New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Sign Jacob Toppin To 10-Day Contract

February 22nd, 2024 at 9:13am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have reached a 10-day contract agreement with two-way player Jacob Toppin, the team announced (via Twitter).

With three open spots on its 15-man standard roster, New York faced a deadline of today to make at least two additions. Toppin’s 10-day deal and the expected signing of DaQuan Jeffries to a 10-day contract will get the team back to the league minimum roster of 14 players.

Toppin landed a two-way contract with the Knicks after going undrafted out of Kentucky last summer. He has only appeared in five NBA games, but he scored 11 points in 17 minutes last Wednesday as New York was dealing with a depleted roster.

Toppin has spent much of the season in the G League, averaging 21.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 13 regular season games with the Westchester Knicks. He also took part in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend.

Toppin’s promotion leaves New York with an open two-way slot that can be filled by March 4.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Anunoby, Robinson, Hartenstein, More

February 21st, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Tuesday that Julius Randle continues to make “good, steady progress” in his recovery from a dislocated right shoulder, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. One day later, speaking publicly on Wednesday for the first time since suffering the injury, Randle told reporters that he’s feeling “better and stronger” than he was earlier in the month, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post.

However, neither Thibodeau nor Randle indicated that the possibility of season-ending surgery is off the table.

“I mean, we’ll see. There’s still necessary steps. It’s a process to everything. I have to weigh out everything ultimately and decide from there,” Randle said. “But right now I’m just focused on trying to avoid (surgery), obviously, and get back on the court as soon as I can.”

Even if Randle is able to return to action this season without undergoing surgery, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to avoid a procedure on the shoulder in the offseason, Botte writes.

“I’ve heard many different opinions. Both, so we’ll see,” Randle said when asked about that scenario. “I like how I feel today as far as getting better, feeling stronger, progressing to where I need to be, as far as getting on the court.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

While Randle’s recovery timeline remains very much up in the air, another injured Knicks forward – OG Anunoby – said on Tuesday that he “for sure” expects to return before the end of the regular season and be available for the playoffs, according to Botte. Anunoby, who underwent a procedure on his right elbow a couple weeks ago, is expected to be reevaluated around March 1 and to resume on-court activities not longer after that, a league source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Within that same Athletic story, Katz says center Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) is on track to resume on-court work not long after the All-Star break, though it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll return this season. Katz adds that big man Isaiah Hartenstein doesn’t view the Achilles injury he has been nursing as a serious issue.
Hartenstein, Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring), and Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) all returned to practice on Tuesday and went through a second day of workouts on Wednesday, according to Thibodeau, who said that all three players remain on track to return on Thursday (Twitter link via Steve Popper of Newsday).
During a Boardroom.tv discussion (YouTube link) between Kevin Durant and longtime business partner Rich Kleiman, the duo confirmed that Kleiman badly wanted Durant to sign with the Knicks as a free agent in 2019, when the star forward instead chose to join the Nets.

Nets Sign Jaylen Martin To Two-Way Contract

February 21st, 2024 at 3:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 21: The Nets have officially signed Martin to a two-way contract, according to an announcement from the team (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 20: The Nets are signing swingman Jaylen Martin to a two-way deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. It’ll be a two-year contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Martin has been playing for the Knicks’ NBA G League team in Westchester.

The rookie signed a two-way contract with New York over the summer after going undrafted out of the Overtime Elite league, but he was waived before the 2023/24 season began. Martin signed another two-way deal with the Knicks in late November, then was cut again in December. He has yet to make his NBA debut.

Martin has averaged 15.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 27.9 minutes through 15 appearances with Westchester, including eight starts. Brooklyn had an open two-way spot, so the team won’t need to make a corresponding move.

Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson are the Nets’ other two-way players. Brooklyn still has an opening on its 15-man roster, which Wilson has made a strong case for as of late.

New Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie coached Martin in the Overtime Elite program.

10-Day Contracts Expire For Knicks, Raptors

February 20th, 2024 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

Taj Gibson‘s second 10-day contract with the Knicks expired overnight, making him an unrestricted free agent once again. The 10-day deals signed by Raptors forwards Justise Winslow and Mouhamadou Gueye on February 10 also expired overnight.

Both the Knicks and Raptors are now below the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players on standard contracts and will have to re-add players to their roster in the near future.

[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]

Teams are permitted to dip below 14 players for up to two weeks at a time, but because Gibson was only the Knicks’ 13th man and New York has actually been carrying fewer than 14 players since February 8, the club will have to make two roster additions by this Thursday (Feb. 22).

One of those additions could be Gibson, but since he has already signed two 10-day contracts with the Knicks, the team would have to give him a rest-of-season deal to bring him back.

The Raptors, meanwhile, are now at 13 players and will have until March 5 to fill at least one of the two openings on their 15-man roster. Given that Toronto has a good amount of flexibility below the luxury tax line and will likely want take a longer look at some young players, I wouldn’t expect the team to take the full two weeks to fill one or both of those open roster spots. For what it’s worth, both Winslow and Gueye are eligible to sign one more 10-day deal with the team.

Three other 10-day contracts around the NBA remain active — Zhaire Smith‘s deal with the Cavaliers runs through this Thursday, as does Tosan Evbuomwan‘s agreement with the Pistons. Jordan Goodwin‘s contract with the Grizzlies will cover one extra day, running through Friday.

All three of those contracts will actually remain active for more than 10 days, since 10-day contracts must cover at least three games. Smith, Evbuomwan, and Goodwin each only got two games before the All-Star break, so their “10-day” deals will actually cover 11 or 12 days. That wasn’t the case for Gibson, Winslow, or Gueye, as the Knicks and Raptors each played three contests between Feb. 10 and the start of the All-Star break.

Atlantic Notes: Barnes, Lowry, Brunson, DiVincenzo

February 19th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Raptors have lost three games in a row, two of which were blowouts. The 23-point loss to the Spurs on Monday, in particular, showed Scottie Barnes is still figuring out what it means to be a leader, writes TSN’s Josh Lewenberg. Barnes finished that game with just seven points on 20.0% shooting and departed for the locker room with about four seconds left.

Toronto failed to send a message by not disciplining Barnes, Lewenberg opines, pointing to a time early in the 2020/21 season when the team responded to Pascal Siakam leaving a game early by holding him out of the following game.

Lewenberg, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen and Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange all explore the topic, writing that Barnes is still in the first steps of figuring out his leading style after Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby all departed over the past year.

For what it’s worth, Barnes downplayed the situation after the game and followed up the performance by scoring 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in a two-point loss to the Pacers right before the deadline.

“He is learning what kind of effect he has on [the] team and teammates and everybody,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He’s going through this for the first time in his life, being the face of a franchise, and he’s emotional, but he also needs to learn how to channel those emotions. This is another great learning opportunity for him. That doesn’t mean it’s never going to happen again, but I believe that there’s going to be less and less and much better handling [of] those situations going forward.”

We have more notes from the Atlantic Division:

Kyle Lowry had multiple options on the buyout market, according to Nick Nurse, but saw the Sixers as his best fit (Twitter link via South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman). Nurse also referred to Lowry as a backup point guard, meaning he’ll help fill the defensive role that opened when the team traded away Patrick Beverley at the deadline.
After making his first All-Star and Three-Point Contest appearances, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is looking to what’s next, according to the New York Post’s Peter Botte. Brunson is taking it game-by-game and day-by-day. “I know a lot of Knicks fans want to put us right in the Eastern Conference Finals. We were one step short last year,” Brunson said. “I think for us … we can’t look forward to the playoffs. We have to focus on every single day, just chipping away and getting better and better.“
Donte DiVincenzo is having a career year with the Knicks, averaging career highs of 13.6 points and 41.5% from beyond the arc. He’s been especially productive as the Knicks have rocketed up the standings since the New Year. The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy explores DiVincenzo’s ascension from playing at small Catholic school Salesianum to a starting role with a contending team. “I thought he was going to play for money, but I didn’t think it was going to the NBA. I thought it was going to be Italy or something,” Salesianum’s head coach at the time Brendan Haley said. “But he just kept getting better and better. And keeps betting on himself and keeps winning.“

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Cuban, Barlow, Pelicans

February 18th, 2024 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic leads the league with 34.2 points per game, yet there’s little buzz regarding his Most Valuable Player award candidacy. Perhaps a big showing in tonight’s All-Star Game could change that narrative, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

However, Doncic himself is skeptical. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t know.”

He does know there’s a lot of work to be done to make this a special season for himself and the franchise. “I have a long, long way to go,” he said. “So I just enjoy every moment. . . I just appreciate every day. Every game. Every practice. For me it’s fun. So for me to do this as my job, it’s a dream.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Commissioner Adam Silver has plenty of praise for Mark Cuban, who has given up majority ownership in the Mavericks but will reportedly remain involved in basketball operations. Silver called Cuban a “game-changing owner” who continues to voice his opinions regularly to the NBA office, Townsend writes in a separate story. “He’s had an incredible impact on this league,” Silver said. “I have been with the league through the entire tenure of his ownership. From his earliest days in the league, he pushed us hard. He came in as a technologist.”
The Spurs’ Dominick Barlow, who is on a two-way contract, participated in the NBA G League’s Up Next tournament on Sunday. Barlow, who has appeared in 23 NBA games this season, said he’s grateful to have any type of pro contract. “If you don’t have a purpose and a passion for something and aren’t giving your all, you are just wasting your time,” he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News. “So many people, especially young people, are searching for what they want to do in life and it takes a long time for a lot of different people to find that. I was fortunate to find what I wanted to do at a young age and I try to take full advantage, understanding I have a gift and a blessing. I don’t want to waste it.”
Former Warriors GM and current ESPN TV analyst Bob Myers compares the Pelicans to the Knicks, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune relays. “I think the Knicks are the Pelicans of the East,” Myers said on ESPN. “Very deep. A lot of good players. Lacking greatness.” Myers adds that those types of teams are less effective in the postseason. “When you get to the playoffs, it’s not about the ninth or 10th guy,” he said. “When the Warriors were winning championships, you know what our bench scoring was? Twenty-seventh in the league; 28th in the league; 29th. You know who scored? The guy making $40 million. The guy making $30 million.”

Six Teams Must Make Roster Additions By March 1

February 17th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA rules allow a team to dip below 14 players on their standard (15-man) roster, but only temporarily. A club can carry fewer than 14 players for up to two weeks, which means the clock is ticking on a handful of teams around the league, who must must make a roster addition at some point in the coming days.

Here are those clubs, along with the deadline for them to make a free agent signing:

Golden State Warriors (Feb. 22)

The Warriors had been carrying 14 players entering the day of the trade deadline on February 8 and dipped down to 13 later that day by trading away Cory Joseph, so they’ll have until next Thursday to fill Joseph’s roster spot.

The Warriors’ most obvious internal candidate for a promotion is Lester Quinones, who has been part of the regular rotation as of late, appearing in each of the team’s past 10 games and averaging 18.8 minutes per night. Quinones’ fellow two-way players, Usman Garuba and Jerome Robinson, haven’t had roles in Golden State this season.

Minnesota Timberwolves (Feb. 22)

The Timberwolves made a two-for-one trade on deadline day, sending out Shake Milton and Troy Brown for Monte Morris. That deal created a second opening on their 15-man roster, which they’ll have to fill by Thursday.

Unlike Golden State, Minnesota doesn’t have a clear candidate for a promotion among its two-way players, Luka Garza, Daishen Nix, and Jaylen Clark. The Wolves could still go that route, but I expect they’ll scour the free agent market to see if there’s a veteran who would make sense as a depth piece for what the club hopes will be an extended postseason run.

New York Knicks (Feb. 22)

The Knicks will actually have to make a pair of roster additions by next Thursday, since they dropped to 12 players on trade deadline day. Taj Gibson has since signed a 10-day contract, but it will expire on Monday night, at which point New York will once again have three open roster spots, two of which will need to be filled.

Gibson is a strong candidate for one of those openings — since he has signed two 10-day deals already, he’d need to get a rest-of-season contract if the Knicks want to keep him. As for the other spot, one report suggested that a two-way or G League player could be promoted, but New York has also been connected to veteran free agents, including former Knick Nerlens Noel.

Philadelphia 76ers (Feb. 22)

A busy trade deadline day saw the Sixers send out five players (Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, Patrick Beverley, Jaden Springer, and Danuel House) and acquire only two (Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne) in return, creating three open roster spots.

Philadelphia has since filled one by signing Kyle Lowry on the buyout market, but another addition will be required by Thursday. It would be a little surprising if it’s not a center, given that the team has been on the lookout for frontcourt help since Joel Embiid went down with a meniscus injury.

Phoenix Suns (Feb. 22)

The Suns traded four players (Jordan Goodwin, Yuta Watanabe, Keita Bates-Diop, and Chimezie Metu) at the deadline and brought back two (Royce O’Neale and David Roddy), generating two roster openings.

It’s not official yet, but there’s no mystery about who will become the Suns’ 14th man — they’re reportedly finalizing a deal with veteran forward Thaddeus Young. That signing is expected to be completed at some point next week.

Washington Wizards (March 1)

Unlike the other teams on this list, the Wizards’ trade deadline moves didn’t leave them short of the 14-man mark. But they waived Delon Wright on Friday after negotiating a buyout agreement, dropping their standard roster count to 13 players. They have 13 more days to fill that spot.

The lottery-bound Wizards won’t be in the market for a veteran free agent, so I’d bet on an internal promotion. Two-way players Eugene Omoruyi and Jared Butler are both legitimate candidates for standard multiyear contracts.

One more team to watch: Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have a full 15-man roster for the time being, but their 14th and 15th men – Justise Winslow and Mouhamadou Gueye – are both on 10-day contracts that will expire on Monday night. If Toronto doesn’t re-sign one or both players immediately, the club will be on the clock to add a new free agent or promote a two-way player by March 5.

Knicks Notes: Achiuwa, Injuries, Randle, DiVincenzo

February 16th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Rory Maher

After a highly impressive stretch of play which saw New York go 15-2 from January 1 to February 1, a wave of injuries finally caught up with the Knicks, who have dropped five of their past six games entering the All-Star break.

With OG Anunoby (elbow), Julius Randle (shoulder), Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) all sidelined and Isaiah Hartenstein missing the past three contests with a sore Achilles, the Knicks have been heavily reliant on Precious Achiuwa, and the fourth-year forward/center has responded well, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.

Over the past eight games, all starts, the 24-year-old big man has put up 14.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks in 41.6 minutes. Achiuwa pulled down an eye-popping 19 offensive rebounds over the past two games, Botte notes.

“I mentioned earlier what Isaiah has shown us and then Precious coming in,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said after Wednesday’s road loss to the Magic. “Obviously there were things we liked about [Achiuwa], that’s why we traded for him. But he’s shown us a lot. And it’s given us more versatility, we have size now at the 4. He can play the 4 or the 5, can play it well. … So that’s a big plus for us.”

Achiuwa, who was acquired from Toronto in the deal that sent Anunoby to New York, will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Knicks give him a qualifying offer, which seems very likely based on how he’s performed of late.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Thibodeau is hoping to have multiple players back from injuries after the All-Star break, Botte writes in another story for The New York Post. Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring), trade-deadline addition Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) and Hartenstein all missed Wednesday’s game, but they could return next Thursday against Philadelphia. “I think we’ve had a great two-thirds of the season. We’ve put ourselves in a position where we’ve done well, but we have a lot of room for improvement,” All-Star guard Jalen Brunson said. “So I think this break is obviously good for us. We’re the walking wounded right now. But I’m more than happy with what we’ve been able to do. So quick reset and just be ready to go next week.”
While there’s still a chance he may need season-ending surgery after dislocating his right shoulder on January 27, Randle’s rehab has gone well over the past few weeks, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “I’ve heard during this period that there’s been some positive progression here during the rehab and I think that’s left people with even more reason to be optimistic that Randle will be back at some point this season,” Begley said on Thursday’s episode of The Putback with Ian Begley. “I don’t know if they’re out of the woods yet, but certainly the progress that he has made over the last couple of weeks during this rehab stretch has left people excited about the possibility of him coming back.”
DiVicenzo is another player who has stepped up his game with Randle and Anunoby out. As Fred Katz of The Athletic details, DiVincenzo is drawing extra defensive attention lately due to his long-range shooting, with the sixth-year guard ranking second in the NBA over his past eight games in three-point attempts (13.3) and makes (5.3), only trailing Stephen Curry in those two categories. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals on .459/.396/.750 shooting in 40.4 minutes over that span. “I think it’s his best stretch of basketball,” Thibodeau said.

Nerlens Noel Has Reportedly Drawn Interest From Knicks, Rockets, Hornets

February 16th, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent center Nerlens Noel has received “exploratory” interest from the Knicks, Rockets, and Hornets, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Noel is known for his athleticism and versatility, especially on the defensive end of the floor. However, the 29-year-old hasn’t been on an NBA roster since being waived in September by the Kings. Last season, he appeared in 17 total games for the Pistons and Nets, but played limited minutes, averaging 2.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 11.5 minutes per night.

The Knicks have two open spots on their 15-man roster and have dealt with multiple injuries in their frontcourt as of late. According to Scotto, head coach Tom Thibodeau is a fan of Noel, who was with the team for two seasons from 2020-22. New York checked in on him prior to signing Taj Gibson to a second 10-day contract, Scotto adds.

Prior to the trade deadline, the Rockets were in the market for a center to back up and complement Alperen Sengun. They acquired Steven Adams from Memphis, but he’s out for the rest of the season, so he’s more of a long-term option up front. Houston currently has a full 15-man roster but may still be in the market for a big man who can help in the short term.

As for the Hornets, they’ve been missing starting center Mark Williams for much of the season and don’t have much depth at the position beyond Nick Richards, who has taken over the starting job. With no timeline for Williams’ return, they may want to add some reinforcements at the five. However, it’s worth noting that while the Knicks are a playoff team and the Rockets still have play-in aspirations, the Hornets are out of the postseason hunt, so they might prefer to rely on young players for those minutes.

New York Notes: DiVincenzo, Knicks’ Roster, Johnson, Bridges

February 15th, 2024 at 7:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks swingman Donte DiVincenzo would like to represent Italy in this year’s Summer Olympics but it apparently won’t happen.

“Ideally, I would love to,” DiVincenzo told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Logistically and how everything plays out, I don’t know if it’s possible. But if everything works out perfectly, I would love to.”

However, in a follow-up story, Bondy said he received an email from a representative from the Italian Basketball Federation stating that DiVincenzo couldn’t be added to the team.

“For the next Olympic Games there would not be the time to complete the procedures to provide him with an Italian passport,” Francesco D’Aniello wrote.

We have more on the New York teams:

The Knicks only have 13 players on standard contracts and need to add at least one more. According to Ian Begley of SNY TV, signing one – or more — of their G League players to a standard contract is a possibility. Charlie Brown Jr., Jacob Toppin and Duane Washington are currently on two-way deals and may be candidates for a promotion, while Taj Gibson, who is currently on a 10-day deal, could receive a rest-of-the-season contract, Begley adds.
Nets forward Cameron Johnson returned to action on Wednesday after missing four games with a left adductor strain. He came off the bench and played 18 minutes, contributed four points, three rebounds and two assists. Johnson started in all 40 of his previous appearances but Dorian Finney-Smith got the starting nod with Johnson on a minutes restriction. Coach Jacque Vaughn will have to choose between the two of them going forward, unless he wants to put Cam Thomas in a sixth man role again, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post,
The Nets’ last game before the All-Star break was a disaster, as they lost by 50 to the first-place Celtics. Forward Mikal Bridges told Lewis that the team shouldn’t forget about the loss. “Yeah, I mean you gotta learn and fix the issue; that’s pretty much what it is. You can’t just let this one go and think like, ‘Oh, like, let it drop.’ No,” he said. “Yeah, maybe if you lost towards the end, but you got beat by 50. It’s not just, ‘Let it go.’ A lot of (bleep) is not right, and you’ve got to fix it.”