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Knicks Notes: Hart, McBride, Grimes, Brunson

February 12th, 2023 at 9:47am CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Hart‘s competitive fire was on display Saturday night in his first game with the Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Calling himself “a dog” in post-game interviews, Hart brought the defensive intensity the team was counting on when it acquired him Thursday in a four-team trade.

Hart delivered 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 26 minutes. He played the entire fourth quarter, sinking a late three-pointer to help stave off a Jazz rally, and appears to be a new fan favorite at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m a guy that’s gonna bring it every night,” he said. “I’m a guy that’s gonna be physical. I’m a guy that’s gonna do the dirty work. Going to rebound, going to defend. Get on the floor for a loose ball and do those kind of things. I feel like that style fits every team, especially a New York team. That’s what this city is about and what the city builds off of. I take that with pride. I’m just a blue-collar guy; I think that’s really going to work well here.”

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Hart is expected to turn down his $13MM player option and become a free agent this summer, Bondy adds in a separate story. The Knicks have a few months to decide whether to make a long-term commitment to the 27-year-old guard, but with team president Leon Rose having served as Hart’s agent at CAA, a strong connection is already in place. “It’s definitely somewhere that I would definitely like to be,” Hart said of New York. “It’s my third time getting traded, sixth year in the league, fourth team, sixth head coach. It’s been a whirlwind. I didn’t think that was how my first six years were going to be, but I’m looking for a home, and I think this could be it.”
Hart’s arrival may mean reduced roles for Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes, observes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. McBride didn’t play at all Saturday, while Grimes was limited to 22 minutes and wasn’t used in the fourth quarter. McBride had played in the last 35 games and had been part of the rotation since early December. “Those things are tough, but you always have to do what’s best for the team,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “What makes the team function best, and we’ll go from there.”
Jalen Brunson turned in his latest huge scoring performance since being snubbed for the All-Star Game, Sanchez notes in a separate piece. Brunson has averaged 31 PPG in the five games since the All-Star reserves were announced.

Knicks Notes: Reddish, Quickley, McBride, D. Rose, More

January 26th, 2023 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

There have been multiple reports on the Knicks‘ asking price for Cam Reddish in recent weeks, with at least one story indicating the team wants two second-round picks while another suggested that just one would do the trick.

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks have expressed to certain teams that they want a pair of second-rounders for Reddish, but sources from rival clubs believe New York would be amenable to accepting just one.

As Katz observes, the deal the Lakers and Wizards made for Rui Hachimura might actually hurt the Knicks’ market for Reddish, even though Hachimura is also a restricted free-agent-to-be and netted Washington three second-rounders.

Hachimura was a regular contributor in Washington, whereas Reddish hasn’t played for nearly two months. Additionally, the Lakers were viewed as a prime suitor for Reddish, but no longer seem like a probable landing spot for the fourth-year forward, reducing the Knicks’ leverage in trade discussions.

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Elsewhere in his story on the Knicks’ trade deadline considerations, Katz confirms that the team has become increasingly resistant to the idea of trading Immanuel Quickley after having been open to moving him earlier in the season and cites league sources who say New York has “decisively” turned down inquiries on reserve guard Miles McBride. McBride isn’t currently a major part of the Knicks’ rotation, but the team likes him “for the long haul,” Katz explains.
If Derrick Rose remains on the roster through the trade deadline, buying him out and allowing him to sign with a contender is a possibility, according to Katz. But the Knicks have also discussed the idea of hanging onto the point guard into the offseason in case his $15.6MM team option for 2023/24 becomes a useful salary-matching asset in a trade for an impact player.
Reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein was happy to be able to contribute to the Knicks’ win over Cleveland on Tuesday with some key defensive plays in crunch time, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. “It’s big. It’s kind of what I came here for,” Hartenstein said. “I know for myself if I’m not playing as good as I’m supposed to be playing I feel like I’m kind of letting the fans down, the city down a little bit. But I’m just going to keep getting better because I know I can do it. So keep getting better and keep representing for New York.”
Head coach Tom Thibodeau likes what he’s seeing from a second unit that features Hartenstein, McBride, Quickley, and Obi Toppin playing alongside starter RJ Barrett, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Huge. I mentioned it earlier that the bench was playing really well prior to RJ getting hurt, then Obi got hurt and we haven’t found our rhythm,” Thibodeau said. “Now I think we’re starting to find that rhythm again.”

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Quickley, McBride, Grimes, Randle, Toppin

January 3rd, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks point man Jalen Brunson has shown thus far that he’s worth the huge free agent contract and the subsequent tampering punishment administered by the league, Ian O’Connor of the New York Post opines.

Brunson has solidified a long-time trouble spot for the Knicks, expertly guiding the team in the offensive zone. That more than makes up for his defensive shortcomings and lack of athleticism, O’Connor writes. It also far outweighs the 2025 second rounder they’ll have to forfeit. The Knicks stole away Brunson from Dallas with a four-year, $104MM deal.

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Brunson missed three games last week and RJ Barrett remains sidelined with a lacerated right index finger. The silver lining is that Immanuel Quickley, Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes have received extensive playing time in their absences, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. That trio started in a 20-point victory over Houston on Saturday, with Quickley and Grimes combining for 46 points and nine assists.
Last season, Julius Randle had a combative relationship with the home crowd as he struggled to regain his All-Star form from 2020/21. He’s now the toast of Knicks fans once again and challenging for another All-Star spot, averaging 32.4 points and 12.9 rebounds in his last seven games, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News notes. “You work hard to put yourself in a position to do that. So it would be amazing [to get selected to the All-Star team]. I love it,” Randle said.
Obi Toppin has been upgraded to doubtful for Wednesday’s home game against the Spurs, the team’s PR department tweets. Toppin hasn’t played since suffering a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula on Dec. 7.

Knicks Notes: Rose, McBride, Vucevic, Fournier, Orr

December 16th, 2022 at 7:41pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran point guard Derrick Rose recently told reporters that as long as the Knicks keep winning, he’s fine with being out of the rotation — but that could change if they aren’t. The 15-13 Knicks have now won five straight games after head coach Tom Thibodeau replaced Rose’s minutes in favor of second-year guard Miles McBride — a stronger defensive player.

“I can’t complain when we’re winning games,” Rose said, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (free account required). “If we were losing, I’d probably be mad. But we’re winning and playing basketball so I really can’t complain.”

Rose’s name has popped up a few times already in trade rumors, but he said that he hasn’t paid attention to the rumors – and likely won’t going forward — unless the Knicks start losing, per Bondy. Rose added that he’d prefer to stay with the Knicks.

Here are a few more notes from New York:

Rose continues to mentor McBride despite their role reversal, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Rose praised McBride’s attitude and work ethic, saying he has “no ego” and is “professional.” McBride says he’s grateful to have a veteran like Rose in his corner, Braziller notes. “I couldn’t have asked for a better vet. I’m just very thankful he’s been able to take me under his wing,” McBride said. “Derrick is a great person, on and off the court. I think that’s the most important thing. One of the best things I’ve learned from him was not to get too high, not to get too low, because things change quickly in this league.”
The Knicks have only won 50-plus games once in the past 22 years — back in 2012/13 — and haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since ’99/00. How can they break out of that cycle of mediocrity and emerge as a contender? Brian Wacker of The New York Post explores that topic ahead of the February trade deadline.
Evan Fournier set a Knicks record for most three-pointers made in a season in ’21/22, but he hasn’t played at all in 15 consecutive games after Thibodeau pulled him from the rotation in November. Fournier’s former teammate with the Magic, Nikola Vucevic, still thinks the 30-year-old wing “has a very major place in the NBA,” Bondy writes in another story for The New York Daily News. “Absolutely. He has many skills. His shooting is great. He’s great in the two-man game. A very smart player. Players like him are very needed around the NBA,” Vucevic told Bondy. “Not to start anything or whatever, but I’m sure if it doesn’t happen with the Knicks, I’m sure it’ll happen somewhere else.”
Louis Orr, an eight-year NBA veteran with the Pacers and Knicks, has passed away at age 64, according to The Associated Press. Orr averaged 9.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career from 1980-88, including six seasons with New York. He had a lengthy college and international coaching career after his playing days ended. We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to his family and friends.

Knicks Notes: Grimes, McBride, Anthony, Hartenstein, Sims, Reddish

December 11th, 2022 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Tom Thibodeau’s decision to put Quentin Grimes in the starting lineup and make Miles McBride the first guard off the bench has transformed the Knicks, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. They replaced Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose in the rotation, and they’ve upgraded the perimeter defense amid a three-game winning streak. New York has held opponents to 81, 89 and 102 points during that run.

“I think we’re just playing hard and that’s really it,” Grimes said. “Just playing hard, covering for people’s mistakes, not worrying if someone gets scored on. We’ll get a stop the next time. Right now we’re just playing extremely hard, not worrying about the result, because we know if we play hard, everything will take care of itself.”

The Knicks always expected great things from Grimes, the 25th pick in the 2021 draft, which is why they were reluctant to include him in a proposed trade for Donovan Mitchell, Popper notes. It’s different for McBride, who was a second-round choice last year and saw limited playing time until recently.

“I understood coming out it would be tough,” McBride said. “Playing behind, last year it was Kemba (Walker), D-Rose, Alec Burks. This year it’s still D-Rose, and now Jalen (Brunson). So I just knew it was time to work on my game and my opportunity would come.”

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The Knicks don’t appear likely to sign Carmelo Anthony to replace Obi Toppin, who will miss at least two to three weeks with a fibula injury, a source tells Popper. Anthony, who remains unsigned after playing for the Lakers last season, has a good relationship with team president Leon Rose but he doesn’t fit Thibodeau’s emphasis on defense, according to Popper’s source. The team also doesn’t want Anthony to take minutes away from Toppin once he returns.
Instead of going small by using RJ Barrett to replace Toppin, Thibodeau paired big men Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims in Friday’s win at Charlotte, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. It sounds like the arrangement might continue, as Thibodeau said, “I liked the size of Isaiah and Jericho together.”
Barrett is offering support to Cam Reddish, his former college teammate, whose minutes were cut drastically in Thibodeau’s rotation shakeup, Braziller adds. “We definitely talk all the time, talk every day,” Barrett said. “That’s my guy, my brother. So I’m keeping his spirits up.”

Knicks Notes: McBride, Rose, Thibodeau, LaVine

December 7th, 2022 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

As Miles McBride has taken Derrick Rose‘s spot in the Knicks‘ rotation, he has received plenty of advice from the veteran guard, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. McBride logged 16 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Cavaliers, while Rose never left the bench. It was the second night of a back-to-back, but it appears coach Tom Thibodeau plans to keep that arrangement in place.

“(Rose) handles it very well,” McBride said. “I don’t think he’s the type of guy to get down on himself. We’re all human and at the end of the day we compete. That’s why we’re in this business, in this league. You couldn’t ask for a better vet. He’s handled it well. He’s talked to me. He understands it. It’s the nature of the beast.”

McBride has been waiting for a shot at regular playing time since being selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. He averaged 9.3 minutes in 40 games as a rookie and was seeing just 6.8 minutes per night in 12 games before this current opportunity. McBride isn’t an offensive threat like Rose, but he has other qualities that fit his coach’s philosophy.

“He’s real long. You look at wingspan, that’s a huge asset for him,” Thibodeau said. “Toughness, anticipation, great feet, strength, all those things. Very, very competitive. High IQ in terms of reading the game. And he’s a multiple-effort guy. He’s going to give you more than one effort on every play.”

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Rose and Cam Reddish have joined Evan Fournier in being removed from the rotation, but Thibodeau expects everyone to contribute, whether they’re seeing regular playing time or not, Popper adds in a separate story. Thibodeau explained that he made the latest moves to place a stronger emphasis on defense.
The Knicks need to find a star player and they have to be ready with an offer when the next one becomes available, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said tonight on the network’s pre-game show (video link). Woj mentions the Bulls‘ Zach LaVine as a potential target by February’s trade deadline, but says he’s not available yet. LaVine signed a five-year extension with Chicago during the offseason.
In case you missed it, the Knicks are reportedly working with Reddish’s representatives to try to find a trade for the fourth-year forward.

Atlantic Notes: Rose, Raptors, Simmons, Watanabe

December 6th, 2022 at 8:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick Rose has seen his playing time drop and he didn’t play at all on Sunday, Rose said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau decided to give second-year guard Miles McBride a closer look, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets. McBride played 16 scoreless minutes against Cleveland.

“(Thibodeau) said he wanted to give a Deuce a look. That’s all he told me. So I understood,” the veteran Knicks guard said.

Considering Rose’s $15,596,339 salary for next season includes a club option, the Knicks could look to move Rose to a team in need of a backup point guard.

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The Raptors need to solve their perimeter shooting woes in order to make a move up the standings, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Toronto is shooting just 33% from deep, with Fred VanVleet (34%), Gary Trent Jr. (33.6%) and Scottie Barnes (32.1%) among those underperforming. “We’re not really where we need to be,” VanVleet said. “It’s not a bad place to be, we’ve just got to make that jump if we want to be a great team.”
The Nets’ Ben Simmons is hopeful he can return to action against Atlanta on Friday, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. Simmons has been out since Nov. 28 due to knee soreness. He’s averaging 8.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game this season.
Another Nets player, Yuta Watanabe, is hopeful he can return to action on Friday or Saturday this week, Friedell adds in another tweet. Recovering from a hamstring injury, he recently got some 3-on-3 work in. Watanabe, who is a one-year minimum contract, hasn’t played since Nov. 20. He averaged 14.5 points during a four-game stretch prior to suffering the injury.

Knicks Notes: Quickley, Robinson, McBride, Rose, Grimes

November 22nd, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks‘ reported willingness to trade Immanuel Quickley is related to their long-term goal of making a deal for a star, explains Fred Katz of The Athletic. New York is seeking a first-round pick for Quickley, according to Katz, who writes that New York’s front office may believe that a first-rounder from another team is more valuable in a potential trade than Quickley, who will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension next summer.

Quickley has been part of the team’s rotation since his rookie season, and his game has evolved over time. Katz notes that he was originally relied on for instant offense off the bench, but his efficiency has declined and he’s now shooting a career-worst 30.9% on three-pointers. However, Quickley’s defense has gotten better, he pushes the pace in transition and is relentless in pursuing loose balls. He has value to the organization, but management may not want to pay whatever he can get in an extension or in restricted free agency.

Katz points out that Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes will earn a combined $97MM in the 2024/25 season, which would be the first year of an extension for Quickley or Obi Toppin. If they both sign for roughly the mid-level exception, the Knicks will have about $120MM tied up for seven players. Assuming a salary cap of $140MM, the team would have limited resources to complete its roster, without considering new deals for Cam Reddish, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims.

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Robinson was ruled out of Monday’s game in the fourth quarter because of pain in his right knee, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. It’s the same condition that recently caused him to miss eight games, but the team isn’t overly concerned. “Just a little soreness. To be expected,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I thought he gave us really good minutes in the first half. But it’ll be a work in progress each day. (Tuesday) will be a good day for recovery and rehab. But he’s coming along.”
Derrick Rose‘s toe injury has created an opportunity for second-year guard Miles McBride, Botte adds. McBride got into just four of the team’s first 16 games, but he played 29 combined minutes in the last two. “Good energy, good ball pressure. It’s good to see him out there,” Thibodeau said. “He’s worked extremely hard. So I’m expecting good things from him.” Rose will be reexamined today as the team returns home after a five-game road trip.
Grimes made a statement in his return to the starting lineup on Sunday, Botte notes in a separate story. Grimes, who had been out of the rotation, handed out a career-high eight assists to go with 10 points and five rebounds. “I don’t think I ever thought I blew (my chance), he said. “I know who I am and the way Thibs feels about me, and the organization. I just had to wait for my opportunity, and it was gonna come. … You gotta be ready for the opportunity when it comes, and I feel like it came today and I made the most of it.”

Trade Rumors: Collins, Jazz, Clarkson, Fournier, Robinson, More

November 21st, 2022 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Many around the NBA thought it was a foregone conclusion that John Collins would be moved ahead of the draft this past summer, and Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article that the Hawks power forward was “very nearly” dealt to the Kings in June.

Sources tell Stein that there’s “momentum building on all sides” for Collins to be traded during the 2022/23 season, so his name should be “right at the top of the list” of players most likely to be dealt before the February 9 deadline.

Stein confirms that the Jazz have shown interest in Collins, and that’s a noteworthy pivot for a team that many believed would be tanking and a frontrunner for a top lottery pick after dealing away Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and other veterans.

Speaking of Utah, a rival executive tells Stein that he thinks the Jazz are more likely to extend Jordan Clarkson‘s contract than trade him. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears similarly, saying there’s “palpable buzz” about a potential Clarkson extension.

Here are a few more trade rumors from Scotto, who takes a look at the top trade candidates for each NBA team:

The Knicks are reluctant to part with a first-round pick to move off Evan Fournier‘s contract, sources tell Scotto. Fournier has fallen out of New York’s rotation after a prolonged shooting slump and is owed $18MM this season and $18.9MM in 2023/24. In addition to Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley, rival executives also believe that second-year guard Miles McBride is available due to the team’s backcourt logjam, per Scotto.
The Heat have made Duncan Robinson available in trade talks, sources tell Scotto. That’s hardly surprising since Robinson, like Fournier, has struggled and fallen out of the rotation at times in ’22/23. The problem is Miami would almost certainly have to attach assets to deal Robinson, who is owed $57.5MM over the next three seasons, and it remains to be seen whether the Heat are willing to do so.
Echoing a previous report, Scotto writes that the Lakers were trying to offload Russell Westbrook to the Spurs for Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson before the season started. While LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com stated that the Lakers were only willing to attach two second-round picks to Westbrook’s enormous expiring contract, Scotto hears the Lakers offered a lottery-protected first-rounder and the Spurs wanted that pick to be unprotected, which caused the talks to stall.
Center Nerlens Noel is not expected to finish the ’22/23 season with the Pistons, according to Scotto. It’s unclear if Scotto means he’ll be bought out at some point or moved in a trade, since Noel’s $9.2MM contract doesn’t have positive value given how many injuries he’s dealt with the past couple seasons.

Atlantic Notes: McBride, Flynn, Claxton, Nets

October 6th, 2022 at 9:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Knicks guard Miles McBride is hoping that his solid defense will earn him regular rotation minutes, per Steve Popper of Newsday.

Popper notes that McBride is trying to make an instant impact to prove his mettle as a contributor, seizing upon every preseason opportunity to showcase his abilities on the defensive end of the floor. To wit, he recorded six steals in under 23 minutes during New York’s first preseason game Tuesday.

“I always want to bring a defensive presence first,” McBride said. “I feel like that gets my offense going… [Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau] controls the minutes… And I’m obviously going to do anything I can to get on the floor and make a great impression.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Third-year Raptors reserve point guard Malachi Flynn had a “procedure” to repair a left cheekbone fracture he incurred during a weekend preseason game, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Grange adds that Flynn should be back with Toronto ahead of the team’s regular season opener, albeit while donning a face shield.
Nets head coach Steve Nash asserts that newly re-signed Brooklyn center Nic Claxton has evolved in the way he develops his game, writes Ethan Sears of The New York Post. “His attention to detail, his consistency, I think you see the benefits,” Nash said. “It feels like he can play longer stretches at high intensity. He’s a little stronger, more physical in traffic. We’re just gonna keep growing his understanding of the game and situational awareness.”
Following an isolation-heavy few years with All-Stars Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant at the helm, the Nets are now focusing on a more pass-happy approach to their offense, Brian Lewis of The New York Post reports. “You look at some of our possessions last year, it was a lot of one-on-one,” Irving said. “You guys [reporters] talked about it often and we were well aware of it that that offense when the ball sticks it’s just not the greatest brand of basketball you can play.”