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[New York Knicks]

2025 NBA Draft: Latest Knicks rumors and predictions

Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images

Knicks’ plans for the 2025 NBA Draft

The New York Knicks approach the 2025 NBA Draft with a modest hand: a single second-round pick at No. 50 overall. With their first-round selection previously dealt away, this year’s draft won’t be about splashy moves, unless Leon Rose has something tricky up his sleeve.

The 2025 NBA Draft will take place June 25 (ABC/ESPN) and June 26 (ESPN), with both nights beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

After a successful 2024–25 campaign that ended in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks have a stable core, yet questions remain around their bench. Several rotation players are entering free agency, and the team has limited cap flexibility. As a result, New York is expected to target either a seasoned college player who can contribute right away or a younger prospect with long-term upside.

One name that has emerged in multiple mock drafts is Lachlan Olbrich, a 6’10” forward/center from Australia’s NBL. Olbrich offers physicality, rebounding, and strong instincts as a passer from the post—qualities that would complement the Knicks’ frontcourt. He’s not a flashy pick, but he fits a practical need: frontcourt depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti.

If Olbrich is off the board, other potential targets include elite shooter Koby Brea, known for his three-point accuracy, which could help improve New York’s 20th-ranked three-point shooting percentage from last season. Also in the mix are older, versatile forwards such as Eric Dixon (Villanova!), Sion James (Duke), John Tonje (Wisconsin), and Darrion Williams (Texas Tech)—all of whom bring experience and promise plug-and-play reliability.

If past drafts have shown anything, it’s that the Knicks can find gems outside the lottery. This year, they’ll try to do so again.

Team President Leon Rose has a reputation for patience—but also for bold moves when opportunity presents. It wouldn’t shock us if he found a way to trade into the first round or acquire a higher second-round pick should an opening present itself. As ever with this front office, steely reticence often precedes loud surprises.

Fanduel gives the Knicks +300 odds to win the Eastern Conference. It seems unlikely that whatever New York does in the Draft will affect that number, but we’ll keep an eye on it at their site.

Go Knicks.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ba-draft-latest-knicks-rumors-and-predictions

 

[New York Knicks]

June P&T mailbag: The coaching search, where to upgrade & why we do we care so much about the Knicks?

Joe Rondone-Imagn Images

I’m too hot to think of a subtitle

A few weeks ago, shortly after publishing the invite to this month’s mailbag, the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau. That post got 968 comments — pretty good! — though almost all were about the firing. Not many responses to the mailbag prompt. Makes sense.

Today’s mailbag includes two questions I have for all of you about the current state of Knicksdom, then one question from an actual reader. I’d like to hear your thoughts on the questions in the comments. It’s a great day not to rank sex criminal and death-dealer Andrew Cuomo in NYC’s mayoral primary and a great day to talk Knicks!

What do you make of what you’ve heard so far about the Knicks’ coaching search? Are you concerned they look like they’re going from Plan X to Plan Y to Plan Z? What are you looking for in the next HC of the NYK?​

When the Thibs’ firing was first announced, my initial thought was the Knicks must have a specific replacement in mind. It didn’t seem a rash decision, or maybe didn’t seem it could be, because I don’t think of Leon Rose as rash, and if the only person with the power and rashness to fire Thibs besides Rose was responsible that story would have leaked a long time ago. Yet I couldn’t think of any realistic dream candidates; it’s not like Erik Spoelstra or Ty Lue are feening for the gig. So I figured the Knicks had someone in mind who wasn’t on anyone else’s radar, or at least not on mine, and was willing to wait and see.

Even through their much-derided coaching search walk of shame, stumbling home at 4 a.m. alone after yet again being denied permission to talk to seemingly half the league’s current head coaches, I didn’t feel any concern. Again I figured there had to be more going on than I could guess at. The Knicks couldn’t really have risked it all on Jason Kidd or Billy Donovan. Nah. No way.

I suppose there could be a coach fired sooner than later that no one saw coming, though I can’t see that happening to any coach that would matter to us. If Rick Carlisle, Chris Finch or Mark Daigneault are available two weeks from now, get them on line one STAT. Otherwise, I suspect what we’re hearing now is what we’re looking at, ultimately: Mike Brown, Taylor Jenkins and Micah Nori or something of his ilk, i.e. a highly-regarded assistant who’s been to the big chair more than once. I’m okay with any of those three, something I wouldn’t have felt two weeks ago. What changed?

I wrote a piece that was supposed to be about the Knicks not giving Mikal Bridges enough shots at attacking Tyrese Haliburton’s defense, only the numbers ended up taking me in all kinds of different directions and a very different conclusion. One of the places they took me — and this is weird to say, and I’ve never said it before, but I don’t think it’s ever been true until just now — is that whoever the next Knick coach is, they need to juice this offense into something far more threatening than what we saw this past season.

Which is weird to say, right? The Knicks were fifth in offensive rating. But given their limitations making any meaningful roster moves as a first apron team with no draft capital, this team is likely to orbit around Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. They are always going to be targeted on defense. Neither is going to morph into a plus on that end. So don’t ask them to. Instead, depending what you do with your fifth starter you could have four, even five dudes out there who can all shoot. If you can’t be certain you can stop others, aim to get to where they can’t stop you.

Brown led the Kings to what I’m pretty sure at the time was the best offensive rating in league history in 2022-23. That fell to 13th the following season, but given what Brown’s shown over the years and what the Kings have shown us as an organization, I’ll assume he was less a problem than them. Jenkins managed to steer Memphis to fifth in offensive rating in 2022 and sixth this past season despite his team’s dependence on human mood ring Ja Morant. Nori’s been an assistant the past 16 years; in his four in Minnesota, the Wolves have two top-10 ratings.

The Knicks finished third, seventh and fifth in offensive rating their last three years under Thibs. If they could rise that high with Thibodeau — a coach I loved and admired many things about, his offensive acumen not one of them — one imagines they could hit even higher notes alongside a more offensively-inclined big boss. If they’re going to win with this roster, I think that’s the way they have to lean.

A 3-and-D center, a two-way wing and a legitimate point guard walk into a bar. The Knicks can add one next season. Which should it be?​

20 years ago, I was one of a number of Knick fans who’d somehow come to the conclusion that a point guard on the team named Frank Williams was destined for greatness. He wasn’t, at least not as an NBA player; I’ve no idea where life led FW after. He’s always stayed with me because bench players, especially further-down-the-bench subs and especially “projects” are often the people we see the least and project the most onto. My answer to this question is probably the result of me pulling a Frank Williams again.

I think Kevin McCullar Jr. is a player in this league. No, I will not be taking questions as to why, not at this time. Truth is I haven’t seen enough of him to say anything. Honestly, I sometimes I can’t remember if his last name is McCullar or McCullars. But whether this is projection or having absorbed something I read and forgot in a draft profile a year ago, my brain has settled on “McCullar will eventually take over for Josh Hart, and do all the same things plus be a better shooter.”

Pacôme Dadiet seems to always be a little further ahead than people think possible, so I throw him in with McCullar as players already on the roster who could jump to a bigger role next season, especially if the Knicks’ next coach doesn’t view an 8- or 9- or 10-man rotation as a clown car of excess. Ditto Tyler Kolek, who I hope we see alongside Deuce McBride in what I think could be some very fun backcourts. If Kolek doesn’t hit, this is the age of the scoring point guard; there’ll be someone somewhere willing to come here for a shot at backup minutes in a Knick title run. Spencer Dinwiddie makes more sense than many of us care to admit.

But for me, it’s the center spot that’s missing something critical. Partly that’s because of the nature of the two men manning the pivot. Not since Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell have the Knicks had a more striking case of two players who would combine to be an all-time great, but unfortunately are housed in two distinct beings. You saw it in last year’s playoffs: the Knicks 100% need KAT’s scoring and spacing and they 100% need Mitchell Robinson’s rebounding and defense. Playing them together is often pretty sweet. But their respective weaknesses are magnified against elite teams. I also wonder how much of a Thibs’ tax this team is gonna pay next year.

You know when kids are young, like toddler-age, how when they’re about to launch into an explosive crying fit there’s this booming silence right before it? They’ll open their mouths wide and just hold it, for just as many nanoseconds as it takes for some part of you to think “Maybe they’re not gonna c—” before they pierce your eardrums with their scream. This past season the Knicks were improbably, eerily healthy, despite a season in which three of them were top-five in the NBA in minutes per game and all five starters finished top-20. That’s the baby’s mouth widening and pausing. Ready for the scream?

Towns and Mitch? They’re not ironmen, at least not KAT over the second half of his career; Towns had meniscus surgery in 2024 and seemed to have knee discomfort most of last season. If I told you today the over/under on OG’s games played next year is 62, what would you pick? The organization did make significant additions to the medical and training teams last year. Maybe that makes all the difference. Maybe.

A year ago I was desperate for the Knicks to land Kel’el Ware in the draft. Mitch is an expiring contract this season. For all kinds of reasons, both this year and looking down the line, I think the Knicks need another credible big. If that guy can offer some of what KAT and Robinson do without being targeted defensively every possession or shooting under 60% from the stripe, that’s the dream.

Hi Miranda,​

How do I explain to my mystified fiancee why I get so heartbroken or so happy from the result of a basketball game?​

—JorgiePorgie

Once upon a time, I was engaged. It lasted six years. Most of that time and even a few years after we broke up, I kept a picture of her in my wallet.

We fought a lot. I mean, a LOT. I’ve never fought anyone nearly as much, nor nearly so fiercely. We came from very different backgrounds regarding fighting with loved ones. I didn’t fight mine very often. I wouldn’t even say I’ve ever “fought” a loved one. We don’t insult one another, or try to hurt the other person. Voices may raise, and my chest may boom more than is customary, but that’s it. My fiancee grew up learning that fighting with someone you love was how they proved you were worthwhile to them.

Knowing that, I kept a picture of her when she was 12, maybe 13. Because I wanted to try and remember that no matter who I was looking at or talking to or getting screamed at by now, in the moment, the person behind it all was that young girl. I thought if I could keep the child in mind, the next time we fought I’d think of her instead of the adult in front of me. Maybe she was the one who needed something in that moment. The kid.

The first 10 years I followed the Knicks, they made the playoffs; the first nine, they got at least to the second round, including four trips to the conference finals and two to the NBA Finals. Then, as you know, there was a whole lotta nada. Their return to meaningful playoff basketball has made me aware that when it comes to my fandom, I am and maybe always will be the young child who first fell in love with them.

With every other team I’ve followed in my lifetime, crowning glory has shortly followed. I started watching the Mets in April of 1986, which is why to this day I am the rare Mets fan who always expects them to pull off a miracle. I started following the Rangers pretty closely around the same time as the Knicks, so while I celebrated the end of “1940!” in 1994 along with my dad, I had no understanding of the pain he and older fans had endured.

In 2007 I decided to become a fan of Manchester City in the English Premier League, because as a Mets fan in New York I empathized with them being a pretty blue team in a town dominated by their local rival. City finished ninth that season, their best position in decades. In the blink of an eye they were purchased by Abu Dhabi,, becamebecame one of the richest clubs on the planet and within five years were league champs and rocketing well beyond the reach of the new noisy neighbors in Manchester United.

I followed the Liberty their first five years of existence, then didn’t pay attention to the WNBA until 2-3 years ago. Shortly thereafter, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones come in and last year the team wins its first championship. I’ve always been privileged like that with my sports teams. Except for one.

All throughout the 2021 season, I felt pretty normal as far as my Knick fandom, or at least what can become normal for 20 years. Beginning with that series and intensifying each of the past three years, I have learned that the Knicks are my picture in the wallet. I am still very much the kid I was when I started this relationship with them. With each game, with each round, I am pulled in both directions until all I feel is either agony or ecstasy. When you’re spiritually invested in Charlie Brown finally kicking that football and you’ve watched Lucy trick him for 35 years running, there is no gray area.

I am now older than my father was when the Rangers broke their 54-year curse. The Knicks last won a title 52 years ago. When they upset the Celtics last month, I had tears for only the second time for them (the other when they won the 1999 ECF). If they make the Finals next year and lose, I don’t know if I’ll survive. If they make it and win, I don’t know if I will either.

I would tell your fiancee to find a picture of you at whatever age you were when you started seriously following this team and have her keep it somewhere she sees it enough to help her remember when she sees you bugging or busting after a big Knick game, she’s seeing you through time. And if you truly love someone, you love the them they were before you ever knew them.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...de-why-we-do-we-care-so-much-about-the-knicks

 

[New York Knicks]

2025 NBA Draft Order: Pick order and selection tracker

Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Shara Talia Taylor covers draft night for P&T.

The 2025 NBA Draft Presented by State Farm will start shortly at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

59 players combined will be selected in round 1 today and round 2 tomorrow in the 79th NBA draft. The New York Knicks currently have the 50th pick and a few experts shared what the Knicks might need and the potential outcome.

“They can go for somebody, like a veteran college player, someone who played three to four years that can contribute on the floor immediately,” said New York Post Sports Anchor Dexter Henry. ”I think they could also pick someone overseas and sort of do a ‘draft and stash’ for a later date.”

He felt the Knicks will select a wing, a shooting guard or small forward.

“I tend to think they’ll probably go the route of a veteran college player who can contribute because they need low-cost players to fill out their rotation and they want to play deeper,” Henry said. “I think they want some of the young guys they drafted last year to play this year, but it wouldn’t shock me if they went the route of a veteran college player.”

Last year the Knicks selected forward Pacome Dadiet of Germany’s Ratiopharm Ulm, guard Tyler Kolek of the Marquette University Golden Eagles, guard Kevin McCullar Jr. of the Kansas Jayhawks, and center Ariel Hukporti of Germany’s MHP Riesen. Henry said the Knicks need a little more size.

“6’5 -6’8 range (player) that can descend and shoot,” he said. “I don’t think they need necessarily another big. They could look for a power forward that could stretch the floor too, but I would say bigger wings.”

According to Fanduel.com, the Knicks have a 9 to 1 chance of winning the 2025-2026 NBA championship. The Knicks pick tonight will unlikely affect that number according to Travis S., a professional better. He has worked in the betting industry over the past decade and is a consultant of data analytics for betting companies. He owns the company SwishandKick.com.

“They do not have a first round pick in the draft tonight,” he said about the Knicks. “Their first pick, I believe, is at 50, which they probably will not even make their team. The caveat with the Knicks this year is that they need a bit more depth.”

He referenced the Knicks playing a lot of minutes under Coach Tom Thibodeau, and said if the 50th pick turns out well it could help the team. He said a big trade could adjust their odds to win.

The Dallas Mavericks are scheduled to select first in the NBA draft and are followed by the San Antonio Spurs, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Charlotte Hornets and the Utah Jazz respectively. The Dallas Mavericks are expected to select Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, as the top overall pick. Conversations stirred about the 6’8 forward ahead of the NBA lottery. Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

Even former New York Knicks player Vin Baker, mentioned the uniqueness of Flagg. Baker is now an Assistant Coach for the Milwaukee Bucks and also has a treatment clinic in Milwaukee dedicated to helping people with drug and alcohol addictions recover. He was interviewed in March, during the NCAA basketball tournament and Flag was a topic.

“He looks to be everything that everyone is talking about, 6’9 and can really pass it,” he said about his experience seeing Flag play with Duke in the NCAA tournament. “I was like wow that dude does not belong in college.”

Baker at the time was being interviewed on the retirement of MSG Networks Broadcaster and former Knicks Walt Clyde Frazier for Posting and Toasting, and also about the Knicks/Nets rivalry.

The teams worked together on a significant trade last year, the first trade between the teams since 1983, which resulted in fewer picks for the Knicks this year. Per NBA.com the Knicks received Mikal Bridges for a first round and a second round pick in this year’s draft in addition to players and future picks. There may be a possibility of higher picks depending on trades. More updates to come.

—Shara Talia Taylor

Draft Info​

What: 2025 NBA Draft Round 2

When: Thursday, June 26, 2025 @ 8:00 pm ET

Where: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)

TV: ESPN

Draft Selections​

First Round​

1. Dallas Mavericks — Cooper Flagg, forward, Duke
2. San Antonio Spurs — Dylan Harper, guard, Rutgers,
3. Philadelphia 76ers — VJ Edgecombe. guard, Baylor
4. Charlotte Hornets — Kon Knueppel, guard, Duke
5. Utah Jazz — Ace Bailey, guard, Rutgers
6. Washington Wizards — Tre Johnson, guard, Texas
7. New Orleans Pelicans — Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma
8. Brooklyn Nets — Egor Demin, guard, BYU
9. Toronto Raptors — Collin Murray-Boyles, forward, South Carolina
10. Phoenix Suns — Khaman Maluach, center, Duke
11. Memphis Grizzlies — Cedric Coward, guard, Washington State
12. Chicago Bulls — Noa Essengue, forward, France
13. New Orleans Pelicans — Derik Queen, center, Maryland
14. San Antonio Spurs — Carter Bryant, forward, Arizona
15. Oklahoma City — Thomas Sorber, forward, Georgetown
16. Portland Trail Blazers — Hansen Yang, center, China
17. Minnesota Timberwolves — Joan Beringer, center, France
18. Utah Jazz — Walter Clayton, guard, Florida
19. Brooklyn Nets — Nolan Traoré, guard, France
20. Miami Heat — Kasparas Jakučionis, guard, Illinois
21. Washington Wizards — Will Riley, forward, Illinois
22. Brooklyn Nets — Drake Powell, guard, North Carolina
23. Atlanta Hawks — Asa Newell, forward, Georgia
24. Sacramento Kings — Nique Clifford, guard, Colorado State
25. Orlando Magic — Jase Richardson, guard, Michigan State
26. Brooklyn Nets — Ben Saraf, guard, Israel
27. Brooklyn Nets — Danny Wolf, center, Michigan
28. Boston Celtics — Hugo González, forward, Spain
29. Charlotte Hornets — Liam McNeeley, wing, UConn
30. LA Clippers — Yanic Konan Niederhauser, center, Penn State

Second Round​

1. Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Boston Celtics
3. Charlotte Hornets
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Philadelphia 76ers
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Detroit Pistons
8. Indiana Pacers
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Washington Wizards
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Sacramento Kings
13. Washington Wizards
14. Oklahoma City Thunder
15. Chicago Bulls
16. Orlando Magic
17. Milwaukee Bucks
18. Memphis Grizzlies
19. Cleveland Cavaliers
20. New York Knicks
21. LA Clippers
22. Phoenix Suns
23. Utah Jazz
24. Indiana Pacers
25. Los Angeles Lakers
26. New York Knicks (forfeited)
27. Memphis Grizzlies
28. Orlando Magic
29. Cleveland Cavaliers
30. Houston Rockets

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...-draft-order-pick-order-and-selection-tracker

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks acquire draft rights to Serbian forward Luka Mitrovic

Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

New York might or might not bring the Serbian comrade to America after a long career in Europe.

The New York Knicks made an under-the-radar addition on draft night, acquiring the NBA rights to 32-year-old Serbian forward Luka Mitrovic in a second-round pick swap with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Mitrovic was included in the deal that sent the 51st pick to New York—used on French draft-and-stash prospect Mohamed Diawara—while the Clippers moved up to No. 50 to select Kobe Sanders.

The New York Knicks have agreed to trade the draft rights to Kobe Sanders, the No. 50 pick, to the Los Angeles Clippers for the draft rights to Mohamed Diawara, the No. 51 pick and the draft rights to Luka Mitrovic. pic.twitter.com/lLjsNluf9U

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 27, 2025​

The Philadelphia 76ers originally drafted Mitrovic with the No. 60 overall pick in 2015. Since then, Mitrovic’s NBA rights have changed hands three times.

After his draft night, he was sent to Sacramento in a salary dump trade involving Carl Landry and Nik Stauskas, then again to the Clippers in 2023 in a deal for Filip Petrusev.

Despite never appearing in the NBA, Mitrovic has remained active across the pond plying his trade in the EuroLeague and posting career-wide 6.9 points, 3.9 boards, 1.5 dimes, and 0.5 thefts per game.

Most recently, Mitrovic spent the 2024–25 season with Crvena Zvezda, appearing in 47 games across the ABA League and EuroLeague, posting 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 per-game averages in the biggest European competition.

Knicks acquire draft rights to Luka Mitrovic, the last pick in the 2015 draft, for trading down from the 50th to 51st pick pic.twitter.com/hEhtRntISm

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 27, 2025​

The 6-foot-9 forward has logged nearly 200 EuroLeague appearances (197) in his career and holds multiple domestic league titles from stints with Brose Bamberg, UCAM Murcia, Baxi Manresa, Hapoel Jerusalem, and Buducnost VOLI.

At this stage, Mitrovic is not expected to join the Knicks—but neither is (or should be) Diawara. That said, this is far from a draft-and-stash move by New York, and one more geared toward cap maneuvering than anything else.

With Mitrovic not actually signed to any sort of contract and NBA franchises just playing around and trading his rights, his non-existent salary doesn’t count against the cap unless the Knicks shock the world and bring him over to Manhattan.

As a final note, it’s worth noting the Knicks' stellar lineup of Euro-Rights, now featuring Mitrovic along with Real Madrid legend Sergio Llull, unheard-of Hugo Besson, mythological wunderkind Rokas Jokubaitis, and current New Zealand Breakers head coach Petteri Koponen.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...draft-rights-to-serbian-forward-luka-mitrovic

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks announce 2025 Vegas Summer League schedule

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

French flavoured basketball.

The New York Knicks are officially set for Summer League action in Las Vegas, and the schedule couldn’t be more hilarious.

The Knicks’ 2025 Summer League slate features four games against their lesser neighbor and the three teams they faced in the playoffs all the way through the Eastern Conference Finals.

summer knicks ball is back pic.twitter.com/kY2QRW4q6d

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 27, 2025​

New York opens play on Friday, July 11, against the Detroit Pistons’ kids at Cox Pavilion. From there, the Knicks stay in the UNLV gym to face the Boston Celtics on Sunday, July 13.

After that, the second half of the schedule will see the Knicks go against Atlantic Division rival Brooklyn and the title-losing Indiana Pacers, who eliminated the Knicks from the playoffs before crumbling in the Finals.

There will be a final game before every youngster packs up for their summer vacation, but the fifth contest will be determined by the results of the first four games, with a championship opportunity on the table depending on the results from that pre-scheduled stint.

The Knicks are expected to use former rookies Ariel Hukporti, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Kevin McCullar Jr., who already contributed to last year’s 3–2 Summer League record.

Joining them will be 2025 second-round pick Mohamed Diawara, a 20-year-old forward from Paris’ Cholet Basket. He will share the floor with Aussie Biwali Bayles, James Nnaji (draft-stash joining from Spain), and uber-phenom Dink Pate, who made history as the youngest American to ever go pro.

Full 2025 Knicks NBA Vegas Summer League Schedule

• Friday, July 11 – NYK @ Detroit Pistons

• Sunday, July 13 – NYK @ Boston Celtics

• Wednesday, July 16 – NYK vs. Brooklyn Nets

• Friday, July 18 – NYK vs. Indiana Pacers

• TBD (July 19–21) – Final game based on seeding

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ks-announce-2025-vegas-summer-league-schedule

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks sign American prodigy UDFA Dink Pate

Photo by Carlos Tischler/Eyepix Group/LightRocket via Getty Images

No! Way! Dink! Pate!

After picking French forward and potential draft-and-stash Mohamed Diawara with the No. 51 pick of the 2025 NBA draft’s second round, the New York Knicks stayed active and signed an absolute phenom in exquisite undrafted guard Dink Pate.

The Knicks have signed Pate to an Exhibit 10 deal, and he’s expected to join the team for Las Vegas Summer League starting July 11.

Pate, barely 19 years old, is a G League product with two years' worth of reps under his belt, having played for both the Ignite in the 2023-24 campaign and then the Mexico City Capitanes last season. Dink also made history as the youngest professional basketball player in U.S. history, surpassing Scoot Henderson by five weeks.

Congrats @IAMTHESHOOTER1, welcome to the @nyknicks pic.twitter.com/TDCCBqSGgq

— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) June 27, 2025​

Pate, a Dallas native, attended L.G. Pinkston High in West Dallas but skipped his senior year to sign with the G League Ignite in 2023 at age 17, edging out Scoot in turning pro. After Ignite folded, Pate had zero issues joining the Capitanes in CDMX, where he averaged 10.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over 34 games in the 2024–25 season.

“I’ve always kept the main thing the main thing,” Pate told SLAM in December. “Basketball is the main thing.”

The 6-foot-7 guard was once a five-star high school recruit in some services and ended up as the 29th-best prospect of the 2023 HS class in the 247Sports Composite ranks. He fielded hella blue-blood-college offers but opted to take the pro route instead.

In his first G League season, Pate logged 24 minutes per game with averages of 8.0 points and 3.6 assists. The precocious baller participated in the 2024 G League Up Next Game before making an appearance in the 2025 NBA All-Star as part of the Rising Stars tourney.

SLAM

Pate became one of the first athletes to sign with Reebok under Shaquille O’Neal’s and Allen Iverson’s brand revival.

“I’m not worried about my game,” Pate told SLAM. “I’m focused on my leadership, my communication. I’m gonna be that guy on the team. I’m ready to take the blame. I’ve always been a leader to high school kids, but I’m about to be thrown to the fire.

“I’m ready for it.”

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/6/28/24457687/knicks-sign-american-prodigy-udfa-dink-pate

 

[New York Knicks]

LeBron James’ contract decision gives Knicks one last chance at landing him

ESPN

LeBron James opted into his $52.6M deal, with Rich Paul hinting at a possible trade.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James has officially exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025–26 season, opting in ahead of free agency and removing himself for the open market before Monday’s festivities get going starting at 6 p.m. ET.

LeBron’s decision, however, may be less about staying in Los Angeles and more about keeping the door open for a potential exit depending on how things develop in the next few days and weeks.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, James remains “uncertain about the Lakers roster moving forward” and is watching closely to see whether the team makes the right moves to keep him in purple and gold.

Reporting on @SportsCenter -- LeBron James opts in on $52.6 million for the 2025-26 season but is evaluating his Lakers future: pic.twitter.com/ZQWEJLUNqo

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025​

“He wants to compete for a championship next season. And he’s gonna be monitoring very closely, are the Lakers gonna make the moves that puts them in position to seriously compete in that vaunted Western Conference?” — ESPN’s Shams Charania

On Sunday, James’ longtime agent, Rich Paul, reinforced that idea with a carefully worded statement (shocker!) to multiple outlets, including ESPN and The Athletic.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.” — Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul

Those comments and LeBron’s decision follow a dinner outing in New York City where LeBron was overheard in a conversation posted to Sportscenter’s Instagram account in which he’s heard saying, “Savannah wants me to f—ing retire in the next year or so.”

View this post on Instagram​

A post shared by SportsCenter (@sportscenter)​

At age 40, James remains as productive as the best doing it out there. LBJ is coming off putting up 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds last season, but the Lakers’ early playoff exit and current roster uncertainty have made his situation more fluid than ever.

LeBron has a no-trade clause in his contract, and by opting in, he was able to retain the right to veto any move, effectively allowing him not only to force a trade but also to pick his next destination by blocking all sorts of deals that don’t please him.

The Knicks, connected to LeBron since he first became a free agent 15 years ago, only to ditch them for South Beach, are back in the rumor mill regarding a potential trade for the King and as a possible landing spot for the GOAT.

James has spoken in the past about his admiration for New York and Madison Square Garden. A 2020 report from Bill Simmons confirmed that the Knicks were LeBron’s first choice in 2010 before their pitch collapsed.

“From everyone I’ve talked to in the know since then, it’s clear that the Knicks were the first choice,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said. “It was basically the Knicks’ to lose, and they just couldn’t stay out of their own way. The stories are legendary.”

LeBron James last week in New York

Talking about retiring “in the next year or so“

And what does he say right before that?

pic.twitter.com/4GXWaebL5F

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 29, 2025​

This time around, the Knicks are much better positioned to land LBJ, and it’s not that LeBron doesn’t keep showing love for NYC every time he has a chance.

New York just put together its best season in a quarter century and was just a few plays short of making it all the way to the Finals, only losing to the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.

According to the early 2026 NBA title odds, the Knicks are the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference and potentially face reigning champions the OKC Thunder in next year's finals.

New York also holds key assets that could match salaries in a potential trade for James and satisfy the Lakers trade demands, not only in one single way but two: either by sending Karl-Anthony Towns’ humongous salary straight up to Cali, or building a package centered around OG Anunoby/Mikal Bridges and additional contracts to match up LeBron’s salary.

Whether the Knicks pursue a mid-summer deal or wait for signals from Klutch, the opportunity is at least kinda on the table once again and, perhaps, this is both the right time and the easiest path New York has had to land LeBron and win a championship the city has been waiting for since 1973.

Potential Knicks-Lakers Trade Frameworks​

• One-for-one Karl-Anthony Towns

• OG Anunoby Package

• Mikal Bridges Package

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...n-gives-knicks-one-last-chance-at-landing-him

 

[New York Knicks]

REPORT: Mutual interest between a veteran flame thrower and the Knicks

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Utah bought out Clarkson on Monday

On Monday, the Utah Jazz started the process of buying out veteran shooting guard Jordan Clarkson.

If this news has piqued your interest, we get it. The Flame Thrower (see Basketball-Reference) could provide an electric scoring spark for the New York Knicks’ second unit. In fact, Ian Begley reported that New York will be at the top of Clarkson’s list once he clears waivers–and the interest is mutual.

Knicks are at the top of Jordan Clarkson’s list once he clears waivers, league source says. Knicks currently see Clarkson as a priority signing, as @StevePopper said. New York has the $5M tax payer exception and veteran’s minimum exceptions available to offer Clarskon, who agreed…

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 30, 2025​

Why would the Jazz move on from such a talent? Timing is a factor. The Jazz are shifting fully into a rebuild, prioritizing younger players. A 33-year-old vet like Clarkson no longer fits that timeline. He was the last real holdover from the Donovan Mitchell–Rudy Gobert era, and while he is still a bucket and has a good locker room reputation, his impact had slipped. Injuries didn’t help, either. He played just 37 games last season due to plantar fasciitis, and his efficiency has been trending in the wrong direction.

Utah did try to trade him, but according to reports, no one bit. Teams weren’t eager to pick up an aging guard whose best days might be behind him. With few options on the table and a crop of young guards (Isaiah Collier, Keyonte George, Walter Clayton Jr.) vying for minutes, a buyout made the most sense for both sides.

The Knicks have access to the $5.7 million Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception for the 2025-26 season. They are over the first apron but still about $8-10 million under the second, which limits their flexibility. That means their options are basically the taxpayer MLE and minimum deals. They can use the exception on one player or split it up, but either way, it’s not a big number, and it makes efficient spending all the more important.

I’ll save you the Googling: the list of good players available in the $5.7M range is not long.

Thus, it makes sense that the Knicks would be interested in Clarkson. A former Sixth Man of the Year, Clarkson put up 16.2 points per game last season and shot 36.2% from deep. He’s a proven scorer who can create his own shot—something the Knicks have lacked at times behind Jalen Brunson.

He does exude a certain JR Smith vibe, though, capable of sinking a thrilling buzzer beater one night and a bonehead blunder the next. As for his defense, leave your expectations on the bench: he would be another guard the Knicks will have to hide. He ranked in just the 16th percentile in Defensive EPM last season. And for all the raving about his shooting ability, he’s not the most efficient scorer. Last season, even in a solid year from deep, he only shot 36% from three, and his overall field goal percentage has consistently been below league average.

He’s lost some burst, too. Rim pressure has dropped off, and last season he had his fewest attempts at the rim in three years. Add in the fact that he’s a volume scorer with questionable shot selection, and when he’s not hitting, he can really stink up the joint.

The Knicks’ offense came apart in the playoffs, and it wasn’t just one thing—it was a mix of stagnation, sloppy execution, and poor decisions. The ball stopped moving. Possessions turned into isolation-heavy, hero-ball sets that lacked rhythm or cohesion. That was on full display in the Game 2 loss to Detroit, where the offense looked selfish and undisciplined.

They didn’t share the ball—just 15 assists in some of those key games—and they couldn’t take care of it either. Against Indiana in the Conference Finals, they turned it over 15+ times in five of six games. In Game Six alone, they gave up 34 points off turnovers while scoring just 13 that way themselves.

Their shooting efficiency cratered. The playoff offensive rating dropped more than 10 points from the regular season. They hit only 33% from three and struggled to finish at the rim and on floaters. And when defenses got physical—pushing them off their spots, blowing up actions—the Knicks didn’t adjust. It became one-on-one basketball, and they got out-executed when it mattered most.

Clarkson is comfortable creating his own shot and commanding the troops. New York’s bench would have benefited from those talents and extra floor spacing against the high-flying Pacers. To get over the hump and into the Finals, they’ll need more juice from somewhere.

This list of options may be short, but not completely unpromising. Cole Anthony is being bought out by the Grizzlies. He was part of the trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando in mid-June, but Memphis never planned to keep him long-term. They’re working with his reps to finalize the buyout, which will free him up to sign with any team. Last season in Orlando, Anthony averaged 9.4 points, three rebounds, and three assists over 67 games. He’s a better defender than Clarkson, younger, and has comparable shooting percentages. For the record, there’s been no indication (that I’m aware of) that OAKAAK Greg Anthony’s kid is willing to play for $5.7M. Either player would be preferable to Russell Westbrook. Marc Stein mentioned in his latest report that New York is on the list of possible landing spots for Russ. No, thanks.

What would the addition of Clarkson mean to the other, younger Knicks guards on the bench? Good question. Mile McBride is under contract for the next two years and, although as inconsistent as Clarkson can be on offense, he is a superior defender. Sophomore Tyler Kolek will be looking to earn more minutes this season, and while he is decidedly not the superior defender (or shooter), he is the better playmaker. Would the next coach (Mike Brown? Taylor Jenkins?) rather play the veteran Clarkson, or give the young guys more reps?

If the reports are true, a Clarkson-to-New-York announcement will likely come this week. Clarkson would help solidify the second unit and offer a veteran presence who’s comfortable in big moments. With the team looking to make a deeper playoff run, adding a guy like Clarkson—especially on a value deal after his buyout—could be a low-risk move with real upside. In the right role, he can still help a team. But if his scoring is no longer elite and injuries are becoming an issue, his flaws—especially on defense—start to outweigh the positives.

Go Knicks.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...etween-a-veteran-flame-thrower-and-the-knicks

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks sign backup big Guerschon Yabusele

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The Frenchman is coming off a comeback season with the Sixers.

It was unlikely for a New York Knicks team that is lacking financial flexibility, coming off of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and without a head coach, to make any big splashes during the offseason. Regardless, fans hoped that the team would do something to make the summer interesting. In the opening hours of free agency yesterday, that was not the case. Impatient fans grew unreasonably impatient and frustrated at the lack of news.

That feeling has changed massively over the last 12 hours as the Knicks have finally started to move. Late last night, it was reported that Jordan Clarkson intends to sign with New York once he clears waivers on Wednesday. And approaching Noon today, it was reported by Shams Charania of ESPN that free agent center Guerschon Yabusele has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the Knicks, the second season coming as player option.

Free agent center Guerschon Yabusele has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the New York Knicks, plus a player option, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks negotiated the new deal with agents Olivier Mazet and Richie Felder for the big man on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/gmYODgPkau

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025​

According to SNY's Ian Begley, Yabusele’s decision came down to the Nuggets and Knicks, but the former Sixer (and Celtic) chose New York.

The big man was drafted in 2017 by Boston, but found himself out of the league between 2019 and 2024. After an incredibly strong showing for France at the Olympics, he was signed by the Sixers, and he had a very solid season.

Yabusele shot 40% on ATB 3s on high volume and 69% in the restricted area last season for PHI

The Knicks overall shot 36% on ATB 3s on extremely low volume and just 61% in the restricted area.

Yabusele is also represented by Olivier Mazet, same agent as Diawara and Ntilikina ️ pic.twitter.com/cdtO9M80So

— ShwinnyPooh, Hukporti island resident (@shwinnypooh) June 27, 2025​

In 70 games, Yabusele averaged 11 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 0.8 SPG, while shooting 50.1% from the field, and 38% from three. Yabusele has some flaws on defense, and he does still only have one season as a good three-point shooter. But, as noted above, Yabusele shot 40% on three-pointer above the break, and shot 69% in the restricted area- two areas where the Knicks struggled mightily from last season. If he can come close to replicating what he did last season, his unique ability to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson makes him a great addition for a Knicks team that badly needed some cheap bench scoring and paint presence.

As things stand now, New York has a rotation that is, at least, nine-man deep with Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Mikal Bridges, Jordan Clarkson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Yabusele, Towns, and Robinson. That is without including Ariel Hukporti, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Kevin McCullar Jr., who could get some more minutes this season as well, depending on how the new Knicks coach decides to use the pieces he'll have at his disposal in New York.

In less than 24 hours, Leon Rose and the Knicks' front office have addressed their need for more shooting, dribbling, and shot creation with the addition of Clarkson and Yabusele. There are still some weaknesses on the roster, but they’ve pivoted rather well given their lack of financial flexibility, while still having the option of filling out their roster with some minimum contracts during the remainder of the offseason.

Welcome to New York, Guerschon!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/7/1/24459786/knicks-sign-backup-big-guerschon-yabusele

 

[New York Knicks]

From Beam Team to Broadway: Mike Brown Lands Knicks Job

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Knicks choose stability over splash in hiring the veteran skipper.

The New York Knicks made it official: Mike Brown is taking over as head coach. The announcement ends weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, including two formal interviews with the veteran coach. Brown steps in for Tom Thibodeau, who guided New York through five seasons and led them to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024. Now, the Knicks are betting on a new voice, still grounded in defense, but known for adaptability and roster development.

BREAKING: Knicks have hired Mike Brown as their franchise’s next head coach pic.twitter.com/zjFHyXnXjA

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 2, 2025​

While not the sexiest or most courageous choice, Brown is a respected figure in league circles. He’s known for his defensive acumen and ability to stabilize struggling franchises. Over more than two decades on NBA benches, he’s led teams through turnarounds, helped shape championship defenses, and developed young cores into contenders.

He made his mark in Cleveland, coaching the Cavaliers from 2005 to 2010 and returning briefly in 2013–14. During his first stint, he led the team to its first NBA Finals appearance in 2007 and won Coach of the Year in 2009 after a 66-win season. The Cavs made the playoffs every full season under his watch, often advancing past the first round.

In 2011, Brown replaced Phil Jackson with the Lakers, guiding them to the postseason during a lockout-shortened season before being dismissed after a slow start the following year.

His most decorated stretch came as Steve Kerr’s lead assistant with the Warriors from 2016 to 2022. Brown was instrumental in shaping Golden State’s defense and contributed to three championships. In 2017, he stepped in for Kerr during the playoffs and led the team through an undefeated run.

In 2022, he took over in Sacramento and ended the Kings’ 16-year playoff drought—the longest in league history. The team finished 48–34 and returned to the postseason, earning Brown a second Coach of the Year award, this time unanimously. But a rough start to his third season led to his dismissal in December 2024.

Earlier in his career, Brown served as an assistant with the Wizards, Pacers, and Spurs (winning a title with San Antonio in 2003) and coached Nigeria’s national team at the Tokyo Olympics.

With the Knicks, Brown replaces another defense-first coach known for elevating underperforming teams. Both he and Thibodeau are two-time Coach of the Year recipients with playoff success across multiple franchises, but they diverge in philosophy. Brown emphasizes flexibility; Thibodeau, discipline. After the latter’s success in New York, we would be remiss not to compare the two men.

Brown’s teams tend to reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the roster. In Cleveland, he built around LeBron James. In Golden State, he supported a dynasty. In Sacramento, he leaned into offense, unlocking new levels in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. That adaptability has earned praise, especially with incomplete rosters, though some question whether he consistently gets the most from playoff-caliber teams.

Thibodeau, by contrast, brought a more rigid identity. At every stop (Boston, Chicago, Minnesota, New York) he instilled a defense-first culture built on structure and heavy starter minutes. The Knicks embraced that identity and became one of the league’s toughest defensive units, reaching the conference finals in 2024. But Thibodeau’s approach also drew criticism, particularly around player development and in-game adjustments.

Both coaches found success in different ways. Brown reached the Finals with Cleveland and revitalized the Kings. Thibodeau guided the Bulls to 62 wins, helped elevate Derrick Rose and Jalen Brunson, and brought the Knicks back to relevance. Thibodeau’s playoff résumé is stronger, marked by deeper runs and sustained defensive excellence.

Brown’s Sacramento tenure was a mixed bag. He brought energy back to the franchise, but the team struggled defensively, especially from beyond the arc. His schemes didn’t consistently compensate for roster flaws, and the results didn’t always reflect his reputation for structure.

Offensively, Brown faced criticism for an outdated system. His scheme, particularly in how it used DeMar DeRozan, was seen as rigid. Rather than maximizing DeRozan’s mid-range game and pick-and-roll ability, the offense limited his impact. Sacramento’s low three-point volume only amplified concerns about Brown’s fit in today’s NBA.

His rotation management raised questions too. Brown was criticized for inconsistency (e.g., limiting players like Keon Ellis despite strong potential). His constant adjustments may have disrupted chemistry and undermined continuity.

After earning Coach of the Year in 2023, Brown couldn’t maintain momentum. Sacramento regressed the following season, and a poor start to 2024–25 led to his firing. Supporters point to roster imbalances and front-office decisions, but as in most NBA situations, the head coach absorbed the blame.

Opinions on Brown remain divided. Some see a capable coach hamstrung by circumstance; others cite limitations in his offensive creativity and in-game adjustments. So, his résumé is long and respected, but not without caveats.

One early test in New York will be how Brown handles the team’s promising sophomore class: Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Pacome Dadiet. Each offers something unique. Kolek is a poised floor general, Hukporti an athletic rim protector, McCullar a switchable defender, and Dadiet a raw but gifted wing. Brown has a track record of developing young talent within structured systems. Kolek could earn a real role as a second-unit organizer. McCullar and Dadiet may find minutes as defensive role players if they buy in. Hukporti, though still adjusting to the NBA, has the tools to back up Mitchell Robinson.

The Knicks also added veterans Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. Clarkson, a proven scorer and former Sixth Man of the Year, gives Brown a trusted option for bench offense, which is something he has leaned on in the past. Yabusele, a strong and versatile forward with international experience, adds frontcourt depth and shooting. How Brown balances these additions to the rotation will be one of his first major challenges.

Fortunately, the core is intact. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, and Miles McBride form a versatile, battle-tested group. The roster can defend across positions, space the floor, and exploit mismatches. Brown’s job will be managing minutes and sharpening identity without disrupting what already works.

And that’s the real pressure. New York’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season sets a new benchmark. That’s a high bar to match, let alone exceed. Brown inherits a team with momentum, talent, and real expectations, and under an owner who has little patience for regression. With a career record of 455–304 and playoff appearances in seven of nine full seasons, Mike Brown brings enough credibility and experience to suggest that he should be up to the task.

Welcome to New York, Coach!

BREAKING: The Knicks are hiring Mike Brown to be their next head coach pic.twitter.com/xPVTw65DqX

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 2, 2025​

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...-team-to-broadway-mike-brown-lands-knicks-job

 

[New York Knicks]

Where the Knicks’ cap situation sits two days into free agency

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Barring a trade, most of the action is behind the Knicks.

NBA free agency is unique.

In the MLB, it’s very rare to see the top players on the market make a decision in the first month of free agency, with several notable cases of players dragging their decisions deep into spring training in February and March.

In the NFL, while a lot of action happens early, many players take the process slowly. In the 2025 free agent class, to name two recent examples, the decisions of Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers dragged out for weeks.

In the NHL, whose free agency runs concurrently with the NBA’s, there’s also a ton of early action, but not serious urgency.

NBA free agency, however, has a reputation for being immediate and a legitimate spectacle. The minute that 6 p.m. strikes on June 30 every year, millions of NBA fans turn on post notifications from Adrian Wojnarowski then, and Shams Charania now. Players usually begin signing in the first few minutes, stars agree to massive deals within hours, and the vast majority of talent available is off the board within two days. Deals aren’t even official until the 6th, and the board looks like this:

Best available NBA free agents:

PG
J. Giddey (R)
C. Paul
M. Brogdon
R. Westbrook
B. Simmons

SG
Q. Grimes (R)
C. Thomas (R)
D. Exum
E. Gordon
D. Melton

SF
A. Coffey
C. Martin
J. Walker
T. Craig
L. Stevens

PF
J. Kuminga (R)
C. Boucher
T. Lyles
P. Achiuwa
B. Bol

C
A. Horford
D.…

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 2, 2025​

Some teams have been super aggressive, while others have been passive. The Knicks, while not super aggressive, seem to have already completed a big chunk of their business. On paper, this could’ve unfolded disastrously.

Several Knicks’ targets signed for more than what the team could’ve offered. Luke Kennard got $11 million for one year, Tyus Jones signed for $7 million, and several dream targets like Caris LeVert and Dennis Schroder, who were anticipated to sign for more but could’ve fallen through, got $14 million per year. The guys signing in the Knicks’ realistic range? Paul Reed and Jake LaRavia. Not great!

But when news came out Monday afternoon of Jordan Clarkson being bought out by the Utah Jazz, the Knicks were immediately linked as a fit. While his erratic play had drawn the ire of Mike Breen in the past, he fills a big need as a ball handler who can provide scoring off the bench. While not official yet, it’s anticipated he clears waivers on Wednesday and signs a veteran minimum with the Knicks.

Jordan Clarkson is expected to sign with the New York Knicks after he clears free agency waivers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/I9PnQFZArw

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025​

Signing Clarkson to a veteran minimum kept the taxpayer mid-level exception open, but it was questionable what the Knicks could manage to afford it, as guys like Tre Mann and Tre Jones inked deals over the TPMLE.

Fortunately for the Knicks, they managed to agree to terms with a guy that fits them perfectly in Guerschon Yabusele, sniping him from Philadelphia on a two-year deal worth just under $12 million.

Free agent center Guerschon Yabusele has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the New York Knicks, plus a player option, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks negotiated the new deal with agents Olivier Mazet and Richie Felder for the big man on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/gmYODgPkau

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025​

Yabusele adds size, shooting, and rebounding. He takes Precious Achiuwa’s roster spot and is a tremendous offensive upgrade despite being a worse defender. With his addition, the Knicks had a bonafide nine-man rotation set up that does not include relying on any unproven young players and has a lot of flexibility.

Ultimately, at the surface, the Knicks hit a home run. Yabusele and Clarkson will run a cap hit of just under $8 million in 2025-26, which is less than the cap hits of guys like Sam Merrill, the aforementioned Tre Mann and Tre Jones, Luke Kennard, Brook Lopez, and... Duncan Robinson? Really Detroit?

To get two bonafide rotation players who can not only contribute but be key pieces on a contender with less money to spend than almost everyone is an incredible job by Leon Rose. And, to do it without a head coach (though that may be solved soon)? Incredible work.

Now, what’s next for the Knicks? Well, after a look at SalarySwish, the Knicks don’t have much room left.

SalaySwish counts Dink Pate’s Exhibit-10 contract against the cap, which won’t factor into the current cap calculus. Taking that off, the Knicks figure to have $3.53 million left beneath the second apron, assuming both signings have accurate monetary estimates. While the Knicks probably did not want to encroach on the dreaded second apron, they physically cannot anymore. The signing of Yabusele with the TPMLE officially hard-caps them at the second apron for the second consecutive season.

$3.53 million is technically less than what Clarkson will make in 2025-26, but the NBA sets all vet min cap hits at about $2.3 million to not discourage teams from signing season veterans.

The important number for the Knicks is 14. That’s how many players need to be on the active roster on Opening Night. After their signings, they sit at 12. With two spots to go and not enough room for two vet mins, are they in trouble?

Not precisely. The Knicks may have backed themselves into a corner, but they do have a safety valve in the form of the second-round exception. A new feature in the 2023 CBA, the second round exception, incentivizes teams to ink second-rounders to standard contracts by incentivizing them with smaller cap hits. While Pate cannot be signed with one, the Knicks are able to give them out to No. 51 pick Mohamed Diawara, restricted free agent Kevin McCullar Jr., and Eurostash James Nnaji. A three-year deal for one of those three permits the Knicks to roster them with a Year 1 salary of a measly $1.27 million, just over half of the vet min.

Now, the Knicks could still sign a player to the veteran minimum, but they’d need something unforeseen. Yabusele’s contract is not official until July 6, so the exact terms are unknown and unrevealed. If Yabusele signed to the full TPMLE, the Knicks would not be able to sign another vet min without triggering the hard cap. However, if Yabusele’s 2025-26 salary was about $50,000 less, they’d be able to squeeze one more veteran with a rookie on the second round exception.

The most likely outcome for filling the last two roster spots, however, is through a pair of second-round exceptions. I’m not totally convinced that Diawara will get a standard contract right away, so that leaves McCullar Jr. and Nnaji. Nnaji could provide emergency depth at center with the injuries that are likely to come about with Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Ariel Hukporti. McCullar being tendered a qualifying offer implies that he will be one of the players rostered.

20 PTS 10 REB 10 AST@nyknicks Two-Way signee Kevin McCullar Jr. posted his first career TRIPLE-DOUBLE in the @wcknicks win over the Skyhawks! pic.twitter.com/1TAAMv6Q8i

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 20, 2025​

Going this path would give the Knicks flexibility as the season begins. It would leave them with about $1.08 million in space below the hard cap. Like last season, the Knicks would be able to add a 15th player to their roster midseason, but would be able to sign him as early as January 15th, firmly before the buyout market begins.

There’s also the possibility of a trade to open up more flexibility to add more veteran depth, but the Knicks would not be able to sign any player for over the vet min, so it would not be worth it for the sake of current flexibility. However, if certain players don’t extend, they might make a move for future flexibility.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...o-days-into-free-agency-nba-yabusele-clarkson

 

[New York Knicks]

REPORT: Knicks’ Mike Brown hire hinging on James Dolan’s approval

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

There is a clear-cut favorite for the position, but Dolan will have the final call on the hiring.

Nearly a month after firing Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks have finally—or so it looks—found a replacement of their liking.

That’d be former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, who has emerged as the frontrunner following a second interview with the organization on Tuesday.

Of course, these are the James Dolan Knicks, so you know what must happen before we can write about the official announcement: franchise overlord Dolan must approve the move and will have the power to block the hiring altogether.

Oh, and just in case, Dolan had a little something to do with sending Thibs packing—in short, Dolan didn’t just approve the move, he initiated it.

The Knicks' interest in hiring Mike Brown as their new coach has indeed intensified, league sources say.

One scenario that has emerged: New York installing James Borrego as top assistant if Brown is the ultimate choice.

More NBA from me: https://t.co/WoNqIgMcqE

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2025​

This is what Marc Stein reported on Monday regarding the Knicks' head coach hiring process (emphasis mine).

“The Knicks, according to league sources, have been telling prospective free agents since the NBA marketplace opened Monday night at 6 PM ET that their search to replace Tom Thibodeau is nearing a resolution.

“And former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown is widely regarded now as the favorite to land the position.

Yet sources briefed on the process stressed Tuesday that Brown, who has been in New York for the past two days, will require ultimate endorsement from Knicks owner James Dolan before he can be named Thibodeau’s successor. Brown won Coach of the Year honors with Sacramento in 2022-23 and is known as a defense-first coach dating to his previous head coaching stints with Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers.” — Marc Stein

Brown’s second meeting included Dolan directly, as first reported by SNY’s Ian Begley.

Mike Brown’s second interview with Knicks is today, sources familiar with the process tell SNY. There’s a possibility that other head-coaching candidates may come in for second interviews. Brown garnered support in first interview. His interview today will include Knicks owner…

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 1, 2025​

Begley confirmed Brown was indeed the first candidate granted a second interview, which was held in New York.

“Mike Brown’s second interview with Knicks is today, sources familiar with the process tell SNY. There’s a possibility that other head-coaching candidates may come in for second interviews. Brown garnered support in first interview. His interview today will include Knicks owner James Dolan; it’s common practice for a candidate to meet with team ownership in late stages of interviews prior to final decision being made. Knicks have also interviewed James Borrego, Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori and touched base with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, according to the school’s athletic director.” — SNY’s Ian Begley

New York’s coaching search has been unorthodox, to say the least. The Knicks were denied interviews to several head coaches under contract, including Chris Finch, Ime Udoka, Billy Donovan, and Quin Snyder, as well as once-and-perhaps-still-favorite candidate Jason Kidd.

That led New York to hold interviews with Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori, and James Borrego... as well as South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley.

Back to Brown, he’d bring a solid 454–304 career record to New York along with seven playoff appearances and a trip to the finals in 2007, managing a certain LeBron James. Brown earned NBA Coach of the Year honors in both 2009 and 2023, and before getting fired by the Kings last season, he led the franchise to their first playoff berth since 2006.

According to Stein, the Knicks might be considering a coaching staff structure where Brown is head coach and fellow candidate Borrego joins him as his top assistant. Rick Brunson, meanwhile, is expected to stay on staff, with Brown not opposed to keeping the older Brunson around.

The Knicks, it appears, are closing in on a head coach at last ... full story via @JakeLFischer and me: https://t.co/kmZHmoCKCD

: @nypostsports pic.twitter.com/NETVImfD5k

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2025​

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...an-could-block-knicks-plan-to-hire-mike-brown

 

[New York Knicks]

REPORT: Knicks to pick up Ariel Hukporti’s team option, decline P.J. Tucker’s

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Ahead of tonight’s deadline, the Knicks make their first roster moves of the offseason.

The NBA offseason is in full swing. After the Knicks picked up Mohamed Diawara at No. 51 and signed Dink Pate as an undrafted free agent earlier in the week, they took care of some necessary team business ahead of the beginning of free agency’s tampering period on Monday night.

Ahead of the deadline for deciding contract options on Sunday at 5 p.m., the Knicks exercised the $1.96 million team option of second-year big man Ariel Hukporti and declined the $3.47 million team option of veteran forward P.J. Tucker. Both moves were as expected. Additionally, the team tendered a qualifying offer to now-restricted free agent Kevin McCullar Jr., a potential sign of his elevation to a standard contract this offseason.

The Knicks extended a qualifying offer to Kevin McCullar and picked up Ariel Hukporti’s contract option, league sources told the Post.

They are not planning to pick up contract option of PJ Tucker.

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) June 29, 2025​

Hukporti, drafted No. 58 overall in 2024, was the closest that a Knicks’ rookie got to being a key contributor in 2024-25. The 23-year-old out of Germany played 25 games, averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game. While he mostly received only garbage time action, he had several big games, including a 30-minute outing in mid-November and making his first career start on February 26th. With the expected departure of Precious Achiuwa, Hukporti figures to be in line to battle for a spot in the new coach’s rotation, wherever he is.

Although Ariel Hukporti’s dunk didn’t count, it gave us some priceless reactions. Jericho Sims, in particular, was stunned beyond belief. pic.twitter.com/9qsMENgnEe

— DJ Zullo (@DJAceNBA) October 30, 2024​

Tucker, signed on the buyout market in early March, played just three total games in a Knicks uniform. Signed for his veteran presence as an essential player-coach, Tucker played 26 minutes in two April games due to strategic resting before the playoffs. He even got to play the last 4:22 of the euphoric Game 6 victory in MSG against the Celtics. He was given a standard contract after two ten-day deals, with the team option never likely to be accepted. The 40-year-old scored nine total points on 3-for-7 from the field.

"PJ Tucker" chants in the Garden to no avail pic.twitter.com/O3XvHvmGM3

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 18, 2025​

McCullar Jr., drafted No. 56 overall in 2024, missed almost the entire season recovering from a knee issue that originated during his time at Kansas. He appeared in just four games in his rookie season, playing 21 minutes in Game 82 in Brooklyn. In the G-League, he played 13 games, averaging 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on some pretty... bad shooting splits.

These moves set the Knicks’ roster table as follows. They have 10 players under contract and sit just above the first apron with an estimated $11.4 million in space below the second apron. The Knicks will have the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception available, but will need some maneuvering to use it all. With the low cap hit of vet minimums, the Knicks could convert McCullar to a standard contract and roster either Diawara, Pate, or Eurostash James Nnaji on the ultra-cheap second-round exception. If they do both of those, they should have room to sign a vet min and use the TPMLE.

Around the league, notable names like Mo Wagner (Magic), Lonnie Walker IV (Sixers), Dorian Finney-Smith (Lakers), and Nic Batum (Clippers) will enter free agency due to declined options.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...team-option-decline-pj-tucker-nba-free-agency

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘I can’t wait to start’

Photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages

Yabu Fever before we fly to Sin City.

Summer League is around the corner, and we’re already into the new league calendar year, which means we’re debuting the 2025-26 Knicks Bulletin!

Shout-out to Guerschon Yabusele for giving us the sauce today with his first comments as a member of the New York Knickerbockers.

Let’s get it poppin’!

Guerschon Yabusele speaks to SKWEEK after signing with the New York Knicks for the next two seasons

Guerschon Yabusele réagit au micro de SKWEEK après sa signature aux New York Knicks pour les deux prochaines années pic.twitter.com/4YccYJ3499

— SKWEEK (@skweektv) July 4, 2025​

Guerschon Yabusele​

On how the Knicks’ playing style fits his identity:

“I feel like their team, it really [matches] my DNA, I would say, to fight, to play hard, to be the underdogs, to go and fight every night.”

On beginning his Knicks tenure:

“I can’t wait to start. It’s the right place at the right time.”

On what impressed him about the Knicks during his time with the Sixers:

“It’s a couple of teams that we play against, and I was looking at them, like, ‘Oh my God, this team plays good together. They’re a good team. I can tell it’s a good group of guys, there’s no bad guys, there’s no problems.’ And I was looking at them like, ‘Oh my God, this could be like a good chance and opportunity to play there.’”

On the Sixers’ contract offer and his reaction to it:

“I didn’t really have any issues over there… I was like, ‘Okay, if they want to re-sign me, and then they give me something good, I will come back for sure. And if they want me to leave, then I will leave.’ But they almost didn’t make, really, like an offer. They did, but it was really, really, low, to be really transparent… so I feel like, ‘Oh my god, you guys don’t really want me to stay.’”

On his appreciation for the 76ers despite the low offer:

“I will always be thankful to be able to be part of their franchise. Me and my family [are] really happy about everything they did for us.”

“Great pick up!”

— Mitchell Robinson on Mike Brown pic.twitter.com/MyWqa1EbQg

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 3, 2025​

Mitchell Robinson​

On the Knicks hiring Mike Brown:

“Great Pick Up”

"Where is the fastest, easiest path to the NBA Finals for LeBron James? It's the place he has avoided his entire career. ... It's right here in New York."@alanhahn "double-dog dares" LeBron to come to the Knicks pic.twitter.com/5zAPkKy9X1

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 3, 2025

Alan Hahn​

On why LeBron James should consider the Knicks:

“Where is the fastest, easiest path to the NBA Finals for LeBron James? It’s right here in New York... It’s a place that you could say, if he comes here, there is a path to the NBA Finals.”

"You are a failure for this season if you do not at least make the finals and win a championship."@DavidDTSS feels expectations are high for Mike Brown going into the new season for the Knicks pic.twitter.com/NnK4npEjyn

— First Take (@FirstTake) July 4, 2025

David Dennis Jr.​

On the pressure facing Mike Brown with the Knicks:

“Mike Brown is now entering the most high-pressure job in all of sports right now. You are coming to a team in the biggest, wildest market — New York City — and your expectation is to do something that has not been done for this team since the [1970s]: it’s win a championship.”

On the stakes of Brown’s first season with the team:

“That is the boom or bust of Mike Brown. You are a failure for this season if you do not at least make the finals and win a championship.”

Brian Windhorst​

On Mike Brown’s habits during his early coaching career:

“What you need to know about Mike Brown, and I don’t think he does this anymore, but just helps you understand a little bit about him. He for years used to bring his own iron on the road, and an ironing board. He definitely packed his preferred iron.”

On Jordi Fernandez’s early duties on Mike Brown’s staff:

“And the man who was in charge of packing his iron was Jordi Fernandez. Jordi Fernandez was the lowest staffer on the Cavs staff and just over from Spain, looking for a foothold in the NBA. And Jordi, I don’t know what his role was, but he was basically Mike Brown’s gopher.”

Knicks superfan Stephen A. Smith is looking forward to seeing "Michael McBride" back in New York next season

(h/t @_bmura) pic.twitter.com/2z4JdQ09Vq

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 3, 2025

Stephen A. Smith​

On his knowledge of the Knicks roster:

“You’re talking about Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Michael McBride, Josh Hart.”

Michael Beasley asked Ice Cube who was at the park keeping stats when Cube messed around and got a triple double. pic.twitter.com/yDFqfvzqdq

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 3, 2025​

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/7/5/24461901/knicks-bulletin-i-cant-wait-to-start

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Announce Summer League Roster

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

The Knicks have become a mainstay in the playoffs and look to be one of a couple of Eastern Conference Teams with realistic championship aspirations next season. And because of that, gone are the days of fans anticipating draft night and the Summer League as if it were must-watch TV. That being said, with the Knicks fanbase being a particularly passionate one, there are still many who patiently await the mid-summer games. Earlier today, we got one step closer to those games as the Knicks announced their 2025 Summer League roster.

your knicks summer league roster pic.twitter.com/W3ZWMEd573

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 7, 2025​

It features last year’s rookies, Pacome Dadiet, Kevin McCullar Jr., Tyler Kolek, and Ariel Hukporti, as well as this year’s rookies, Dink Pate, James Nnaji, and Mohamed Diawara. Coaching the summer squad will be Jordan Brink, the assistant coach who, according to James L. Edwards, was “largely responsible for one of the best challenge success rates in the NBA.”

Knicks summer league update: Jordan Brink will be coaching New York in Las Vegas, per multiple league sources.

Brink was on Thibs’ staff and largely responsible for one of the best challenge success rates in the NBA. Good, young coach deserving of the role.

— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) July 3, 2025​

There are also a few other intriguing names on the roster. Anton Watson, who played five games with the Knicks late last season, is joined by Marjon Beuchamp, who appeared in six games of his own. And while Yudai Baba has never been affiliated with the Knicks, I couldn’t write this without giving my fellow Japanese-born native, who has played a total of 64 games with the Texas Legends of the G League, a shoutout.

Summer League stats and results don’t always guarantee a smooth transition to the regular season, but it will still be interesting to see what the Knicks have in their young players. Can Kolek make the kind of second-year Summer League leap we saw from the likes of Immanuel Quickley despite barely playing in his rookie season? Does Dadiet have the on-ball offensive skills to make fans into believers? How will Hukporti look coming back from a late-season knee injury? Will McCullar Jr. look as good as he did to finish the year in the G League? And do newcomers Pate, Nnaji, and Diawara have what it takes to potentially steal some minutes?

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/7/7/24463284/knicks-announce-summer-league-roster

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘We are pleased to announce Mike Brown’

NBA.com

Day One of the Mike Brown Era.

Mike Brown.

New York Knicks.

Officially Official.

Welcome, Coach Mike Brown! pic.twitter.com/UC8tigtjzi

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 7, 2025​

Leon Rose​

On hiring Mike Brown as Knicks head coach:

“After a thorough and extensive search process, we are pleased to announce Mike Brown as the head coach of the New York Knicks.

“Mike has coached on the biggest stages in our sport and brings championship pedigree to our organization. His experience leading the bench during the NBA Finals, winning four titles as an assistant coach, and his ability to grow and develop players will all help us as we aim to bring a championship to New York for our fans.”

Owner James Dolan has not been quoted in any Knicks team press releases since Leon Rose was hired as president 5 years ago

Until now: https://t.co/5A4HAMUkJl

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 8, 2025​

James Dolan​

On welcoming Mike Brown to the Knicks:

“I would like to welcome Mike Brown to New York and the Knicks organization. Leon and our staff ran a thorough and thoughtful process that led our organization to Mike, and I’m pleased to see him on the sidelines for us next season.”

View this post on Instagram​

A post shared by Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony)​

Carmelo Anthony​

On numbers:

“Numbers are the fingerprints of the universe. They do not lie. They are the original language; the sacred script etched into stars, DNA, temples, and time. In numerology, numbers aren’t just how we count. They are how the universe speaks. They reveal law, rhythm, and alignment. They expose what’s hidden in plain sight: That every soul has a code. Every path has a pattern. And every challenge, when decoded, becomes a cipher for growth.

“The number 7 is the essence of STAYME7O. Not just a number but a frequency. A vibration of introspection, wisdom, faith, and inner knowing. In the Supreme Mathematics, 7 is GOD: the embodiment of divine intelligence walking in human form. Seven is the seeker, the truth teller, the one who walks alone yet never feels lost. It is the temple, the staircase, the sacred geometry of evolution. 7 days of the week. 7 chakras. 7 heavens. 7 notes in the musical scale. 7 is the bridge between what is and what could be.

“To STAYME7O is to stay grounded in that higher knowing. To move in alignment with your personal math, your divine coordinates.To be still enough to hear the algorithm of your own spirit.

“7 is God – the reflection of all that is divine in you. STAYME7O is not a brand. It’s a blueprint. A vibration. A reminder to stay in your mathematics when the world moves in chaos.

“Because when you stay in your number, You stay in your name. You stay in your peace. You stay in your power. You STAYME7O.”

Former NBA MVP and #NASCARChicago grand marshal Derrick Rose was asked today about his reaction to the Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau. The two had a long relationship and Rose played on his Knicks teams at the end of his career.

Says Thibs is in good spirits and "you can't be mad… pic.twitter.com/vhnTuuMytb

— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 6, 2025​

Derrick Rose​

On Tom Thibodeau’s reaction to being fired:

“It’s crazy. I talked to Thibs after that. He’s good. You can’t be mad when you’re walking away with $30 million. So, can’t feel too sorry for him.

“He’s in good spirits—yeah, that’s my guy. We locked in till the end. But he’s good. Jalen [Brunson] is still in New York. He’s gonna be ballin’. Everybody wins, I feel like.”

Kendrick Perkins​

On advice for Karl-Anthony Towns:

“Karl-Anthony Towns, if I was you, I’d go lose me about 15 pounds… You get 15 pounds off of you, bro, and you stay consistent… It’s going to be smoke.”

Welcome to NYC my brudda! @JordanClarksons LETS GO! pic.twitter.com/4MtO9BUJZA

— Chris Brickley (@Cbrickley603) July 8, 2025​

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ulletin-we-are-pleased-to-announce-mike-brown

 

[New York Knicks]

Who could the Knicks target with the last vet min spot?

Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images

A minor Yabusele paycut just opened a spot for extra veteran depth.

While still relatively early in the offseason, the Knicks have gotten the bulk of their work done.

With no major trade seemingly on the horizon, the Knicks’ goals were to make their draft pick and try to find playable depth in free agency with their limited resources. After drafting Mohamed Diawara at No. 51 and signing both Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, they had appeared to have done what they needed to do. Time to sim to October, right?

Not so fast.

Yabusele was assumed to have taken the full taxpayer mid-level exception (TPMLE) that would put his 2025-26 salary at $5,685,000. That would’ve essentially prevented the Knicks from signing another player to a veteran minimum while meeting the roster requirements of 14 players and staying below the hard-capped second apron.

Here's a projection of the New York Knicks 2025-26 cap sheet.

They would need to sign a rookie minimum, like Mohamed Diawara or James Nnaji, to make it all fit under the second apron.

They'd be $36k above it. They may need Yabusele to take a tiny bit less than the full tax MLE. pic.twitter.com/xynRCirz65

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 1, 2025​

However, it was revealed on Saturday (a day before the NBA moratorium lifted) that Yabusele had actually taken less than the full TPMLE. According to Fred Katz, his 2025-26 salary will come in at $5.5 million, saving his new team $185,000. Considering what his old team was offering, it’s not all that surprising that Yabusele was willing to accommodate a request that likely came from cap guru Brock Aller.

The Guerschon Yabusele signing is official. He took a little less than the midlevel exception so that the Knicks now have room to sign two veteran players to minimum deals now, as @SbondyNBA reported yesterday.

Here’s the salary breakdown, per a league source:

$5.5M
$5.775M

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) July 7, 2025​

So, with enough space to add some veteran talent, who should the Knicks’ target? We know they could use some center and wing depth, with wings that can shoot and hold their own defensively as a personal top priority. What does that look like?

Landry Shamet​

First, we have to discuss an internal free agent. None of the Knicks’ internal free agents have found a new home and a few seem unlikely to return as is. One that could return, who has been linked as a candidate by HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto, is Landry Shamet.

Shamet signed just before training camp and stayed on the team through the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, but he didn’t open the regular season with the club after dislocating his shoulder in the preseason. Shamet would recover by late December and re-sign with the club, playing 50 games as the team’s eighth/ninth-man. After a slow start, he came into his own and eventually finished shooting 39.7% from three, his best mark since his 2018-19 rookie season.

Landry Shamet scored his season-high 20 PTS in last night's win

Stat of the game | @ouraring pic.twitter.com/XEHEpmL7go

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 2, 2025​

Shamet would start the postseason in the rotation, but was phased out quickly before re-entering in the Eastern Conference Finals, jolting energy into a despondent Knicks team along with fellow UFA Delon Wright.

Landry Shamet is built for this. pic.twitter.com/7eAanYDBzV

— KnicksNation (@KnicksNation) May 30, 2025​

The Knicks could do a lot worse than Shamet, a reliable three-point shooter who has his moments defensively. He fits in the backup wing role as the first or second guy out of the rotation. He’ll probably want to go somewhere where he’ll get consistent playing time, but New York could be his fallback.

Alec Burks​

Next, a retread. Alec Burks has had two stints in the orange and blue.

The last we saw him as a Knick, he was stepping up as Donte DiVincenzo’s only help in a 2024 Game 7 effort in which the Knicks were down five rotation players by the end. Burks sneakily stepped up in that Pacers series, averaging 17.8 points a night from Game 3 to 7. Burks spent 2024-25 as a part-time player in Miami, going back to the dead-eye shooter he’s been for almost his entire career (42.5% from deep).

Alec Burks was huge in Game 5

Knocked down 5 treys pic.twitter.com/ckQ77pqFGg

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 15, 2024​

This would be more realistic if there wasn’t a coaching change this offseason, but the Knicks could do worse than adding a 6’6” career 38.6% 3-point shooter.

Torrey Craig​

While the team’s interest in Craig in last year’s buyout market was never confirmed, he seemed like a fit until he was scooped up by the defending champions that proceeded to essentially never use him.

Craig could absolutely re-sign in Boston and get meaningful minutes on a retooling Celtics team, but the Knicks could also target him as a bench wing that can make an open 3 and play good defense. He used to have CAA connections, you know!

Here is Torrey Craig's debut tape

Solid defense to go with 2-for-2 on threes for six points. He also moved the ball well. It was really nice debut in Celtics uniform: pic.twitter.com/Eh4jEGhvBC

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) February 13, 2025​

Caleb Houstan​

Last for the cheap wings, Houstan is significantly younger than all of the dudes mentioned previously. The former Magic forward is only 22, but remains unsigned over a week into free agency. On a Magic team with absolutely no shooting whatsoever, Houstan shot 40% from deep. At 6’8” with long arms, he fits an archetype that the Knicks don’t have a lot of: tall, lanky wings.

Pretty stunned Caleb Houstan is unsigned…

22 y/o, 6’8 SG/SF, 6’11 wingspan

His shooting and defense has progressed year over year, he was a 98th percentile shooter above the break and a 40% 3pt guy overall.

In his last 22 games:
6.5 pts.
51.4% 3pt (3.3)
2.5 AST:TOV pic.twitter.com/I68vsdvoR2

— Jack Dann (@JackDannKF) July 6, 2025​

While a veteran might be down to ride the pine on a team contending for a championship, it’ll be very hard to convince a young player to do so. After all, Houstan could always sign a one-year deal with a rebuilding team, put up numbers on an uncompetitive team, and cash in next year.

Thomas Bryant​

If you can beat them, join them?

Bryant spent the vast majority of the 2024-25 season with the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers and knocked down three big triples in Game 6 to put the final nail in the coffin for the Knicks’ title hopes last year. Bryant is 6’10” and a sniper in the corners, shooting 41.5% from the corner in the regular season.

THOMAS BRYANT IS COOKING FROM DEEP pic.twitter.com/JawDQitrvP

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 1, 2025​

The problem? The Pacers just lost Myles Turner and their center depth chart behind recent acquisition Jay Huff and Tony Bradley. Bryant would have substantially more opportunity if the Pacers came calling.

Mo Bamba​

Is this finally the year that the New York native comes home? After years of rumors, Bamba appears to be on the periphery of the league without a concrete path forward.

The Harlem product played just 32 games with the Clippers and Pelicans in 2024-25 and appears to be at the point in his career where he’d accept being a depth piece. With the injury histories of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and even Ariel Hukporti, he could find a way to crack the rotation at various points in the season with his strong rim protection and solid offensive game (for a big).

The Mike Brown Guys​

The new coach might want to bring at least one guy that he’s coached before.

Alex Len and Trey Lyles are both forwards on the market who played in Sacramento under Mike Brown, while Gary Payton II is a gritty defensive guard that played under Brown while he was Steve Kerr’s associate head coach from 2020-22.

Lyles would be a confusing signing, as his skillset seems to be redundant with the addition of Yabusele. Len could look for a bigger opportunity after being a hot commodity on last year’s buyout market. Despite how unrealistic it sounds, I think GPII would be a slam dunk if they could get him on the minimum. They need defense and they could also use a guy with this much athleticism.

Gary Payton II showed off all the tools in his return to the Dubs last night: screening and short-roll playmaking, transition leakouts, deep shooting, and his customary eye-popping defense pic.twitter.com/Sz1VCj3z23

— Charlie Cummings (@klaytheist11) March 27, 2023​

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...arkson-shamet-gary-payton-bamba-houstan-burks

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘Build a winning culture that produces championships’

Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Mike’s a vibe.

Mike.

Burton.

Brown.

Mike Brown is introduced as Head Coach of the New York Knicks ️@MSGNetworks pic.twitter.com/XTjgwAaZgL

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 8, 2025​

Mike Brown​

On what’s next for the New York Knicks:

“Our goal is to build a sustainable winning culture that produces championships. That’s why I’m here. I’m fortunate to know what it takes to create that success: A lot of hard work, a high level of commitment and a focus on today”.

On working with Leon Rose to build a staff:

“I want to be collaborative. I want to form that partnership with Leon. I’m excited to do that with him, and so he and I, we’ve just started sitting down and talking about different ways to formulate a staff. So that’s gonna be a process that’s ongoing, and who knows how long it will take?”

On his vision for both ends of the floor:

“I thought what the group did this past year in the playoffs, it just shows their potential — and not just defensively, but offensively, too. I’m looking forward to putting in a plan in place and working with those guys on both ends of the floor. I love their length, I love their versatility, and so implementing something… My vision is very exciting for me, and hopefully it is for everybody else, because I think the ceiling is high on both ends for the group.”

On comparisons to Tom Thibodeau:

“Tom is a tremendous coach and he is a friend of mine, but I don’t want to get into the past.”

On expectations and pressure in New York:

“Nobody has any bigger expectations first of all, than I do. My expectations are high. This is the Knicks. We talked about Madison Square Garden being iconic. We talked about our fans. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it. So I’m looking forward to it.”

On his belief in the Knicks’ roster:

“There’s a lot of work to be done. We have an outstanding roster. What they did in the playoffs shows their potential. I’ve had great conversations with all of our players and I’m looking forward to growing positive, strong relationships with all of them.”

On accountability:

“In general, I think that is part of my job. It’s one of my values, it’s accountability, but not just for players. Even for myself, I expect people to hold me accountable. But at the end of the day, it’s about relationships.”

On the franchise’s goal and what needs to be done:

“I’m fortunate to know what it takes to create that success: a lot of hard work, a high level of commitment and a focus on today.”

On building team culture:

“The soul of our identity when it comes to culture is going to be based on a trust that’s centered around sacrifice, connectivity, competitive spirit, and an overall belief in the process.”

On what championship teams have in common:

“I’ve been to six Finals with three different teams, and the commonality that they all have is that they all sacrifice for one another. They’re all connected. The connectivity is at the highest and it starts with ownership on down. They all have a competitive spirit and there’s a high level of belief, not just in the process but each other. So those four things are common amongst all teams that I’ve been with that have participated in the Finals.”

On team relationships and trust:

“At the end of the day, it’s about relationships. It’s about trust. Once you grow those relationships, then you can talk openly about anything that you need to go in the direction you need to go. I’m going to be open and honest with them, and I’m sure they’re going to be open and honest with me.”

On the versatility new additions bring to the Knicks:

“Again the versatility that Leon [Rose, team president] keeps adding to this team is unbelievable. Jordan, the things that he can do, especially offensively. He’s a veteran guy. I know he’s hungry to win. He can score at all three levels. You’re excited with that coming to the table. He’s also a better playmaker than he’s given credit [for]. I’m looking forward to seeing some of that, too, because I’m huge when it comes to touching the paint and looking to spray that basketball out to get your teammates easy shots. And then Guerschon, an unbelievable young man. His size, his versatility, he can play the four, the five, maybe some three, who knows?”

On his offensive philosophy:

“Offensively, a lot of people know — we did it in Sacramento — I like to play fast. We’re going to try to play fast, make sure the floor is spaced the right way.”

On implementing his offensive vision:

“We just added two new additions to the team that are going to bring a lot of versatility to how we’re going to play. I just can’t wait to get on the court and start implementing things we want to do offensively to help us grow and take it another level.”

On tailoring systems to the roster:

“I think you have a philosophy on both ends of the floor, but you have to make sure it fits with your personnel, so it’s ever-evolving, and it will be [ever-evolving] here. Once our roster is final, our staff is final, we’ll lay the groundwork, the foundation for what we’re gonna do going forward as a unit.”

On improving defensive shortcomings:

“I thought what the group did this past year in the playoffs, it just shows their potential. And not just defensively, but offensively, too. I’m looking forward to putting a plan in place.”

On pairing Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson:

“Once I get my staff together and we dive more into it, we’ll figure out all those types of things. I’m excited that they’re both on the team because they’re two different players. Mitch is a vertical threat. KAT, as you know, is a space threat. And so to have the versatility that those two guys bring to the table is gonna be a lot of fun.”

On coaching Jalen Brunson:

“To have a guy like Jalen out there gives you the versatility to play all different kinds of ways, which is what it’s going to take over the course of a ballgame.”

On addressing last year’s second-half offensive drop-off:

“I thought Tom Thibodeau did a great job and the guys did a fantastic job last year. But I’m looking forward.”

On why he was fired by the Kings last season:

“I don’t even get into it. That’s behind me. I’m excited about being here in New York.”

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...a-winning-culture-that-produces-championships

 

[New York Knicks]

Former Knick Carmelo Anthony revealed as a cover athlete for 2K26

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The New York Knicks have finally done it. They’ve at last gotten a former Knick to be on the cover of an NBA 2K game, as it was announced earlier today that former Knick, Carmelo Anthony, will grace the cover of NBA 2K26’s Superstar Edition. Now, technically, this isn’t the first time a former Knick has graced the cover of the popular video game franchise.

Anthony joins the one and only Danilo Gallinari, who was the cover athlete for NBA 2K17’s Italy edition. But he did so while wearing a Denver Nuggets jersey, making this the first time ever that a player wearing a Knicks jersey will headline the annually released game.

Current Knick Karl-Anthony Towns has also appeared on two spin-off games, while fellow New York star Sabrina Ionescu was on the cover of the WNBA version of NBA 2K24.

Stay ME7O. Stay legendary.

Carmelo Anthony is your #NBA2K26 Superstar Edition Cover Athlete!

Pre-order NBA 2K26 today! pic.twitter.com/eNeUJYZwLT

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 9, 2025​

Anthony, who made multiple All-Stars during his seven-season tenure as a Knick, will be joined by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who will be on the cover of the standard edition, and WNBA All-Star Angel Reese, who will be on the cover of the WNBA version. And on their new “Leave No Doubt” edition of the game, all three will be on the cover. The standard edition will be available in stores on September 5, while the Superstar and “Leave No Doubt” versions will be available as early as August 29.

2K26 is now the fourth video game cover he has appeared on, with NCAA March Madness 2004, NBA Live 2005, and NBA Street Homecourt, already on his resume.

This is just the latest in what has thus been a very successful year for the former star, who not only was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year, but will also be featured as one of the stars of NBC’s returning NBA coverage next season.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...-anthony-revealed-as-a-cover-athlete-for-2k26

 

[New York Knicks]

Who Really Wore it Best? #32 Jerry Lucas vs. #34 Charles Oakley

Dr. Memory vs. Oak Tree

I’m going to make an executive decision and go out on a limb here by giving Bernard King the win over Malik Rose if we had run a WRWIB matchup between #30 and #31. So, instead, this week's matchup is a much more compelling duel between Jerry Lucas and Charles Oakley.

I love the matchups that stir debate between Knicks generations. Oakley vs. Lucas couldn’t present a better example, It makes for an exciting first-round matchup, with the winner set to go head-to-head with Allan Houston in Round 2.

#32 Jerry Lucas — It really was a no contest between Lucas, Xavier McDaniel, and Herb Williams for WWIB #32. If you were to look up Lucas’s list of accomplishments as a professional basketball player, it would appear endless, and that’s because it nearly is. Lucas was a 7x All-Star, and NBA and NCAA champion. He made the All-NBA First Team three times, and the Second Team twice. Lucas also won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1960, and perhaps most impressive was his inclusion on both the NBA’s 50th and 75th Greatest Players of All Time lists. Twice, Lucas averaged more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in a single season, and over his career he averaged 17 points and 15.6 rebounds per game.

In 1971, the Knicks acquired the sharp-shooting big man in exchange for Cazzie Russell. Initially, the Knicks intended for Lucas to back up Willis Reed, but when Reed suffered a season-ending injury early in the 1971-72 season, Lucas stepped into the starting lineup as the league’s smallest center. Despite skepticism from fans and journalists, Lucas silenced his critics by delivering one of the best seasons of his career. He led the Knicks in rebounding and shooting accuracy and finished second in scoring and assists behind Walt Frazier.

Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images

What made Lucas truly astonishing on the court was his versatility. Despite standing at 6’8’’, he was a walking double-double and one of the league’s best long-range shooters long before the three-point line had been introduced by the NBA, causing teams to change their defensive strategies by sending their big men well beyond today’s three-point line to guard him, which in turn would clear out the lane for the offense.

The following year, Lucas’s second in New York, with a healthy Reed back in the starting lineup, Lucas was relegated back to the bench for the first time in his career. Lucas still played a pivotal role for the Knicks championship team of 1973, and that championship placed him in the upper echelon of winning a championship at every level of the game – high school, college, the Olympics, and the NBA.

Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

#34 Charles Oakley — If Lucas had some competition between McDaniel, and Williams, then it’s fair to say it was a romp for Oak over Eddy Curry and Antonio McDyess. Oak earned all but 7 of the 164 total votes from WWIB #34.

Acquired by the Knicks in 1988 through via trade with the Chicago Bulls for center Bill Cartwright, Charles Oakley wasted no time carving out his identity in New York. He quickly established himself as one of the NBA’s most feared enforcers, an immovable presence in the paint who brought a no-nonsense attitude to every possession. Opponents who dared venture into his territory were almost always met with punishing contact and a reminder that nothing came easy at Madison Square Garden.

Oakley wasn’t just muscle. He was the heart and soul of those tough, defensive-minded Knicks teams of the ‘90s. When a teammate hit the floor or a scuffle broke out, which seemed to be a regular occurrence during that era, it was Oakley who stepped in first, unafraid to put his body or reputation on the line. His toughness became symbolic of the Knicks’ identity: gritty, unrelenting, and unapologetically physical.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Leadership came naturally to Oakley, and it didn’t go unnoticed. In the Knicks’ storied history dating back to 1946, only 36 players have been awarded the honor of team captain. Oakley joined that exclusive group, sharing the title with Patrick Ewing during the Knicks’ memorable 1994 NBA Finals run. His captaincy was more than ceremonial—it reflected his influence in the locker room and his unwavering commitment to team-first basketball. Oakley continued in that leadership role for years, setting the tone both on and off the court until his departure in 1998.

To this day, Oakley is still a fan favorite (even if he is banned from MSG) and remains a lasting symbol of an era when Knicks basketball was defined by its toughness, loyalty, and refusal to back down from anyone.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...e-it-best-32-jerry-lucas-vs-34-charles-oakley