New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Knicks, Towns, Simmons, Walker, Nets

January 3rd, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Rory Maher

While Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently said he views the Knicks/Raptors trade as the “Immanuel Quickley trade” rather than the “OG Anunoby trade,” he likes what Anunoby will bring to New York.

According to Vecenie, Anunoby is one of a select few players who can credibly defend all five positions on the court. That defensive versatility, plus his ability to convert threes and make timely cuts, has made Anunoby a “great role player.” The question is if he can develop more on offense, Vecenie writes.

As Vecenie details, while Anunoby has an impressive physical profile and uses it very effectively on defense, he can look a little awkward on offense when given on-ball opportunities, as he doesn’t finish well in the paint and doesn’t have a reliable pull-up jump shot.

Still, Vecenie believes Anunoby has the potential to be “the third-best player on a title team” if he’s in the right situation, and there’s a reason so many teams wanted him. Vecenie also examines what Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn will bring to New York.

Here’s more from the two New York-based teams:

On Run It Back (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic suggested the Knicks will “always” have interest in Karl-Anthony Towns, who presumably won’t be going anywhere this season, as Minnesota has the best record in the Western Conference. Towns’ former agent is Leon Rose, New York’s current president of basketball operations.
Even after dealing away Quickley, RJ Barrett and the Pistons’ 2024 second-rounder, there are people within the Knicks who think they have the requisite remaining assets to land a star player, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. As Begley writes, the Knicks could trade up to four of their own future first-round picks, plus some protected picks from other teams.
Multiple sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that Ben Simmons is “progressing well” in his recovery from a nerve impingement in his lower back, and he’s expected to be cleared to play 2-on-2 when the Nets return home on Thursday. Simmons would then play 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 before possibly being ready to return, Lewis writes. Simmons has been sidelined since November 6. As for Lonnie Walker, who has missed the past 16 games with a hamstring injury, he could return for Friday’s contest against OKC, Lewis adds.
They Nets are spiraling down the standings, having lost four straight and nine of their past 11 games, with the two victories against Detroit. Tuesday’s loss to New Orleans marked a new low point, Lewis writes for The New York Post. Mikal Bridges said the team took its foot off the gas pedal. “We got punched in the mouth and just sat back,” Bridges said. “We didn’t keep going forward after. And that’s on players, right there. It’s going to be like that. They might make a run … you’ve got to have accountability on ourselves to get back up and fight, and besides just lay down. Like I said, I’ve got to do better just personally being more vocal and be more physical and being on both ends. You just can’t let up.”

Knicks Sign Duane Washington Jr. To Two-Way Deal

January 3rd, 2024 at 4:32pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks have signed free agent guard Duane Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

This is the third time New York has signed Washington to a two-way deal since February 2023, but he has yet to make his NBA debut with the club. He was cut in late November after he sustained a right thumb injury, which was supposed to sideline him six-to-eight weeks.

The Knicks must be comfortable with how Washington is recovering, since his salary will become guaranteed if he remains on the roster through January 7, though two-way salaries don’t count toward the salary cap or luxury tax. New York waived big man Dmytro Skapintsev a couple days ago to open a two-way roster spot.

It’s worth noting that New York also just traded Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and the Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick to Toronto for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. That created a need for backcourt depth — Washington is a 6’3″ guard.

Washington went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021 and spent his rookie season with the Pacers. He played for the Suns 2022/23, eventually being waived before bouncing back and forth with the Knicks.

The 23-year-old averaged 27.3 points, 6.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds on .588/.417/.700 shooting in three Showcase Cup games with the G League’s Westchester Knicks (New York’s affiliate) this season prior to the injury.

The Knicks’ 18-man roster is full after the move.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, McBride, Sims, Achiuwa

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Prior to his first game with the Knicks on Monday, new starting forward OG Anunoby told reporters that he was “excited” to be with the team and that he always loved playing in New York as a visitor, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. After getting a “crash course” on Tom Thibodeau‘s system, Anunoby logged 35 minutes against the Timberwolves and was a team-best plus-19 in the Knicks’ six-point victory.

“I felt good,” Anunoby said after the win, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I felt good. Just trying to help the team on both ends. Just talking to guys on defense and them talking to me, helping know where to be, and stuff. Felt good.”

Anunoby admitted that his new teammates were still telling him during the game where to be and what to do on the court, adding that he was “thankful” for their help. Thibodeau, who spoke earlier on Monday about how Anunoby would help shore up New York’s defense (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic), was pleased with what he saw from the veteran three-and-D forward in his Knicks debut.

“I thought for the first game, impressive,” Thibodeau said. “Just to be ready, and kind of figure it out on the fly. Played smart, played off people well, hustled, moved without the ball, shot good shots, made good plays … very good start.”

Here’s more on the new-look Knicks:

Fred Katz of The Athletic, Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post (subscription required), and Stefan Bondy of The New York Post all took a closer look at Anunoby’s debut and the new Knicks’ rotation, noting that Julius Randle referred to his new teammate as the “perfect piece” for the roster. “He can be very special here,” Jalen Brunson added.
Anunoby deflected talk about his upcoming free agency on Monday, indicating that he’ll let his agents “handle that stuff,” according to Bontemps. However, he didn’t sound like someone who will be looking to leave New York in the summer. “When the time comes, [we’ll] figure it out,” Anunoby said. “But I’m really excited to be here.”
After playing fewer than four total minutes in the six games leading up to the trade, reserve guard Miles McBride has logged 25 total minutes in the past two contests and appears likely to play an increased role going forward. As Botte and Bontemps relay, McBride admitted that the contract extension he signed hours after the trade was finalized came as a bit of a surprise. “It was pretty sudden, but I’m glad we got it done,” he said. “It just shows their belief in me and my hard work really paid off. They were watching me, and I think I proved it.”
Reserve center Jericho Sims was technically cleared to play on Saturday following a right ankle sprain and was available again on Monday, but he didn’t appear in either contest, Botte notes. Taj Gibson backed up center Isaiah Hartenstein on Saturday, while newcomer Precious Achiuwa got those minutes on Monday.
Before his NBA career began and before playing his college ball at Memphis, Achiuwa attended schools in the Bronx and Newark, so the trade to the Knicks represents something of a homecoming for the big man, according to Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. “I’m very excited to be back home in front of my family, friends that I grew up with,” Achiuwa said before Monday’s game. “Really, really a very exciting opportunity and I’m looking forward to it.”

Moving Siakam Could Be Tricky Proposition For Raptors

January 1st, 2024 at 9:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors pulled a surprise by swinging a major trade before January, shipping OG Anunoby to the Knicks. It could be much tougher for them to deal their other starting forward, Pascal Siakam, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.

Siakam is headed to unrestricted free agency unless he signs an extension. While Toronto could sign Siakam to a four-year extension — which would make him ineligible to be dealt this season — an acquiring team could only ink him to a two-year deal prior to free agency.

Siakam is unlikely to agree to a two-year extension, according to Stein, which means the Raptors would be hard-pressed to acquire multiple quality assets for a player who could wind up being a half-season rental.

As previously reported, the Mavericks, Hawks, Pacers and Kings have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Siakam. However, Stein hears that Dallas’ interest is somewhat overstated. While the Mavs are in the market for a power forward, he gets the sense that Siakam is not their top target.

The Pistons and Grizzlies could also eventually be in the mix, according to Stein.

Detroit could try to convince Siakam to stick around and join the team’s young core, highlighted by Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren; Memphis could try to sell Siakam on a future with Ja Morant feeding him the ball, though it’s questionable whether a Siakam-Jaren Jackson Jr. frontcourt would work.

As for Anunoby, Stein points out that Sam Rose — son of Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose — is one of his reps. So, New York presumably has a very good idea what it will take to re-sign Anunoby, who is expected to decline his player option this summer and enter free agency. It’s unlikely the Knicks would have been willing to give up Immanuel Quickley, who drew interest from other teams, unless they had a strong feeling Anunoby would re-sign, Stein writes.

The Knicks also retained all the first-round draft assets and the contract of Evan Fournier that includes a club option for next season. However, early indications are that New York won’t engage in an all-out pursuit of Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Stein adds.

Knicks Waive Two-Way Player Dmytro Skapintsev

January 1st, 2024 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:25pm: Skapintsev has been waived, the team’s PR department tweets.

5:13pm: The Knicks are waiving two-way player Dmytro Skapintsev, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

The Ukranian big man made two brief NBA appearances after being signed to the two-way deal on Dec. 23. At that time, New York waived Jaylen Martin to make room for him.

Skapintsez also played in 13 Showcase Cup games with the Westchester Knicks this season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.3. rebounds, prior to signing the two-way deal. It’s likely he’ll end up returning to the Knicks’ G League squad.

The Knicks’ blockbuster deal with Toronto may have impacted Skapintsev’s place on the roster. Along with acquiring centerpiece OG Anunoby from the Raptors, the Knicks received forward/center Precious Achiuwa to fortify their frontcourt depth.

New York now has an open two-way spot. Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin are the team’s other two-way players.

Raptors Notes: Quickley, Barrett, Trade, Knicks

January 1st, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Maher

While OG Anunoby and RJ Barrett may have more name recognition, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believes Immanuel Quickley is the “most interesting” and “highest-upside player” from Saturday’s trade between the Raptors and Knicks.

As Vecenie writes, Quickley is a strong three-level scorer who is particularly lethal in pick-and-rolls. Vecenie points to Quickley’s performance in an expanded role last season — he averaged 22.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 5.1 APG on .469/.401/.846 shooting in 21 starts (38.6 MPG) — as evidence that the fourth-year guard should thrive with Toronto.

Quickley’s passing, especially to outside shooters, is an area where he can improve, according to Vecenie, who cites on-ball defense as another improvement area. However, he praises the 24-year-old’s ability to limit turnovers on offense and believes Quickly is a plus team defender who makes good decisions.

Quickley’s shooting and ability to play both on and off the ball should fit well with ascendant third-year forward Scottie Barnes, Vecenie adds.

Barrett, on the other hand, is not a smooth fit for Toronto’s current roster, Vecenie writes. While he’s still only 23, Barrett is more or less the same player he was when he was drafted five years ago, according to Vecenie: A talented shot creator who can get to the rim but struggles to finish once he’s there, and a very inconsistent shooter who regularly goes through high variance stretches.

Vecenie notes that Quickley has struggled early in his career in the postseason, whereas Barrett had some strong performances last season against Cleveland and Miami. But Vecenie still likes Quickley’s long-term prospects much more than Barrett’s.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca has a fairly similar view of the two players, writing that Quickley looks like a better fit on Toronto’s roster than Barrett due to former’s ability to draw defensive attention with his shooting and quick release. People around the league view Barrett as having roughly “neutral value” in the first season of his four-year, $107MM+ extension, Murphy writes in another piece focusing on the Raptors’ cap situation post-trade. Murphy points out that Quickley shares an agent with Precious Achiuwa (who was sent from Toronto in New York in the deal), and says Toronto likely wouldn’t have made the trade without an idea of what it will take to sign Quickley as a restricted free agent.
Quickley thought he was dreaming when he found out he was traded, as it transpired while he was awoken by a phone call from his agent, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who passes along quotes from Quickley and Barrett’s introductory press conferences. “I was in Indy [Friday], I was planning to play that night [against the Pacers],” Quickley said. “Really, I was asleep. My agent called me, and he said, ‘Call me right away, you’re getting traded.’ Thought it was still a dream because I just woke up. … It’s been unbelievable. Couldn’t ask for anything better. Great city, great culture, the camaraderie of the team is great. You can tell people care about each other around here. And you couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”
Toronto native Barrett is also excited to play for his hometown team, as Grange relays. “I think for anybody to go home there is going to be, you know, a different feeling than for anybody else,” Barrett said. “[Basketball] is the sport I play. This is what I do. I’m just going to be here to do my job [but] — I believe in this team. I believe that we can, we’re gonna figure it out and figure out a way to be one of those top teams, you know. And so I think once we get to that point, over there, it’s gonna feel even sweeter.”
Fred Katz and Eric Koreen of The Athletic weigh the pros and cons of the trade from the Knicks‘ and Raptors’ perspectives. Koreen believes Anunoby is a major defensive upgrade for New York, but his offense may not have much room for growth going forward. Katz thinks Quickley will excel in Toronto, and should have no trouble translating his per-minute numbers to a larger offensive role. Both Quickley and Barrett are known for having a strong work ethic, Katz notes.

Knicks Notes: DiVincenzo, Robinson, Fournier, Grimes

January 1st, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Donte DiVincenzo may carry more of the Knicks‘ offense after the weekend trade that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. DiVincenzo hit seven three-pointers and scored a career-high 38 points Saturday night, although he was disappointed that it came in a loss at Indiana.

“To be completely honest with you, I don’t even care about the 38, and I’m not just saying that,” DiVincenzo said. “I like to win games. Individual achievements are cool, but even Josh (Hart) said it the other day, stats don’t mean anything when you lose. That’s really our mindset here. So it’s cool, I’ll pat myself on the back, the guys are happy for me, but at the same time, we have to focus on that we have a hell of a game on Monday (at home against the Timberwolves).”

The offseason signing of DiVincenzo appears to be more important than ever with two scoring wings gone from the roster. He’s been averaging 12.9 points per game and shooting 47.4% from three-point range since moving into the starting lineup on December 8, and Jalen Brunson expects that hot streak to continue.

“Him playing the way he did, I’ve seen it plenty of times,” Brunson said. “Obviously, (I’m) happy with the way he’s playing. I wish we could have made his career night more memorable by winning. So we’ve got to be better.”

There’s more from New York:

Mitchell Robinson reacted to the trade in a discussion with fans on SnapChat, relays Bryan Fonseca of The New York Post. The injured center said it’s difficult to see two long-time teammates leave so suddenly. “Two of my soldiers are gone, you know what I mean? What you gonna do, you know what I mean? I know they’re gonna go over there to Toronto and handle their business, play hard,” he said. “It’s a business at the end of the day, so I mean, yeah it is upsetting seeing two guys that you built a relationship with leave, it is crazy but, I mean, what you gonna do, you know? It’s a business at the end of the day.”
With the Knicks short-handed following the deal, Evan Fournier got a rare chance to play Saturday night, Botte notes in another Post story. Getting off the bench for the first time since November 17, Fournier shot 3-of-10 and scored 10 points in 17 minutes. “Happy to play, for sure, but the game is fast. … It’s never easy to play a game after being on the bench for a while,” Fournier said. “I tried to give my best effort.”
Quentin Grimes was eager to get started on what figures to be an expanded role, but he was held out of Saturday’s game with a bad cold, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Knicks Notes: Fournier, Anunoby, Achiuwa, Flynn, Defense, McBride

December 31st, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

As Knicks players became aware of the team’s trade with Toronto Saturday morning, Evan Fournier grabbed his phone to see if he was involved, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Fournier has been stuck in limbo for about a year, seeing little playing time as he’s kept outside coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, but still valuable because of an $18MM expiring contract that could be useful for salary matching in a major deal.

Fournier explained to Popper that he’s not looking for a way out of New York, but when he heard about the Raptors deal he wanted to know if he was part of it.

“Well, the thing is the way I learned it, I think it said it was a trade package surrounding RJ,” Fournier said. “So of course you see that, you’re like, ‘Oh.’ You check your phone and stuff. I sleep well at night. I don’t check my phone to see if there’s a trade or anything. I just focus in on the moment because that’s the business.”

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks will host Minnesota Monday afternoon, so some of the players acquired from Toronto might be in the lineup without practicing with their new team, Popper adds. “I don’t know what the logistics of everything are yet,” Thibodeau said. “But whatever it is, we just gotta find a way.” New York is listing Malachi Flynn as out for tomorrow with a right ankle injury, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv, but OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa aren’t on the injury report.
The Knicks’ need for a defensive presence like Anunoby was evident in Saturday’s loss at Indiana, observes Peter Botte of The New York Post. New York surrendered 140 points overall and 76 in the second half while dropping its third straight game. “Just as simple as I can: terrible,” Jalen Brunson said. “We can do a lot better defensively. Offensively, it is not a problem right now. I can be better defensively. We can be better defensively. We just need to step it up on that side of the ball.”
Miles McBride can’t be traded for six months after signing his new extension, Begley points out (Twitter link). Begley’s sources confirm that McBride’s new deal is front-loaded and that his salary will decline each season.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby Trade, Murray, Barrett, Quickley

December 31st, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks will remain active on the trade market after acquiring OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn from Toronto on Saturday, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Having previously named Dejounte Murray as a possible Knicks trade target, Scotto reports that New York is still interested in Murray following this weekend’s deal. However, the team would no longer be able to offer Immanuel Quickley, who might have been a key piece of any outgoing package for the Hawks guard.

Scotto also spoke to multiple NBA executives to get their thoughts on the Anunoby trade for the Knicks. One of those execs questioned whether it might have been overpay, but acknowledged that the team remains well positioned to make another big move and said that justified the decision to part with two talented scorers in Quickley and RJ Barrett. A second exec is curious to see what New York’s front office has up its sleeve for its next move.

“There’s not a lot of shot creation for other players on the roster now, and there’s a lot of pressure on (Jalen) Brunson,” the exec told Scotto. “I get why New York made the trade. The team was playing selfishly. Anunoby is a better fit with what they have than Barrett.”

Here’s more on the Knicks and their latest trade:

The Knicks players who weren’t involved in Saturday’s deal had mixed feelings about the move, as Peter Botte of The New York Post details. “This probably for me is one of the toughest ones just because of the relationship I built with those two,” Julius Randle said, referring to Barrett and Quickley as “little brothers” and suggesting he’ll continue to root for them. Taj Gibson expressed excitement for the addition of Anunoby but said that it “kind of sucked” to say goodbye to the two departing Knicks: “I’ve been around them since they came into the league. Great young men. It’s just tough, one of the tough parts about the business. Being able to see them this morning and talk, it was tough.
Zach Kram of The Ringer, John Hollinger of The Athletic, and Keith Smith of Spotrac took a closer look at the five-player trade from both the Knicks’ and Raptors‘ perspectives, breaking down why it could be a win-win move for the two Atlantic rivals. Smith also explores each team’s financial situation and considers how new deals in 2024 for Anunoby and Quickley will affect their cap outlooks going forward.
Frustration about roles and playing time had been mounting in the Knicks’ locker room, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, which is one key reason why the front office was motivated to make a consolidation trade sooner rather than later. Within Katz’s story, which examines the trade in greater detail, he cites league sources who say the Knicks and Celtics briefly discussed a deal centered around Quickley and Marcus Smart in the offseason before Smart was sent to Memphis. In other words, the team has been mulling swapping Quickley for an elite defender for a while.

Miles McBride Signs Three-Year, $13MM Extension

December 30th, 2023 at 9:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:44pm: McBride’s extension is official, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).

9:29pm: The Knicks have reached an agreement with Miles McBride on a three-year contract extension worth $13MM, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal was confirmed to Wojnarowski by McBride’s agents, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of Priority Sports.

The 23-year-old guard was the 36th pick in the 2021 draft and was acquired by New York in a draft-night trade. He’s making $1.8MM this year and would have been on a path toward restricted free agency after the season if not for the extension. The deal will keep him under contract through the 2026/27 season.

All three years of McBride’s extension are fully guaranteed and his salary will decrease each season, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).

The extension comes just hours after a trade that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto, which should open up an opportunity for McBride. He saw a season-high 18 minutes in tonight’s game at Indiana, scoring five points with one assist.

McBride hasn’t received consistent playing time in any of his three seasons with the Knicks, averaging 10.0 minutes over 122 combined games. Before tonight, he had appeared in 18 games this season, putting up 1.9 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 4.6 minutes per night.

The extension clears up a small piece of New York’s upcoming offseason, but the team still has 11 potential free agents (including two-ways), as our tracker shows.