Dylan Windler

Knicks Notes: B. Brown, Tournament, Mitchell, Centers

Bruce Brown was a long shot for the Knicks in free agency, but he still met with them before deciding to sign with the Pacers. The versatile swingman talked to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post about the details of that meeting, which took place on FaceTime.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was a strong supporter of adding Brown and told him the Knicks needed him to “do the little things to help them win.” Thibodeau made his recruiting pitch along with team president Leon Rose, but they couldn’t compete with Indiana’s offer. Brown signed for $45MM over two years, while New York was limited to $12.4MM per year with its mid-level exception.

“Thibs has always been a fan of mine, even coming out the draft when he was with Minnesota,” Brown said. “And every time I played against him we had a few communications. But this is the first time to actually get a chance to get me.”

There’s more from New York:

  • With the Knicks beginning play Friday in the NBA’s new in-season tournament, Bondy reached out to two of the team’s lower-salaried players to see what the $500K grand prize would mean to them. Ryan Arcidiacono and Dylan Windler, who both have non-guaranteed contracts, said they would use the bonus money to help pay off their mortgages.
  • The Knicks might be a more entertaining team if they had met Utah’s price in trade negotiations for Donovan Mitchell, but there’s no guarantee they would be better, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Vaccaro points to the team’s last offer for Mitchell, which would have included RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier, two unprotected first-round picks and three more first-rounders. It might have also precluded the trade for Josh Hart and the signing of Donte DiVincenzo. Vaccaro notes that New York still has most of those assets, which can be used for the next big-name player who becomes available.
  • There has been plenty of speculation that the Knicks might be waiting for Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns to hit the trade market, but Thibodeau is happy with his current center pairing of Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, per Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. “(Isaiah) and Mitch together, it’s a great tandem,” Thibodeau told reporters before Wednesday’s game. “They complement each other extremely well, they support each other, they’re great teammates. You throw Jericho (Sims) in there as well, that position, we feel pretty good about it.”

Knicks Convert Dylan Windler To Standard Contract

The Knicks have converted Dylan Windler from a two-way deal to a standard contract, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. The contract covers one season and is non-guaranteed, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. It’ll be worth the minimum salary.

The Cavaliers selected Windler with the 26th pick in the 2019 draft, but he missed his first season with a leg injury and was never able to carve out a consistent role, averaging 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 84 games. He dealt with injuries through much of that time and appeared in just three games last season.

Cleveland opted not to give Windler a qualifying offer this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old small forward signed with New York in July after spending his first four NBA seasons with the Cavaliers.

Windler will get a chance to revive his career in New York after earning a roster spot. He appeared in just one preseason game, going scoreless in about six minutes of action.

The Knicks now have 15 players on standard contracts, including DaQuan Jeffries and Ryan Arcidiacono, whose deals are also non-guaranteed. The team also has a two-way opening after converting Charlie Brown and Jacob Toppin to two-way contracts earlier today.

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

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.

No QOs For Suns’ Bazley, Cavs’ Windler, Heat’s Yurtseven

The Suns opted not to issue a qualifying offer to forward Darius Bazley, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). As a result, Bazley will become an unrestricted free agent rather than restricted.

The decision doesn’t come as a huge surprise, since Bazley’s qualifying offer would have been worth approximately $6.2MM. While it’s not clear if Phoenix is interested in re-signing the former first-round pick, the team will hold his Bird rights and could probably re-sign him at a more team-friendly rate.

Cavaliers wing Dylan Windler also didn’t receive a qualifying offer and will become an unrestricted free agent, reports Scotto (Twitter link).

Windler was never considered likely to get a QO, which would’ve been worth just shy of $6MM. He has been limited by injuries in his first four NBA seasons and hasn’t become a rotation player in Cleveland, appearing in just 84 total games.

Heat center Omer Yurtseven is another player who was eligible for a qualifying offer but didn’t receive one, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

Yurtseven’s QO is only worth a projected $2.22MM ($200K more than his minimum salary), but the Heat will be cost-conscious about how they fill out their roster, given that their team salary projects to go well beyond the luxury tax line.

The following players did receive qualifying offers and will be restricted free agents:

Cavaliers Notes: Okoro, Playoffs, Green, Mitchell

Isaac Okoro will miss his sixth straight game on Sunday with soreness in his left knee, but there’s hope that he might be ready for the Cavaliers‘ playoff opener, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. After today’s practice, Okoro went through an on-court workout, which Fedor described as set shots followed by movement-based jumpers from 18 to 23 feet.

Okoro hasn’t played since March 26, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he’s being considered day-to-day. A source tells Fedor that Okoro has a bone bruise that’s causing the soreness, but adds that he probably could have played in the past few games if they had been more meaningful.

Okoro will be part of a long injury list when the Cavs wrap up their regular season tomorrow. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Dylan Windler are all listed as out, while Jarrett Allen is questionable.

There’s more from Cleveland:

  • After being eliminated in the play-in tournament last season, the Cavaliers are enjoying the security that comes with clinching the fourth seed, Fedor adds. The team will open the playoffs next Saturday or Sunday at home against the Knicks. “We are looking forward to it and I think it’s going to be a very, very fun series to play,” Cedi Osman said. “This is what we worked for. We worked really hard for this and I’m happy we achieved and we deserve to be in the playoffs. Now, going to go out there, try to do our best and try to go as far as we can.”
  • Danny Green is the Cavaliers’ most experienced playoff veteran, but he may not be part of the rotation when the postseason begins, Fedor observes in another Cleveland.com story. Green signed with Cleveland in mid-February after reaching a buyout with the Rockets, but he has only played 71 total minutes in seven games with his new team. “Not up to me to decide,” Green responded when asked about his potential playoff role. “They had been winning before I got here so I know they had that rotation of guys that were playing well and they earned their minutes and the right to be in the playoffs and in the rotation. So, it’s up to me to earn my minutes and showcase to the coaching staff that I’m able to help and be ready when my number is called.”
  • Mitchell and Jalen Brunson both had huge scoring outbursts in the regular season meetings between the Cavs and Knicks, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes in an analysis of the upcoming series. Mitchell averaged 31.8 points per game in the four contests, while Brunson was at 25.3 PPG.

Injury Notes: Brunson, Bulls, Cavaliers, KAT, Grizzlies

Knicks starting point guard Jalen Brunson will miss his second straight game on Monday with a sprained right hand, the team has announced (Twitter link).

The 6’1″ Brunson is enjoying a career season with his new club. Across 65 healthy games, he’s averaging 23.8 PPG on .489/.411/.833 shooting. The 26-year-old is also averaging 6.2 APG, 3.6 RPG and 0.9 SPG for New York.

Reserve guard Derrick Rose, who has been out of the rotation since the calendar rolled over to 2023, will also be inactive for this evening’s bout against the Rockets due to an illness, the Knicks add.

Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

  • Bulls forward Javonte Green, who continues to recover from a January knee surgery after making a brief return to the lineup last week, will be out tonight against the Clippers, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Johnson adds that veteran Chicago guard Alex Caruso is considered questionable to play.
  • Several Cavaliers players comprise the club’s injury report ahead of the team’s game Tuesday against the Hawks, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). Starting center Jarrett Allen is questionable with a groin strain, while starting small forward Isaac Okoro is also questionable due to a sore knee. Swingman Danny Green and point guard Raul Neto will not play. Wing Dean Wade is doubtful to play through an illness. Isaiah Mobley, Sam Merrill and Dylan Windler are all going to be working with Cleveland’s NBAGL affiliate, the Cleveland Charge.
  • Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns will sit out tonight’s game against the Kings as he manages his right calf strain injury on the second night of a back-to-back, the team has announced (Twitter link). Two-way player Matt Ryan is out with an illness. All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards is questionable due to a sprained right ankle. Guard Jaylen Nowell is also questionable with a left knee tendinopathy.
  • At least five Grizzlies players will be shelved for Tuesday’s contest against the Magic, Memphis has announced (via Twitter). Beyond Brandon Clarke, who’s out for the year with a left Achilles tear, Ziaire Williams, Vince Williams, Jake LaRavia and Steven Adams are all also sidelined. All-Star point guard Ja Morant is considered doubtful to play due to a sore right thigh.

Health Updates: Cavs, Doncic, Zion, Connaughton, Banchero, Celtics

As expected, Cavaliers wing Dylan Windler has received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his injured right ankle, the team confirmed today in a press release.

According to the Cavaliers, Windler will miss approximately four-to-six weeks while recovering, with the ankle stabilized in a walking cast for the time being. Health issues have limited the former first-round pick to just 81 total appearances since he entered the NBA in 2019.

Meanwhile, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has officially been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Milwaukee, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, it sounds like Allen’s left ankle soreness, which sidelined him on Sunday, is no longer the primary issue — he’s listed on the official injury report as having a non-COVID illness.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

  • Mavericks star Luka Doncic will miss a game for the first time this season on Wednesday, with the club opting to give him a rest night vs. Houston (Twitter link). Doncic is averaging a career-high 37.2 minutes per game and played 40 minutes in the first half of the team’s back-to-back set on Tuesday, so this decision had been expected, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.
  • Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday due to a right foot contusion, the team announced. Head coach Willie Green‘s comments on Tuesday suggested that it isn’t a serious injury, so perhaps Williamson will be able to return on Friday vs. Boston.
  • It appears Bucks wing Pat Connaughton will likely make his regular season debut on Wednesday vs. Cleveland. Connaughton, who has been on the shelf due to a right calf strain, has been upgraded to probable, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
  • Magic rookie forward Paolo Banchero will miss a fourth straight game on Wendesday vs. Minnesota due to a left ankle sprain, according to the team (via Twitter).
  • The Celtics will be without two key members of their backcourt on Wednesday vs. Atlanta, having ruled out both Malcolm Brogdon (right hamstring tightness) and Marcus Smart (right ankle inflammation), the team announced (via Twitter).

Cavaliers Notes: Windler, Bickerstaff, Mitchell, Allen

Cavaliers swingman Dylan Windler will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured right ankle, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Windler made the decision after getting a second opinion from a doctor that his agent recommended, Fedor adds. Windler is expected to be in a walking boot for about three weeks after the PRP shot, and the team hopes a new treatment plan will help him avoid surgery.

Windler has been out of action since trying to contest a teammate’s shot during the final practice before Cleveland’s first preseason game. The injury wasn’t believed to be serious, and there was an expectation that he would be ready for the regular season opener October 19.

After three weeks of rehab, Windler was able to dress for the Cavs’ November 2 game in Boston, though he didn’t see any playing time. But the ankle started hurting again the next morning and he didn’t travel with the team on its current five-game road trip.

Fedor notes that injuries have been a recurring issue for Windler since he was selected with the 26th pick in the 2019 draft. He missed his entire first season due to a stress fracture in his leg and has played in just 81 out of 229 games.

There’s more on the Cavaliers:

  • Even though Cleveland has one of the league’s best records, the team is still learning how to be a contender, Fedor states in a separate story. Some of the Cavs’ shortcomings were on display Monday as they let a double-digit lead slip away in the final minutes against the Clippers. “Through all the hype, we’re a team that is still building,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “As a coach, you don’t expect to win them all. You expect to have some adversity and ups and downs. But it’s all about what happens next.”
  • The Cavaliers should consider making Donovan Mitchell their primary closer late in close games, Fedor adds. He has been sharing that role with backcourt partner Darius Garland, but Mitchell has more experience from his time in Utah.
  • Jarrett Allen‘s career took off after he was traded to the Cavaliers in January 2021, but he wasn’t excited about the deal at first, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Allen, who made his first All-Star team and signed a contract extension in Cleveland, said he needed time to adjust to the city. “It did take some growing,” Allen said. “It’s not a good perception of Cleveland around the league, that’s just the honest truth. Nobody sees Cleveland as like, ‘Oh, I want to go there.’ But once I got here, it was like, I do want to be here. I thought that I just fit in well.”

Central Notes: Turner, Pacers, Hayes, Bogdanovic, Cavs

Pacers center Myles Turner addressed the trade rumors surrounding him, saying he’s “numb” to the chatter, Wilson Moore of the Indianapolis Star writes.

“This is the only time I will be addressing it this year; I want to make sure everyone knows that,” Turner said. “Yeah, elephant in the room. For me, this is my eighth season. I’ve been in trade rumors the past four or five years. It’s something that I know that I’m numb to. It’s something that it’s just whatever comes with this business. There are no hard feelings in this business. You have to take the emotions out of everything, and I’ve learned that at a young age, and I still hold true to that. My job is to come in here and help these young guys now, man.”

Turner’s expiring contract carries a cap hit of $18MM.

We have more info regarding the Central Division:

  • Pacers coach Rick Carlisle plans to use his bench extensively this season, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. He’s pondering a rotation of 10 or more players. “We’re going to use our depth as an advantage, we’re going to use it as something to drive our development internally every day,” he said.
  • Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said next offseason will be pivotal during the franchise’s rebuild, he told Evan Sidery of Basketball News. “Look, we have three first-round picks it looks like next year,” he said. “We have close to $30 million in cap space. And we’ll be active to use that cap space to acquire more assets. That’s just natural, but I think it gives us the ability to pivot in a lot of different ways.”
  • Killian Hayes needs to improve his shooting to be in the Pistons’ long-term plans. He spent the offseason altering his shooting motion, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. “I’m confident in my shot,” Hayes said. “I worked with different shooting coaches. We tweaked some things. I’m excited.” The former lottery pick has shot 37.4% from the field and 26.8% from long range during his first two NBA seasons.
  • Bojan Bogdanovic is officially a member of the Pistons and the veteran forward is thrilled with the direction of his new team, Mike Curtis of the Detroit News writes. “I kind of knew that I was going to be traded. I was just waiting to see where I’m going to end up,” Bogdanovic said. “Super excited to be here with this young group of guys and a coach that is really experienced. Everything is great so far.”
  • Cedi Osman, Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, Lamar Stevens and Dylan Windler are all vying for the small forward starting job with the Cavaliers, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. “We’ve gone back and forth on that, I’ll be honest with you guys,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “But we’re gonna give it an opportunity and see exactly what works best and what is the most troublesome for defenses.”

Central Notes: Sexton, Osman, Windler, DeRozan, Ingles

If the Cavaliers resolve their contractual differences with restricted free agent Collin Sexton, it will likely impact another player on a guaranteed contract, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes in his latest mailbag. Adding Sexton would put the team one over the 15-man roster limit.

The Cavaliers would prefer not waive Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade, who are on non-guaranteed deals. Instead, the team would likely look to move either Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler, perhaps in a trade with an asset or two attached to a team like Indiana or San Antonio, who have cap space.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • DeMar DeRozan felt the Bulls weren’t “ready for adversity” last season when injuries piled up, he told Draymond Green on his podcast (hat tip to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago). “We kind of fell apart. We lost ourselves obviously through health,” he said. “Regardless, I think I told one of the young guys after All-Star break, I said this is the moment when you see what teams are serious. He didn’t know what I meant by that. For us to hit the wall that we hit showed that we wasn’t ready for adversity.”
  • During the same podcast, DeRozan spoke of how criticism aimed at the Bulls for engineering a sign-and-trade with San Antonio fueled his highly productive season. He averaged a career-high 27.9 PPG. “My whole career has kind of been based off that (criticism). But I never let it bring me completely down. It knocked me down. But I got back up,” he said. “And for me, that moment of going to Chicago, I just told myself, ‘This is a new opportunity. I’m going to make the most out of it in every type of way.’”
  • The Bucks had plenty of other options with their taxpayer mid-level exception. So why did they choose Joe Ingles, who is recovering from a torn ACL? According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, they felt Ingles was the most complete player available to them.