Atlantic Notes: Oubre, Poeltl, Anunoby, Knicks
Kelly Oubre Jr. has proven himself too valuable for the Sixers to trade at the upcoming trade deadline, Keith Pompey writes for The Inquirer. Oubre is on an expiring contract, but as the team looks more and more like a potential playoff threat, Pompey believes that what the 6’8″ wing brings in terms of role versatility and two-way play on the wings is not something that can be easily replaced.
Oubre has played shooting guard, small forward, and power forward for the Sixers this season, depending on who was healthy and in the rotation around him. He defends opposing teams’ best players and is knocking down 38.0% of his three-point attempts.
“He plays both ends, right?” asked coach Nick Nurse. “I think that’s the main thing. He’s been pretty effective on both ends, and the other probably main thing is he’s in about his 10th year. He’s got a lot of stuff under his belt. A lot of minutes. A lot of games, too. That helps, too.”
Pompey writes that the only real benefit of moving Oubre would be cap and tax relief, but that’s a goal that should be pursued in the offseason, not in the midst of a season in which the team is hoping to make some noise in the playoffs.
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- Jakob Poeltl being out indefinitely with a lower back strain has put the Raptors in a very difficult position, says TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter video link). According to Lewenberg, Toronto’s preference is to be patient with the veteran big man, who is under contract through the 2029/30 season, but the lack of progress he has made in his recovery is a major wild card when it comes to the Raptors’ trade deadline approach. Toronto has been linked to multiple high-level centers in this trade cycle, including Domantas Sabonis, and the question of how long it will take Poeltl to return to form hangs over all trade talks, as well as the Raptors’ long-term outlook.
- After Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out on Saturday against the Sixers, Knicks coach Mike Brown tried something new, putting OG Anunoby at the five as the primary defender on Joel Embiid. The new-look lineup sputtered at times, but delivered when it mattered, writes Newsday’s Steve Popper. “We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG,” Brown said. “OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. And so we were able to do it.” Anunoby had a critical trio of plays on the offensive end, slamming home a put-back dunk, then hitting a three, then passing to Landry Shamet for a critical three. However, it was the other end of the floor that impressed Brown the most. “OG changed the game defensively,” Brown said. “And his quick decisions with the basketball, it was beautiful to watch. But defensively, guarding their power forward, guarding Paul George and then guarding Joel Embiid. He was phenomenal defensively.”
- Miles McBride and Shamet have established themselves as premier shooters in the NBA, but it’s their defense that’s proving indispensable for the Knicks, writes Jared Schwartz for the New York Post. Brown has repeatedly referred to the pair of guards as the best point-of-attack defenders on the team, and that was put into practice in Saturday’s win against the Sixers, when McBride and Shamet closed the game over Mikal Bridges. “You don’t stop those types of guys (Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe), but to have a guy like Deuce coming off the bench, have a guy like Landry — both those guys are physical at the point of attack, whether those guys are trying to get over pick-and-rolls or trying to get over (dribble handoffs) or even pindowns,” Brown said. “And to have that type of relentless pursuit with athleticism and strength and toughness and the mindset is phenomenal. And obviously, we need those guys.”
Knicks Notes: Hart, Trade Deadline, Shamet, Towns
The Knicks capably withstood injury absences to other players this season, but Josh Hart showed how valuable he was to the team when it was forced to play without him over the past eight games, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Hart, who is questionable to return to action on Sunday at Portland, has been recovering from a right ankle sprain he sustained on December 25. In addition to Hart’s defense, rebounding, pace of play and secondary ball-handling, the Knicks have also missed the 30-year-old wing’s ability to get into the paint and make plays.
“He’s the heart and soul of the team from an energy perspective,” Miles McBride said. “I bring a lot of energy, we got a lot of guys that do. But he’s been doing it for so long and we’ve all been able to use him as the nucleus.”
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- Will Hart’s imminent return be enough to switch the team’s downward momentum? Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link) explores that question, writing that the Knicks have certainly missed Hart’s physicality in dropping five of their past six games. One way or another, they’ll have to improve their toughness for the playoffs, according to Popper, and they have less than four weeks to decide what moves to make ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.
- Veteran wing Landry Shamet, who is on the mend from a right shoulder injury, has been cleared for contact work and has already been taking controlled contact, head coach Mike Brown said on Saturday (Twitter link via Bondy). Shamet will be out again Sunday, but the update is a positive sign that his return isn’t far off.
- Big man Karl-Anthony Towns continues to produce inconsistent offensive results in his first season playing in Brown’s system, notes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. The five-time All-Star only attempted 11 shots in Friday’s loss in Phoenix two games after putting up just four shots in a blowout loss at Detroit. Towns’ numbers are down across the board and the Knicks need more from their highest-paid player, says Winfield.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Young, Brunson, Robinson, McBride, Yabusele
The Knicks have struggled without Josh Hart, who has missed eight games due to a right ankle sprain. Hart could return as early as Sunday when the Knicks visit Portland, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“I’ll be back at some point. We’ll see. Pretty good little sprain,” Hart said. “If this is my left ankle, I’m back by now. Because I’ve had some good ankle sprains on my left ankle. But I haven’t had many good ankle sprains on my right. This was a good one. After this, I won’t have any ligaments to sprain. So I’ll be solid.”
The Knicks have gone 3-5 without Hart’s all-around efforts, including five losses in their last six games.
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- On paper, Trae Young should make the Wizards better, which could increase the possibility of losing their top-eight 2026 protected pick to the Knicks. However, it appears that Washington will allow Young to sit and rest his injuries, rather than boosting the team’s chances this season, Bondy notes. If the Wizards’ 2026 first-rounder lands within the top eight, New York will instead receive Washington’s 2026 and 2027 second-round picks.
- Jalen Brunson didn’t deliver in the clutch on Friday. He shot just 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter with two turnovers, both in the final 95 seconds of a 112-107 loss to the Suns. “I just feel like I need to execute and be better towards the end of the night,” Brunson told Bondy. “That’s when I’m at my best. That’s what I pride myself on. … I just need to be better down the stretch and be more sound and be more fundamental.”
- There are many factors at play regarding Mitchell Robinson‘s impending free agency. The key to determining his market value will be his playoff performances, Bondy opines. As Bondy notes, the Wizards, Clippers, Lakers, Jazz, Nets and Bulls could have significant cap space while several other teams project as non-taxpayers with the full mid-level exception. ESPN’s Bobby Marks projects that Robinson would likely command a full mid-level deal.
- Miles McBride believes he can bring elite defense to the table, he told Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “I know I can be one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the NBA,” he said. “I believe in myself, I believe that guarding really gets us going, gets us out in transition, which we did throughout the second half, which was really big for us.”
- Guerschon Yabusele missed Friday’s game due to a quad injury, Bondy tweets. He played 13 minutes against the Clippers on Wednesday, contributing eight points. Coach Mike Brown is looking for Yabusele to be aggressive when he suits up. “We need him to continue being aggressive if he can snap–drive it. Especially at his size, attacking the rim with aggression,” Brown said, per Schwartz. “And then we need him to rebound, that’s one of the big reasons he’s on the floor. For him to get out and help in that department, that was big.”
Knicks Notes: Shamet, Robinson, McBride, Towns, Lineups
The Knicks received some minor good news heading into the new year. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter), reserve guard/wing Landry Shamet has started doing some on-court work as he works his way back from the right shoulder sprain that has sidelined him since November 22.
Shamet has yet to start contact training, but says his rehab process has gone well so far, Edwards adds. The 28-year-old had the option of rehab or surgery and chose the former.
Newsday’s Steve Popper confirms the update (Twitter link), adding that Shamet said dealing with a shoulder injury and rehab last season helped prepare him for this one.
Shamet was playing some of the best basketball of his career at the start of this season. He averaged 9.3 points per game, tied for his career high, while shooting 42.4% on three-pointers in 20.9 minutes per night, the most he has played since the 2020/21 season. He had become a valuable part of coach Mike Brown‘s rotation before the injury derailed his season.
We have more from the Knicks:
- Mitchell Robinson will miss two games in the next four days as he continues to deal with injury load management, but he has experienced no setbacks, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Bondy writes that, in addition to missing Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, the plan is for Robinson to play in one of the back-to-back games the Knicks will play on Friday and Saturday. Brown was quick to shut down any notion that Robinson re-injured the ankle that has given him issues in the past. “It’s all load management,” Brown said. “If you look at our schedule [it’s been hectic], I was complaining about it maybe a little too much. We’re just trying to be smart with it.” Ariel Hukporti, who saw increased minutes in the Knicks’ last game with Robinson out, is questionable to play on Wednesday due to a mouth laceration, which could open up time for Trey Jemison.
- Miles McBride was a rookie when Ray Allen came to Madison Square Garden to witness Stephen Curry break his all-time three-point record. During that game, Allen gave the young guard some advice that changed his entire shooting style, Bondy writes. “‘Get more elevation,”‘ Allen told him, according to McBride. “He said, ‘In the 15 minutes pregame, I work out hard. You can’t flip it on and off.’ Those type of things stick with me.” McBride added that he had always elevated on his mid-range shots, so doing the same thing from three made sense and eliminated the fear of getting the shot blocked. After struggling with his shot during his first two seasons, McBride has made 39.7% of more than 700 three-point attempts over the past three seasons.
- Brown believes that there’s “no question” that Karl-Anthony Towns is an All-Star this season, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “KAT’s averaging a double-double. He’s over 20 points a game and over 10 rebounds a game,” Brown said. “And if you’re a top-three team in either conference and you’re the second-leading scorer — [and] the leading rebounder — you’re an All-Star. There’s no question about it. The only question is: Is he first, second, or third team All-NBA, you know?” Towns has dealt with an uncharacteristically cold shooting spell this season (his .476 FG% is a career low), but has managed to impact the team in many ways while undergoing a dramatic role change in Brown’s offensive system.
- Brown’s lineup experimentation has proved incredibly effective, especially while the team deals with injuries, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Young, unproven players like Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Mohamed Diawara have all had monster games that helped seal wins of late, and the players credit Browns’ open-mindedness for keeping them in the headspace to succeed. “Knowing that you’re flowing, playing, now it gives you even more energy, because now you’re like, you feel like you contribute, whatever, knowing you might get called,” Mikal Bridges said. “So, it’s just a different energy for the bench and especially when we make runs and stuff, if there’s 10 guys that play, nine guys that play, everybody is so juiced up. … If (you) played three minutes, if (you) played four minutes just as that low man to help blitz — you did something.” The Knicks’ bench was considered a weakness coming into the season, but with internal growth from Kolek and Brown’s constant tinkering, the team has found ways to win on the margins, thanks, in part, to that depth.
Josh Hart To Miss At Least Three Games With Sprained Ankle
After spraining his right ankle in Thursday’s game, Knicks guard Josh Hart didn’t travel with the team on a three-game road trip that began tonight in Atlanta, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Hart will also be unavailable Monday at New Orleans and Wednesday at San Antonio.
League sources tell Edwards that Hart is undergoing further testing on the ankle and his condition will be reevaluated when the team returns home.
Hart was injured in the fourth quarter of the Christmas Day contest against Cleveland when his foot twisted in a collision with Dean Wade (Twitter video link). A foul was called on the play, and Hart made both free throws before limping to the locker room.
Edwards notes that the Knicks have gone 11-3 since coach Mike Brown inserted Hart into the starting lineup late last month. He’s shooting 38.9% from three-point range, his best percentage since his rookie season, and he’s collecting 8.0 boards per night, which makes him one of the league’s best rebounding non-centers. He’s also averaging 12.3 points and 5.1 assists in 30.3 minutes per game.
There’s positive injury news for New York as well, as Edwards hears that Miles McBride is expected back Monday after missing nine straight games with a sprained ankle. In addition, league sources tell Edwards that Landry Shamet has progressed to full on-court basketball activities and is working toward being cleared for contact. Shamet has missed the past month with a sprained right shoulder.
Knicks Notes: Robinson, Hart, Kolek, Clarkson, Bench
Mitchell Robinson is something of an oddity for the Knicks: a center who can change the offense without scoring a point, writes James L. Edwards III for The Athletic.
Despite opposing teams knowing exactly what Robinson wants to do offensively, he has still found ways to win games for the Knicks in the regular season and playoffs by earning them extra possessions on the offensive glass. Edwards speculates that Robinson’s historic rebounding ability could make him the No. 3 priority on opponent scouting reports, behind only stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
All of that is why Edwards believes that, even with Robinson headed for unrestricted free agency in 2026, the team shouldn’t even consider moving him this season. His ability to give the team additional offensive chances, whether alongside Towns or once the All-NBA center heads to the bench, is too valuable to the Knicks’ championship aspirations this season.
We have more from the Knicks:
- Josh Hart is out for Saturday’s matchup against the Hawks, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link). Hart left the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over the Cavaliers early in the fourth quarter after stepping on Dean Wade‘s foot and didn’t return. Miles McBride, who has missed the last seven games with an ankle sprain, is listed as questionable.
- Tyler Kolek had another statement performance for the Knicks on Christmas Day, Bondy writes. Kolek finished the night with 16 points — 11 in the fourth quarter — and nine assists, as well as a critical block on Donovan Mitchell in transition with two minutes to go. “That is winning basketball, and he’s been unreal, so credit to him,” Mitchell said after the game, per Bondy. “I knew it wasn’t a foul as soon as they called it, so no shock there, but credit to him.” The team had previously discussed the need to target backup guards in trades, but the emergence of Kolek should give some pause, in Bondy’s opinion. Still, the team will want to see what the rotation looks like once McBride returns to his usual role.
- Kolek and Robinson weren’t the only Knicks bench players to have a major impact. When the team was “stuck in the mud,” to use coach Mike Brown‘s terminology, Jordan Clarkson came in and got them unstuck, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. Clarkson had his best game of the season, scoring 25 points on 17 shots, while the Knicks outscored the Cavs by 13 in his time on the floor. “The times we were dead in the water, especially early in the game, he was the one guy that was keeping us in it,” Brown said. “First with his offense, he was really, really good for us offensively. And then defensively, he was good too.”
- The Knicks’ depth has been an issue for the last several seasons, but Kolek, Clarkson, and Robinson have taken major strides to ensure that’s not the case this year, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “They change the game. When I was younger, I tried to change the game when I came in off the bench,” said Jalen Brunson. “Tyler’s doing that, Jordan’s been a vet, been around for a long time. He does that every time he’s on the court. And Mitch is being who he is. He just impacts basketball, and so he’s always gonna be impacting the game as well. It’s all about them coming in and changing the game, and that’s their mindset and what they come in and do every single time.” McBride has been a major part of the bench’s success throughout the season, as has Landry Shamet, who is currently out with a shoulder sprain.
Knicks Notes: Cup Bonuses, Brunson, McBride, Clarkson, Kolek
Each Knicks player received a bonus exceeding $530K for capturing the NBA Cup. Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and some other players have decided to donate some of their winnings to support staff members, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes.
“I don’t think it was a hard decision,” Hart said. “Some of those people don’t get a bonus and they’re working to make sure we’re at the top of the game, no matter who they are. We want to make sure those people are also compensated for their extra time and their efforts.”
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- Following a loss to Philadelphia, the Knicks got back on track by defeating the Heat on Sunday, 132-125. Brunson poured in a season-high 47 points. “He’s a special player. I think we know that,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “He doesn’t surprise you when he has nights like that.” Head coach Mike Brown continues to tout his point man as the league’s MVP, according to Bondy. “We were struggling a little bit offensively, you want to have an MVP of the league on your side. For him to score 47. … He’s capable of doing it and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do on nights like tonight,” Brown said.
- Miles McBride is doing on-court work with Knicks coaches as he rehabs from his ankle sprain, Ian Begley of SNY tweets. McBride can take full contact but hasn’t practiced since the injury due to the team’s rugged schedule. He hasn’t played since Dec. 7.
- Jordan Clarkson is playing on a minimum-salary contract after he reached a buyout agreement with Utah in early July and then decided to join the Knicks after clearing waivers. He has been a steady presence in the rotation and is averaging 13 points over the last four games. “Immediate spark. Immediate offensive presence, playing really well defensively, as well,” Brunson said of Clarkson, per Madeline Kenney of the New York Post. “What [he’s been] able to do for us so far this season has been tremendous and that’s just who he is. For as long as I’ve known him, that’s the type of person and player he’s brought to his teams that he’s been on and so very happy he’s here.”
- Brunson has turned into a mentor for backup point guard Tyler Kolek, according to Kenney. “It’s been special,” Kolek said. “He’s kind of taken me under his wing. I’ve been able to watch him work out. … Just trying to pick up little tendencies from him, anything I can.”
Knicks May Move Guerschon Yabusele By Trade Deadline
The Knicks are open to trading Guerschon Yabusele before the February 5 deadline, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
The 30-year-old big man was the team’s top free agency addition over the summer, but he hasn’t been effective in the first two months of the season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per night while shooting 39.4% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. His numbers across the board are down sharply from what he posted in Philadelphia last season as he returned to the NBA after five years in Europe.
Yabusele is making $5.5MM this season and holds a $5.7MM player option for 2026/27, and multiple league executives tell Edwards that New York will likely have to give up other assets to get another team to take that contract.
The Knicks have been reaching out to rival teams in their search for another ball-handler and frontcourt player, Edwards hears from league sources. They don’t have a veteran lead guard in place who can play dependable minutes when Jalen Brunson rests. Edwards notes that Tyler Kolek has shown promise, especially during the past week, but there’s no guarantee he’s ready to fill that role.
New York is also looking for another big man, as the options on the current roster are limited behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. Robinson is having another outstanding rebounding season, pulling down 8.6 boards per game in 18.2 minutes per night, but Edwards states that he’s still on a load management program in hopes of keeping him healthy for the playoffs. Robinson has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and the Knicks aren’t in position to withstand a long-term absence.
The Knicks face financial limitations as they eye the trade market because of their proximity to the hard cap. They’ve been carrying 14 players on standard contracts all season and can’t fill their roster opening until early April.
With those restrictions in mind, Edwards identifies a few potential trade candidates:
- Ayo Dosunmu — The Bulls guard would provide ball-handling and defense, but his $7.5MM salary means New York would have to send back Landry Shamet ($2.3MM), who was productive before injuring his shoulder, or possibly Pacome Dadiet ($2.9MM) or Kolek ($2.2MM) along with Yabusele or Miles McBride ($4.3MM). Edwards is skeptical about Chicago’s willingness to take Yabusele’s contract, so McBride would likely have to be part of the deal.
- Jose Alvarado — Edwards suggests that the Pelicans guard may be more obtainable than Dosunmu, and his contract ($4.5MM with a $4.5MM player option for next season) would be easier to fit onto the roster. He also points out that the Knicks have multiple second-round picks that could be used to entice New Orleans to part with Alvarado.
- Marvin Bagley III — His defense remains shaky, but he has been scoring and rebounding for the Wizards and his $2.2MM cap hit makes him an inexpensive option as a third center. Edwards believes he might be obtainable for a second-round pick.
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Kolek, Robinson, Schedule, McBride
OG Anunoby threw in a rare clunker in a nine-point Knicks loss to Philadelphia on Friday. Anunoby had just two points on 1-of-9 shooting and wasn’t much of a factor defensively, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes.
“I thought he was aggressive on his drives, he didn’t get any calls,” coach Mike Brown said. “It’s a weird game and the officials, they got a tough job but I don’t know if I’ll ever understand what’s a foul and what’s not a foul. Because guys, especially quick guys, they’ll put their head down and they’ll drive from point A to point B and if you lead with your chest, and they’re able to flop or fall off you good enough, it’s a foul. OG is a big, strong guy. When he drives, he doesn’t do that, he’s trying to attack the rim. He’s getting rerouted on his drive, but he can’t seem to get a call. “
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- Tyler Kolek had an off night on Friday after some strong performances, including a 16-point, 11-assist outing vs. Indiana on Thursday, Schwartz notes. The reserve guard finished with two points, two assists, four turnovers and five fouls in 15 minutes vs. Philadelphia.
- Notoriously poor free throw shooter Mitchell Robinson only missed one of his eight attempts on Friday after changing his routine. “We’ve just been working on a lot of arc on the free throws,” he said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “We went in there this morning actually like 10 AM but it paid off tonight. So I guess we’re gonna put that in the routine now.” Robinson also said he’s changed the mechanics of his shot. “It feels way more comfortable,” he said. “Getting my elbow under it. Getting it up in the air a little more. It’s been great.”
- Friday’s loss snapped a seven-game winning streak but might have been predictable, according to Schwartz. Following their NBA Cup triumph this week, the Knicks had to play a back-to-back. They won at Indiana despite being shorthanded on Thursday. “These guys are human,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, we try to pride ourselves on being a no-excuse team. We’re gonna go out and play to the highest possible standard, or the highest possible level. Most times, we’ll probably have it, but tonight we didn’t.”
- Miles McBride is doing on-court work but has yet to practice since spraining his ankle, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. The Knicks haven’t practiced or held a shootaround since Monday.
Knicks’ McBride Out At Least One More Week
The Knicks will be without guard Miles McBride for at least another seven days, according to the team, which announced today that McBride will be reevaluated in one week (Twitter link via Andrew Crane of The New York Post).
McBride was injured in the third quarter of Sunday’s win over Orlando when he drove to the net for a layup attempt that was contested by Magic wing Desmond Bane. Both players fell to the court on the play, with Bane’s left foot appearing to come down on McBride’s lower left leg (Twitter video link).
McBride was later diagnosed with a sprained ankle and was ruled out of the team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday. The latest update confirms he’ll also miss a rematch with Orlando in Saturday’s semifinal, as well as the NBA Cup championship game on Tuesday, if the Knicks advance that far.
If New York loses on Saturday, the team will have four days off before facing the Pacers in Indiana next Thursday, buying McBride more recovery time.
McBride, 25, has been an important part of the Knicks’ rotation this fall, starting nine of his 20 outings and averaging career highs in points (11.6), rebounds (2.6), and minutes (27.0) per game, as well as three-point percentage (44.4%).
With McBride out, New York figures to lean more heavily on backcourt reserves Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek behind star point guard Jalen Brunson.