New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors Notes: VanVleet, Anunoby, Siakam, Hernangomez

September 26th, 2022 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has the ability to become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he turns down his player option for the 2023/24 season. At Monday’s Media Day, he and team president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri were noncommittal about whether a contract extension will get done in the coming weeks, but both sides expressed enthusiasm about continuing the relationship, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (Twitter links).

“I’ll just say I love being a Raptor,” VanVleet said. “… There’s nothing I could ever complain about being on this team. You guys will know when it’s time to know, but I’m happy with where I am and I think it’s a mutual love.”

Ujiri stated that the team is in a “good place” with VanVleet after some initial extension conversations.

“Whether it’s now or later on, Fred is beloved to us,” Ujiri said. “… Hopefully we’ll figure (it out).”

Here are a few more notes out of Toronto:

O.G. Anunoby told reporters today that he was “surprised” by an offseason report claiming that he was unhappy with his role on offense, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I haven’t really talked about role with (head coach) Nick (Nurse),” Anunoby said. “We’re all just trying to get better and everything will fall into place.”
After making an All-Star team and earning a pair of All-NBA nods, Pascal Siakam is setting even higher expectations for himself, telling reporters today that his goal is to become a “top-five” player in the NBA. “I want to be one of the best and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there,” Siakam said, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link). “I’m ready for it. It’s time.”
Before he signed with the Raptors, Juancho Hernangomez spoke to fellow Spaniards Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon, and Sergio Scariolo about the franchise and the city of Toronto, tweets Lewenberg. The input Hernangomez received from former Raptors assistant Scariolo, in particular, played a major part in his decision.
The Raptors let their tender window for Jalen Harris lapse, which made him an unrestricted free agent and allowed the Knicks to sign him outright, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet and The Fan 590. Toronto had the ability to retain Harris, but the team already had a full camp roster and opted to let him go.

Knicks Sign Jalen Harris

September 25th, 2022 at 8:46pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks have signed free agent guard Jalen Harris, the team’s public relations department announced (via Twitter). The details of the agreement weren’t released, but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 deal designed to get Harris to play for New York’s G League affiliate.

Harris, 24, was banned for one year from the NBA in July of 2021 for violating the terms of the anti-drug program. He appeared in just 13 games with the Raptors before that. Toronto drafted him No. 59 overall in 2021 after he played collegiately at Louisiana Tech and Nevada.

Harris averaged 7.4 points in 13.2 minutes with the Raptors, shooting 50% from the floor. While serving his suspension, Harris also played in Italy and Canada.

The Raptors reportedly gave Harris a two-way qualifying offer after he was reinstated by the NBA in August. That qualifying offer would theoretically have given Toronto the right to match any rival offer he received, so it seems the team either dropped the QO or opted not to match the Knicks’ deal.

The Knicks now have 19 players under contract with training camp set to start this week.

Knicks Waive Nuni Omot, Garrison Brooks

September 25th, 2022 at 4:54pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks have waived forwards Nuni Omot and Garrison Brooks, per the team’s public relations department (Twitter link). Both players were signed to Exhibit 10 deals and will head to the club’s G League affiliate, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

New York now has 18 players under contract. This includes Feron Hunt and Trevor Keels, who are both signed to two-way contracts. The team will open its training camp this week.

Omot, 6’9, played in Puerto Rico last season. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists, appearing in 20.1 minutes per game. The 27-year-old went undrafted out of Baylor in 2018.

Brooks, also 6’9″, most recently played at Mississippi State. The 23-year-old held per-game averages of 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds, shooting 50%. He also played four collegiate seasons at North Carolina.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks Rotation, Barrett, Udoka

September 25th, 2022 at 4:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks team president Leon Rose will not impose minutes limits or rotational guidelines on head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s lineups this season in New York, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “We love our young players, too,” Rose said during an interview with the team’s cable channel MSG Network.

“Thibs decides who plays, how many minutes, what the rotations are. The one thing I know about Thibs – he’s going to make decisions based on who is going to win us a basketball game. That’s his role and I have full confidence in that.” During a lottery-bound year last season, the team’s intriguing young players Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes were all still given relatively limited run in favor of the team’s older starters.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Though newly-extended Knicks small forward RJ Barrett may still have All-Star upside, he has plenty to prove in New York, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I will not be surprised if that contract ends up looking as an overpay,” an NBA source tells Berman. “But I don’t blame the Knicks for signing him to an extension. Expectations aside, he’s improved into a solid starter in the NBA who can provide offense. I don’t think he’s good enough to be a top-three guy on your team. But some views on him are colored by expectations as a No. 3 pick in the [2019] draft.”
Celtics employees are grappling with fallout from the bombshell news of Boston’s year-long suspension of head coach Ime Udoka following a workplace affair with a female staff member, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “We have a lot of talented women in our organization and I thought yesterday was really hard on them,” team president Brad Stevens said on Friday in addressing rampant online speculation about the identity of the female staffer with whom Udoka engaged in an affair. “I think that nobody can control Twitter speculation… But I do think we as an organization have a responsibility to make sure we’re there to support them now, because a lot of people were dragged unfairly into that.”

Arrival Of Jalen Brunson Means New Role For Julius Randle

September 25th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ signing of Jalen Brunson means Julius Randle will have to adjust to an off-the-ball role, notes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Randle has been one of the team’s primary playmakers over the past three seasons, but Braziller expects him to see fewer isolation plays and more post-ups and spot-up shots.

Knicks Notes: L. Rose, Brunson, Barrett, Thibodeau

September 24th, 2022 at 8:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though his pursuit of Donovan Mitchell fell through, Knicks president Leon Rose said on Friday in a television interview that he’s “thrilled” with the roster heading into training camp, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Bondy points out that Rose made his comments to MSG Network, which is owned by Knicks owner James Dolan. Under Dolan’s direction, the team has been boycotting outside media apart from sessions that are mandated by the league.

“We went through that process (of trying to trade for Mitchell) and at the end of the day we made a decision to stay put,” Rose said. “And we’re thrilled with where we are. Taking a look at the summer, we feel great about what transpired.”

Rose emphasized “internal stability” that was created by re-signing Mitchell Robinson, giving RJ Barrett a four-year, $107MM extension that carries the largest yearly salary in team history and retaining the team’s 11 first-round picks over the next seven years. Rose also touted the free agency addition of Jalen Brunson, who is being counted on to solve a long-standing problem at point guard.

“He fills one of the biggest voids that we have. The starting point guard,” Rose said. “That is such an important role on our team. We needed that person that was going stabilize us.”

There’s more from New York:

Even though he got his extension, Barrett was treated poorly by the Knicks this summer, Bondy contends in a separate story. Barrett had to listen to weeks of rumors that he was headed to Utah as part of the package for Mitchell, and Bondy called the eventual extension announcement “sloppy” because it was tweeted by the team shortly after news broke that Mitchell was headed to Cleveland. The Knicks also didn’t have a press conference to celebrate Barrett’s extension because of Dolan’s media blackout.
Coach Tom Thibodeau may start to feel some heat if the Knicks get off to a bad start, Bondy adds. Thibodeau was criticized last year for not trusting his young players, and he may become an easy scapegoat for management.
Zach Braziller of The New York Post (subscription required) grades the Knicks’ offseason moves, giving high marks to the addition of Brunson (B+) and the signing of backup center Isaiah Hartenstein (A-). He was less enthusiastic about the decision to hang onto draft assets instead of cashing them in for Mitchell (C+) and cites the risks of giving $60MM over four years to Robinson considering his injury history (C-).

Knicks' Training Camp Roster Likely Set After Adjustments

September 24th, 2022 at 4:04pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks‘ training camp roster is likely set after some recent adjustments, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. New York waived M.J. Walker and Quinton Rose (Exhibit 10 deals) on Friday, signing Nuni Omot and Garrison Brooks in their place. The team also signed veterans Svi Mykhailiuk, Ryan Arcidiacono and DaQuan Jeffries. It has 20 players under contract, including two-way players Feron Hunt and Trevor Keels.

Knicks Sign Nuni Omot

September 23rd, 2022 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have officially added former Baylor forward Nuni Omot to their training camp roster, the team announced today in a press release. New York now has a full 20-man roster.

Omot, who went undrafted in 2018, has bounced around since then, playing for teams in North Macedonia, the Netherlands, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Puerto Rico, and the G League. Last season, he averaged 15.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG in 27 games (20.1 MPG) for Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico.

While the Knicks only have 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts and could have a regular season roster spot or two up for grabs, they likely view Omot as a player who will eventually suit up for their G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.

Assuming Omot signed an Exhibit 10 deal, which is likely, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with Westchester after being waived by the NBA club.

Knicks Sign Garrison Brooks To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 23rd, 2022 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 23: Nearly three months after his agreement was first reported, Brooks has officially signed his Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks, the team confirmed today in a press release.

Having made a couple cuts earlier today, New York now has 19 players officially under contract.

JUNE 24: Garrison Brooks, an undrafted rookie, is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks, reports Andrew Slater of Pro Insight (via Twitter).

Brooks, who turns 23 next week, used his extra season of college eligibility to transfer to Mississippi State last season after four years with North Carolina. In 34 games (30.3 MPG) in his final season, he averaged 10.4 PPG and 6.6 RPG on .458/.342/.692 shooting.

Brooks’ best college season statistically came back in 2019/20 for the Tar Heels, when he averaged 16.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.0 APG in 32 games (34.9 MPG). He earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team and was named the league’s Most Improved Player for his efforts.

On an Exhibit 10 contract, the Knicks could convert Brooks to a two-way contract or give him a bonus of up to $50K if he becomes an affiliate player for the Westchester Knicks, their G League team.

M.J. Walker, Quinton Rose Waived By Knicks

September 23rd, 2022 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have waived M.J. Walker and Quinton Rose, who were both signed earlier this week, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 24-year-old Walker played for New York’s G League affiliate in Westchester last season and made a brief NBA appearance with the Suns under the hardship exception. Rose, 24, also played for Westchester and was with the Knicks during the Las Vegas Summer League.

The expectation is that both players will return to the Knicks’ G League team in 2022/23 — having signed Exhibit 10 contracts, they’ll be in line for bonuses worth up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days with Westchester.

The moves leave New York with two openings on its offseason roster heading into the start of training camp next week.