International Notes: Freeman-Liberty, Lee, Hernandez, Mason
Former Raptors guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, who signed with Manisa Basket this offseason, is leaving the Turkish club, according to Ismail Senol of beIN Sports (Twitter link). Interestingly, Senol says that Freeman-Liberty is headed to the NBA.
It’s unclear which NBA team Freeman-Liberty is joining or what sort of contract he’ll sign. Presumably, he would’ve had the opportunity to accept non-guaranteed camp invitations before signing in Turkey, so perhaps he received an offer to fill a team’s two-way spot. It’s also possible the 6’4″ guard didn’t warm to his first overseas opportunity and decided he’d prefer to return to the G League. We should find out soon.
Freeman-Liberty was on a two-way contract with the Raptors for most of the 2023/24 campaign before being promoted to the standard roster on March 1. The 24-year-old appeared in 22 games at the NBA level with Toronto, averaging 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 18.3 minutes per night. He put up much bigger numbers with the Raptors 905 in the NBAGL, including 24.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, and a shooting line of .470/.360/.825 in 26 Showcase Cup and regular season outings.
Here are more updates from around the international basketball world:
- Saben Lee, Freeman-Liberty’s teammate with Manisa Basket, is also reportedly leaving the club. Sources tell Aris Barkas of Eurohoops that the former NBA guard has agreed to sign with the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, who will pay a $150K buyout to Manisa. The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee had spent the past four seasons playing for the Pistons, Sixers, and Suns. The 6’2″ guard finished last season on a two-way contract with Phoenix and appeared in 24 NBA games for the Suns.
- Former Raptors big man Dewan Hernandez, a 2019 second-round pick, has signed with Promitheas Patras, the Greek team announced in a press release. Hernandez, who played his college ball for the Miami Hurricanes, appeared in just six NBA games for the Raptors and has bounced around non-NBA league since then, spending time in the G League, Israel, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and China.
- Former NBA guard Frank Mason, who played 103 games for Sacramento, Milwaukee, and Orlando from 2017-21, has joined the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association, Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. It’ll be Mason’s second season playing overseas — the 2020 G League MVP spent the 2023/24 campaign with SLUC Nancy Basket in France.
Knicks Notes: Kessler, Bridges, Roster, Rotation, Hart
Before reaching a deal with Minnesota to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks made “multiple” runs at Jazz center Walker Kessler, league sources tell NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack link).
According to Stein, the belief is that Utah sought at least two first-round picks in a deal for Kessler, who was repeatedly linked to New York earlier in the offseason. The Knicks theoretically could have met that price, but it would have cost them their last two remaining tradable first-rounders (the Pistons’ and Wizards’ protected picks). They also could have offered one or more pick swaps.
It’s unclear if the Jazz didn’t like the first-rounders the Knicks had left to trade (both could turn into second-round picks if they continue to fall in their protected range) or if New York opted against meeting Utah’s asking price.
Either way, the Knicks ended up pivoting to a bigger deal for Towns. That blockbuster involved a couple key rotation players in Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, but allowed the Knicks to keep one of their remaining tradable first-rounders — they still have the Wizards’ top-10 protected 2025 pick after sending Detroit’s first-rounder to the Timberwolves.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Within the same Substack article, Stein confirms that Knicks forward Mikal Bridges plans to wait until after the 2024/25 season to work on a contract extension with his new team. ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently reported that Bridges would likely postpone extension talks because he can’t sign for more than $61MM over two years at this time due to extend-and-trade rules. During the 2025 offseason, he could get up to approximately $156MM over four years.
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a closer look at what the Knicks’ opening night roster and fall rotation might look like, predicting that Landry Shamet and Ariel Hukporti will earn the final two spots on the “15-man” roster, which only actually has room for 14 players due to hard cap limitations. With Mitchell Robinson expected to be sidelined until at least December, Edwards anticipates that Miles McBride, Shamet, Precious Achiuwa, and Jericho Sims will be the top reserves behind the starters, with Cameron Payne as the 10th man.
- As an aside, it’s worth noting that while teams are generally required to carry at least 14 players on standard contracts during the regular season, the Knicks don’t necessarily have to reach that threshold by opening night. Clubs can carry just 12 or 13 players for up to 14 days at a time and for as many as 28 total days during the season. So New York could wait until two weeks into the season to promote Hukporti (or Kevin McCullar) to a standard contract.
- Knicks forward Josh Hart saw increased responsibilities on offense during the 2024 postseason due to a series of injuries affecting the roster, but with Bridges and Towns in the mix, he’s prepared to take a step back on that end of the court and let the club’s more accomplished scorers shine, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes. “At the end of the day, my job isn’t to go out there and score 20. It’s not to go out there and force things offensively and try to make things happen,” Hart said. “My job is to rebound, defend at a high level, offensively kind of be a connector, get into the lane and find guys for open shots, get the rebound, push the pace and get us easy transition buckets. … At the end of the day, I don’t think any team’s won without several people sacrificing. If that’s me sacrificing points, I will gladly do that.”
Oldest, Youngest Players On NBA Rosters For 2024/25
For a second straight fall, Lakers star LeBron James will enter the NBA season as the league’s oldest player.
James will turn 40 before the calendar year is over, making him the only active NBA player in his 40s — and the first one since longtime Heat big man Udonis Haslem retired a year ago.
It’s an impressive feat, given the high level James is still performing at. Most of the other names on our list of the 10 oldest players on NBA training camp rosters are role players at this stage of their careers. A handful of them will spend much of their time this season sitting on their respective teams’ benches and providing “veteran leadership.” LeBron is the only one still supplying star-level production.
While this group doesn’t feature a ton of star power beyond James, that could change in the not-too-distant future — Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are among the NBA players born in 1988 who could find their way onto this list in the next year or two as some older vets call it a career.
It’s also worth noting that this list is subject to change. Maybe a veteran like Wesley Matthews finds a new NBA home by opening night. Maybe one of these players will be cut in the coming weeks — I wouldn’t expect that to happen, but it’s worth noting that a couple of the veterans listed below don’t have fully guaranteed salaries.
For now, here’s the list of the oldest players in the league heading into the 2024/25 NBA season:
- LeBron James, Lakers (born 12/30/1984)
- P.J. Tucker, Clippers (born 5/5/1985)
- Chris Paul, Spurs (born 5/6/1985)
- Taj Gibson, Hornets (born 6/24/1985) *
- Kyle Lowry, Sixers (born 3/25/1986)
- Garrett Temple, Raptors (born 5/8/1986)
- Al Horford, Celtics (born 6/3/1986)
- Jeff Green, Rockets (born 8/28/1986)
- James Johnson, Pacers (born 2/20/1987) *
- Joe Ingles, Timberwolves (born 10/2/1987)
Note: Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on partially guaranteed contracts.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, nine of this year’s 10 youngest NBA players were selected in the 2024 draft, while the 10th was an undrafted free agent.
The Wizards and Clippers each have two players on this list. That’s not a shock for a Washington team that’s in the midst of a thorough rebuild and is willing to be patient as it looks to develop long-term cornerstones. It’s a little more surprising for a Clippers team that has been one of the league’s oldest in recent years, but it’s perhaps a signal of the club’s changing priorities following the offseason loss of Paul George.
Here are the 10 youngest players currently on NBA rosters:
- Ulrich Chomche, Raptors (born 12/30/2005) *
Tidjane Salaun, Hornets (born 8/10/2005)
Nikola Topic, Thunder (born 8/10/2005)- Pacome Dadiet, Knicks (born 7/27/2005)
- Cam Christie, Clippers (born 7/24/2005)
- Carlton Carrington, Wizards (born 7/21/2005)
- Ron Holland, Pistons (born 7/7/2005)
- Alex Sarr, Wizards (born 4/26/2005)
- Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks (born 4/8/2005)
- Trentyn Flowers, Clippers (born 3/8/2005) *
Note: Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on two-way contracts.
Only 11 players currently on NBA rosters were born in 2005 — the 11th is Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham, whose birthday is January 4.
That means last year’s youngest player, Grizzlies forward GG Jackson, just narrowly missed making the cut for a second straight year. He won’t turn 20 until December 17.
Eastern Notes: Stewart, Raptors, Dick, Lillard, Martin
The Pistons‘ usage of Isaiah Stewart in recent years – and the players they’ve put around him – reflected the fact that they viewed him as a power forward rather than a center. Detroit used a lottery pick on center Jalen Duren in 2022 and encouraged Stewart to shoot more from outside. While the big man has gamely accepted that role, making a career-best 1.5 three-pointers per game last season on 38.3% shooting, he couldn’t hide his enthusiasm this week about playing more at the five, his preferred position, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
“(New head coach) J.B. (Bickerstaff) loves my physicality and me playing strong down low, like in my early years in the league with my offensive rebounding and stuff like that,” Stewart said. “I spent a lot of time this offseason at the five and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting back down in the paint, banging and doing what I do because at the end of the day, that’s what I love to do. That’s who I am.
“Playing the four, that was something that I had to work on and add to my game because I was being asked of it. Now I’m happy I get to play some five.”
As Sankofa explains, there are a few factors contributing to the Pistons’ desire to have Stewart spend more time at center this season. The arrival of power forward Tobias Harris is one. Stewart also has the ability to make more of an impact as a rebounder and rim protector if he’s spending more time in the paint.
As excited as he is about spending more time at center, the 23-year-old stressed that he’s willing to play wherever the team needs him.
“I don’t mind at all playing the four, because it’s something I can do,” Stewart said. “I can knock down the 3-point shot, I can space the floor, but we all know it’s something that’s new to me. … The four, it ain’t nothing wrong with it. But me, I love to bang. I love to be physical. I love to set the tone. I love to set great screens for my teammates. I like playing the five. But I don’t mind at all playing the four. I can do both.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- While Bruce Brown would’ve been an option to start at shooting guard for the Raptors if he were healthy, Michael Grange of Sportsnet views second-year sharpshooter Gradey Dick as the most logical candidate for that spot. As Grange outlines, besides looking like a good fit for spacing purposes, Dick is Toronto’s most recent lottery pick and has the potential to raise the club’s long-term ceiling if he develops into a reliable starter.
- In interviews with Alex Squadron of SLAM and Melissa Rohlin of FOX Sports, Bucks point guard Damian Lillard spoke about why he’s optimistic about the upcoming season in Milwaukee after going through what he called the “toughest year of my life” on both a personal and professional level last season. “I think a lot of times people talk about revenge seasons, it’s like they’re going out for blood with everybody else,” Lillard told Rohlin. “But I think it’s the revenge of something I need to go take back for me, not for anybody else. I know what went into last season. And I know what goes into me being my best. That’s all I’m focusing on.”
- Hornets forward Cody Martin sustained a laceration on his thumb and sprained his right wrist while attempting to block a shot at the rim in training camp, the team announced today (via Twitter). It doesn’t sound like either injury is considered serious – he’s listed as day-to-day – but Martin has been ruled out of Charlotte’s preseason opener.
Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Avdija, Westbrook, Nuggets, Jazz
Speaking to reporters this week for the first time as a member of the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein said all the right things about his potential role, as Rylan Stiles of SI.com relays.
There has been plenty of debate in Oklahoma City this summer about whether the team’s major free agent addition will start or come off the bench, given the presence of Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren at center. For his part, Hartenstein sidestepped that discourse, telling the media that he trusts head coach Mark Daigneault‘s judgment in managing the lineup and rotation.
“Whatever he does, he’s a really versatile coach. I mean, you watched last year. Some games the guys who would start would start the second half,” Hartenstein said. “(I’m) just being here and doing whatever the team needs to win. If that’s coming off the bench or starting, I’m just here to help the team win. That’s the main thing.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Having been traded from Washington to the Trail Blazers in July, Deni Avdija admitted it initially felt “kind of weird” to join a new team, but added that he’s adjusting quickly, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “They’ve embraced me, they love me and they want me to get better,” Avdija said. “And I feel like that’s what you need as a new guy joining the team. I feel like my teammates support me, coaches. I feel at home.” Head coach Chauncey Billups referred to Avdija as a “Swiss Army knife-type of dude,” lauding the forward’s play-making, passing, screening, and shooting while noting that the plan is to use him “all over” the court.
- The addition of Russell Westbrook represents the “ultimate chemistry experiment” for the Nuggets, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who says the move has the potential to blow up — or to help Denver win another title. Westbrook shot just 3-of-10 from the floor in his preseason debut on Friday in Abu Dhabi, but had 12 points and eight assists in 19 minutes, with Denver outscoring Boston by four points during that time. “I thought Russ had some good moments out there,” head coach Michael Malone said, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Obviously playing downhill, putting pressure on the defense, getting his teammates involved. So overall for his first game after a week or so of practice, I think there are gonna be some positives, and like everybody else in that locker room, there are plenty of things that we can clean up as well.”
- Although Christian Braun started at shooting guard on Friday, Malone said that both Braun and Julian Strawther will get an opportunity to play with the Nuggets‘ starters during the preseason, tweets Durando.
- Reporting throughout the offseason indicated the Jazz plan to lean heavily on their young players in 2024/25, which will serve the dual purpose of letting Utah thoroughly assess its recent first-round picks while also potentially lining up the club for another high first-round pick next June. Head coach Will Hardy‘s comments this week reinforced the notion that winning games isn’t “the absolutely priority” for the team this season, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Going into this season, I think our vision is very clear: This is an opportunity for us to really invest in our youth,” Hardy said.
Eight Teams Who Could Emulate Hornets As Trade Facilitators
The new rules in place this season for NBA teams operating above either tax apron dictate that those clubs are prohibited - in most cases - from taking back more salary than they send out in a trade.
That restriction will make it difficult for two teams operating above the apron to make a trade with one another, but the Knicks and Timberwolves provided a blueprint with this week's Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster for one way it can happen -- find a third team to take on some extra salary.
In the Towns trade, the Hornets acquired approximately $6.8MM in salary from the Knicks without trading away any themselves, which allowed both Minnesota and New York to send out more salary than they took back in the deal. Charlotte received three second-round picks - two from the Knicks and one from the Wolves - for their troubles.
That's not the only way for two apron teams to trade with one another, but it's the most straightforward path, particularly in bigger deals like the Towns one. With that in mind, it's worth considering which teams around the NBA are the best candidates to be the next Hornets, acting as facilitators in deals involving two clubs facing apron-related restrictions.
There are essentially three characteristics that make a team an ideal candidate to be a third-party facilitator in this sort of trade:
And-Ones: G League Trades, Flagg, 2025 Draft, Howard, Parsons, More
The Rip City Remix – the Trail Blazers‘ G League affiliate – have completed a series of trades involving players who have signed Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams this fall, according to a press release from the team.
The Remix acquired Henri Drell‘s returning rights in a three-team trade with the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls, sending the returning rights for Jazian Gortman, Anthony Duruji, and Jakub Urbaniak to the Mavericks‘ affiliate in the deal. Rip City also acquired David Muoka‘s returning rights from the Long Island Nets in exchange for George Conditt‘s rights and a 2025 second-round pick.
Both Drell and Muoka signed Exhibit 10 deals with Portland ahead of training camp and were recently waived. Now that the Remix control both players’ G League rights, it’s safe to assume they’ll report to the Blazers’ affiliate and will receive Exhibit 10 bonuses (worth as much as $77.5K) as long as they spend at least 60 days with Rip City.
The Remix also received the returning rights for Aleem Ford – along with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 G League draft and a 2025 international draft pick – from the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for Terence Davis‘ and Isiaih Mosley‘s returning rights. Davis recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks, so it looks like he’ll ultimately land with the Herd.
Finally, Portland’s affiliate finalized a fourth trade that sent Antoine Davis‘ rights to the Stockton Kings in exchange for the rights to Stanley Johnson and Jayce Johnson, along with a pair of draft picks (Twitter link). None of those players have signed Exhibit 10 deals this fall, but it appears Sacramento’s affiliate plans to have Davis on its roster this season, given the handful of pieces it traded to get him.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Duke freshman Cooper Flagg told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that it’s “absolutely not” a foregone conclusion that he’ll be the No. 1 pick in next June’s draft, a position that was echoed by Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer. “Of course he has to prove it,” Scheyer said. “I’ve seen guys who have been projected (No. 1), that have gone there, and then guys that are projected that don’t go because you assume it’s gonna happen. … I believe in Cooper at the end of the day. But again, we got a long way to go before we start thinking about that.”
- In a separate Insider-only story for ESPN, Givony shared some takeaways from his recent visits to Rutgers, Duke, UNC, and UConn, four college programs who figure to be well represented in the first round of next year’s NBA draft. Within his section on Rutgers, Givony notes that multiple NBA scouts have told him they have Dylan Harper ranked atop their draft boards ahead of the NCAA season.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report provides his 2024/25 win-loss predictions for all 30 NBA teams, while John Hollinger of The Athletic names the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Hornets, and Wizards as five clubs he expects to fall short of their preseason over/under projections.
- Georgia businessman Calvin Darden Jr. was found guilty on Friday of fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and two separate conspiracy counts for his role in defrauding former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of a combined $8MM in 2021. Brian Windhorst of ESPN has the details on the case.
- Long Phi Pham, one of the gamblers who took part in a scheme to have former Raptors big man Jontay Porter exit games early for betting purposes last season, pleaded guilty this week to conspiring to commit wire fraud, reports Jennifer Peltz of The Associated Press. Pham, whose sentencing is scheduled for April 25, could face anything from a no-jail punishment to up to 20 years in prison.
Warriors Notes: Frontcourt, Kuminga, Wiggins, Green, Payton, More
Draymond Green will be part of the Warriors‘ starting lineup this fall, but his exact role has not yet been determined. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, the team’s decision on whether to use Green as a power forward or center will have a ripple effect on the rest of the starting five and the rotation beyond that group.
According to Slater, head coach Steve Kerr has expressed that he doesn’t love the idea of Green playing heavy minutes at the five, especially against teams using bigger lineups. And Green still considers power forward his true position.
However, starting Green alongside a center like Trayce Jackson-Davis or Kevon Looney may push rising forward Jonathan Kuminga to the bench, since Kuminga hasn’t yet proven to be a reliable floor spacer and Kerr has spoken in the past about viewing the former lottery pick as more of a four than a three. For what it’s worth, Kuminga disagrees with that assessment but is willing to accept whatever decision the club makes.
“At the end of the day, I know I’m a small forward,” Kuminga said, per Slater. “I can do it. I can play it at the highest level. But going forward, it’s all about what the team wants me to do. It don’t matter, small forward or whatever.”
As Slater observes, Kuminga and Green would make more sense as the Warriors’ starting forwards alongside a big man who could stretch the floor, but Jackson-Davis and Looney don’t really possess that skill set. And even though Golden State drafted a player – Quinten Post – who could develop into that sort of stretch five, he likely won’t see much action with the NBA team as a rookie.
“He’s got a ways to go,” Kerr said of Post. “I’m not anticipating it this year. I think he’ll be in Santa Cruz a lot.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Andrew Wiggins is the best bet to open the season as Golden State’s starting small forward, but he has yet to participate in training camp due to an illness and has been ruled out for Saturday’s preseason opener, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
- With Wiggins unavailable, the Warriors used a first unit of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Kuminga, and Green in a Friday scrimmage, tweets Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. However, asked if that would be the starting group on Saturday, Kerr advised reporters not to read too much into it. “No,” he replied, per Slater (Twitter link). “In fact it’s safe to assume that will not be the starters.”
- While the Warriors aren’t generally viewed as a legitimately title contender entering this fall, Green appreciates the challenge of trying to get the team back to that level and has no desire to leave his longtime team to try to win another championship elsewhere, Thompson writes for The Athletic. “When you’ve built this s–t up from the laughingstock of the NBA, it feels a little different,” Green said. “I said to (team owner) Joe Lacob two years ago, like, ‘You should understand I think about this organization like it’s mine.’ No disrespect to them that own this, but I take a great deal of pride in what we built here. This is home for me. This is like Michigan State for me. Most people don’t have an NBA home. I care what this organization looks like in 10 years. That’s going to matter to me.”
- The Warriors announced on Friday in a press release that Jonnie West has received a promotion to senior director of pro personnel, while Maclean Osborne and Michael Salame have been named scouts. Osborne and Salame previously worked in basketball operations for Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.
- Warriors guard Gary Payton II spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda about a wide range of topics, including his decision to exercise his 2024/25 player option to stick with Golden State and his favorite Curry and Green stories.
- The Warriors liked Bronny James‘ skill set heading into June’s draft and weighed the possibility of selecting him at No. 52, sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. However, Golden State ultimately decided to respect LeBron James‘ desire to join forces with his son in Los Angeles and passed on Bronny.
Dante Exum Injures Right Wrist; Surgery Possible
Reserve Mavericks guard Dante Exum has sustained a “serious” injury to his right wrist, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Charania that various treatment options are under consideration for Exum, with surgery viewed as one possibility.
The Mavericks confirmed the injury in a statement of their own, but offered no additional details, simply stating that Exum has injured his right wrist and will continue to be evaluated, with updates to come (Twitter link).
It’s a disappointing setback for Exum, who dealt with an injury affecting his right index finger over the summer. A compound dislocation of that finger sidelined the veteran guard for Australia’s first contest in the Paris Olympics, though he was able to suit up for the team’s remaining three games and was a key contributor for the Boomers, with averages of 11.0 points and 4.0 assists per game.
Exum told reporters earlier this week that he was “fully healthy” after getting nearly two months to recover from that injury. Now it appears he’ll open the 2024/25 season on the shelf.
Exum, 29, was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, but battled health issues early in his NBA career and struggled to become a reliable rotation piece. He spent two seasons overseas from 2021-23 and earned another shot in the NBA with strong performances for FC Barcelona in Spain and KK Partizan in Serbia.
The 6’5″ guard signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks during the 2023 offseason and played a regular role for the Western Conference champions last season, averaging 7.8 PPG and 2.9 APG with a .533/.491/.779 shooting line and strong defense in 55 games (19.8 MPG).
If Exum has to miss time this fall, it could result in additional opportunities for Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes, and/or Jaden Hardy.
Knicks Re-Sign Chuma Okeke
5:20pm: Okeke is officially back with the team on a new Exhibit 10 contract, the Knicks announced on Twitter.
10:14am: Free agent forward Chuma Okeke, who was waived over the weekend by the Knicks, will be re-signing with the team once the Karl-Anthony Towns trade is official, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Okeke, 26, was the 16th overall pick in the 2019 draft. He was stashed in the G League for a season while recovering from a torn ACL, then signed his rookie contract with the Magic in 2020.
Across four seasons in Orlando, the former Auburn standout made a total of 189 regular season appearances, averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 20.3 minutes per game. Known more for his defense, Okeke struggled with his shot, making just 38.3% of his attempts from the floor, including 31.8% of his three-pointers.
Okeke signed an Exhibit 10 contract with New York in August, but had to be waived to allow the club to open up enough roster spots to sign-and-trade several players to Charlotte as part of the Towns deal with the Timberwolves and Hornets. After that trade has been formally completed, which should happen soon, the Knicks will be able to refill the several open spots on their 21-man offseason roster.
Okeke will occupy one of those spots, likely on a new Exhibit 10 deal, but he’ll have an uphill battle to make the regular season roster. Due to its hard cap situation, New York will be able to retain no more than one veteran who is in camp on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract — Landry Shamet appears to have the upper hand for that spot.
Marcus Morris, who was waived along with Okeke over the weekend, would also be eligible to return to the Knicks on a new camp deal, but has reportedly decided against it and will seek a new NBA contract elsewhere.