The Knicks could get one of their starters back in the lineup on Tuesday. Forward OG Anunoby is listed as questionable to play against Indiana, New York Basketball tweets. Anunoby has missed the last three games due to a right foot sprain suffered during a non-contact play on Feb. 1.
The fact that Anunoby’s status was upgraded came as somewhat of a surprise, since ESPN’s Shams Charania reported over the weekend that Anunoby was expected to return after the All-Star Game.
We have more on the New York teams:
- Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau went with a smaller lineup in the second half against Boston on Saturday, inserting guard Miles McBride in place of power forward/center Precious Achiuwa, the New York Post’s Peter Botte notes. New York did rally from a 13-point deficit to cut the Celtics’ lead to three, but Boston then took command and won by 27. “That was part of the reason why we put Deuce in the second half just to get the shooting, because of the help that was coming from the back side, just to try and open it up for [Karl-Anthony Towns] a little bit more,” Thibodeau said.
- On the flip side, the Knicks might go with a big lineup once center Mitchell Robinson finally returns to action, Botte reports. Towns could move to power forward once Robinson, who’s hopeful of suiting up by March 1, settles in. Towns is excited at that prospect. “Just a tall lineup, and it’s gonna be exciting to kind of explore that lineup,” Towns said. “It should give me … I have some familiarity with it with Rudy (Gobert), so it’ll be something that I’ll tap into that kind of potential well.”
- Cameron Johnson was prominently mentioned as a trade candidate for months but ultimately the Nets wound up retaining him. He can breathe easier until the offseason. “At least there’s gonna be a little cushion, where it’s gonna calm down and then, who knows? Maybe it picks up again,” Johnson said, per Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. “But I just can’t give my energy towards that, I gotta focus on what we’re doing here.” Johnson has been dealing with trade chatter since the Nets-Knicks Mikal Bridges blockbuster last offseason. “It was just different, it was a completely different experience for me,” he says. “I think that the rumors have been moving quickly since Mikal got traded, and maybe even before then. Every time my agent called me over the summer, it’s like, ‘Oh, is something going down? I don’t know.’”
- Ben Simmons gave back $1.1MM in his buyout with the Nets, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. He’ll essentially recoup that money once he signs a prorated veteran’s minimum deal with the Clippers, Smith notes. Simmons intends to sign with the Los Angeles club once he clears waivers.