The Knicks remain interested in signing point guard Tony Wroten, who was released by the Sixers in December, but the degree of their interest in Wroten is unclear at this point, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports. In a rundown of ways New York can improve in 2016, Begley, unsurprisingly, first lists bolstering the backcourt. The Knicks remain interested in Brandon Jennings, but were not impressed with what they saw in him when New York played the Pistons recently, sources told Begley. Adding a player from the D-League is another option for the Knicks, and Jimmer Fredette, who is playing with the team’s affiliate in Westchester, is one logical candidate, Begley adds.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Contrary to what seems to be the popular belief among fans and pundits alike, Sixers coach Brett Brown still thinks centers Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor can effectively coexist on the floor, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer details. Hoops Rumors’ Chris Crouse recently examined Okafor as a trade candidate. Many fans, Pompey writes, view Noel as the preferred trade chip, however. Having two players essentially playing the same position poses significant problems like spacing issues, but Brown seems determined to make it work, Pompey adds.“If we can really get these guys comfortable on spacing with each other to give those shooters or Ish Smith the driving lanes, it’s one of those ‘have-tos’ that we touch every single day,” Brown said.
- Marcus Smart isn’t quite yet up to full speed for the Celtics after returning from a knee injury, but he is close to being able to play his usual amount of minutes, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. Smart’s presence is needed for the Celtics because the second-year guard is one of the league’s top young defenders and Boston is dealing with a few nagging injuries, Blakely adds.