Dallas. The former UConn standout scored a career-high 40 points (on 15-of-19 shooting, or 78.9%), grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, and swiped three steals in 32 minutes.
Castle became the youngest player in NBA history with a 40-12-12 stat line (the record was previously held by Oscar Robertson), per Wright, and the second player in league history to register a 40-point triple-double while shooting at least 75.0% from the field, joining Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat three times. And it all came on the one-year anniversary of when he set his previous career high with 33 points.
“I don’t know, something about this day,” Castle said, smiling. “Having a game like this, it’s definitely a dream come true. It felt good just to be out there feeling comfortable with every shot that I took and [got to] see them go in.”
As for Johnson, the 2026 All-Star continued his standout season last week, averaging 27.3 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 11.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .544/.294/.750 shooting in three games (Atlanta went 2-1 in those contests). Johnson recorded a pair of triple-doubles from Feb. 2-8, raising his season total to 10, the most in the East and second-most in the NBA, only trailing Nikola Jokic (18).
No other player has ever recorded 10 triple-doubles in their entire Hawks career, let alone in a single season, per the team. It was the second weekly honor for the fifth-year forward, who also won Player of the Week in November.
According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Trail Blazers teammates Donovan Clingan and Jerami Grant, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, and Castle’s teammate Victor Wembanyama. Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Knicks, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid of the Sixers, Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), and Ryan Rollins (Bucks) were nominated in the East.
Atlantic Notes: Alvarado, Clarkson, Celtics, Nets, Barnes
Jose Alvarado‘s first game with the Knicks came in Boston rather than at Madison Square Garden, but the New York City native said that representing his hometown team felt “like it was meant to be,” according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required).
“This is a blessing,” Alvarado said. “I’m from here. My family never left the city. To be in that atmosphere, I mean, they’ve been Knicks fans since before me. To be with a team that’s trying to contend for something and me be a part of it is pretty special. … To be part of the city, it’s just a surreal feeling.”
After being traded from New Orleans to New York on Thursday, Alvarado played 25 minutes on his Sunday in his Knicks debut, a 111-89 win over Boston.
The newest Knick immediately supplanted Jordan Clarkson in the team’s backcourt rotation — even with Miles McBride on the shelf following surgery for a sports hernia, Clarkson logged just eight minutes. The veteran guard, who has had four DNP-CDs in the past two-plus weeks, said that besides getting accustomed to inconsistent playing time, he’s also had to fit into a new role.
“Offensively and defensively,” Clarkson told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). “They’re asking me to do things defensively as well. And then offensively, I got to figure it out and make stuff out of what comes in the offense in terms of opportunities. It’s not like I’m featured in the offense or anything. I’m playing hard, I’m crashing the glass, figuring out different things — little things to be effective on that end. So it’s a whole new thing for me. But I’ll continue to be a pro and stay in the gym and working on my craft and keep it going.”
We have more from across the Atlantic:
- Jaylen Brown acknowledged after Sunday’s blowout loss to New York that there will be an adjustment period for the Celtics while they get used to their new-look roster, per Jay King of The Athletic. New center Nikola Vucevic had 11 points and six rebounds off the bench against the Knicks, but the team was outscored by 24 points in his 23 minutes on the court. “We got to figure out the chemistry a little bit, the flow a little bit,” Brown said. “We want Vuc to be a little bit more aggressive, looking for him to get going and make him feel confident in taking those shots and where he can catch the ball. I think he’s still learning, but we need him to be aggressive. So we’ll make adjustments, we’ll communicate, we’ll watch film, and we’ll be better for it.”
- The trades that sent Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji to Brooklyn were essentially salary dumps for Boston and Toronto, respectively. However, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, the Nets will give both Minott and Agbaji an opportunity to earn spots in their rotation — and maybe even spots in the club’s plans beyond this season. “We know they’re very good players. That’s why they’re here,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “Show me what you can bring to the group, and if you can be part of this group, you can be a future Net.”
- Scottie Barnes is headed to his second All-Star game this season, but Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic sees an even higher ceiling for the star forward. “Scottie is Defensive Player of the Year. He’s an All-Star. He’s gonna be a Finals MVP. He’s going to be an MVP one day,” Rajakovic said after Barnes racked up 25 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks in Sunday’s win over Indiana (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca). “Write down the date I said that.”
NBA Announces Competitors For Slam Dunk, Shooting Stars All-Star Events
The Spurs‘ Carter Bryant, the Lakers‘ Jaxson Hayes, the Heat‘s Keshad Johnson and the Magic‘s Jase Richardson have been named the participants in the All-Star Slam Dunk competition, the league announced in a press release. It will be held next Saturday at the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome.
All four players will be making their event debuts. Richardson, a rookie guard, does have a familial connection with the contest. He is the son of two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson (2002 and 2003).
The league also announced the teams for the Shooting Stars competition on Saturday. Four teams of three – each featuring two NBA players and one NBA legend – will compete in the event.
- Team All-Star: Raptors star Scottie Barnes and Thunder big man Chet Holmgren will be joined by three-time All-Star Richard Hamilton.
- Team Cameron: Three Duke University alums will team up, with Hawks All-Star Jalen Johnson and Hornets star rookie Kon Knueppel being joined by former 14-year NBA veteran Corey Maggette.
- Team Harper: Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. pairs up with his sons, Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Celtics swingman Ron Harper Jr.
- Team Knicks: Knicks teammates and All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will team up with Allan Houston, who made two NBA All-Star teams and is now a member of New York’s front office.
The Shooting Stars will feature a two-round format, with all four teams competing in the first round and the top two advancing to the final round.
Teams will compete one at a time and have 70 seconds to score points while rotating through seven designated shooting locations around the court, with all three players on a team shooting at each spot in a set order. The team with the higher score in the final round will be crowned the champion.
Knicks Notes: Deadline, Alvarado, Robinson, Kolek, McBride
President Leon Rose deserves kudos for making the Knicks better at the trade deadline, contends Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link).
While Rose made a mistake by signing Guerschon Yabusele in free agency last summer, he corrected his error by essentially flipping the French forward/center and a pair of second-round picks to acquire Jose Alvarado. The backup point guard fills a position of need, and his smaller salary also gives the Knicks enough breathing room beneath their second-apron hard cap that they should be players on the buyout market, Bondy writes.
The fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a Buck benefited the Knicks as well, Bondy notes, since the star forward wasn’t sent to an Eastern Conference rival. New York will have the option of revisiting trade talks for the two-time MVP in the offseason, when the team will have a pair of first-round picks to offer.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Prior to Friday’s game, head coach Mike Brown said he was excited about what Alvarado will bring to the Knicks, according to Bondy (Twitter link). “He just brings a level of toughness to the team, his energy is unmatched. What he can do defensively in the full court and even in the frontcourt on the ball especially on pick-and-rolls and stuff like that, is at a pretty high level,” Brown said. “He shoots it better than most people think. We want to play fast and we believe he’s a guy who will come in and push the pace. Get us into our offense and all that other stuff. Because he is quick, he’s got a low center of gravity. Been around for a while, he’ll touch the paint and make others better. We’re a big spray team and he should be good in that area too. So excited to have him.”
- The Knicks love Mitchell Robinson. Will they extend him or re-sign him in free agency this summer? “As one team put it to me a couple days ago, they may value him more than (any other team) in the league,” Ian Begley of SNY.tv said (Twitter video link). ” … Because of that, and because of the signals some Knick people have given out to other teams, I assume they’re going to do what they can — do what they have to do — to re-sign him.”
- Second-year guard Tyler Kolek said he’s looking forward to competing with Alvarado for minutes in the wake of Miles McBride‘s sports hernia surgery, Bondy writes for The New York Post. “There’s always competition in this league. Obviously Deuce is out for a little bit. We’re trying to be a championship-level team so you bring in as much talent as you can,” Kolek said Friday. “I’m going to compete every single day. He’s going to compete. Everybody on this team is going to compete for minutes. So it’s no slight to anybody.” Citing league sources, Begley hears McBride is expected to return to action in six-to-eight weeks after he undergoes the procedure (Twitter link).
- New York’s eight-game winning streak was snapped on Friday when the team was blown out by the top-seeded Pistons in Detroit. Karl-Anthony Towns (right eye laceration) and OG Anunoby (right toe soreness) were out for the Knicks, while Jalen Duren (right knee soreness) was sidelined for Detroit.