Jordan Clarkson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Robinson, Clarkson, 3-Point Defense

November 18th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson was diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain last week. On Monday, Brunson was already spotted firing up jump shots in Miami’s Kaseya Center, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.

Now, there’s a possibility he’ll be back as soon as Wednesday. He’s listed as questionable to play against Dallas, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. Brunson has missed the last two games, in which the Knicks split a home-and-home with the Heat.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Mitchell Robinson logged fewer than 20 minutes against the Heat on Monday and hasn’t exceeded 20 minutes in any games he’s played. However, that could change as soon as the next game. “[His minutes limit] has increased. It’s gone up three times,” coach Mike Brown said, per Bondy. “It’s all part of the load-management thing. So it’s not necessarily a restriction. It’s just continuing the process with our load management. So it’s going up. He could’ve played 27 minutes.”
Jordan Clarkson admits that spending the last couple of years with the rebuilding Jazz affected his play. He has a different mindset playing for a contender this season. “It’s a level of focus. I’m glad to be back in this and part of this and back contending, be in the playoffs and know that we’re playing for something,” Clarkson told Bondy. “That changes a player’s mindset. It’s just a bunch of focus that goes into it and I’m locked in.” Clarkson scored 24 and 14 points, respectively, in the two matchups with Miami. He’s shooting 46.7% overall and 38.8% from deep this season — both marks would be well above his career averages.
In a film breakdown, The Athletic’s James Edwards III displays how the Knicks’ defensive schemes, which are focused on sealing off the paint, allows opponents to pursue three-point opportunities. The Knicks are second worst in the league in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 39.4% from beyond the arc.

OG Anunoby Out At Least Two Weeks With Left Hamstring Strain

November 16th, 2025 at 10:08am CST by Rory Maher

November 16: Anunoby will miss at least two weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

November 14: Knicks forward OG Anunoby sustained a left hamstring strain in the first quarter of Friday’s game against Miami and will not return, the team announced (via Twitter).

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), Anunoby appeared to suffer the injury while on a fast break. The 28-year-old grabbed at his hamstring after missing a layup and quickly exited the game.

Jordan Clarkson started the second half in Anunoby’s stead, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

While it’s unclear how much time Anunoby will miss, it seems somewhat ominous that he was diagnosed with a hamstring strain so soon after the injury occurred; typically, teams initially refer to soft tissue injuries as tightness or soreness rather than strains.

Anunoby, a one-time All-Defensive honoree, was off to an impressive start to the 2025/26 season, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals through 11 games (33.5 minutes per contest). His shooting line over that span was .483/.397/.760.

Josh Hart, Landry Shamet and Clarkson are all candidates for more playing time with Anunoby out.

Star guard Jalen Brunson was out Friday as well after suffering a Grade 1 right ankle sprain late in Wednesday’s loss to Orlando. Head coach Mike Brown had a simple explanation for why Brunson was still playing with New York down 16 points with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter, as Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News relays.

“I’ve been a part of some crazy, crazy comebacks,” Brown said before Friday’s game. “I’m trying to win the game. A couple minutes left. A stop and two threes, and it’s a two-possession game. That’s all I was trying to do, is win the game.”

Miles McBride got the starting nod on Friday with Brunson sidelined.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Rotation, Robinson, Bridges, Hart

November 4th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns seems to be growing comfortable with new coach Mike Brown‘s schemes. The Knicks big man racked up 33 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a 119-102 victory over the Wizards on Monday.

“KAT was a monster. He was a monster on the glass, he was really good defensively, he was a monster inside, outside,” Brown said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “He’s starting to feel and find his rhythm in what we’re trying to do.”

Towns had scored fewer than 20 points in half of New York’s first six games.

“Really, we’re all figuring it out. Getting better every day, understanding what our roles are and what we’ve got to do,” Towns said. “It’s good, we’ve got two wins in a row but we’re obviously still a work in progress.”

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Brown has trimmed the rotation to nine players in the past two games, Winfield notes. Against the Bulls on Sunday, Brown went with Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson off the bench. On Monday, with Mitchell Robinson sitting for load management purposes, Shamet moved into the starting lineup and Guerschon Yabusele played on the second unit. “The last two nights were the best I’ve done for them in terms of rotations. They kinda sorta knew when they were coming out or going in, who was going to play together,” Brown said.
Robinson’s availability remains something of a mystery, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes. Robinson has only played a combined 33 minutes through the first seven games. Left ankle injury management is the club’s reasons for limiting his minutes and game appearances. Don’t expect that to change. “We’ll keep doing that throughout the course of the year. Whatever they tell me, I’m gonna do,” Brown said.
Mikal Bridges‘ all-around game has been on display this season, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. He has also been a lot more vocal in his second year with the club. Bridges, who signed a four-year extension in the offseason, is averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals per night.
Despite dealing with hand and ankle injuries, Hart contributed 12 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in just 26 minutes on Monday. “Basically been banged up and hurt for what, three months?” Hart said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Little frustrating, but it comes with the territory. It comes with being in a contact sport, so it is what it is.”

Knicks Notes: Bench, Adversity, Robinson, Donovan

November 2nd, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks were hoping to upgrade their bench when they added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, but the early returns have been disappointing thus far, writes Bridget Reilly of The New York Post.

Yabusele signed a two-year, $11.3MM deal with the Knicks after a solid season with Philadelphia. He got off to a slow start with New York during the preseason and that has carried over to the regular season as well, with the French forward/center averaging just 2.0 points while shooting 3-of-13 from the floor (.231%) through four games.

After missing one game with a knee sprain, Yabusele only played three minutes during Friday’s loss at Chicago and was benched for the whole second half, Reilly notes.

“He may play a whole bunch of minutes at times, he may play a few, he may not play at all,” head coach Mike Brown said. “And that’s part of what our guys have to accept before we figure out what we want to do.”

As for Clarkson, the 33-year-old guard is averaging career lows in virtually every major statistic for the Knicks. Brown seems to prefer using Landry Shamet, according to Reilly, who reports that Brown “pushed to keep” the veteran guard after he signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal this fall.

“I guess it’s whole new learning for me,” Clarkson told The Post. “New coach, new system, new team. Just trying to pick up on everything I can.”

As Reilly observes, the Knicks’ bench woes go beyond just Clarkson and Yabusele, but they haven’t certainly haven’t helped matters through five games.

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The Knicks went 0-3 on their road trip and enter Sunday’s rematch with Chicago facing a bit of early-season adversity, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks aspire to be title contenders after reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2024/25, but they didn’t play like it in the past three losses. “This is a great test for us,” Brown said. “It’s early, but it’s a great test for us and I’m looking to see what type of resiliency we have as a group.”
Center Mitchell Robinson didn’t offer any answers on Friday for why he was held out of the first four games of the season with what the team called left ankle injury management, according to Bondy. “I ain’t telling you nothing,” Robinson said. The 27-year-old big man denied he experienced a setback on the ankle, which required two different surgeries, saying the absences were “part of the plan,” though he doesn’t know if said plan will be in place throughout the season. Robinson remains questionable for Sunday’s game.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan recently discussed the Knicks’ interest in speaking to him about their coaching vacancy over the offseason, as Bondy relays (via Twitter). “It never really got to me,” said Donovan, who subsequently signed an extension with Chicago. “They reached out to the (Bulls) front office. The front office spoke to me about it, I spoke to (Bulls owner) Jerry Reinsdorf about it. I’m very, very happy in Chicago. I’ve known (Knicks president Leon Rose) for a long time. I have great respect for him growing up in New York. But I was under contract and it got resolved pretty quickly. So it never went anywhere, so to speak. For myself, I did not talk to them. But I think the relationships that have been established with myself, with ownership, with the front office, I’ve enjoyed those. And I certainly felt obligated and committed here.”

New York Notes: Kolek, Yabusele, Thomas, Powell

October 17th, 2025 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Malcolm Brogdon‘s sudden retirement announcement, the Knicks are weighing their options for the backup point guard position behind Jalen Brunson.

In the view of Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required), the team has three options: Trade for a backup, give second-year guard Tyler Kolek a chance to earn a rotation role, or take a committee approach, with Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges all taking on additional ball-handling responsibilities.

For his part, Brunson doesn’t sound like someone who wants the front office to go out and make a trade to fortify the depth at his position. He expressed confidence in the team’s in-house options, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post.

“We’re in good hands, great hands,” Brunson said on Thursday. “[Kolek] has been getting better every day. Deuce has been getting better every day. Those guys, they come in and they work on their game nonstop. When you see that, you have the utmost confidence that when their number is called they’re going to be ready to go. So like I said, we’re in good hands.”

Head coach Mike Brown also made it clear he’s not particularly concerned about how the Knicks will get by when Brunson is off the court.

“We feel like we have a deep roster, and a lot of guys will have an opportunity to grab whatever minutes might have been there or might not have been there,” Brown said, per Botte. “It’s just a case of earning your stripes, and we’ll figure it out at the end of the day, whoever’s gonna get whatever minutes are available.”

Here are a few more notes on the NBA’s two New York teams:

It hasn’t been an especially memorable preseason for Knicks forward/center Guerschon Yabusele, who has scored just seven points on 3-of-13 shooting in 42 total minutes of action through three games. As Bondy writes for The New York Post, Brown and the Knicks recognize that there will be a “learning curve” for the newcomer as he adjusts to both a new team and a new system. “I’m really trying to be as much as I can be focused to try to get every detail to make sure I’m at the right spot,” Yabusele said. “For me, it’s a new team with new guys so I really try to fit into the system and be a solution, not a problem.”
Brown has expressed a desire to treat Friday’s preseason finale as a dress rehearsal for the season and use his “normal rotation” for the game. However, four key Knicks – Hart (back), OG Anunoby (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns (quad), and Mitchell Robinson (load management) – are considered day-to-day and may not be in position to play big minutes, if they’re available at all, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (subscription required).
Given the make-up of the Nets‘ roster, it’s safe to assume Cam Thomas will do plenty of shooting and scoring in 2025/26. Still, head coach Jordi Fernandez is pushing Thomas to take advantage of the defensive attention he’ll receive by improving his play-making and creating shots for teammates, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Yeah, me and Jordi always talk about it, we always have conversations about it,” Thomas said. “Jordi is also very understanding of who I am as a player. He knows I’m a scorer and he knows how I play. But it’s also the fine line of being aggressive, get your own shot and then getting guys other shots. We always have that dialogue, and it’s great. So this year we have a better understanding. He has a better understanding of me, and I have a better understanding of what he wants.”
Nets rookie Drake Powell‘s 13.8% usage rate during his first and only season at UNC was the lowest of any wing ever drafted, per The Athletic, but Fernandez isn’t concerned at all about that, writes Lewis. “I wasn’t there [at UNC], and I cannot judge whether it’s positive or negative,” the Nets’ head coach said. “But I see [Powell] as an elite on-ball defender, as probably the best athlete of this draft, a player that can run a play on the second side, a very good ball-handler. … He’s going to have to take advantage of his minutes. If he starts with [an] opportunity, great. If not, the opportunity will come.”

Knicks Notes: Towns, Robinson, Hart, Giannis, Clarkson

October 13th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson have both started in the Knicks‘ first three preseason games, and new head coach Mike Brown seems to like the idea of using the two big men together, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. It’s an option that Tom Thibodeau rarely had last season because Robinson was recovering from ankle surgery and was only available for 17 games. Their time together was mostly limited to the playoffs, and Braziller notes that the Knicks outscored opponents by 4.4 points per 100 possessions with the double-big lineup.

“The length on the floor is just unbelievable, when you’re playing KAT at the 4, playing OG (Anunoby) at the 3, Mikal (Bridges) at the 2,” Brown said. “That’s a big, long team, with a lot of interchangeable parts. And then offensively, not just for KAT, but for the rest of the group, it just gives you a different look. You’d think that group should be able to offensive rebound at a high level, which is one of our staples.”

Braziller points out that Robinson was very effective once he was able to begin playing last season, especially in the playoffs where he averaged 4.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while posting a +2.7 net rating. Brown believes Robinson can adapt to his up-tempo system, and Braziller states that the seven-footer engaged in an intense conditioning program during the summer to prepare himself.

“First of all, he’s a great runner. Not a good runner, a great runner,” Brown said. “And he’s got to — like all of us — play at this pace, especially all the time. We don’t wanna do it most of the time, we wanna do it all the time. Having said that, you know Mitch is a vertical threat. I’m just guessing off the top of my head. He might be the best vertical threat I’ve been around.”

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Josh Hart hasn’t been able to practice since suffering back spasms in the first preseason game, but he has advanced to on-court work, Braziller adds in a separate story. Brown believes Hart will be able to pick up the new system once he’s healthy. “He’s practiced a few times, played in one game. So you have a feel of what you’re going to get from Josh,” Brown said. “But the tough part about it is because what we’re doing is new, and he hasn’t gone through it, he’s a little behind in that regard. But he’s got a great feel, has watched us enough, he should be able to jump in. He might be a few steps behind, but he should be able to catch up quickly with the guys.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s reported interest in coming to New York if he ever asks to leave Milwaukee should be considered a major sign of progress for the franchise, contends Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). He notes that the Knicks have done a lot of work to rebuild their reputation around the league since Leon Rose took over as team president. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required) offers his suggestions for a couple of Antetokounmpo deals.
Free agent addition Jordan Clarkson discusses the highlights of his long career in an interview with James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Giannis, Rotation, Clarkson, Hart

October 7th, 2025 at 5:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will have to get used to Mike Brown‘s offensive system, which will be more uptempo than the pace that former coach Tom Thibodeau preferred. There have been mixed results in the first two preseason games, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News writes.

“I’m comfortable,” Brunson said. “We’re still adjusting, and that’s the process of this entire season. You’re not just gonna be who you are at the end of training camp. You’re gonna continue to get better throughout the season. So I think the longer that we go through this and understand what’s needed and asked of us, the better we’re gonna be.”

Brown is already seeing progress.

“Jalen, he’s starting to adjust. You can see it,” Brown said. “I think this is gonna be good for him. You can see how much space he has when he brings the ball, and again, if you want to pressure a guy like Jalen with that much space, there’s a pretty good chance that he can make you pay for it.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Regarding the report that the Knicks had discussions with the Bucks regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, The Athletic’s James Edwards III and Fred Katz examine whether it would make sense for the Knicks to acquire the superstar and whether it might happen down the road. Both note that the Knicks simply don’t possess the draft capital and young talent that the Bucks could obtain from other contenders like the Rockets and Spurs.
Edwards rolls out his preseason edition of predictions regarding the team’s depth chart and rotation. He continues to believe Brown will start Mitchell Robinson at center in a bigger lineup with Josh Hart coming off the bench. Edwards predicts that Miles McBride and offseason additions Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele will also play regularly off the bench, with the 10th man in the rotation being a fluid situation.
Speaking of Clarkson, he’s energized to play for a contender once again after being stuck on a rebuilding Jazz team, he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “That’s something you chase. That’s a different high, man, if you want to put it like that,” he said. “The level of detail, every play matters. I really want to get back there and I want for sure to take every step day to day, but Coming here, one of the reasons why is I wanted to compete in the playoffs and be on a winning team that’s playing for something.”
Hart did not practice once again on Tuesday. He’s been battling back spasms in recent days and his status is considered day-to-day, Edwards tweets.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Clarkson, Yabusele, Longabardi, Ingram

September 25th, 2025 at 10:07am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks brought in several veterans to compete for the last minimum contract they can offer, barring a trade. New coach Mike Brown believes that will lead to a spirited training camp, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.

“A competitive spirit. I’m big on that. … For us, every day is about competition,” Brown said after the first day of training camp. “Whether you’re a coach [or] you’re a player, we want to compete. We want to grow as a unit in that area, and it’s no different for everybody else individually. Whether you’re here on a guaranteed deal [or] you’re here on a non-guaranteed deal, you’re competing your butt off. And at the end of the day, we have a lot of time to make a decision on what’s gonna happen.

“But at the end of the day, we’ll figure out who we need to fit and who needs to fit, but it’s gonna be a process. There’s no one ahead of anyone right now. Everybody’s coming in trying to compete for a spot. All the guys we have we feel are competitors, so we’ll see at the end of the day who rises to the top.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, a pair of Knicks offseason additions on guaranteed contracts, are expected to have major rotation roles. Brown heaped both players with praise. “He’s a professional scorer,” Brown said of Clarkson, per James Edwards III of The Athletic. “Especially one coming off the bench, it means he knows how to play the game. He’s not just scoring. That’s what I like about him — he’s a capable passer. I like the mindset that he has. You want guys who aren’t afraid of the moment, who are willing to take the shot and go get it.” As for Yabusele, Brown noted how well he played for the Sixers last season after several seasons overseas. “When you get drafted and don’t make it, it can do a lot of things to you mentally,” Brown said. “It can make you say things like, ‘Screw the NBA. I don’t want to come back,’ or it can make you say, ‘You know what? I’m an NBA player and I’m going to do what I need to do to get back and be there as long as I want to be there.’ Seeing that process tells you a lot about him as a person. That’s a vastly competitive spirit and competitive nature that I’m looking for when it comes to being a New York Knick.”
Speaking of the Sixers, they are promoting Mike Longabardi as an assistant coach, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Longabardi was previously the G League head coach of the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s affiliate. He has also been an assistant for the Celtics and Cavaliers
There isn’t much preseason buzz regarding the Raptors, but Michael Grange of Sporsnet identifies five reasons for optimism, with Brandon Ingram suiting up this season at the top of the list. Ingram didn’t play after Toronto acquired at the trade deadline due to an ankle injury. Roster continuity is another reason to be bullish, Grange writes — they’re bringing back all but one of their players who saw at least 1,000 minutes of action.

Knicks Emphasized Collaboration During Coaching Search

September 20th, 2025 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Collaboration will be a point of emphasis as Mike Brown prepares for his first season as head coach of the Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required).

Sources tell Bondy that the need to work together across the organization was stressed during the interview process after former coach Tom Thibodeau’s style was considered “too unilateral.” Brown will be expected to consult with ownership, the front office, the medical staff and player development experts, along with his assistant coaches and players, and to give serious consideration to their input.

“I had great conversations with (team owner) Mr. (James) Dolan and (president) Leon (Rose),” Brown said during his introductory press conference. “I want to form a partnership with them. It’s impossible to do this alone.”

Bondy notes that Brown has to walk a fine line of taking suggestions from multiple parties while still showing that he’s in charge of the team, rather than a “puppet” of the front office. That challenge will begin when the team opens training camp this week.

Brown will also be tasked with upgrading the offense by replacing Thibodeau’s reliance on isolations with a style that emphasizes ball movement and pace. His players have received some exposure to the new system already, and the reaction has been positive.

“I’ve talked to (Brown) a lot, and I think the big thing is just going to be a lot of player movement,” reserve guard Miles McBride said recently. “He’s giving us the foundation, and we’re just going to work off of it. So I’m really excited to see all our creativity with each other that we’ve been working on these last couple months. Really excited to see where it takes us.”

Brown is also expected to have less reliance on his starters than his predecessor, giving more players a chance to log significant minutes. Bondy theorizes that would have happened anyway after the offseason additions of Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogdon, but Brown is naturally more inclined than Thibodeau to use a larger rotation.

Bondy notes that the Knicks’ starting five easily led the NBA in combined minutes last season, but he sees the potential for a 10-man rotation under Brown.

Jordan Clarkson Explains Why He Signed With Knicks

September 7th, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Joining the Knicks was an easy decision for Jordan Clarkson after he reached a buyout agreement with Utah in early July, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The veteran guard explained the process during a taping of “The Roommates” podcast Saturday night with new teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

Clarkson said he was at the Wimbledon tennis tournament when his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, called to ask where he wanted to go. Clarkson picked New York, and Paul contacted the team to see if there was mutual interest.

“It all happened in two minutes,” Clarkson said. “Then I was a Knick.”

Heading into his 12th NBA season, Clarkson is joining an organization that gives him his best shot at winning a title. The Knicks are coming off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals and are considered by many to be the favorites in the East this season.

Clarkson said the passion of New York fans also played a major role in his decision.

“The arena (Madison Square Garden), honestly,” he said. “Feeling the energy from the fans. Knowing they’re going to let you have it if you’re playing like s–t. But when you’re playing great, it’s all love. At the end of the day, I just want to feel the energy. Get to play with y’all (Brunson and Hart).”

Brunson indicated that he and Clarkson have discussed teaming up in the past, telling the crowd at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, “I’m not going to say when, but me and Jordan talked about this a while ago.”

Clarkson only appeared in 37 games last season with the Jazz, but he was still productive when he was on the court, averaging 16.2 PPG in 26 minutes per night while shooting 40.8% from the field and 36.2% from three-point range.

He’s a former Sixth Man of the Year, earning that honor with Utah during the 2020/21 season, and the Knicks will be counting on him to provide instant offense off the bench. Bondy points out that at age 33, Clarkson will be the oldest player in New York’s projected rotation.

“Y’all been doing great things over here,” he told Brunson and Hart. “I just want to come in here and enhance what y’all got going on.”