Knicks second-round pick Louis Labeyrie will remain with Paris-Levallois of France rather than sign with New York for the coming season, as Shams Charania of RealGM writes in an update to his story about fellow Knicks second-rounder Thanasis Antetokounmpo. The news on Labeyrie means New York will stash two of its three second-rounders from this past June, with Antetokounmpo apparently headed to the D-League. The Knicks signed 34th overall pick Cleanthony Early to a minimum-salary deal a few weeks ago.
The Pacers took Labeyrie 57th overall and promptly traded his rights to the Knicks on draft night. The 6’10” forward/center was a surprise selection, having been ranked 115th in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com draft prospect listings, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress also left him out of his top 100. The 22-year-old is coming off a season in which averaged just 5.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.6 minutes a game for his French team.
Charania suggests that the Knicks will revisit the idea of bringing Labeyrie stateside next summer. It would have been a tough squeeze if New York had tried to bring him onto the roster for this season, since the team is already carrying 15 players. The only Knick known not to have a full guarantee on his deal is Samuel Dalembert, who figures to play a prominent role after coming over in the Tyson Chandler trade.