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Knicks Notes: Tucker, Achiuwa, Bridges, Playoffs

April 11th, 2025 at 1:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran forward P.J. Tucker had only made one brief appearance for the Knicks this season heading into Thursday’s game in Detroit. However, with OG Anunoby and Josh Hart held for rest, he was surprisingly the first player off the bench last night, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

Tucker received a heads-up that he’d be in the rotation on Thursday, but he wasn’t sure how much he’d play. He wound up logging 27 minutes, the most playing time he’s received in a regular season game in two years.

“Once I got through my first wind, it was really good,” said Tucker, who finished with three points and six rebounds. “I started to open up a little bit. I started to feel good, started talking, getting involved with the game and it’s like riding a bike.”

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While Tucker was happy to be playing again, he was not pleased with the loss to the Pistons, who could be New York’s opponent in the first round of the playoffs. “They just out-toughed us. They did. The whole fourth quarter,” Tucker said (story via Bondy). “We kept it close but they just out-toughed us. That’s something we got to address. Obviously, not having OG [Anunoby], not having Josh [Hart], getting those guys back will help a lot. I just feel like down in the trenches like that in the playoffs this year, they’re not calling nothing. They’re letting a lot of stuff go right now and I like it. The refs are letting a lot of stuff go both ways. With that happening, guys got to play differently. We got to play different. We got to toughen up. It’s more physical. We got to toughen up.”
In a mailbag for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III answers questions about the Knicks’ playoff chances, the results of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, and more. One question is focused on the future of Precious Achiuwa, who will be an unrestricted free agent again this summer after re-signing with New York on a one-year deal. Edwards believes another reunion between the two sides is unlikely.
Iron man Mikal Bridges has yet to miss a game in his NBA career. In fact, he hasn’t sat out a game since he was in high school, Bondy writes for The New York Post. The 28-year-old is on the verge of playing all 82 regular season games in 2024/25.
In a subscriber-only story, Bondy lists which members of the Knicks have the most at stake entering the playoffs. Bridges and head coach Tom Thibodeau are likely feeling the most heat, according to Bondy. Bridges will be eligible for an extension this offseason.

Atlantic Notes: Whitehead, Brown, Boucher, Knicks

April 10th, 2025 at 5:41pm CST by Tristan Tucker

As the Nets near the end of the season, their priority in the last three games will be evaluating which players might be a part of their future. As Bridget Reilly of the New York Post writes, 2023 first-round forward Dariq Whitehead is hoping to prove he should stick around with the franchise for the long run.

Still just 20 years old, Whitehead has been limited to just 19 NBA games in his first two seasons after dealing with several injuries, including a stress reaction on his leg that ended his rookie year. The Duke product said he feels he’s almost back to 100% health.

“I feel it coming,” Whitehead said. “I will say it’s night and day from just trusting my body and stuff. Doing things I haven’t done in two years, which is amazing for me and I’m sure it’s amazing for the coaches and staff to see.”

In 17 games this year, Whitehead is averaging 6.2 points while shooting 44.8% on 3.9 three-point attempts per game. Over 75% of his shots have come from beyond the arc.

“This is going to be an important summer for me,” Whitehead said. “Since I’ve been hurt, I haven’t been able to just work on those things, which is getting my athleticism back and just doing certain movements. Just me attacking this summer is going to be really important for me.”

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Celtics star Jaylen Brown is out for the team’s Friday game against the Hornets, according to The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn (Twitter link). As Washburn notes, that means Brown won’t reach the 65-game threshold necessary to be eligible for postseason awards.
Chris Boucher has been a long-term fixture of the Raptors, making the team out of training camp in 2018/19 and becoming part of that season’s championship roster. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes, there is mutual interest in another contract between Boucher and the Raptors as he hits unrestricted free agency this summer. The big man has had a strong season, averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game, though his role has fluctuated. “Obviously it’s not ideal, but it’s the business. I know how things go by now,” Boucher said of his minutes. “I’m trying to stay positive with how my life is and see the positive stuff, and I think I had a great year, too. I think that helps, knowing that I’m growing and being the player and the person that I want to be, so I take those wins. The season went by pretty quick, so I’ll enjoy the last few games and see what happens.”
The Knicks are showing a willingness to rest players in the last part of the season, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post writes. If New York wins on Thursday or Indiana loses, the Knicks will clinch the third seed. OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson will sit out of Thursday’s contest. New York’s playoff roster last season was depleted by injuries, so the team appears to be doing what it can do avoid history repeating itself.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, McBride, Hart, Thibodeau, Anthony

April 6th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ backcourt is about to get much healthier for the final week of the regular season, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Star guard Jalen Brunson is expected to be in the lineup tonight against Phoenix after missing 15 games with a sprained right ankle. Miles McBride is also due back soon from a groin injury that has sidelined him since March 20.

“I know any team would be very much improved with Deuce McBride and Jalen Brunson,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after Saturday’s win over Atlanta. “We’re going to do everything we can because the goal was that we’re farther along when we’re back to integrating them back — that we give him a better team than where they left it.”

Cameron Payne returned to action Saturday after missing four games with an ankle sprain, as rookie guard Tyler Kolek slipped out of the rotation. Delon Wright, who made his fifth consecutive start at point guard, also figures to have a reduced role with Brunson and McBride back, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t want to answer questions about the rotation.

“The notion of all that stuff, it’s white noise,” Thibodeau said. “The game tells you what to do. Whose shot is it in transition? The open man. And if there’s two on somebody, whose shot is it? You have the responsibility as a primary scorer to make the right play.

“The notion that it has to be this way, that way, there has to be a willingness to sacrifice by everybody. The team has to come first. What’s best for our team? What gives the team the best chance to win? And that’s all anyone should be thinking about. They shouldn’t be thinking about who’s doing this, who’s doing that. That’s not the way this game works. If you care about winning, that stuff shouldn’t matter.”

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Josh Hart, who finished one rebound short of a triple-double on Saturday, admitted that he didn’t react well when he stormed off the court after being pulled from the game with 90 seconds remaining, Bondy states in a separate story. “I wanted to stay in to get the last one, but I wasn’t playing the game the right way,” Hart said. “I was trying to play for that. I didn’t really deserve it, and that’s probably why I didn’t get it. I was playing the game the wrong way at that point, so it is what it is.”
Saturday’s win was Thibodeau’s 224th with the Knicks, moving him past Pat Riley on the franchise victories list, Bondy adds. Thibodeau trails only Red Holtzman, Joe Lapchick and Jeff Van Gundy.
Carmelo Anthony, who was announced Saturday as part of the Naismith Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, would like to see the Knicks retire his number, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Anthony spent six and a half years with the organization and is one of just seven Knicks players to reach 10,000 points. “A lot of surprises are happening right now around me, so I’m trying to stay in the moment,” Anthony said, “and if that’s one of the surprises, then I would be ecstatic about that. I would love to see that jersey hung up.”

New York Notes: Thibodeau, Brunson, Hart, Bridges, Wright, Clowney, Etienne

April 5th, 2025 at 1:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is once again relying on his starters. Entering Saturday’s game at Atlanta, Josh Hart was averaging 37.6 minutes in 73 starts and Mikal Bridges was averaging 37.6 minutes in 76 games.

Thibodeau says he’s just doing what he feels is proper, according to ESPN’s Chris Herring. “There’s no right or wrong,” Thibodeau said. “There’s what you feel is best for your team.”

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Jalen Brunson will return from his ankle ailment on Sunday, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The Knicks are playing in Atlanta on Saturday, with a home game against Phoenix on tap for Sunday. Brunson has missed the last 15 games. His anticipated return was reported heading into the weekend.
With Brunson’s imminent return, Knicks guard Delon Wright‘s days as a starter are numbered. Wright, a free agent after the season, has gained trust from Thibodeau, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. “[Wright has] shown everyone he’s more than capable,” the coach said. “We like the job that he’s done.”
Noah Clowney‘s second NBA season was an overall disappointment, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. The 2023 first-round pick saw his production decline as ankle injuries piled up. He has numerous areas to work on, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said. “His physicality [is an area of improvement], especially on the defensive end,” he said. “And then lately, his drive decisions, alright? If he’s not going to shoot it and he’s going to put the ball on the floor, how can he get to the rim with one-two dribbles and be efficient? Whether it’s an easy drive-and-kick or finish at the rim.”
Two-way Nets player Tyson Etienne made his NBA debut on March 28 against the Clippers, then played 25 minutes against Minnesota on Thursday. “A lot of gratitude. This journey that I’ve been on has come with a lot of ups and downs. I’ve been putting a lot of work in for a long time,” Etienne told RG.org’s Grant Afseth. “Just to get that call — and for it to be where I’m from, New York — I’m just really grateful and excited to be a part of the team.”

Knicks Notes: Brunson, McBride, Payne, Anunoby, Hart, More

April 3rd, 2025 at 7:30am CST by Luke Adams

Jalen Brunson, who has been out since March 6 with a sprained ankle, is with the Knicks on their current two-game road trip and is expected to participate in the team’s next practice, which could happen on Friday, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

Given where Brunson is in his rehab process, it’s logical to assume he could return to action for one of the Knicks’ two games this weekend, either on Saturday in Atlanta or on Sunday back home vs. Phoenix, Bondy writes. Ian Begley of SNY.tv made a similar prediction, suggesting that he anticipates seeing Brunson play in one of those two games based on his current recovery trajectory.

The Knicks have six games left on their regular season schedule, so if Brunson is back in action for one of the next two contests, he’d have a week to get his feet back under him before the playoffs get underway. A weekend return would also put him in position to play the four games he needs to meet the 65-game minimum and qualify for end-of-season award consideration.

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Brunson isn’t the only Knicks guard nearing a return from an injury. Miles McBride, who has missed seven games with a groin issue, and Cameron Payne, sidelined for the last four with a sprained ankle, are both close, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Wednesday. “Deuce and Cam should be any day,” Thibodeau said, per Bondy.
OG Anunoby is playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, averaging 23.3 points per game on .476/.394/.843 shooting with his usual lock-down defense over the past 17 games. The key for the Knicks will be to see if they can keep getting this version of Anunoby after Brunson returns, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, noting that the forward is driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line more effectively than ever. “He’s got a great mix going right now with attacking the rim, getting to the line and high-volume threes … he’s not hesitating,” Thibodeau said. “It’s really, really good basketball. And his defense is elite.”
The construction of the Knicks’ roster “fits me like a glove,” forward Josh Hart tells Bondy (subscription required), explaining that the healthy version of the starting lineup allows him to be the best version of himself. “We have three guys who can be No. 1 options (Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges). And you got OG, who can be a 2-3 option. So for me, it’s a benefit. Because I always got the worst defender,” Hart said. “And then if it’s a small guy on me, he got to worry about me crashing the boards. If it’s a big, we’re not hiding him. He’s going to be put into the action, and that allows me to kind of get into space and play my game.”
Begley checks in on where things stand with Mitchell Robinson‘s conditioning and talks to veteran wing Landry Shamet about the role he’s playing for the Knicks.
It would behoove the Knicks to lock up the No. 3 seed in the East sooner rather than later, according to Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link), who notes that the team would benefit from getting its regulars some rest (or at least reduced minutes) in the final games of the season. New York’s magic number to clinch the No. 3 spot is down to three.

Knicks Notes: Tucker, Roster, Shamet, Wright, Robinson, Towns

April 1st, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks added P.J. Tucker on a standard two-year contract but they could still add another player to the 15-man roster within the next couple weeks, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

There’s enough wiggle room under the second apron to add another veteran free agent on a minimum deal before the end of the regular season. However, the team would need to waive a player in order to create room on the roster to sign another free agent.

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Delon Wright and Landry Shamet are getting steady minutes with Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Cameron Payne on the mend. Wright, a defensive stopper, and Shamet, an offensive threat, could still play roles as the backcourt gets healthier, Andrew Crane of the New York Post writes. Wright started his third consecutive game on Tuesday against Philadelphia, while Shamet has delivered double-digit scoring off the bench in three of the last four games. Coach Tom Thibodeau appreciates Wright’s defensive prowess. “He’s got great size at his position,” Thibodeau said. “That’s his gift, is his defense, and he gets a lot of deflections.” Both players are on expiring contracts.
The return of Mitchell Robinson from ankle and foot injuries has impacted the defense, according to Begley and Robinson’s teammates. The team had the sixth-best defensive rating in March, its best ranking in any month this season. “The last month and a half, he’s been a monster defensively,” Josh Hart said. “Blowing up screens, blowing up handoffs, like a free safety on that backside.”
Robinson got a chance to start on Tuesday as Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out due to a knee injury, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. Towns has appeared in 67 of 75 games.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Hart, Robinson, McCullar, McBride

March 26th, 2025 at 7:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks wing Josh Hart and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns both logged triple-doubles during a historic performance against the reeling Mavericks on Tuesday night, writes Chris Herring of ESPN. Hart and Towns became the first New York players to simultaneously achieve the feat, Herring writes.

In the 128-113 win, Towns racked up 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Hart, meanwhile, had 16 points, 12 boards, and 11 dimes. Herring reports that this marked just the 17th time ever that two NBA teammates secured triple-doubles in the same game.

It was also Hart’s ninth triple-double of the 2024/25 season, besting Hall of Famer Walt Frazier‘s previous single-season Knicks record of eight in 1968/69. This is Towns’ first triple double of the year.

“I didn’t envision this,” Hart said. “This is more than I ever dreamed of.”

“[Hart’s] got nine this season; I’ve got one,” Towns remarked. “But the way he does it is special. It’s always with effort and for the betterment of the team. I’m just happy there’s a way to see on the stat sheet the impact he’s having on the game. He sacrifices so much for the team, so I’m happy that he can have this moment.”

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The Knicks’ big man tandem of Towns and Mitchell Robinson is considered to be “a work in progress” even by head coach Tom Thibodeau, although metrics indicate that the dynamic duo is yielding strong early returns, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Robinson has played just 10 games this season due to injury.
Knicks rookie wing Kevin McCullar Jr. made his NBA debut during Tuesday’s Dallas clash, and scored the first two points of his career during his three minutes of action, Bondy notes in another New York Post article. For McCullar’s achievement, Hart awarded the young guard the game ball. McCullar had spent roughly a full year recovering from a knee injury. “It’s been rough, but I kept my head on straight,” McCullar said. “Adversity makes you who you are and everybody goes through it in different ways of life… Growing up, that’s all I’ve known is playing basketball.”
Knicks reserve guard Miles McBride is out for a third straight game on Wednesday vs. the Clippers with a left groin strain, per Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). Robinson, who continues to sit out one game in back-to-back sets, is active on Wednesday after sitting out Tuesday’s contest against Dallas. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter), Thibodeau told reporters today that McBride was “limited” during the team’s latest practice.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Dolan, McBride, Kolek, Hart

March 25th, 2025 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is making “really good progress” in his recovery from a sprained right ankle, head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Monday, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Brunson is feeling “a lot better” and has been able to do more rehab work every day, per Thibodeau, who referred to his point guard as “day-to-day, basically.” The team announced on Saturday that Brunson was expected to remain sidelined at least one more week.

“(He’s) doing a lot of shooting, working the pool, working the bike. Stuff like that. “So his conditioning is pretty good actually,” Thibodeau said, adding that getting clearance to take part in practice is “probably” the next step in Brunson’s recovery process.

While Begley has heard that Brunson’s rehab is moving faster than initially expected, he stresses that the Knicks have no intention of bringing back the 28-year-old until he’s 100% healthy. Still, according to Begley, there has been no consideration that Brunson will remain out for the rest of the regular season.

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In an in-depth story for The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov digs into the adversarial relationship that Knicks owner James Dolan has established with the NBA. Dolan’s long list of grievances with the league include the way in which the new media deals devalue teams’ regional sports networks (including Dolan’s MSG Networks) and the NBA’s revenue sharing system. “Dolan hates the idea of giving money on revenue sharing,” one former team owner told Vorkunov. “He’s been totally against it from the beginning.”
With Miles McBride ruled out for a second straight game on Tuesday vs. Dallas due to a left groin contusion/strain, rookie Tyler Kolek may be in line for a rotation role again after registering eight assists in 18 minutes in Saturday’s win over Washington. Thibodeau believes the first-year guard is up to the task, referring to him as a “gym rat” who’s getting better every day, as Bridget Reilly of The New York Post details. “He’s worked hard all year. The things that he needed to do, he did,” Thibodeau said. “He works, he’s a tireless worker. Performed well in the G League. So when the opportunity came, he was ready. And there’s still obviously a lot of work to be done but he keeps getting better and better and that’s a good sign.”
Knicks forward Josh Hart is averaging just 9.9 points per game on 40.8% shooting during Brunson’s absence, compared to 14.5 PPG on 54.7% shooting up until that point of the season. He spoke to reporters on Monday on how his role changes with Brunson – and now McBride – not on the floor. Reilly has the story and the quotes for The New York Post.

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Towns, Brunson, Hart

March 19th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been bringing along Mitchell Robinson slowly since he returned last month following his recovery from offseason ankle surgery. Entering play on Monday, Robinson had yet to be on the court for more than 19 minutes in any of his first seven outings this season.

However, as Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post details, Robinson saw an uptick in his playing time in Monday’s victory over Miami. His 10 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and 24 minutes all represented season highs, and he said after the game that he’s “getting the rhythm back a little bit.”

“I think the rim protection,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said when asked about the positive signs he’s seeing from Robinson. “His ability to get out on the perimeter, defend pick-and-rolls, challenge shots, cover a lot of ground and make a second or third effort to be up on a pick-and-roll and still get back to rebound and change shots. You’re seeing more and more multiple-effort plays from him. I think his timing is coming around. He’s moving great. He feels great.”

The Knicks’ two centers, Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, had played just nine minutes together in Robinson’s first seven games back, but shared the court for 10 minutes against the Heat. Thibodeau liked what he saw from the twin-towers look.

“When you have two seven-footers out there, if you get by one, you’ve got another waiting at the rim,” Thibodeau said. “I think that has a huge impact on the game.”

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In an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart spoke about a wide range of topics, including how Brunson has adjusted to being the “face of the franchise” in New York, why Hart is having a career year, and how Thibodeau compares to their former Villanova coach Jay Wright.
Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a look at how the Knicks are attempting to “steal points” in transition as they play without Brunson, the organizer of their half-court offense, who remains sidelined due to a sprained ankle.
After cameras captured them shouting at one another during a timeout in Golden State on Saturday (Twitter video link), Hart and Thibodeau both downplayed their sideline disagreement, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “You’re not going to find a more loyal player. I love Thibs. I think that was just my frustration coming out with the flow of the game, my own individual performance,” Hart said. “… It doesn’t affect our relationship. It doesn’t show anything of what’s going on. It’s just two extremely competitive people in a fiery moment. I love Thibs. I love what he’s doing. And he’s putting us in the best position to be successful.”
In case you missed it, Knicks owner James Dolan made some rare public comments about the team last week, indicating that he plans for the current core to “be together for a while.”

Dolan: Knicks’ Core ‘Going To Be Together For A While’

March 16th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks‘ leaders at the management and ownership levels rarely speak to the media about the team, but owner James Dolan made an exception this week for a pair of podcast hosts within his organization, appearing on the Roommates Show, hosted by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (YouTube link).

As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays, Dolan expressed a willingness to be patient with the current Knicks core, making it clear that he believes continuity will be an important factor in maximizing the upside of the roster.

“We have a team that’s going to be together for a while,” Dolan said. “(President of basketball operations) Leon (Rose) has done a good job of lining up the contracts and everything else. So this isn’t our only season. We’re going to play a bunch of seasons together.

“You take a look at teams like Boston that have played together, they get to draw off of something that they built over that period of time. And for this team, that’s the challenge, really – today, going into the playoffs, etc. – is to build that inside of the team. Something we can draw on.”

The Knicks made significant changes to their roster during the 2024 offseason, sending a package heavy on future first-round picks to Brooklyn in exchange for Mikal Bridges, then completing a blockbuster deal in the fall to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for a package headlined by Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Entering the summer of 2025, Towns, Brunson, Hart, and OG Anunoby are all locked up for multiple seasons, and there’s hope that Bridges will sign an extension that pushes his current contract beyond its 2026 expiration date. Sizable contracts for those players will likely leave the organization operating in apron territory for the next few years, reducing New York’s ability to continue making significant major in free agency or on the trade market.

After advancing to the second round of the playoffs in each of the past two years, it will be a challenge for the Knicks to get any further than that this spring, given that it would likely mean upsetting the defending champion Celtics. However, Dolan expressed optimism about the group’s future, lauding Rose for the way he has put the roster together and indicating that the front office has his full support, along with full autonomy to continue making personnel decisions.

As Bondy notes, Dolan also admitted that the patient, hands-off approach he’s taking now hasn’t always been the management style he’s employed in the past.

“There were times when (we’ve) sort of reached for that shiny, sparkly object. ‘Maybe this is what we need.’ Especially when things weren’t going well,” he said. “‘Let’s bring in this guy and maybe he’ll turn it all around for us.’ Sometimes it’s players, sometimes it’s a coach.

“What I learned over time is that doesn’t work. It really doesn’t. You really have to do the fundamentals, the basics. You’ve got to build a team, you’ve got to build an organization. There is no waving a wand over a team and all of a sudden make it a great team. It doesn’t happen.”