The Knicks are expected to sign 2014 No. 51 pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo, sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post. Thursday’s release of Ricky Ledo opened the door for the move, according to Berman. The team told Antetokoumpo’s camp this spring that it would likely sign him to the NBA roster after he spent this past season playing for New York’s D-League affiliate, but agent Tim Lotsos later raised the specter of the small forward playing overseas this year if the Knicks didn’t follow through.
Antetokounmpo, now 23, had an up-and-down performance for the Knicks summer league squad, but his final game, in which he went 7 for 7 and scored 17 points, sent him out on a high note, as Berman details. The brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game in the D-League this past season.
The Knicks have also reportedly spoken with former Phil Jackson pupil Sasha Vujacic. New York has 11 fully guaranteed contracts, presuming that the team’s deal with Louis Amundson is one of them, and three partially guaranteed arrangements. That leaves room for Antetokoumpo, Vujacic, and a big man like Kevin Seraphin and Carlos Boozer, whom the Knicks are reportedly targeting. Teams can carry as many as 20 players during the offseason before cutting down to the 15-man regular season limit.