New York Notes: O’Neale, Nets, Bower, Knicks, Grimes

New Nets forward Royce O’Neale has a chance to enter the starting lineup, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who thinks the decision for the final spot on Brooklyn’s starting five will come down to O’Neale vs. Joe Harris.

Since Harris is coming off a pair of ankle surgeries and has missed a little time this preseason with a sore foot, there could be an opportunity for O’Neale to claim that spot, Lewis writes. Harris is traveling with the Nets for Wednesday’s preseason contest against Milwaukee, but won’t play in that game, tweets Lewis.

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Nic Claxton are the Nets’ other projected starters.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:

  • Veteran NBA executive Jeff Bower, a former general manager in New Orleans and Detroit, has been hired by the Nets in a scouting role, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Bower most recently worked in Phoenix’s front office, but parted ways with the team in 2021.
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic liked the Knicks‘ decision not to go all-in for Donovan Mitchell this offseason, even if it means the team will likely spend another season in “NBA purgatory.” After breaking down New York’s offseason moves, Hollinger projects the club to go 39-43 and finish 10th in the Eastern Conference.
  • Quentin Grimes won’t be the Knicks‘ starting shooting guard to open the season, but he has earned Tom Thibodeau‘s trust and respect, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “No one’s close to putting the amount of work that he puts in,” the head coach said of Grimes, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. Thibodeau’s fondness for Grimes is presumably one reason why the team has been reluctant to discuss the second-year wing in trade talks. “My name was in the trade rumors last year at the trade deadline, they called me and were like, ‘Thibs love you. …We love your work ethic,'” Grimes said, per Bondy.
View Comments (14)