JULY 6th, 6:31pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
JULY 1st, 10:17am: The Knicks have agreed to terms on a new one-year contract for center Luke Kornet, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). Berman reports that the deal will be worth approximately $1.6MM.
Kornet, who will turn 23 in two weeks, spent the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Knicks. He appeared in 20 games for the NBA club, averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.2 RPG with a .392/.354/.727 shooting line. The big man also played well in 36 games for the G League’s Westchester Knicks, posting 16.0 PPG on .489/.440/.812 shooting.
Having received a qualifying offer from the Knicks, Kornet was a restricted free agent, so New York could have matched any offer sheet he signed. While the seven-footer was said to be receiving some interest from a couple other clubs, he instead negotiated directly with the Knicks. Kornets’ new deal should be worth around $1.62MM, as his Non-Bird rights allow for a deal worth up to 120% of his minimum salary.
With Kornet getting an NBA deal from the Knicks, a two-way slot opens up for Allonzo Trier, who reportedly reached an agreement on a two-way deal with the club. Isaiah Hicks, New York’s other two-way player in 2017/18, remains a restricted free agent for now.
Didn’t fatso (Berman) state days ago that his sources told him that the Knicks drafting Robinson and giving Kornet only a 2-way QO meant Kornet was likely on his way out ??