New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Sims, Centers, Reddish, Hart

December 19th, 2023 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks center Jericho Sims sprained his right ankle after just three minutes of action in Monday’s win over the Lakers. Head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t have an update after the game about the severity of the injury, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), but Sims was in a walking boot, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.

Still, it sounds like the injury may not be significant. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), the Knicks are listing Sims as questionable to play in Wednesday’s contest vs. Brooklyn, which suggests he may not have to miss any time at all.

If Sims is forced to the sidelines, his absence figures to result in a significant role for reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein, who had already been getting the majority of playing time at the five since Mitchell Robinson went down.

On Monday, Hartenstein logged an impressive 39 minutes off the bench and played a key role in the victory — he grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds and the Knicks outscored the Lakers by 15 points when he was on the court. Recently added big man Taj Gibson was a minus-8 in his six minutes of action.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Prior to Monday’s win and Sims’ ankle injury, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post questioned whether Hartenstein should simply be moved into the starting lineup, since the groups with Sims at center haven’t been particularly effective, especially defensively. Since Robinson’s injury, New York has a +11.5 net rating with Hartenstein on the court and a -16.9 mark (including a 131.1 defensive rating) when Sims is playing.
Facing his former Knicks team for the first time this season on Monday, Lakers forward Cam Reddish wasn’t willing to revisit the past, Bondy writes in another New York Post story. “I’ve got nothing for you,” Reddish said on his way out of the locker room. “My time in New York is over.” Asked about the former Knicks forward, who fell out of favor in New York and reportedly sought a trade, Thibodeau lauded the 24-year-old for being willing to accept his role in Los Angeles: “I think the first thing is to embrace the role, and I think he’s done a really good job of that.”
Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Josh Hart attributed his bumpy start to this season to adjusting to a new role and to not being in his usual rhythm after spending a long summer with Team USA. Still, Hart suggested he’d happily accept an invitation to the 2024 Olympic team — though he’s not necessarily holding his breath for that invite. “I’d be very pleasantly surprised if I get a call. If I do, I’ll go cheerlead LeBron (James), KD (Kevin Durant) and all of them and I would love every minute of it,” he said with a laugh.
After seven straight lottery seasons from 2014-20, the Knicks are now a “fully functional” franchise and a solid playoff team, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who considers what it will take for the club to become more than that.

Trade Rumors: Mitchell, Grant, Hawks, Clarkson

December 19th, 2023 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

There’s no indication that the Cavaliers are considering trading Donovan Mitchell, and the star guard shut down that topic of conversation following injuries to teammates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. However, in an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton argues that it’s something the team should think about, given that Cleveland doesn’t appear to be a legitimate title contender in the short term and Mitchell can become a free agent in 2025.

As Pelton writes, if the Cavaliers aren’t confident in their ability to extend Mitchell beyond his current deal, they could maximize his value on the trade market by moving him sooner rather than later, potentially getting back pieces that could complement Garland and Mobley as they enter their respective primes.

It seems unlikely that the Cavs will heed Pelton’s advice and make Mitchell available in advance of this season’s trade deadline. But if the four-time All-Star eventually ends up on the trade block, the Knicks, Nets, Heat, and “at least two other” Southwest teams would be among the potential suitors to watch, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to NetsDaily).

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Ever since Damian Lillard requested a trade out of Portland, forward Jerami Grant has been viewed as a logical trade candidate, given that he seems to be on a different timeline than the rebuilding Trail Blazers. However, Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan in Portland (Twitter link) says he continues to hear the team has “zero interest” in moving Grant and is happy with the role he’s playing on the current roster.
Teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on the Hawks to see if they’ll become a trade deadline seller, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story. Atlanta was at the center of several offseason trade rumors – many of which involved Clint Capela and/or De’Andre Hunter – but didn’t end up doing anything too significant and is off to an underwhelming (11-15) start this fall.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link) confirms that Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is considered available via trade, as previous reports have suggested. Clarkson likes playing in Utah and isn’t seeking an exit, Haynes notes, but multiple contenders have inquired about him.

Atlantic Notes: White, Thybulle, Sixers, Knicks

December 17th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Does Derrick White deserve All-Star consideration? Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston argues that the Celtics guard has a legitimate case, noting that the team has a +13.6 net rating when White is on the court compared to a +1.5 mark when he sits. That’s the widest on/off difference for any player on the roster.

White is also averaging 15.6 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 42.7% on three-pointers. All of those numbers would be career bests for the seventh-year guard (with the exception of his rookie season, when he shot 48.5% from the floor and 61.5% on threes in just 139 total minutes).

Still, while the 19-5 Celtics certainly have a case to send multiple players to this season’s All-Star Game in Indianapolis, it’s unclear whether White will make the cut. As Forsberg observes, Jayson Tatum is a lock to be an All-Star, while teammates Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis will also warrant consideration.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Since being traded from Philadelphia to Portland at last season’s trade deadline, Matisse Thybulle has made 39.9% of his three-point attempts, well above the 32.5% mark he put up across three-and-a-half seasons with the Sixers. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if the 76ers gave up on Thybulle too early and whether he might’ve been rejuvenated under a new head coach in Nick Nurse.
In a separate story for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gina Mizell previews trade season for the Sixers, identifying some potential big-name trade targets while also considering what sort of role players might fit in Philadelphia. A prototypical point guard, a more traditional center, and a “straight-up gunner” are among the pieces the club could keep an eye out for, Mizell suggests.
With Mitchell Robinson out for a couple months and Taj Gibson now a part of the roster, Tom Thibodeau‘s rotation at center for the Knicks looks pretty clear, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Jericho Sims will start, Isaiah Hartenstein will get the majority of the minutes, and Gibson will be available for insurance purposes. That’s how it worked out on Friday and Saturday, with Hartenstein averaging 30.5 minutes, Sims averaging 17.5, and Gibson logging a total of seven minutes in garbage time.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Quickley, Gibson, Randle

December 16th, 2023 at 9:38am CST by Tristan Tucker

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson‘s three-point shot is the key to New York’s ability to win games, writes the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. Overall, Brunson is shooting a career-best 46.0% on 6.8 attempts per night from beyond the arc. When the Knicks win, Brunson shoots 57.4% from deep, but when they lose, he shoots just 27.4%.

Bondy breaks down what Brunson’s threes have looked like this season in victories and defeats. Generally, entering Thursday, Brunson was getting more open looks in wins than in losses, including 37% of his threes in wins being “wide open” (compared to 32% in losses).

Like clockwork, Brunson had a historic night from downtown in a 17-point victory against the Suns on Friday. Brunson scored a career-high 50 points in the win, 35 of which came in the second half, where he shot 12-for-12 from the floor and 8-for-8 from three-point range in the period.

Brunson’s overall 9-for-9 performance from three tied the NBA record for the most three-point attempts in a game without a miss (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Fred Katz). Latrell Sprewell did it for the Knicks in 2003.

We have more from the Knicks:

Immanuel Quickley returned from a brief injury absence on Dec. 13, playing just 18 minutes against Utah as Tom Thibodeau continues to navigate his guard rotation. He wasn’t concerned about the lack of minutes, writes Bondy. “Just whatever minutes you get, go out there and be effective,” Quickley said. “Whatever minutes I get — whether 15, 20, 25. I played 55 [in an overtime game] last season. Whatever minutes I get, go out there and help the team win.“
The Knicks are happy to have veteran big man Taj Gibson back in the fold after signing him on Friday. Gibson, 38, spent three seasons with the Knicks before joining the Wizards last year. With Mitchell Robinson sidelined due to injury, it made sense for Gibson to come back, writes Newsday’s Steve Popper. Gibson also spoke about his future upon arriving with the Knicks. “I’m still considering [coaching],” Gibson said. “But it has to be the right situation. I want to be somewhere where I can learn, brighten my future. This is a bright spot for me, being around the coaching staff who I can learn from. Just top to bottom, this is just family for me.“
After a sluggish start to the season that saw him shoot just 31.6% from the field and average 16.5 points per game, Julius Randle has improved his efficiency and turned his season around, writes Bondy in a separate story. Randle’s stated goal before the season was to become a more efficient player, which didn’t seem likely after his start to the year, but he’s shooting 60.0% from the floor and 41.2% from three over the last eight games while averaging 28.0 PPG. “Just playing to my strengths and understanding spots on the court where I can get high-percentage shots where I can either get a high-percentage shot or they double me and I can kick out and play-make for my teammates,” Randle said. “So I understand who I am as a player. While I can shoot the ball and make a ton of 3s, I understand who I am as a player, what my strengths are.“

Eastern Rumors: LaVine, Bulls, Raptors, Pacers, Sixers

December 15th, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

It has been difficult to sift through the noise in the rumor mill to determine which teams might actually be legitimate suitors for Zach LaVine, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who notes that while the Sixers and Lakers have frequently been mentioned as possibilities, their level of interest in the Bulls guard is unclear.

Teams like the 76ers, Knicks, and Heat haven’t seriously engaged or shown real interest in LaVine, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that the Lakers are believed to be LaVine’s preference in the event of a trade, but we don’t have a sense of whether that interest is reciprocated.

As Fischer writes – and as Cowley previously suggested – if the Bulls are going to move LaVine, they’d ideally like to do it well in advance of February’s deadline in order to give them time to evaluate their new-look roster before deciding on whether or not to trade more players, such as DeMar DeRozan or Alex Caruso.

However, LaVine’s injury history was already considered a red flag for potential suitors, and the fact that he’s currently on the shelf due to a foot issue only lends credence to that concern, Fischer notes. On top of that, the Bulls’ asking price is believed to be high, consisting of an established starter, a young player with upside, and first-round draft capital, sources tell Fischer. It remains to be seen whether any team is willing to put a package like that on the table.

According to Fischer, the Bulls have also explored the possibility of trying to move LaVine in a deal for another All-Star level player. They attempted to pitch the Cavaliers on a swap that would have sent point guard Darius Garland to Chicago, sources tell Yahoo Sports. Presumably, Cleveland didn’t have much interest in that concept.

Here are a few more rumors from around the Eastern Conference, courtesy of Fischer:

Given that the 2024 draft class is considered relatively weak, there’s a sense that teams in search of roster upgrades might be more inclined to move their ’24 first-round picks in trades this season, but there’s not yet a long list of sellers. According to Fischer, league personnel believe the Raptors will be more inclined to join that group of sellers this winter than they have been in past years, after they saw Fred VanVleet walk in free agency over the summer. “Toronto’s going to be forced to make a decision,” one GM said to Yahoo Sports.
Pascal Siakam is considered the more likely trade candidate than Raptors teammate OG Anunoby, but a couple of the clubs believed to have interest in Siakam – the Pacers and Kings – seem “more vested” in the idea of landing Anunoby, Fischer writes.
Speaking of the Pacers, rival executives think they’ll be aggressive in exploring ceiling-raising trades that would consolidate some of their depth pieces, though Fischer is unconvinced the team is prepared to do anything substantial quite yet. Veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell continues to draw interest from playoff teams seeking backcourt help, Fischer adds.
The Sixers aren’t expected to pursue any major roster changes until much closer to February’s trade deadline, according to Fischer.

Knicks Waive Dylan Windler, Sign Taj Gibson

December 15th, 2023 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 15: The Knicks have officially signed Gibson, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). He’ll earn a salary of $2,241,188, while the team carries a cap hit of $1,416,116.

DECEMBER 13: The Knicks are making a change at the back of their standard 15-man roster, announcing today that they’ve waived wing Dylan Windler (Twitter link). Using their newly opened roster spot, the team will sign free agent big man Taj Gibson to a one-year contract, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Gibson’s one-year deal with New York will be non-guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Gibson is a longtime favorite of Tom Thibodeau, who has coached the veteran forward/center in Chicago, Minnesota, and New York. Gibson previously had a stint with the Knicks that lasted from 2019-22 — he appeared in 159 games over the course of three seasons.

Gibson spent last the 2022/23 season with the Wizards and re-signed with Washington on a one-year, minimum-salary contract during the 2023 offseason. However, even though his deal was fully guaranteed, the 38-year-old became the victim of a roster crunch in D.C. and was cut before the season began.

With starting center Mitchell Robinson expected to miss at least eight-to-10 weeks due to an ankle injury, New York was in the market for additional frontcourt depth and Gibson was an obvious candidate to fill that role, given his familiarity with Thibodeau and the Knicks, who highly value his leadership, according to Begley.

Gibson’s playing time has been on the decline in recent years and he’ll turn 39 in June, so he’s unlikely to leapfrog Isaiah Hartenstein or Jericho Sims on New York’s depth chart, but he’ll be a useful piece of insurance at center.

Since the Knicks had a full 15-man roster, they had to waive someone to make room for Gibson. None of their three players on non-guaranteed salaries – Windler, DaQuan Jeffries, and Ryan Arcidiacono – had seen much action this fall, but it was Windler who was ultimately the odd man out. The former first-round pick has logged just seven total minutes across three appearances for the Knicks this season.

For what it’s worth, Windler is still eligible for a two-way contract, whereas Jeffries and Aricidacono aren’t, so if he clears waivers, the former Belmont sharpshooter could return in that capacity. It would require another cut though, since New York doesn’t have an open two-way slot.

If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Windler will end up making $659,454, a prorated portion of his minimum-salary deal with the Knicks.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Morris, Hartenstein, Quickley

December 14th, 2023 at 8:23pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has been subject to trade rumors for roughly a year while his team is middling, even though he has expressed his desire to stay in Toronto multiple times, according to Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange. Siakam says he isn’t letting the persistent rumors get to him.

“I don’t worry about that. I just live my life and try to be the best I can be every day,” Siakam said. “I don’t think about it. It’s not part of what I do. I control what I can control. I’ve always understood that, and I’m getting better at it and I’m actually really good at it now.”

Siakam is earning $37.9MM in the final season of a four-year, $136.9MM deal. Even without a long-term contract, Siakam deserves credit for keeping the 10-14 Raptors competitive, Grange writes. He’s averaging 21.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season.

“The way I look at it, and that’s been in my life period, it’s never been easy,” Siakam said. “Hey, you got to fight. There’s going to be times where it’s hard out there … it feels like a boxing match where you get knocked down and everything. You can’t see nothing. You’re looking for your mouthpiece, trying to find anything on the floor. And the ref is counting, blood coming out of your mouth. And the thing about it is it’s going to happen more than once.

“So that’s a challenge. It is going to be hard. We just have to be able to overcome it. At the end of the day, like I said, we can talk about x’s and o’s and this and that. We’ve just got to be able to buckle up and go out there and do it.”

According to Grange, there is a “fairly robust” market for Siakam, though it may not be for the return Raptors president Masai Ujiri would want in such a deal. Despite the noise of a potential trade, Grange says there is a chance Siakam stays put and signs an extension with Toronto.

That means there could be a win-win situation for Siakam and the Raptors in which Toronto signs the All-Star forward to an extension in the next month or so, Grange writes. In that scenario, Siakam would be ineligible to be moved for six months and the Raptors could then explore the market again in the summer and become a major offseason player.

On the other hand, if the Raptors don’t see themselves signing Siakam to an extension soon, it would make sense to move him now, Grange notes.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

After a slow start with the Sixers, Marcus Morris is emerging as a trusted part of Philadelphia’s rotation, writes The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey (subscriber link). Morris is averaging 8.3 points and 3.8 rebounds over his past nine games compared to 1.1 points and 1.0 rebounds in his first seven appearances with Philly. Still, given his large expiring contract, it’s possible Morris is moved ahead of the trade deadline as the Sixers continue to shape their contending roster, a fact he’s aware of. “I understand the business part,” Morris said. “I know we [are] actively in trade [inquiries].“
After losing Mitchell Robinson to injury for eight-to-10 weeks, the Knicks will continue to turn to Isaiah Hartenstein to help fill the void, writes the New York Post’s Zach Braziller. Jericho Sims has started in Robinson’s place, but Hartenstein has ultimately finished with more minutes and closed games, a strategy coach Tom Thibodeau employed last season when Robinson missed time. “I’ve always been ready for this opportunity. I think I’ve shown I can be in this role,” Hartenstein said. “At the end of the day, we are going to miss Mitch a lot. But I’m ready — I’m ready for whatever [Thibodeau] has in mind for me. … Last season, half of the games I would finish games. I’m used to this role, so I’m excited for it.“
It might make sense for the Knicks to explore trading guard Immanuel Quickley, writes the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy (subscriber link), who speculates the offseason Donte DiVincenzo signing, along with the lack of a preseason extension for Quickley, could signal a potential trade. With such a guard-heavy roster, the Knicks could look to move Quickley before he hits restricted free agency in July and get some value for him, Bondy reasons.

Warriors, Knicks, Lakers Top Latest NBA Franchise Valuations

December 13th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico (subscription required), who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2023 on Wednesday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $8.28 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $7 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $7.43 billion, while the Lakers come in at $7.34 billion, per Sportico.

As Badenhausen details, Sportico spoke to more than 30 team executives, owners, investors, bankers, consultants, and lawyers in compiling their latest NBA franchise valuations. According to Sportico, the average value of an NBA team is up 33% from a year ago and 70% from when the site first started publishing valuations three years ago.

A combination of factors are contributing to the soaring value of NBA franchises, says Baudenhausen. Those factors include national media deals, international opportunities, scarcity (ie. only 30 teams are available), and an equal 1/30th stake in the league.

In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we’re highlighting Sportico’s projections in 2023.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But thse projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2023:

Golden State Warriors: $8.28 billion
New York Knicks: $7.43 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $7.34 billion
Boston Celtics: $5.12 billion
Chicago Bulls: $4.83 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $4.56 billion
Miami Heat: $4.17 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $4.13 billion
Toronto Raptors: $4.11 billion
Houston Rockets: $4.05 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $4.03 billion
Phoenix Suns: $4 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $3.98 billion
Sacramento Kings: $3.46 billion
Denver Nuggets: $3.4 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $3.35 billion
Washington Wizards: $3.33 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $3.29 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $3.28 billion
Indiana Pacers: $3.27 billion
Utah Jazz: $3.24 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.22 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $3.2 billion
Orlando Magic: $3.12 billion
Detroit Pistons: $3.1 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.08 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $3 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $2.94 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $2.82 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $2.72 billion

For the most part, the most significant valuation increases (by percentage) within the last year belonged to the teams on the bottom half of this list. Besides the Bucks, whose projection rose by 32%, every franchise in the bottom 10 received at least a 50% bump from Sportico’s 2022 valuations.

The Nuggets, who cracked the top half of this list following their 2023 championship, were another big riser — their valuation increased by 60% and they moved up six spots.

It’s worth noting that the Mavericks‘ reported valuation in Mark Cuban‘s sale to the Adelson and Dumont families reportedly came in around $3.5 billion, well below Sportico’s valuation.

However, more recent reporting has suggested the final valuation will be closer to $4 billion when the transaction closes. That was also a unique situation since Cuban is retaining control of basketball operations as part of the sale agreement, despite surrendering majority control of the business. He’ll hang onto about 25% of the franchise, according to Sportico.

Grimes Feeling Comfortable Off Bench

December 12th, 2023 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks guard Quentin Grimes was moved to the second unit and he’s thriving off the bench. In the last two games, he has averaged 16 points on 10.5 shot attempts. “I’m just out there playing free, really,” he told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Everybody sees it, just from me going out there, playing with guys trying to get me open shots. It’s easy and fun playing out with the second unit for sure.”
Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley is listed as questionable with knee inflammation for Wednesday’s game vs. Utah, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. He didn’t play against Toronto on Monday.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sims, Hartenstein, Walsh

December 12th, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic isn’t oblivious to the calls to modify his starting lineup, but he’s not prepared to make any changes yet. In a media session on Tuesday, Rajakovic said he wants to give his current starting five – Dennis Schröder, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Jakob Poeltl – “another game or two” to figure things out, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

The five-man group has a minus-4.7 net rating in 270 minutes so far this season. As Lewenberg observes, the starters have been outscored in six of the Raptors’ last seven games and the club lost all six of those games. If there are no positive steps forward within the next couple games, it sounds like Rajakovic is open to shaking things up.

“It’s not something that’s completely off the table,” he said today.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Eric Koreen and John Hollinger of The Athletic teamed up to examine what it would look like if the Raptors become trade deadline sellers, weighing the trade value of players like Siakam and Anunoby. Hollinger also digs into what a trade sending Siakam to the Hawks might look like, suggesting a package of a couple first-round picks (Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 pick and Atlanta’s own “lightly protected” 2029 selection), De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic in exchange for Siakam and Christian Koloko.
While Jericho Sims got the starting nod in the Knicks‘ first game without center Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein played more minutes than Sims did and was part of the closing lineup, notes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Katz takes a closer look at what Robinson’s extended absence will mean for New York, exploring whether additional lineup and rotation tweaks may be necessary if Sims continues to start.
Celtics forward Jordan Walsh has yet to make his regular season NBA debut, having spent much of his rookie season so far in the G League. According to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, head coach Joe Mazzulla – who has said he wants to see Walsh focus on defense and impacting the game without scoring during his time in Maine – is keeping tabs on the rookie’s progress. “We get an email after every game,” Mazzulla said. “Craig [Luschenat], our guy who works with our player development, and [Maine head coach] Blaine [Mueller] are in constant communication and then we have constant development checklist of what’s important to us, where we want him to be at the end of the season, where we want him to be in a year from now.”