Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Final Roster Spots
The Knicks have been busy lately. After signing Jordan Clarkson following a buyout with the Jazz, as well as Guerschon Yabusele earlier in the summer, New York found itself in a severe salary cap crunch, but that hasn’t stopped the team from trying to upgrade on the margins.
The Knicks added Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon on training camp deals, and are reportedly hoping to keep both for the regular season, despite their cap limitations. They also signed Garrison Mathews, a sharpshooter like Shamet, along with Alex Len and Matt Ryan on camp deals.
Finally, they signed second-round draft pick Mohamed Diawara to a non-guaranteed deal while rounding out their two-way contract rotation with deals for Trey Jemison, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Kevin McCullar Jr.
For a team with limited space and money, the Knicks have done a good job of finding quality NBA players to compete for their final roster spot behind Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Ariel Hukporti.
With Diawara expected to claim a roster spot due to his rookie-minimum cap hit, the Knicks technically have two more openings on their 15-man roster. However, without enough room below a second-apron hard cap to carry a full 15-man squad, retaining two more veterans would require a salary-shedding trade, likely involving one of McBride, Kolek, or Dadiet.
McBride is the most proven player of that group, having demonstrated his ability to contribute during the playoffs after a tough opening series against the Pistons. He’s on a team-friendly contract, but only for one more season after this one. While it’s unlikely McBride would be moved, his defense and shooting could appeal to a team looking to add an established backcourt contributor on the cheap.
Among the Knicks’ 2024 draftees, Kolek played more than Dadiet last season and showed himself to be a heady decision-maker, but he needs to be more consistent as a shooter to cover for his defensive limitations. While Dadiet played less than half the minutes of Kolek, his size (6’8″), flashes of shooting, and the fact that he’s four years younger than Kolek could make him a more attractive trade target for teams.
As for who will win the training camp battle for the final roster spot(s), Shamet appears to be a frontrunner. The 6’4″ guard played well when called upon by former coach Tom Thibodeau, operating as an effective off-ball shooting threat and giving good effort on defense. Head coach Mike Brown has reportedly put an emphasis on player movement this summer, which should play into the skill set of Shamet, as well as Mathews and Ryan.
Brogdon is the most accomplished of the players under consideration. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2016/17 and Sixth Man of the Year in 2022/23, had a season of shooting over 40/50/90 while scoring 15.6 points per game, and holds a career three-point percentage of 38.8%, as well as a career assist-to-turnover rate of 4.7 to 1.7. For a team that was lacking secondary ball-handling alongside Brunson last season, Brogdon’s ability to function in either guard spot and play alongside Brunson could be appealing, especially with the defensive concerns that could come with playing Brunson and Clarkson together for long stretches.
However, Brogdon comes with an extensive injury history, having played just 166 games over the last four seasons. The decision on Brogdon could come down to how comfortable the team is with his health, as well as his willingness to move the ball quickly.
The Knicks’ roster-building strategy this summer has been very focused on offensive-minded guards and wings. Brown faces an uphill battle when it comes to ironing out an effective defensive scheme, and starting Robinson could be one way that he addresses it.
Adding Shamet and Brogdon, along with Clarkson, would make for a roster crunch in the backcourt with McBride still there as the incumbent sixth man. Starting McBride could make it easier to slot the guards in around Hart and Yabusele, while also allowing McBride to take over the primary initiator defensive duties, a role that Bridges struggled with at times last season. This would allow the team to have three high-level wing defenders in McBride, Bridges, and Anunoby while also playing five shooters offensively.
If Brown decides during training camp to start the two-big lineup, it could change the team’s plans for the back of its roster. Brown coached Len for over two years in Sacramento, so there’s a built-in familiarity between the two. Jemison has less size than Len, but he could be viewed as a potential longer-term depth piece given that he’s only 25 years old.
We want to hear your thoughts. How do you think the Knicks should round out the final spots on their roster?
Checking In On Top Remaining Free Agents
Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes and Cam Thomas have generated most of the free agency headlines this offseason. While Giddey (four years, $100MM) and Cam Thomas (one year, $6MM) re-signed with their respective teams earlier this month, Kuminga and Grimes remain restricted free agents ahead of the October 1 deadline to accept their qualifying offers.
There haven’t been many updates on Grimes’ situation with the Sixers of late, but there has been movement on the Kuminga front. The Warriors reportedly made a new three-year offer to the young forward, but his agent said signing the $8MM QO remains a viable option unless the team’s offers improve.
The prolonged Kuminga stalemate has prevented the Warriors from completing other roster moves, with unrestricted free agents Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II among the veterans expected to sign with Golden State. The team has been linked to Seth Curry and Cody Martin as well.
The Warriors also have the NBA’s two remaining unsigned 2025 draft picks (Alex Toohey and Will Richard) as well as the lone two-way RFA (Taran Armstrong). As of now, Golden State technically only has 10 players under contract — five fewer than any other team.
Russell Westbrook is the most accomplished UFA left on the board. However, he has really only been linked to the Kings, who reportedly covet Kuminga and have been wary of making other trades until his restricted free agency is resolved. Sacramento would likely need to open a spot in the backcourt to make room for Westbrook.
Precious Achiuwa is another player who surprisingly remains unsigned ahead of training camp. He was added to our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents in late June after spending the past year-plus in New York.
Achiuwa, who recently turned 26 years old, reportedly drew EuroLeague interest from Panathinaikos in early August before the Greek team decided to sign Richaun Holmes. He has since been linked to the Heat, though Miami isn’t in position to sign him to a veteran’s minimum deal without crossing the luxury tax line.
Ben Simmons (who has reportedly mulled retirement), Monte Morris, Cameron Payne, Malik Beasley (who remains a subject in a federal gambling probe), Alec Burks, Mo Bamba and Thomas Bryant are among the other noteworthy names who have yet to find new teams with training camps set to begin within the next two weeks.
Suns Notes: Fifth Starter, Backcourt, Key Dates, TV Deal
First-time head coach Jordan Ott will be faced with some difficult decisions this fall as the Suns prepare for training camp, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link).
In addition to managing Devin Booker‘s workload and discovering if Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea can contribute as rookies, Ott and his staff will also have to determine Phoenix’s starting lineup. According to Rankin, Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams will likely be four of the five starters, but the fifth is less certain.
Rankin views second-year wing Ryan Dunn as the most logical candidate to be the fifth starter, assuming he was able to improve his three-point shot over the summer. If Dunn’s offensive efficiency is still lacking, Royce O’Neale would be a more proven option as a small-ball four.
Second-year forward/center Oso Ighodaro is another player who could receive starting consideration if Ott experiments with two-big lineups, Rankin adds.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- Although pairing Booker with Bradley Beal didn’t turn out very well, the Suns are optimistic about the backcourt duo of Booker and Green, Rankin writes in another story. “We are two people who are going to accept the double team and be able to play off each other,” Green said during Summer League in Las Vegas. “When you look at something like that, it’s like, we’re two people who know how to score the basketball. We’re two people who know how to attract the defense. When we’re doing something like that, you got to pick who you want to score tonight. He and I are going to be a deadly scoring duo.”
- In a third article for The Arizona Republic, Rankin lists several key dates to monitor ahead of the regular season. Phoenix’s media day (Sept. 24) and training camp (Sept. 25) are set for next week due to a preseason trip to China (Oct. 10-12).
- Owner Mat Ishiba has agreed to a two-year extension with Gray Media to broadcast Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury games free over the air throughout the state of Arizona, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who reports that the deal is worth $30MM+ annually. Both teams’ local ratings have skyrocketed over the past two years since they switched to the free model. “It’s been a win-win,” Ishbia told ESPN. “It was do right by the fans and get the games more accessible. And when you grow your fanbase, good things happen.”
- In case you missed it, Kevin Durant recently offered his perspective on his trade saga with the Suns. Durant was eventually dealt to Houston in the deal that brought back Green, Brooks and the rights to the No. 10 pick (Maluach).
Nets Waive Yuri Collins
The Nets have opened up a spot on their standard roster ahead of training camp by waiving Yuri Collins, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Collins was signed on Friday to a one-year deal with a partial guarantee of $85,300, just like the recent agreements with David Muoka and D’Andre Davis, who were also released shortly after their contracts were finalized.
Collins’ contract essentially served the same purpose as an Exhibit 10 deal, as he’ll likely be joining the Nets’ G League affiliate in Long Island to open 2025/26. The only real difference is the Nets will carry that $85,300 on their cap sheet as they look to get above the minimum salary floor by opening night.
A 6’0″ point guard, Collins has spent the past two seasons in the NBAGL with the Santa Cruz Warriors after going undrafted out of Saint Louis in 2023. In 49 games (32.3 minutes per contest) with Santa Cruz in 2024/25, Collins averaged 13.7 points, 10.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals, with a shooting line of .412/.264/.780.
Collins also had a brief stint with Golden State last season, making his NBA debut in February after signing a 10-day contract with the Warriors. In 16 minutes of playing time across two games, he recorded two points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
The Nets now have 20 players under contract, one shy of the offseason limit.
International Notes: Walker, Nunn, Osman, Graham, FIBA Rankings
Lonnie Walker IV, who signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv in August, credits former NBA teammate Kendrick Nunn with easing the transition to the EuroLeague, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Walker, who finished last season with the Sixers after starting it with Zalgiris Kaunas, talked about the influence of Nunn, whom he played alongside with the Lakers during the 2022/23 season.
“It all really started because of Kendrick Nunn. He’s one of the pioneers of this all, as far as Americans feeling or seeing more comfortably coming over here. He’s shown that it’s possible,” Walker said.
Walker’s success in the EuroLeague paved his way to return to the NBA with Philadelphia in February. Now that he’s back overseas, he hopes to set an example along with Nunn that will make it easier for more players in the prime of their careers to consider Europe.
“When you have a player like that, it’s kind of just a domino effect,” Walker said. “I came next up in line. Now you have more and more players, as far as Americans coming in now. So, I just try to be my best as far as answering questions the best I can, and making them understand the difference between the NBA and the EuroLeague.”
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Cedi Osman suffered an ankle injury during EuroBasket, but the former NBA forward is expected to be ready when Panathinaikos starts its EuroLeague season, according to BasketNews. Osman got hurt during a quarterfinal matchup with Poland, but he continued to play as Turkey captured the silver medal. “I believe Osman will be ready for the EuroLeague opener,” coach Ergin Ataman said. “He’s currently in Athens for treatment. I hope he can join team practices two to three days before the game.”
- Crvena Zvezda coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos is excited about the offseason addition of ex-NBA guard Devonte’ Graham, according to a separate story from BasketNews. Graham joined the Serbian team in August after spending last season in the G League. “This is his first season in Europe, first practice in European basketball, he will need time,” Sfairopoulos said. “But he already showcased his quality, he will be one of our main players and I think he will play like in his best years in NBA, just like we expect it.”
- The Germans’ victory at EuroBasket has moved them into the second spot in FIBA’s World Rankings. The United States is still No. 1 after capturing the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, with Serbia, France and Canada rounding out the top five.
Nets Could Have Youngest Roster In NBA History
After making history by becoming the first team ever to select five players in the first round of a draft, the Nets will begin the challenge of integrating all those new faces into the program when training camp opens this week, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf provide a young infusion of talent that offers hope to a rebuilding franchise.
“This is great. It was a unique opportunity for us, to be quite frank,” general Sean Marks said this summer. “We’ve never had five picks in one draft. To be able to draft all of them in a draft class we just saw, that was unique. That was something we want to take advantage of, especially in our build, where we see these young men fitting into our group and into our roster. So, it was about us capitalizing on the hand we were dealt.”
The top prospect in that group is Demin, a 6’9″ guard out of BYU who was chosen with the No. 8 pick. The 19-year-old Russian native provided a pleasant surprise with his shooting during Summer League, but his play-making was limited because he wasn’t featured exclusively in an on-ball role due to the number of lead guards on Brooklyn’s team in Las Vegas.
Traoré, Powell, Saraf and Wolf may see limited minutes as rookies, and it’s possible that all of them could spend time with the team’s G League affiliate in Long Island.
“The preseason with the team, getting to know everyone and making sure to know (everyone) basketball-wise (is huge),” Traoré said. “As a point guard, I’d say that it’s important to know these guys and know what they like and just start to build the team right way.”
Depending on how the final roster shakes out, Lewis notes that the Nets have a chance to eclipse the 2022/23 Rockets as the youngest team in NBA history. In addition to the five first-rounders, Brooklyn recently traded for 2023 first-round pick Kobe Bufkin, who turns 22 today. Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney are both 21, while Fanbo Zeng, who is expected to sign soon, is 22.
It presents another challenge for second-year head coach Jordi Fernandez, who had the third-youngest team in the league last season.
“That’s definitely on me. Player development is going to be important. We’ve been very diligent,” Fernandez said. “The coaching staff has done a great job making our guys work, and those guys have improved. And we believe (the rookies) will do the same thing.”
Jaylen Brown: Celtics Entering ‘New Era’
Following a summer of change that saw several foundational pieces moved to other teams, Celtics star Jaylen Brown talked about the “new era” for the franchise during a recent live stream, per Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog (Twitter link, hat tip to Real GM).
After several years as title contenders, Boston may fall into the middle of the pack in the East, at least for the upcoming season. The need to escape the second apron made cost-cutting moves inevitable, and the Achilles injury that Jayson Tatum suffered during the playoffs accelerated the process.
The Celtics began the offseason by trading Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta and Jrue Holiday to Portland. Another member of the 2024 title team was lost when Luke Kornet signed with San Antonio, and free agent center Al Horford appears to be headed to Golden State. Additional changes could be on the way as the team has an opportunity to duck below the tax threshold by trimming roughly $12MM more in salary.
“It’s a new era of the Celtics. It feels like a new era,” Brown said. “… Half the team is gone. I wish them the best. I appreciate them. They were great teammates, so it’s kind of sad to see them go. But it’s a new era. Everything has kind of changed and shifted. We’ll see what we’ve got.”
Brown, who underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure in June, also said it has been a “great healing summer,” indicating that he’s no longer bothered by the right knee issues that plagued him late last season and into the playoffs. Doctors said he was dealing with a partially torn right meniscus, and it was determined that surgery rather than rest was the best way to ensure that he’s fully healed by training camp.
Brown and Derrick White will be the team’s only holdover starters when the Celtics’ new season tips off October 22.
Kevin Durant Offers His Perspective On Trade Saga In Phoenix
Kevin Durant trade rumors shook up the NBA last winter as the Suns tried to dismantle their underachieving team in midseason. Durant recalled that experience this week during an appearance at the Game Plan Sports Business Summit in Los Angeles, saying he learned he was being shopped “around February,” relays Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“Initially, I was a little upset because I felt like we built a solid relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns,” Durant said. “And to hear that from a different party was kind of upsetting, but that’s just the name of the game. So I got over that quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were.”
Durant was linked to several teams in trade talks, but the quickly approaching February 6 deadline made it difficult to put a deal together. He confirmed that the Warriors had real interest in bringing him back to the Bay Area, where he won titles in 2017 and 2018, but Durant had business partner Rich Kleiman shut down that possibility.
“I heard Golden State was in the mix around the trade deadline, but that’s when Rich came into play, and those relationships that we built around the league and also playing in Golden State helped,” Durant told the audience. “We were able to tell them kind of hold off on that.”
Durant remained in Phoenix, but a breakup seemed inevitable after the Suns failed to qualify for the play-in tournament. He missed the final seven games of the season after suffering an ankle injury on March 30.
Durant found himself back on the market when the summer began. Houston, San Antonio and Miami were reportedly on his list of preferred locations, and Minnesota was rumored to be involved in the bidding as well. An agreement on a deal sending him to the Rockets was reached in June, with Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the 10th pick in the draft, which was used to take Khaman Maluach, going to Phoenix in return.
“Since me being on the market in February when there’s also a trade deadline, people were just kind of seeing how their seasons played out and what they needed for their teams,” Durant said. “We knew we would revisit that right around the summertime, and Houston kind of jumped on, and it happened pretty fast from there.”
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Pelinka, LeBron, Thiero
The Lakers provided a huge show of support for Luka Doncic as he represented Slovenia at EuroBasket, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Team governor Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka both made the trip to Poland to watch Doncic in action. They were joined by team stakeholders Kurt Rambis and his wife Linda, along with other staff members, and assistant coach Greg St. Jean worked on Slovenia’s coaching staff.
“Luka has a tremendous amount of heartfelt pride and appreciation for his roots and playing for his country,” Pelinka said. “I just think in the partnerships we have with our players, the Lakers want to be mindful of players’ passions and who they are as men and then lean in and support those things. So, around Luka, it was a very easy partnership decision that we wanted to support.”
Even though his team didn’t bring home a medal, Doncic was outstanding. He averaged 34.7 points per game, the highest by anyone since 1989, and raised that figure to 40.5 PPG in two knockout round contests. Team sources tell McMenamin that the Lakers’ coaching staff was impressed by the way Doncic moved after his offseason conditioning program. He was able to jump noticeably higher, split double teams and be more disruptive on defense.
“Players playing basketball in the offseason is something that, from a leadership standpoint, I support,” Pelinka said. “I think you could say in some sense that some of the offseason and sort of the current basketball lens, especially in the States, is on individual work. And I think that sort of the team environment can get lost.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Multiple stories have indicated that L.A. is prioritizing cap room for the summer of 2027, but Pelinka indicated that plans could change if the right opportunity comes along, McMenamin adds in the same piece. The team will face important financial decisions soon with Rui Hachimura ($18.3 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million) and Maxi Kleber ($11 million) all on expiring contracts and Austin Reaves likely heading for free agency after declining a four-year, $89MM extension in June. Sources tell McMenamin that the Lakers would consider trading for a contract that extends beyond 2026.“In terms of team building, we’ve talked about the importance of having optionality and when I use that word, it’s not to say in the future,” Pelinka said. “I think optionality is also in the now.”
- Among his many accomplishments, LeBron James last season became the first player ever to reach 50,000 combined points in the regular season and playoffs. During a visit to China, he talked about what it took to achieve that record in an interview with CBV Game (YouTube link, hat tip to Lakers Nation). “I don’t think it’s about the record, I just think it’s a microcosm of my career, of my hard work and dedication to my craft, and my love for the game,” James said. “I put so many hours into trying to be the greatest of what I can become and the best I can become. That moment is there is an indication of that, of hard work paying off. It’s always pretty cool when you can have those moments that show that the work does pay off.”
- Rookie forward Adou Thiero told NBA on Prime (Twitter link) that he chose No. 1 as his uniform number as a tribute to Derrick Rose. “My first favorite player was Derrick Rose,” Thiero said. “So then I tried to go with the number I was throughout college (3) and everything. I wasn’t able to get that number so, you know, why not go back with what we started with.”
Knicks Emphasized Collaboration During Coaching Search
Collaboration will be a point of emphasis as Mike Brown prepares for his first season as head coach of the Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required).
Sources tell Bondy that the need to work together across the organization was stressed during the interview process after former coach Tom Thibodeau’s style was considered “too unilateral.” Brown will be expected to consult with ownership, the front office, the medical staff and player development experts, along with his assistant coaches and players, and to give serious consideration to their input.
“I had great conversations with (team owner) Mr. (James) Dolan and (president) Leon (Rose),” Brown said during his introductory press conference. “I want to form a partnership with them. It’s impossible to do this alone.”
Bondy notes that Brown has to walk a fine line of taking suggestions from multiple parties while still showing that he’s in charge of the team, rather than a “puppet” of the front office. That challenge will begin when the team opens training camp this week.
Brown will also be tasked with upgrading the offense by replacing Thibodeau’s reliance on isolations with a style that emphasizes ball movement and pace. His players have received some exposure to the new system already, and the reaction has been positive.
“I’ve talked to (Brown) a lot, and I think the big thing is just going to be a lot of player movement,” reserve guard Miles McBride said recently. “He’s giving us the foundation, and we’re just going to work off of it. So I’m really excited to see all our creativity with each other that we’ve been working on these last couple months. Really excited to see where it takes us.”
Brown is also expected to have less reliance on his starters than his predecessor, giving more players a chance to log significant minutes. Bondy theorizes that would have happened anyway after the offseason additions of Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogdon, but Brown is naturally more inclined than Thibodeau to use a larger rotation.
Bondy notes that the Knicks’ starting five easily led the NBA in combined minutes last season, but he sees the potential for a 10-man rotation under Brown.