New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Randle, DiVincenzo, Back-Up Centers, Kolek

October 13th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

It has only been 11 days since the trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota was finalized, but they’ll return to Madison Square Garden this evening when the Knicks host the Timberwolves, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Randle isn’t expected to play as he continues to rehabilitate his right shoulder following surgery, but fans will have a chance to welcome back DiVincenzo, who had a major role in last season’s success.

“Both him and Julius contributed so much to the organization, to the team,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So there’s great appreciation for them and what they did. So it’s part of our league and we certainly wish them well. I’ve got great respect for them. I know their teammates do. I know the organization does. I think our fans do as well. They were a big part of the winning.”

For most of the summer, it looked like Mikal Bridges was going to be the Knicks’ major offseason acquisition, adding another versatile forward to a roster that seemed ready to compete for an NBA title. That changed in late September when the opportunity arose to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota.

“I think the whole thing was quick and kind of unusual,” Josh Hart said. “A trade three days before training camp started, so that was already kind of weird because that weekend you’re kind of gearing up for training camp that upcoming Monday. So that was unusual and then obviously we’ve got to play them on Sunday. It’s a little unusual, but the NBA’s a crazy business.”

There’s more from New York City:

Since camp opened, the Knicks have been more focused on blocking outside distractions than talking about competing for a championship, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “As much as we want to jump back into Game of 7 [of the Eastern Conference semifinals] last year and proceed to where we went, we have to start the journey all over,” Jalen Brunson said. “… Regardless of what people say, whether it’s positive or negative, we have to have mental toughness and just worry about what’s going on inside of this building, inside this organization.”
Thibodeau won’t have a regular backup for Towns when the season opens, Braziller adds. Jericho Sims, Ariel Hukporti and Precious Achiuwa may all see time in that role, and OG Anunoby could be used as a center in small-ball lineups. “Jericho’s athleticism is very different from most,” Thibodeau said. “Ariel is a young guy coming in, there’s a defensive component to him already. But he has to learn the offensive part of the game, and that’s coming. But both are very good.”
Second-round pick Tyler Kolek is averaging 13 points, three assists and two steals through his first two preseason games and he may be in contention for playing time as the season wears on, Braziller states in a separate story. “I’m still figuring it out, finding my pace,” Kolek said. “Maybe in practice I haven’t been as aggressive looking at the basket. So it’s been kind of intentional in these games to get those looks because then it opens up everything else with my passing.”

New York Notes: Thomas, Simmons, Kolek, Knicks, Klutch

October 12th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard Cam Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension until Oct. 21. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency next summer.

Speaking to Erik Slater of Clutch Points on the Bleav in Nets podcast (YouTube link), Brian Lewis of The New York Post said opinions on Thomas vary wildly around the NBA, making it difficult to get a read on what type of contract he might receive in a possible extension or as a RFA.

“With Cam Thomas, there is no sort of baseline,” Lewis said. “Some scouts, they think he walks on water, they love him. ‘Oh, he’s a bucket. Oh, he’s this, he’s that.’ Others wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole. They want no part of it. No matter what he’s getting paid, they don’t want any part of it.

“I’ve never seen a player like this, frankly, that is, when I say he’s divisive, I don’t mean that he’s divisive in the locker room and guys don’t get along with him. I mean, there is no sort of agreement between scouts or front office personnel [on] what his value is on the market, or how good of a player can he be.”

Here are some more notes on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:

Oddsmakers think the Nets will have the worst record in the league in 2024/25. Critics of Cam Thomas think he’s just a high-volume scorer on a bad team. He’s out to prove his doubters wrong and has taken up head coach Jordi Fernandez‘s challenge of scoring more efficiently this season, according to Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). “I definitely keep receipts,” Thomas told Sports+ this week. “Everybody uses different stuff as motivation. So, you know, I have a lot of stuff I’m going to use for motivation this year. And we’ll see how that goes for us. But I’m definitely ready and ready to prove people wrong this year.”
In an exclusive interview with Lewis, swingman Ben Simmons says he’s focused on providing leadership to a young Nets team and isn’t thinking about what the future might hold. Simmons, a three-time All-Star who has missed most of the past three seasons with back issues, is on an expiring $40.3MM contract. “We have a younger team that I want to help these guys get better. I want to lead by example. I want to compete,” Simmons told The Post. “Jordi [Fernandez] is coming in first year. It’s a big year for him. I want to be a leader on this team. So f– what happens next year, and what contract I get, if I get a contract. I want to do my job while I’m here and be professional and help these guys in any way I can. So who knows? I want to play as long as my body will allow me. So if it’s one year, five years, six years, I don’t know what it is. But I just want to keep going until I can’t anymore.”
Simmons also recently spoke to Law Murray of The Athletic about what roles he might play for the Nets this season, assuming he stays healthy, which is obviously a major question mark. The 28-year-old sounds more open to playing frontcourt minutes than he has in the past. “I’m an older guy now,” Simmons said. “I’m pretty strong down there. … I’m always up for that challenge. I think it’s just one of those things where, if your name is called to do a job, then you step up and try and do it to the best of your ability. So that’s what I’m going to do every night and try and contribute and do the best I can.”
Rookie second-rounder Tyler Kolek is soaking up wisdom from the veterans on the Knicks‘ roster as he adjusts to the NBA, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). “All the vets, just leaning on them, they’ve been there before,” Kolek said. “They know how this works. I’m kind of coming into this blind. Three years in college, each year I knew what to expect. Coming into this league I don’t really know what to expect, so just really leaning on those guys, leaning on my teammates to guide me through.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post explains how the Knicks‘ improved relationship with Klutch Sports played a significant role in the team’s blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Knicks Notes: Towns Trade, Dadiet, Washington, Shamet, Bridges, Hart, DiVincenzo

October 11th, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ path toward acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota began on draft night, Fred Katz of The Athletic explains in an outline of all the particulars involved in the deal. New York needed to prioritize every dollar because it had just completed a trade with Brooklyn for Mikal Bridges, leaving the team hard-capped at the second apron of $188.9MM.

The Knicks reached out to the agent of French prospect Pacome Dadiet, offering to select him with the 25th pick, but only if he would agree to accept $1.8MM in his first season instead of the usual 120% of the rookie scale, which would have been about $2.7MM. Dadiet jumped at the chance to get the job security that comes with being a first-round pick, and the team was able to save just enough money to make the Towns trade possible. Katz notes that Dadiet became the first player drafted in the first round since 2019 to accept 80% of the rookie scale.

The trade also involved some unusual negotiations with free agent Duane Washington, whose NBA rights still belonged to New York after he signed with Partizan in Belgrade during the summer. The Knicks had to sign-and-trade three players to Charlotte to open enough cap room to complete the Towns deal, but Partizan was insisting that Washington pay $600K in a buyout, plus another $1.6MM if the Hornets didn’t release him in time to return to Serbia within 48 hours.

Washington was hoping for a long-shot chance to make the Hornets’ roster, but he only had a $2.2MM contract, so he would have been under water with the terms from Partizan. Eventually the Belgrade team relented, asking for the original buyout plus undisclosed fees for each day he was away. Washington was waived by Charlotte on Wednesday, and sources tell Katz that he intends to return to Partizan.

There’s more on the Knicks:

Landry Shamet appears likely to earn one of the remaining roster spots after signing a non-guaranteed contract last month, league sources tell Katz. Katz also hears that the Knicks are so concerned about preserving the roughly $335K they have left under the second apron that they aren’t allowing camp invitees on Exhibit 10 deals to practice for fear that they might get injured and have their contracts become guaranteed.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN recaps all the moves that enabled New York to have the financial flexibility to add Towns to its roster.
Bridges has the NBA’s longest active consecutive games streak at 474, but he doesn’t believe he’ll be able to reach A.C. Green’s all-time mark of 1,192, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bridges admits there’s some luck involved in not missing a game so far in his NBA career. “People have asked me what’s the secret, and I’m just, like, ‘I’m blessed.’ I’ve got skinny bones that could hold up really well,” he said. “Just doing a lot of recovery and lifting. Just doing things to help prevent [injuries]. That’s pretty much it.”
Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, Josh Hart said it was difficult to lose Donte DiVincenzo, who was sent to Minnesota in the Towns trade (Twitter link from James L. Edwards of The Athletic). “It’s a tough one. It’s part of the business. I get it,” Hart said. “But I miss my dog. I think he should be received with cheers and ovation for everything he did last year.”

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Payne, Defense, Brunson

October 10th, 2024 at 8:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Oft-injured Knicks reserve center Mitchell Robinson is on track to return to the hardwood in January, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

The seven-footer is still recuperating from a pair of ankle procedures he has undergone in the past year. He had a December ankle surgery, then incurred another foot/ankle ailment during the playoffs that required surgery in May. According to Charania, the Knicks plan to have Karl-Anthony Towns and Jericho Sims play the majority of the minutes at center while Robinson is unavailable.

Robinson, 26, suited up for just 31 contests last year, averaging 5.6 points per game on 57.5% from the field and 40.9% shooting from the foul line. He also registered averages of 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per night.

There’s more out of New York:

New Knicks backup point guard Cameron Payne, whose Sixers were vanquished in a chippy first round series by New York last spring, is acclimating to his new environs, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. As Bondy notes, Payne and Jalen Brunson had a brief run-in in Game 5 of that series after Payne committed a hard foul on the Knicks star. “First thing I did was talk to JB when I got here,” Payne said, “and he’s like, ‘It’s all love.’ So it’s all love.”
The Knicks’ defensive ferocity was already well on display during the club’s Wednesday win over the Wizards, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “I think we’re just learning each other some more,” new All-Defensive Team addition Mikal Bridges said. “Defensively, I think we can be really good. Just need time and being around each other more, and having practices and playing these preseason games is gonna help a lot.”
Brunson believes he should have earned a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s basketball team this summer, per Sam Schube of GQ. The 6’2″ All-Star broke his hand during New York’s Game 7 semifinal defeat to the Pacers and would have been unable to play as he recuperated, but he noted that he didn’t make the cut even before that happened. “The team was chosen before I broke my hand,” Brunson said. “The way I played last year, I thought I was deserving. I thought I could have fit in. I’ve played many roles throughout my career; I could play another. But obviously, it just wasn’t in the cards at that time.”

Knicks Sign, Waive Moses Brown

October 10th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 10: Brown has been waived by the Knicks, according to a release from the team (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 9: The Knicks have signed free agent center Moses Brown to an Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Brown, who will celebrate his 25th birthday on Sunday, hasn’t stuck with an NBA team for more than a single season since making his debut in 2019, but he has racked up 150 regular season appearances in stints with the Trail Blazers, Thunder, Mavericks, Cavaliers, Clippers, Nets, and Trail Blazers. He holds career averages of 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game.

Brown spent the 2023/24 campaign under contract with the Blazers, appearing in 22 games for the team and posting averages of 3.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 9.1 MPG. He also put up 15.8 PPG and 10.5 RPG in six appearances (24.4 MPG) for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.

Brown is ineligible for a two-way contract, so the Knicks likely intend to waive him before the season begins and then have him join the Westchester Knicks in the NBAGL. If he were to spend at least 60 days with Westchester, he’d be able to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his standard G League salary.

New York had a full 21-man roster before signing Brown, so the team needed to make a corresponding move to open up a spot for him. The Knicks announced (via Twitter) that they’ve waived Boo Buie, who recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract of his own and is likely ticketed for Westchester.

New York Notes: Achiuwa, Anunoby, Simmons, Williams

October 10th, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Dana Gauruder

Precious Achiuwa had to wait until the end of July to re-sign with the Knicks as a free agent due in part to the team’s salary cap issues. Achiuwa will hit the free agent market once again next summer after signing a one-year, $6MM deal but he could pump up his value in a reserve role this season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Achiuwa projects as the main frontcourt reserve until Mitchell Robinson returns from ankle surgery.

“I know I’m versatile. Playing the power forward, the center, the versatility of my game stands out the most,” Achiuwa said. “And last year I was able to show a lot of people that I was able to do a lot of different things.”

Robinson’s tentative timeline to get back in action is sometime in December or January.

We have more on the New York teams:

OG Anunoby missed chunks of time in the regular season and postseason due to injuries after the Knicks acquired him from the Raptors last season. The defensive ace is healthy this preseason and coach Tom Thibodeau basically looks at it as a fresh start. “He missed a lot of time last year. … So we still got to get reacclimated to everything we’re doing,” he said of Anunoby, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “Obviously you start at a zero base and you build. And that’s where we are. We’re building right now, but we have to understand that you build together. And so you’re asking everyone to share the floor, share the ball, and then be committed together defensively. And so that’s what we’re working on.”
The Nets’ Ben Simmons will be a free agent after this season but that’s not what he’s thinking about. He just wants to be a productive player and good teammate, he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “We have a younger team that I want to help these guys get better. I want to lead by example. I want to compete,” Simmons said. “(Head coach) Jordi (Fernandez) is coming in first year. It’s a big year for him. I want to be a leader on this team. So (screw) what happens next year, and what contract I get, if I get a contract. I want to do my job while I’m here and be professional and help these guys in any way I can. So who knows? I want to play as long as my body will allow me. So if it’s one year, five years, six years, I don’t know what it is. But I just want to keep going until I can’t anymore.”
Ziaire Williams had 10 points and three steals in 23 minutes during the Nets’ preseason game on Tuesday. He was acquired from Memphis in a salary dump and is looking to establish himself in the league, Lewis writes. “I’m trying to reinvent myself, show people that I belong in this league,” Williams said. “I’m trying to work my hardest every day. Just put all my heart, my soul out there on defensive, and carry that over to the offensive end.” Williams is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 21, the day before the season begins.

Knicks Waive Damion Baugh, Alex O’Connell

October 9th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

After cutting Boo Buie earlier today in order to sign Moses Brown to an Exhibit 10 contract, the Knicks have parted with two more players, announcing (via Twitter) that Damion Baugh and Alex O’Connell have been placed on waivers.

New York initially signed Baugh and O’Connell to Exhibit 10 deals a week ago. They spent training camp with the Knicks, though neither saw any action in the team’s preseason opener on Sunday.

The plan is likely for both players to report to the Westchester Knicks, where they’ll receive bonuses worth $77.5K apiece if they spend at least 60 days with New York’s G League affiliate.

Westchester acquired O’Connell’s returning rights in a trade with the Stockton Kings last month and will need to do the same with Baugh’s rights, which are still controlled by the South Bay Lakers.

New York now has 19 players under contract, including 12 on guaranteed deals and three on two-ways. It’s possible the club will continue to use those openings at the back end of its roster to shuffle players in and out for G League purposes in the next week-and-a-half. The Knicks must set their regular season roster by October 21.

Atlantic Notes: Yabusele, Knicks’ Starters, Shamet, Nets

October 8th, 2024 at 7:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guerschon Yabusele scored 15 points for the Sixers in their exhibition game against the New Zealand Breakers on Monday and it was a special night for him, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

“I’m not going to lie, it felt amazing,” Yabusele said. “It’s been a long road, but happy to be here.”

Yabusele signed a one-year contract with the Sixers in late August. He was selected in the first round of the 2016 draft and played two seasons with the Celtics from 2017-19, but hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game in five years. The power forward excelled overseas before joining Philadelphia.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks‘ projected starters played anywhere from 13-15 minutes in their preseason opener against Charlotte on Sunday. It’s just a first step as Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns try to settle in with their new teammates. “First game, some good, some bad,” coach Tom Thibodeau said, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Obviously, we have a lot of work to do. I figured it would be a little choppy. There are a lot of areas we need to clean up. But there were some good things as well.”
Landry Shamet entered Knicks camp on a non-guaranteed contract but the veteran guard is thrilled to be on a contender after spending last season with the rebuilding Wizards. Shamet scored 16 points, including four 3-pointers, in New York’s preseason opener. “I want to win, I want to compete, we all do. Anybody in the NBA that says otherwise is lying,” he told Braziller. “We all want to compete at the highest level. It’s exciting to be here. Last year was last year. It was what it was. I’m excited to be here and move forward and build with this group.”
With frontcourt players Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford sidelined by hamstring injuries, the Nets will look at some smaller lineups in the preseason, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “It just forced us to do something that actually we wanted to do sooner or later; so might as well do it the sooner the better,” first-year coach Jordi Fernandez said.

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.

Knicks Sign Boo Buie On Exhibit 10 Deal

October 7th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have added Boo Buie on an Exhibit 10 contract, the team’s PR department tweets.

Buie was expected to sign a similar contract with the Suns after he went undrafted in June but it never became official. Buie did appear in five Summer League contests for Phoenix, averaging 9.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game.

Buie, a 6’2″ two-time All-Big Ten guard, scored a total of 2,187 points during his five seasons with Northwestern. In 2023/24, he posted a career-high 19.0 points per game on .438/.434/.858 shooting. His 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game in 34 appearances last season also represented career highs.

Exhibit 10 agreements are non-guaranteed, but can be converted into two-way contracts before the start of the regular season. If Buie is waived and then remains with the G League’s Westchester Knicks for at least 60 days, he’s eligible to earn a bonus up to $77.5K.