New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks To Trade Jericho Sims To Bucks For Delon Wright

February 5th, 2025 at 9:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks will acquire backup center Jericho Sims from the Knicks, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The move will be folded into a deal between Milwaukee and Washington that was reported earlier today.

New York will receive Delon Wright and cash in return, Charania tweets. The Bucks will be permitted to send out cash because they will be below the second tax apron once the deal is finalized.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the Knicks will also part with the draft rights to French big man Mathias Lessort in exchange for the draft rights to French guard Hugo Besson.

The Bucks were among the teams said to have interest in Sims, along with both L.A. clubs, in a Tuesday report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Sims, 26, is in his fourth season with the Knicks after being selected with the 58th pick in 2021. He has appeared in 39 games so far this season, but his playing time declined to a career-low 10.8 minutes per game and he was averaging just 1.6 points and 3.3 rebounds. He has a $2.1MM expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

The move raises speculation that New York will try to add another big man before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline. Mitchell Robinson remains out of action while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, although he’s reportedly making progress toward a return.

Wright, a 32-year-old guard, was in his first season with the Bucks after signing as a free agent in July. His shooting has been an issue as he’s connecting at 26.8% from the field and 24.5% from three-point range while averaging 2.5 PPG in 26 games.

Wright is on a one-year, $2.1MM contract and is also headed for free agency at season’s end. The expectation is that the Knicks will hang onto the veteran guard for now rather than flipping him or waiving him, tweets Bondy.

Knicks Expected To Trade Jericho Sims

February 5th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are expected to trade Jericho Sims at some point before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

A landing spot for Sims is not yet known, according to Bontemps, who says that several teams have expressed interest in the big man. A Tuesday report indicated the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks are among Sims’ potential suitors, while a separate report stated that the Nuggets are also in the market for a backup center.

Bontemps’ report is in line with what local reporters have been saying leading up to the February 6 deadline. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic wrote last week that Sims was the best best among Knicks players to be moved in an in-season deal, while Ian Begley of SNY.tv said today that he views a Sims deal as “likely” (Twitter video link).

A report in January suggested that the Knicks were seeking a second-round pick in return for Sims.

The 26-year-old has been with the Knicks for the past four seasons but has been used sparingly by head coach Tom Thibodeau, even with Precious Achiuwa missing time this past fall and Mitchell Robinson having yet to make his season debut. Across 39 outings (five starts) this season, Sims is averaging 1.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game.

Sending out Sims’ $2.09MM expiring contract would allow the Knicks to take back another minimum-salary player, though it’s possible the team will just look to trade the big man without taking back anyone in return. In that scenario, New York – which has been unable to sign a 15th man all season due to its proximity to a second-apron hard cap – would have two open roster spots and would be able to fill them immediately with rest-of-season free agent signings.

Trading Sims without taking a player back would also create slightly more financial flexibility in the event of a second trade, though Begley (Twitter video link) said today that there don’t seem to be any active talks involving Robinson, who has been considered one of the Knicks’ top trade candidates.

Scotto’s Latest: Bucks, Vucevic, Ball, Martin, Sims, Hunter

February 4th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks‘ conversations on the trade market leading up to the February 6 deadline have centered around Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and MarJon Beauchamp, along with their 2031 first-round pick, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Middleton, Portis, and Connaughton hold player options for the 2025/26 season worth $34MM, $13.4MM, and $9.4MM, respectively. The expectation, Scotto writes, is that Middleton and Connaughton will pick up their options, locking in those cap hits for next season. Portis’ intentions aren’t known, per Scotto, but if he opts out, he’d presumably do so in search of a raise.

With Middleton having battled injuries, Portis potentially a free agent this summer, Connaughton having a down year, and Beauchamp not in the rotation, the value of the Bucks’ top trade candidates is limited, but that 2031 first-rounder would certainly be coveted on the trade market.

According to Scotto, in the two weeks since the Suns traded their 2031 first-round pick for three less valuable first-rounders, a handful of NBA executives have expressed interest in trying to work out a similar deal with the Bucks.

Here are a few more rumors of interest from Scotto:

Scotto checks in on Bulls trade candidates Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, writing that there’s a “growing sense” that Vucevic could be on the move this week, with the Warriors and Lakers among his rumored suitors.
As for Ball, the Grizzlies, Pistons, and Timberwolves are among the teams with interest, Scotto writes. Minnesota, a second-apron team, likely doesn’t have a realistic path to acquiring Ball in a trade, and Scotto does note that some clubs are monitoring the situation to see whether the Bulls guard could end up on the buyout market. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported earlier today that Chicago is resistant to the idea of buying out Ball.
In general, Scotto says, the Bulls want to avoid taking on long-term salary in trades as they look to create more cap flexibility in the coming years.
Besides Milwaukee, whose interest was reported earlier today, the Lakers and the Nuggets are among the teams with some trade interest in Hornets wing Cody Martin, league sources tell Scotto.
Meanwhile, the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks are among the teams to register some level of interest in Knicks center Jericho Sims, while Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter has drawn interest from the Cavaliers, Scotto reports.

Begley’s Latest: Knicks, Theis, Sims, Nets, Brogdon, Cavs, Raptors

February 4th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming that the Knicks have inquired on Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele, Ian Begley of SNY.tv adds Pelicans veteran Daniel Theis to the list of bigs New York has checked in on.

As Begley writes, the Knicks may turn out not to need another center if Mitchell Robinson is able to return in February and stays healthy. But Robinson was only just cleared for contact and will need some time to get into game shape, so the team won’t know by Thursday’s trade deadline what it can realistically expect from him for the rest of the season.

With that in mind, the Knicks will continue to browse the market for possible frontcourt reinforcements, though they’ll face competition, according to Begley, who notes that the Lakers are also seeking a center and the Nuggets are on the lookout for a backup big man of their own.

Begley believes that Knicks center Jericho Sims will end up being traded by the deadline. Sims is on an expiring contract and hasn’t established himself as a reliable rotation option for head coach Tom Thibodeau, so it’s possible he could be sent out in a deal for a more trustworthy veteran. He could legally be traded straight up for Yabusele, Begley notes, though the Sixers would certainly want more than just Sims in return for the Frenchman.

Here’s more from Begley:

While the Nets‘ biggest trade chip is Cameron Johnson, teams monitoring the situation are skeptical that any suitor will make a strong enough offer this week to pry him out of Brooklyn, Begley writes. Elsewhere on the Nets’ front, center Day’Ron Sharpe is generating some interest, Begley adds, with the Clippers among the teams who have done background work on Sharpe.
Begley reports that the Lakers and Clippers are among the teams that had Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon on their radar earlier this season. However, after their recent deals, neither Los Angeles team is particularly well positioned to match Brogdon’s $22.5MM cap hit, so it’s unclear whether that interest persists. The Clippers, operating below the tax aprons, would be eligible to sign Brogdon in the event he reaches the buyout market. but the Lakers wouldn’t be since they’re over the first apron.
There has been some speculation that the Cavaliers may make a trade to get out of luxury tax territory, but they’ve signaled to teams that they’re not looking to move forward Georges Niang in a salary dump, says Begley.
According to Begley, the Raptors have a deal lined up to trade one of their players into cap space “if the need arises.” It’s impossible to know exactly what that sort of move would look like without more details, but I’d speculate it would only be necessary if Toronto gets involved in a bigger multi-team deal and needs to send out salary for matching purposes that none of their other trade partners wants to take on. Although Begley’s reference to “cap space” suggests Detroit – the only team with actual cap space – may be involved, there are a number of teams with exceptions available to take on smaller contracts, like Utah did with Jalen Hood-Schifino in the Luka Doncic mega-deal.

Atlantic Notes: Anunoby, Robinson, Yabusele, Raptors

February 3rd, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OG Anunoby‘s right foot sprain doesn’t appear to be serious. The Knicks forward, who suffered the injury in a non-contact play on Saturday, had an MRI on Sunday and is considered day-to-day, according to The Athletic’s James Edwards.

Anunoby’s availability will be determined by “how he responds to treatment,” according to coach Tom Thibodeau. Anunoby, who had elbow surgery last season after being acquired from Toronto, hadn’t missed a game this season prior to sitting out against Houston on Monday.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

On another Knicks injury front, center Mitchell Robinson has been cleared for contact in practice, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. However, that update comes with an asterisk. Robinson has to clear a couple more hurdles before he’s allowed to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages with contact, Thibodeau told the media. The big man has yet to play in 2024/25 after undergoing ankle surgery last offseason.
Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele has drawn serious interest from several teams, but he hopes to stay put, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “If it does happen, I will be in whatever situation I got to be in,” Yabusele said. “I don’t want to get my head into this too much. I just want to think about playing right now. I’m still a Sixers player, and I hope to stay a Sixers player.” Yabusele’s $2.09MM salary expires this offseason and the Sixers only hold his Non-Bird rights, so they’re limited in what they can offer him unless they use their mid-level exception — they’ll likely only have the taxpayer form of the MLE.
The Raptors, who are operating well under the luxury tax line, have expressed interested in facilitating trades. The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines that the front office needs to be patient and stick to its rebuilding plan, no matter what type of trades it pursues.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Postseason, Robinson

February 2nd, 2025 at 1:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks forward OG Anunoby has been diagnosed with a sprained right foot, but head coach Tom Thibodeau said that initial X-rays on the injury were negative for a break, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

According to Begley, Thibodeau wasn’t sure on Saturday night whether or not Anunoby would undergo an MRI to assess the severity of the injury.

Anunoby played just 17 minutes before hurting the ankle during the Knicks’ 128-112 home loss to the Lakers on Saturday. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor.

On the year, the 6’7″ wing is averaging 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per game through 49 appearances. He’s logging shooting splits of .482/.365/.792.

There’s more out of New York:

If Anunoby’s injury proves to be significant after all, it could dash the Knicks’ postseason aspirations this spring, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Anunoby, who signed a five-year, $212.5MM contract last summer, is a crucial component of New York’s attack due to his versatility on both ends of the court. At 32-17, the Knicks have firmly established themselves as the East’s No. 3 seed. They’re four games ahead of the fourth-seeded Pacers. Still, New York has little room for error, as head coach Thibodeau has proven reticent to play his bench significant minutes, Bonds notes. A long-term absence for Anunoby would test the team’s depth.
Thibodeau told reporters on Saturday that Knicks reserve center Mitchell Robinson is finally nearing a return to a full-contact team practice, reports Peter Botte of The New York Post. The veteran big man has been sidelined for the entirety New York’s 2024/25 season while recuperating from a May ankle surgery. Earlier this week, he began partaking in “light contact” practices for the first time since the injury. Robinson could be a key reserve or an intriguing trade chip for New York, should he be able to prove he’s healthy prior to the February 6 deadline.
In case you missed it, two-way Knicks forward Jacob Toppin is nearing his limit for active NBA games this season.

Several Two-Way Players Nearing NBA Game Limit

February 1st, 2025 at 5:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

NBA players on two-way contracts operate under different regulations than the rest of the league. One of the most important differences is they are limited in the number of games that they’re permitted to be on the active roster.

For two-way players who’ve been with their current teams since the start of the season, that number is 50. Each time they’re listed as active counts toward that total, whether they play or not. Players who sign two-way deals during the season have their limit of games pro-rated.

Those numbers are becoming important since we’ve passed the halfway point of the season, and Keith Smith of Spotrac sent out a tweet earlier today identifying a few players who are getting close to reaching their limits.

Once a player hits his allotted number of games, he’s not eligible to appear in the NBA as a two-way player for the rest of the season. He can remain on the team and play in the G League, but he must be signed to a standard contract to see any more NBA action.

Here are the names Smith noted and the number of games they have remaining:

Jacob Toppin, Knicks (2) – New York has used up nearly all of Toppin’s active time, even though he has only gotten into 15 games and averages 3.1 minutes per night. The small forward seems likely to finish the season in the G League.
Tyrese Martin, Nets (5) – Martin has become part of the rotation in Brooklyn, averaging 21.3 minutes in the 31 games that he played. The shooting guard is a little old for a prospect at 25, but he seems like a strong candidate to land a regular roster spot so the Nets can evaluate him for the rest of the season.
Jordan Miller, Clippers (5) – The small forward isn’t part of the rotation in L.A. and may not be in the team’s playoff plans. He has logged just one minute in three of his last four appearances, and the Clippers don’t appear concerned about preserving the number of games he has remaining. He has been mentioned as a candidate for a promotion.
Jared Butler, Wizards (8) – Washington has nothing left to play for, so it makes sense to take a long look at the 24-year-old combo guard. This is Butler’s fourth NBA season and his second with the Wizards, so this is a good time to determine whether he’ll be part of their future.
Brandon Boston Jr., Pelicans (9) – Boston was among the two-way players most likely to earn a promotion even before the season-ending injury to Dejounte Murray. Boston has played in all 41 games in which he’s been listed as active, making 10 starts and averaging 10.7 PPG in 23.9 minutes per night.

Here are a few more players getting close to their game limits:

Kai Jones, Clippers (11) – Jones has made 27 appearances as a backup center, but he’s only averaging 2.2 points in 7.6 minutes per night. The addition of Drew Eubanks in today’s trade with Utah gives L.A. another veteran big man and lessens the need to promote Jones to the standard roster.
Moussa Diabate, Hornets (11) – Part of the reasoning for the Nick Richards trade was Diabate’s emergence as a dependable center off the bench. He’s been playing big minutes over the past week and seems like he’ll definitely be on a standard contract soon.
Ryan Rollins, Bucks (12) – Rollins is a marginal member of Milwaukee’s rotation, making five starts in his 30 appearances and playing 11.9 minutes per night. His fate could depend on what the Bucks are able to do before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Knicks May Dangle Mitchell Robinson In Trade Talks

January 30th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Knicks haven’t yet made a move ahead of next week’s trade deadline, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic suspects that will change. New York is third in the East, just a game back of the No. 2 Celtics. According to Edwards, the Knicks appear to be open to moving Mitchell Robinson via trade.

Trading their long-tenured center would be one way to improve the roster without touching the current rotation. Robinson hasn’t played yet this season while recovering from ankle surgery. He appeared in 31 games with the Knicks last season and has been on the team since being drafted in the second round in 2018.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Wednesday that Robinson, has resumed running and jumping but isn’t yet taking contact, tweets Edwards.

The Knicks want to keep their starting lineup in place but have been exploring the backup center market. Edwards adds that the Knicks won’t attach draft capital to move Robinson since they’re a bit depleted in that respect after acquiring Mikal Bridges.

However, Ian Begley of SNY is skeptical the Knicks to get much in return for Robinson without attaching a sweetener, given his injury history. The Knicks don’t typically trade players at their lowest value, Begley observes, which works against the odds of Robinson being on the move in the next week.

“He’s the perfect player for what they need [behind Towns],” an Eastern Conference exec said to Begley. “Why trade him now?”

Another point against trading Robinson is his familiarity and favorability within the franchise.

Of all the players on New York’s roster, the one viewed as most likely to be moved ahead of the deadline is backup big Jericho Sims, Edwards writes. Adding a wing who makes about the same as Sims could be a move the Knicks explore, with Edwards pointing to Javonte Green of New Orleans as a potential option.

Celtics, Knicks, Nuggets Among Teams Registering Interest In Yabusele

January 30th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Celtics, Knicks, Nuggets and others have called the Sixers to express interest in trading for forward Guerschon Yabusele, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto writes.

As we relayed earlier this week, the Sixers reportedly “love” the French forward, but his impending unrestricted free agent status gives the team plenty to think about at this deadline.

Yabusele is averaging 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game so far this season while shooting 50.2% from the field and 39.3% from three. He’s been a crucial part of a Sixers team that has been ravaged by injuries. Yabusele entered Thursday with 22 starts under his belt.

After Yabusele’s $2.09MM salary expires this offseason, he’ll have no shortage of suitors in free agency. The Sixers only hold his Non-Bird rights, so they’re limited in what they can offer him unless they use their mid-level exception — they’ll likely only have the taxpayer form of the MLE.

As Scotto writes, given that the Sixers are 19-27 and currently on the outside looking in for the play-in tournament (though they’re tied with the Bulls), contending teams are calling about Philadelphia’s veterans. Not only would Yabusele bolster any playoff rotation, but his team-friendly contract this year could offer savings for contenders looking to cut costs.

Yabusele isn’t the only player generating interest on the trade market. As we wrote on Monday, Eric Gordon is also receiving interest. Scotto reports that rivals have checked in on Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre and, notably, Caleb Martin as well. Martin signed a four-year, $35MM deal with Philadelphia this summer — if the Sixers decide to sell their veterans, he would be one of the more coveted players on the block.

Drummond has a player option worth $5MM next year while Oubre has one worth about $8.38MM.

Despite what sounds like healthy interest in players who would make sense to sell for a team interested in draft position, I’m somewhat skeptical the Sixers would proceed with a full-blown fire sale. For starters, as mentioned, Philadelphia is tied with the Bulls for 10th in the East. They’re also just four games out of the sixth seed, entering Thursday. While nothing has gone according to plan for Philadelphia this year, the team remains in position to claim a postseason appearance with better health luck moving forward. The Sixers are on a four-game winning streak, for what it’s worth.

The Sixers’ draft pick in this class is also protected, but only if it lands in the top six. While it’s not unheard of for teams with low odds to win big and move into the top four, the Sixers have likely already won too many games to truly bottom out and end up as one of the league’s worst six teams record-wise. And even if the Sixers did end up with one of the six worst records, there’s still a chance that pick falls out of their hands and into the Thunder’s if they’re leap-frogged by a team with lower odds on lottery night.

If the Sixers envision themselves as contenders next year, it would make sense to keep players like Martin, Oubre and Yabusele who can contribute to winning with a healthier roster.

And-Ones: R. Miller, NBC, I. Thomas, Trade Deadline

January 29th, 2025 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime TNT Sports analyst Reggie Miller has agreed to join NBC as one of the company’s lead NBA color commentators for the 2025/26 season, according to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, who reports that Miller is expected to work alongside play-by-play men Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle on NBC broadcasts.

When the NBA’s new media rights deals take effect later this year, NBC will return as one of the league’s broadcasting partners while TNT will no longer have the right to broadcast games, so it makes sense that Miller – who been part of a broadcasting team with Kevin Harlan for many years – is making the leap.

As Glasspiegel outlines, the plan is for Miller and Jamal Crawford, who has also reached a deal with NBC, to rotate as the network’s lead game analysts. The two former NBA shooting guards will each get the opportunity to work with both Tirico and Eagle.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

When Isaiah Thomas joined the Salt Lake City Stars last March, he scored 30 or more points in each of his first four G League games, earning an NBA call-up with Phoenix. After rejoining the Jazz’s G League affiliate this week, the veteran guard got off to another hot start, racking up 40 points and eight assists on Tuesday in a loss to the Valley Suns, per an Associated Press report. Thomas continues to seek another NBA opportunity.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider link) weighs in on the best possible fits for 10 rumored trade candidates, including Jordan Clarkson (Lakers and Magic), Chris Boucher (Clippers), and Jonas Valanciunas (Lakers and Knicks). Meanwhile, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic shares some of the trade ideas he’d like to see come to fruition, such as Lonzo Ball to Detroit, a Patrick Williams/Jusuf Nurkic swap, and a three-team deal that gets both the Cavaliers and Warriors out of tax territory.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) has shared his massive pre-deadline trade guide, breaking down the NBA’s 30 teams into seven tiers, including “the true dealmakers,” “megadeal facilitators,” and “bottom-line watchers,” among others. Marks’ guide, which features analysis, trade ideas, draft assets, and cap details for every team, comes highly recommended if you’re an ESPN subscriber.