Elfrid Payton will be given every opportunity to become the Knicks’ starting point guard next season, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Payton agreed to a two-year, $16MM deal with a team option for the second season. Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina are the other candidates for the starting role, though the team has shopped Ntilikina, Begley continues. It’s unclear whether the Knicks would consider a backcourt pairing of Payton and Smith, who started at the point after being acquired from the Mavericks last season.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors have to make more roster moves, regardless of whether Kawhi Leonard stays or goes, Blake Murphy of The Athletic notes. They currently have 10 players under standard NBA contracts, one on a two-way and another on an Exhibit 10 deal. With the Raptors’ needs in mind, Murphy takes a deep dive into the options still on the free agent market at each position.
- Knicks second-year center Mitchell Robinson has been invited to join the Select Team at USA Basketball’s training camp, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets. Robinson averaged 7.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 2.4 BPG in his rookie campaign.
- The competition between centers Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan will be the biggest preseason battle in Nets’ camp, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Allen, 21, is seemingly a core piece for the franchise but the presence of Jordan, a close friend of Kevin Durant who agreed to a four-year, $40MM contract, creates a potential dilemma. Jordan may have lost a step, Lewis notes, but he’s been a starter throughout his career.
Jordan will have a big role while KD is out and may share the floor at times with JA lining up at the 4. Outside of that, Jordan’s a professional and will work it out. He helped Mitchell Robinson develop and will do the same with JA.
the Lakers should have offered 45M over 4 years and signed him. 40M sounds too low, lol
Lol, why would they offer that when they could sign kawhi instead?
Who knows what this means in Fiz World. Probably another time sharing arrangement in the making where we don’t develop or learn about anyone.
I’m not a fan of DSJ, but it’s kind of weird because the Stooges all said they loved him, and now he’s already on the backup track. Starting Payton and DSJ-? Funny. We have 5 players (including two returning young rotation guys, the 3rd pick in the draft and two newly signed FAs) that would be considered SGs, and they’re all better players than DSJ. We can’t get them all consistent minutes as it is. Would love to see their plan, just to know there is one.
You do realize Fizdale isnt in the front office, right? Your issues with him are incredibly ridiculous
He will rotate them oddly and after making odd pronouncements to the media. Remember?
My main issues with the HC revolve around his feeble performance at the things he said he was great at, player and team development. The first was limited, and the second non-existent. Not surprising considering the lack of consistent roles and minutes, and a complete lack of accountability. These are coaching issues.
BTW, the HC is, in effect, part of the FO, or at least an extension of it, or should be. There are 3 smiling faces on this pig, and nobody’s accountable? Mills ain’t because, after all, he’s not a basketball guy. Perry ain’t, because he just evaluates personnel, and doesn’t have the final say. Fizdale ain’t, because just coaches the guys. Hey let’s blame Dolan.
Mitchell Robinson just needs minutes. Play him 32 mins a night and he might win defensive player of the year
He’d foul out every game. Plays 20M a game and averages 3 fouls a game. Per 36 he’d average almost 6 a game.
I don’t care which of them starts, but Jarrett Allen better be playing more minutes than DJ. I’m gonna be bummed if all the roster- and culture building we’ve slogged through over the past half decade goes out the window just because we had enough money to spend on these three dudes. We were finally getting a good team vibe going.
Enjoy your NBA Championship Raptors fans you might not get another in years. Kawhi and Danny Green are both in LA now.