Hoops Wire

Category: Knicks

Latest New York Knicks Rumors and News.

  • Knicks Expected to be at Full Strength vs. Short-Handed Cavs

    Knicks Expected to be at Full Strength vs. Short-Handed Cavs

    AKRON, Ohio — While the Cavaliers can’t seem to catch a break (but they sure have caught some strains and sprains), the Knicks are apparently fully healthy.RJ Barrett drives vs. the Cavs

    We know this because the Knicks have no one listed on their injury report.

    As we relayed here, the Cavs (1-2) will be missing starting point guard Darius Garland (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (ankle). They could also be without Donovan Mitchell (hamstring), who’s listed as questionable.

    All three starters were out Saturday against the Pacers and it didn’t go so well. Cleveland has yet to win at home. 

    After Tuesday’s matchup, the Cavs and Knicks (1-2) will each hop on their own plane and travel to New York to play again on Wednesday.

    Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he’d rather the Cavs be missing players now than at the end of the season, and you can’t blame him for that.

    But for the fans, it’s tough to see their favorite team go without some of its biggest guns. Especially when you’re getting ready to face the team that ended your 2022-23 season in the playoffs.

    Small forward RJ Barrett leads the Knicks in scoring through three games at 22.7 points, while point guard Jalen Brunson is averaging 20.0 points and 5.3 assists.

  • Knicks Exercise Option on Quentin Grimes

    Knicks Exercise Option on Quentin Grimes

    The Knicks have exercised their contract option on shooting guard Quentin Grimes, as relayed by Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.Quentin Grimes

    The move was expected and will make Grimes eligible for a contract extension in the offseason.

    Grimes, 23, is 6-foot-5 and averaged 11.3 points in 71 games last season, his second in the NBA. The No. 25 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Houston, he’s averaging 7.3 points through the first three games this year.

    Grimes has been starting alongside Jalen Brunson in the backcourt, but is shooting just 36 percent from the field in the first three games.

    New York (1-2) visits Cleveland for an Eastern Conference playoff rematch on Tuesday. The teams square off again Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

  • NBA Notes: Donovan Mitchell, Knicks, Charles Barkley, Rudy Gobert

    NBA Notes: Donovan Mitchell, Knicks, Charles Barkley, Rudy Gobert

    Knicks

    The Knicks fell short of meeting the Jazz’s trade demands in 2022 because they didn’t view Donovan Mitchell as a franchise-carrying player, former GM Scott Perry said on an episode of The Hoop Genius podcast, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.Donovan Mitchell

    “Obviously we made a push to trade for him,” Perry said on the podcast.

    “But it was going to be done within reason. He was a good player but he needed more around him to win. Because if he was that singular force, Utah probably would’ve been in the conference finals if he were that singular force. But he wasn’t that singular force. That’s not a criticism against him. That’s just an evaluation that you must make.” 

    Obviously, the Knicks backed off … and the Cavaliers snuck in. But the rumors of Mitchell-to-New York aren’t about to die.

    For now, Cavs fans are glad the Knicks failed to land him. They don’t really need to worry about what’s next all that much. And frankly, neither do the Knicks.

    But either way, in New York, the time wasn’t right when negotiating with the Jazz.

    “(Mitchell’s) an excellent basketball player. Multi-year All-Star. Tremendous young man. New York kid,” Perry said. “But you got to ask yourself, if the other team you’re tracking with is wanting to take two-thirds or three-quarters of all your young talent, and all of your draft capital, is what’s left behind going to good enough for you to win rather than hold on to what you have and be a little patient?”

    Media

    NBA legend Charles Barkley may be a star on TNT, but he said there’s no way he’s working another decade, via Awful Announcing.

    Yeah, there’s no chance I’m gonna do 10 years,” Barkley said. “They wanted me to sign for 10 years to make people think I wasn’t leaving. I honestly, to be honest with you, that does keep me up at night. And I think about it a lot. And I don’t want to overstep.

    “There’s a great line in the movie, American Gangster with Denzel Washington, the guy says, ‘quitting on top ain’t the same as quitting.’ And I was like, why do people stay until the end of their success? What’s wrong with quitting while you’re still having success, and you’re at the top of the game? And I weigh that a lot in my mind, ’cause like I say, I don’t, I’m not….there’s zero chance I’m gonna be on TV when I’m 70. Zero.”

    Timberwolves

    Center Rudy Gobert said he’s already feeling good early in the season, via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

    “Not even my old self. I feel better than I’ve ever felt, because I feel like I’m stronger than I’ve been. The experience that I have now, you add that to the rest of the abilities that I have, I think that’s the best that I’ve been.”

  • Knicks Bringing Back Duane Washington on Two-Way Deal

    Knicks Bringing Back Duane Washington on Two-Way Deal

    The Knicks intend to bring back shooting guard Duane Washington Jr. on a two-way contract, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv.Duane Washington Jr

    Washington, 23, was among several players waived by New York on Saturday — but then the Knicks converted Dylan Windler‘s two-way contract to a standard deal. So that opened a two-way slot.

    Washington, 23, is 6-foot-3 and also finished last season on a two-way contract with the Knicks. He spent the first part of the year on a two-way deal with the Suns and averaged 7.9 points on 37 percent shooting. He spent his rookie year with the Pacers, averaging 9.9 points in 48 games.

    Washington did not appear in a game with the Knicks after signing last season, but clearly they liked what they saw enough to bring him back and keep him in the organization.

    New York will have all three of its two-way spots filled once the move becomes official. The Knicks also have a full roster of 15 players on guaranteed deals.

  • Knicks Convert Dylan Windler Contract to Standard Deal

    Knicks Convert Dylan Windler Contract to Standard Deal

    The Knicks are converting the contract of guard/forward Dylan Windler from a two-way to a standard deal, per Keith Smith of Spotrac.Dylan Windler

    Windler’s new contract is for one year, though not guaranteed, added Fred Katz of The Athletic.

    Windler, 27, spent his entire with the Cavaliers, who chose him with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But Cleveland did not extend a qualifying offer after the season, making him a free agent.

    The Knicks signed him to a two-way deal at the end of July. Windler normally wouldn’t have been eligible for such a contract, given that he’s been in the NBA for four seasons. But he missed all of his rookie year, so has actually only played in three.

    Still, he has been riddled with injuries in his first four seasons, appearing in a total of just 84 games. He played just three games with Cleveland last year.

    After missing all of his rookie year, Windler bounced back to average a career-high 5.2 points in his second season, showing flashes of promise. But given how little he’s been able to stay on the floor since, it wouldn’t have made sense for the Cavs to issue the $5 million qualifying offer this past summer.

    New York now has 15 players on guaranteed standard deals.

  • Knicks Cut Duane Washington, Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin

    Knicks Cut Duane Washington, Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin

    The Knicks have waived shooting guard Duane Washington Jr., forward/center Mamadi Diakite and point guard Brandon Goodwin, per the NBA transactions log.Duane Washington Jr

    All three players are likely headed to the Westchester Knicks of the G League, where they will be eligible for a bonus of up to $75,000 should they remain on the roster for at least 60 days.

    Washington, 23, is 6-foot-3 and finished last season on a two-way contract with the Knicks. He spent the first part of the season on a two-way deal with the Suns and averaged 7.9 points on 37 percent shooting. He spent his rookie year with the Pacers, averaging 9.9 points in 48 games.

    Diakite, 27, is 6-9 and had been playing for Macabbi Ra’Anana during the Israeli club’s preseason tour of the NBA. He spent last season with the Cavaliers on a two-way deal, appearing in 22 games. He has also spent time with the Thunder and Bucks since entering the NBA in 2020.

    Goodwin, 28, is 6-0 and also played for the Cavs last season, appearing in 48 games and averaging 4.8 points and 2.5 assists. He has spent time with the Hawks and Nuggets as well, playing 49 NBA games overall.

    New also recently waived forward Isaiah Roby and rookie small forward Jaylen Martin, as our Brandon Santomauro relayed here.

  • Knicks Sign Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin

    Knicks Sign Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin

    The Knicks have center Mamadi Diakite and point guard Brandon Goodwin to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced in a press release.Mamadi Diakite

    Along with those moves, New York announced it has waived big man Nathan Knight.

    All three players should end up with the Westchester Knicks of the G League. Because of the Exhibit 10 language in their deals, they will be eligible for a $75,000 bonus should they remain with Westchester for 60 days.

    Diakite, 27, is 6-foot-9 and has been playing for Macabbi Ra’Anana during the Israeli club’s preseason tour of the NBA. He spent last season with the Cavaliers on a two-way deal, appearing in 22 games. He has also spent time with the Thunder and Bucks since entering the NBA in 2020.

    Goodwin, 28, is 6-0 and also played for the Cavs last season, appearing in 48 games and averaging 4.8 points and 2.5 assists. He has spent time with the Hawks and Nuggets as well, playing 49 NBA games overall.

    Knight, 26, is 6-10 and was signed to a two-way deal — and the fact he was waived gives the Knicks two such available slots. He has appeared in 108 games total over three seasons with the Hawks, and most recently, the Timberwolves.

    The Knicks have 20 players under contract.

  • Knicks Waive Isaiah Roby, Jaylen Martin

    Knicks Waive Isaiah Roby, Jaylen Martin

    The New York Knicks have waived forward Isaiah Roby and undrafted two-way rookie Jaylen Martin, per the NBA transactions log.Isaiah Roby

    The Knicks employ only 12 players on guaranteed contracts, three short of the maximum, so this meant Roby had a lot of competition regarding position battles at training camp. With five other non-guaranteed contract players, it was known that multiple players on the preseason roster were going to be cut.

    As was the case for rookie Martin, whose two-way contract looks like it could now belong to either scoring threat Duane Washington Jr. or the versatile defender Jacob Toppin, each of whom is currently on a training camp contract. 

    When talking about making the final cuts to the roster, Tom Thibodeau said, via Fred Katz of The Athletic: “It’s really true. It’s going to be a difficult decision. That’s how close they are. They’ve all done a terrific job.”

    Roby, 25, was drafted in the second round with the 45th pick in the 2019 draft. From 2020-22, Roby started in 62 out of 106 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.

    Despite providing adequate production, the 6-foot-8 Nebraska standout was let go by the Thunder last season and subsequently picked up off waivers by the Spurs, where he averaged 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds. Coming off a good preseason of scoring eight points in 13 minutes for the Knicks, there are certainly teams around the league that will be interested in Roby, who could be a viable stretch-four option.

    Martin, 19, is 6-6 and signed a two-way deal with the Knicks after going undrafted. In this year’s summer league, Martin averaged 13 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and one steal in 30 minutes per game.

    Neither Roby nor Martin were on guaranteed contracts, so there will be no money owed by the Knicks. To point out, the team will still have reductions to make in the week ahead, as there are 19 players on the current roster, with only 12 fully guaranteed contract slots to fill.

  • East Notes: Knicks, RJ Barrett, Sixers, James Harden, Celtics

    East Notes: Knicks, RJ Barrett, Sixers, James Harden, Celtics

    Knicks

    Guard/forward RJ Barrett suggested the Knicks can’t be worried about what outsiders think or are predicting for the season.

    “I think we’re still always going to be doubted and overlooked regardless,” Barrett said, via Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “That’s not really what’s important. We want to win. People can say we’re the greatest team ever or we’re the worst team ever, we’re trying to win. It doesn’t really matter what anybody else says except the people that are in there fighting together and working together every day. … We know the expectations we have of ourselves and we kind of work to that standard every day.”

    • Coach Tom Thibodeau said he’s not too worried about a GM poll that predicted the Knicks will finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. “Yeah, I put a lot of stock in that,” he joked, via Braziller.

    76ers

     

    Coach Nick Nurse wasn’t real pleased with how things went in a preseason loss to the Celtics on Wednesday — despite the fact many big names did not play for either side.

    “A night where we didn’t look very good,” Nurse said, via Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “… That was more what I thought would happen the first [game] with the offense, and it kind of got to us tonight with a few lineup changes.”

    • Center Joel Embiid and guard James Harden are healthy, but neither has suited up for the Sixers’ first two preseason games. Nurse would not say if either will play in the next, Monday at Brooklyn.
    • The Sixers are not close on anything resembling a trade when it comes to Harden, league sources told Hoops Wire. The situation remains in limbo.

    Celtics

    Guard Payton Pritchard said he hopes to offer several aspects to the Celtics this season — and not just outside shooting.

    “Obviously I can be able to stretch the floor out and be able to maybe hit 3s and stuff like that, but I really try to hang my hat on the energy plays and picking up and little things like that to change the game,” Pritchard said, via Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com. “Obviously we’ve got unbelievable players, so scoring is not something we necessarily need. So I’ve gotta find ways to always affect the game.”

    • Pritchard also addressed his recent contract extension. “It feels really good,” he said. “Just to be secure, lock it in and be a part of a great organization, a great city. Obviously, I think this is the best basketball organization and city in the NBA.”
  • Knicks Sign Ryan Arcidiacono to Camp Deal; Waive Dmytro Skapintsev

    Knicks Sign Ryan Arcidiacono to Camp Deal; Waive Dmytro Skapintsev

    The Knicks have signed guard Ryan Arcidiacono and waived center Dmytro Skapintsev, the team announced in a pair of press releases.Ryan Arcidiacono

    Arcidiacono received an Exhibit 9 contract for training camp, per Ian Begly of SNY.tv. In short, he will count toward the preseason roster of 21 but not the regular-season roster unless he receives a standard deal.

    Arcidiacono, 29, is 6-foot-3 and became a favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau, Begley reports. He becomes the fourth former Villanova player in camp, joining Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and newcomer Donte DiVincenzo. Arcidiacono is said to be particularly close with Brunson.

    That said, Arcidiacono very well could be headed back to the Westchester Knicks of the G League after spending the past two-and-half seasons with New York. He was traded to the Trail Blazers as part of the Hart deal in February, then later waived in April.

    He appeared in 20 games combined with the Knicks and Blazers last season, spending the first four years of his career with the Bulls.

    Skapintsev, 25, is 7-1 and signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Knicks in August. He appeared in five Summer League games with the Knicks, averaging 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds.

  • East Notes: Heat, Kevin Love, Knicks, Immanuel Quickley, Bucks

    East Notes: Heat, Kevin Love, Knicks, Immanuel Quickley, Bucks

    Heat

    Knicks

    Guard Immanuel Quickley and the Knicks have yet to take part in any serious talks on a contract extension, per Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports.

    “No substantive stuff. There is basically a month or so, but in these things, that is plenty of time,” a source told Deveney.

    The Knicks will again have a crowded backcourt with the likes of Quickley, Jalen Brunson, newcomer Donte DiVincenzo and even Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes.

    “(Quickley) is going to want nine figures,” a team executive told Deveney. “And that’s for four years. I can’t say the Knicks will go that high but they might have to. He is not a guy you want to send to restricted free agency.”

    Bucks

    New coach Adrian Griffin indicated he isn’t concerned with comments from star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who recently implied the pressure is on the Bucks to keep him in Milwaukee.

    “He wants to win and I want to win and it’s that simple,” Griffin said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “So I respect him. I respect what he’s accomplished in this league and we’re here together to win. So I have no problem with that. I think it’s a great partnership. We’re going to lead the team together. When he leads, the others will follow, so I think it’s great.”

    Griffin added that he doesn’t feel any added pressure after Antetokoumpo’s comments, and suggested that winning cures all.

    “Absolutely not. We’re here. We’re aligned. We’re here to win,” Griffin said. “And the one thing I talked to my team and our staff about is just embracing expectations. I have a really good roster. Instead of running from it, we want to embrace it. It just takes one day at a time though. Yes, we want to go far and deep into April, May and June but it’s about just one step at a time and taking care of our controllables and it starts with practice.”

  • Team USA Notes: Austin Reaves, Bobby Portis, Josh Hart

    Team USA Notes: Austin Reaves, Bobby Portis, Josh Hart

    Team USA seems to be having no issue as favorites at the FIBA World Cup, with the latest example being a route of Greece for a second straight double-digit win in group play.Austin Reaves

    Lakers guard Austin Reaves led the way with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds, and some are calling him the Americans’ best player so far.

    Bucks forward Bobby Portis told reporters the early success is all about teamwork and chemistry.

    “We stand together, obviously, it’s a journey, a long road ahead for us,” he said. “Two more weeks left with this team, and hopefully, we can get to the final round. We’ve been together for three and a half weeks now. Nobody complains about playing time, everybody plays for each other, playing for the name you find on this jersey. That’s what this brand is about: playing for each other, going out here, winning and having fun.”

    Added Knics guard Jalen Brunson: “For us it’s all about feel and how we just need to attack the game as soon as we step on that court,” Brunson said. “We’re still growing, we’re still learning and we still have a lot of time to get better.”

    • Coach Steve Kerr indicated he has been particularly impressed with Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart, who collected 11 rebounds off the bench vs. Greece. “People ask, what position does he play? He plays winner,” Kerr said, via Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I don’t know what position he plays, but he gets loose balls. He guards anybody. At one point, Spo (Erik Spoelstra) turned to me and said, ‘Some people get 50-50 balls. He gets to 30-70 balls,’ and I thought that was really well said.”
    • Kerr added that Team USA is continuing to adjust to international rules, which tend to allow for a more physical style of play than the NBA. “Everybody is going to try to beat the crap out of us because that’s their best chance to beat us,” Kerr told reporters.
  • Knicks Suing Raptors, Accuse Ex-Employee of Sharing Proprietary Files With Coach

    Knicks Suing Raptors, Accuse Ex-Employee of Sharing Proprietary Files With Coach

    The Knicks have filed a lawsuit against the Raptors and several members of their organization, as relayed by Ian Begley and Alex Smith of SNY.tv.New York Knicks logo

    Among those being sued is a former Knicks employee who is now employed by the Raptors. That employee “illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position” in Toronto, an MSG/Knicks spokesperson said in a statement to Begley and Smith.

    The lawsuit names former Knicks assistant video coordinator and player development assistant Ikechukwu Azotam as the employee who funned “confidential” information to the Raptors, including new coach Darko Rajakovic.

    Per the report, the Knicks contacted the Raptors and the NBA prior to filing the lawsuit.

    “These files include confidential information such as play frequency reports, a prep book for the 2022-23 season, video scouting files and materials and more,” the statement read. “Given the clear violation of our employment agreement, criminal and civil law, we were left no choice but to take this action.”

    Azotam left his job with the Knicks and joined the Raptors this offseason, the lawsuit says, per Begley and Smith. After landing the job, he began to share “scouting reports, play frequency reports, a prep book, and a link to third-party licensed software,” the suit read.

    “The Defendants’ actions have caused and will continue to cause damage to the Knicks and, unless restrained, will further damage the Knicks, the nature and extent of which may not be able to be proven with certainty,” the suit continued.

    “As a first time NBA head coach, Defendant Rajaković would be expected to bring his own organizational structure and coaching method. Apparently, given his non-traditional path to his head coaching job, Defendant Rajaković did not have his own, so he chose to exploit the Knicks’ methods.”

  • NBA Christmas Day Games Revealed

    NBA Christmas Day Games Revealed

    The full 2023-24 NBA schedule is expected to be released later this month, but already, there have been some leaks.Stephen Curry drives past Jamal Murray

    As our Brandon Santomauro relayed here, we now know the four teams that will be playing on opening night — the Lakers, Warriors, Suns and defending champion Nuggets.

    But that’s not all. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the five Christmas Day games have also been set. Those games also involve the usual suspects, and despite the fact the Lakers finished with the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference last season, LeBron James is always a draw.

    So he again will play on Christmas Day, less than a week before his 39th birthday.

    Here are all the Christmas games for 2023, per Charania:

    • Bucks at Knicks
    • 76ers at Heat
    • Celtics at Lakers
    • Mavericks at Suns
    • Warriors at Nuggets

    Perhaps the most interesting of these teams are the 76ers, who may or may not have James Harden, and the Mavericks, who couldn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament last season. Harden has requested a trade and the Mavs are again trying to make it work with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

    Anyway, the NBA’s biggest challenge on Christmas Day isn’t the fact that many people are hanging out enjoying time with their families and limiting TV time — it’s that the NFL now plays Christmas Day games, too.

    Nonetheless, pro basketball has a strong and traditional fanbase in its own right, and the aforementioned are the games that will be delivered to them on Christmas Day.

    For the record, the full NBA schedule was released on August 17 last year, and August 20 the year before that.