Ariel Hukporti Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Exercising Hukporti’s Option, Declining Tucker’s

June 29th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are exercising their 2025/26 team option on Ariel Hukporti, but are declining their option on P.J. Tucker, league sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Hukporti’s option is worth just under $2MM and his salary for next season will remain non-guaranteed. Tucker’s was worth about $3.5MM and also would have been non-guaranteed had it been exercised.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the Knicks are also issuing a two-way qualifying offer to Kevin McCullar, making him a restricted free agent.

A 23-year-old center from Germany, Hukporti was the 58th pick of last year’s draft. He battled injuries during his rookie season, appearing in 25 regular season games with averages of 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per contest.

Although he barely played for New York after signing at the end of last season and is now 40 years old, it’s technically possible that Tucker could re-sign with the Knicks on a new non-guaranteed contract for the veteran’s minimum. That would substantially lower his cap hit and actually pay him a little more money while maintaining roster flexibility for the Knicks, who reportedly valued Tucker’s leadership in the locker room.

McCullar was also a second-round pick last year, having been selected No. 56 overall. He was injured to open his rookie campaign and only made four NBA appearances for a total of 29 minutes, with the majority of that playing time coming in the regular season finale.

Knicks Notes: Free Agency, Diawara, Borrego, Coaching Search

June 27th, 2025 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Memphis shooting guard Luke Kennard and Detroit point guard Dennis Schröder are among the targets the Knicks could pursue in free agency, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Those are probably the best-case scenarios for New York given its limited resources, and there should be league-wide demand for both players, so the team may have to consider other options.

As Edwards explains, assuming they pick up Ariel Hukporti‘s $1.96MM option and decline a $3.5MM option on P.J. Tucker, the Knicks will have 10 players under contract with a total payroll of $196.3MM, which is already above the first apron and a little more than $10MM away from the second apron.

That leaves New York with the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum-salary contracts to fill out the roster, possibly along with second-round pick Mohamed Diawara.

Other free agents Edwards mentions as MLE possibilities are Cleveland guard Ty Jerome, Phoenix guard Tyus Jones and former Orlando guard Gary Harris. He adds that Knicks free agents Landry Shamet and Delon Wright could return on minimum salaries and points to Charlotte guard Seth Curry and Indiana center Thomas Bryant as other potential minimum-salary additions.

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks haven’t decided if Diawara, a 20-year-old French power forward, will be with the team next season or if he’ll be stashed overseas, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. A league source tells Bondy that the Frenchman is expected to play in the Las Vegas Summer League next month. Diawara didn’t put up great numbers in France this season, but Bondy notes that the Knicks are intrigued by his athleticism and his 7’4″ wingspan. Bondy also hears that New York attempted to trade up for the top pick in the second round to grab St. Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming, who went to Phoenix instead.
Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego‘s interview for the Knicks’ coaching vacancy will take place this weekend, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). He’ll be the fourth candidate to interview, joining Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown and Micah Nori.
Andy Miller, an NBA agent who represents several members of the Mavericks‘ coaching staff, recently criticized the Knicks for their unusual approach to their coaching search, which included asking permission to interview five head coaches who are already under contract, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “I don’t really know where Jason Kidd is in his process with the Knicks,” Miller said on Sirius XM Radio, “because I don’t really know what the process is with the Knicks. … I don’t even know if the Knicks know what their process is.”

New York Notes: Toppin, Knicks’ Coaching Search, Nets’ Draft, Demin

June 21st, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ decision to sell cheaply on Obi Toppin two years ago is looking worse as he plays an important role for the Pacers in the NBA Finals, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News.

After being selected with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, Toppin had three productive years in New York, but he didn’t appear to have a future while being stuck behind starting power forward Julius Randle. Winfield notes that Randle is now gone, having been traded to Minnesota in October, and Toppin is the type of athletic big man the Knicks need on their bench.

The return from Indiana for Toppin was meager: second-round picks in 2028 and 2029. He has blossomed with the Pacers, averaging 9.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22 playoff games with .497/.333/.694 shooting numbers. Winfield points out that he’s doing it in the exact role the Knicks weren’t sure he could handle, backing up a star power forward in Pascal Siakam.

Winfield also states that Knicks management made a habit of giving up on young talent throughout the Tom Thibodeau era, citing RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes as other examples. Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar and Ariel Hukporti were all added in last year’s draft and James Nnaji may be joining the team soon, but Winfield questions whether they’ll get a chance to prove themselves.

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks have interviewed Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown in their coaching search while keeping an eye on Jason Kidd‘s situation in Dallas, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Bondy suggests that Kidd’s relationship with the Mavericks could deteriorate if he doesn’t receive an extension, so New York hasn’t completely given up hope. A source tells Bondy that the Knicks haven’t requested permission to talk with Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, who no longer appears to be a priority after looking like an early favorite for the job.
Sources tell draft expert Rafael Barlowe of The NBA Big Board (subscriber link) that the Nets are “the favorite destination for a lot of prospects — and a lot of agents” (hat tip to Nets Daily). Barlowe explains that Brooklyn is popular because it’s a large market that offers exposure and endorsement opportunities, and there’s a chance for immediate playing time. There has been speculation that Ace Bailey has a desire to join the Nets, and Barlowe hears that Brooklyn is considering a move up into the top five.
In a separate Nets Daily story, Lucas Kaplan examines the fit of BYU guard Egor Demin, who has been rumored as a possible Nets draft pick.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Towns, Thibodeau, Hart

June 7th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are the most valuable trade assets the Knicks possess as they try to finish the job of building a championship roster, according to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Winfield ranks the potential value of everything New York has to work with this summer, starting with Brunson and going down to Boston’s top-45 protected second-round pick in 2028. Team president Leon Rose has limited draft capital remaining after last year’s trades for Towns and Mikal Bridges, so most of the coveted assets would be players.

It seems unthinkable that the Knicks would part with Brunson, their captain, especially after he accepted a team-friendly extension that could keep him under contract through the 2028/29 season. They may be more willing to move on from Towns, whose contract becomes more burdensome until he reaches a $61MM player option in 2027/28. Towns’ defensive shortcomings can make it challenging to have him and Brunson on the floor together, which Indiana exploited in the conference finals.

Bridges, New York’s 2032 first-round pick and OG Anunoby round out Winfield’s top five. The Knicks face a looming decision on Bridges, who is entering the final year of his contract and will be eligible for an offseason extension potentially worth $156MM over four years. Anunoby, the second-highest-paid player on the team, is signed for three more seasons and holds a $48.4MM player option for 2028/29.

There’s more on the Knicks:

The team’s next head coach will be walking into an extremely high-pressure situation, as reaching the conference finals wasn’t enough to save Tom Thibodeau‘s job, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. He points out that the Knicks have been mentioned as serious suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, so the new coach will have to adjust his preferred style if one of those stars is in New York. Popper cautions that the team may have to aim smaller and states that avoiding the second apron figures to be an offseason priority. The Knicks are currently $8MM under that threshold, but can expand that by $3.5MM by declining their team option on P.J. Tucker. They could save another $2MM by also declining their option on Ariel Hukporti, but he may be too valuable at that price to let go.
Thibodeau deserved another season as head coach to hone the Brunson-Towns combination and figure out ways to improve the defense, contends Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn argues that Thibodeau took the fall for management’s mistakes, including giving up five first-round picks for Bridges and parting with two valuable pieces from last year’s team to bring in Towns.
Josh Hart, who played for Jay Wright at Villanova, fully supports Wright’s decision to not pursue the Knicks’ coaching vacancy. “Man Thank You. Stay retired!” Hart tweeted.

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Brunson, Hukporti, Rotation

April 19th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked ahead of the Knicks‘ first-round series about speculation that head coach Tom Thibodeau will be on the hot seat if New York doesn’t make a deep playoff run, star point guard Jalen Brunson referred to himself as a “big Thibs supporter” and strongly backed his coach, as Jared Schwartz of The New York Post writes.

“He means a lot,” Brunson said on Friday (Twitter video link). “Individually, he’s meant a lot to my career. I’d say he’s meant a decent amount to (Karl-Anthony Towns), coaching KAT in Minnesota and here. There’s a lot of players who can say they’ve definitely benefited from Tom Thibodeau in his career.

“But I think as a team, we’re always in a position where we can compete in the postseason since I’ve been here. He’s very prepared. He’s a very prepared individual. He’s done a lot for my career, so I’m always going to be a supporter. Always. Even when he annoys me. Always.”

Thibodeau has faced criticism over the years due a perception that he overworks his top players, and three Knicks ranked among the top six players in the NBA in minutes per game this season. But New York will enter the 2025 postseason with nearly all of its players – including everyone who’s part of the rotation – fully healthy, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Rookie center Ariel Hukporti, who has been out since February 26 while recovering from surgery on his left meniscus, was upgraded to questionable for Game 1 of the Knicks’ first-round series vs. Detroit and practiced on Friday, tweets Bondy. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), Thibodeau referred to Hukporti as a game-time decision, though it seems unlikely that he’d be part of the team’s rotation even if he’s healthy enough to play.
In a separate story for The New York Post, Bondy weighs the case for and against expanding the Knicks’ playoff rotation beyond seven players. As Bondy outlines, Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson are locks to see regular minutes off the bench, but it’s unclear whether Landry Shamet, Precious Achiuwa, or Cameron Payne will get off the bench. If Thibodeau does use an eighth man, Bondy believes Shamet is the best bet for that role.
Even after the Knicks added Towns and Mikal Bridges as offensive weapons last offseason, Brunson still led the team and ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference with 26.0 points per game. The Knicks will need him more than ever in order to make a playoff run this spring, says James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Knicks’ Hukporti To Miss At Least 4-6 Weeks Following Knee Surgery

February 28th, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

February 28: Hukporti underwent surgery on Friday to address his left meniscus tear and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks, according to the Knicks (Twitter link).

February 27: Knicks center Ariel Hukporti made his first career start in Wednesday’s victory over Philadelphia, recording eight points, two rebounds and a block in 16 minutes. Unfortunately, the German big man also sustained a significant injury during the game.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), the 22-year-old is expected to be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Steve Popper of Newsday confirms (via Twitter) that Hukporti will be out for an extended period, though he hears the team is still evaluating the test results and it’s not yet certain that Hukporti sustained a meniscus injury.

The 58th and final pick of the 2024 draft, Hukporti has received sporadic playing time during his rookie season, averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game across 25 appearances.

It’s a tough blow for Hukporti, who was initially signed to a two-way contract but was converted to a standard deal in early November in part to navigate New York’s salary cap situation. The Knicks hold a minimum-salary team option on his contract for 2025/26.

If Hukporti is able to return at the conservative end of the timeline Charania reported — six weeks — he would back just in time for the end of the regular season in mid-April. Returning sooner would obviously give him more time to prepare as the Knicks prepare for a playoff push — they’re currently the No. 3 seed in the East, with a record of 38-20.

On a more positive note, Mitchell Robinson is reportedly on track to make his season debut this weekend, so he should help fortify the Knicks’ frontcourt depth, which will be a little more thin with Hukporti out. Precious Achiuwa is another candidate for more minutes at backup center.

The Knicks also have an open roster spot and will be able to squeeze in a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract for a 15th man below their hard cap as of Friday.

Knicks Notes: Roster Candidates, Anunoby, Bridges, Hukporti

February 27th, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks can add a free agent via a prorated veteran’s minimum contract while remaining below their hard cap as early as Friday. They have an open roster spot, though as a first-apron team, they can’t sign a player who made more than $12.8MM before being bought out.

Noting that there are few notable options on the buyout market this winter, The Athletic’s James Edwards III takes a closer look at the players who fit the bill, plus several other free agents who might make sense for New York. He identifies T.J. Warren, Chuma Okeke, Chris Duarte, Christian Wood and Josh Richardson as potential targets, with Warren and Okeke topping the list since both are playing for the Westchester Knicks, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

We have more on the Knicks:

The Knicks made two major trades to acquire forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, then gave Anunoby a huge contract in free agency. However, those investments are not paying off against the league’s elite, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. In a combined seven losses to Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City, Anunoby is averaging 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game while shooting 39% overall and 24% on three-point tries. In those same games, Bridges is averaging 14 points and two rebounds in 34 minutes while shooting 44% overall and 28% on threes.
Ariel Hukporti made his first start on Wednesday with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined. Hukporti didn’t finish the game, exiting in the second half with a sprained left knee, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. The rookie big man had eight points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. “I thought Ariel gave us good minutes,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s a young guy who’s learning and getting better.” Hukporti was promoted to a standard contract in early November after originally being signed to a two-way deal.
In case you missed it, there’s reportedly optimism that center Mitchell Robinson will make his season debut as soon as this weekend. Get the details here.

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Robinson, Towns, Raptors

February 26th, 2025 at 6:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics star Jaylen Brown suffered a bone bruise in his left quad during Tuesday’s victory over Toronto. After the game, he told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link) that he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d play in Wednesday’s back-to-back in Detroit.

After initially being listed as questionable, Brown was later ruled out against the red-hot Pistons, who have won seven straight games, one more than Boston’s current streak. Center Luke Kornet will also miss his second straight game due to personal reasons, per the Celtics (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Knicks are optimistic that Mitchell Robinson will be able to make his season debut this weekend, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York plays two games this weekend, on Friday vs. Memphis and on Sunday against Miami. Assuming he keeps progressing without issue, either date is a possibility for Robinson to make his first appearance of 2024/25 following offseason ankle surgery, according to Begley.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stated after Tuesday’s practice that Robinson was “projected to be the starting center on the team.” On Wednesday, Thibodeau clarified that Robinson will not immediately enter the starting lineup — he was referring to before the season began, and presumably before New York’s blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
Speaking of Towns, the Knicks big man was ruled out of Wednesday’s game after having his left knee flare up near the end of Sunday’s loss to Boston. He was initially listed as questionable. Rookie center Ariel Hukporti will get his first career start in Towns’ stead, per Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Eric Koreen of The Athletic lists several Raptors trends to monitor for the remainder of the season, as well as some to ignore. Koreen is keeping close tabs on Immanuel Quickley‘s three-point volume and accuracy, Gradey Dick‘s defense, and the overall play of Ochai Agbaji. On the other hand, he says the team’s defensive rating and RJ Barrett‘s dip in offensive efficiency aren’t particularly important as the season winds down.

Knicks’ Quiet Deadline Indicates Full Confidence In Roster

February 8th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Earnest Marshall

The Knicks made their biggest move of the year right before the season began, acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster at the start of training camp. That move has paid major dividends for a team that currently has its best regular season winning percentage since 1997.

Of course, making a move of that magnitude — Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were sent to Minnesota — meant the Knicks were likely to have a quiet trade deadline.

New York did make one minor trade, sending Jericho Sims to the Bucks in exchange for guard Delon Wright. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes, the Knicks have a history of sending players to situations where they can potentially thrive, like with Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, and this was the latest in the series.

The Mavericks, Spurs, and Pelicans were among the teams who had talks with the Knicks about Sims before he was sent to Milwaukee, according to Edwards.

As for Wright, he signed with the Bucks this past summer after closing out last season with the Heat. However, his role has been modest this season — he averaged just 2.5 points per game and shot 26.8% from the field across 26 appearances in Milwaukee.

There’s reason to believe Wright can turn his season around with the Knicks, according to the New York Post’s Bryan Fonseca. The veteran guard was a playoff contributor just last season with the Heat, and Fonseca notes that health issues affected him during his time in Milwaukee.

Knicks big men Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa stuck with the team through the deadline after both having their names floated in rumors for much of the season. Edwards writes that Robinson will be New York’s biggest midseason acquisition when he returns from injury, giving the Knicks a superb defender to add to the rotation. As a first-apron team, the Knicks won’t be eligible to sign anyone who made over the mid-level exception ($12.8MM) on the buyout market.

“You guys can read the tea leaves,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of the team’s quiet deadline, per the New York Post’s Peter Botte. “We like our team a lot. Obviously, we are excited about Mitch. But we also feel Ariel [Hukporti] has done a good job, and [Achiuwa] has done a good job. That’s really how we approach it.

“[Team president] Leon [Rose] and his staff, they are on it all year long. I think there’s a tendency to think this happens a couple days before [deadline]. They are always looking if they can improve the club. If there’s something that makes sense, they explore it. Then, you go from there. But we like our team a lot.”

As Botte opines in another story, it will be interesting to monitor whether the gambit of relying on health will pan out for the Knicks after a couple key East rivals made moves to shore up their teams, including the top-seeded Cavaliers acquiring De’Andre Hunter.

New York Notes: Finney-Smith, Fernandez, Knicks, Hart

December 8th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Rory Maher

Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who has missed the past four games — and six of the past seven — with a left ankle sprain, will return to action on Sunday vs. Milwaukee, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 31-year-old was able to practice for the second consecutive day on Saturday and is not on the injury report for today’s matinee against the Bucks.

“It’s a long season. Nobody’s really 100 percent, so I’m pretty sure everybody’s got some nags and bumps and bruises, but I feel better and I’m ready to play [Sunday],” Finney-Smith said. “Yeah, no question. You know I’m playing.”

As Lewis writes, Finney-Smith has by far the best plus-minus on Brooklyn’s roster (plus-56). On top of shooting a career-best 42.2% from three-point range and playing solid, switchable defense, he’s also the Nets’ locker-room leader.

“Doe brings toughness, his veteran leadership that he brings to any team,” Trendon Watford said. “That’s what he’s made his name off of, just him being a leader and him being that tough guy, him just being a knockdown shooter and lock-down defender. We know what Doe brings every night, and we definitely can use it.”

Second-year big man Noah Clowney is questionable for Sunday’s contest after missing the past six games with his own left ankle sprain, Lewis adds.

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

First-year Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez has been lauded for his job performance thus far, Lewis writes in subscriber-only story for The New York Post. In addition to being nominated for the Eastern Conference’s Coach of the Month award, Fernandez has drawn praise both inside and outside the organization for instilling belief in a club that was widely expected to finish with among the worst records in the league. Despite dealing with injuries to several key players, Brooklyn is currently 10-13, the No. 8 seed in the East.
Playing without Karl-Anthony Towns, who was a late scratch due to a right knee patellar tendinopathy, the Knicks had a disappointing home loss to Detroit on Saturday, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. Jericho Sims got the start at center in place of Towns, but he only played six minutes, with head coach Tom Thibodeau turning to Precious Achiuwa and rookie Ariel Hukporti to man the middle. Mikal Bridges expressed disappointment with the team’s defensive effort after giving up 120 points to a Pistons team that ranks 22nd in the league in offensive rating. “Not good. I think we pick and choose when [to play defense],” Bridges said. “And we ain’t that good that we can just pick and choose when to play defense.”
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was questionable ahead of Saturday’s game due to a lower back contusion he sustained in Thursday’s victory over Charlotte, but he wound up playing a season-high 44 minutes and scoring a game-high 31 points to go along with 10 assists in the loss, notes Christian Arnold of The New York Post.
Thibodeau was disappointed that Knicks forward Josh Hart was ejected for receiving his second technical foul late in the fourth quarter, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “Josh plays on emotion which is great,” Thibodeau said. “But there’s a fine line and just, we can’t have that in the fourth quarter.” Hart claimed he didn’t know why he received either technical.