New York Notes: Schröder, Wilson, Johnson, Brunson
Dennis Schröder is entering his walk year with the Nets. He’ll make $13MM next season and his expiring contract could be an attractive trade piece.
If it were up to him, Schröder would settle down with the rebuilding franchise. He told Andscape’s Marc Spears he doesn’t want to be moved.
“I want to be in Brooklyn long-term. Hopefully, that works out,” he said. “I want to be a veteran who shows the young people the way and how we should play and how we play as a team. I understand that the NBA is always more individual, but I want to make one team like we had in Atlanta where it was about just winning and really not [caring] who scores. And I want to bring that back to the NBA, to the Brooklyn Nets. And hopefully they see the same vision and of course still compete on the highest level, but that’s going to take some time.”
Schröder appeared in 29 games (25 starts) after being acquired from Toronto in a trade deadline deal. Brooklyn is his seventh team since he entered the league in 2013.
We have more on the New York teams:
- Jalen Wilson was named the Las Vegas Summer League MVP, where he averaged 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals while shooting 47.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range in five games. The 23-year-old Nets forward has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K. It increases to a partial guarantee of $325K if he makes the opening night roster. That keeps him motivated. “You can never get complacent with where things are,” he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “And that’s where I’m at. I’m just shooting for more goals, shooting for more achievements. Now that I’m here back in town, you have the opportunity to get in the gym every single day and get better. So you know, when the time comes, that you’re prepared.”
- Nets wing Keon Johnson earned a two-year contract with his strong showing in Las Vegas. He’s in a similar situation as Wilson. His minimum salary contract has a $250K partial guarantee that will increase to $700K if he remains under contract through the first day of the regular season. “I feel like it’s a staple to the work I’ve been putting in over the past couple of years,” Johnson told Lewis. “I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, pretty much since I’ve been drafted, and I just kind of held my hat on– just keep putting the work in, and hopefully one day my number will get called, and I’ll have the opportunity like I am now.”
- Jalen Brunson legitimizes the title of Knicks captain, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post opines in a subscriber-only story. Brunson has embraced a leadership role on and off the court and the decision to name him captain is well-deserved, according to Bondy.
Knicks Notes: Center Options, Wing Depth, Brunson, Randle
Even if Mitchell Robinson can manage to avoid serious injury this season, he may not be the center the Knicks want on the court once they reach the playoffs, John Hollinger and Fred Katz of the Athletic write in a discussion about the team. Hollinger notes that while Robinson’s skills as a rim protector and offensive rebounder are valuable, New York was at its best with the pick-and-roll game and switchable defense of Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed with Oklahoma City in free agency.
Although he doesn’t expect the Knicks to add another center before training camp, Hollinger believes trade options will become available as the season wears on. He suggests the Suns‘ Jusuf Nurkic as a possibility if Phoenix gets off to a disappointing start or the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, who may be a third-stringer in Portland behind Deandre Ayton and lottery pick Donovan Clingan. Larry Nance Jr., who was recently traded to the Hawks and has an $11MM expiring salary, could also be considered.
Another option that Hollinger and Katz discuss is experimenting with Julius Randle at center. Katz states that coach Tom Thibodeau has resisted using Randle as a small-ball five, but New York’s strong perimeter defense can make up for the lack of a shot-blocker.
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Wing depth has become New York’s best attribute since the trade for Mikal Bridges, Hollinger states in the same piece. He cites Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo as “automatic starters” for most teams, while the Knicks also have Miles McBride to handle minutes at two guard. Hollinger expresses concern about backup point guard, where McBride hasn’t shown an ability to create offense, Cameron Payne is with his fourth team in a little over a year and second-round pick Tyler Kolek isn’t likely to play much as a rookie.
- Jalen Brunson has been selected as captain for the upcoming season, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). Brunson, who recently signed a four-year, $156.5MM extension that’s well below his market value, becomes the 36th captain in team history and the first since Lance Thomas during the 2018/19 season. “Jalen is a natural born leader, and I am confident he will continue to represent our organization, fans, city and his teammates with the same heart, grit and class he has displayed each and every day since he came to New York,” team president Leon Rose said.
- The Knicks should work out an extension with Randle before the start of the season as a reward for his role in turning around the franchise, David Vertsberger contends in an SNY column. Randle is eligible for a new deal that could be worth up to $181.5MM over four years.
Kevin McCullar Signs Two-Way Deal With Knicks
5:55pm: The signing is official, the team’s PR department tweets.
11:59am: The Knicks have reached an agreement with second-round pick Kevin McCullar on a two-way contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The 23-year-old small forward out of Kansas was selected with the 56th pick in this year’s draft. He was held out of Summer League due to a knee issue.
McCullar earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last season while averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a super senior for the Jayhawks. In 2023, he was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team and earned third-team all-conference honors. He played three seasons at Texas Tech before transferring to Kansas in 2022.
New York will have a two-way opening left after McCullar’s deal becomes official. Ariel Hukporti is also on a two-way contract with the Knicks. The team also still has a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Jacob Toppin.
McCullar is among a handful of 2024 draft picks who are still without a contract. Utah’s Kyle Filipowski, Atlanta’s Nikola Djurisic, Indiana’s Enrique Freeman and Golden State’s Quinten Post still remain unsigned.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Brunson, Randle, Tsai, Marks
After going 64-18 in the regular season and 16-3 in the playoffs en route to their 18th title this June, the Celtics already look like the team to beat next season. In a reader mailbag, Brian Robb of MassLive.com speculates as to which players could improve even more in 2024/25.
Robb believes that reserve big man Xavier Tillman, who has dealt with knee troubles in the last two seasons, still has room to grow at age 25. Robb also believes that Finals MVP swingman Jaylen Brown could improve his scoring efficiency.
Additionally, Robb touches on Tatum’s inconsistent postseason scoring, the team’s contracts, and what in-game elements the club can improve.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson inked a four-year, $156.5MM contract extension with New York this summer — far less than the five-year, $269MM contract he could have signed as an unrestricted free agent last year. In an Insider-only story, Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps of ESPN reflect on how the superstar guard’s below-market deal could impact the future of All-Star power forward Julius Randle – who has just become extension-eligible himself – and the rest of the roster.
- Nets owner Joe Tsai has “absolute confidence” that general manager Sean Marks can rebuild the club’s roster, a source informs Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). Marks’ history of finding talent outside of the draft lottery is a major factor in ownership’s belief in the team’s longtime GM. “[Tsai has] absolute confidence in the ability of the front office to draft well,” that source said. “Sean’s track record there is very good: Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Nic Claxton. [They took] Nic Claxton 31st in the draft. [Tsai] has every confidence in Sean.”
- In case you missed it, new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez believes his experience coaching the Canadian national team helped him book the Brooklyn gig.
Knicks Sign Chuma Okeke
6:16pm: The Knicks have officially announced (via Twitter) the signing of Okeke to an Exhibit 10 deal.
12:04pm: The Knicks plan to sign free agent forward Chuma Okeke, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Okeke, who played a couple of college seasons at Auburn, was the 16th overall pick of the 2019 draft. He has spent the past five years with the Magic, holding career averages of 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 189 regular season games, including 55 starts (20.3 minutes per contest). He posted a .383/.318/.789 shooting line over that span.
Okeke had an unusual start to his professional career, as he didn’t sign his rookie scale contract until 2020, a year after he was drafted, due to a torn ACL. That meant he hit free agency a year later than his 2019 first-round draft classmates as well. He became an unrestricted free agent when Orlando chose not to give him a $7.4MM qualifying offer.
Known primarily for his excellent work on the defensive end, Okeke has unfortunately battled injuries since he turned pro, playing between 27 and 47 games in three of his four active seasons. He was not a rotation regular in 2023/24 for Orlando, averaging a career-low 9.2 minutes per contest.
While the terms of the contract were not disclosed, it seems likely be a one-year, minimum-salary deal, perhaps with a partial guarantee. The Knicks currently have 14 players on standard contracts, so Okeke could be battling for a potential 15th spot in training camp, assuming the team decides to carry a full roster.
Knicks Notes: Randle, Sims, Bryant, Okeke
Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle becomes eligible on Saturday for an extension that could be worth up to $181.5MM over four years (if he declines his $30.9MM player option for 2025/26). According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Randle will likely need to take a discount if he’s interested in long-term security.
As Katz details, New York doesn’t want to waste the financial flexibility gained by Jalen Brunson‘s recent extension. That means offering Randle a starting salary of $40.5MM in ’25/26 on a new extension probably isn’t feasible. However, if Randle picks up his ’25/26 option and then extends off that figure for ’26/27, the Knicks would be in great shape from a cap perspective going forward.
Randle could be incentivized to agree to that deal structure because not many teams project to have cap room in 2025 when he could hit free agency, Katz writes. And nearly all of those clubs are rebuilding, making signing a player who would turn 31 before the ’25/26 season begins an odd fit.
Even if an agreement isn’t reached and Randle decides to test free agency next year, Katz says the Knicks have no interest in trading the former Kentucky standout, especially if it would make them worse, since they’re trying to win a championship as soon as possible. Perhaps that could change if Randle becomes unhappy with extension talks, but there’s nothing to suggest that will happen and the Knicks value what he brings to the table and would prefer to keep him, per Katz.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Backup center Jericho Sims has been fully healthy this summer for the first time in the past few offseasons, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. According to Bondy’s source, Sims had previously undisclosed thumb surgery two summers ago, followed by shoulder surgery last offseason. Sims, whose minimum-salary deal becomes fully guaranteed on August 16, has been working to sharpen and expand his offensive game the past few months, Bondy adds.
- According to Bondy, the Knicks plan to spend part of their training camp this fall at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. The team also spent about a week training in the same location last year, Bondy notes.
- In a subscriber-only story for The Post, Bondy spoke to former NBA head coach P.J. Carlesimo to get a better idea of what new assistant coach Mark Bryant will bring to the Knicks. Carlesimo coached the former longtime NBA player when he was in college at Seton Hall.
- Chuma Okeke‘s new contract with the Knicks features Exhibit 10 language, Bondy reports (via Twitter). That means Okeke’s deal covers one year for the veteran’s minimum and is fully non-guaranteed. If he’s released before the season begins, Okeke would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if agrees to join the Knicks’ NBA G League affiliate in Westchester for at least 60 days.
Eastern Notes: Randle, Pistons, Raptors’ Camp, Ware
The Knicks re-signed Precious Achiuwa to a one-year deal on Tuesday. The next order of business for the front office could be a contract extension for Julius Randle, but neither side is in a rush to get it done, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter video link).
“I don’t believe it’s at the forefront for either party, so it would take a major shift in thinking on both sides to get an extension done,” Begley said.
Randle becomes extension-eligible on Saturday. The veteran forward, who is coming off shoulder surgery, will be eligible for an extension of up to four years and $181.5MM. Randle has two years left on his current contract, which includes a $30.9MM option for the 2025/26 season.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pistons’ offense should improve significantly during the upcoming season with the additions of Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley. However, they won’t make any real progress unless they show dramatic improvement defensively, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. New coach J.B. Bickerstaff asserted that defensive development will be a high priority. “Most of the time, people only care about the offensive development, right? They spend all their time working on step-back shots, between-the-legs and all that, but they don’t spend any time working on rotations or being in the proper spots. That is something we’re going to really, really handle,” he said recently.
- The Raptors will hold their first week of training camp in Montreal, according to a team press release. It’s the first time in franchise history they’ve trained in the city. They’ll wrap up their week in Montreal with a preseason opener against the Wizards on Oct. 6.
- The knocks against Kel’el Ware entering the draft were related to his effort and focus, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang notes. Those supposed negatives certainly weren’t evident during the Heat‘s Las Vegas Summer League title run as Ware, a mid-first round pick, was named to the First Team while averaging 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.0 steal, and 1.5 blocks per game. What did Ware learn from his college experiences? “That there’s always more in the tank,” he said. “That I can always push past it and to always give more because it’s never really where my skill set stops at. There’s always more that I can improve and more that I can put on the floor to be able to perform better.”
Knicks Re-Sign Precious Achiuwa On One-Year Contract
The Knicks have re-signed Precious Achiuwa, according to a team press release.
Achiuwa signed a one-year, $6MM contract, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. He qualified for a no-trade clause upon re-signing a one-year deal but agreed to give up that right, Katz adds (Twitter link).
Achiuwa became a free agent when the Knicks failed to extend him a $6.3MM qualifying offer. They wound up re-signing him for slightly less than that amount.
New York was motivated to pass on the qualifying offer because it may have affected its hard cap situation as it tried to work out the details of the trade to acquire Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn.
The Knicks acquired Achiuwa in late December as part of the OG Anunoby deal. He wound up playing a significant role amid long-term injuries to Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, among others. Achiuwa appeared in 49 games after the trade, making 18 starts and averaging 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per night.
Following the free agent departure of Isaiah Hartenstein, Achiuwa and Jericho Sims are the top options to back up Robinson.
Re-signing Achiuwa to a $6MM salary keeps the Knicks below the second tax apron, which represents their hard cap. His willingness to give up the no-trade clause could facilitate a deal down the road. As a first apron team, the Knicks are not allowed to acquire more salary than they send out in a trade. If they had re-signed him at a lower figure, it would have reduced the pool of players they could acquire for him.
New York now has 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts and another on a partial guarantee — Sims’ $2.1MM contract becomes guaranteed if he on the roster past Aug. 16, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link).
Coaches, Scouts, Execs Weigh In On NBA Offseason Moves
While there are still some noteworthy free agents who have yet to find new teams, we’re currently in a relatively slow period for NBA transactions, as most teams have a pretty good idea of what their rosters will look like ahead of the 2024/25 season.
With that in mind, Tim Bontemps of ESPN (subscription required) recently spoke to 18 NBA coaches, scouts and executives to solicit their (anonymous) opinions on the biggest moves made so far in the 2024 offseason.
Here are some highlights from Bontemps’ survey, which is worth reading in full for those who subscribe to ESPN+:
Which team had the best offseason?
Sixers (8 votes), Knicks (5), Thunder (3), Celtics.
“They took themselves to the next level,” an East executive said of the 76ers. “We’ll see if it’s good enough, but you went from Point A to Point B.”
Which team had the worst offseason?
Nuggets (6 votes), Bulls (5), Clippers (4), Lakers (1), Knicks (1), Pistons (1).
As Bontemps writes, Denver (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), Chicago (Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan) and the Clippers (Paul George) received the majority of the votes for losing key players in free agency and/or trades.
Interestingly, while Philadelphia signing George to a four-year, maximum-salary contract received the most votes (six) for the best offseason move, it also tied for the most votes (three) for worst move. A total of 10 different answers were given for worst move, including the Bulls and Kings receiving three votes apiece for their parts in the DeRozan sign-and-trade.
As for the most surprising move, the Knicks’ blockbuster trade with the Nets for Mikal Bridges received the most votes (five) in Bontemps’ survey, followed by George leaving Los Angeles (three) and the swap of Caruso for Josh Giddey (two). Eight other moves each received one vote.
Bontemps also asked questions about the top offseason trend, the effectiveness of the new CBA, and whether there will be an increase in tanking ahead of the 2025 draft.
Knicks Notes: Odds, Jokubaitis, Backup Center
Oddsmakers have given the Knicks their highest projected win total since the 1993/94 preseason, according to Dylan Svoboda of The New York Post. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, New York’s projected over/under line is set at 53.5 victories. In ’93/94, they were projected to win 56 games. They racked up 57 victories and advanced all the way to the Finals.
Only once in the 21st century have the Knicks previously been projected to win 50 or more games in a season, in 2012/13. They won 54 contests that year and fell in the second round of the postseason.
Last year’s Knicks surpassed preseason expectations, thanks in large part to an All-NBA Second Team turn from point guard Jalen Brunson and a third All-Star season from power forward Julius Randle, plus a utilitarian, switchable rotation around that dynamic duo.
Among preseason over/unders, New York trails only the reigning champion Celtics, whose line is listed at 58.5, wins and the Thunder, who are at 56.5 wins. Boston and Oklahoma City were the top seeds in their respective conferences last season.
There’s more out of New York:
- Draft-and-stash prospect Rokas Jokubaitis played in the Las Vegas Summer League for New York this month for the second time since being drafted by the team in 2021. When it became apparent that there was no roster space available for him, the 6’4″ guard inked a three-season deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a deal which includes an NBA out every year until August 1, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link).
- With former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein departing for the Thunder this summer, Mitchell Robinson projects to return to the starting lineup for New York, which doesn’t have an obvious No. 2 option at the five. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the team doesn’t necessarily need to address that issue by finding a permanent solution this offseason. Re-signing free agent big man Precious Achiuwa, who can play small-ball center, could be a short-term fix and the Knicks could revisit the trade market during the season, Katz writes.
- In case you missed it, former Pistons assistant coach Mark Bryant is joining head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s staff.