Knicks Have Talked To Multiple Teams About Trading Towns
The Knicks‘ 2025/26 season reached a new low point with Monday’s 17-point home loss to the injury-ravaged Mavericks, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). New York trailed by as many as 30 points in the first half and was down 28 at halftime, when fans at Madison Square Garden “serenaded” the team with boos.
The Knicks have now dropped nine of their past 11 games and are in danger of falling into play-in territory after holding a 23-9 record three weeks ago. In the 10 games leading into Monday, they had the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA, Popper notes.
The team’s effort was particularly dispiriting considering the Knicks had their full complement of players available — Jalen Brunson (right ankle sprain) and Josh Hart (right ankle soreness) both returned to action following injury absences.
“Guys are gonna be banged up, guys aren’t gonna be 100 percent, it’s the dog days of the season,” Hart said, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). “But the effort, I think last year no matter what we did, the effort was there. I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today, it was embarrassing.”
Hart admitted prior to the game that his ankle isn’t fully healthy, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
“I want to be out there to try to help the team as much as I can so (the team’s recent struggles) did (influence his decision) a little bit; a combination of that, there’s the competitiveness and the impatience that I display,” Hart said.
Two weeks ago, owner James Dolan said he expected the team to — at minimum — reach the NBA Finals. He also expressed confidence in the team’s roster and chemistry. The Knicks were promptly blown out by the top-seeded Pistons and have a 2-6 record since that public interview.
Both Popper and Bondy point out that Dolan left his courtside seat at halftime and did not return for the second half. The last time Bondy recalls that happening was during a lopsided loss in 2019, when former executives Scott Perry and Steve Mills were forced to speak to reporters after the game. Then-coach David Fizdale was fired a few days later; Mills was dismissed not long after that.
Bondy isn’t advocating for the team to fire head coach Mike Brown, which he thinks would be “reactionary and ill-advised.” But Bondy does believe a major roster shake-up is in order, and says everyone aside from Brunson and Hart should be available. That includes Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, two players the Knicks acquired in previous blockbuster trades.
Big man Towns, who has struggled to find his form under Brown, was singled out with boos twice in the fourth quarter, per Popper — once when checking out with just under five minutes remaining, and again 29 seconds later when he checked back in for Mitchell Robinson, who picked up two quick fouls.
Towns said he understood the fans’ reaction, considering the Knicks “didn’t really have a chance” to win, as Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press relays.
“Fans are doing their part and we’ve got to do our part,” Towns said.
According to Popper, “whispers” have begun to circulate around the league about the possibility of the Knicks trading Towns, whose name popped up in rumors over the summer involving the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. League sources tell Popper the Knicks have discussed potential Towns deals with multiple teams, including the Grizzlies, Magic and Hornets.
For what it’s worth, Bondy proposes a fake trade that would send Towns and unspecified salary filler to the Trail Blazers for Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant.
Atlantic Notes: Barrett, Poeltl, Brunson, Hart, Embiid, George, Hauser
The Raptors are optimistic that forward RJ Barrett will be able to return to action soon, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Barrett has missed 21 of the past 27 games due to a knee injury and a sprained ankle, but Grange states that he “showed no ill effects” after a hard workout prior to Sunday’s contest. There’s hope that he can be back on the court at some point during the current road trip, possibly by Wednesday’s game at Sacramento.
The team is less optimistic about center Jakob Poeltl, who has made just one brief appearance since December 15 because of a lower back strain. Poeltl also went through a pregame workout on Sunday, but Grange said it wasn’t nearly at full game speed. Toronto has reportedly explored Poeltl’s value on the trade market, but the lingering injury could make it tough to move him before the deadline.
Rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles has been seeing time at center during Poeltl’s absence, but he had to leave Sunday’s game in the third quarter after being hit on the hand by Luka Doncic. X-rays were negative, and Murray-Boyles was diagnosed with a bruised thumb.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were able to participate Sunday in the Knicks‘ off-day workout, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Both players are listed as questionable for today’s game against Dallas, with Brunson recovering from a right ankle sprain he suffered last Wednesday and Hart dealing with right ankle soreness.
- Joel Embiid and Paul George are listed as questionable to play as the Sixers prepare to host Indiana tonight, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Both players may be held out due to left knee injury management.
- Sam Hauser fell just short on Saturday in his attempt to break the Celtics‘ record for most made three-pointers in a game, writes Jay King of The Athletic. There was plenty of time remaining when Hauser hit his 10th three, one away from Marcus Smart‘s record of 11, but he misfired on his final six attempts. “At that point, it was just like, let’s get them up. Let’s see what happens,” Hauser said. “And then I got dead tired. The last couple, they were on (target), they were just way short. So it is what it is.”
Injury Notes: Green, Herro, Lakers, Knicks
The Suns are rolling, winning 11 of their past 16 games, including two victories over the Knicks in just over a week. They’re currently fighting for a top-six seed in the Western Conference and boast a 25-17 record, despite having spent most of the season playing without Jalen Green, a key offseason addition.
“We miss Jalen,” Devin Booker said after Phoenix’s latest win over New York on Saturday, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I think Jalen, he’s another person out there that’ll have rim presence for us and draw a lot of fouls. [Collin Gillespie], he’s really punctual. He’s going to get to his middy. Grayson (Allen) has some rim pressure, but we’re all getting excited for Jalen.”
Allen echoed Booker’s sentiment and expressed excitement about how Green could fit into the offense.
“Just another guy who can create his own shot, create advantages for other people,” Allen said. “Make tough shots. Draw two defenders. He’s a big-time scorer. So he’ll help a lot.”
The wait for Green’s return may be over. According to Rankin (Twitter link), the fifth-year guard is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Nets. While his return isn’t guaranteed, coach Jordan Ott spoke in optimistic terms after the team’s shootaround on Saturday.
“Everything seemed to be good,” Ott said of Green’s third stint of five-on-five work. “So, we’ll see. Still going in the right direction.”
Booker hinted that Green could have returned earlier, suggesting that the Suns were being cautious with his recovery.
“He’s been licking his chops getting ready for this moment,” Booker said. “I think we’ve overdone it with keeping him out. He’s going to be healthy and strong and ready to go.”
We have more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Tyler Herro didn’t travel with the Heat for their five-game road trip after suffering a rib contusion that caused him to miss Saturday’s game against the Thunder, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). While initial reports indicated that the injury was on the more minor side, he is now set to undergo an MRI, per Winderman (Twitter link), and it’s unclear how many more games he’ll be held out for. Herro has been plagued by injuries for most of the season, having missed 31 of Miami’s first 42 games.
- Lakers stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James are questionable to play in Sunday night’s matchup against the Raptors, tweets Marc Stein. Doncic is dealing with left groin soreness, while James continues to fight through left foot joint arthritis and sciatica. The Lakers are still missing their third star, Austin Reaves, due to the calf strain that has sidelined him since Christmas.
- The Knicks are in a tailspin, having lost eight of their last 10 games, and they may have to make do without two of their leaders against the beat-up Mavericks on Monday. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes (via Twitter) that Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are both listed as questionable for the game. Brunson, the team’s captain and offensive hub, is dealing with a right ankle sprain, while Josh Hart, who in many ways represents the team’s emotional leader, has right ankle soreness.
- While the Mavericks are still missing a majority of the top end of their roster, including P.J. Washington (personal reasons), Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain), and D’Angelo Russell (illness), they got a bit of good news, as star rookie Cooper Flagg was upgraded to questionable as he looks to return from a left ankle sprain, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Knicks Notes: Towns, Hart, Brunson, Brown
Karl-Anthony Towns‘ persistent foul issues continue to be a problem for the slumping Knicks, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News writes in a subscriber-only story. With the team short-handed due to injuries, it’s important that Towns stay on the court as much as possible. However, with backup center Mitchell Robinson unavailable in Thursday’s game at Golden State due to load management, Towns picked up two early fouls, forcing coach Mike Brown to use a makeshift lineup.
“I don’t know. That’s more of something that you have to figure out individually. Me telling him to not foul seems a little redundant,” Josh Hart said. “He has to be smarter in terms of defensively showing his hands, just being more solid. And I think that’s what it is — being solid, more fundamentally sound. And at times, laying off the officials.”
Towns currently ranks fifth in the league with 136 personal fouls after finishing third in that category last season. Winfield points out that other players who accumulate a lot of fouls tend to be physical defenders, but Towns’ foul trouble is often the result of poor judgment.
“All of our guys — not just KAT — all of our guys have to lead with their chest and show their hands,” Brown said. “The officials allow you out on the floor to hand-check now a little bit, so that’s the time. It’s not just KAT. It’s all of us. It wasn’t just one guy — a whole team. So we gotta do a better job in that area, just in general.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Towns’ regression is the biggest concern since Brown took over as head coach, observes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). Bondy states that Towns is shooting poorly and adjusting slowly and may be in danger of not being selected for the All-Star Game. “It’s a learning process for all of us and we’re just still adjusting and getting used to a new system,” Towns said after Thursday’s game. “Especially me.”
- Hart and Jalen Brunson are both sitting out tonight’s game against Phoenix due to ankle injuries, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). It’s the second straight missed game for Brunson, who sprained his right ankle on Wednesday, and Brown called him “day to day.” (Twitter link). On Hart, who’s dealing with pain in his right ankle, Brown said, “He’s just a little sore so we’re just going to be cautious, especially this time of year.”
- Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post offers a performance review for Brown at the halfway mark of his first season in New York.
Knicks Notes: Trade Targets, Buyout Restrictions, Hart, Achiuwa
All signs point to the Knicks having a desire to move Guerschon Yabusele ahead of the trade deadline. Marc Stein reported as much recently, and that reporting has been confirmed by Stefan Bondy of the New York Post as well as by The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III.
In a recent mailbag for The Athletic, Edwards broke down the various limitations facing the Knicks – who have few expendable trade assets and little financial flexibility – as they look to improve their depth. The Knicks are currently only about $150K below the second apron and is unable to take back more money than they send out in a deal.
They’re unlikely to move on from any core pieces, and players like Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson have proven themselves important to the rotation. While Robinson is on an expiring contract that could make him a trade candidate, his ability to generate multiple possessions via offensive rebounds has become a staple of the team’s offense. McBride’s team-friendly deal also makes him unlikely to be moved.
That leaves Yabusele and possibly second-year wing Pacome Dadiet as the odd men out, in addition to whatever draft capital the Knicks are willing to surrender. Edwards notes that the two players’ combined salaries work out to roughly $8.3MM, so any trade would likely be for a player who makes around that much (or less) — Edwards notes Miami’s Simone Fontecchio is one player whose cap hit is right in that neighborhood.
When it comes to what kind of player the Knicks will prioritize, Edwards writes that his understanding is that the team is most interested in adding someone who can both handle the ball and defend, whether on the wing or in the backcourt. The team has plenty of guards already, but after McBride and Jordan Clarkson, the depth remains somewhat unproven.
Edwards adds that there has been talk of the team considering a reliable third-string big man as insurance for Robinson, who is prone to missing time.
We have more from the Knicks:
- Another impact of the Knicks’ financial situation is their ability to be players on the buyout market. While contenders are often able to add impact players after the trade deadline via the buyout player pool, the Knicks will not be able to sign any player who made more than the $14MM mid-level exception prior to being bought out by their team. Their position relative to the tax apron will also prevent them from adding a free agent until April unless they reduce their team salary at the deadline.
- The Knicks have become worryingly reliant on Josh Hart, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. They’re 12-3 when Hart starts and 5-5 when he doesn’t play, but the impact goes beyond the win and loss columns. Winfield writes that the team’s offensive identity, built around ball movement and hammering the offensive boards, goes away without Hart, as does their defensive toughness. “He just does so many things for us that are hard to replace as a singular player and we — starting with me — have to do a better job of finding ways to continue to elevate others around us,” said head coach Mike Brown.
- Precious Achiuwa doesn’t believe that last year’s second unit got a fair shake, he told Bondy ahead of the Knicks’ matchup with the Kings on Wednesday. “I’m not going to sit here and go back and forth on what is a good bench and what is not a good bench,” he said. “But you can’t say something isn’t working if you’ve never tried it.” After playing well for former head coach Tom Thibodeau the previous year, Achiuwa found his minutes and role were inconsistent and he struggled to find his place with the 2024/25 team. “It wasn’t easy knowing things that you’re able to do to contribute to a team like that — especially if you just did it the year before and fast forward a year later, you’re not even given an opportunity to do that, to help get success in that type of way,” Achiuwa said. A New York native, Achiuwa said he’d never rule out a return to the Knicks if things broke that way.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Towns, Kolek, NBA Finals Chances
Josh Hart‘s return made the Knicks feel like a more complete team, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Hart was back in the starting lineup in Sunday’s win at Portland, logging 31 minutes and finishing with 18 points, three rebounds and six assists. He told reporters that he considered trying to come back earlier from a right ankle sprain he suffered on Christmas Day, but the lingering pain prevented it.
“My plan, originally, I wanted to come back (for) the Clippers game (on Wednesday),” Hart said. “I learned a day or two before that was not going to happen because of how it was feeling. If we were on a good little run, I probably would have taken a couple more days, couple more games, but I felt like I could come in and help with where I am right now. If I’m banged up a little bit, I go out and play, get the movement, and it helps me heal faster.”
New York had lost five of its previous six games without Hart and slow starts were a recurring problem, with Edwards noting that coach Mike Brown frequently had to call the first timeout of the game. The energy level was noticeably better from the opening tip on Sunday, Edwards adds, as the Knicks improved to 12-3 with Hart as a starter.
“A lot of our guys are irreplaceable, but especially a guy like Josh who does so many little things for you,” Brown said. “Sometimes they don’t even show up in the stat sheet. To have him back is good. To have him back helps with our pace because he gets out and runs, throws it ahead or pushes the ball at an extremely fast pace. We get easy baskets when we play like that.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Karl-Anthony Towns sat out the final 9:24 of the fourth quarter, with Brown explaining that he made the decision to stick with a combination that was working, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. New York outscored Portland 31-20 during that stretch, using either Mitchell Robinson at center or a small-ball lineup. Towns has talked about the challenges of adapting to his new head coach, but Brown said it’s a mutual project. “I’ve said this before: It’s not all on KAT to adjust to and adapt to what we have to do,” Brown said. “He’s had the hardest adjustment period because he’s had to learn the most. In the same breath, I have to make sure that I help him by simplifying what we do and making sure I’m putting him in the right spots and then he’s got to do the things necessary to help out, as well.”
- Hart’s return forced Tyler Kolek out of the rotation, Bondy adds. The second-year guard picked up his first DNP-CD since November 19.
- ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill examines the Knicks’ chances of reaching the NBA Finals, offering three reasons why it could happen and three things that might prevent it.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Trade Deadline, Shamet, Towns
The Knicks capably withstood injury absences to other players this season, but Josh Hart showed how valuable he was to the team when it was forced to play without him over the past eight games, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Hart, who is questionable to return to action on Sunday at Portland, has been recovering from a right ankle sprain he sustained on December 25. In addition to Hart’s defense, rebounding, pace of play and secondary ball-handling, the Knicks have also missed the 30-year-old wing’s ability to get into the paint and make plays.
“He’s the heart and soul of the team from an energy perspective,” Miles McBride said. “I bring a lot of energy, we got a lot of guys that do. But he’s been doing it for so long and we’ve all been able to use him as the nucleus.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Will Hart’s imminent return be enough to switch the team’s downward momentum? Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link) explores that question, writing that the Knicks have certainly missed Hart’s physicality in dropping five of their past six games. One way or another, they’ll have to improve their toughness for the playoffs, according to Popper, and they have less than four weeks to decide what moves to make ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.
- Veteran wing Landry Shamet, who is on the mend from a right shoulder injury, has been cleared for contact work and has already been taking controlled contact, head coach Mike Brown said on Saturday (Twitter link via Bondy). Shamet will be out again Sunday, but the update is a positive sign that his return isn’t far off.
- Big man Karl-Anthony Towns continues to produce inconsistent offensive results in his first season playing in Brown’s system, notes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. The five-time All-Star only attempted 11 shots in Friday’s loss in Phoenix two games after putting up just four shots in a blowout loss at Detroit. Towns’ numbers are down across the board and the Knicks need more from their highest-paid player, says Winfield.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Young, Brunson, Robinson, McBride, Yabusele
The Knicks have struggled without Josh Hart, who has missed eight games due to a right ankle sprain. Hart could return as early as Sunday when the Knicks visit Portland, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“I’ll be back at some point. We’ll see. Pretty good little sprain,” Hart said. “If this is my left ankle, I’m back by now. Because I’ve had some good ankle sprains on my left ankle. But I haven’t had many good ankle sprains on my right. This was a good one. After this, I won’t have any ligaments to sprain. So I’ll be solid.”
The Knicks have gone 3-5 without Hart’s all-around efforts, including five losses in their last six games.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- On paper, Trae Young should make the Wizards better, which could increase the possibility of losing their top-eight 2026 protected pick to the Knicks. However, it appears that Washington will allow Young to sit and rest his injuries, rather than boosting the team’s chances this season, Bondy notes. If the Wizards’ 2026 first-rounder lands within the top eight, New York will instead receive Washington’s 2026 and 2027 second-round picks.
- Jalen Brunson didn’t deliver in the clutch on Friday. He shot just 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter with two turnovers, both in the final 95 seconds of a 112-107 loss to the Suns. “I just feel like I need to execute and be better towards the end of the night,” Brunson told Bondy. “That’s when I’m at my best. That’s what I pride myself on. … I just need to be better down the stretch and be more sound and be more fundamental.”
- There are many factors at play regarding Mitchell Robinson‘s impending free agency. The key to determining his market value will be his playoff performances, Bondy opines. As Bondy notes, the Wizards, Clippers, Lakers, Jazz, Nets and Bulls could have significant cap space while several other teams project as non-taxpayers with the full mid-level exception. ESPN’s Bobby Marks projects that Robinson would likely command a full mid-level deal.
- Miles McBride believes he can bring elite defense to the table, he told Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “I know I can be one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the NBA,” he said. “I believe in myself, I believe that guarding really gets us going, gets us out in transition, which we did throughout the second half, which was really big for us.”
- Guerschon Yabusele missed Friday’s game due to a quad injury, Bondy tweets. He played 13 minutes against the Clippers on Wednesday, contributing eight points. Coach Mike Brown is looking for Yabusele to be aggressive when he suits up. “We need him to continue being aggressive if he can snap–drive it. Especially at his size, attacking the rim with aggression,” Brown said, per Schwartz. “And then we need him to rebound, that’s one of the big reasons he’s on the floor. For him to get out and help in that department, that was big.”
Injury Notes: Oubre, Watford, Vincent, LeBron, Wemby, Harden, More
The Sixers are expected to get a pair of forwards back from injuries on Wednesday vs. Washington, having upgraded Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford to probable after they participated in today’s shootaround, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oubre has been out since November 14 due to a left knee sprain, while Watford – who has been recovering from a left adductor strain – last played on November 25.
Both Sixers vets had been playing some of the best basketball of their careers before going down with injuries. Oubre started all 12 games he played in the fall and scored 16.8 points per game with a career-high 49.7% field goal percentage. Watford averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 20.4 minutes per game with a .534/.389/.800 shooting line in 14 appearances (four starts).
Here are more injury updates from across the NBA:
- Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) is no longer on the injury report and appears on track to play on Wednesday vs. San Antonio after missing the past nine games, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Vincent last suited up on December 14.
- Lakers forward LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama (left knee bone bruise) are both listed as questionable to play on Wednesday. Wembanyama returned from a two-game absence on Tuesday vs. Memphis and seemed fine after the game, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, who says (via Twitter) that the plan is to have Wembanyama play vs. Los Angeles if he feels up to it.
- Clippers guard James Harden, who sat out on Monday due to shoulder stiffness, is probable to return on Wednesday vs. the Knicks, who will still be without Josh Hart (right ankle sprain), tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Hart has missed New York’s past six games, four of which were losses.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who has been out for two games with a right knee MCL contusion, hasn’t progressed to contact or on-court work yet, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). “Just slowly seeing how he responds to the treatment that he does day-to-day,” Mosley said.
- While there’s still no word on a potential timeline or target date for his return, Kyrie Irving traveled with the Mavericks to Sacramento this week and completed a workout with assistant coach Phil Handy following the team’s shootaround on Tuesday, writes Grant Afseth of The Dallas Hoops Journal. Irving’s presence on the three-game road trip is a sign of progress, according to Afseth, who adds that forward P.J. Washington is considered day-to-day after sitting out Saturday’s game with a right ankle sprain.
Knicks’ Dolan Talks Expectations, Thibodeau, Roster, More
Owner James Dolan publicly discussed the Knicks with a media member for the first time in nearly three years on Monday during an interview with WFAN’s Craig Carton, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The 70-year-old made it clear he has high expectations for the team.
“We want to get to the [NBA] Finals. And we should win the Finals,” Dolan said. “This is sports and anything can happen. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do.”
New York made the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time in 25 years and promptly fired Tom Thibodeau. Dolan acknowledged the team’s former head coach played an important role in returning the Knicks to prominence, but stood by the decision.
“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau. He built that core,” Dolan said. “We went as far as we did last year. So you really got to take your hat off to Tom. And the job that he did.
“But we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea how we wanted to organize the team. And that meant we needed to evolve. Actually beyond the old traditional coaching formulas. And we tried to work that with Tom. It really wasn’t his thing.”
According to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN, Dolan said he and president of basketball operations Leon Rose talked to Thibodeau multiple times about their desire to develop the team’s young players and bench unit so the starters weren’t worn down. Still, Dolan endorsed Thibodeau to coach another team.
“I won’t say you can’t win a title with Tom Thibodeau; I don’t know that’s true,” Dolan said. “But if you want to build a long-term, competitive, compete for the [title], you need someone who’s much more of a collaborator. But still, Tom was a great coach. He should coach in the NBA again.”
The 23-13 Knicks entered Monday’s game in Detroit having lost three straight games, a skid that extended to four when they were blown out by the top-seeded Pistons. But Dolan believes in the current roster and disputed an ESPN report that said the team discussed a trade involving Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo over the summer.
“We love our team right now. They have chemistry, they all like each other. I’ve never seen a locker room more copacetic,” Dolan said, per Bondy. “There’s a lot of energy there. Leon can always overrule me. But I don’t see us making a big change. Because we got to keep building up this group. This group can win a championship. I believe that.”
Dolan is optimistic the returns of Josh Hart and Landry Shamet will help lift the team out of its current slump, Goodwill notes. Both players are expected to be back in the next week or so.
“Look how far we got with our group last year and look at who was playing and who wasn’t,” Dolan said. “We’re going into the second half of the season, Josh is still out and Landry is coming back. We got depth. We stay healthy, we’ll go into the playoffs in much better condition than last year.”
The Knicks won the NBA Cup last month. Dolan was asked about the decision not to raise a banner for that title at Madison Square Garden, as Christian Arnold of The New York Post relays.
“We are going to raise the banner,” Dolan said. “We’re going to raise the NBA championship banner. That’s the banner we want to raise. We want an NBA championship, we don’t want some consolation prize.”