New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Sixers, T. Jones, Black

July 28th, 2023 at 8:23pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks might not be championship favorites entering 2023/24, but they’re in a strong financial position going forward, without any of the NBA’s 50 highest-paid players, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

As Bondy outlines, the Knicks’ top earners rank just outside the top 50, headlined by point guard Jalen Brunson ($26.3MM, No. 52) and forward Julius Randle ($25.7MM, No. 53). Bondy hears Josh Hart will receive an extension next month in the neighborhood of $75MM over four years (similar to what Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported three weeks ago), while Immanuel Quickley is looking for more than that on a rookie scale deal.

Having good players on reasonable long-term deals should help the Knicks avoid the restrictive second tax apron for the foreseeable future, Bondy notes, and could help the club swing trades in the future.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com answers several Sixers-related questions in his latest mailbag, writing that the Clippers have been “fairly unserious” in trade offers for James Harden to this point, a sign that teams around the league might not value the former MVP the same way they used to. Neubeck is skeptical Paul Reed will attempt many three-pointers in ’23/24, despite talk of a potential expanded role.
The Wizards‘ acquisition of Tyus Jones flew under the radar a bit due to the bigger names involved in the three-team deal, but he’s a solid player with plenty of desirable attributes. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examined Jones’ career statistics to get an idea of what he might bring to the table next season.
Anthony Black, who was selected No. 6 overall last month by the Magic, recently spoke to Sam Yip of HoopsHype about a number of topics, including which NBA players he enjoys watching and what he needs to improve on entering his rookie season.

Bucks Re-Sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo

July 28th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

3:58pm: The Bucks have officially re-signed Antetokounmpo, the team announced in a press release.

2:51pm: Free agent forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo has agreed to re-sign with the Bucks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The older brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis has spent the last four seasons in Milwaukee, averaging 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game (162 games) during that time. Prior to 2019, he primarily played overseas and in the G League, though he did have a brief NBA stint with New York in 2015/16.

According to Charania (Twitter link), Thanasis chose the Bucks over multiple other options, including the Knicks.

Given Thanasis’ limited contributions at the NBA level, it would be a little surprising if multiple teams were vying to offer the 31-year-old a fully guaranteed contract — we’ll have to wait to see what the details of his new deal are. Based on the Bucks’ financial situation, it figures to be worth the veteran’s minimum.

Milwaukee currently has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, so if the team plans to have Thanasis on its regular season roster, he would fill the 15th and final spot, barring additional moves. In that scenario, the Bucks would be carrying two pairs of brothers on their 2023/24 squad, with Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez also under contract.

Spurs Interested In Evan Fournier?

July 27th, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Rory Maher

In addition to a few playoff hopefuls, the Spurs have also shown some interest in trading for Knicks wing Evan Fournier, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

As Begley outlines, Fournier shares an agent with fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick of last month’s draft. Fournier spoke last week about being intrigued by the possibility of joining San Antonio.

The 30-year-old’s $18.9MM pseudo-expiring contract (he has a team option worth $19MM in 2024/25) wouldn’t be viewed favorably by rival teams after he was pulled from New York’s rotation early last season. Fournier appeared in just 27 games in ’22/23, averaging 6.1 PPG and 1.8 RPG while shooting career worsts of 40.4% on twos and 30.7% on threes.

On the other hand, Fournier started all 80 of his games in ’21/22, averaging 14.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.0 SPG while converting the fourth-most three-pointers in the league (241, a career high). He holds a career mark of 37.9% from beyond the arc.

After making multiple deals this offseason, the Spurs no longer have the salary cap room to accommodate Fournier’s salary outright, Begley notes — they’d have to send salary back to adhere to the NBA’s trade rules. The Knicks also haven’t shown any inclination to attach draft assets to move off Fournier’s contract, Begley adds, but presumably would be more open to doing so if they could get a potential rotation player or two in return.

Fournier has come up in a couple other trade rumors this summer, but he remains on the Knicks’ roster for now, although he certainly hopes that isn’t the case when the season starts. It’s worth noting that Begley’s article is a week old, and a report a few days ago indicated Fournier could eventually become a buyout candidate if New York can’t trade him.

Begley’s mailbag column also touches on a handful of other topics. For example, he expresses skepticism that the Knicks were ever seriously interested in Bulls guard/forward Zach LaVine this offseason, despite having exploratory trade talks on the two-time All-Star at the February deadline. Begley also hears the Raptors were shutting down trade inquiries on OG Anunoby — a player the Knicks like — earlier this month.

New York Notes: Randle, Knicks, Long Island Nets, Simmons

July 27th, 2023 at 1:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks All-Star power forward Julius Randle seems to be on the mend following his offseason arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle last month. As Belle Fraser of The New York Post writes, Randle shared a new workout video to his personal Instagram account.

Randle sat out the final five contests of the 2022/23 regular season after spraining his ankle in a late March bout with the Heat. He then re-aggravated the ailment during the closeout bout of New York’s five-game first-round series win over the Cavaliers.

In the regular season, the 28-year-old averaged 25.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 4.1 APG during his second All-NBA season with the Knicks, who finished with a 47-35 record and the No. 5 seed in the East last year. His numbers regressed mightily in the playoffs, in part due to the ankle ailment. Randle averaged 16.6 PPG on 37.4% shooting from the field, along with 8.3 RPG, and 3.6 APG.

There’s more out of New York:

The Knicks have shored up their wing depth this offseason, but will still face an uphill battle in a stacked Eastern Conference. Zach Braziller of The New York Post (subscriber link) predicts how the Knicks will fare this season, speculating that five Eastern teams will finish ahead of them.
The Nets’ NBAGL team, the Long Island Nets, have traded the returning player rights for swingman Alondes Williams to the Heat’s NBA G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, in exchange for the returning player rights of shooting guard D.J. Stewart to the Nets, the Skyforce announced in a press release.
Oft-injured Nets guard Ben Simmons is now completely healthy after rehabbing from the back nerve impingement that caused him to miss the last six weeks of the 2022/23 regular season, sources inform Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The 27-year-old anticipates that he will be able to fully partake in Brooklyn’s training camp in September.

Atlantic Notes: Reed, Simmons, Thibodeau, Keels

July 26th, 2023 at 8:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Paul Reed said that he didn’t expect the Sixers to match the offer sheet he received from the Jazz earlier this month, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.

The three-year, $23MM contract was designed to be more onerous for Philadelphia than Utah because it puts the Sixers in danger of exceeding the luxury tax threshold and the final two years become guaranteed if Reed’s team advances past the first round of the playoffs. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey decided the gamble was worth it to hold onto a promising young talent like Reed.

“I didn’t know what was gonna happen to be honest,” Reed said. “I was a restricted free agent, so they had an opportunity to match. Then I seen they signed Trez (Montrezl Harrell) and (Mohamed) Bamba, my agent was like, ‘It’s probably not likely that they match,’ but when they matched, I was real surprised.”

As Reed noted, Philadelphia now has a logjam of centers behind Joel Embiid. But new head coach Nick Nurse has a expanded role in mind for Reed that will go beyond playing in the post.

“He talked about molding me into a Pascal Siakam-type player,” Reed said. “Somebody who can kind of do it all. Shoot the ball, drive, pass, but right now, it’s all about focusing on my shot mechanics. That’s the start.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets guard Ben Simmons is “as healthy as he has ever been since his last year in Philly,” a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (video link from NBA Today). The source also said Simmons is in the “final stage” of preparing for the upcoming season and has been able to pass every health benchmark the team has set so far. Simmons has been dealing with back and knee problems over the past two years, along with mental health issues, and only played 42 games last season.
Assuming the Knicks have another successful season, owner James Dolan will likely talk with coach Tom Thibodeau, team president Leon Rose and other members of the front office about contract extensions, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (video link). Thibodeau is heading into the fourth season of his five-year contract, and much of the management team is on the same timeline, Begley adds.
The Knicks will retain the G League rights to Trevor Keels, who was waived on Wednesday, Begley tweets. Keels had a two-way contract last season and appeared in three NBA games.

Knicks Sign Dylan Windler To Two-Way Deal, Waive Trevor Keels

July 26th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 26: The Knicks have confirmed the signing of Windler and the previously reported release of Keels (Twitter link).

JULY 24: The Knicks are signing free agent wing Dylan Windler to a two-way contract, agents Andy Shiffman and Mark Bartelstein tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 26th pick of the 2019 draft, Windler spent all four of his NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, who chose not to give him a qualifying offer last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Windler would previously have been ineligible to receive a two-way contract, but a new provision in the CBA means he’s only counted as having three years of service because he missed his entire rookie season with an injury.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link), even though it was reported that Nathan Knight would receive a two-way deal (and confirmed by Bondy himself), the team’s press release didn’t specify that he actually received said two-way deal. However, NBA.com’s official transactions log has Knight on a two-way deal.

Knight’s contract situation is relevant because the Knicks would have all three two-way slots filled if the big man is indeed on a two-way deal. Jaylen Martin and Trevor Keels occupy the other two-way slots, while Duane Washington could still accept his two-way qualifying offer.

A source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic that Knight is on a one-year, two-way contract, so the Knicks will have to either convert one of their players on a two-way deal to a standard contract or release someone (Twitter links).

Windler, 26, only appeared in 84 games during his time with Cleveland, including three games for just 10 total minutes in 2022/23. He holds career averages of 3.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 11.7 MPG.

The former Belmont star played 11 regular season games (22.2 MPG) for the Cavs’ G League affiliate (the Cleveland Charge) last season, averaging 12.2 PPG and 5.9 RPG on .523/.407/.632 shooting.

Lance Stephenson Wants To Play For Knicks Or Nets

July 25th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lance Stephenson not only plans to make an NBA comeback — he knows where he’d prefer to play.

“I think it is time for a New York team. I want to play for the Nets or the Knicks, either one would do,” Stephenson told the New York Post’s Tashara Jones.

The 32-year-old Stephenson, who has played 554 regular-season games, would actually be making a second comeback if an NBA team takes a chance on him. He didn’t play in the league during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, then saw action in six games with the Hawks and 40 with the Pacers in ’21/22.

Stephenson was unable to land an NBA contract last season. He wound up Puerto Rico during the spring with Leones de Ponce and appeared in four games with that club.

“I definitely miss the NBA now that I am playing in Puerto Rico. I did not want to leave. So my goal right now is to get back in there and show them that I am born ready,” he said.

Stephenson began his career with Indiana and had three stints with the organization. In the 40 games he played for the Pacers two seasons ago, he averaged 9.3 points and 3.9 assists in 18.6 minutes. He underwent surgery on his right knee after that season.

Stephenson was born in Brooklyn but he’s never played for either of the New York teams. He’s hoping to change that.

“I feel like I did enough for people to remember me and know me as one of the top players that played in New York,” he said. “I feel like I am just New York.”

Could Knicks Look At Diallo, Gibson?

July 25th, 2023 at 5:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have 12 players on fully or partially guaranteed deals, leaving at least two spots potentially open for free agents. They could look at a variety of players to fill those slots, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Hamidou Diallo, Terence Davis and Taj Gibson are some of the available players that could provide depth in areas of need, in Katz’ view.

Knicks Reportedly Intend To Cut Trevor Keels

July 24th, 2023 at 9:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

To create a two-way roster slot for swingman Dylan Windler, the Knicks intend to release incumbent two-way shooting guard Trevor Keels, sources inform Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 6’5″ wing was just reportedly re-signed to a second two-way deal with New York less than a week ago. He signed his first two-way contract a year ago after being selected with the No. 42 pick out of Duke in the 2022 draft.

The 19-year-old appeared in a scant three contests for New York’s NBA squad, averaging just 2.7 MPG. In 25 regular season bouts with the Westchester Knicks, the team’s G League affiliate, Keels averaged 13.9 PPG on .425/.355/.710 shooting. He also notched 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG and 1.0 SPG.

Keels was an ACC All-Rookie Teamer during his lone collegiate season, averaging 11.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 2.7 APG in his 36 regular season games with the Blue Devils, including 26 starts.

Once the Knicks complete their roster shuffling, it appears their three players on two-way contracts will be Windler, Nathan Knight, and Jaylen Martin.

Duane Washington Cut By Knicks

July 24th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Guard Duane Washington Jr. has been cut by the Knicks, the team officially announced (Twitter link).

Washington had been a two-way restricted free agent after New York tendered a qualifying offer his way earlier this summer, but after the team filled up all three of its two-way slots heading into the 2023/24 season, his days with the team became numbered.

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), Washington picked up his qualifying offer, prompting the Knicks to release him. Katz adds that the team will now make an additional decision on the fate of another of its two-way players so it can accommodate swingman Dylan Windler, who has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the team.

A 6’3″ combo guard, Washington went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021, but ultimately latched on with the Pacers for a lengthy rookie season run in 2021/22. He began his run with Indiana on a two-way deal, but saw his contract converted to a standard agreement in the spring of 2022. Across 48 contests, including seven starts, he averaged 9.9 PPG on .405/.377/.754 shooting splits, along with 1.8 APG and 1.7 RPG. He was cut in the offseason.

Washington spent his sophomore NBA stint with the Suns and Knicks on a pair of two-way deals. He appeared in 31 games for a depth-plagued Phoenix club, but didn’t crack New York’s rotation.

Across five G League contests for New York’s NBAGL affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, Washington averaged 16.6 PPG on a .424/.368/1.000 slash line. He also logged averages of 2.8 APG and 1.6 RPG.