New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

OG Anunoby To Hear Rival Offers In Free Agency?

May 23rd, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

People around the league are convinced forward Pascal Siakam will re-sign with the Pacers in free agency, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, but the situation for Siakam’s former teammate OG Anunoby may not be as “cut and dried.”

Executives left last week’s draft combine believing that Anunoby could end up testing his value on the open market by listening to offers from rival teams in addition to the Knicks, sources tell Fischer.

Fischer acknowledges it could end up being a ploy for negotiating leverage, but the Sixers are among the teams with interest in the 3-and-D standout, who could receive $30-40MM annually on his next deal in free agency. Anunoby holds a $19.9MM player option for 2024/25 that he’s “widely expected to decline,” Fischer writes.

One change in the new CBA that will take effect this summer is that teams are officially permitted to negotiate with their own free agents the first day after the NBA Finals conclude. The latest that could occur would be June 24, a couple days before the draft.

That theoretically gives incumbent teams an advantage, as teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents on June 30 at 5:00 pm CT. Everyone knows negotiations often begin weeks in advance though, which is why so many deals are reported shortly after 5:00 on June 30.

Anunoby retained his Bird rights when he was traded from Toronto to New York at the end of December. That will allow the Knicks to go over the salary cap to offer him a five-year deal up to his maximum salary for ’24/25. The 26-year-old just finished his seventh NBA season, so his max over five years is projected to be worth $245.34M. The most a rival team could offer him would be $181.89MM over four years.

While he is undoubtedly extremely valuable — including the playoffs, the Knicks went 26-6 in games he played and just 13-14 without him — Anunoby has also missed extended time due to injuries throughout his career. He has only averaged 52 regular season games over the past four seasons, including 50 this season after undergoing elbow surgery. A hamstring injury in Game 2 of the Eastern semifinals essentially ended his season, though he attempted to play in Game 7.

2023/24 All-NBA Teams Announced

May 22nd, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The All-NBA teams have been announced for the 2023/24 season (Twitter link).

A total of 99 media members voted on the honors, with players receiving five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote and one point for a Third Team vote. This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows:

First Team

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (495 points)
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (495)
Luka Doncic, Mavericks (493)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (473)
Jayson Tatum, Celtics (427)

Second Team

Jalen Brunson, Knicks (368)
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (285)
Kevin Durant, Suns (274)
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (242)
Anthony Davis, Lakers (230)

Third Team

LeBron James, Lakers (164)
Stephen Curry, Warriors (117)
Domantas Sabonis, Kings (104)
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers (75)
Devin Booker, Suns (70)

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic were the only two unanimous First Team selections, receiving 99 of 99 possible votes. Doncic earned 98 First Team votes but was named to the Second Team on one ballot. Antetokounmpo (88), Tatum (65), Brunson (37), Edwards (3), and Durant (2) were the only other players to receive multiple First Team votes.

Others receiving votes and their point totals are the Celtics‘ Jaylen Brown (50), the Clippers‘ Paul George (16), the Sixers‘ Tyrese Maxey (16), the Timberwolves‘ Rudy Gobert (12), the Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama (11), the Pelicans‘ Zion Williamson (11), the Magic’s Paolo Banchero (10), the Kings‘ De’Aaron Fox (9) the Heat’s Bam Adebayo (7) and the Bulls‘ DeMar DeRozan (1).

This is the first season that a minimum number of games was required to qualify for most postseason awards under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Among the stars who might have received All-NBA consideration if they had reached the 65-game threshold are Sixers center Joel Embiid, who was the 2023 MVP, along with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Knicks forward Julius Randle and Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis.

This was also the first season that voting for the All-NBA team was positionless, though that didn’t have a huge impact on the results, as the top two teams still feature two guards, a pair of forwards, and a center. The Third Team is made up a center, three guards, and just one forward.

Wembanyama, who received two votes for the Second Team and five for the Third Team, was the only rookie named on any of the ballots. Earlier this week, he became the first rookie to earn a spot on an All-Defensive First Team.

The Lakers with Davis and James and the Suns with Durant and Booker were the only teams to have multiple players honored. They were both eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Several players became eligible for salary increases or earned a bonus by achieving All-NBA honors. Read more here.

Knicks Notes: Offseason, Hart, Thibodeau, Anunoby

May 22nd, 2024 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Trading for an All-Star has been a path the Knicks have explored in recent years as they’ve stockpiled future draft assets, but there are some new factors they’ll have to consider if and when they go star-hunting this summer, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

For one, the emergence of Jalen Brunson as a legitimate All-Star and top-five MVP finisher significantly reduces the likelihood of the franchise pursuing another ball-dominant guard, Bondy observes.

The team will also have to weigh Julius Randle‘s fit going forward after getting to within one game of the Eastern Conference finals without him. As Bondy notes, Randle would be an obvious candidate to be included in certain trades for a star to complement Brunson, both for salary-matching purposes and because it probably wouldn’t make sense for New York to have three impact players who all need the ball in their hands.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Speaking at a charity event this week, Josh Hart said he’d happily play a recruiting role on behalf of the Knicks if the club is going after a specific free agent or trade target this offseason, according to Dan Martin of The New York Post. “If I have to be on the phone with someone, I’ll be there,” Hart said. The workhorse forward also reiterated that he’d like to see head coach Tom Thibodeau sign a contract extension: “He deserves it. He’s someone that works extremely hard and he prepares us. He makes sure we have the right mindset. But it’s not in my hands.”
With the help of cap expert Yossi Gozlan (YouTube link), Ian Begley of SNY.tv takes a closer look at the most important contract decisions facing the Knicks this offseason. Begley says he believes it’s reasonable for forward OG Anunoby to earn $35MM per year on his next contract, noting that the rival Sixers are believed to be eyeing Anunoby and could put pressure on New York by making a big offer.
Anunoby’s willingness to try to play through his hamstring injury in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday left an impression on members of the Knicks’ organization, Begley writes for SNY.tv. “He wasn’t moving well. (Prior to Game 6), they didn’t think he was going to play (in Game 7),” a source told Begley. “But he was adamant about playing.”
Zach Braziller of The New York Post shares a player-by-player breakdown of the Knicks’ roster, examining how each player performed in 2023/24 and what their contract situations are for ’24/25 and beyond.

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Bojan Bogdanovic Undergo Surgery

May 22nd, 2024 at 8:28am CST by Luke Adams

All-Star guard Jalen Brunson has undergone surgery on his broken left hand and veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic has undergone surgery to address a left wrist injury, the Knicks announced today (Twitter links). According to the team, both players will be reevaluated in approximately six-to-eight weeks.

Brunson suffered his hand injury during the final game of the Knicks’ postseason run in New York on Sunday. He was forced out of the Game 7 loss to Indiana early as a result of the fracture. While today’s announcement doesn’t provide any specifics on Brunson’s recovery timeline beyond the six-to-eight-week reevaluation, he’ll presumably be good to go for training camp in the fall.

The star guard had his best season as a pro in 2023/24, averaging a career-high 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game on .479/.401/.847 shooting in 77 starts (35.4 MPG). He finished fifth in MVP voting and will be extension-eligible this offseason. According to Steve Popper of Newsday, “all indications” are that Brunson will be open to signing a new four-year, $156MM deal with the Knicks this summer rather than putting it off in the hopes of maximizing his earnings.

As for Bogdanovic, this is the second time he has gone under the knife since his season ended on April 28. The Knicks confirmed on April 30 that the 35-year-old was undergoing surgery on his injured left foot, announcing at that time that he’d be reevaluated in three months. That suggests the recovery timeline for his foot will extend beyond the one for his wrist procedure.

After averaging 20.2 points per game on .468/.415/.779 shooting in 28 appearances for the Pistons earlier in the season, Bogdanovic saw his production drop off as a Knick. He averaged just 10.4 PPG with a .430/.370/.800 shooting line in 29 games for New York and didn’t make a significant impact in the playoffs, making 7-of-24 shots (29.2%) in a limited role during the first four games of the team’s first-round series vs. Philadelphia.

Bogdanovic is under contract for one more season, but his $19MM salary for 2024/25 is only partially guaranteed for $2MM, so the Knicks will have a decision to make on him by June 28. His salary would become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract beyond that date.

Eastern Notes: Magic, D-Lo, Tillman, Pistons, Knicks

May 21st, 2024 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are interested in Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell, league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Russell holds a player option for 2024/25 worth $18.7MM, but could become an unrestricted free agent if he decides to turn down that option.

Orlando has previously been cited as a potential suitor for Russell. Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported nearly two months ago that, based on conversations he’d had with people inside and outside of the Lakers organization, the Magic were viewed as the biggest threat to poach Russell from Los Angeles in free agency.

While the Magic made significant strides this season, earning a playoff spot and pushing Cleveland to seven games in the first round, they could still use more scoring punch and shooting in their backcourt. Out of 30 NBA teams, Orlando ranked 28th in assists (24.7) and dead-last in made three-pointers (11.0) per game during the 2023/24 season.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Already missing Kristaps Porzingis (calf strain), the Celtics will be without another frontcourt player when the Eastern Conference finals tip off on Tuesday. Xavier Tillman has been downgraded from questionable to out for personal reasons, the team announced today (via Twitter). With Porzingis and Tillman unavailable, Al Horford and Luke Kornet figure to handle center duties in Game 1.
With the help of cap expert John Hollinger, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic outlines three potential paths the Pistons could take this offseason. Edwards’ scenarios include a “swing for the fences” three-team trade for Brandon Ingram and Jerami Grant, an all-in approach to free agency focusing on Malik Monk and Tobias Harris, and a combination of signings and trades.
With the Knicks‘ offseason underway, Steve Popper of Newsday and Stefan Bondy of The New York Post each pose some pressing questions that the team will need to answer this summer. Exploring OG Anunoby‘s upcoming free agency, Bondy says that people around the league expect the three-and-D standout to receive between $30-40MM per year on his next contract.

Top Priority? Extend Thibodeau

May 20th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forget about any roster moves. The top priority for the Knicks’ front office this offseason should be reaching an extension agreement with coach Tom Thibodeau, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. They won 50 games and a playoff series and made it to Game 7 in the second round because Thibodeau forbade his players from feeling sorry for themselves when injuries ravaged their rotation, Vaccaro writes.

Eastern Rumors: Capela, Fizdale, Bulls, Randle, Heat

May 20th, 2024 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran Hawks center Clint Capela is expected to be on the trading block this summer, Marc Stein reports at Substack.

As Stein explains, the Swiss big man will be on an expiring $22.3MM contract in 2024/25. Atlanta won the draft lottery and gave Onyeka Okongwu a four-year rookie scale extension last offseason, so Capela could be on move, particularly if the team chooses a big man with the No. 1 overall pick.

Capela, who just turned 30 years old, averaged 11.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 73 games last season (25.8 MPG). The 10-year veteran has averaged a double-double for seven straight seasons.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

According to Stein, before the Bulls hired Wes Unseld Jr. and Dan Craig to be the top assistants under head coach Billy Donovan, they showed interest in David Fizdale. A former head coach, Fizdale was an assistant with the Suns this past season but may be departing after Frank Vogel was fired. Phoenix reportedly offered Fizdale a front office position to stay with the team, but he has yet to accept it.
Rival teams are monitoring Julius Randle‘s situation with the Knicks, Shams Charania of The Athletic stated on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back (Twitter video link). Randle will be extension-eligible this summer and holds a $34.2MM player option for ’25/26, meaning he could be a free agent next year if he opts out. “How (the Knicks) handle that extension situation, if that is a conversation, what transpires, I think that will be interesting,” Charania said.
The Heat may have to barter this year if they want to trade their second-round pick (No. 43 overall) or acquire another one, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Winderman details, for the upcoming ’24/25 season, teams that purchase a second-rounder with cash will be hard-capped at the first tax apron, and Miami is keenly aware of that fact. “It definitely factors in,” said Adam Simon, the Heat’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. “And you have to look at the big picture and what business you’re doing. And, so, that’ll come into play. But doing something that’s going to hard cap you, you definitely have to take that into consideration.”

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Thibodeau, Anunoby, Offseason

May 20th, 2024 at 7:43am CST by Luke Adams

After fracturing his hand and watching his Knicks fall to Indiana in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday, Jalen Brunson acknowledged that the team made “positive strides” in 2023/24, but responded “no” when asked if the season was a success, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“Did we win the championship? Did we get close?” Brunson said. “So, no. That’s my mindset. That’s just how it is.”

It was a terrific individual season for Brunson, who set new career highs in points (28.7) and assists (6.7) per game during the regular season, finished fifth in MVP voting, and averaged 32.4 PPG in the postseason. But he continued to be his own harshest critic following the Game 7 loss, suggesting there’s still room for improvement.

“I would say there’s pros and cons to how I played,” Brunson said. “The pros, obviously, are I played well individually at some points in the playoffs. The cons are that I didn’t play well enough to help my team move forward. You can say I got hurt in Game 7, I wasn’t playing well in Game 7. We had a 2-0 and a 3-2 lead, it’s just hard to look at things individually when you don’t help your team.”

Brunson has one more guaranteed year remaining on his contract with the Knicks, with a player option for 2025/26. He’ll become eligible this offseason to sign a four-year, $156.5MM extension that would start in 2025 and replace that option. However, he cut off a question asking about that possibility during his postgame media session, replying, “I’ll talk about that another time.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Head coach Tom Thibodeau briefly addressed his contract situation after Sunday’s loss, expressing a desire to remain in New York, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “That’s something that my agent will take care of,” said Thibodeau, who has one year left on his current deal. “The Knicks have been great to me. So this is where I want to be.” Bondy cites a source who is confident that the two sides will reach an agreement, while Ian Begley of SNY.tv also suggests an extension seems like a foregone conclusion, noting that Thibodeau has the strong support of his players.
OG Anunoby tried to play in Game 7 after missing the previous four contests with a hamstring injury, but he checked out after logging just five minutes and admitted after the loss that he “just couldn’t move” due to his hamstring, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. “Was just trying, but couldn’t really sprint, couldn’t really jump, but just tried my best,” Anunoby said. “Just wanted to play. I wanted to at least try and help my teammates. We’ve been working really hard so I wanted to at least be out there.”
Thibodeau will face criticism from the “minutes police” for the way injuries decimated the Knicks’ roster down the stretch, but it’s not as simple as blaming all those injuries on overuse, according to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post (subscription required). While Thibodeau may deserve some blame, the team was also the victim of bad injury luck that forced the team to overuse players in the first place, Schwartz argues.
As dangerous as this year’s roster was when fully healthy, the Knicks haven’t ruled out the possibility of trying to trade for another star this offseason, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Still, the organization will be wary of how any major move would affect the culture and chemistry that made this year’s group special. “I think (the future) is very bright,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “I think there’s hope for what we’re building, and I think that’s the biggest thing. … I think we built a foundation of a franchise that’s gonna be fighting, a franchise that’s moving in the right direction. It’s tough to end it this way, but we’re going in the right direction. I think we’re giving this city and Knick fans something to hope for.”
Mark Deeks of HoopsHype and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) preview the offseason ahead for the Knicks, exploring the major decisions facing the team with its free agents (including Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein) and extension candidates (led by Brunson and Thibodeau).

Jalen Brunson Suffers Fractured Left Hand

May 19th, 2024 at 4:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Brunson fractured his left hand during Game 7 of the Knicks–Pacers series, New York PR department tweets.

It was a brutal end to a brilliant season for the Knicks guard. Brunson carried his club throughout the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, averaging 33.7 points and 7.3 assists per contest. He had 17 points and nine assists in 29 minutes before retreating to the locker room during the second half.

New York also lost forward OG Anunoby early in the contest. Anunoby made an early departure after trying to come back from a hamstring strain. He only lasted five minutes.

The Knicks were ravaged by injuries late in the regular season and in the playoffs. Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic were all ruled out for the season due to a variety of ailments. Anunoby had missed the last four games prior to his brief return on Sunday.

Knicks’ Anunoby, Hart To Start In Game 7

May 19th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After being considered game-time decisions leading up to tip-off on Sunday, Knicks wings OG Anunoby and Josh Hart have officially been given the green light to play in today’s must-win Game 7 against the Pacers, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Steve Popper of Newsday tweets that both players will start. The matchup tips off in a half-hour.

Anunoby has been dealing with a strained hamstring since Game 2 of the club’s now-knotted series against Indiana. When healthy, however, the 6’7″ forward has proven himself to be an essential component to New York’s attack.

The team has gone 26-5 in the regular season and the playoffs this year when Anunoby – a midseason arrival from Toronto – has played. Across his eight available postseason contests, Anunoby has averaged 16.4 points (on .495/.395/.615 shooting), 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steal in 40.0 minutes per game.

Hart incurred an abdominal strain in Game 6, and though he valiantly attempted to play through it, he proved relatively ineffective offensively. Prior to his injury, the Villanova alum had been New York’s immovable object on the hardwood, averaging 42.6 MPG in the postseason. He has averaged 14.9 PPG on .447/.400/.705 shooting, plus 11.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG.

Anunoby’s injury history has cost him major playoff moments before, as when an appendectomy sidelined him during the Raptors’ run to the title in 2019.