Julius Randle

Wolves Notes: Knicks Trade, Randle, DiVincenzo, Towns

October 3rd, 2024 at 5:51pm CST by Rory Maher

While long-term salary cap considerations played a factor in Minnesota’s blockbuster trade with New York, Timberwolves sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that majority owner Glen Taylor was only willing to sign off on a deal involving Karl-Anthony Towns if the front office believed it would improve the team entering the 2024/25 season. Last season, the Wolves made the Western Conference finals for just the second time in franchise history, and Taylor had no interest in taking a step back.

“First and foremost, I think it’s extremely important to recognize that this is not a money deal,” head coach Chris Finch said. “Glen and our ownership was and is committed to paying large amounts of tax for this team to be highly competitive. That hasn’t changed. This deal in totality checks a lot of boxes. We think it’s a great basketball trade.”

Sources tell Krawczynski that Taylor reiterated throughout the summer he was willing to a foot a significant luxury tax bill and would rather have kept Towns — and the four years and $220MM left on his contract — than make the team worse. As Krawczysnki writes, Taylor is in an ongoing ownership dispute with minority stakeholders Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, and it behooves both sides to keep the Wolves as competitive as possible entering arbitration in early November.

It has been reported multiple times that the Knicks have wanted Towns for at least a couple years. But the timing of the trade was surprising, considering the regular season begins in a few weeks and training camps are already underway.

Team and league sources tell Krawczynski that the Wolves didn’t have many other options for moving Towns, especially for quality players in return, making the Knicks’ offer –headlined by three-time All-Star Julius Randle — appealing. However, according to Krawczynski, the Wolves only accepted the trade when the Knicks included Donte DiVincenzo in place of Mitchell Robinson, who is out until December or January as he continues recovers from ankle surgery.

Krawczynski also suggests the Wolves had some concerns that if they struggled to open ’24/25 or Towns got hurt, they would’ve had even fewer suitable trade options for the four-time All-Star due to his recent injury history and super-max contract. Still, it was difficult to deal away one of the top players in franchise history, a former No. 1 overall pick who had strong ties within the organization and the community.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Finch said Randle will be the starting power forward and lavished praise on his former colleague — he was an assistant with New Orleans during Randle’s lone season with the Pelicans in ’18/19. “Really, really enjoyed working with him,” Finch said, per Krawczynski. “Great pro. Loves being in the gym, comes in with a smile on his face every day. He’s hungry for feedback. Really pleasant.” For his part, Randle said he’s thrilled to reunite with Finch, calling him a “genius” who excelled with preparation, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Randle could hit free agency next summer if he declines his $30.9MM player option for ’25/26. He said he was initially shocked by the trade but after getting a night’s sleep, he had a different perspective, calling the deal “a breath of fresh air,” according to Collier. “You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here,” Randle said Thursday. “At this point in my career, I’ve accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship. This is a perfect opportunity to do that.”
Finch was also excited about the addition of DiVincenzo, saying he should be able to acclimate quickly, Krawczynski notes. “His basketball IQ and his ability to cut and move and play off the ball is something that we really need,” Finch said. “That’ll benefit us right away.”
A recent report suggested that DiVincenzo may not have been thrilled with a potential reduced role with the Knicks, but a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that DiVincenzo had “embraced” the idea of coming off the bench and didn’t want to leave New York. “When you look at the big picture, my mind wasn’t on what teams were interested in me. When I was in New York, I was fully there. I wanted to be there. And when this kind of picked up, I realized it was an opportunity. And when it became an actual thing, my mind just completely went straight to Minnesota,” DiVincenzo said. “And I immediately thanked everybody from my time in New York. There’s so much love there. But once I realized this is a real thing and actually happened, my mind transitioned to Minnesota. And I’m 100 percent here and excited.”
Towns recently sent out a tweet thanking the Wolves organization and the team’s fans.

Knicks Officially Acquire Karl-Anthony Towns In Three-Team Trade With Wolves, Hornets

October 2nd, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster involving the Knicks, Timberwolves, and Hornets is now official, according to press releases from each of the three teams involved in the deal.

Word first broke last Friday night that an agreement had been reached, with more details reported on Tuesday. The full terms of the trade are as follows:

Knicks acquire Towns and the draft rights to James Nnaji.
Timberwolves acquire Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and the Pistons’ 2025 first-round pick (top-13 protected; from Knicks).
Hornets acquire DaQuan Jeffries (sign-and-trade), Charlie Brown Jr. (sign-and-trade), Duane Washington (sign-and-trade), either the Nuggets’ or Sixers’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Timberwolves), the Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick (from Knicks), the Knicks’ 2031 second-round pick, and cash ($7.2MM; from Knicks).

“We are beyond excited to welcome Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks family,” Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose said in a statement. “Karl-Anthony brings a skillset that is unique to the game of basketball. He possesses a blend of playmaking, shooting, rebounding and defending that in combination with his size allows him to compete at a level that is rare in this league. Karl-Anthony has demonstrated throughout his career to be a high caliber player and person on and off the court who will complement the type of team and culture we continue to build in New York.”

Minnesota waived camp invitee Jaedon LeDee in order to accommodate the one-for-three swap, while Charlotte cut guards Marcus Garrett and guard Caleb McConnell to make room on its roster for the three incoming players.

Both the Wolves and Hornets are now at their 21-man preseason limits, while the Knicks have five open spots on their 21-man squad. They’ll reportedly fill one of those spots by re-signing Chuma Okeke.

Our original report on the trade includes more details on the on-court implications of the move for the Knicks and Timberwolves. We also discussed how it will affect New York’s ability to fill out the rest of its regular season roster.

Here are a few more additional notes on the transaction:

Randle received his full 15% trade bonus as part of the transaction, confirms ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). That bumps the forward’s cap hit for 2024/25 from $28,939,680 to $33,073,920. The cap charge for Randle’s ’25/26 player option ($30,935,520) remains unchanged, since the trade bonus doesn’t affect option years.
Towns also had a trade kicker in his contract, but it’s voided because he’s already earning his maximum salary, Marks adds (via Twitter).
The three players the Knicks signed-and-traded to the Hornets will each earn exactly $1 more than their respective minimum salaries, per Marks. That works out to $2,425,404 for Jeffries, $2,237,692 for Brown, and $2,162,607 for Washington. Teams aren’t permitted to aggregate multiple minimum-salary contracts for matching purposes in offseason trades, and since Bates-Diop is on a minimum deal, Jeffries, Brown, and Washington couldn’t be. Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link) has heard that the NBA “isn’t thrilled” about the way in which the Knicks circumvented that rule, but it’s technically legal.
The Hornets used their $7,983,000 room exception to accommodate those three incoming salaries, becoming the first team to take advantage of the new rule allowing clubs to use their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, room exception, or bi-annual exception to acquire a player via trade. Charlotte now has just $1,157,297 left on that exception.
The Timberwolves will create a $4,686,880 trade exception in the deal, which they’d be allowed to use this season despite being a second-apron team. Teams operating above either tax apron are prohibited from using trade exceptions that were generated during the previous season, but can use newly created TPEs.
Because they sent approximately $7.2MM to the Hornets in the deal, were responsible for paying Randle’s $4.13MM trade bonus, and will reportedly pay Partizan Belgrade an estimated $850K for Washington’s buyout, the Knicks are on the hook for more than $12MM in cash, separate from player salaries, as a result of the deal.

Hornets To Receive Three Second-Rounders, Three Players In Towns Blockbuster

October 1st, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets are receiving three second-round picks along with DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown Jr. and Duane Washington Jr. as the third team in the Knicks–Timberwolves blockbuster trade, Shams Charania, Jon Krawczynski and Fred Katz of The Athletic report (via Twitter). A pair of those second-rounders are coming from the Knicks, while the Timberwolves will provide the other one.

The Knicks, of course, are acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in the trade, while Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a protected Pistons first-round pick controlled by New York are headed to Minnesota.

The Knicks will also receive the rights to 2023 draft pick James Nnaji from Charlotte, Katz tweets.

Jeffries has appeared in a total of 64 NBA games for four different teams. He saw action in 17 games off the bench for New York last season.

Brown has appeared in NBA games for five organizations since entering the league in 2019/20. He played eight games for the Knicks last season.

Washington has played a total of 79 games for Indiana and Phoenix. Washington, who didn’t appear in an NBA game last season, signed a two-year contract with Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade in July.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides more details on Charlotte’s haul (Twitter link). Minnesota is shipping a 2025 second-rounder (the least favorable of Denver’s or Philadelphia’s picks). The Knicks are giving up a 2026 pick that Golden State owed them and their own 2031 second-rounder.

The trio of veteran players are involved in sign-and-trades and Charlotte will also collect a total of $7.2MM in cash from the Knicks, Marks notes. That’s the maximum amount of cash a team can trade in 2024/25, so New York won’t be permitted to sent out cash in any subsequent deals.

The cash Charlotte receives will offset the salaries of the three players, who will earn a combined $6.8MM, Marks adds (Twitter link). The Hornets are using their room exception to make those acquisitions, making them the first team to take advantage of new rules allowing teams to trade for players using the non-taxpayer mid-level, room, or bi-annual exception.

Partizan and Washington will agree to a buyout freeing him up for the sign-and-trade deal, but Charlotte plans to waive him, so he could re-sign with the Belgrade-based club, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

Nnaji, the 31st pick of the 2023 draft, is a draft-and-stash prospect who struggled to get rotation minutes with Spanish powerhouse Barcelona in ’23/24. He’s playing for Spain’s Girona on loan from Barcelona this season.

As we outlined on Saturday when we discussed the cap implications of the trade for the Knicks, they’ll have just 12 players under contract once the deal is official and won’t have enough room under their hard cap to carry two more players on veteran minimum deals.

In all likelihood, they’ll carry a 13th man on a minimum-salary contract (possibly Landry Shamet) and will promote either Kevin McCullar or Ariel Hukporti to the standard roster. They’d also have the option of signing a draft-and-stash prospect as their 14th man, though most viable candidates for an NBA roster spot are under contract with teams elsewhere.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Towns, Anunoby

September 30th, 2024 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ three major trades in the past nine months — bringing in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns — were a result of seeking out the best possible players to complement Jalen Brunson, writes James L. Edwards of The New York Post. As Edwards points out, when the front office began to spend the collection of draft assets and young talent it had built up, it didn’t settle for just any 3-and-D wings or floor-spacing big men. It got three of the best players on the market.

“I haven’t really processed it,” Brunson responded at Monday’s media day when asked about how the team has been built around him. “Yeah, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but I just know that we have a lot of guys who are hungry and willing to do whatever it takes. I would never consider myself (a face of the franchise). There are definitely people on the outside who can say it if they want, but I’m a leader of this team, I want to lead this team and I’m grateful of the opportunity. I don’t take this for granted.”

The collection of talent in New York not only makes the Knicks a legitimate title contender for the first time in years, it could turn Brunson into a serious MVP candidate, Edwards notes. Bridges, his former teammate at Villanova, hasn’t been surprised by Brunson’s NBA success.

“I knew throughout college, but I really knew when he signed (with the Knicks),” Bridges said. “I knew what he was going to do, especially in the league we play in. Him having the ball and being able to be ball dominant … his efficiency is out of the roof. I knew what he was going to be able to do with the ball in hands here, more than what he was able to do in Dallas.”

There’s more from media day in New York:

Brunson talked about the difficulty of losing Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, who are being sent to Minnesota in the Towns trade, per Justin Tasch of The New York Post. “That was definitely tough. Thankful that Julius welcomed me with open arms here. That news, it was crazy,” Brunson said. “I’m really thankful for them and their friendships and everything and what they brought to this team. Really thankful I got to get a relationship with Julius. The memories we made together was really fun. Donte, he was a groomsman in my wedding. That should tell you everything you need to know about our relationship. Love him to death.”
Bridges brushed aside media day questions about a potential contract extension, but said he’s looking forward to teaming up with Towns once the trade is finalized, per Adam Zagoria (Twitter link). “I like KAT, man, I played against him for years,” Bridges said. “He can stretch the floor. You forget until you stand next to him just how tall he is. He’s tall as hell. Obviously a great player.”
Josh Hart is also ready to get the trade done so Towns can report to camp, saying, “We’re extremely excited with what we have — officially and unofficially, and we’re excited to get started,” Zagoria adds (Twitter link). Hart stated that being dealt to Minnesota is probably “difficult” for Randle because of the role he played in helping the Knicks become competitive again.
Anunoby, who got a new five-year, $212.5MM contract this summer, indicated that re-signing with the Knicks was his first choice all along, tweets Ian Begley of SNY. “I always wanted to be here, so it wasn’t a hard decision for me,” Anunoby said.

New York Notes: Towns Trade, Knicks, Simmons, Nets

September 29th, 2024 at 8:43am CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are still working through the details of their blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, which has yet to be finalized. Why did they choose to go all-in on the 28-year-old big man?

For starters, president of basketball operations Leon Rose was Towns’ representative when he was the head agent at CAA, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Knicks executive William Wesley is also close with the Towns family, per Begley — clearly there’s an affinity between the two sides.

As Begley writes, the Knicks view Towns as an ideal complementary piece to their core roster, particularly on offense with Jalen Brunson. Towns’ presence should create more driving lines for Brunson and make it more difficult for opponents to trap him.

Begley confirms New York has coveted Towns for some time, but trade talks with Minnesota didn’t pick up steam until the Knicks signaled a willingness to include Donte DiVincenzo in the package. Begley isn’t sure why the Knicks changed their mind — they were opposed to dealing DiVincenzo for the majority of the offseason.

According to Begley, DiVincenzo wasn’t thrilled with the idea of playing a reduced role this season after he had a career year in 2023/24. Still, Begley doesn’t think that had much to do with New York’s decision. He speculates that Julius Randle‘s contract situation (he can be a free agent in 2025 if he declines his 2025/26 player option) and Mitchell Robinson‘s injury absence were likely bigger factors.

Here’s more on the two New York-based teams:

While all eyes will be on Towns with training camp about to begin, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post believes Mikal Bridges is the “most intriguing” player the Knicks acquired this offseason. Bondy projects a starting lineup of Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Towns, with Miles McBride likely the team’s sixth man. With major roster changes and some players coming off injuries, Bondy expects the Knicks to look sluggish in preseason.
Ben Simmons‘ health is the biggest storyline to watch for the Nets as they enter training camp, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons has appeared in just 57 of 246 regular season games over the past three seasons — including 15 in 2023/24 — and is coming off a second back surgery. However, he’s fully cleared for camp and has been one of the team’s standouts in pickup games, sources tell Lewis. Second-year big man Noah Clowney and offseason acquisition Ziaire Williams are two other players who have played well in informal games ahead of camp, Lewis adds.
In a pair of stories for The New York Post, Lewis examines the other Nets storylines ahead of training camp and provides a rundown of their 20-man roster, which is one player shy of the offseason limit.

More Notes On Blockbuster Knicks/Timberwolves Trade

September 28th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Before news of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade broke on social media on Friday night, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly visited Towns at his Minnesota home to let him know that he was being traded to the Knicks, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

As Krawczynski details, the fact that the Wolves moved off one of their highest-paid players didn’t come as a total surprise, given the team’s high payroll in 2024/25 and beyond, but the timing of the move was “an absolute thunderbolt that no one saw coming” after the team spent the offseason lauding its roster continuity and chemistry.

According to Krawczynski, the Wolves had an increasingly difficult time envisioning a scenario in which they were able to keep their existing roster intact beyond the 2024/25 season. Sources tell The Athletic that if Towns had stayed in Minnesota long-term, it likely would’ve meant parting with fan favorite Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Getting two rotation players – Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo – in exchange for one will create more flexibility going forward for the Wolves, especially since Randle has the opportunity to reach free agency in 2025. While it doesn’t sound like there are any immediate plans to flip the newcomers – Krawczynski says Randle has “plenty of advocates” in Minnesota and the team has long had interest in DiVincenzo – their contracts should make them easier to move on the trade market, if necessary, than Towns was with four years and $220MM left on his deal, Krawczynski observes.

Here’s more on the Towns trade, which is still in the process of being finalized:

The Knicks repeatedly called the Timberwolves over the years to express their interest in Towns, but those discussions never really evolved into full-fledged negotiations until now, says Fred Katz of The Athletic.
While the “Villanova Knicks” won’t get to take the court this season – with DiVincenzo sent to Minnesota before Mikal Bridges has played his first game as a Knick – the club is excited about the way that Towns will complement Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby, league sources tell The Athletic. Katz adds that Towns’ plus-minus numbers helped convince the Knicks to roll the dice on him, as the Wolves have consistently been better with him on the court throughout his career.
There’s not expected to be any lingering tension between Towns and former Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau. Towns has publicly spoken about harboring no ill feelings toward Thibodeau after their up-and-down time together in Minnesota from 2016-19, and a source close to the Knicks’ head coach says he feels the same way, per Katz. “If a guy can play,” that source said, “Thibs wants him.”
Although Towns and Randle have seven All-Star nods between them, both stars come with their share of question marks related to their injury histories, contract situations, and defense. Michael Pina of The Ringer considers the risk that both sides are taking on by making this move and questions the timing of the agreement.
In his analysis of the deal, John Hollinger of The Athletic notes that the Knicks addressed their center problem by acquiring Towns, but run the risk of creating “enough other issues that the cure may be worse than the disease.” Specifically, the deal will hurt the team’s wing depth and create major long-term cap challenges, Hollinger writes.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic also isn’t 100% sure that the trade will make the Knicks a better team. Edwards acknowledges that Towns is the best player in the deal, but points out that he won’t address the team’s two biggest short-term needs: frontcourt defense and secondary play-making.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Chris Herring, and Bobby Marks take a look at what the move means for both the Knicks and the Timberwolves and explore the biggest remaining question marks related to the deal.

Knicks Closing In On Trade For Karl-Anthony Towns

September 27th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves and Knicks are close to completing a blockbuster deal that will send Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.

The Knicks’ package will center around Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski. Krawczynski adds (via Twitter) that Keita Bates-Diop is headed from New York to Minnesota too.

Minnesota is also receiving the first-round pick that the Pistons owe the Knicks, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). That first-rounder is for 2025, but is top-13 protected. If it lands in its protected range, it would roll over to 2026 (top-11 protected) and 2027 (top-nine protected) before turning into a ’27 second-round pick.

The Knicks are sending DaQuan Jeffries and draft compensation to the Hornets to help facilitate the deal, Charania adds (Twitter link). Charlotte will also acquire cash from New York, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Jeffries’ new contract is expected to start around $3MM, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. It will have to cover three seasons, but only the first must be guaranteed.

The parties are still working through the details, as the Knicks will need to more salary to make the trade legal, but talks intensified over the last 24 hours, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. It’s a stunning turn of events right before the start of training camp. New York was already involved in a major deal this offseason, trading for the Nets’ Mikal Bridges.

The addition of Towns would give the Knicks more flexibility with their lineup but would come at a large long-term cost in terms of payroll. Towns’ monster four-year, $220MM super-max extension kicks in this season. He’s due to make $49,205,800 this season and his salary escalates over the life of the contract.

Randle has a $28,939,680 salary this season and holds a $30.9MM player option next offseason. DiVincenzo is in the second year of a four-year, $46.87MM contract, including a $11,445,000 salary this season.

Neither the Knicks nor the Timberwolves can take back more money than they send out, since both teams are operating above the $178.1MM first tax apron, cap expert Yossi Gozlan points out (Twitter link). The Wolves are currently over the second apron as well.

Randle also has a trade bonus worth $4.1MM that will be triggered as a result of the deal, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). Trade kickers can be waived partially or entirely to help accommodate a move, though there’s been no indication yet that the forward will do so.

Long-term salary cap implications would certainly factor into Minnesota’s decision, if the deal goes through. Moving off of Towns’ pricey contract will help the Wolves keep the rest of their core together and eventually extend key frontcourt pieces like Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid during a tumultuous time for team ownership. Towns has also suffered a number of injuries during his career, which could also be a factor in the Timberwolves’ thinking.

Towns will give the Knicks a dynamic frontcourt scoring option to complement All-Star guard Jalen Brunson. He could also fill the center spot, which is in flux with Mitchell Robinson sidelined by injury and Isaiah Hartenstein signing as a free agent with Oklahoma City, and slide over to the power forward position at times when Robinson returns. A league source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link) that the club views Towns as an ideal complement to its core of Brunson, Bridges, and OG Anunoby.

As Charania and Krawczynski write, Towns grew up as a Knicks fan near New York City and had long been on the team’s radar. The four-time All-Star is also a client at CAA, the former agency of current Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose. The Knicks contacted the Wolves about Towns repeatedly over the last two years, sources tell The Athletic, and “stepped up” their pursuit in recent days, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

Still, Towns – who had been in Minnesota since being drafted first overall by the team in 2015, had been fiercely loyal to the Wolves over the year, sticking with the team through some challenging years and repeatedly professing a desire to remain with the organization for his entire career. He was “stunned” by the news of the trade, a source tells The Athletic.

It’s also worth noting that Towns and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had a somewhat strained relationship during their overlap in Minnesota from 2016-19, though Krawczynski says Towns has moved past that and holds “no ill feelings” toward Thibodeau.

Randle will replace Towns as the Timberwolves’ power forward, though Reid – a better long-distance shooter than Randle and a good fit next to Gobert – also figures to play a key role in filling the hole created by Towns’ departure.

Sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter link) that the Knicks and Randle – who spent the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery – hadn’t made any progress in contract extension negotiations, which made the club more inclined to move him. The Pistons, Hawks and Heat are among the other teams the Knicks talked to regarding potential Randle trades, Begley tweets.

DiVincenzo will provide Minnesota with a solid three-point shooting wing. He’s coming off a career year in which he averaged 15.1 points per game.

As Jake Fischer tweets, the Timberwolves targeted DiVincenzo when he was a free agent in 2023 and he reciprocated their interest at the time before choosing the Knicks. DiVincenzo’s inclusion in the deal was a sticking point for the Wolves, who became “very intrigued” once the Knicks were willing to put him on the table, says Begley (Twitter link).

According to Krawczynski, the Wolves believe the added flexibility the trade provides will put them in a better position to contend in the long-term and maximize Anthony Edwards‘ window.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

And-Ones: WBD Lawsuit, Top Storylines, G League Trade, More

September 25th, 2024 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The legal battle between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery took another step forward in recent days. Responding to the NBA’s motion to dismiss their lawsuit, TBS and WBD filed a 33-page memorandum last Friday attempting to convince New York Judge Joel M. Cohen to deny that motion, per Michael McCann of Sportico.

The parent company of TNT Sports, filed a lawsuit against the NBA in July, alleging that the league was in breach of contract after it refused to recognize TNT’s right to match Amazon’s new broadcast deal with the NBA.

The latest filing from TBS/WBD insists that the league acted in bad faith to “circumvent” the network’s matching rights by including certain terms in its deal with Amazon that it knew TBS/WBD couldn’t specifically match. For instance, one clause in the NBA/Amazon agreement requires NBA games to be aired on a platform that also broadcasts NFL games. Amazon has a deal with the NFL, whereas TBS/WBD does not.

If the case continues to advance through the legal system, court records suggest a trial would be held sometime in April 2025, according to McCann.

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

Paul George‘s impact in Philadelphia and the Knicks’ potential hole at center are among the key storylines to monitor in the Eastern Conference this season, in the view of Fred Katz and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Katz and Amick also took a look at the top storylines to watch in the West, including whether Victor Wembanyama is ready to take the leap to superstardom, Ja Morant‘s potential redemption tour, and which second-tier team could move into the top group of contenders.
The South Bay Lakers, College Park Skyhawks (Hawks), and Texas Legends (Mavericks) have completed a three-team trade, with South Bay acquiring the returning rights to forward Chris Silva and center Jake Stephens in the deal, per a press release. The Skyhawks received Joirdon Nicholas‘ rights, while the Legends received multiple G League draft picks from the Lakers’ affiliate.
Responding to a pair of U.S. senators who criticized the NBA for partnering with Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum wrote in a letter that the league has followed “the lead of the U.S. government as to where it’s appropriate to engage in business around the world,” according to Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN. “If American policies were to change regarding business activities in and relating to Rwanda or any other BAL (Basketball Africa League) market, our actions would of course change accordingly,” Tatum said, adding that the NBA has promoted multiple social impact initiatives in Rwanda.
Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, and Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman are among the individuals across the NBA who are facing the most pressure entering the 2024/25 season, according to Michael Pina of The Ringer, whose top five is rounded out by Knicks forward Julius Randle and Heat wing Jimmy Butler.

Knicks’ Thibodeau Talks Offseason, Randle, Centers, More

September 17th, 2024 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau acknowledged that losing Isaiah Hartenstein leaves a hole to fill in his rotation but expressed satisfaction with the front office’s work this offseason on the whole.

“Obviously the OG signing was huge for us. And then adding Mikal was phenomenal,” Thibodeau said of re-signing OG Anunoby and trading for Mikal Bridges. “Getting Julius (Randle) back will be huge as well. We lost Hartenstein, which is what we’ll have to replace. But I think we have versatility, where we can play smaller at times because of OG’s ability to guard big. Julius and (Josh) Hart can guard big as well.”

As Thibodeau pointed out, the fact that players like Anunoby and Bridges are capable of defending a wide range of positions will give the Knicks the ability to switch frequently on defense and force opponents to settle for lower-percentage shots.

The Knicks’ head coach discussed several more topics with Aschburner, including what makes Jalen Brunson special, Randle’s return to action following his shoulder surgery, and how he envisions replacing Hartenstein’s production in the frontcourt.

The conversation is worth checking out in full for Knicks fans, but here are a few highlights:

On how adding Bridges to Anunoby on the wing will help the defense:

“What it adds to us is the versatility of both allows us to give different looks to a primary ball handler. We’ve been playing Donte (DiVincenzo) on those guys to start. Now we can come after that with Bridges, then OG, then Hart. We can constantly change up our look for who’s guarding that ball-handler. Also, OG and Hart are very disruptive off the ball, so I like to use them that way. The versatility of the defense will be a big thing for us.”

On why he’s optimistic about Randle’s outlook for 2024/25:

“I think Julius has always adapted to whatever challenge he’s faced each year. People forget the level that he’s played at. Four years ago, he had a monster season and we didn’t have the shooting we have now, so the floor is going to be more open. We got a glimpse of that in January, which was his last month of basketball.

“People forget the guy was 25 (points), 10 (rebounds), and five (assists per game). He’s had a lot of success and he’s been a big part of winning the last four years in New York. The more good players you have, the more sacrifices you have to make. Not only by Julius, by everybody.”

On what he expects the frontcourt rotation to look like without Hartenstein to back up starter Mitchell Robinson:

“We’ll probably have to do it by committee. We’ll look at some different things, because we have versatility — we could see Julius more at the five. I don’t want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well. He also would create a lot of (offensive) advantages.”

Knicks Notes: Shamet, Randle, Backup Center, Trade Targets

September 14th, 2024 at 1:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran guard Landry Shamet has agreed to a one-year deal with the Knicks. The opportunity to be in a “winning environment” was a key factor in his decision to sign with New York, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), Shamet had two other teams vying for his services. The 27-year-old is expected to make New York’s regular season roster, Bondy adds, which suggests Shamet may have received at least a partially guaranteed contract.

If Bondy’s reporting is accurate, Shamet would be the 15th and final player on the Knicks’ standard roster, with 14 players already on guaranteed contracts. Trades could change that number, but that’s where the roster currently stands.

Both Begley and Bondy point out that Shamet played with Mikal Bridges in Phoenix. The Knicks acquired Bridges this summer in a blockbuster trade with Brooklyn.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a mailbag for SNY, Begley states that All-Star power forward Julius Randle is willing to take on “any role” he’s assigned this season “if it leads to winning.” Asked about the possibility of Randle playing some center in 2024/25, Begley said he isn’t sure if that will happen, but he does think a smaller lineup (Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo or Josh Hart, Bridges, OG Anunoby and Randle) would be very difficult for opposing defenses to stop.
Randle will earn $28.9MM this season and could hit free agency next summer if he declines his $30.9MM player option for ’25/26. He’s also eligible for a veteran extension. According to Begley, Randle wants to remain with the Knicks, but there hasn’t been any traction on an extension before training camp, and that seems unlikely to change before the season begins.
In the same story, Begley addresses the Knicks’ backup center situation, with Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims likely behind Mitchell Robinson on the depth chart. Given Robinson’s lengthy injury history (he was limited to 31 games last season and is coming off ankle surgery), the position looks a little shaky. Begley lists Nick Richards, Walker Kessler and Robert Williams as potential trade targets to monitor, and says the Knicks discussed a deal with the Hawks involving Clint Capela this offseason.

Load More Posts