Knicks Notes: Brunson, Kolek, Towns, Jemison
After sitting out Tuesday’s loss at Minnesota, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson will return for a Christmas Day showdown with Cleveland, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link). Brunson was unavailable against the Wolves due to “right ankle injury management,” and OG Anunoby didn’t play because of “left ankle soreness.” Neither player is listed on the injury report for Thursday.
Coach Mike Brown has been talking about reducing Brunson’s workload, but he was on the court for 38 minutes Sunday as he posted a season-high 47 points against Miami. He’s averaging 36.8 minutes over his last nine games, in addition to playing 41 minutes in last week’s NBA Cup final, which isn’t counted in official statistics.
“I want to play,” Brunson told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “But if Mike wants to do something, then obviously, we’ll talk about it. I have utmost faith and confidence in him. But obviously, when I’m out there, I want to play.”
Thursday’s game will feature a matchup of two of the East’s best guards in Brunson and the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell, who’ve both been carrying the scoring load for their respective teams. Per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post, Brown views it as a good opportunity for Brunson to bolster his MVP case after winning NBA Cup MVP honors.
“When you talk about MVPs especially, but All-Stars as well, you have to find a way to impact the game,” Brown said. “Sometimes, your shot’s not going in, so how else can you do it? Well, you can try to do it defensively, you can try to do it rebounding offensively, rebounding defensively, running the floor to see if you can get an easy one. Jalen’s constantly trying to do those things.”
There’s more from New York:
- With Brunson unavailable on Tuesday, Tyler Kolek turned in the best game of his career, Schwartz states in a separate story. Making his first-ever start, the second-year guard posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes. “Anytime you get an opportunity like that, you try to take advantage of it,” Kolek said. “These guys got confidence in me to go out there and play my game and do what I do. It’s too bad, we just couldn’t get the win.” Schwartz observes that Kolek’s recent play might lessen the need for the Knicks to pursue a backup point guard on the trade market.
- Karl-Anthony Towns talked about his affection for Minnesota after scoring 40 points on Tuesday, Schwartz adds in another piece. Towns, who spent nine years with the Timberwolves before being traded to New York shortly before the start of last season, was greeted with a loud ovation during introductions and got a “shout-out” from Anthony Edwards in his post-game interview. “There’s nothing more valuable in this league, this job, than to be respected,” Towns said. “I left my heart, my soul here in Minnesota. For the fans to just, even after two seasons away, to respect me the way they do and to think of me so highly and to appreciate what I left on the court tonight, it means a lot. It really means a lot.”
- Trey Jemison got a rare chance to contribute in last week’s win over Indiana, logging more than 18 minutes in just his fourth appearance of the season. The third-year center, who’s already on his fifth NBA team, has benefited from the Knicks’ development program, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “My game is growing,” Jemison said. “From my position coaches to all my G League coaches, they are buying in and helping me set a higher standard for myself and it’s been great. … I love coming to work every day.”
The Knicks Players Who Benefited Most From NBA Cup Prize Money
The Knicks‘ team salary this season is nearly $208MM, which is the second-highest figure in the NBA, behind only the Cavaliers ($228MM+). However, five of the 14 players on New York’s standard roster are on minimum-salary contracts, while a sixth is earning just slightly above the minimum.
So while the $530,933 bonus for winning the NBA Cup may be a drop in the bucket for the highest-paid players on the Knicks’ roster, like Karl-Anthony Towns ($53.1MM), OG Anunoby ($39.6MM), and Jalen Brunson ($34.9MM), it represents a significant pay raise for the players on the lower half of the Knicks’ cap sheet, as well as the players on two-way contracts who will receive bonuses worth $265,467 apiece (50% of the full prize share).
[RELATED: Details On NBA Cup Prize Money For 2025]
The NBA Cup prize money results in at least a 14% raise for each of the following Knicks players, whose 2025/26 base salaries are noted in parentheses:
Players receiving a $530,933 bonus:
Jordan Clarkson ($3,634,153)- Landry Shamet ($3,080,921)
- Pacome Dadiet ($2,847,600)
- Tyler Kolek ($2,191,897)
- Ariel Hukporti ($1,955,377)
- Mohamed Diawara ($1,272,870)
Players receiving a $265,467 bonus:
- Tosan Evbuomwan ($636,435)
- Trey Jemison ($636,435)
- Kevin McCullar Jr. ($636,435)
The bonuses for Diawara and the Knicks’ two-way players represent a raise of more than 40% on their respective base salaries.
None of this prize money will count against the salary cap, so the Knicks’ team salary for cap, tax, and apron purposes remains unchanged, as do the team salaries for San Antonio and the other six clubs who made the knockout round of the NBA Cup. Their prize money is as follows:
- Spurs: $212,373 per player ($106,187 for two-way players)
- Magic and Thunder: $106,187 per player ($53,094 for two-ways)
- Heat, Raptors, Lakers, and Suns: $53,093 per player ($26,547 for two-ways)
Knicks Sign Jemison, McCullar, Evbuomwan To Two-Way Deals
4:30pm: The Knicks have officially signed Jemison and McCullar to two-way deals, the team’s PR department tweets (Twitter links). Additionally, NBA.com’s transaction log lists Evbuomwan’s deal as a two-way contract, despite the Knicks announcing it as an Exhibit 10.
4:00pm: The Knicks have reached two-way contract agreements with big man Trey Jemison and forward Tosan Evbuomwan, SNY’s Ian Begley reports (Twitter links).
The Knicks will enter training camp with all three two-way slots filled, as Kevin McCullar Jr. is expected to return on another two-way deal, Begley adds. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that McCullar will sign his two-way qualifying offer (Twitter link).
New York worked out Jemison on Monday and obviously the front office and coaches liked what they saw. Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January with the Lakers and remained on their roster for the rest of the season, but was waived in July.
The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with Los Angeles, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans during the 2024/25 season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in ’23/24.
Overall, Jemison has 63 games of NBA experience (14 starts), averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. Jemison, 25, went undrafted out of UAB in 2023.
The Knicks have been busy finalizing their camp roster and announced a handful of other contract signings on Monday, including an Exhibit 10 contract with Evbuomwan. They’ve apparently decided to upgrade that move regarding Evbuomwan.
Evbuomwan had been on a two-way deal with the Nets in 2024/25. Brooklyn waived the 6’8″ British combo forward in August.
After going undrafted out of Princeton in 2023, the former Ivy League Player of the Year linked up with the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, to start his pro career. Evbuomwan signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, then joined Detroit on a 10-day deal, later agreeing to a two-way contract. He started 2024/25 with the Clippers’ NBAGL club, the San Diego Clippers, before inking a two-way deal with Brooklyn in January.
In 28 games with Brooklyn last season, the 24-year-old averaged 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest, with a shooting line of .427/.312/.753.
Knicks Notes: McBride, Brown, Towns, FAs, Anunoby
The Knicks ranked fifth in the NBA last season with a 117.3 offensive rating, but the team’s efficiency dropped over the course of the year, as Stefan Bondy writes for The New York Post. After scoring 119.9 points per 100 possessions prior to the All-Star break, New York ranked 22nd with just 112.3 points per 100 possessions after the break, and the club’s 112.7 offensive rating in the playoffs was the worst of the four conference finalists.
Knicks reserve guard Miles McBride is optimistic that new head coach Mike Brown will help revitalize an offense that slowed down over the season’s final few months.
“Last year, we might’ve gotten a little bit stagnant, and the last couple years,” McBride told Bondy. “And I feel like what [Brown’s] been preaching is just being able to play with pace, and it’s not just the guy with the ball. And everybody is a possibility [to score] and able to take it off the dribble, of course.”
Describing the team as “really hungry” after coming within two wins of an NBA Finals appearance in 2024/25, McBride went into more detail on why his conversations with Brown so far have made him excited about what the Knicks’ offense will look like going forward.
“I’ve talked to [Brown] a lot, and I think the big thing is just going to be a lot of player movement,” McBride said. “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.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Speaking to D.J. Siddiqi of Games Hub a few weeks ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Jalen Brunson referred to the former Timberwolves big man as a “phenomenal” addition for the Knicks both on and off the court. “The things that he’s been able to do in a short period of time being a Knick has been amazing,” Brunson said. “Having him as a teammate has been really fun. I think that gets overlooked how good of a teammate he is. Obviously, he’s a great player and what he does on the court. But the teammate he is and what he brings to the locker room for us is special. So I’m really happy to have him.”
- Veteran free agents Dennis Smith Jr. and Alex Len played well in informal scrimmages on Monday, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), who confirms that Trey Jemison remains on New York’s radar and says the team is finalizing its decisions on who to invite to training camp. Begley also reported the Knicks’ interest in re-signing Matt Ryan before word broke this morning that the two sides had a deal in place.
- How will the Knicks’ coaching change affect OG Anunoby? Fred Katz of The Athletic digs into that question, exploring whether the athletic forward will benefit from Brown’s stated desire to play at a faster pace and whether Anunoby could take on more offensive responsibilities.
Knicks Working Out Alex Len, Trey Jemison
The Knicks continue to tinker around the periphery of their roster. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link), New York is working out a pair of free agents who finished last season with the Lakers, veteran Alex Len and former L.A. two-way player Trey Jemison III.
Bondy previously reported that the Knicks will be working out journeyman guard Dennis Smith Jr., who has been without a team since parting ways with Real Madrid in February.
As Bondy notes, New York can field a roster of up to 21 players heading into training camp.
For now, only 12 players occupy the Knicks’ standard roster. 2025 second-round selection Mohamed Diawara is expected to ink a standard deal with New York, while Kevin McCullar Jr. has a two-way qualifying offer extended his way.
Veteran guards Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews have all agreed to non-guaranteed training camp agreements. New York will only be able to retain one of those non-guaranteed veterans into the regular season because of hard-cap restrictions. That said, it’s possible the Knicks could offload a player or two in a trade to create the cap flexibility necessary to hang onto two of Brogdon, Shamet and Mathews.
For what it’s worth, Jemison remains eligible for a two-way contract, but that’s not the case for Len, a 12-year veteran.
Knicks Notes: Shamet, Mathews, PGs, Beasley, Jemison
With 12 players on standard contracts, the Knicks only have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to carry one more player on a veteran’s minimum contract and one on a rookie minimum contract into the regular season. However, the team will have the ability to fill out its 21-man offseason roster because training camp deals that include Exhibit 9 language don’t count against the cap or the apron until the start of the regular season.
The Knicks agreed on Thursday to non-guaranteed deals with guards Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews, who are expected to compete for that 13th spot on the roster. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, Mathews considered at least one other offer before opting to sign with the Knicks and engage in a training camp battle with Shamet.
While Mathews will receive consideration for a regular season spot, Shamet should have the upper hand in that competition, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who notes that the 28-year-old wing earned “significant respect” within the organization last season for the way he recovered from a preseason shoulder injury and became a contributor in the second half and postseason. Shamet is also close with Knicks forward Mikal Bridges, who signed a four-year extension with the team last month, Bondy adds.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Despite being right up against their hard cap, the Knicks remain on the lookout for a backup point guard, Bondy writes, observing that Malcolm Brogdon is among the notable options still on the market. It’s unclear if the club will bring a point guard or two to camp to compete with Shamet and Mathews, or if the front office is looking for a way to open up enough room below the second apron to carry another veteran into the season.
- While Malik Beasley is among the players that have been on the Knicks’ radar, his legal situation made the team hesitant to sign him, Begley reports. Beasley is being investigated by the NBA due to gambling-related concerns and remains a subject in a federal probe into the same issue.
- The Knicks are considering players outside the organization for their open two-way contract slots, according to Begley, who identifies free agent big man Trey Jemison as one of the players who has drawn interest from the club.
- It appears as if Mike Brown‘s coaching staff for his first season in New York is set. Bondy indicates that Chris Jent, Brendan O’Connor, and Rick Brunson will Brown’s assistants on the front bench, while Darren Erman will move to the back bench.
Lakers Waive Two-Way Player Trey Jemison
The Lakers have waived two-way player Trey Jemison III, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register).
The Lakers have completely revamped their two-way roster. They reportedly are signing Christian Koloko and Chris Manon to fill two of those spots. Jemison held the third and final slot, so the Lakers are now free to sign another player to take his place.
That may have already been determined. The Lakers reportedly agreed to a two-way deal with former Villanova forward Eric Dixon shortly after he went undrafted in June, though the signing isn’t yet official.
Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January. The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with the Lakers, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans during the 2024/25 season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in ’23/24.
Overall, Jemison has 63 games of NBA experience (14 starts), averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game.
Lakers Expected To Keep Trey Jemison, Re-Sign Christian Koloko
The Lakers are likely to bring back two-way players Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko next season, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said in a recent video Q&A session (YouTube link, hat tip to BasketNews).
Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January, so Buha expects L.A. to keep him as one of its three two-way players. The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with the Lakers, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans last season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in 2023/24.
Koloko, who’ll turn 25 this week, joined the Lakers in September after overcoming a blood clot issue that forced him to sit out the 2023/24 season. He appeared in 37 games, averaging 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per night and shot 60.6% from the floor. Koloko will become a restricted free agent if the Lakers submit a qualifying offer, which Buha expects them to do.
“I think it would be a mistake to let him walk without at least trying to retain him,” Buha said. “Koloko makes sense as a 14th or 15th guy on the roster, a third center. And Jemison fits as a two-way guy. I think both guys would tentatively be back.”
The Lakers’ other two-way player from this season, Jordan Goodwin, was promoted to a standard contract in late March. There was speculation that Jemison or Koloko might join him to become eligible for the playoffs, but L.A. opted to keep veteran big man Alex Len, who made two brief appearances in the first-round loss to Minnesota. Coach J.J. Redick played without a center for long stretches as the series wore on.
Buha addressed a few other topics in the video, stating that Jazz center Walker Kessler is probably unrealistic as a trade target and suggesting veteran point guard Chris Paul as a free agent addition on a veteran’s minimum contract.
Lakers Clinch Playoff Berth
It was overshadowed by Luka Doncic‘s emotional return to Dallas, but the Lakers clinched a playoff spot with tonight’s 112-97 win over the Mavericks, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. At 49-31, L.A. can wrap up the No. 3 seed by winning Friday at home against Houston or Sunday at Portland.
Doncic led the way on Wednesday with 45 points after the Mavs welcomed him back with a tribute video during pregame introductions (Twitter link from Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal). Dallas fans cheered wildly for their former franchise player when his name was announced and continued to show their support throughout the game.
“I don’t know how I did it,” Doncic told ESPN (Twitter link). “Because when I was watching that video, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.'”
The improbable addition of Doncic shortly before the trade deadline in February changed the course of the Lakers’ season, setting them up as a dangerous opponent heading into the playoffs. Doncic is surrounded by a roster that’s just as talented as the one he led to the NBA Finals last year, and he appears to be fully healthy after dealing with a string of injuries during the first half of the season.
LeBron James continues to perform at an All-NBA level after turning 40 in December, averaging 24.5 points, 7.9 assists and 8.3 assists in 68 games heading into tonight. He and Doncic are both creative passers with elite court vision and a history of playoff success.
Austin Reaves gives the Lakers a reliable third scorer who can carry the offense on any given night. Reaves has been handed a larger role under first-year coach J.J. Redick and has responded with career highs of 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 71 games.
The Lakers made another significant move at the deadline, acquiring Mark Williams from Charlotte in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft assets, but they later rescinded the deal due to concerns about Williams’ health following his physical. That decision left Jaxson Hayes as the team’s starting center with little proven help off the bench to back him up.
L.A. may have another roster move to make before the regular season ends. Jordan Goodwin was promoted from a two-way contract to a standard deal in late March, and either Christian Koloko or Trey Jemison is reportedly being considered for a spot on the 15-man roster to become eligible for the playoffs. Veteran center Alex Len appears to be most in danger of being waived if that happens.
Lakers Notes: Playoff Picture, Goodwin, Koloko, Jemison, Bronny
“Devastation” is how coach J.J. Redick described the feeling after the Lakers let a lead slip away on Thursday and lost in Chicago on Josh Giddey‘s half-court shot at the buzzer (Twitter video link), writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. led by 18 points in the fourth quarter and was up by five with 12.6 seconds left, but couldn’t close out the game.
Patrick Williams hit a corner three-pointer for the Bulls with 9.8 seconds remaining, then Giddey stole a LeBron James inbounds pass that James called a “horrible turnover.” Coby White nailed a three to put Chicago in front, but Austin Reaves responded with a layup with 3.3 seconds left, setting the stage for Giddey’s heroics.
“It sucks,” Reaves said. “We probably had a high-percentage chance of winning after my layup went in. There’s not many half-court buzzer-beaters to lose a game. And it’s just, it’s frustrating.”
It’s a loss that could have huge playoff implications for the Lakers as the season winds down. L.A. dropped into a tie with the Grizzlies for fourth place at 44-29 ahead of a trip to Memphis on Saturday. Both teams are two losses ahead of the Clippers and Warriors and three losses ahead of the Timberwolves as the race for the six automatic playoff spots in the West becomes tighter.
“There’s another game in two days, less than two days, that’s how you do it,” James said. “That’s the NBA. You can’t go into a game on Saturday thinking about what happened on Thursday.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Jordan Goodwin had eight points, a steal and two blocks in his first game since being promoted to the 15-man roster. Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s contest, Redick cited “competitive spirit” and “toughness” as the main things Goodwin brings to the team, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). “I joked with him this morning, he can’t get soft on us now,” Redick said. “He’s been a banshee for us since he’s been with us on the two-way and has provided not just the attitude, the toughness on the court, but he’s played some really good basketball for us. We’re very confident in him.”
- Two-way players Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison could be battling for another promotion before the season ends, Jovan Buha of The Athletic states in his latest podcast (hat tip to BasketNews). Buha notes that Koloko is more of a rim protector, while Jemison contributes on both ends of the court. He expects both players to be given minutes over the final nine games to help the coaching staff determine who would be more valuable in a playoff series.
- Bronny James turned in his best G League performance this week with a 39-point outing for the South Bay Lakers, per Chuck Schilken of The Los Angeles Times. James admits being motivated by those who doubt that he can succeed at the highest level. “Just that I belong out there,” he said. “That’s all I’m trying to prove. A lot of people say I don’t, but I just come out, work every day, try to get better every day and prove myself every day. … All the criticism that’s thrown my way, it’s just amazing to shut all that down and keep going.”