- Bucks forward Serge Ibaka will miss the team’s road trip for personal reasons, according to coach Mike Budenholzer, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Bucks faced the Knicks on Monday. Milwaukee plays Atlanta and Miami (twice) before returning home. Ibaka has appeared in 16 games this season but has averaged just 11.6 minutes in those contests.
- RJ Barrett is “real close” to returning to action, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link) and other media members. Barrett hasn’t played since departing in the first quarter against Dallas on Dec. 27 due to a lacerated finger. New York’s next game is against Indiana on Wednesday.
Knicks forward Obi Toppin could make his long-awaited return to action on Monday night. He went through a full practice on Sunday and should be available to play against the Bucks, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.
Toppin, who has not played since Dec. 7 due to a right leg injury, was medically cleared to return earlier this week, but needed more practice reps before the Knicks were comfortable reinserting him into the rotation.
RJ Barrett is listed as doubtful due to a lacerated right index finger, the team tweets.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Mitchell Robinson grabbed 18 rebounds in 35 minutes, including eight on the offensive end, against Toronto on Friday. Robinson has noticed teams are trying to block him out with multiple players on the offensive glass and takes pride in that fact, Bondy writes. “I’m a dangerous man,” Robinson said. “You got to put three guys on me to keep me off the glass. That says a lot. I’m really becoming something.”
- With Toppin ready to reclaim his spot as the backup power forward, Isaiah Hartenstein or Jericho Sims will be dropped from the rotation, Bondy adds in the same story. “Whatever we decide to do, that’s part of sacrificing for the team and putting the team first,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.
- The Knicks have won four straight and Jalen Brunson has emerged as the team’s closer, according to Bondy. Brunson had 10 points in the final six minutes against Toronto. “What I try and do is try and relax and stay poised in those moments,” Brunson said. “Everyone talks about pressure and all that stuff, but just got to trust your mechanics, trust everything you do.”
- Thibodeau has notched 100 coaching victories since being hired by the Knicks, Steve Popper of Newsday notes. “I’m glad to be a part of all 100. Thibs has come in here and created a great culture for all of us,” Julius Randle said. “He’s been amazing. The support, holding us accountable, the belief for us to win every night. I’m happy for him. We’ve got to get him another hundred.”
The Knicks will keep guards Ryan Arcidiacono and Svi Mykhailiuk on their roster through the NBA’s league-wide salary guarantee deadline, locking in their full cap hits for 2022/23, reports Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).
This season’s salary guarantee date is January 10. A team wanting to avoid guaranteeing the salary for a player on a non-guaranteed contract must cut the player today so that he clears waivers before that deadline.
Arcidiacono, 28, has played a very limited role in just 10 games for the Knicks this season, logging only 25 total minutes. However, the sixth-year point guard is considered a Tom Thibodeau favorite — Arcidiacono also signed a pair of 10-day contracts and a rest-of-season deal with the Knicks last season despite not being part of the rotation.
Mykhailiuk has only played marginally more than Arcidiacono so far in 2022/23, logging 39 minutes across 12 games. The 25-year-old wing has made 6-of-10 three-pointers in his limited run, increasing his career rate from beyond the arc to 35.6%.
Both Arcidiacono and Mykhailiuk are on minimum-salary contracts and will count against the Knicks’ cap for $1,836,090 this season.
Although their salaries are now guaranteed for the rest of 2022/23, that doesn’t necessarily mean Arcidiacono and Mykhailiuk will finish the season with New York — they could be included in trades or could be cut if the club needs to open up a roster spot. The Knicks aren’t in any immediate danger of surpassing the luxury tax threshold and could afford to eat their modest full-season cap hits down the road if necessary.
RJ Barrett has missed the Knicks‘ past five games with what the team has referred to as a laceration on his right index finger, but the injury was actually more gruesome than that, as Peter Botte of The New York Post writes. Barrett described the injury to reporters on Friday, explaining he received six stitches on the finger after it was temporarily dislocated.
“My (left) hand went into my other hand and my finger bent backwards and popped out of place, which caused the laceration,” said the Canadian forward, adding that he was disappointed not to be able to play in his hometown of Toronto on Friday.
“It popped out. I popped it back into place. I didn’t see (a bone through the skin). I was told after it was more like tendons, I guess,” Barrett said. “But yeah, so I looked at my hand, it was definitely a laceration right there. So, I immediately just walked out and got it stitched up. So, I still have stitches in right now … but oh, yeah. It was painful.”
The former No. 3 overall pick said he believes he’ll have the stitches removed within the next week and doesn’t think he’ll need much ramp-up time once he’s cleared to return, according to Botte.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- In a discussion about Cam Reddish‘s future in New York, or lack thereof, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) that he doesn’t envision a scenario where the forward reclaims a spot in the rotation. It’s probably unrealistic to expect Reddish to return more than a second-round pick in a trade, Bondy adds, suggesting that the best course of action may be packaging him with other players.
- Although Obi Toppin was cleared to return from his leg injury earlier this week, he still has a little work to do before the Knicks feel comfortable playing him, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Toppin was briefly assigned to the G League on Thursday to get some 5-on-5 practice reps, tweets Bondy, and head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Friday that the forward is “getting close” to being ready, per Katz.
- Given that Thibodeau views Toppin as part of the Knicks’ nine-man rotation once he’s ramped up, Steve Popper of Newsday wonders who will be the odd man out, observing that there’s no obvious candidate for a demotion on a team that has won 12 of its last 17 games. “We’ll see,” Thibodeau said. “And again, there’s gotta be flexibility there. So we’ll get there, but obviously we want Obi back. The team has to be put first. Everyone has to sacrifice for the team. And for some guys, it’s starting; some guys, it’s shots; some guys, they may not be in the rotation.”
- The Knicks have been so streaky this season that it might make sense for the team to wait a few more weeks to determine its direction at the trade deadline rather than making an early deal, Katz writes for The Athletic. New York has made trades far ahead of the deadline in each of the last two seasons.
Rival executives believe the Knicks, Mavericks, Lakers, and Heat would be among the most likely suitors for Zach LaVine if the Bulls were to make him available prior to this season’s February 9 trade deadline, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on the latest episode of HoopsHype’s podcast. However, with Chicago still hanging onto the 10th seed in the East despite a disappointing first half (17-21), there’s no indication that the team is on the verge of becoming a seller.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- The Mavericks owe their 2023 first-round pick to New York, but control all their future picks and could theoretically move one or more at the trade deadline. However, Scotto has heard the Mavs will be reluctant to give up a first-rounder unless it’s for a player they believe can help make them a title contender this season.
- Rival executives are keeping a close eye on the Heat as a team that may be active before the deadline, says Scotto. After finishing with the East’s best record in 2021/22, Miami is just 20-19 so far this season and holds the No. 8 seed. The team never really replaced P.J. Tucker after he departed in free agency and should have some tradable contracts, especially after Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon become movable on January 15 (though Oladipo will have veto power).
- Luguentz Dort is another player who will become trade-eligible on January 15, but don’t expect him to be mentioned in any rumors this season, according to Scotto, who says the Thunder view him as a part of the team’s long-term future alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Some people around the league believe the Raptors will be more active in trade talks beginning in mid-January, Scotto says. Toronto may have a better sense by then of which direction the team’s season is headed.
Knicks forward Obi Toppin will be available for Wednesday’s home game against the Spurs, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Toppin has missed the Knicks’ last 13 contests due to a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula head. He sustained the injury on December 7 vs. Atlanta.
A former eighth overall pick, Toppin was a regular part of New York’s rotation prior to his injury, appearing in all 25 of the team’s games and averaging 17.1 minutes per night. He contributed 7.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .421/.351/.824 shooting in his part-time role. However, it doesn’t sound as if Toppin will be immediately reinserted into the Knicks’ rotation.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday that the 24-year-old will assume a “situational” role, which is typically what he says about players who only see garbage-time minutes, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Although Toppin has been cleared to return, he’ll need more practice time to get fully back up to speed, adds Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, who missed Monday’s game due to a left knee contusion, will also be available on Wednesday, per the team, and will also play a “situational” role, per Thibodeau (Twitter link via Begley).
Knicks point man Jalen Brunson has shown thus far that he’s worth the huge free agent contract and the subsequent tampering punishment administered by the league, Ian O’Connor of the New York Post opines.
Brunson has solidified a long-time trouble spot for the Knicks, expertly guiding the team in the offensive zone. That more than makes up for his defensive shortcomings and lack of athleticism, O’Connor writes. It also far outweighs the 2025 second rounder they’ll have to forfeit. The Knicks stole away Brunson from Dallas with a four-year, $104MM deal.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Brunson missed three games last week and RJ Barrett remains sidelined with a lacerated right index finger. The silver lining is that Immanuel Quickley, Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes have received extensive playing time in their absences, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. That trio started in a 20-point victory over Houston on Saturday, with Quickley and Grimes combining for 46 points and nine assists.
- Last season, Julius Randle had a combative relationship with the home crowd as he struggled to regain his All-Star form from 2020/21. He’s now the toast of Knicks fans once again and challenging for another All-Star spot, averaging 32.4 points and 12.9 rebounds in his last seven games, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News notes. “You work hard to put yourself in a position to do that. So it would be amazing [to get selected to the All-Star team]. I love it,” Randle said.
- Obi Toppin has been upgraded to doubtful for Wednesday’s home game against the Spurs, the team’s PR department tweets. Toppin hasn’t played since suffering a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula on Dec. 7.
- After missing the past three games with right hip soreness, point guard Jalen Brunson will return to action for Monday’s matinee against Phoenix, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). Derrick Rose, who had been out of the rotation until Brunson got hurt, will be sidelined with a contused left knee, per the Knicks (Twitter link).
After a long stretch outside the Knicks‘ rotation, injuries have given Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose a chance to play again, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Jalen Brunson missed a third straight game Saturday with a sore hip and RJ Barrett sat out his second game after suffering a lacerated finger on Tuesday, so Fournier and Rose were back in their familiar roles.
Coach Tom Thibodeau called Fournier “a true pro” after he returned to the court Thursday following a 23-game absence. On Saturday, Thibodeau held up Fournier and Rose as positive examples for young guards such as Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride.
“I think trial and error is a big part of learning, so they have to go through things,” Thibodeau said. “There’s gonna be some bumps, how do you handle all those things and then there’s times, hey look, this league, it’s a roller coaster. There’s gonna be times it’s going great and then all of a sudden it can change very quickly on you and it’s going the other way. And you have to be able to handle both. So I think having the right veterans around those young guys is very important.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey didn’t play Saturday after logging 19 minutes Friday night in his return from a fractured foot. Coach Doc Rivers plans to monitor Maxey’s playing time for a while, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
- The Raptors responded to a challenge from coach Nick Nurse in Friday’s win over Phoenix, notes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto had fallen out of a play-in spot with five straight losses, and Nurse called the recent effort “unacceptable.” Instead of having a shootaround before facing the Suns, the team went through a 20-minute film session with Nurse pointing out areas that need improvement. “It’s very simple, foundational things that we’ve got to get better,” Nurse explained. “… I’m probably not gonna air on the soft side of saying, ‘It was just a one-night thing.’ I’m gonna show them the good, bad, and ugly. I’m gonna show them that I’m not backing away from any of that stuff. I’m gonna show them what they need to do better. That’s the only way I think I can teach ‘em.”
- Nic Claxton has given the Nets a defensive anchor in the middle, and coach Jacque Vaughn believes he’s playing the best basketball of his career during the team’s 11-game winning streak, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been playing under a minutes restriction all season while returning from a partially torn ACL, but that appears to have been lifted, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Leonard logged 35 minutes Saturday afternoon at Indiana after playing 37 and 35 in the team’s past two games, meaning he’s basically back on a regular schedule.
“Still moving up the right track, feeling healthy still and that’s what it’s about,” Leonard said after the game. “Just keep getting better.”
Coach Tyronn Lue didn’t confirm that Leonard’s minutes limit is gone, but he said the increased availability is welcome because it allows him to stagger Leonard and Paul George and keep at least one star on the court throughout the game.
There’s more injury news to pass along:
- Suns forward Cameron Johnson appears to be getting closer to a return after having meniscus surgery on November 8, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, who posted a video of Johnson running before Friday night’s game.
- Darius Garland, who suffered a sprained right thumb late in Thursday’s game, will miss the Cavaliers‘ contest on Saturday night in Chicago, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Garland has been receiving treatment for the injury since it happened, Fedor adds. Cleveland will also be without big man Evan Mobley, who is missing his first game of the season because of soreness in his right ankle. Lamar Stevens and Kevin Love will start in their place, giving the Cavs their 17th different starting lineup in 37 games.
- Knicks guard Jalen Brunson will miss his third straight game with a hip injury tonight in Houston, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The Rockets will be without starting center Alperen Sengun, who is suffering lower back pain, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston (Twitter link).