Ariel Hukporti Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks’ Hukporti To Miss At Least 4-6 Weeks Following Knee Surgery

February 28th, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

February 28: Hukporti underwent surgery on Friday to address his left meniscus tear and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks, according to the Knicks (Twitter link).

February 27: Knicks center Ariel Hukporti made his first career start in Wednesday’s victory over Philadelphia, recording eight points, two rebounds and a block in 16 minutes. Unfortunately, the German big man also sustained a significant injury during the game.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), the 22-year-old is expected to be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Steve Popper of Newsday confirms (via Twitter) that Hukporti will be out for an extended period, though he hears the team is still evaluating the test results and it’s not yet certain that Hukporti sustained a meniscus injury.

The 58th and final pick of the 2024 draft, Hukporti has received sporadic playing time during his rookie season, averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game across 25 appearances.

It’s a tough blow for Hukporti, who was initially signed to a two-way contract but was converted to a standard deal in early November in part to navigate New York’s salary cap situation. The Knicks hold a minimum-salary team option on his contract for 2025/26.

If Hukporti is able to return at the conservative end of the timeline Charania reported — six weeks — he would back just in time for the end of the regular season in mid-April. Returning sooner would obviously give him more time to prepare as the Knicks prepare for a playoff push — they’re currently the No. 3 seed in the East, with a record of 38-20.

On a more positive note, Mitchell Robinson is reportedly on track to make his season debut this weekend, so he should help fortify the Knicks’ frontcourt depth, which will be a little more thin with Hukporti out. Precious Achiuwa is another candidate for more minutes at backup center.

The Knicks also have an open roster spot and will be able to squeeze in a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract for a 15th man below their hard cap as of Friday.

Knicks Notes: Roster Candidates, Anunoby, Bridges, Hukporti

February 27th, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks can add a free agent via a prorated veteran’s minimum contract while remaining below their hard cap as early as Friday. They have an open roster spot, though as a first-apron team, they can’t sign a player who made more than $12.8MM before being bought out.

Noting that there are few notable options on the buyout market this winter, The Athletic’s James Edwards III takes a closer look at the players who fit the bill, plus several other free agents who might make sense for New York. He identifies T.J. Warren, Chuma Okeke, Chris Duarte, Christian Wood and Josh Richardson as potential targets, with Warren and Okeke topping the list since both are playing for the Westchester Knicks, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

We have more on the Knicks:

The Knicks made two major trades to acquire forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, then gave Anunoby a huge contract in free agency. However, those investments are not paying off against the league’s elite, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. In a combined seven losses to Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City, Anunoby is averaging 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game while shooting 39% overall and 24% on three-point tries. In those same games, Bridges is averaging 14 points and two rebounds in 34 minutes while shooting 44% overall and 28% on threes.
Ariel Hukporti made his first start on Wednesday with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined. Hukporti didn’t finish the game, exiting in the second half with a sprained left knee, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. The rookie big man had eight points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. “I thought Ariel gave us good minutes,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s a young guy who’s learning and getting better.” Hukporti was promoted to a standard contract in early November after originally being signed to a two-way deal.
In case you missed it, there’s reportedly optimism that center Mitchell Robinson will make his season debut as soon as this weekend. Get the details here.

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Robinson, Towns, Raptors

February 26th, 2025 at 6:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics star Jaylen Brown suffered a bone bruise in his left quad during Tuesday’s victory over Toronto. After the game, he told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link) that he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d play in Wednesday’s back-to-back in Detroit.

After initially being listed as questionable, Brown was later ruled out against the red-hot Pistons, who have won seven straight games, one more than Boston’s current streak. Center Luke Kornet will also miss his second straight game due to personal reasons, per the Celtics (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

The Knicks are optimistic that Mitchell Robinson will be able to make his season debut this weekend, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York plays two games this weekend, on Friday vs. Memphis and on Sunday against Miami. Assuming he keeps progressing without issue, either date is a possibility for Robinson to make his first appearance of 2024/25 following offseason ankle surgery, according to Begley.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stated after Tuesday’s practice that Robinson was “projected to be the starting center on the team.” On Wednesday, Thibodeau clarified that Robinson will not immediately enter the starting lineup — he was referring to before the season began, and presumably before New York’s blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
Speaking of Towns, the Knicks big man was ruled out of Wednesday’s game after having his left knee flare up near the end of Sunday’s loss to Boston. He was initially listed as questionable. Rookie center Ariel Hukporti will get his first career start in Towns’ stead, per Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Eric Koreen of The Athletic lists several Raptors trends to monitor for the remainder of the season, as well as some to ignore. Koreen is keeping close tabs on Immanuel Quickley‘s three-point volume and accuracy, Gradey Dick‘s defense, and the overall play of Ochai Agbaji. On the other hand, he says the team’s defensive rating and RJ Barrett‘s dip in offensive efficiency aren’t particularly important as the season winds down.

Knicks’ Quiet Deadline Indicates Full Confidence In Roster

February 8th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Knicks made their biggest move of the year right before the season began, acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster at the start of training camp. That move has paid major dividends for a team that currently has its best regular season winning percentage since 1997.

Of course, making a move of that magnitude — Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were sent to Minnesota — meant the Knicks were likely to have a quiet trade deadline.

New York did make one minor trade, sending Jericho Sims to the Bucks in exchange for guard Delon Wright. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes, the Knicks have a history of sending players to situations where they can potentially thrive, like with Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, and this was the latest in the series.

The Mavericks, Spurs, and Pelicans were among the teams who had talks with the Knicks about Sims before he was sent to Milwaukee, according to Edwards.

As for Wright, he signed with the Bucks this past summer after closing out last season with the Heat. However, his role has been modest this season — he averaged just 2.5 points per game and shot 26.8% from the field across 26 appearances in Milwaukee.

There’s reason to believe Wright can turn his season around with the Knicks, according to the New York Post’s Bryan Fonseca. The veteran guard was a playoff contributor just last season with the Heat, and Fonseca notes that health issues affected him during his time in Milwaukee.

Knicks big men Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa stuck with the team through the deadline after both having their names floated in rumors for much of the season. Edwards writes that Robinson will be New York’s biggest midseason acquisition when he returns from injury, giving the Knicks a superb defender to add to the rotation. As a first-apron team, the Knicks won’t be eligible to sign anyone who made over the mid-level exception ($12.8MM) on the buyout market.

“You guys can read the tea leaves,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of the team’s quiet deadline, per the New York Post’s Peter Botte. “We like our team a lot. Obviously, we are excited about Mitch. But we also feel Ariel [Hukporti] has done a good job, and [Achiuwa] has done a good job. That’s really how we approach it.

“[Team president] Leon [Rose] and his staff, they are on it all year long. I think there’s a tendency to think this happens a couple days before [deadline]. They are always looking if they can improve the club. If there’s something that makes sense, they explore it. Then, you go from there. But we like our team a lot.”

As Botte opines in another story, it will be interesting to monitor whether the gambit of relying on health will pan out for the Knicks after a couple key East rivals made moves to shore up their teams, including the top-seeded Cavaliers acquiring De’Andre Hunter.

New York Notes: Finney-Smith, Fernandez, Knicks, Hart

December 8th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Rory Maher

Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who has missed the past four games — and six of the past seven — with a left ankle sprain, will return to action on Sunday vs. Milwaukee, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 31-year-old was able to practice for the second consecutive day on Saturday and is not on the injury report for today’s matinee against the Bucks.

“It’s a long season. Nobody’s really 100 percent, so I’m pretty sure everybody’s got some nags and bumps and bruises, but I feel better and I’m ready to play [Sunday],” Finney-Smith said. “Yeah, no question. You know I’m playing.”

As Lewis writes, Finney-Smith has by far the best plus-minus on Brooklyn’s roster (plus-56). On top of shooting a career-best 42.2% from three-point range and playing solid, switchable defense, he’s also the Nets’ locker-room leader.

“Doe brings toughness, his veteran leadership that he brings to any team,” Trendon Watford said. “That’s what he’s made his name off of, just him being a leader and him being that tough guy, him just being a knockdown shooter and lock-down defender. We know what Doe brings every night, and we definitely can use it.”

Second-year big man Noah Clowney is questionable for Sunday’s contest after missing the past six games with his own left ankle sprain, Lewis adds.

Here are some more notes on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:

First-year Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez has been lauded for his job performance thus far, Lewis writes in subscriber-only story for The New York Post. In addition to being nominated for the Eastern Conference’s Coach of the Month award, Fernandez has drawn praise both inside and outside the organization for instilling belief in a club that was widely expected to finish with among the worst records in the league. Despite dealing with injuries to several key players, Brooklyn is currently 10-13, the No. 8 seed in the East.
Playing without Karl-Anthony Towns, who was a late scratch due to a right knee patellar tendinopathy, the Knicks had a disappointing home loss to Detroit on Saturday, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. Jericho Sims got the start at center in place of Towns, but he only played six minutes, with head coach Tom Thibodeau turning to Precious Achiuwa and rookie Ariel Hukporti to man the middle. Mikal Bridges expressed disappointment with the team’s defensive effort after giving up 120 points to a Pistons team that ranks 22nd in the league in offensive rating. “Not good. I think we pick and choose when [to play defense],” Bridges said. “And we ain’t that good that we can just pick and choose when to play defense.”
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was questionable ahead of Saturday’s game due to a lower back contusion he sustained in Thursday’s victory over Charlotte, but he wound up playing a season-high 44 minutes and scoring a game-high 31 points to go along with 10 assists in the loss, notes Christian Arnold of The New York Post.
Thibodeau was disappointed that Knicks forward Josh Hart was ejected for receiving his second technical foul late in the fourth quarter, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “Josh plays on emotion which is great,” Thibodeau said. “But there’s a fine line and just, we can’t have that in the fourth quarter.” Hart claimed he didn’t know why he received either technical.

Knicks Notes: Hukporti, Towns, Dadiet, Bridges

November 17th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

For at least one night, rookie big man Ariel Hukporti looked like he could be part of the Knicks‘ rotation, writes Dan Martin of The New York Post. With Karl-Anthony Towns unavailable for Friday’s game against Brooklyn, Jericho Sims started at center but Hukporti had a bigger role, playing more than 30 minutes and scoring his first seven points to go with four rebounds and four blocks.

“His energy was amazing,’’ Josh Hart said. “He was a presence on screens, protecting the rim, rebounding the ball, deflections [and] running the court.”

There were few indications that Hukporti was ready for a breakout night. He had sat out three straight games and had only played eight total minutes in the past eight contests. He could become the rim-protecting center that the Knicks have lacked since Mitchell Robinson‘s injury, and his playing time will be worth monitoring once Towns returns.

“Now, the thing about a rookie is — for him — the hard thing is gonna be continuing to have the energy,’’ Hart added. “And not being complacent, which I don’t think he will. And we’re gonna hold him accountable. You guys saw just a glimpse of what he can do and he’s gonna have to build on that, but we’re excited with what he is. He’s gonna be big for us.”

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks are hoping Towns will be available for today’s rematch with the Nets, Martin adds in a separate story. He went through shootout and warm-ups before Friday’s game, but the medical staff decided to hold him out due to the effects of a knee contusion he suffered on Wednesday. Miles McBride could also return after missing Friday’s contest with a left knee injury.
First-round pick Pacome Dadiet scored five points in 12 minutes on Friday as injuries put him back in the rotation, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Appearing on the “Roommates” podcast hosted by his son, Jalen Brunson, assistant coach Rick Brunson said the team is willing to be patient with the rookie shooting guard. “If you take a young kid like [Dadiet], the guy we just drafted,” he said. “You take him. To me, you got to give him a window. A college window. Four to five years. You can’t give up on a kid who is going through his college years in the NBA.”
Mikal Bridges has gotten off to a rough start with the Knicks after being acquired in an offseason trade that sent five first-round picks to Brooklyn, but it’s still too early to make a judgment on the deal, Bondy contends in another piece.

Knicks Officially Complete Three Roster Moves

November 5th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have formally completed a trio of roster moves, per the NBA’s official transaction log. The three moves, which were previously reported, are as follows:

Signed Matt Ryan to a standard contract (story)
Promoted Ariel Hukporti from a two-way contract to a standard contract (story)
Signed Boo Buie to a two-way contract (story)

As we detailed in our individual stories on the signings, the Knicks had been carrying 12 players on standard contracts and had to get to 14 by Tuesday, since teams are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on their standard rosters for up to 14 days at a time. New York had done so since the regular season begin two weeks ago.

Elevating Hukporti from his two-way deal to the standard roster created a two-way opening, which the Knicks filled by signing Buie. The team now has 17 total players under contract.

Ryan’s new deal with the Knicks is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that is non-guaranteed, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter links). The first year on Hukporti’s new contract, previously said to be a two-year deal with a second-year team option, is also non-guaranteed, Begley adds (via Twitter).

Ryan’s prorated cap hit is $1,919,558, while Hukporti’s is $1,064,049. Those two cap charges bump the Knicks’ total team salary to $188,350,128, giving the team nearly $581K in breathing room below its $188,931,000 hard cap.

New York could swap in a new 14th man by waiving Ryan before his salary becomes fully guaranteed on January 7. If Ryan remains on the roster and the team doesn’t make any trades, the front office will have to wait until February 25 to be able to squeeze in a 15th man on a veteran’s minimum contract below the hard cap, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Landry Shamet is a player to watch over the course of the season, since he appeared to be on track to claiming a roster spot out of training camp before dislocating his shoulder. If he recovers from that injury in the coming months, he could eventually supplant Ryan as the 14th man or fill the open 15th slot (after Feb. 25).

Knicks To Promote Ariel Hukporti To Standard Roster

November 4th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Ariel Hukporti have reached an agreement on a new standard contract that will promote the rookie center from his two-way deal to the 15-man roster, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Hukporti will sign a two-year contract that includes a team option for the 2025/26 season. While Charania doesn’t specify the financial terms, it figures to be a minimum-salary deal.

The 58th overall pick in this year’s draft, Hukporti logged 12 minutes in last Monday’s loss to Cleveland but has otherwise only seen garbage-time action in the early going this season. The 22-year-old has grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots in 29 total minutes across four appearances.

Under normal circumstances, the Knicks likely would’ve kept Hukporti on his two-way contract for most or all of his rookie season, but his promotion had been expected for a few weeks due to the team’s hard cap situation.

New York is carrying 12 players on standard contracts to open the season and needs to get to at least 14, the league-mandated minimum, by November 5. However, the team doesn’t have enough flexibility below its hard cap to simply sign two veteran free agents to minimum-salary contracts, meaning at least one of those two roster additions has to be a rookie who was on a two-way deal with the Knicks or whose draft rights the Knicks held. Hukporti had been viewed as the leading candidate since training camp.

If his promotion becomes official on Monday, Hukporti’s first-year cap hit will be $1,070,699, leaving the team approximately $2.5MM below the hard cap, with one more roster addition to come. If the two sides don’t finalize the rookie’s new deal until Tuesday, his 2024/25 cap hit would be $1,064,049.

While the Knicks will have to add one more player to their standard roster by Tuesday, Hukporti’s promotion opens the door for the club to make two additional signings, since it creates a two-way opening. Matt Ryan is considered a strong candidate to join the NBA squad in some capacity, perhaps filling that open two-way slot.

Landry Shamet was expected during the preseason to be part of the Knicks’ regular season roster, but his dislocated shoulder has complicated that plan — it’s possible the team will sign a healthy player to a non-guaranteed contract as its 14th man for now and pivot to Shamet later in the season if and when he has recovered. The veteran wing is currently rehabbing with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.

Whether the Knicks exercise or decline Hukporti’s 2025/26 option at the end of this season, they’ll be able to make him a restricted free agent when his current contract expires, putting them in position to lock him up to a longer-term contract at that time if his development is trending in the right direction.

Knicks Notes: Shamet, Morris, Hukporti, Hart, Crawford

October 17th, 2024 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Maher

The health status of Knicks guard Landry Shamet remains unclear just a few days before the team has to make a decision on his non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Shamet was viewed as the frontrunner to make New York’s regular season roster out of training camp, but he sustained a right shoulder injury in Tuesday’s preseason game vs. Charlotte.

“We need the information first. I don’t wanna be premature. I wanna see what everyone has to say and then we go from there,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I really liked the way [Shamet plays], the speed and versatility, his ability to make plays off the dribble, to shoot the ball, to move without the ball, to read defenses, to understand what’s going on on the floor, and he helps bring the best out of everyone. He helps you execute, and I think that’s important.”

If Shamet’s injury is serious and the Knicks decide to waive him, he would earn $15K due to the Exhibit 9 language in his contract. Forwards T.J. Warren and Chuma Okeke could be internal options to make the roster out of camp, but there are other possibilities.

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Marcus Morris had fans in the organization before Shamet’s injury — the longtime veteran forward was viewed as a “potential in-season addition” even after he declined his second camp invite. Morris initially signed a camp deal with the Knicks but was waived in a procedural move to complete the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, then declined an opportunity to return to the club after the Towns deal was official.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Both Begley and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic have pegged rookie big man Ariel Hukporti as the leading candidate to be converted from his two-way deal to a standard contract. The Knicks have limited flexibility under the second apron hard cap due to the Towns trade, which is why they’ll only be able to carry 14 players on their standard roster. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) takes a look at how the German center is making a push to be promoted.
It might take him some time to adjust to the team’s new additions, but Josh Hart could be the key to unlocking the full potential of New York’s offense, according to Edwards of The Athletic. As Edwards details, Hart’s high basketball IQ, connective passing and timely cuts make a major impact on quality possessions. “It’s huge,” Thibodeau said. “Being decisive and cutting hard is an act of unselfishness. It’s prioritizing winning. If you cut and you’re open, you should get the ball. But even if you cut with force and make the defense react to that, it’s going to open up other things and you’re going to create good offense for your teammates. And that’s what winning is about.”
Former Knicks guard Jamal Crawford will serve as a game analyst for approximately 10 games on MSG Network this season, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Crawford was an analyst with TNT last season but he won’t be returning to the network, which may lose its NBA media rights in 2025/26, pending the result of its lawsuit against the league. Crawford has also drawn interest from Amazon, NBC and ESPN, Marchand adds.

Knicks Notes: Randle, DiVincenzo, Backup Centers, Kolek

October 13th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

It has only been 11 days since the trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota was finalized, but they’ll return to Madison Square Garden this evening when the Knicks host the Timberwolves, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. While Randle isn’t expected to play as he continues to rehabilitate his right shoulder following surgery, fans will have a chance to welcome back DiVincenzo, who had a major role in last season’s success.

“Both him and Julius contributed so much to the organization, to the team,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So there’s great appreciation for them and what they did. So it’s part of our league and we certainly wish them well. I’ve got great respect for them. I know their teammates do. I know the organization does. I think our fans do as well. They were a big part of the winning.”

For most of the summer, it looked like Mikal Bridges was going to be the Knicks’ major offseason acquisition, adding another versatile forward to a roster that seemed ready to compete for an NBA title. That changed in late September when the opportunity arose to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota.

“I think the whole thing was quick and kind of unusual,” Josh Hart said. “A trade three days before training camp started, so that was already kind of weird because that weekend you’re kind of gearing up for training camp that upcoming Monday. So that was unusual and then obviously we’ve got to play them on Sunday. It’s a little unusual, but the NBA’s a crazy business.”

There’s more from New York City:

Since camp opened, the Knicks have been more focused on blocking outside distractions than talking about competing for a championship, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “As much as we want to jump back into Game of 7 [of the Eastern Conference semifinals] last year and proceed to where we went, we have to start the journey all over,” Jalen Brunson said. “… Regardless of what people say, whether it’s positive or negative, we have to have mental toughness and just worry about what’s going on inside of this building, inside this organization.”
Thibodeau won’t have a regular backup for Towns when the season opens, Braziller adds. Jericho Sims, Ariel Hukporti and Precious Achiuwa may all see time in that role, and OG Anunoby could be used as a center in small-ball lineups. “Jericho’s athleticism is very different from most,” Thibodeau said. “Ariel is a young guy coming in, there’s a defensive component to him already. But he has to learn the offensive part of the game, and that’s coming. But both are very good.”
Second-round pick Tyler Kolek is averaging 13 points, three assists and two steals through his first two preseason games and he may be in contention for playing time as the season wears on, Braziller states in a separate story. “I’m still figuring it out, finding my pace,” Kolek said. “Maybe in practice I haven’t been as aggressive looking at the basket. So it’s been kind of intentional in these games to get those looks because then it opens up everything else with my passing.”