Knicks Notes: Clarkson, Halftime Meeting, Lineup, Issues
A return to Salt Lake City brought out the best in Jordan Clarkson. The Knicks reserve guard scored a season-high 27 points against the Jazz, his former team, in a 134-117 win on Wednesday.
He played 26 minutes, the most court time he’s seen since Christmas Day. He had only played a total of 20 minutes in his three other March appearances.
“For him to go out and perform the way he did, you couldn’t ask for anything better,” coach Mike Brown said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “And it goes to show he’s not just keeping his body right but his mind is in a good spot to go after coming in when you’re down [18 points] in the first half. So just to see that, you couldn’t ask for anything better. Especially from him, who is a veteran who hasn’t been playing or in the rotation and all of a sudden we need him.”
Clarkson will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
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- A halftime challenge helped perk up a team that had lost its previous two games. The Knicks outscored Utah 78-52 in the second half. The coaches and players both spoke up during the break, Bondy writes. “It was our halftime speech, in terms of how we came at each other, where we tried to hold each other accountable,” Clarkson said. “And then just came out here and wanted to win.”
- Slow starts have been a major problem since the All-Star break. In the last 11 first quarters prior to Wednesday, their usual starting five had a net rating of minus-15.3. Landry Shamet replaced an injured Josh Hart at Utah but the results didn’t improve. Jared Schwartz of the New York Post argues that making changes in the lineup of Jalen Brunson, Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns probably won’t make much of a difference. Inserting Mitchell Robinson wouldn’t make much sense, either, considering his load management plan.
- ESPN columnist Vince Goodwill breaks down five issues confronting the team prior to the playoffs. Getting the most out of Towns and getting Brunson back in form are two of the biggest items on the list.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Bridges, Playoff Seeding, Offense
The Knicks brought in more depth at the trade deadline, but that additional depth doesn’t appear to have eased the burden on star point guard Jalen Brunson, Stefan Bondy writes for the New York Post.
A cold spell for new addition Jose Alvarado has led to a downturn in minutes for the pesky point guard, which has led to Brunson averaging a league-high 37.8 minutes per game over the Knicks’ last five contests coming into Wednesday’s matchup with the Jazz. Brunson has struggled to find his rhythm offensively during that stretch, shooting just 40% from the field.
Head coach Mike Brown has turned to his reserves in search of backcourt help for Brunson, trying Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek out at various times over the last couple games.
“My career is about growth and getting better,” Kolek said. “So I need to learn from those experiences and learn from every one — good or bad. Those were good experiences. But me, personally, I’ve had some bad experiences on the floor. From my play. So learn from both of those things and just continue to grow, continue to get better.”
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- Mikal Bridges says his recent offensive struggles aren’t about a lack of confidence, Bondy writes. “I think it’s just the game of basketball,” Bridges said. “Sometimes you try to get open and sometimes it doesn’t find me. Just try to find ways to stay aggressive. That’s it.” Since the All-Star break, Bridges has been averaging just 11.4 points per game coming into Wednesday night while hitting 34.1% of his threes, down from his pre-All-Star marks of 15.9 PPG with a .386 3PT%. “I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to win, trying to find opportunities, try to do all the right things and be aggressive.” the veteran wing said.
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a look at potential playoff seeding for the Knicks and which spot would likely be the most beneficial to the team. While the No. 1 seed isn’t mathematically out of reach, it seems incredibly unlikely that New York will catch up to Detroit, making a spot in the 2-4 range the likely outcome. While any seed lower than No. 2 would likely feel like something of a disappoint, Edwards makes the case that No. 4 could actually be the best outcome, since it could result in a first-round matchup with Toronto, a team New York has had little trouble with this season.
- The Knicks’ defense is much improved since the All-Star break, but the offense has shown signs of dysfunction, slipping from fourth in the NBA to 10th during the past 26 games, Edwards writes. The Knicks put up a lot of threes, which are a high-variance shot, and have been burned several times of late by their inability to get hot from deep, as well as more frequent turnovers. Karl-Anthony Towns says the right ingredients for success are all still there. “The last two games, we’ve done a great job of giving ourselves chances to win games, but we just haven’t shot well,” he said on Wednesday. “Then we weirdly shoot well at points in the game to give ourselves a chance. It’s just sometimes how the game goes. We just have to stay confident.“
Knicks Notes: Bridges, Clarkson, Diawara, Turnovers
Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has continued to be an iron man since arriving in New York, but has struggled at times with his offensive consistency. This was exemplified in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, as Bridges went scoreless for the first time this season and the third time since joining the team in 2024, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
According to Bridges, while his lack of offensive production was glaring, it stemmed from defensive issues.
“Being in foul trouble takes me away from being out there to try to help my team win,” he explained. “I’ve got to be better, starting off the game fouling a shooter from three.”
Bridges had hoped Monday’s game against the Clippers could serve as a bounce-back opportunity, but the team lost again and Bridges once again struggled to impact the game offensively, scoring seven points on eight shots. The lone starter not to score in double digits, he didn’t make a shot until midway through the second quarter.
However, head coach Mike Brown had Bridges’ back after the game, according to Bondy.
“He’s human and he’s going to have some nights (when he struggles to shoot),” Brown said. “His track record shows that he can go get it done. It’s not anything I’m concerned about or I’m looking at. And like I said, when he does have nights like that, how else can you impact the game, and he’s shown that he can do that.”
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- With his team struggling to put together any offensive rhythm against the Lakers, Brown turned to Jordan Clarkson in the fourth quarter. Clarkson played 10 minutes, his highest single-game total since February 11, and scored nine points on four shots. “He’s a guy we can lean on. He can put the ball in the hole,” said Brown, as relayed by Bondy. “We were struggling to do that. So I threw him out there to see if we can mix it up. He definitely helped us. But it was too big of a deficit.”
- Clarkson will face off against the Jazz, with whom he played for five and a half seasons, on Wednesday, but is unsure what reaction he will receive, or what he will feel himself, Mark Medina writes in an interview for Essentially Sports. “I don’t know what my emotions are going to be,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to try to keep my cool.” While the veteran guard’s role has changed with the Knicks, he has stayed ready and his teammates have appreciated his attention to detail and professionalism. “Being a teammate of his has been great,” Jalen Brunson said of Clarkson. “Being able to talk to him all the time and consistently has been great for me. I love him and everything that he’s done.“
- Mohamed Diawara grew up hearing all about the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum, another lanky French forward who could shoot and pass well for his size, Bondy writes in a separate story. On Monday, the Knicks’ rookie got the first poster dunk of his career, and it just so happened to be on his fellow Frenchman. “I was just driving and dunked the ball and fortunately (Batum) was there,” Diawara said. “… Funny to see that. My first dunk — my first poster — was against him.” Diawara finished the game with five points, four rebounds, and two assists.
- Brown was frustrated by what he calls “self-inflicted wounds,” especially on the offensive end, as the Knicks lost their two games in Los Angeles, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. New York turned the ball over 19 times against the Lakers and 20 against the Clippers as their offense felt largely out of sorts. “[Nineteen] turnovers on the road, and this is not a knock on [the Lakers], but they’re not gonna trap and double team and all that stuff,” Brown said after the first loss. “But we get into the paint and jump in the air and turn the ball over.” Brunson noticed similar issues on Monday, Bondy notes. “We were getting downhill and trying to make plays. But we got to be better playing off two feet obviously, playing more controlled,” Brunson said. “But (the Clippers) got a lot of guys on their team who are steal guys, who are long wingspans, play passing lanes. That’s what they do. We played to their strengths.”
Knicks Notes: Brown, Starters Minutes, Bridges, McBride
Knicks head coach Mike Brown received his first technical foul of the season in Wednesday’s three-point home loss to Oklahoma City, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Brown was upset about a non-call with 2:02 remaining in the first quarter, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cut past OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson tried to take a charge (YouTube link).
“You guys saw the play. SGA had two fouls, and Jalen was there, and he ran him over,” Brown said after the loss. “I just don’t understand why that was a no-call, but that should have been his third [foul], the bucket shouldn’t have counted, and we should have gone the other way with the basketball.
“So to see that knowing Jalen is standing there and putting his body on the line, and our guys are fighting our asses off and to try to win the ball game, it didn’t sit well with me.”
For what it’s worth, the official Twitter count of NBA referees explained why the play was not called a charge (Twitter link), stating that Brunson didn’t give Gilgeous-Alexander enough space to avoid contact after receiving a pass outside of the lower defensive box.
According to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN, Brown didn’t use the non-call as an excuse for why the Knicks lost the game. For his part, Brunson said he appreciated his coach having his back.
“I’m going to have his back every single night. He has ours,” Brunson said. “Regardless what he does or techs he gets, I’m going to have his back.”
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- As Brown planned, all five starters are playing fewer minutes per game in 2025/26, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. None of those five have seen his minutes cut back as drastically as Josh Hart, who led the league with 37.6 minutes per game in ’24/25 and is averaging 30.2 MPG in ’25/26. “It takes a little bit of an adjustment,” Hart said. “I think it also depends on how I’m playing. Games last year, the year before, if there was an 82-game season, you’re bound to have bad games. I think some of those bad games, I shouldn’t [have] played as much. You could’ve went to Landry [Shamet], or more minutes for Cam [Payne], something like that. So this year, it takes a little bit getting used to but you’ve got guys like Landry playing extremely well this season, obviously Deuce [Miles McBride] was playing well before he got hurt, we’ve got Jose [Alvarado]. I’m cool with it. As long as we win, I’m cool with it.”
- It has been an up-and-down season for Mikal Bridges, who has had some big individual games (like Sunday’s victory over San Antonio) mixed in with some forgettable performances (like Wednesday’s loss to Oklahoma City). As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes, Bridges has very solid counting stats, but for better or worse, the veteran wing is often judged for the opportunity cost it took to acquire him.
- Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) recently provided an update on McBride, who is recovering from surgery for a core muscle injury (sports hernia). “I still think there’s positivity there, things have been going well,” Begley said. “I don’t think there’s any reason to fret or worry about Miles McBride not being back and ready to go for the postseason. That’s the trajectory that I’ve heard about and talked to people about, and I haven’t heard anything different than that.”
Southwest Notes: Barnes, Flagg, Poulakidas, Finney-Smith
Spurs forward Harrison Barnes saw his ironman streak end on Tuesday. He missed his first game since 2021 because he woke up from a pregame nap with a sore left ankle, according to The Associated Press.
Barnes had a streak of 364 consecutive games played before sitting out against the Sixers. He missed his first game since Dec. 4, 2021, when he was a member of the Kings.
Knicks wing Mikal Bridges has the longest active consecutive games streak at 616. Barnes also trailed only Bridges for most total games played since 2021 with 382.
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- Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Cooper Flagg should make his first appearance since the All-Star break during the team’s current trip, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com tweets. Flagg has been out since Feb. 10 due to a midfoot sprain. “He’s ramping up. Everything is going well,” Kidd said. “Today was to kind of get back in his routine and hopefully as we go on this road trip he can get in and play a game or two.” Dallas opened the six-game road swing with a loss to Charlotte on Tuesday.
- Both of the two-way contracts that the Mavericks gave to John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith this week are two-year deals, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. Poulakidas, an undrafted rookie guard out of Yale, made his NBA debut on Tuesday. He went scoreless in 14 minutes but had five rebounds and two assists.
- Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith is still dealing with left ankle pain after undergoing offseason surgery, Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle reports. “Of course, me being me, I expect more but I’m just happy to be back out there on the court,” he said. “Got great teammates who [have had] my back even though I haven’t been shooting the ball as well as I want to. But you got to take your wins and my win is that I’ve been back on the court.” It’s been a struggle since he returned to action. He’s averaging a career-low 3.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 16.7 minutes while coming off the bench in 26 games.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Towns, Shamet, Sochan, Yabusele
Jalen Brunson recently said he hoped the Knicks would “do right by me” in his next contract discussion, a quote that caught some fans’ attention. Recently, he clarified his hopes for his future with the organization, Stefan Bondy writes for the New York Post (subscriber link).
“I would love to be here for the rest of my career. I love this place,” Brunson told Bondy. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms. They’ve been behind my back since day one. I built a life here. And I love the city, I love the fans, I love everything this place has offered me, on and off the court. So I just love it here. And I’d love to stay.”
He added that his comments about doing right by him did not mean he felt that the Knicks owed him, but that he hopes they recognize the financial sacrifice he made to help the front office build the team.
Brunson will be extension-eligible in the summer of 2027 or could reach free agency in 2028.
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- Karl-Anthony Towns‘ inconsistent play is a lightning rod of sorts for Knicks fans, but despite his down shooting year, he’s been much more productive than given credit for, Peter Botte writes for the Post. Botte also notes that while New York has struggled against some of the stronger teams in the East, especially the Pistons, the same was true last year, when they posted a 1-6 record against Detroit and Boston before beating both teams in playoff series.
- Landry Shamet‘s consistency as a scorer and defender has forced changes to the Knicks’ rotations, and no one is bearing the brunt more than Mikal Bridges, Bondy writes. “You’ve just got to sacrifice, find your moments and play the right way,” Bridges said. Bridges’ presumed place in the closing lineup has been taken by Shamet three times this month, though Bondy notes that all the starters’ minutes are down lately as coach Mike Brown has been trying to incorporate the bench more. “It’s give and take where if somebody is playing well, we’ll try to keep them on the floor, but that might mean others will see their field goal attempts and their minutes may go down because they’re not on the floor as much,” Brown said.
- New acquisition Jeremy Sochan has struggled in his first few outings for the Knicks, but he’s not concerned, Bondy writes in a separate story. “It’s my first time adjusting to a different dynamic,” said Sochan, who was a Spur for his first three-and-a-half years in the NBA. “So it’s going to take some time to figure out and, of course, I haven’t been in a lot of game shape. So altogether there are going to [be] ups and downs. But I’m blessed and excited to be in this situation. And I truly believe I can add to this team.” Sochan said that learning the playbook wasn’t difficult, but learning his teammates’ tendencies and fitting into the ecosystem will take more time. He played five scoreless minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers.
- Brown believes that Guerschon Yabusele‘s best role in the NBA is one that the Knicks couldn’t really offer him, Bondy writes. “The position he’s shown he’s best in in the NBA — the small-ball center spot — we just didn’t have the minutes consistently for him to be there,” Brown said. “And then when he was at the four. For us, because of our centers, the matchups weren’t always there. So we had to pick and choose when he was on the floor and how we were going to play him.” Bondy adds that there is speculation that the Frenchman has already locked in a lucrative deal overseas for next year.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Anunoby, Bridges, Diawara, Brunson
The Knicks lost to the top-seeded Pistons again on Thursday, dropping a home game by 15 points after being blown out in their two visits to Detroit. The Pistons were down their starting and backup centers (All-Star Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart) due to suspensions, but Karl-Anthony Towns only managed two points on three field goal attempts in the first half, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
“I mean, our offense is our offense. It’s been that way all year,” said Towns, who finished with 21 points (on 7-of-14 shooting), 11 rebounds and four assists. “So we have our system and we’re gonna — regardless of who’s in the game or not in the game — we run the system that we have implemented for our team to the best of our abilities.”
Head coach Mike Brown reiterated after the game that the six-time All-Star big man is “comfortable” in New York’s offensive system, Begley notes, despite persistent questions about Towns’ role on that end of the court.
“We’re continuing to try to do different things to help free him up,” Brown said. “And we’ll continue to search to try to do different things to free him up throughout the course of the year.”
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- OG Anunoby‘s return to the court on Thursday was a forgettable one, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Anunoby, who previously said he’s still in pain after having his toenail removed, finished with eight points (on 3-of-13 shooting), zero rebounds and zero assists in 32 minutes. He also struggled to slow down Cade Cunningham, who torched the Knicks (42 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds) in an MVP-level performance, Schwartz writes.
- Starting wing Mikal Bridges was benched for the final nine-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter in favor of Landry Shamet, according to Stefan Bondy and Schwartz of The New York Post. Bridges recorded eight points (on 4-of-9 shooting), three rebounds and no assists in 25 minutes. “Landry had hit a couple shots. We needed to score,” Brown said. “They’re both really good defenders. And so I just stayed with Landry. But it wasn’t anything where, ‘Oh, I’m going to sit Mikal because he’s not doing this, or he’s not doing that.’ We were looking to score points and Landry was the only one to make a shot from behind the arc.”
- Rookie forward Mohamed Diawara tells Schwartz he’s not concerned about potentially losing playing time after the Knicks signed Jeremy Sochan. “I’m just gonna continue what I was doing,” Diawara told The Post prior to Thursday’s loss. “Keep working and being ready for each opportunity that I’m gonna get. I’m not worried about that. I know the coaching staff and the team is gonna do whatever is good for the team, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” For what it’s worth, Diawara played nine minutes on Thursday, while Sochan received 10.
- Jalen Brunson signed a team-friendly extension in the 2024 offseason, locking in $156.5MM over four years when he could have earned an additional $113MM if he had waited a year for free agency. The star point guard told Tom Kludt of Vanity Fair (subscription required) that he hopes the Knicks “do right” by him down the line after he took less money to help the team, as Andrew Battifarano of The New York Post relays. “If I’m thinking about playing well to make sure I get paid, that could mess with me,” Brunson told Vanity Fair. “I play best when I have a free mind, and that did that for me. A lot of people say I sacrificed for the team. One hundred percent I sacrificed for the team. But most importantly, I made sure my family and I are taken care of. … Obviously we’d love for them to do right by me. I think anyone would. I feel like I sacrificed.” As Bondy notes in a subscriber-only story, Brunson won’t be extension-eligible until 2027 and the earliest he could hit free agency would be 2028.
Giannis Trade Rumors: Warriors, Wolves, Blazers, Sixers, Nets
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Monday morning that the Warriors have been the most aggressive team in pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, with ESPN’s Shams Charania later reporting that Golden State had made a “pick-heavy offer.”
Writing for The Stein Line (Substack link), Jake Fischer says the Warriors were cautiously optimistic over the weekend about their odds of acquiring the superstar forward if the Bucks decide to trade him prior to Thursday’s deadline.
However, there may be a significant holdup in a deal coming to fruition. League sources tell Fischer there have been “recent rumblings,” which the Warriors are aware of, that Giannis may not be enthusiastic about landing in Golden State.
Fischer acknowledges that only Antetokounmpo may know how credible those rumors are, but he’s heard from sources close to the situation that the 31-year-old “could be turned off” by the prospect of playing on an older team and/or being criticized for teaming up with Stephen Curry, just as Kevin Durant was and continues to be years later.
Although one source with knowledge of Antetokounmpo’s thinking told Fischer that he “wants to win,” Fischer has heard separately that also Giannis cares about his career arc.
As Fischer explains, part of the reason the Knicks appeal to the perennial All-NBA member is the fact that they haven’t won a championship since 1973; that same line of thinking is part of the reason why Giannis is intrigued by the possibility of joining Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, who have never won a title, Fischer writes.
Here are several more Giannis-related trade rumors and notes:
- Fischer continues to hear the Warriors’ offer for Antetokounmpo is unlikely to include Jimmy Butler, whom Golden State wants to retain despite his torn ACL. If the deal is instead built around around Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green, rival teams don’t expect the Bucks to actually keep Green. That said, Fischer hears the 35-year-old forward/center’s trade value is “murky” for a variety of reasons, including the fact that he has a $27.7MM player option for ’26/27. People around the situation noted that the Suns would have been a good fit in the offseason, but that was before they acquired Dillon Brooks. Phoenix is still on the lookout for frontcourt upgrades, sources tell Fischer.
- Like many teams around the NBA, the Timberwolves have spent “weeks” preparing for the possibility of Giannis becoming available, multiple team sources tell Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic. The Wolves are considered one of the strongest suitors for the five-time All-Defensive member for multiple reasons, Krawczynski explains: the Wolves are viewed as a contender, having made the Western Conference finals each of the past two years; Giannis and Edwards have mutual respect; and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has pulled off multiple blockbuster trades since he was hired by Minnesota in 2022.
- Still, some rival teams remain skeptical the Bucks will actually trade Antetokounmpo by the deadline, Krawcyznski writes, since they could get more appealing offers in the summer.
- Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link) weighs the pros and cons of the Trail Blazers getting involved in a potential Antetokounmpo trade, whether it’s dealing for him themselves or acting as a facilitator. Portland certainly has assets Milwaukee wants, since the Blazers control the Bucks’ first-round picks from 2028-2030 (two swaps and one pick). According to Highkin, the Blazers are willing to act as a third team — if they get a player they really like. But Highkin doesn’t think Mikal Bridges (Knicks) or Jalen McDaniels (Timberwolves) would fit that bill. As Highkin writes, the Blazers were interested in Bridges, but that was a few years ago when he was obviously younger and on a more team-friendly contract, not the four-year, $150MM extension that will begin next season.
- The Trail Blazers could put together a very compelling package for Antetokounmpo, but it could be riskier than it would be for other teams since they aren’t close to being a contender at the moment and there have been no indications to this point that Giannis wants to end up in Portland, Highkin notes. It could end up being a one-year rental scenario, since Antetokounmpo has a player option for ’27/28, which may not appeal to Portland.
- On Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports’ podcast, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports said the Sixers will definitely inquire about Antetokounmpo prior to Thursday at 2:00 pm CT (Twitter video link). “If you think that Giannis is on the trade block and there is not gonna be a call between the Sixers and the Bucks at some point between now and the deadline on Thursday, I don’t think you’ve been paying attention,” Neubeck said. “I think that they are interested. Any time a player like Giannis is on the market … (president of basketball operations) Daryl Morey is a guy who wants stars. He cares about stars.” Neubeck previously reported that VJ Edgecombe was unavailable in trade talks, and reiterated to O’Connor that he would be “stunned” if the standout rookie is moved.
- As of Monday afternoon, the Nets had not called the Bucks about Antetokounmpo, a source tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link). ClutchPoints reported earlier on Monday that the Nets had inquired about Giannis, but Brett Siegel tweeted it was a mistake that was quickly corrected. Brooklyn has long been linked to Giannis and there has been speculation the team will make an offer for him.
- Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton of ESPN propose fake six Giannis trades, which are evaluated by Bobby Marks.
Knicks Rumors: Dosunmu, Towns, Bridges, Trade Tiers, More
Within a trade deadline guide for the Knicks, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic mentions Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu as a player New York might be interested in. The Knicks are fans of Dosunmu’s game, but it would “cost a lot” to acquire him, says Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Edwards specifically points to Miles McBride as a player the Knicks might have to give up in a deal for Dosunmu, who earns $7.5MM this season and will be a free agent in the offseason if he doesn’t sign an extension before then. However, Edwards doesn’t view scenario as likely, noting that McBride has been a key contributor for New York and is on a team-friendly contract.
A “few” rival executives Edwards spoke to don’t think Karl-Anthony Towns is off-limits in trade talks, but his value is believed to have declined since the Knicks acquired him. That’s also the case for Mikal Bridges, multiple league sources tell Edwards. Both of those factors seemingly make the Knicks a long shot to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, even though they remain interested in the superstar forward.
If Towns is traded by February 5 in a deal that doesn’t involve Antetokounmpo, Edwards hears the Knicks would likely receive salary-matching pieces. Minor draft compensation may be included as well. While he wouldn’t be surprised if the five-time All-Star is moved in a non-Antetokounmpo deal, Edwards thinks that outcome is unlikely.
Here’s more from Edwards on the Knicks:
- New York continues to shop Guerschon Yabusele, but his contract is viewed negatively and rival teams think the Knicks will have to attach assets to move him unless he’s included in a major multi-team trade, sources tell Edwards. Yabusele is included in Edwards’ “most likely to be traded” tier along with Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson. According to Edwards, Clarkson could be a buyout candidate after the deadline if the two sides decide to part ways — the veteran guard has been out of the rotation lately.
- Edwards’ “could get traded, but I wouldn’t bet on it” tier consists of Towns, McBride and Mitchell Robinson. As Edwards writes, New York’s front office has a history of trading players on expiring contracts, but Robinson has been very valuable when active and it probably doesn’t make sense to move him given his on-court contributions.
- The “won’t get traded unless in an Antetokounmpo-type deal” group features OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Bridges. The only untouchable player on the Knicks’ roster is Jalen Brunson, according to Edwards.
- Edwards also lists three small-scale trades that could make sense for the teams involved. One of Edwards’ fake deals would see New York acquire Jose Alvarado and Karlo Matkovic from New Orleans in exchange for Yabusele, Dadiet and Washington’s 2026 first-round pick, which is top-eight protected and almost certain to be conveyed as two second-round picks. Those two second-rounders hold real value though, and Edwards isn’t sure it would be worth it, but Alvarado has drawn a good deal of interest on market.
Trail Blazers Interested In Giannis Antetokounmpo
After reporting last week that Portland was intrigued by the possibility of facilitating a multi-team trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo if the team could upgrade its roster in the process, Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) now hear the Trail Blazers have also expressed interest in acquiring the two-time MVP themselves.
According to Fischer and Stein, Portland’s front office recognizes Giannis is unlikely to sign a long-term extension with the Blazers, calling it an “extreme long shot.” The Stein Line duo reiterate that being involved as a facilitator in a multi-team deal where Portland acquires a different player (or players) is a “far more likely scenario.”
Rival teams think acquiring Blazers guard Jrue Holiday would help improve their odds of acquiring his former Bucks teammate Antetokounmpo, Fischer and Stein add. They continue to list Knicks wing Mikal Bridges as a player the Blazers like.
However, Fischer and Stein also point out that the Blazers have Holiday and Damian Lillard (another ex-Buck) on their roster, and both players are still close to the Greek star.
Portland controls Milwaukee’s first-round picks from 2028-2030 (one pick and two swaps) due to the 2023 trade that sent Lillard to Milwaukee and Holiday to Portland. Holiday was flipped to Boston at the time, helping the Celtics win the title in 2024, before being traded back to the Blazers this past summer.
The Blazers also control most of their own first-rounders and have promising young players like second-year center Donovan Clingan. In terms of assets, the Blazers could theoretically put together an appealing package for Antetokounmpo in the next five days, though they could also offer far more in the offseason. At that point, they’d have further clarity on their lottery-protected 2026 pick, the poison pill provision would no longer apply to Shaedon Sharpe, and Toumani Camara would be trade-eligible.