Insider Believes Knicks Rookie Could Join Roster

The New York Knicks could open up a roster spot for their second-round pick.

Jeremy Brener | 6 Hours Ago

Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Keon Johnson (Tennessee) walks off the stage after being selected as the number twenty-one overall pick by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks currently have just 12 guaranteed contracts on the roster, but they could look to add some more up to 15.

There's a good chance that Landry Shamet, who has a non-guaranteed deal, will eventually be on the roster by the start of the season, but that still leaves two more spots.

Another potential route the Knicks could take toward filling out the roster is converting one of the team's two-way contracts into a fully-fledged deal. SNY insider Ian Begley believes that the Knicks could do that with rookie center Ariel Hukporti.

Hukporti, 22, was the final pick of the 2024 NBA Draft and he signed a two-way contract with the Knicks earlier in the offseason. He appeared with the Knicks during the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 8.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Hukporti is from Germany, but his family is from Togo, making him the first player of Togolese descent to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Hukporti has been in the professional ranks since 2018 when he played for Riesen Ludwigsberg. He spent two years with the team before moving to Lithuania to play with Nevėžis Kėdainiai. After one season with the club, Hukporti spent three years with Melbourne United in Australia's NBL, where many of the league's top draft picks have gone to play over the past few seasons.

Given the team's center depth, it makes sense for Hukporti to be converted to a standard contract rather than the injured Kevin McCullar Jr. or second-year pro Jacob Toppin. However, Hukporti is very much a project even with his experience overseas. The Knicks could decide to go in another route by signing someone else, but they could save a lot of money and keep it in the family by promoting Hukporti.

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Published 6 Hours Ago

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.