- Ryan Arcidiacono’s contract with the Knicks is a standard, non-guaranteed minimum for one year, and doesn’t include an Exhibit 10 clause, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. The Knicks signed the 28-year-old guard on Saturday. He appeared in 10 games with the Knicks last season.
8:43pm: The Knicks have officially signed Mykhailiuk, the team announced on social media. He received a one-year, minimum deal with only $50K guaranteed, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.
12:59pm: Free agent swingman Svi Mykhailiuk is signing a one-year, partially guaranteed contract with the Knicks, Mykhailiuk’s agency SIG Sports informed Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
After being waived by the Raptors last month despite having a guaranteed salary for 2022/23, the Ukraine-born Mykhailiuk had indicated that he hoped to return to the NBA rather than pursuing a deal with a European club. That apparently included considering signing a G League contract if necessary.
Last season, the 6’7″ small forward averaged 4.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.8 APG, and 0.5 SPG across 56 games for Toronto. He posted shooting splits of .389/.306/.865. For his career, Mykhailiuk is a solid three-point shooter on volume, averaging 35.3% on 3.7 attempts.
The 25-year-old journeyman was first selected by the Lakers with the No. 47 pick after a four-year Kansas tenure in 2018. Prior to the Raptors last season, he has suited up for Los Angeles, the Pistons, and the Thunder.
New York has 13 players signed to its standard 15-man roster. Beyond Mykhailiuk’s non-guaranteed deal, the team also has DaQuan Jeffries and Ryan Arcidiacono signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, plus Feron Hunt and Trevor Keels on two-way contracts. The team also reportedly intends to sign two additional players, Jean Montero and Garrison Brooks, to Exhibit 10 deals.
There’s an expectation that Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley will receive an increased role to start the 2022/23 season, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Quickley, 23, is entering his third season and was drafted No. 25 overall by the franchise in 2020. He has shown flashes of potential to start his career, but he has shot below 40% from the field in both of his seasons. Last year, Quickley averaged 11.3 points and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 39.2% from the floor and 34.6% from deep.
Quickley remains a strong athlete and leader with plenty of upside. It’s reasonable to assume he’ll be playing alongside Derrick Rose off the bench, backing up Jalen Brunson and Evan Fournier, though it’s unclear how much playing time he’ll get. His minutes increased from 19.4 to 23.1 per game last season.
Here are some other notes from the East:
- Speaking to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck discussed his expectations for the team and Brad Stevens‘ green light to spend money, among other topics. Grousbeck is determined to win a championship, allowing Stevens to push team salary well into luxury tax territory to upgrade the roster. The Celtics came within two wins of a title last season and have all of last year’s core players under contract this season.
- Eric Nehm of The Athletic examines six Bucks players who have the most to prove this season. Milwaukee won the championship in 2020/21, but the team was unable to overcome Khris Middleton‘s injury in the spring and lost to the Celtics in seven games during last year’s playoffs. The team remains a force, headlined by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis and others.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype previews the Cavaliers‘ upcoming season. Cleveland traded for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell this offseason, adding him to a core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The team also projects to have one of the deeper benches in the league.
The Knicks have signed free agent guard Ryan Arcidiacono to a contract, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link). Terms of the agreement weren’t released, but it’s likely a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deal ahead of training camp.
Arcidiacono, 28, appeared in 10 games with the Knicks last season. He averaged 1.6 points in 7.6 minutes per game, shooting 50% from the floor. The Villanova product signed with New York for the rest of the season in February after inking two 10-day deals.
Before joining the Knicks, Arcidiacono spent the first four years of his career with the Bulls. His most productive season was the 2018/19 campaign. He held per-game averages of 6.7 points, 3.3 assists and 24.2 minutes that year, starting in 32 of 81 contests.
Besides Arcidiacono, the Knicks have 13 players on standard contracts and two players on two-way deals. New York is also carrying DaQuan Jeffries on an Exhibit 10 deal and is expected to two other players (Jean Montero and Garrison Brooks) to Exhibit 10s.
The Knicks still have two projected openings on their 15-man regular season roster, and several former All-Stars who have experience playing in New York are still available on the free agent market. Former Nets big men Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge and ex-Knicks star Carmelo Anthony are among the notable names who remain unsigned.
However, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, the Knicks don’t currently view Griffin, Aldridge, or Anthony as a great fit for their roster. If the team makes a trade or two, it’s possible that stance could change, but for now it seems unlikely that any of those veterans will sign with New York, Berman writes.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- In a separate subscriber-only story in The New York Post, Berman cites a source who says free agent center Dwight Howard would love to play for the Knicks. New York’s depth chart at center already features Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jericho Sims, so it’s unclear if the team would reciprocate that interest.
- The Knicks’ Donovan Mitchell trade talks with Utah shone a light on a front office hierarchy that many league sources have described as confusing, according to Berman. President of basketball operations Leon Rose, advisor Gersson Rosas, head coach Tom Thibodeau, senior executive William Wesley, general manager Scott Perry, and strategist Brock Aller all have a say in basketball decisions, making it challenging for the front office to come to a consensus, Berman explains.
- Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype explored several Knicks-related topics in the latest episode of the HoopsHype podcast, including the Mitchell trade negotiations — Bondy claims the Knicks and Jazz were “at the two-yard line” before those discussions fell apart. Bondy and Scotto also discussed Cam Reddish‘s status, Thibodeau’s future, and which star the Knicks might target next, among other issues.
SEPTEMBER 15: The Knicks have officially signed Jeffries, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 14: The Knicks are signing free agent swingman DaQuan Jeffries to a training camp contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jeffries will receive an Exhibit 10 deal, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Jeffries, 25, spent most of his first two NBA seasons with the Kings after going undrafted out of Tulsa in 2019. He spent time near the end of the 2020/21 season with the Rockets, then had a brief stint with the Grizzlies in ’21/22. In total, he has averaged 3.8 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 47 appearances (13.7 MPG) for Sacramento, Houston, and Memphis.
Jeffries has had a larger role at the G League level since going pro, recording averages of 15.7 PPG and 5.8 RPG on .469/.342/.778 shooting in 43 games (29.0 MPG) for the Stockton Kings and College Park Skyhawks.
Jeffries, who has also represented Team USA in several World Cup qualifying games over the last year, played for the Knicks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas this July.
The Knicks currently have 15 players officially under contract — 13 on guaranteed standard deals and a pair on two-way pacts. Jean Montero and Garrison Brooks have also reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts.
While it’s unclear what New York’s plans are for Jeffries, it’s possible he could claim one of the two open spots on the team’s projected 15-man regular season roster if he has a strong camp and preseason.
The Cavaliers welcomed Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland today for his introductory press conference, but there was no way to escape questions about the Knicks, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
The Cavs’ trade for Mitchell was a surprise development that came after weeks of negotiations between New York and the Jazz. The teams seemed like natural trading partners, with Utah seeking draft picks and the Knicks having an abundance to offer. Mitchell, a native of the New York City area, expected to return home and admitted that’s where he was hoping to go.
“Who doesn’t want to be home, next to their mom,” Mitchell told reporters. “I haven’t lived at home since I was in the eighth grade and I went to boarding school, so it would have been nice.”
That doesn’t mean Mitchell has any regrets about the way things turned out. He confirmed a rumor that he was “running around crazy” on a Miami Beach golf course when he learned that the Cavs were able to acquire him without giving up core players Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert. Mitchell said he’s thrilled to be with such a talented team, which he believes can eventually become among the best in the Eastern Conference.
“Once I found out I got traded and what we were going into, that trumped everything for me,” he said. “I am truly excited to be here, to be a part of this group, to be a part of this city.”
Mitchell was a franchise cornerstone for five years with the Jazz after being selected with the 13th pick in the 2017 draft. He has been an All-Star the past three seasons and was a leader on one of the top teams in the West, but Utah’s lack of playoff success led to major changes this summer. Mitchell said he had a strong feeling that he was going to be traded after the deal sending Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves was announced.
Mitchell also talked about having a Cavaliers jersey when he was younger and said he became a fan of the team after LeBron James returned in 2014. He may be the franchise’s most important acquisition since James left for L.A., and he’ll play an important role as Cleveland tries to reach the playoffs for the first time since making four straight trips to the NBA Finals.
“On paper, we look scary, but at the end of the day we have to go out and do the work,” Mitchell said. “I can’t sit here and tell you like, yeah, this is a championship team. We’ve got to go out and prove it every night.”
The law firm that conducted the investigation into Suns owner Robert Sarver saved him a harsher penalty by determining that his use of slurs “was not motivated by racial animus,” writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Speaking after today’s Board of Governors meeting, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told reporters that he would have imposed more serious sanctions against Sarver if not for that finding. Sarver was suspended for one year and fined $10MM following a nearly year-long investigation of his workplace behavior.
“I think if they had made findings that, in fact, his conduct was motivated by racial animus, absolutely that would have had an impact on the ultimate outcome here,” Silver said. “But that’s not what they found.”
Silver drew a distinction between Sarver’s actions and those of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned for life and fined $2.5MM when his racist comments were brought to light in 2014. The commissioner could have imposed a longer suspension for Sarver, but the $10MM fine is the maximum allowed under league rules. Silver said there were no discussions with the Board of Governors about forcing Sarver to sell the team.
Sarver also cooperated with the investigation and issued an apology for his actions once the findings were announced. Sterling’s case was more contentious, and he eventually filed a $1 billion federal lawsuit against the NBA.
“This case is very different,” Silver said. “It’s not that one was captured on tape and the other isn’t. … Mr. Sarver ultimately acknowledged his behavior.”
Working in Sarver’s favor, Silver added, were several anonymous details that couldn’t be included in the investigative report that was released Tuesday, along with positive interviews with people that Sarver has worked with in his 18 years of owning the Suns and the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.
“There were these terrible things,” Silver said. “There are also many, many people with very positive things to say about him through this process. And ultimately, I took all of that into account in making the decision that the one-year suspension plus the fine was appropriate.”
Silver confirmed that Sarver will be welcomed back to the NBA when his suspension ends in September 2023. However, he said the league will be watching Sarver closely once he’s reinstated.
“I don’t have the right to take away his team,” Silver said. “I don’t want to rest on that legal point because of course there could be a process to take away someone’s team in this league. It’s very involved, and I ultimately made the decision that it didn’t rise to that level. But to me, the consequences are severe here on Mr. Sarver.”
Also at the press conference, Silver commented on tampering investigations involving the Knicks and Sixers, saying the actions were a result of the “tick tock chronology around sort of when signings are permissible and the announcements of those signings and the information that came out about it,” tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Silver said the investigations were launched by the league office and weren’t a result of complaints by rival teams (Twitter link). He added that the league hopes to resolve both cases “in the next few weeks.”
The 2022/23 NBA regular season will tip off next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to continue an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.
With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites – including Bovada, BetOnline, and Betway – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
In 2021/22, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’22/23?
We’ll keep our series going today with the Atlantic division…
Boston Celtics
- 2021/22 record: 51-31
- Over/under for 2022/23: 55.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Malcolm Brogdon, Danilo Gallinari, Noah Vonleh, Bruno Caboclo
- Note: Gallinari tore his ACL and is expected to miss most or all of the 2022/23 season. Vonleh and Caboclo are among a series of players expected to compete for roster spots; the others haven’t yet officially signed.
- Lost: Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Juwan Morgan, Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts
- Added: Malcolm Brogdon, Danilo Gallinari, Noah Vonleh, Bruno Caboclo
Brooklyn Nets
- 2021/22 record: 44-38
- Over/under for 2022/23: 51.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Royce O’Neale, T.J. Warren, Markieff Morris, Edmond Sumner, Yuta Watanabe
- Lost: Bruce Brown, Andre Drummond, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Goran Dragic
- Note: The Nets are also expected to have Ben Simmons available after he missed the entire 2021/22 season.
Philadelphia 76ers
- 2021/22 record: 51-31
- Over/under for 2022/23: 50.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
Toronto Raptors
- 2021/22 record: 48-34
- Over/under for 2022/23: 46.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Otto Porter Jr., Christian Koloko, Juancho Hernangomez, D.J. Wilson, Josh Jackson
- Note: Wilson and Jackson don’t have fully guaranteed contracts and may not make the regular season roster.
- Lost: Svi Mykhailiuk, Yuta Watanabe, Armoni Brooks, Isaac Bonga
- Added: Otto Porter Jr., Christian Koloko, Juancho Hernangomez, D.J. Wilson, Josh Jackson
New York Knicks
- 2021/22 record: 37-45
- Over/under for 2022/23: 40.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Hartenstein
- Lost: Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Kemba Walker, Taj Gibson, Ryan Arcidiacono
Previous voting results:
- Milwaukee Bucks (52.5 wins): Over (75.5%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (47.5 wins): Over (73.4%)
- Chicago Bulls (44.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
- Detroit Pistons (28.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
- Indiana Pacers (23.5 wins): Under (62.8%)
- Miami Heat (50.5 wins): Under (56.6%)
- Atlanta Hawks (46.5 wins): Over (53.6%)
- Charlotte Hornets (36.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
- Washington Wizards (35.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
- Orlando Magic (26.5 wins): Over (55.3%)
- Golden State Warriors (53.5 wins): Over (69.2%)
- Phoenix Suns (53.5 wins): Over (60.2%)
- Los Angeles Clippers (52.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
- Los Angeles Lakers (45.5 wins): Under (66.6%)
- Sacramento Kings (34.5 wins): Over (62.0%)
- Memphis Grizzlies (49.5 wins): Over (68.7%)
- Dallas Mavericks (48.5 wins): Over (63.7%)
- New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): Over (61.2%)
- Houston Rockets (24.5 wins): Under (61.8%)
- San Antonio Spurs (23.5 wins): Under (67.5%)
Knicks president Leon Rose had his eyes on Jalen Brunson well before the team signed him in free agency, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. During his first meeting with the team’s scouts in March 2020, Rose named Brunson as one of his future targets. That came as a surprise to some of those scouts, considering Brunson was a second-year player averaging less than 10 points off Dallas’ bench that season.
- Knicks wing RJ Barrett is thrilled he signed a rookie scale extension, Berman relays. Barrett was speaking at season ticket holder event hosted by MSG Network’s Monica McNutt. “I feel honored and blessed. This is a place I wanted to be,” Barrett said. “I was happy they first drafted me and now with the extension, to be here four more years, will be great and I’m excited to get to work.’’ Barrett, who received a four-year extension with a base value of $107MM and a maximum value of $120MM, has no worries about blending his talents with Brunson. “Being around him, I’ve gotten to gravitate toward him. When we’re together, we’ll play well, especially with us both lefties.’’