New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week

December 29th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Leonard led the Clippers to three wins during the week of December 22-28 while posting averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. The star forward erupted for a career-high 55 points against the Pistons on Sunday.

It’s Leonard’s fourth Player of the Week award as a Clipper and the 10th of his NBA career, but it’s the first time he has earned the honor since the 2023/24 season.

Kevin Durant (Rockets), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees.

The Celtics, meanwhile, went 2-1 last week with Brown averaging 32.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game.

Boston’s star wing has scored at least 30 points in all nine games he has played this month and has now been named the East’s Player of the Week twice in December — he also claimed the award on Dec. 8. Brown and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson have traded the award back and forth in recent weeks, with no other Eastern Conference player winning it since Nov. 24.

LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were all nominated in the East.

Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game

December 29th, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.

Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.

Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.

A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.

Knicks Notes: McCullar, Kolek, Towns, Schedule

December 28th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Kevin McCullar Jr. was the surprise of the night in the Knicks‘ victory over the Hawks on Saturday, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.

After having played just six total minutes across three appearances coming into Saturday’s game, McCullar finished the matchup against the Hawks with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 3-of-6 shooting from three in over 23 minutes of action. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes that Trae Young went scoreless when defended by the second-year guard.

“[McCullar] was scheduled on my little minutes sheet to come in at the eight-minute mark of the first quarter. I was going to throw him on Trae just to see what happens,” coach Mike Brown said. “Kev’s a young, really good defender, has a great feel on both ends of the floor, but especially that end of the floor. I wanted to give him a chance. I threw him out there a few minutes and he was fantastic. So, he just earned more minutes. I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned those minutes as the game went along.”

McCullar noted that the young players on the team were given a warning by Josh Hart that they needed to be ready in case of injury. On Saturday, he delivered.

“Just staying ready until my number’s called, and happy we got the W,” McCullar said.

We have more from around the Knicks:

Tyler Kolek has gotten an opportunity this month in part due to an injury to Miles McBride, and he has taken that chance and run with it, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “[Assistant coach Rick Brunson] came over to me and was like, ‘Get ready,'” Kolek said. “And I’m like, ‘Are you talking to me?’ Cause I didn’t play for two weeks.” Brown has tasked Kolek with studying Pacers guard T.J. McConnell as an example of how to succeed without a ton of athleticism or exceptional outside shooting ability. “I said to Tyler, ‘If there’s anybody in this league you need to take a look at, it’s him,” Brown said. “Because you have a superpower offensively — you can score. You have a second superpower — you can pass. You have some quickness, too. You have a good feel. But defensively, you got to develop a superpower for your size. And you got good feet. Now it’s about using those and being physically tough every single possession.'” There have been ups and downs to Kolek’s first real stint in the Knicks’ rotation, but he has shown during big moments why the coaches trust him to be out there.
Karl-Anthony Towns knows that he might have to change his game a bit to stop piling up offensive fouls, Bondy writes. Towns leads the league in charges by a large margin and has taken himself out of the Knicks’ game plan several times as a result of early fouls. “I’m going to keep doing my thing. Maybe I’ll have to change my game up a little bit, if that’s what they’re trying to tell me I need to do,” Towns said. “[The refs] didn’t tell anyone else that, but they’re telling me that. Maybe I have to do that.“
The Knicks’ schedule is about to get more difficult, Winfield writes. That includes a stretch of eight of 11 games on the road to kick off the new year. The team currently holds a 5-7 road record and will need to win while dealing with injuries to key rotation players like McBride, Hart, and Landry Shamet,

Josh Hart To Miss At Least Three Games With Sprained Ankle

December 27th, 2025 at 7:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

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.

Fischer’s Latest: CP3, Harden, Gillespie, Cavs, Knicks

December 27th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Rory Maher

There had been some speculation that Chris Paul could be moved by the Clippers on December 15, the day he became trade-eligible, but that did not occur. While Paul is no longer around the team after Los Angeles announced that it was “parting ways” with the franchise icon, the Clippers are working with his representatives to find Paul a new club that he finds desirable, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Paul’s minimum-salary contract would theoretically be simple to trade from a mechanics standpoint, but a deal doesn’t appear imminent. Sources tell Fischer that it’s possible Paul might be included as part of a larger trade around the February 5 deadline. In that scenario, Paul could be waived by the team that acquires him, Fischer continues, which would allow the 40-year-old to pick a new destination as a free agent.

While the Lakers have been linked to Paul for years, Fischer has been “strongly advised” they aren’t expected to pursue the 11-time All-NBA point guard, who is in his 21st and final season. Houston could theoretically use backcourt depth, but Fischer hears the Rockets are content with their roster right now and likely won’t consider changes until late January due their proximity to the first apron, at which they’re hard-capped.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up, which is centered on point guards:

The Clippers continue to signal to rival teams that they aren’t willing to discuss trading James Harden, according to Fischer. As he points out, Harden has an implicit no-trade clause for 2025/26 and a $42.3MM player option for 2026/27 that’s partially guaranteed for $13.3MM. In order to approve a potential trade, Harden would likely want to know if the team interested in acquiring him planned to keep him past his July 11 salary guarantee date or if it would be open to re-signing him to a new deal, Fischer writes.
Collin Gillespie, who is having a breakout season for the Suns, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Rival teams are projecting the 26-year-old to receive a contract similar to the three-year, $27MM deal Ty Jerome signed with Memphis this past summer, per Fischer.
While rival clubs are reportedly monitoring both players, the Cavaliers have shown no interest to this point in making an in-season deal involving Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, Fischer confirms, echoing reporting from Brett Siegel.
As Fischer writes, Tyler Kolek‘s impressive recent play with the Knicks has opposing teams wondering if New York will target frontcourt help ahead of the deadline instead of a veteran point guard. It’s unclear which position the Knicks will ultimately look to fortify.

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Hart, Kolek, Clarkson, Bench

December 26th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

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: Bridges, Turnovers, Towns

December 25th, 2025 at 10:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks wing Mikal Bridges always answers the bell, which makes him stand out among NBA players. Bridges is the only current player to appear in at least 500 consecutive games — he’ll push his streak up to 638 if he doesn’t miss a regular season game this season.

Bridges detailed his pregame routine to the New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield.

“I take advantage of the cold tubs, always get a massage before the game, the stretcher routine and everything,” Bridges said. “I think it’s just being consistent with it. It’s a long season with a lot of emotions going on. People tend to stop doing all the things. I just try to be consistent all the time and continue to do all the things that are going to get me prepared for the game.”

We have more on the Knicks:

Pressing defenses with quick, athletic guards can give New York problems. That was a case in point during Minnesota’s nine-point victory on Tuesday, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes. “It’s gonna be hard to win on the road if you have 19 turnovers for 22 points off those turnovers,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. “And part of it — those turnovers led to easy baskets in transition. … Give Minnesota credit, because they brought a lot of physicality to the game and created a lot of those turnovers.”
Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out after his 40-point effort against the Timberwolves and was also whistled for four fouls in each of the previous two games. Schwartz notes that Towns has recorded 30 offensive fouls this year — most in the NBA, and six more than the next-highest player. “He just has to continue to try to not pick up cheap fouls,” Brown said. “Had a couple of cheap fouls where he led with his hands or he hooked a guy. Now, we have to sit him for X amount of minutes when he needs to be on the floor. So, 40 [points] and 13 [rebounds], it doesn’t surprise me at all, because he’s more than capable. But if you’re gonna be a great player, and I’m sure he does too, we expect more from him so he can be out on that floor.”
In case you missed it, Knicks prospect James Nnaji has enrolled at Baylor and has been granted four years of college eligibility. Get the details here.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Kolek, Towns, Jemison

December 24th, 2025 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

After sitting out Tuesday’s loss at Minnesota, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson will return for a Christmas Day showdown with Cleveland, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link). Brunson was unavailable against the Wolves due to “right ankle injury management,” and OG Anunoby didn’t play because of “left ankle soreness.” Neither player is listed on the injury report for Thursday.

Coach Mike Brown has been talking about reducing Brunson’s workload, but he was on the court for 38 minutes Sunday as he posted a season-high 47 points against Miami. He’s averaging 36.8 minutes over his last nine games, in addition to playing 41 minutes in last week’s NBA Cup final, which isn’t counted in official statistics.

“I want to play,” Brunson told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “But if Mike wants to do something, then obviously, we’ll talk about it. I have utmost faith and confidence in him. But obviously, when I’m out there, I want to play.”

Thursday’s game will feature a matchup of two of the East’s best guards in Brunson and the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell, who’ve both been carrying the scoring load for their respective teams. Per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post, Brown views it as a good opportunity for Brunson to bolster his MVP case after winning NBA Cup MVP honors.

“When you talk about MVPs especially, but All-Stars as well, you have to find a way to impact the game,” Brown said. “Sometimes, your shot’s not going in, so how else can you do it? Well, you can try to do it defensively, you can try to do it rebounding offensively, rebounding defensively, running the floor to see if you can get an easy one. Jalen’s constantly trying to do those things.”

There’s more from New York:

With Brunson unavailable on Tuesday, Tyler Kolek turned in the best game of his career, Schwartz states in a separate story. Making his first-ever start, the second-year guard posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes. “Anytime you get an opportunity like that, you try to take advantage of it,” Kolek said. “These guys got confidence in me to go out there and play my game and do what I do. It’s too bad, we just couldn’t get the win.” Schwartz observes that Kolek’s recent play might lessen the need for the Knicks to pursue a backup point guard on the trade market.
Karl-Anthony Towns talked about his affection for Minnesota after scoring 40 points on Tuesday, Schwartz adds in another piece. Towns, who spent nine years with the Timberwolves before being traded to New York shortly before the start of last season, was greeted with a loud ovation during introductions and got a “shout-out” from Anthony Edwards in his post-game interview. “There’s nothing more valuable in this league, this job, than to be respected,” Towns said. “I left my heart, my soul here in Minnesota. For the fans to just, even after two seasons away, to respect me the way they do and to think of me so highly and to appreciate what I left on the court tonight, it means a lot. It really means a lot.”
Trey Jemison got a rare chance to contribute in last week’s win over Indiana, logging more than 18 minutes in just his fourth appearance of the season. The third-year center, who’s already on his fifth NBA team, has benefited from the Knicks’ development program, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “My game is growing,” Jemison said. “From my position coaches to all my G League coaches, they are buying in and helping me set a higher standard for myself and it’s been great. … I love coming to work every day.”

Knicks Prospect James Nnaji Enrolls At Baylor

December 24th, 2025 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Two years after being selected with the 31st overall pick in the NBA draft, center James Nnaji has enrolled at Baylor and will be immediately eligible to play college basketball this season, his agents at Gersh Sports tell Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).

It’s a development that’s unprecedented in recent NCAA history, further blurring the line between college and professional basketball. Nnaji, who was originally drafted by the Hornets in 2023, had his rights traded to the Knicks in last year’s three-team Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster, but has yet to sign his first NBA contract, having continued to play overseas since being drafted.

It has become increasingly common for international prospects to come stateside and join NCAA programs after playing for professional teams in Europe. However, up until this point, that was happening before the player was selected in the NBA draft, not after.

The NCAA has granted Nnaji four years of college eligibility, according to Joe Tipton of On3. The decision could open the door for other draft-and-stash prospects to take a similar path going forward.

Nnaji, 21, was under contract with FC Barcelona in Spain for several seasons before parting ways with the team this past summer. The big man also spent time with Merkezefendi Basket in Turkey and Girona, another Spanish team, while on loan from Barcelona.

In 2024/25, Nnaji appeared in 14 Spanish League (Liga ACB) games for Girona, averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per contest. He also suited up for the Knicks’ Summer League team in July, averaging 3.2 PPG and 3.6 RPG across five outings in Las Vegas. It was his second appearance at Vegas Summer League, as he also played for the Hornets’ team in 2023.

As Tipton observes, Baylor’s frontcourt has been hit hard by injuries this season, so Nnaji – a rim-running, defensive-minded center – has a path to a significant role for the Bears in the second half of 2025/26. The Knicks, who continue to hold his NBA rights, figure to be closely monitoring his progress and will no longer have to travel overseas to scout him in person.

Afseth’s Latest: Spurs, Giannis, J. Johnson, Jazz, Bey

December 23rd, 2025 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have flashed tantalizing potential this season with a 21-7 start and a run to the NBA Cup championship game, but league sources who spoke to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal don’t expect San Antonio to make the sort of significant in-season trade that would compromise the club’s future flexibility.

“They’re not going to sit around being satisfied, but I don’t see them making a move like trading for Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” a source told Afseth. “There are more reasonable options out there. They can be patient and opportunistic.”

According to Afseth, the expectation is that the Spurs will focus on internal growth of their young core this season while preserving their most valuable long-term assets. Still, he says some rival teams have wondered whether San Antonio would be willing to sacrifice some of those assets for another high-level role player who would complement the current group.

“They have the assets to make a trade like Orlando did to add Desmond Bane,” a source said. “It’d have to be someone that fits their timeline. Someone like a Trey Murphy III, for example, could be a strong fit.”

Here are a few more items of interest from Afseth’s latest round-up:

If Antetokounmpo is made available this season, many of the top suitors for the Bucks star are expected to be Eastern Conference clubs, says Afseth. That group includes the Heat, Knicks, Hawks, and Raptors, though rival executives are skeptical that New York would want to break up its roster during the season and Atlanta isn’t expected to make forward Jalen Johnson available, Afseth notes.
While both Afseth and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) say that hanging onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick is a priority for the Jazz, Fischer writes that Utah also wants to “establish a winning environment” sooner rather than later. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George – along with 2026 restricted free agent Walker Kessler – are viewed as cornerstones for the Jazz, with Kyle Anderson, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love, and Georges Niang considered potential in-season trade candidates, per Afseth. Afseth adds that both management and ownership have confidence that Will Hardy is the right head coach to guide the team out of its rebuilding stage.
Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey is increasingly piquing the interest of teams in need of help on the wing, according to Afseth, who published a full story on Sunday examining Bey’s return to action this season following a torn ACL. The 26-year-old is averaging 15.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game through 29 outings (21 starts) for New Orleans.