Allonzo Trier Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Kennard, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Rockets

October 29th, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who has missed the first three games of the season due to a left foot muscle strain, is getting closer to returning to action. According to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link), head coach Taylor Jenkins said today that Kennard was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice and that he’ll ramp up his activity over the next week.

Kennard was limited to just 39 outings last season due to injury issues, but was his usual effective self from beyond the arc when he played, averaging 11.0 points per game and making 45.0% of his three-point attempts. He re-signed with the team on a one-year, $9.25MM deal and will be an unrestricted free agent again next summer.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies‘ G League affiliate, announced their training camp roster on Monday in a press release. The 17-man squad includes multiple former NBA second-round picks, including guard David Johnson and forward Robert Woodard.
After their starting lineup was outscored in its minutes last season, the Pelicans made offseason moves in the hopes of revamping that five-man group. However, they’ve been forced to play a similar unit in the early going this season due to injuries to Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy, with Daniel Theis replacing Jonas Valanciunas at center. As a result, the team has no choice but to try to figure out why a starting five featuring Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum isn’t more effective offensively, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
Veteran guard Elfrid Payton is the headliner on the official training camp roster announced by the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans‘ G League affiliate. Ike Anigbogu and Jalen Crutcher are among the other Squadron players with some NBA experience.
Former NBA lottery pick Thon Maker and former Knicks guard Allonzo Trier are among the notable names on the training camp roster announced by the Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Twitter link).

2024 NBA G League Draft Results

October 26th, 2024 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2024/25 season on Saturday afternoon. Players who signed NBAGL contracts and whose rights weren’t already controlled by a team were part of the draft pool.

It was the first time in G League history that each of the 30 NBA teams had an affiliate squad take part in a draft. A 31st team, the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes, also participated.

The Westchester Knicks, New York’s affiliate, held the top two picks in Saturday’s draft and used them to select a pair of NBA veterans.

The No. 1 overall pick was sharpshooter Matt Ryan, who is reportedly drawing interest from the Knicks and is a candidate to be called up to their NBA roster at some point this season.

Drafting Ryan to Westchester won’t prevent another NBA team from poaching him, since holding a player’s G League rights doesn’t mean you control his NBA rights. But it will give the Knicks a chance to take a first-hand look at him before potentially offering him a standard or two-way contract.

Ryan has knocked down 41.1% of his three-point attempts in 63 career NBA games for the Celtics, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans.

The second player off the board was swingman Landry Shamet, who is recovering from a dislocated shoulder. Selecting him in the G League draft will allow the Knicks to keep him in the organization and closely monitor his rehabilitation process.

Shamet was expected to make the NBA roster prior to the injury and will be a candidate to rejoin the NBA squad later in the season if he fully recovers from his shoulder injury. He was the most experienced player in the NBAGL draft pool, with 348 career regular season outings at the NBA level.

Another notable name was picked fifth overall, as former NBA first-round pick Chandler Hutchison came out of retirement and was drafted by the Long Island Nets. Hutchison, 28, was the No. 22 pick in the 2018 NBA draft and appeared in 103 total games over the next four seasons for Chicago, Washington, and Phoenix.

Although the Nets’ affiliate technically drafted Hutchison, he was traded to the Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers) in a four-team trade that saw No. 3 pick Sean East II sent to the South Bay Lakers and Colin Castleton‘s returning rights acquired by Long Island. The full details of the deal, which also involved the Santa Cruz Warriors, can be found here.

East reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers back in June, but that signing never became official. It’s not clear why, but after his rights were acquired by South Bay on draft day, the former Missouri guard will head to Los Angeles’ affiliate after all.

Finally, a pair of familiar names were selected late in the second round, with the 53rd and 54th overall picks. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets‘ affiliate, nabbed former Knicks guard Allonzo Trier, followed by the Maine Celtics (Boston’s affiliate) drafting Kavion Pippen, the cousin of Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and nephew of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

Kavion Pippen wasn’t the only family member of a Hall of Famer who came off the board in the second round. The Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) picked former USC forward DJ Rodman, the son of Dennis Rodman, with the 43rd overall pick.

Here are the full 2024 G League draft results:

Round One:

Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Matt Ryan
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Landry Shamet
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Sean East II
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Thierry Darlan
Long Island Nets (Nets): Chandler Hutchison
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Christian Brown
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Tyson Walker
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Malik Hall
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Eric Gaines
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Tae Williams
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Seth Maxwell (Indiana Wesleyan)
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Cam Martin
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Ibrahima Diallo
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Justin Moore
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tylor Perry
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): Kevin Cross
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Paul Mulcahy
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Brandon Childress
Valley Suns (Suns): Nate Roberts
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Tommy Rutherford
Maine Celtics (Celtics): London Johnson
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Trae Hannibal
South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Marlain Veal
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Bryce Griggs (Overtime Elite)
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jaylan Gainey
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Justyn Hamilton
San Diego Clippers (Clippers): Garrett Denbow (Anderson University (SC))
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Steven Richardson (Montana State-Billings)
Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): Lewis Duarte (Overtime Elite)
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): No pick
San Diego Clippers (Clippers): Emmanuel Bandoumel

Round Two:

Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Sy Chatman
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Xavier Johnson
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Vonterius Woolbright
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Keyon Menifield
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Terrell Burden
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Kamani Johnson
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Jamal Bieniemy
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Charles Pride
- Note: Pride is being traded to the Raptors 905, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link).
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Bobby Planutis
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): E.J. Montgomery
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): DJ Rodman
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Dee Barnes
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Devine Eke
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Sterling Manley
Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Olisa Akonobi
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jericole Hellems
Valley Suns (Suns): Olin Carter III
Osceola Magic (Magic): Cameron Parker
Long Island Nets (Nets): No pick
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Allonzo Trier
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Kavion Pippen
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): William Kondrat (D’Youville University)
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jayden Hardaway
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Tray Jackson
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): Ishmael Lane
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): No pick
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): No pick
San Diego Clippers (Clippers): Mike Scott

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Tip-Off Tournament getting underway on November 8. The Tip-Off Tournament will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 27.

Central Notes: Cavs, Simmons, Bucks, Pistons

September 23rd, 2021 at 2:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Given how frequently the Cavaliers have been linked to Ben Simmons during the past few months, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com contemplates what it might take for the Cavs to acquire Simmons — and whether they should.

Fedor notes that the Cavaliers, as currently constructed, aren’t an ideal fit for a player with Simmons’ skill set, because they lack the shooters necessary to open the floor for his open-court driving and passing. So even if they did acquire him, they would almost certainly have to make more moves in order to build the team around him.

Fedor speculates that a package of Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, and a pair of protected first-round picks might not entice the 76ers more than other offers they’ve received, or ones they could receive in the weeks ahead. He also adds that while the Cavs have no “untouchables” on the roster, rookie Evan Mobley and improving point guard Darius Garland are the closest bets, and are considered very unlikely to be moved.

Fedor says that there are ultimately more questions than answers to the issue of whether the Cavs should go all-in for Simmons, adding that the team should be patient in its approach to see if the 76ers’ asking price might lessen over time. The article is worth checking out in full.

There’s more from the Central division:

The Bucks recently held a free-agent minicamp for their last remaining training camp spot, per our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Former NBA players Allonzo Trier, Antonio Blakeney, Chris McCullough and Josh Gray were among the participants. The Bucks currently only have 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts, so winning a training camp battle could very well be a viable pathway to making the team.
The Bucks‘ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, recently named Chaisson Allen as their new head coach. Allen was a highly regarded college player for Northeastern and spent five seasons playing internationally. He spent last season as an assistant for the Long Island Nets. In the same press release, the Herd also announced that Tony Bollier will serve as the team’s general manager and Arte Culver will be the new assistant general manager.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores what the Pistons should do with their open roster spot. The team currently has 14 players under guaranteed contracts after acquiring and buying out DeAndre Jordan. Langlois posits the team could convert Luka Garza from a two-way contract to the main 15-man roster, though the plan is for him to spend significant time in the G league. Langlois notes that converting Garza would free up a two-way spot for summer league standout Jamorko Pickett, who’s currently on an Exhibit 10 deal. Langlois also says the team could keep the spot open for maximum roster flexibility, perhaps adding a 15th man later in the season.

2020/21 NBA G League Draft Results

January 11th, 2021 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2020/21 season on Monday afternoon.

In a typical year, the G League draft lasts four rounds and teams are only required to make two selections. However, this year’s draft was just three rounds and teams weren’t required to make any picks.

Because only 17 of 28 NBA G League affiliates (plus the G League Ignite) are participating in the revamped season at Walt Disney World in Florida, and because teams aren’t permitted to bring extra players to training camp for health and safety reasons, roster spots will be at a premium in the NBAGL this season, and the draft reflected that. Only 25 players were selected.

With the first overall pick, the Greensboro Swarm – the Hornets‘ affiliate – nabbed former Wizard Admiral Schofield. The 42nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Schofield averaged 3.0 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 33 games (11.2 MPG) as a rookie before being traded to the Thunder during the offseason. Oklahoma City waived him last month.

With the second overall pick, which they acquired in a trade earlier in the day, the Memphis Hustle selected former Baylor standout Freddie Gillespie, who had been in camp with the Mavericks. Gillespie recently spoke to JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors about his desire to make it to the NBA and his plans to begin his professional career in the G League. He’s now in position to suit up for the Grizzlies‘ affiliate.

Here are the full 2020/21 G League draft results:

Round One:

Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Admiral Schofield (Tennessee)
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Freddie Gillespie (Baylor)
Canton Charge (Cavaliers): Antonio Blakeney (LSU)
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Allonzo Trier (Arizona)
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Tahjere McCall (Tennessee State)
Canton Charge: Anthony Lamb (Vermont)
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Zavier Simpson (Michigan)
Lakeland Magic: DJ Hogg (Texas A&M)
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Justin Patton (Creighton)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Armoni Brooks (Houston)
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Kevon Harris (Stephen F. Austin)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers: Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati)
Oklahoma City Blue: Vince Edwards (Purdue)
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Jonathan Kasibabu (Fairfield)
Raptors 905: Gary Payton II (Oregon State)
Memphis Hustle: Anthony Cowan Jr. (Maryland)
Iowa Wolves: Dakarai Tucker (Utah)
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): No pick
N/A

Round Two:

Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Jemerrio Jones (New Mexico State)
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Oshae Brissett (Syracuse)
Westchester Knicks: No pick
Iowa Wolves: No pick
Long Island Nets (Nets): No pick
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): No pick
Fort Wayne Mad Ants: Quincy McKnight (Seton Hall)
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): No pick
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Selom Mawugbe (Azusa Pacific)
Raptors 905: No pick
Memphis Hustle: No pick
Austin Spurs: Anthony Mathis (Oregon)
Erie BayHawks (Pelicans): No pick
Greensboro Swarm: No pick
Austin Spurs: Kaleb Johnson (Georgetown)
Santa Cruz Warriors: No pick
Memphis Hustle: No pick
Oklahoma City Blue: Rob Edwards (Arizona State)
Salt Lake City Stars: No pick

Round Three:

Greensboro Swarm: No pick
Erie BayHawks: No pick
Westchester Knicks: No pick
Delaware Blue Coats: Braxton Key (Virginia)
No picks from 43-57

The teams that didn’t make any picks will fill their rosters with affiliate players and returning rights players, meaning they didn’t need to draft anyone and/or didn’t have the open spots to do so.

As Jonathan Givony of ESPN and Blake Murphy of The Athletic noted (via Twitter), NBAGL teams overwhelmingly opted for youth, passing on most of the notable veteran NBA players in the draft pool. That group included Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Lance Stephenson, Emeka Okafor, and Shabazz Muhammad, among others.

Former Nets first-rounder Dzanan Musa removed his name from the draft pool before the event began, per Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

And-Ones: G League, Trier, Ross, Expansion, 2021 Draft

January 8th, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Many G League hopefuls – including a number of NBA veterans – are eligible to be selected in the NBAGL’s 2021 draft, which will take place on Monday. But competition for those draft slots figures to be fierce.

Since the majority of NBAGL roster spots are occupied by affiliate players and returning-rights players, teams often don’t make full use of the draft anyway. In a typical year, the G League draft is four rounds and teams are only required to make two selections. As G League expert Adam Johnson points out (in a Twitter thread), this year’s draft will last just three rounds and teams won’t be required to make any picks.

Roster spots will also be at a premium for a couple more reasons — 11 NBA teams’ affiliates aren’t participating in the G League bubble, and rosters won’t be expanded for training camp, as a coronavirus precaution. Johnson suggests he wouldn’t be surprised if only about 20 or so players are selected in Monday’s draft.

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

Former Knicks guard Allonzo Trier will be among the players vying to be picked in Monday’s G League draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Trier is signing an NBAGL contract.
Magic swingman Terrence Ross has signed with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul for representation, says Charania (Twitter link). Klutch also added Calvin Andrews as a senior agent directing basketball operations, per Charania, who notes that Andrews’ client list includes Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Timberwolves wing Josh Okogie.
A high-ranking team executive who spoke to David Aldridge of The Athletic said the NBA is unlikely to seriously consider expansion before the end of the 2021/22 season. However, Aldridge notes that Seattle is at the top of the league’s list. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said this week that she’s “pretty optimistic” about the city’s chances of getting a team in the coming years.
In an Insider-only article for ESPN.com, draft gurus Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz examine how NBA evaluators are approaching this year’s class, take a closer look at some underperforming Kentucky prospects, and consider how a single-site NCAA tournament will impact NBA scouting.

Knicks Notes: Mosley, Jones, Rose, Trier

July 1st, 2020 at 10:08am CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley, a head coaching candidate for New York, has a keen ability to connect with players, longtime coach George Karl told The New York Post’s Marc Berman. “He was big in player development, then toward the end of his time, we gave him scouting reports, game-plan responsibilities,” Karl said. “He was really good with basketball intellect and really good with players. That’s the combo you need in today’s world and changing attitudes of the young players.”

We have more on the Knicks:

Arkansas guard Mason Jones could be a wise choice for the Knicks with their second-round pick in the draft, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic opines. Jones’ ability to get to the foul line could make him a valuable asset, Vorkunov notes. Arkansas wing Isaiah Joe and Alabama wing John Petty are among the other underrated prospects the team should consider, Vorkunov adds.
Leon Rose has been the team’s president for nearly four months and the early returns have been promising, according to Berman. Rose has made wide-ranging, diverse front office hires while keeping Scott Perry as GM, Berman notes. He’s also conducting a patient, thorough search for a head coach, even though Tom Thibodeau is widely considered the favorite to get the job, Berman adds.
Waiving Allonzo Trier in order to add Theo Pinson was a telling move by Rose, Steve Popper of Newsday opines. Trier, who was signed by the previous regime, showed talent but also drew criticism for his lackadaisical defensive effort and refusal to play his role offensively, Popper continues. That shows that Rose will value character and work ethic in future roster moves, Popper adds.

Cavs Notes: Wade, Bell, Trier, Drummond

June 29th, 2020 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers, who agreed to new deals with Dean Wade and Jordan Bell today, are using a portion of their mid-level exception to sign Wade to a four-year contract, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details. Wade gets a first-year salary of $375K, well above the prorated minimum, in exchange for two non-guaranteed seasons and a team option in 2022/23 (Twitter link).

As for Bell, it appears he’ll be signed using the Cavs’ mid-level exception as well, allowing the team to give him $250K for remainder of the season. However, his contract is a short-term arrangement — it’s a two-year deal with a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2020/21, Fedor notes.

Here’s more out of Cleveland:

The Cavaliers explored the possibility of signing Allonzo Trier when he cleared waivers on Sunday, but the former Knicks guard was seeking more money and a different contract structure than what the club wanted to offer, according to Fedor. Additionally, Fedor adds that some members of the basketball operations department questioned Trier’s fit alongside guards like Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, and Kevin Porter.
While Andre Drummond has long been considered a lock to opt into the final year of his contract, it remains to be seen whether he and the Cavaliers might work out a longer-term deal. Sources tell Fedor that both sides have shown some interest in a contract extension. However, both the Cavs and Drummond may want to take some time to consider their options — especially if Cleveland ends up using its lottery pick on a big man.
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff intends to make at least one addition to his coaching staff, though it might not happen until later in the year, says Fedor.

Knicks Claim Theo Pinson, Waive Allonzo Trier

June 26th, 2020 at 4:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have claimed swingman Theo Pinson off waivers, waiving guard Allonzo Trier to clear a spot on their roster, the team announced today in a press release. Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) first reported the pair of moves.

Pinson, 24, spent his rookie season in 2018/19 on a two-way contract with the Nets, then got a guaranteed contract from the team this season. However, he struggled to produce, averaging 3.6 PPG on 2.90/.188/.938 shooting in 33 games (11.1 MPG).

The former UNC wing, who was waived earlier this week when Brooklyn signed Tyler Johnson, was on a minimum-salary contract, so the Knicks didn’t need to use cap room or a trade exception to claim him. Pinson has a team option for 2020/21, which New York will have to make a decision on this October.

As for Trier, he was a two-way success story in 2018/19, having his deal converted into a two-year contract worth nearly $7MM. But after averaging 10.9 PPG in 64 games (22.8 MPG) as a rookie, the 24-year-old fell mostly out of the rotation in his second year in New York, posting just 6.5 PPG in 24 games (12.1 MPG). There were whispers at the end of his first season that some of Trier’s teammates were put off by his ball-dominant style.

Trier was facing potential restricted free agency this offseason and it appears the Knicks’ new front office – led by Leon Rose – didn’t see him as part of the club’s future. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers, which seems like a safe bet.

The Pinson/Trier swap represents the second roster change made by the Knicks this week. The team also claimed Jared Harper and waived Kadeem Allen on Thursday.

Knicks Notes: DSJ, Trier, Free Agent Targets

April 6th, 2020 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

Last year’s Kristaps Porzingis trade was ultimately the “undoing” for Steve Mills in New York, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who notes that Dennis Smith Jr.‘s inconsistent play for the Knicks didn’t help keep Mills off the hot seat leading up to his February ouster.

As Berman writes, former head coach David Fizdale and assistant Keith Smart were among Smith’s “key allies” within the franchise, and their departures – along with Mills’ – significantly reduce the odds that DSJ has a long-term future with the Knicks. Berman suggests Smith will be a trade candidate during the 2020 offseason, with the Magic among the teams that could have interest. Some teams still believe the former lottery pick can evolve into a solid pro, per Berman.

“He thinks too much about his shot and trying to score the ball,” one NBA scout said of Smith. “He needs to be more of lead pass-first guard and score second. Dennis also need a coach who shows him love and gives him confidence. The quickness and ability to dribble-drive is always there, but he wants to always be the highlight play with traffic dunks.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

While Fizdale was fond of Allonzo Trier, interim head coach Mike Miller preferred to play stronger defenders with more experience, Berman writes in a separate New York Post story. Given Trier’s lack of a regular role in 2019/20, he seems unlikely to stick with the Knicks as a restricted free agent this offseason, according to Berman.
Mike Vorkunov and John Hollinger of The Athletic take an in-depth look at the Knicks’ future, breaking down the upcoming head coaching search, identifying possible free agent targets, and discussing which of the club’s current players are long-term keepers. Fred VanVleet is one free-agent-to-be singled out by Holliner as a potentially nice fit for the Knicks.
2020’s free agent class isn’t a particularly strong one, but there will be some intriguing players available if the Knicks want to try to make a splash, writes Steve Popper of Newsday.
Rafael Canton of SNY.tv explores whether the Knicks’ financial flexibility could give them a chance to be in better position that the Nets three years from now.

New York Notes: Trier, Barrett, Irving, Atkinson

February 26th, 2020 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Allonzo Trier continues to be dangerous from 3-point range, but the second-year guard isn’t seeing enough playing time for it to make a difference, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Trier was a pleasant surprise for the Knicks last season, earning a two-way contract after going undrafted and later having it converted to a standard deal.

He averaged 22.8 minutes per night as a rookie, but that figure has dropped to 12.0 this season and Trier has only gotten into 21 games. Berman calls Trier’s reduced role one of the season’s great mysteries, but there are some explanations. Drafting RJ Barrett added to an already crowded backcourt, and a source tells Berman that management isn’t pleased with Trier’s effort on defense.

“I’ve flipped onto a new year and new role,’’ he said. “I just have to accept it and continue to do my job. And even if I don’t play, I continue to come in and support my teammates.’’

The Knicks made an effort to trade Trier at the deadline, Berman adds, but teams weren’t willing to part with a future asset. Trier insists he would have been fine either way.

“I wasn’t nervous,’’ he said. “If it happened, it happened. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Nothing to be worried about.”

There’s more from New York City:

Barrett told reporters today that he’s more “ambidextrous” than fully left-handed, Berman relays in a separate story. Barrett revealed that shooting is one of the few things he does with his left hand, adding that scouts were incorrect when they feared he wouldn’t be effective going to his right. Barrett has been given more ball-handling duties with Elfrid Payton and Frank Ntilikina both injured, and interim coach Mike Miller believes he may ultimately become a combo guard. “He likes the ball in his hands,” Miller said. “The hardest guys to guard are guys like Devin Booker. The ball is in his hands then he’s playing off the ball. He’s really difficult to defend. How do you game plan on him? He’s not in one spot. He’s all over the place, coming off handoffs, screens and initiating.’’
A date still hasn’t been set for Kyrie Irving‘s season-ending shoulder surgery, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson told Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Irving and Kevin Durant are both expected to start accompanying the team on road trips soon.
In the same story, Atkinson talks about being the longest-tenured active coach in the New York market, even though he has only had his job since 2016. “(The Nets) obviously stuck with me when we went through a lot of struggles,” he said. “We’ve had struggles this year. I just think that’s the real advantage too, of being on the same page with ownership.”