New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Hartenstein, Outlook

March 17th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OG Anunoby has averaged 32.7 minutes per night in three games since returning from elbow surgery. That’s down from the 35.7 MPG he logged for the Knicks prior to the surgery.

Anunoby was listed as questionable to play against Sacramento on Saturday. He wound up playing 33 minutes, though he only scored two points. He contributed in other ways with six rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal in the 98-91 win, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. Anunoby is still experiencing some soreness in the elbow.

“OG’s a basketball player,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He does a bit of everything.”

We have more on the Knicks:

The team’s 40th victory of the season triggered a bonus in Isaiah Hartenstein‘s contract, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Hartenstein earned $350K as the Knicks improved their record to 40-27 on Saturday. Hartenstein already achieved another bonus in his contract by exceeding 1,350 minutes played and will clinch a third bonus when the team qualifies for the postseason. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Hartenstein played 28 minutes against the Kings, the most he’s logged since returning from a sore left Achilles that cost him two weeks of action last month. He had seven points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. “The good thing is I feel good,” Hartenstein told Bondy, “so I feel they’re doing a great job of building it up.”
In a subscriber-protected story, Newsday’s Steve Popper discusses the Knicks’ potential when they return to full strength.

10 NBA Teams Likely To Sign Players In Coming Weeks

March 17th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

A total of 20 NBA teams currently have full standard rosters consisting of 15 players on contracts that run through at least the rest of the 2023/24 season.

That leaves 10 clubs that have one or more roster spots, or whose 14th and/or 15th roster spots are occupied by players on 10-day contracts that will expire before the end of the month.

If recent history is any indication, it’s a safe bet that all 10 teams will, sooner or later, sign a player – or players – to rest-of-season or multiyear contracts in order to fill out their 15-man rosters. There were no open 15-man roster spots available by the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. The same is true of the ’21/22 season.

Even if a team has no intention of using a 15th man down the stretch or in the postseason, using that final roster spot to sign a prospect to a multiyear contract that includes no guaranteed money beyond this season is good business, increasing that club’s roster flexibility heading into the offseason.

Here are the teams likely to fill their open roster spots in the coming weeks:

Teams with 14 players on full-season contracts:

(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)

Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers *
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
New Orleans Pelicans
Phoenix Suns *
Toronto Raptors *

The Raptors currently have a player on a 10-day contract (Jahmi’us Ramsey) occupying their 15th roster spot. The Cavaliers and Suns will soon follow suit, with Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas, respectively.

It’s possible that all three teams will ultimately turn to another player for a rest-of-season contract, but Ramsey is the only player to get two 10-day deals from Toronto this season, and Morris and Thomas are the types of veterans that contending teams often add to their roster down the stretch. A Saturday report indicated that Thomas is likely to stick with Phoenix beyond his upcoming 10-day contract.

I’d still view two-way player Neemias Queta as the most likely player to fill the Celtics‘ final roster spot, but that could change if Boston has to deal with some injuries in the backcourt or on the wing and wants to add some depth there. Pelicans sharpshooter Matt Ryan is another player on a two-way deal who’s a candidate to be promoted.

The Pistons and Warriors don’t have any obvious candidates for a promotion on two-way contracts, so both clubs may end up turning to the G League or free agency to add a 15th man.

Teams with 13 players on full-season contracts:

(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)

Minnesota Timberwolves *
New York Knicks **
Philadelphia 76ers *

While the seven teams listed above are good bets to sign one player before the end of the season, these three teams will likely sign two.

T.J. Warren, who immediately stepped into a rotation role after signing his first 10-day contract and is currently on his second 10-day deal, is an obvious candidate to fill one of the Timberwolves‘ two openings. It’s unclear which direction Minnesota go with its other spot.

I had expected Taj Gibson to eventually find his way back to New York, but he has signed for the rest of the season with the Pistons, so the Knicks will go in another direction with their final two roster spots.

DaQuan Jeffries and Mamadi Diakite are currently on 10-day deals and could receive consideration for rest-of-season contracts. For what it’s worth, like fellow Tom Thibodeau favorite Gibson, Ryan Arcidiacono won’t claim one of these openings, since he’s ineligible to re-sign with the Knicks this season.

If the Sixers like what they see from Kai Jones during his 10-day contract, it wouldn’t surprise me to see if they can lock him up to a multiyear deal. If not, they may look elsewhere for frontcourt help, since adding one more center to their roster makes sense with Joel Embiid‘s health still a question mark. The 15th man could be a wing — Philadelphia is ineligible to re-sign Danuel House, but could bring back Danny Green if there’s interest in a reunion.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Burks, Brunson, Hartenstein

March 16th, 2024 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

In his second game back after recovering from elbow surgery, Knicks forward OG Anunoby seemed to aggravate that right elbow issue during the first half of Thursday’s win over Portland, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Anunoby grimaced and appeared irritated by the elbow a few times after that, but remained in the game and downplayed concerns in his post-game media session.

“It’s just sore. Nothing really happened. Just went for a ball. And it hurt randomly, but it’s fine,” Anunoby said, adding that he anticipates playing on Saturday in Sacramento. “… It’s not even pain tolerance. This is just a random thing.”

Head coach Tom Thibodeau also didn’t come off as overly worried about Anunoby’s condition when he spoke to reporters after the game.

“There’s gonna be some times where there’s gonna be soreness. He played through it,” Thibodeau said. “He was fine. (The doctor) looked at him. There’s gonna be times where he gets hit and you just try to keep going. So we’ll see where he is.”

Keeping Anunoby healthy will be a priority down the stretch for the Knicks, who have an incredible +25.2 net rating during his 565 minutes on the court since he was acquired from Toronto in December. The three-and-D stalwart is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. the Kings, Bondy notes (via Twitter).

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a separate story for The New York Post, Bondy spoke to three surgeons about Anunoby’s injury. Those outside experts suggested that lingering pain is normal so soon after the procedure, and while it’s manageable, that pain may take a while to go away if the elbow isn’t rested. “He needs to shoot, he needs to practice, but at the same time, he needs to rest,” Dr. Leon Popovitz, the co-founder of New York Bone & Joint, told Bondy. “But he’s a professional athlete, he needs to get out there. This is probably going to be something he feels the next few weeks.”
Trade deadline acquisition Alec Burks played a season-low 4:18 on Thursday and didn’t see the floor at all in the second half. That was a basketball decision and not an injury-related one, Bondy writes for The Post. Burks has shot just 31.3% from the field and has more turnovers than assists since rejoining the Knicks, so his spot in the rotation going forward looks tenuous.
After being on a minutes restriction in his first three games back from a knee contusion, Jalen Brunson had that restriction lifted on Thursday and made the most of it, racking up 45 points in 38 minutes in New York’s win over the Blazers, per Bondy at The Post.
Isaiah Hartenstein‘s minutes limit remains in place, Bondy notes within the same story. The big man continues to start at center but has averaged a modest 21.2 MPG in his past 10 contests. Thibodeau isn’t 100% sure how long that restriction will last. “He’s feeling a lot better as well, so that’s the positive,” Thibodeau said of Hartenstein. “Obviously, getting OG has added a lot. So now Precious (Achiuwa) goes more to the backup five. And then we still have Jericho (Sims). So we feel good about that.”

Atlantic Notes: Achiuwa, Hart, Anunoby, Porzingis, Celtics

March 14th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa has impressed in the midst of several injuries to key players like Julius Randle, starting 18 straight games and averaging 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per night. He returned to the bench as the team got healthier on Tuesday, but remained productive, registering 12 points, eight boards and two blocks against Philadelphia.

As observed by Newsday’s Steve Popper (subscriber link) and as we previously noted, it’s been a pleasant homecoming for Achiuwa, who moved to New York from Nigeria in eighth grade and played some high school ball there.

“It was a very, very cool moment for me,” Achiuwa said. “Inner city kid, growing up in the city, of course, hearing about the Knicks, seeing the games and stuff. Now, being able to represent the city on that platform is really huge. Seeing how the city accepted me and just me being there in that particular moment was very nostalgic in a way. It was a crazy moment for sure.

“This is the best I’ve played in a really really long time.”

While Achiuwa’s play is exciting, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes New York may soon have a difficult decision to make. Achiuwa’s a restricted free agent this offseason and while his current projected $8-10MM valuation is more than reasonable for his production, Mitchell Robinson, due $14.3MM next season, is under contract. Additionally, Isaiah Hartenstein, who has taken over the starting job in the wake of Robinson’s injury, will become an unrestricted free agent.

Assuming the Knicks re-sign OG Anunoby, bringing back both Hartenstein – who could get a contract with an annual value around $13-14MM – and Achiuwa would send New York into the luxury tax, Bondy observes. While those salary projections seem safe for now, Bondy writes, it’s possible each Hartenstein and Achiuwa get more money than expected in a relatively weak frontcourt free agent class.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau defied his own trend of playing one lead guard, two wings, a power forward and a center when he transitioned to a position-less lineup in Anunoby’s return, Bondy writes in a member-only New York Post article. As Bondy observes, Anunoby played alongside Josh Hart in the starting lineup, and that duo has the NBA’s best net rating among two players with at least 241 minutes together (+37.7). “I like that versatility, and we thought that was one of the big reasons why we wanted OG, was what he would bring to the team,” Thibodeau said. “So I think it’s a huge plus for us.“
Kristaps Porzingis missed his fourth straight game for the Celtics on Thursday, but head coach Joe Mazzulla gave a promising update on the star before the game, according to MassLive’s Brian Robb. “He’s progressing well,” Mazzulla said. “He was on the court today earlier, just working out with the guys. Don’t have an official timeline, but he’s getting better and better.“
Boston’s starters have gotten plenty of credit for the Celtics‘ success this season, but the bench has played a pivotal, yet understated role this year, according to NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg. The bench unit including Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet have outscored opponents by 219 points on the year, the best in the NBA. In-season addition Xavier Tillman has also been a key contributor as of late.
In case you missed it, the Sixers are signing Kai Jones to a 10-day contract. Get the details here.

Knicks Sign Diakite To 10-Day Deal, Officially Re-Sign Jeffries

March 14th, 2024 at 10:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have signed forward Mamadi Diakite to a 10-day contract, the team’s PR department tweets. New York also officially signed DaQuan Jeffries to a second 10-day deal, the club announced in a separate tweet.

Diakite became a free agent after the Spurs waived him on March 2. San Antonio had signed Diakite to a two-way deal on New Year’s Day.

Diakite is back in the Knicks’ organization after participating in their training camp last fall and playing for their G League team in Westchester earlier this season. He averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 30.3 minutes while playing six games for the G League club.

Diakite, 27, went undrafted in 2020 out of Virginia after winning the national championship with the Cavaliers in 2018/19. This is his fourth NBA season — he has played a total of 52 games with Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and San Antonio. He holds career averages of 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest.

The Knicks have a roster opening to accommodate Diakite.

New York’s intention to re-sign Jeffries was reported on Wednesday. This is the third separate time Jeffries has been on the Knicks’ roster in 2023/24. He was initially on a standard non-guaranteed contract, but was waived as part of a trade back in late December. Jeffries signed his first 10-day deal with New York this season on February 22.

New York Notes: Claxton, Nets, Johnson, Anunoby

March 14th, 2024 at 9:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

Nic Claxton is headed to free agency after the season and Nets interim coach Kevin Ollie wants his center to continue showing growth as an offensive threat. He’s averaging 15.0 points and 3.1 assists in seven games this month, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes.

“I want [Claxton] to be unlocked, I don’t want him to be in a box offensively,” Ollie said. “I want him to do all kinds of things on the court because he’s doing everything on the defensive end for us — blocking shots, rebounding. We need to throw him the ball, but he needs to demand the ball as well. I’m telling our guards, ‘We gotta reward the big fella, because he’s doing a lot of cleaning up for us on the defensive end.’ When he does have two feet in the paint and he’s established, he should be getting the ball.”

We have more on the New York teams:

The Nets have dropped three of their four games during their current road trip and Wednesday’s 114-106 loss at Orlando was troubling, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. They trailed by double digits three minutes into the contest and never recovered. They’re now 3.5 games behind Atlanta for the final play-in spot. “The same thing that’s been going on just this last stretch: We didn’t make shots and our energy just wasn’t where it needed to be,” Claxton said. “It’s frustrating, man. It’s not easy. It’s frustrating. Nobody likes losing, like I always say. But we’ve just got to get ready for Indiana (on Saturday).”
Cameron Johnson was one of the few bright spots for the Nets on Wednesday, Lewis notes. He returned after missing three games due to an ankle sprain and contributed 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. “We’re going to always look at what’s best for the team,” Ollie said. “I just thought he took care of his minutes, finished the game for us and, you know, that’s what I want him to understand.”
Knicks forward OG Anunoby is glad he opted for right elbow surgery, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. In his return on Tuesday, he played 29 minutes and posted 14 points and four rebounds against Philadelphia. “It’s a lot better than it was the month of January,” Anunoby said. “I’m happy. Should get better and better.” Anunoby is expected to decline his $19.9MM contract option for next season in order to become an unrestricted free agent, though a new deal with New York is considered the most likely outcome.

Knicks To Sign DaQuan Jeffries To Second 10-Day Deal

March 13th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are signing guard/forward DaQuan Jeffries to a second 10-day contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter).

Jeffries signed his first 10-day deal with New York this season on February 22 and was eligible for a second 10-day contract at the beginning of March. Instead, he’ll be returning a couple weeks later, according to Scotto.

This is actually the third separate time Jeffries has been on the Knicks’ roster in 2023/24. He was initially on a standard non-guaranteed contract, but was waived as part of a trade back in late December.

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Jeffries will officially sign his new deal on Thursday, when New York faces Portland (Twitter link).

Once his second 10-day deal expires, Jeffries will be ineligible to sign a third. To retain him at that point, the Knicks would have to sign him for the rest of the season.

Jeffries, 26, went undrafted out of Tulsa in 2019. He has played in 60 NBA games for the Kings, Rockets, Grizzlies and Knicks over the past five seasons, including 13 brief cameos (34 total minutes) with New York in ’23/24.

Jeffries didn’t play in any games in 2022/23 with New York, but he was under contract the whole campaign — initially on a two-way deal, and then a pair of 10-day contracts, before finally signing a multiyear deal.

While he hasn’t played much for the NBA club, Jeffries has been a standout for the Knicks’ G League affiliate in Westchester the past two seasons, averaging 22.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.1 BPG on .484/.385/.758 shooting in 13 regular season games in ’23/24.

As our tracker shows, New York only has 13 players on standard contracts at the moment, and was required to fill the 14th spot within two weeks of Jeffries’ last 10-day deal. The Knicks are currently 38-27, the No. 4 seed in the East, though only 2.5 games separate them from the No. 8 Heat.

Atlantic Notes: Hield, Randle, Robinson, Anunoby, Schröder

March 13th, 2024 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

After starting his first 13 games with the Sixers, Buddy Hield has come off the bench in back-to-back contests in New York on Sunday and Tuesday. As Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) writes, Hield told reporters after Sunday’s game that he has no complaints about the adjustment to his role.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be permanent or not, but sometimes change is good,” Hield said. “… All these guys have started or come off the bench, so it’s not like a big problem. … We’re NBA players, and we figure out how to adjust.”

As Hield alluded to, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse has been experimenting with different starting lineups for much of the season. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris are the only three players on the roster who have started every game they’ve appeared in this season, and Embiid is currently on the shelf with a knee injury. In total, 18 different Philadelphia players – including 13 who are currently on the roster – have started at least one game in 2023/24.

Hield has averaged over 25 minutes per contest in his first two games off the bench, playing well in a 16-point outing on Sunday and struggling a little with his shot in a 4-of-11 performance on Tuesday. He expressed confidence on Sunday that he’ll continue to be productive even if he’s part of the second unit.

“It’s not about starting all the time,” Hield said. “As long as I go out there and get quality minutes to help this team win, that’s all that matters. I’m going to play my role.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau provided minor injury updates on Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) on Tuesday, telling reporters – including Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter links) – that Randle is working in “controlled” contact situations, while Robinson is running, jumping, and making “really good, steady progress.” Thibodeau didn’t offer a timeline for Randle to move on to 5-on-5 work.
While the Knicks continue to wait on Randle and Robinson, forward OG Anunoby (elbow) played on Tuesday for the first time since January 27 and provided a reminder of his importance to the team, says Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks outscored Philadelphia by 28 points in Anunoby’s 29 minutes and his teammates benefited on both ends of the court from his presence on the floor, Bondy notes.
Since joining the Nets at last month’s trade deadline, Dennis Schröder has averaged 14.6 points and 5.9 assists in 14 games and has improved the club’s ball movement, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Count center Nic Claxton among those who have been impressed by Schröder’s impact. “He really just, he treats the game right,” Claxton said on Tuesday. “He’s a true competitor, and he holds everybody accountable. He’s a winner. He has really good work habits, he works on his body a lot. … It’s tough being thrown in at the middle of the season, but it’s all starting to come together.”

New York Notes: Anunoby, Randle, Johnson, Thomas

March 11th, 2024 at 9:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks forward OG Anunoby is expected to return to action as early as Tuesday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweets.

The Knicks play a home game against Philadelphia on Tuesday before embarking on a West Coast swing. He’s listed as questionable to play against the Sixers, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

Anunoby, who hasn’t played since January 27 after undergoing elbow surgery, had been trending in the right direction in recent days, scrimmaging five-on-five and taking contact. The Knicks are 12-2 with Anunoby in the lineup this season after acquiring him from Toronto and have gone just 8-10 since he was sidelined.

We have more on the New York teams:

It’ll take more time for Julius Randle to return to the lineup, Charania reported in a video relayed by New York Basketball (Twitter link). The Knicks have to be careful that Randle doesn’t aggravate his shoulder injury during his rehab. “These shoulder injuries are ones where you want to make sure when you’re back on the court, you don’t just pop it again, you don’t have another issue that then leads to that season ending surgery,” Charania said.
Nets forward Cameron Johnson has missed the last three games due to a sprained right ankle. Interim coach Kevin Ollie said he’ll know more about Johnson’s progress when the team practices on Tuesday. “It’s day-to-day with Cam, how’s he responding to treatment,” Ollie told The New York Post’s Brian Lewis. “I know he got on the court a little bit … and probably seeing how he responds. It’s just day-to-day. I can’t speculate if he’s going to be ready to practice on Tuesday when we get back. That wouldn’t be right for me to speculate that. But like I say, I’m always gonna say, I’m gonna lean on the player, lean on our medical staff to make the right judgment. And when he’s out there and when he’s ready to go, I expect the full Cam Johnson to come out and play his best basketball for us in this last little homestretch that we have.”
Nets guard Cam Thomas believes he should be given heavy consideration for the Most Improved Player award, he told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes in a video interview (hat tip to Clutch Points’ Eric Slater). “I feel like my name should definitely be in the conversation more… With what I’ve honestly gone through my first two years just playing sporadically… Having a jump like this, that can’t go unnoticed,” Thomas said. In 50 games this season, Thomas is averaging 21.3 points and 2.7 assists in 29.8 minutes per contest. During his second NBA season in 2022/23, he averaged 10.6 points and 1.4 assists in 16.6 minutes per game.

Knicks Notes: Offensive Struggles, Anunoby, Randle, Milton, Rotation

March 11th, 2024 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks played their worst game of the season and posted their lowest offensive total in nearly six years in Sunday’s 79-73 loss to Philadelphia, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. It was the fewest points scored by any NBA team in 2023/24, barely eclipsing the 74 points that New York held Orlando to Friday night, and Knicks players were honest about their performance.

“We played like [expletive],” Josh Hart said. “I mean, we obviously didn’t shoot the ball well. Turnovers bad. I think I had six or seven myself … But we’ve got to try to flush it. Got them again on Tuesday. Try to come out and play better.”

The Knicks shot 32.5% from the field and committed 19 turnovers, with All-Star Jalen Brunson going just 6-of-22. The game had a late-1990s feel to it, Popper observes, including a fourth quarter altercation between Donte DiVincenzo and Kelly Oubre that led to a shoving match involving several players.

DiVincenzo refused to comment on the scuffle, but Oubre said, “All of that stuff’s funny to me. I don’t know why. I just laugh, because nobody’s gonna fight.”

There’s more from New York:

Coach Tom Thibodeau said OG Anunoby will travel with the team when it departs for the West Coast on Thursday, per Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link). There’s hope that Anunoby will be able to return soon from a right elbow injury that has sidelined him since January 27. Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson will also make the trip, but there are concerns about why Randle still hasn’t been cleared for contact, Begley adds.
Randle missed his 18th game of the season Sunday night, which means he won’t receive a $1.28MM bonus for appearing in 65 games, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Randle’s contract includes the same bonus for next season, which will now be considered unlikely. His cap hit will be adjusted to $28.9MM and the team will receive a $1.28MM tax variance credit for this season, Marks adds.
Shake Milton has only played one minute in three games since signing with the Knicks last week, but Thibodeau is urging him to be patient, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. “Just fit in and stay ready. Trades are hard in the middle of the season. You gotta learn the system,” Thibodeau said. “But I like what I’ve seen from him in terms of his attitude, his approach. He’s been very, very good.”
In a separate story, Popper examines what the Knicks’ rotation might look like if everyone is healthy. He notes that a potential starting five of Brunson, DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Randle and Robinson hasn’t played together yet. If that’s the starting unit, Popper expects Hart, Isaiah Hartenstein and Miles McBride to be the first three reserves. It’s tougher to determine who’s next in line, as Precious Achiuwa, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Jericho Sims and Milton will all be competing for limited minutes.