Knicks Rumors

Knicks Notes: Bridges, Payne, McBride, Defense, Thibodeau

November 24th, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Poor shooting has been an issue for Mikal Bridges ever since he joined the Knicks, and Saturday it kept him on the bench for almost the entire fourth quarter of a loss at Utah, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Bridges didn’t play in the game’s final 10 minutes after going 3-of-15 from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range. It continued a difficult season in which he’s posting .469/.304/.636 shooting splits.

“Obviously I was struggling, but our biggest thing is to win,” Bridges said. “(Cameron Payne) came in and he was playing well. He was part of that team that was making that run. I was more just frustrated that I couldn’t be out there to help the team and frustrated that the first three quarters I was out there I couldn’t really do much. But yeah, I understand it. We’re trying to win a game, and that’s all I care about, so I think that was the right decision.”

Coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that he opted to keep Payne in the game because he brought energy to the team, particularly during a 17-0 run in the third quarter that nearly erased a big deficit. Payne wound up playing 31 minutes off the bench and finished with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.

“I was just looking for anything that could get us going,” Thibodeau said. “And it wasn’t just Mikal. Cam I thought came in and he gave us a big spark. I almost went back to Jericho (Sims) at the end because I thought his minutes were good for us, as well. When you get down like we did, you’re just searching for anything to get you going. That’s really what we were doing.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Miles McBride was updated to questionable on Saturday, but still missed his fifth straight game, Botte adds in a separate story. The team is now calling his injury “patella femoral syndrome,” which is more commonly known as “runner’s knee.” “He’s out,” Thibodeau said before the game. “He’s close. He’s doing more, but he’s not quite there. We’ll see where he is tomorrow.”
The Knicks were disappointed that their defense couldn’t save them on an overall poor shooting night, per Steve Popper of The New York Post. They built a strong defensive reputation last season, but haven’t been able to reach that same level so far. “We’ve been struggling on the defensive side for the whole season,” Josh Hart said. “When you’re not making shots and you’re not playing well defensively, that’s a recipe for disaster. We’ve got to figure it out on the defensive end. Offensively, we’ve got enough talent on the offensive side where, even if certain guys aren’t going that day, to play well and to win games. But we’ve got to figure it out defensively.”
Thibodeau has been a fiery coach throughout his career, but he’s never been ejected, according to James L. Edwards of the Athletic, who talks to several referees about what it’s like to deal with Thibodeau during a game.

Atlantic Notes: McCain, Maxey, Hart, Payne, Nets

November 23rd, 2024 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers rookie Jared McCain initially broke through with a string of impressive performances earlier this month when Tyrese Maxey was sidelined due to a hamstring strain. However, McCain has shown since Maxey returned that he can remain productive alongside Philadelphia’s starting point guard. In Friday’s victory over Brooklyn, McCain racked up 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting while Maxey made 11-of-17 shots from the floor for 26 points.

“I was ecstatic that we found somebody that can give me relief and a break, so I don’t have to have the ball in my hands so much,” Maxey said (Twitter video link via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports). “… So we have another guy out there who can make plays, can shoot the ball, can play off the ball, on the ball. It just makes the game a lot easier.”

When a reporter wondered after Friday’s game whether Maxey (6’2″) and McCain (6’3″) believe they can thrive together as “smaller” guards in the Sixers’ backcourt, Maxey half-jokingly took exception to the premise that the duo is “small,” as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Asked by that reporter how tall he is, Maxey shot back, “Taller than you,” while McCain added, “And I’m taller than him.”

“We both play hard,” McCain said in explaining why he and Maxey don’t believe their size will be an issue. “I think a lot of the game is just playing hard. At this point, they’re going to try to get the mismatch. They’re going to have an offensive scheme to try to go at us. But as long as we play hard, I think we will be able to hold our own. That’s something that a lot of people don’t do. And I think we give a lot of effort, give a lot of energy, and I think we can make up for that.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Knicks forward Josh Hart won’t turn 30 until March, but the eighth-year veteran believes he’s already in the “back end” of his playing career, he told Steve Popper of Newsday. “I always told my wife, I’m hanging it up around 34 or 35, maybe with God’s grace get 36 in there. But I’ve got hopefully five years left in the league,” Hart said. While the 29-year-old is averaging a career-best 14.1 points per game this season, he suggested he’d be happy to see that number drop if it helps the team get closer to its ultimate goal: “One thing I’ve always wanted was a (championship). For me, that’s more important than the statistics. When you win a (championship), no one remembers how much you scored. No one remembers what your role is. They care about (if) you got a ring. And at the end of the day, I’ve got hopefully five years left, maybe six. I’m on the back end. That’s what I’m trying to accomplish.”
Veteran point guard Cameron Payne said on Friday that he didn’t really know what his role would be when he signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Knicks during the offseason, but he hopes he’s “starting to turn some heads” with his play so far, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. Payne is averaging 8.2 points in 17.1 minutes per game and has made 44.4% of his three-point attempts. “Honestly, I just wanted to come and help,” Payne said. “When I get out there, I want to be aggressive and just utilize my opportunities. Obviously, I have. I’m in there. I didn’t know, though, coming in. I just wanted to be the best player I could be every day.”
Although the Nets reacquired control of their 2025 and 2026 first-rounders with the expectation that those picks would be high ones, it’s fine that they’ve exceeded expectations in the early going, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who points out in a subscriber-only article that the club doesn’t want to create a losing culture and that the NBA’s flattened lottery odds don’t necessarily reward the very worst teams. I’d also note that despite picking up a few early wins, the Nets are still tied for the league’s sixth-worst record and will likely get worse as the season progresses and they sell off pieces, so a high draft pick remains very much in play.

Warriors Become First Team To Clinch NBA Cup Quarterfinal Berth

November 23rd, 2024 at 7:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are now 3-0 in NBA Cup games, making them the first team to clinch a spot in the knockout round of the in-season tournament. As the NBA announced late on Friday night after Golden State beat New Orleans and Dallas beat Denver (Twitter link), the Warriors have won West Group C, officially securing a quarterfinal berth for December.

The 3-0 Warriors are one game ahead of the 2-1 Mavericks in the NBA Cup standings, while no other team in their group has more than one victory so far. That means the Mavs are the only West Group C club with a chance to match Golden State’s win total, and the Dubs would hold the tiebreaker in that scenario as a result of beating Dallas last Tuesday in their NBA Cup opener.

The winners of the six groups advance to the eight-team knockout round, along with one “wild card” from each conference. The Mavs have a good chance to be that wild card team in the West if they defeat Memphis on December 3, since their +41 point differential in NBA Cup contests is the second-best mark in the league. Point differential is the second tiebreaker after head-to-head results.

The Rockets (Group A) and Lakers (Group B) are the only two other Western Conference teams who are undefeated in NBA Cup play, putting them in the driver’s seat to join the Warriors in the quarterfinals if they can keep winning.

Over in the East, the Hawks (2-1) could clinch Group C with a win over Cleveland next Friday, assuming the Bulls lose at least one of their two remaining NBA Cup games. If Atlanta loses, a Celtics victory over Chicago on Friday would secure the group for Boston. There are still two undefeated teams apiece in East Group A (Magic, Knicks) and East Group B (Bucks, Pistons).

Atlantic Notes: Nets Veterans, Wilson, Brunson, Embiid, Sixers, Barnes, More

November 21st, 2024 at 11:04pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Multiple Nets veterans have been the subjects of trade speculation since their arrival to the team. Cameron Johnson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ben Simmons, Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith are among the players who have been involved in trade rumors for some time, with fourth-year guard Cam Thomas joining them this week.

A few of those players are off to career-best starts for a team that’s been surprisingly competitive at 6-9. Johnson exploded for 34 points on Tuesday, as Net Income at NetsDaily writes.

“All three of us have been traded before. It’s not something that we’re worried about,” Johnson said in explaining why he, Finney-Smith and Schröder are playing well. “There’s a lot of speculation about a lot of things, all of our whole careers, my whole career, speculation about this, speculation about that. You hear a lot of outside noise. There’s no sense in letting it bother you. There’s no sense in letting it get to you. Let the future be the future. Control what you can control now.

“The other thing is, we enjoy our group, playing together. I think we are a group that gets along well with each other, and that’s important. So as long as we’re together, we’re gonna fight for wins, and we’re gonna enjoy representing Brooklyn. And whatever the future holds, it holds.”

Johnson’s been happy with how the organization has handled him during his time there, according to Net Income. While the plan is still to select a cornerstone in the upcoming draft and Johnson seems more likely than not be traded, he’s making an impact alongside the other vets.

“Honestly, he’s just been hooping,” teammate Trendon Watford. “I’m not surprised by it. Cam’s a great player, so I’m not surprised by it at all. Last year was last year. He obviously heard all the noise and took it with a grain of salt and came back. And now he’s doing what we know CJ can do.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

With Thomas missing Tuesday’s game against the Hornets due to a minor injury, second-year forward Jalen Wilson stepped up, according to Andrew Crane of the New York Post. Wilson scored a team-high 17 points in the Nets win while making a career-high five three-pointers. The Nets hold a team option for next season on Wilson, who could see his role increase if some of Brooklyn’s veterans are moved ahead of the trade deadline.
Jalen Brunson didn’t want to specifically address the rumors that the NBA is looking into his father’s promotion to lead assistant on the Knicks‘ coaching staff. However, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, he had a message for anyone questioning Rick Brunson‘s coaching credentials. “He’s more than qualified for that position,” Jalen said. “He’s a person who has been around the NBA for a long time, who has been around [Tom Thibodeau] for longer than he’s been around the NBA. I think he understands the business, I think he understands the game, I think he understands the head coach. So he’s more than qualified. Look at the way he’s taught me and raised me and how I’ve seen him impact others in all different levels of basketball — high school, college, pros.“
Following a report Thursday morning indicated Joel Embiid wasn’t happy that a Sixers team-only meeting was leaked, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer writes on Marc Stein’s Substack that one source told him on Tuesday that Embiid would be “furious” about the leak and would try to find the culprit. Fischer adds that Tyrese Maxey getting involved and holding Embiid accountable is a silver lining to the situation. Tobias Harris used to serve as a veteran voice and leader for the Sixers, so it was crucial that someone else step up now that Harris is in Detroit.
Fischer also confirmed that Embiid has preferred to hold some level of control over what the Sixers‘ injury report lists him as and how it’s reported.
Raptors star Scottie Barnes played on Thursday for the first time in nearly a month. Following reporting that he would be on a minutes restriction, Barnes ended the night with 17 points in 27 minutes of action. The Raptors did not start a traditional point guard, opting for Barnes over Davion Mitchell, who moved to the bench. Mitchell being moved to the second unit meant Ochai Agbaji maintained his starting role, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg notes (Twitter link). Barnes hadn’t played since Oct. 28, missing 11 games during that time.
Ja’Kobe Walter, who missed the last six games for the Raptors, was available to play on Thursday, Sportsnet.ca’s Blake Murphy tweets. The 2024 19th overall pick also missed some time at the beginning of the season due to injury.

Injury Notes: Nets, Knicks, Spurs, Heat, Rollins

November 21st, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets center Nic Claxton has returned to practice and will be listed as questionable to play on Friday in Philadelphia, the team announced today (Twitter link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

Claxton has missed the past three games due to a back strain. The club announced last Friday that he would miss at least a week, but it sounds like he might not be out any longer than that.

Another injured Nets center is also inching closer to a return. According to the club, Day’Ron Sharpe has begun one-on-one workouts with coaches and the plan is for him to be integrated into team activities within the next seven-to-10 days. Sharpe has been on the shelf since training camp due to a left hamstring strain.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau provided some injury updates on Wednesday ahead of a victory over Phoenix, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays. Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) is expected to be cleared to practice during the team’s current five-game road trip, while Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has started shooting but hasn’t yet been cleared to practice or run. Bondy says Robinson is more likely to return sometime in the new year than in December and adds that Miles McBride (knee) is considered “a true day-to-day” and could return as early as Saturday in Utah.
Victor Wembanyama (right knee contusion) and Devin Vassell (left knee soreness) will each miss a third consecutive game on Thursday when the Spurs take on Utah, but the team considers both players day-to-day and doesn’t view either issue as serious, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I don’t feel like it will be too extended of a time,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “Minor stuff. … Both of them want to be out there very badly.”
Jaime Jaquez (ankle), Terry Rozier (foot), and Josh Richardson (heel) didn’t participate in the Heat‘s practice on Thursday, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Rozier underwent an MRI on his sore right foot, which has been an issue throughout the season and caused him to miss Monday’s game vs. Philadelphia, but that MRI came back clean and he’s aiming to return to action on Sunday vs. Dallas, according to Winderman and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links).
The Bucks are now listing Ryan Rollins‘ injury as a “left shoulder dislocation” rather than “left shoulder instability,” but head coach Doc Rivers expects the two-way guard to try to rehab the injury and play through it rather than undergoing surgery, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. “I’m able to do things on it. So it’s kind of one of those decisions like, are you willing to endure some of the pain of it. Pain tolerance, honestly,” Rollins said, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Are you willing to play through it? Is it important enough for you to play at this moment? A bunch of variables went in to it. I feel like I’m good enough to play though for right now.”

Atlantic Notes: Maxey, Brown, Tatum, Knicks, Barnes

November 20th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sixers All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey explained his thinking behind some of the comments he made during a team meeting on Monday, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Philadelphia had fallen to a 2-11 record after losing to the Heat and former Sixers star small forward Jimmy Butler.

Maxey reportedly called out All-NBA Philadelphia center Joel Embiid for tardiness issues and occasional unexcused absences.

“I wanted to speak up,” Maxey said. “I felt the need to do that because I wanted to share that we are better than what we have shown on the floor. There was a lot said, but it is what it is. We said what we had to say and we have to figure out a way to move on to the rest of the season. Everyone understands what’s at stake. Everyone is feeling the hurt.”

Despite an awful start to their season, the Sixers reportedly have no plans to fire either head coach Nick Nurse or general manager Daryl Morey.

Maxey, who had missed Philadelphia’s last six games, suited up alongside fellow All-Stars Embiid and Paul George for the first time this season against Memphis on Wednesday.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

On Tuesday, Celtics All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum helped Boston to end the Cavaliers‘ 15-game winning streak to open the year with beefed-up, physical defense, writes Jay King of The Athletic. “I thought both of them handled the pressure and the physicality well,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We played a little bit slower, but it was more important to get to the proper spacing. It was more important to get our drive-and-kick reads. And they did a great balance of handling the pressure, driving to attack, driving to get to the free-throw line, driving to find guys.” By dropping Cleveland’s record to 15-1, the reigning champs in Boston proved that they remains the class of the conference until further notice, opines Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
The Knicks are finally starting to mesh after a shaky start to the season, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York is currently riding high on a three-game win streak. “Just gelling, continuity, getting more acclimated with each other,” new trade acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns said of the club’s improvement. “Just understanding what everyone’s going to do and how they’re going to cut and just building trust with each other.”
Begley also notes that Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau continues to reiterate how much he liked the fit of free agent guard Landry Shamet with New York. Shamet, signed to a training camp deal, was cut after suffering a shoulder injury during the preseason. He has been rehabilitating while with New York’s Westchester NBAGL affiliate. Begley anticipates that, should Shamet recover this season, he will have a home with the Knicks.
Raptors All-Star forward Scottie Barnes was cleared to fully participate in practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering an orbital bone fracture last month. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca notes that Barnes’ eventual return could give Toronto a sense of what it has in its present core. The team’s intended starting five of Barnes, Gradey Dick, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl has not logged a single minute together yet this season. Grange notes that Barnes will be on a minutes restriction and will don protective goggles when he does return. “We all know how to play with each other,” Barnes said. “We had some reps at it, but we couldn’t get that many due to some injuries. But now we all know how to fit in with each other, play with each other, get each other going, and we know what we all like. We’ve been at it for a little while. We’ll get things going with time.”

Pacers Sign Center Moses Brown

November 20th, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 20: The Pacers have officially signed Brown, per NBA.com’s transaction log. The expectation is that he’ll be active in Houston vs. the Rockets on Wednesday, tweets Dopirak.

NOVEMBER 18: The Pacers are filling their roster opening by signing center Moses Brown, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets.

Indiana has essentially been going with a 12-man roster, not including two-way players, after centers James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson suffered season-ending Achilles tears. Brown will provide much-needed depth in that area. Starting center Myles Turner is currently dealing with calf soreness.

Brown is expected to join Indiana on Wednesday, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star tweets. The big man’s contract will be non-guaranteed, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, meaning he’ll make $13,939 every day he’s on the roster.

Brown had been on the roster of the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate. Brown was signed and waived by the Knicks in October on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Brown hasn’t stuck with an NBA team for more than a single season since making his debut in 2019, but he has racked up 150 regular season appearances in stints with the Trail Blazers (twice), Thunder, Mavericks, Cavaliers, Clippers, and Nets. He holds career averages of 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game.

Brown spent the 2023/24 campaign under contract with the Trail Blazers, appearing in 22 games and posting averages of 3.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 9.1 MPG.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Bridges, Trades, McCullar

November 19th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks forward OG Anunoby isn’t satisfied with his reputation as a lockdown defender. He’s more versatile than that, he told James Edwards III of The Athletic.

“I always prided myself on being a two-way player, not just a defender,” he said.

He’s backing up those words by averaging a career-best 17.4 points through 14 games this season. He’s shooting 50% from the field overall and 36.7% from deep. Fewer than half of his field goal attempts have come beyond the arc, so he’s not just a spot-up shooter.

“OG is a really good player,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He can shoot the ball, he can move without the ball and he’s good in transition. If you put a small guy on him, he can take him inside. He reads the game well. The awareness of where he is because of the shooting, but when he sees the back of his man’s head, he cuts and relocates extremely well. The constant movement by him is extremely good for us.”

We have more on the Knicks:

Mikal Bridges has begun to show why the Knicks were willing to give up a package of players and five future first-round picks to the Nets to acquire him. Bridges has scored 20 or more points in three of last four games. His contributions go far beyond that, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post points out. He blocked a potential game-tying shot by Brooklyn’s Dennis Schröder on Friday, then showed his stamina by playing 45 minutes in the rematch on Sunday and 35 more against Washington on Monday.
Given their financial constraints, it’s unlikely the Knicks will make a significant trade this season, Edwards opines in a mailbag for The Athletic. Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa seem to be the most likely trade candidates but both are injured right now and they’re probably the two best interior defenders on the roster, Edwards notes. A trade is more likely if they don’t start distancing themselves from most of the other teams in the East.
In the same story, Edwards reports that rookie two-way player Kevin McCullar is still rehabbing the knee injury he sustained at Kansas prior to the draft and will likely be out several months. McCullar, a 6’5” wing, was a late second-round selection and the Knicks took him with the knowledge that he probably wouldn’t contribute this season.

Injury Notes: Banchero, Jokic, Wemby, Grizzlies, Knicks

November 19th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Magic announced on October 31 that Paolo Banchero had been diagnosed with a torn right oblique, they said he would be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. However, the expectation was that he would likely be sidelined well beyond that window.

So when will we see Banchero back on the court? If it’s up to the All-Star forward, he’ll make his return in about a month.

“This isn’t from the medical team or anything, but the way I feel and I’ve been feeling, I think before Christmas,” Banchero said, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter video link). “Maybe that’s a week before, a couple days before. I think I can get back before Christmas.”

As Banchero acknowledged, the decision will ultimately be up to the Magic’s medical team, so he’ll defer to the experts if they’re not ready to clear him by Christmas.

Orlando lost its first four games after Banchero went down, but has hit its stride as of late, picking up six straight victories and moving into third place in the Eastern Conference at 9-6.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

Last season’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year will both remain sidelined on Tuesday. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t injured, but will miss a third consecutive game for personal reasons as his team visits Memphis, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama – who missed Saturday’s loss to Dallas – won’t be available vs. Oklahoma City due to a right knee contusion, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
Grizzlies center Zach Edey (left ankle sprain) will miss a game for the first time this season on Tuesday, joining star guard Ja Morant (right hip subluxation; pelvic muscle strains) on the inactive list vs. Denver. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, Grizzlies two-way guard Cam Spencer – who has been out all season due to an ankle injury – is inching closer to making his debut, having been cleared for five-on-five action.
Knicks guard Miles McBride has missed the past three games due to what the club is calling right knee inflammation. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes, McBride hyperextended that knee last month, though the Knicks didn’t confirm that the two issues are related. Bondy also provides an update on Precious Achiuwa (hamstring strain), citing a source who is optimistic the big man will be cleared to begin practicing with the team on its five-game road trip that begins Wednesday in Phoenix.

Knicks Rip NBA For Rumored Probe Into Rick Brunson’s Promotion

November 19th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

After a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggested that the NBA has been “poking around” on the Knicks‘ offseason promotion of Rick Brunson to lead assistant, the team quickly responded by referring to the rumored investigation as “harassment.”

Brunson joined the Knicks as an assistant in 2022, the same year his son Jalen Brunson signed with the team as a free agent. As Begley details, Rick received a promotion this offseason around the time Jalen signed a below-market long-term contract extension with New York, prompting the NBA to look into whether the move circumvented salary cap rules.

“In response to the rumored NBA investigation into Rick Brunson’s promotion, Brunson took (former associate head coach) Johnnie Bryant’s place and assumed the same salary as Bryant,” MSG Sports, the Knicks’ parent company, said in a statement. “It’s offensive that anyone would claim Rick didn’t deserve the promotion. Rick has done a tremendous job and will continue to do so. We see this as more harassment of the Knicks due to our opposition to certain NBA matters.”

Jalen’s four-year extension this offseason was worth just shy of $157MM, which was the maximum he could receive at the time. If he had waited until the summer of 2025, he could’ve signed a five-year deal worth up to a projected $269MM.

If the Knicks had, in concert with Jalen’s extension, “rewarded” the Brunson family by promoting Rick and giving him a significant raise beyond what his performance or title would typically warrant, it could be considered salary cap circumvention. However, Begley hears from coaching sources that Rick’s new contract is “within industry standards” for top assistants.

It’s also not as if the elder Brunson is unqualified for his new role. He has been coaching since 2007 and spent time as an NBA assistant in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minnesota before arriving in New York. He also had a stint as an assistant at the University of Hartford and was the head coach at Camden High School in New Jersey.

While the league would likely perform the same sort of due diligence if any other team were in a similar situation, the Knicks contend in their statement that the rumored probe is retribution for the team’s objections to “certain NBA matters.”

The Knicks, led by team owner James Dolan, criticized the league’s new media rights deal and revenue sharing policies in a letter sent to the other 29 teams and the league office earlier this year. The team also accused Adam Silver of bias while arguing that the NBA commissioner shouldn’t preside over a dispute between the Knicks and Raptors.

Additionally, Dolan stepped down from his positions on the NBA’s influential advisory/finance and media committees last year, with reporting at the time indicating that the Knicks owner had been “increasingly critical” of Silver and the NBA on a number of issues. Dolan has been the lone dissenting vote in various Board of Governors decisions that would have otherwise been unanimous.

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