Knicks Sign DaQuan Jeffries, Mamadi Diakite to 10-Day Contracts - NBA Tracker

Knicks Sign DaQuan Jeffries, Mamadi Diakite to 10-Day Contracts - NBA Tracker

MARCH 14 KNICKS SIGN TWO TO 10-DAYS

The New York Knicks announced on Thursday that DaQuan Jeffries and Mamadi Diakite to 10-day contracts.

Jeffries has been in and out of the Knicks' system over the past two years and appeared in 13 games with the NBA club earlier this season. In that (playing just under three minutes a game), Jeffries averaged 0.8 points and 0.4 rebounds while getting most of his work done on the G League level, where he's putting up 22 and 5.9 respectively in 14 regular season appearances with Westchester.

Joining Jeffries is Diakite, who was also stationed in Westchester and averaging 12 points and 8.6 rebounds in seven showings. Diakite previously made 14 appearances with the Milwaukee Bucks' championship group in 2021 and also partook in three games with the San Antonio Spurs earlier this season.

MARCH 12 PAYNE REPORTEDLY FIRED BY LOUISVILLE 

Per insider Jeff Goodman of Field of 68, the Lousiville Cardinals men's basketball program is expected to part ways with head coach Kenny Payne. 

The 57-year-old spent the first two seasons of the New York Knicks' Tom Thibodeau era as an assistant coach and struggled mightily at the helm of the Cardinals, going 12-53 in two seasons (including 5-35 in ACC play). If this is truly the end for Payne, his tenure ended with a 94-85 loss to North Carolina State in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.

MARCH 11 MAXEY RETURNS FOR DOUBLEHEADER CLOSER VS KNICKS 

The Philadelphia 76ers will be taking it to the Max as they go for a sweep of a speedy doubleheader with the New York Knicks on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Maxey has cleared concussion protocol and will return on Tuesday against the Knicks after a four-game absence. Maxey, fresh off All-Star honors, is averaging 26 points and a team-best 6.3 assists and has mostly been tasked with carrying the load in the wake of Joel Embiid's continued departure.

Philadelphia (36-28) currently ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt after earning a 79-73 victory over the Knicks on Sunday night at MSG. Tuesday's game will be the fourth and final meeting between the divisional rivals this season.

MARCH 9 PACERS' MATHURIN DONE FOR THE YEAR

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Indiana Pacers will lose rising star Bennedict Mathurin for the rest of the season. The sophomore depth piece has opted to undergo shoulder surgery, was averaging 14.5 points on over 44 percent shooting in 59 appearances this season.

Indiana (35-29) is at the tail-end of a five-team logjam led by the Knicks in a train that takes up the fourth-through-eighth spots in the current Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers face No. 5 Orlando on Sunday evening (6 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Indiana).

MARCH 6 GIBSON SIGNS 10-DAY WITH PISTONS

In a bit of a twist, the Detroit Pistons are now signing former New York Knicks.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Detroit is set to sign Taj Gibson to a 10-day contract. Gibson, 38, previously signed two such deals with the Knicks and averaged 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 points in 16 appearances this season. Prior to his Detroit entry, Gibson hinted that he would mind yet another stop with the Knicks, who previously hosted him for three full seasons (2019-22).

MARCH 3 DONOVAN MITCHELL QUESTIONABLE  VS. KNICKS 

The New York Knicks are set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, but they may be granted a reprieve.

Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell is questionable for the game, according to coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

Mitchell sat out of Friday's game with a knee injury, which could hold him out again tonight.

The Knicks and Cavs are set to tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

FEBRUARY 26 PAUL POISED TO PLAY THURSDAY VS KNICKS

The New York Knicks' upcoming interconference showdown with the Golden State Warriors is poised to gain a little extra star power: per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Paul is set to return to the Warriors Tuesday tilt against the Washington Wizards, which would put him on pace to play two nights later against the Knicks. 

Paul, 38, has not played since Jan. 5 due to a fractured hand. Golden State has begun to get it together in his absence, posting a 12-9 record in that span and establishing high ground above the Western Conference elimination picture. 

FEBRUARY 25 PELICANS LOSE ALVARADO FOR TUESDAY VS KNICKS

The New Orleans Pelicans will be missing one of their reserves for their Tuesday night visit to Madison Square Garden.

Jose Alvarado was one of five players disciplined by the NBA on Sunday for their roles in an altercation that marred a Saturday game between the Pelicans and Miami Heat. Alvarado was dealt one of the biggest punishments, suspended three games (along with Miami's Thomas Bryant) for leaving the bench area to join a fracas ignited by Kevin Love's hard foul on Zion Williams in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. That will keep Alvarado out of the Pelicans' Tuesday game against the Knicks, as well as a Wednesday visit to Indiana. The suspensions begin on Sunday, as the Pelicans are facing the Chicago Bulls (Naji Marshall also was charged one game).

Miami (who also lost Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic for a game) won Saturday's game 105-96.

FEBRUARY 23 ARCIDIACONO BACK WITH BULLS ORGANIZATION

This Cat won't be coming home, at least not this season. 

Per Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, Ryan Arcidiacono has returned to the Chicago Bulls organization, signing with G League Windy City on Friday. While he played sparingly in New York, Arcidiacono has earned a bit of a cult following among Knicks thanks in part to his friendships with college teammates Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart. The quartet served as stars at Villanova University and partook in a run to the 2016 national championship.

Arcidiacono spent the first four seasons of his professional career (2017-21) within the Bulls organization, playing for both Chicago and Windy City. The best season of his professional career came with the Bulls in 2018-19, as he appeared in 81 games (32 starts) and averaged 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. 

Windy City is coming off a 98-84 win over the Knicks' affiliate from Westchester on Thursday. It'll return to action with Arcidiacono in tow on Saturday at home against the Indiana Mad Ants (9 p.m. ET, Tubi).

FEBRUARY 20 NETS SIGN KNICKS G LEAGUER MARTIN

Per The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Brooklyn Nets are set to sign Jaylen Martin from the roster of the New York Knicks' G League affiliate in Westchester. By moving to Brooklyn, Martin reunites with new Nets head coach Kevin Ollie, who served as his supervisor at Overtime Elite prior to his professional entry. 

Martin a protege of former Knicks star Charlie Ward in high school, averaged 15 points on over 54 percent from the field in 15 regular season appearances (8 starts) with Westchester and scored 39 in three appearances with New York's Summer League group in Las Vegas.

FEBRUARY 19 NETS FIRE VAUGHN, OLLIE TO SERVE AS INTERIM

The New York Knicks' cross-borough rivals are making a change in the head coaching spot.

Jacque Vaughn was fired as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, removed after a season-plus of his second term with the team. Assistant coach Kevin Ollie, who previously played for the Nets' New Jersey incarnation and guided the University of Connecticut to a national championship in 2014, will take over on an interim basis.

Vaughn, 49, amassed a 64-65 record over the last two seasons and guided the Nets into the sixth seed of last year's playoffs, where they were swept by Philadelphia. He previously served as the Nets' interim boss at the end of the 2019-20 season following the firing of Kenny Atkinson. Per SNY's Ian Begley, "several players had lost confidence in Vaughn amid the Nets’ struggles and that his presence "could hinder their chances at landing a top player." 

The Nets (21-33) are working through their first full season since moving on from their core led by Kevin Durant and James Harden. Brooklyn lost 18 of its final 24 under Vaughn, including a 50-point blowout loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics last Wednesday night. 

Ollie's first game at the helm lands on Thursday when the Nets head north to face the Toronto Raptors (7 p.m. ET, YES). Two visits to Madison Square Garden linger on the schedule, the first coming on March 23.

FEBRUARY 15 KNICKS EX GALLINARI JOINS MILWAUKEE

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed a former New York Knick to prepare for a crucial stretch run.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Milwaukee has added Danilo Gallinari on a contract that runs through the rest of the season. Thus continues Gallinari's 16th NBA season, one that began with the Washington Wizards after he was involved in the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. He was involved in another trade in January when he and Mike Muscala were sent to Detroit but was released last week.

The Bucks (35-20) currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of the Knicks in fourth.

FEBRUARY 9 TAJ GIBSON SIGNS NEW CONTRACT WITH KNICKS The New York Knicks are bringing Taj Gibson back for another run.

After his 10-day contract expired, The Athletic's Fred Katz reported that the team has signing Gibson to another. With the frontcourt devastated by injuries to Isaiah Hartenstein and Julius Randle, Gibson played 13 minutes on Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies and 22 minutes last night against the Dallas Mavericks.

FEBRUARY 6 EMBIID OUT FOR KNICKS' VISIT, FORESEEABLE FUTURE 

The Philadelphia 76ers won't have the reigning NBA MVP on their side for the foreseeable future.

Philadelphia announced that Embiid underwent a knee procedure on Tuesday morning and will be out for at least four weeks before being reevaluated. That wipes out the possibility of Embiid facing the New York Knicks on Feb. 22, which will serve as the first post-All-Star break game for each side. Embiid will also need a replacement for the All-Star Game itself, as he was selected to be one of the five Eastern Conference starters. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, "there's belief that the door remains open for Embiid's return in the regular season." The 76ers (30-19) currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and are mired in a severe rut, having dropped six of their past seven. Entering Tuesday night, the Sixers are 1.5 games behind the Knicks for fourth and 3.5 ahead of Orlando and Eastern Play-In Tournament territory.

Philadelphia returns to action Wednesday night at home against the Golden State Warriors (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

FEBRUARY 5 BRUNSON'S FOUR FOR THREE-POINT CONTEST REVEALED

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will face some stiff competition as he seeks to become the first Manhattanite to win the NBA's Three-Point Contest.

Per Shams Charania, Brunson will be joined by Malik Beasley (Milwaukee), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana), Damian Lillard (Milwaukee), and Lauri Markkanen (Utah). In addition to facing Haliburton, who will have fans on his side as a member of the hosting Indiana Pacers, Brunson will face the fifth-most accurate three-pointer shooter this season (Beasley), the event's defending champion (Lillard), and the most recent Most Improved Player (Markkanen). 

The Three-Point Contest will be staged on Feb. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium as part of All-Star Saturday.

FEBRUARY 4 JOEL OUT

The Knicks are presently in the No. 4 slot in the NBA East, with the Philadelphia 76ers in the No. 5 slot. 

For the Sixers, that is likely about to change, as center Joel Embiid will undergo an knee surgery this week, with the Sixers not yet saying how long the MVP candidate might be out.

The 76ers are 4-10 without Embiid this season.

Embiid is the NBA’s leading scorer at 35.3 points per game and is averaging 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

JANUARY 29 BALL OUT MONDAY VS KNICKS

The Charlotte Hornets announced that LaMelo Ball (ankle) will not appear in Monday night's game against the New York Knicks (7 p.m. ET, MSG), keeping him sidelined for the second consecutive game. Ball, who has appeared in only 22 games this season, is the Hornets' leading scorer at 23.9 points a game, scoring a combined total of 66 in two prior matchups against the Knicks this year.

JANUARY 29 "OPTIMISM" FOR HALIBURTON'S RETURN FOR MSG VISIT

If things keep trending in the current direction, there will be no shortage of star power and headlines for the New York Knicks' Thursday night tilt against the Indiana Pacers. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Tyrese Haliburton is set to make his return from injury when the Pacers face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), which would put him on pace to partake in the Thursday visit to Madison Square Garden.

Haliburton has missed 10 of the last 11 games with a hamstring injury and was recently named a starter for the Eastern Conference for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, which will be held in Indianapolis. Thursday will also mark Obi Toppin's first visit to MSG since a July trade sent him to Indianapolis in exchange for two draft picks. 

JANUARY 27 REDDISH OUT TWO WEEKS, WILL MISS MSG VISIT

There will be no homecoming for Cam Reddish next weekend.

Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the Los Angeles Lakers forward will miss at least the next two weeks with a right ankle sprain. While Reddish will be re-evaluated at that point, that will definitely keep him out of the Lakers' upcoming visit to Madison Square Garden next Saturday. It would've been Reddish's first time at MSG since the Knicks traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers for Josh Hart.

Reddish, 24, had found a bit of a defensive niche in Los Angeles as he seeks to reclaim the narrative on his NBA career after struggling to live up to his top 10 pick billing in Atlanta, New York, and Portland. He appeared in 35 games (8 starts) in parts of two seasons with the Knicks, averaging 7.4 points and 1.5 rebounds.

JANUARY 26 JOKIC TO MISS EMBIID SHOWDOWN AFTER EYE POKE VS KNICKS?

The defending champion Denver Nuggets might have endured big losses in more ways than one on Thursday night.

Denver was on the wrong end of a 112-84 shellacking at the hands of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden despite a 31-point, 11-rebound out from two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. While Jokic did lose seven turnovers in defeat, his 13-of-18 shooting output from the field was perhaps made all the more impressive by the fact he was nursing an eye injury over the latter stages of the game after he was accidentally poked Donte DiVincenzo. Jokic was able to finish the game, but Tim Bontemps of ESPN offered a scary update in the aftermath.

"Nikola Jokic's eye was clearly red after getting accidentally poked in it by Donte DiVincenzo in the first half of tonight's game," Bontemps wrote on X. "He said after it initially felt better, it felt worse postgame."

Bontemps said it was "unclear" whether Jokic would have to sit out of the Nuggets' next game on Saturday, as he was set to face fellow MVP Joel Embiid in a nationally televised showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC).  

JANUARY 23 BUCKS FIRE ADRIAN GRIFFIN, DOC RIVERS TO FOLLOW?

One of the Eastern Conference's most prolific contenders is making a coaching change.

Per Adrian Wojnarowksi and Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks have dismissed first-year head coach Adrian Griffin after only 43 games at the helm. Both have also reported that the Bucks (30-13) could have eyes on former Knick Doc Rivers, who is currently stationed among ESPN's lead broadcasting group alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke. Joe Prunty is expected to take over as the team's interim boss in the meantime.

Entering Tuesday night play, the Bucks sit in second place in the Eastern Conference, 3.5 games behind top-ranked Boston. Griffin was in his first year with the team after the dismissal of Mike Budenholzer following an upset loss to eighth-seeded Miami in the opening round of last year's playoffs. The Bucks had won their past two games but swept a back-to-back over lowly Detroit by a mere 15 points combined.

Milwaukee owns a 3-1 record against the Knicks this season with one more match scheduled for April 7 at Fiserv Forum. 

JANUARY 17 SIAKAM TO PACERS IN TRADE WITH RAPTORS

The Indiana Pacers shored up their playoff prospects with help from one of the New York Knicks' division rivals and previous collaborators.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Indiana has obtained two-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam from the Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown Jr., Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks. Siakam now joins an Indiana group battling the Knicks for postseason real estate and trying to hold its own since the injury to Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana (23-17) has gone 2-2 in Haliburton's absence. 

In the midst of his eighth NBA season, Siakam averaged 22.2 points and 6.3 rebounds over 39 games with the Raptors this season. He was part of the Raptors' 2018-19 championship and has led the NBA in minutes per game in each of the last two seasons.

Entering Wednesday night play, the Pacers and Knicks are tied for the last of the six automatic Eastern Conference playoff spots. 

JANUARY 9 MORANT OUT VS. KNICKS, DONE FOR SEASON 

Ja Morant's season is over almost as suddenly as it began.

The Memphis Grizzlies announced that their embattled franchise face will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season after suffering a "subluxation of his right shoulder," per a team release. Morant, who had recently returned from a 25-game suspension for several firearm-related incidents, averaged 25.1 points and 8.1 assists in nine appearances this season.

Memphis (13-23) posted a 6-3 record in games where Morant was on the floor. The Grizzlies are set to face the New York Knicks on Saturday in the latter half of a weekend back-to-back at home, which begins on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers (8 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Southeast). 

JANUARY 8 HALIBURTON HELPED OFF VS CELTICS, DIAGNOSED WITH HAMSTRING STRAIN 

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, has been ruled out for the remainder of Monday's game against the Boston Celtics with a hamstring strain, the team announced. 

Haliburton, one of the NBA's most prominent breakout stars of the 2023-24 season and the current leader in All-Star Game fan votes among Eastern Conference guards, slipped on a drive during first quarter action and required teammates to carry him off the floor and into the locker room. 

Indiana leads Boston 103-101 after three quarters. 

JANUARY 7 KNICKS WAIVE GIBSON 

Per Fred Katz of The Athletic, the New York Knicks will waive center/forward Taj Gibson. A longtime follower of head coach Tom Thibodeau, Gibson was brought into Manhattan to add size in the wake of Mitchell Robinson's injury, returning to New York after three prior seasons in New York (2019-22). In 10 games, Gibson averaged 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in just under 10 minutes a game.

JANUARY 6 KNICKS G LEAGUER LANDS TWO-WAY WITH LAKERS AFTER BIG GAME IN WESTCHESTER 

The Westchester Knicks fell on Friday but Dylan Windler emerged as one of the biggest winners of Friday's NBA G League action.

Windler set a G League record with 33 rebounds in a single game, pairing it with 22 points in a 128-121 loss to Philadelphia's affiliate from Delaware on Friday night. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has since reported that Windler has signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

A first-round pick of Cleveland's in 2019, Windler appeared in three games for the Knicks this season, all in mop-up duty. He averaged 13.5 points and shot over 37 percent from three-point range in Westchester's victorious run to the G League Showcase Cup over the holiday season.

JANUARY 1 KNICKS WAIVE DMYTRO SKAPINTSEV 

Per Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks have waived Dmytro Skapintsev, opening up one of their two-way contract slots. Skapintsev was called up from G League Westchester to shore up interior depth after Mitchell Robinson's potentially season-ending injury. 

The Ukranian-born center appeared in two NBA games, the first of his career, and is averaging 5.9 points with 4.4 rebounds in 13 games with the Knicks' prospects this year. 

DECEMBER 30 TORONTO'S BARRETT/ QUICKLEY ERA UNOFFICIALLY BEGINS WITH LOSS 

Hours after they traded for former Knicks stars RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, the Toronto Raptors ended up on the wrong side of history.

Cade Cunningham (30 points, 12 assists) and Jalen Duren (18 points, 17 rebounds) each had double-doubles as the Detroit Pistons ended their NBA record-tying 28-game losing streak with a 129-127 victory over Toronto. It marks the Pistons' first win since Oct. 28.

Neither Barrett nor Quickley played for undermanned Toronto (13-19), which was paced by 32 points for Pascal Siakam. The Raptors return to action at home on Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers (7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet)

DECEMBER 28 A-ROD SET TO TAKE CONTROLLING INTEREST OF T'WOLVES 

It's a Wob Bomb for A-Rod.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez is set to take over a controlling interest in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx franchises alongside his business partner, Staten Island-born entrepreneur Marc Lore, pending NBA Board of Governors approval. The duo previously purchased minority shares of the teams from current owner Glen Taylor in 2021.

Rodriguez, 48, is a 14-time MLB All-Star and is perhaps best known for his 12-year tenure with the Bronx Bombers. He takes over the Timberwolves as the team has ascended to the top of the Western Conference standings behind the efforts of young stars Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.

DECEMBER 27 BULLS' VUCEVIC OUT A WEEK; PLAY VS. KNICKS? 

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is hitting the sidelines for a bit.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Vucevic is dealing with a groin strain that will keep him out for 7-10 days, cutting it close for the Bulls' visit to Madison Square Garden on Jan. 3. The Knicks have dealt with interior injury issues of their own, potentially losing starter Mitchell Robinson for the season with an ankle ailment. 

DECEMBER 24 ANTETOKOUNMPO PROBABLE FOR CHRISTMAS 

Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the Milwaukee Bucks' injury report as the team prepares to make its way back to Madison Square Garden for a Christmas Day showdown with the New York Knicks (12 p.m. ET, ESPN). Antetokounmpo is listed as probable with a foot sprain but is expected to partake in the fourth showdown with New York. Elsewhere on the Bucks' ailment list, MarJon Beauchamp (elbow) is also probable while Jae Crowder (adductor) is out.

DECEMBER 23 KNICKS ADJUST TWO-WAY DEALS 

To help combat Mitchell Robinson's injury, the New York have adjusted their two-way contracts, signing Dmytro Skapintsev and waiving Jaylen Martin. New York has sought frontcourt depth following reports that Robinson (ankle) may be done for the season and that Jericho Sims (ankle) will miss a week or two. 

Skapintsev, 25, has spent the past two seasons with the Knicks' G League affiliate in Westchester and was one of the relative breakout stars of the team's most recent Summer League showing in Las Vegas. In 13 games with Westchester this season, which recently ended in a G League Showcase Cup title, Skapintsev has avered 5.9 points and 4.4 rebounds. He averaged 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in just over 17 minutes off the bench in Summer League action. 

Martin, 19, became somewhat well-known to Knicks fans for playing under former mainstay Charlie Ward at Florida State University School in his native Tallahassee. He had not appeared in any games for the NBA club but has averaged 9.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16 appearances (5 starts) with Westchester.

DECEMBER 22 WESTCHESTER WINS G LEAGUE SHOWCASE CUP 

The Westchester Knicks, New York's affiliate in the NBA G League, have prevailed in the Showcase Cup in-season competition by topping the Indiana Mad Ants 107-99 on Friday night in Orlando. Jacob Toppin led the way with 23 points for Westchester, just ahead of the 20 for Charlie Brown Jr. Both Dylan Windler (16 points, 16 rebounds) and Brandon Goodwin (13 points, 13 assists). Former New York Knick Elfrid Payton had 10 points and six assists for the Mad Ants, the Indiana Pacers' prospects. 

In a broader standings sense, Westchester (13-4) has won three in a row and currently sits atop the G League's East division. They'll return to action against Toronto's affiliate, Raptors 905, on Wednesday night at Westchester County Center (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+). 

DECEMBER 18 LEBRON, AD QUESTIONABLE VS. KNICKS 

The New York Knicks play the second of their Tinseltown games tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET, MSG), and they may not have to play two of their opponent's best players.

LeBron James (calf) and Anthony Davis (adductor, hip) are both listed as questionable for tonight's game. They join Christian Wood (illness) in the questionable category. D'Angelo Russell (illness) and Jarred Vanderbilt (back) are probable. Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) and Gabe Vincent (knee) are out.

DECEMBER 16 PAUL GEORGE QUESTIONABLE VS. KNICKS

 The New York Knicks are back in action on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET, MSG), who could be playing without one of their best players as Paul George (groin, hip) is listed as questionable on the injury report. 

George missed Thursday's game against the Sacramento Kings and could be in danger of missing his second consecutive game.

DECEMBER 16 BRADLEY BEAL LEAVES GAME VS KNICKS 

The Phoenix Suns' big three era ended as quickly as it began.

Point guard Bradley Beal left Friday's game between the Suns and New York Knicks with a right ankle injury, landing awkwardly on a defending Donte DiVincenzo on a successful three-pointer attempt in the first period. Phoenix has since ruled Beal out for the remainder of the game.

Friday marked only the second game where the Suns had all three members of their headlining trio available, with Beal joined by Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. DiVincenzo was charged with a flagrant foul upon review and Beal briefly stayed in the game to sink a successful free throw attempt before he was replaced by Nassir Little.

Despite Beal's absence, Phoenix leads the Knicks 99-97 heading into the fourth quarter.

DECEMBER 15 DYLAN WINDLER SIGNS WITH G LEAGUE WESTCHESTER 

The New York Knicks parted ways with Dylan Windler earlier this week upon signing Taj Gibson, but it appears he'll be sticking around the organization in a different role.

The Westchester Knicks announced that they had signed Windler, and he was in the starting lineup for the team in its game tonight against the Capital City Go-Go. Windler, a 2019 first-round pick of Cleveland's, appeared in three games with the NBA club this season.

DECEMBER 13 KNICKS WELCOME BACK GIBSON 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks have re-added forward Taj Gibson on a one-year deal. Gibson, a Brooklyn native, previously partook in three seasons with the Knicks (2019-22) and served with the Washington Wizards last year.

The signing of the 6-9 Gibson should help shore up the Knicks' size in the wake of Mitchell Robinson's injury; the starting center is set to miss 8-to-10 weeks after undergoing ankle surgery.

New York (13-9) returns to action on Wednesday night when they face the Utah Jazz (9 p.m. ET, MSG).

DECEMBER 10 FEVER LAND TOP PICK AT WNBA DRAFT 

The Indiana Fever hit the jackpot at the 2024 WNBA Draft Lottery on Sunday late afternoon, as they were bestowed the top pick that many foresee being used on Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark. Indiana was represented by last year's top overall pick and reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston. The Fever had the top odds based on a cumulative two-year record of 18-58 and beat out the Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, and Seattle.

In local affairs, the New York Liberty hold the 11th pick in the draft, which will be held on Apr. 15.

DECEMBER 8 DIVINCENZO STARTS OVER GRIMES IN BOSTON 

The New York Knicks adjusted their starting lineup on Friday night against Boston, inserting Donte DiVincenzo at shooting guard over Quentin Grimes. DiVincenzo, a first-year Knicks, previously made two starts in place of an injured Grimes on Nov. 17-18 in Washington and Charlotte. 

Grimes had been in the Knicks' starting lineup in each of his last 83 regular season appearances, having been a staple among the five since taking over for Evan Fournier in the early stages of last season. The third-year man and 2021 first-round pick had recently expressed concerns with his role on the current team and had been struggling since returning from the aforementioned two-game absence due to a wrist injury (averaging 2.3 points on less than 18 percent from the field over the past seven).

The Knicks trail Boston 33-32 after the first quarter.

DECEMBER 8 PORZINGIS AVAILABLE FOR EXTRA CELTICS SHOWDOWN 

The Boston Celtics announced that Kristaps Porzingis (calf) will be available for Friday night's showdown against his original NBA employers, the New York Knicks, at TD Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV). Porzingis, in the midst of his first season in Boston, has not played since Boston's Nov. 24 loss to Orlando. 

The Knicks have felt Porzingis' wrath in their first two meetings against the Celtics: the eighth-year Latvian professional has earned a combined 51 points (on over 57 percent shooting from the field) and 14 rebounds in that first couple, both Boston victories.

DECEMBER 7 LAVINE OUT AMIDST TRADE RUMORS 

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine will miss extended action amidst trade rumors, as the team announced he would be missing three-to-four weeks due to a foot injury on Wednesday night after a 111-100 win over Charlotte. LaVine had missed the past three games, all Chicago victories, with the ailment. 

As the Bulls (8-14) continue to falter outside the Eastern Conference postseason picture, the idea of tearing things down has become more prevalent and the Knicks have lingered in the gossip mill for the services of either LaVine or DeMar DeRozan. LaVine, a Klutch Sports client, is reportedly uninterested in coming to the Knicks due to president Leon Rose's connections to Creative Artists Agency.

DECEMBER 4 RANDLE WINS EASTERN CONFERENCE POTW 

Julius Randle is tipping off the holiday season on a high note, as the New York Knicks' two-time All-Star forward has been bestowed the Eastern Conference's Play of the Week Award for the span of Nov. 27 through Dec. 3. Randle is the second New Yorker to earn the honor this season, joining Jalen Brunson (Nov. 13-19). 

Randle continues to rise from early season woes, as his efforts guided the Knicks (12-7) to three consecutive victories this week. He averaged a double-double at 24.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in the trio, headlined by a 25-20 effort in last Monday's win over Charlotte. With that performance, Randle became the first New Yorker to post a 20-20 game since Enes Kanter Freedom in 2018. 

Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox took home the Western Conference edition.

DECEMBER 3 PORZINGIS TO MISS CELTICS' IST QUARTERFINAL 

The Boston Celtics will be missing one of their most valuable newcomers as they seek in-season glory on Monday night: the team announced that former New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis (calf) would not play against the Indiana Pacers (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) in the first quarterfinal of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. 

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla labeled Porzingis "day-to-day" in comments obtained by Cameron Tabatabaie of Celtics Wire.

“He didn’t practice yesterday,” Mazzulla said. “But he got on the court before practice. His status hasn’t been updated as far as if we’ll be ready for money."

"Money," of course, refers to the ultimate prize afforded to the In-Season Tournament's champions, with each member of the winning team getting $500,000. The winner of the Boston-Indiana tilt will face the victor of a Tuesday tilt between the Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas, which will also host the championship final on Saturday night.

DECEMBER 2 JALEN BRUNSON LEADING IN CHARGES DRAWN 

Jalen Brunson has emerged into the undisputed leader for the New York Knicks, but he's also laying it all out on the line.

According to Tommy Beer, Brunson alone has drawn more charges than 22 teams.

Jalen Brunson has drawn 14 charges this season.

That's more than 22 other NBA TEAMS!!!

Total number of charges drawn this season:
Heat: 15
Mavs: 15
JALEN BRUNSON: 14
Thunder: 14
Lakers: 13
Hawks: 11
Bulls: 11
Clippers:11
Grizz: 10
Spurs: 10
Pistons: 8
Suns: 8
Hornets: 7
Jazz:…

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) December 2, 2023

Brunson has stopped many points by taking one for the team, and it's a stat that often gets overlooked. However, Brunson is proving how valuable it can truly be.

NOVEMBER 30 BOGANOVIC OUT VS KNICKS, LIKELY TO DEBUT SATURDAY

Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic will not play in the team's visit to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG), but could instead make his season debut on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Bogdanovic has yet to play this season due to a calf strain, which has prevented him from building upon a career-best in scoring set last season (21.6 a game).  

NOVEMBER 28 RANDLE VICTIMIZED BY L2M REPORT VS PHOENIX 

Sunday's 116-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns didn't have to be so heartbreaking for the New York Knicks. 

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report from the Knicks' interconference defeat declared that two calls against forward Julius Randle were missed as New York forced a late tie that eventually led to Devin Booker's game-winning triple in the penultimate second. Randle was ruled to be in the paint for longer than three seconds on the possession that eventually yielded Jalen Brunson's game-tying jumper with 21 seconds remaining. The correct call would've been a three-second violation that would've sent the ball back to Phoenix's end with a two-point lead. 

Randle also avoided a whistle on Phoenix's prior trip down the floor: just over 20 seconds prior, officials were said to have missed a Randle personal foul against Jusuf Nurkic, one that would've put Phoenix at the foul line and a chance to build on the two-point lead that Brunson erased. Instead, the Suns were charged with a shot clock violation that set up the point guard's equalizer.

NOVEMBER 27 KNICKS ADJUST TWO-WAY DEALS 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks will release Duane Washington Jr. from his two-way contract, which will go to former Summer League star Jaylen Martin. Washington, who signed with the organization in February after 31 games with Phoenix, had not played with either the Knicks nor their G League affiliate in Westchester this season due to a thumb injury.

The 19-year-old Martin, who played under former Knicks shooter Charlie Ward at Florida State University School, played for the Knicks' Summer League team in Las Vegas, earning 39 points on 41 percent shooting in three appearances. He has since moved onto Westchester, averaging 10.8 points and 3.3 rebounds.

NOVEMBER 27 LAMELO BALL INJURED BEFORE KNICKS CLASH 

The Charlotte Hornets may be without their franchise face LaMelo Ball when they face the Knicks on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG): the star point guard suffered an ankle injury and had to be carried off the court during Sunday's loss to Orlando and did not return. 

Per Spencer Percy of Buzz Beat, Ball's subsequent x-rays were negative but his status will likely linger in question as the Hornets come to MSG in the finale of In-Season Tournament group play for both sides. Ball is coming off ankle surgery after a different ailment ended his previous season last February. 

NOVEMBER 26 DURANT OUT VS KNICKS 

The Phoenix Suns announced that Kevin Durant (foot soreness) would miss his second consecutive game, keeping him out of the team's Sunday tilt against the New York Knicks.

Durant was listed as questionable on the pregame injury report and was said to be a game-time decision. Keita Bates-Diop stepped into his spot in the starting lineup for the second straight game.

NOVEMBER 23: JEFFRIES, MCBRIDE, SIMS STAR IN WESTCHESTER ASSIGNMENT 

New York Knicks reserves DaQuan Jeffries, Miles McBride, and Jericho Sims were each assigned to the team's G League affiliate in Westchester on Wednesday. Each took advantage of an extended opportunity in the team's final pre-Thanksgiving clash against the Brooklyn Nets' group from Long Island.

Though the Knicks fell by a 111-104 final, Jeffries put up 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting (including 5-of-10 from three-point range) while McBride was right behind him with 21. Sims pulled in 12 rebounds, half of them of the offensive variety. 

Westchester (4-2) returns to action on Saturday when they take on the Greensboro Swarm, the Charlotte Hornets' affiliate, on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m. ET, NBAGLeague.com).

NOVEMBER 20 MCDANIELS LEAVES KNICKS-WOLVES GAME 

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (right ankle sprain) has been ruled out for the remainder of the team's Monday night showdown against the Knicks. McDaniels has made a name for himself as a strong defender during the Timberwolves' scorching start to the 2023-24 season but will be missing after rolling his ankle upon landing on the foot of Karl-Anthony Towns while going for a rebound. 

Despite losing McDaniels, Minnesota leads the Knicks 58-56 at halftime in Minneapolis.

NOVEMBER 20: BRUNSON LANDS EAST POTW HONOR:

The NBA announced on Monday that Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was bestowed the Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor, earning the accolade alongside Western star De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento. It's Brunson's second such honor since joining the Knicks on a four-year, $104 million contract two summers ago.

Brunson has carried the offensive slack as the Knicks (8-5) have embarked on a five-game road trip: in the first four stages, Brunson has averaged 28.5 points and 6.5 assists while shooting a sterling 54.3 percent from three-point range. That includes consecutive 32-point showings in a weekend back-to-back, the former coming in the Knicks' first NBA In-Season Tournament victory on Friday in Washington. Brunson has earned 77 points over two In-Season Tournament games thus far.

New York has gone 3-1 on the trip so far and will have a chance to close things out on a high note on Monday night in Minnesota (8 p.m. ET, MSG).  

NOVEMBER 16 MILES BRIDGES MAKING RETURN? 

The Charlotte Hornets could see one of their players return from suspension in time for their game Saturday against the New York Knicks.

The Hornets released the following statement:

“Miles Bridges is eligible to return to our active roster on Friday after serving his NBA suspension. We are comfortable with Miles returning to play based on our current understanding of the facts of the recent allegations and remain in contact with the NBA as that matter proceeds through the court process.”

Bridges did not play last season during an investigation into an arrest for domestic violence in June 2022. He has not appeared in an NBA game since April 2022 and has since pleaded no contest to a "felony domestic violence charge of injuring a child’s parent and being sentenced to three years of probation without jail time."

Prior to the Knicks' visit, Charlotte (3-7) will face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday in Charlotte (7 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Southeast).

NOVEMBER 14 SIMMONS TO 'MISS TIME' AFTER MRI 

Ben Simmons' agent Bernie Lee says his client will "miss time" after an MRI revealed "nerve irritation on the lower left side of his body" for the Brooklyn Nets star.

"He's not experiencing anything similar to what he's gone through in the past," Lee said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. "This is something that the expectation is that with the proper kind of rehab, he’ll be able to resume his season in a short period of time without any issue."

The oft-injured Simmons is working through his second season with the Nets and averaged 10.8 rebounds and 6.5 points in six prior appearances this season. 

NOVEMBER 13 MILLER DAY-TO-DAY AFTER ANKLE INJURY VS. KNICKS 

Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller is considered day-to-day after an ankle injury forced his early exit from Sunday's game against the New York Knicks.

“He tried to come back in,” Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said, per Sam Perley of the Hornets' official site. “I think it’ll be more day-to-day. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow getting treatment and stuff and hopefully, he’s good by Tuesday.”

Miller, the second overall pick of last summer's draft, had 11 points in 10 minutes before his medically induced departure. Charlotte (3-6) returns to action on Tuesday when they face the Miami Heat as part of NBA In-Season Tournament action (7 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Southeast). 

NOVEMBER 13 MICHAEL MALONE CONTRACT EXTENSION 

A former assistant coach for the New York Knicks has some added job security.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Denver Nuggets signed Michael Malone to a contract extension, five months removed from winning the NBA Finals. Malone coached with the Knicks from 2001-05 under Don Chaney, Herb Williams, and Lenny Wilkens. 

NOVEMBER 12 KELLY OUBRE OUT 'SIGNIFICANT' TIME AFTER CAR ACCIDENT 

A rival of the New York Knicks is dealing with the aftermath of a horrific car accident.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. is suffering from broken ribs after being struck by a vehicle on Saturday in Philadelphia, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. Oubre's injuries are not considered to be season-ending.

The Knicks' next meeting against Oubre and the 76ers comes on Jan. 5 in Philadelphia.

NOVEMBER 11 WESTCHESTER WHACKS DEFENDING G LEAGUE CHAMPS 

Behind a 25-point, 13-assist double-double for Brandon Goodwin, the Westchester Knicks tipped off the 2023-24 G League season in style, downing the defending champion Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia) by a 135-103 final on Friday night. 

Duane Washington Jr. led New York with 26 points while Isaiah Roby had a double-double of his own with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Charlie Brown Jr. tallied 18 points and received his championship ring from Delaware, having played with the Blue Coats last season.

Westchester (1-0) will host its home opener against the Maine Celtics (Boston) on Sunday afternoon at Westchester County Center (3 p.m. ET, MSGSN). It'll be their first game in White Plains since 2020, having spent the past three seasons in Bridgeport, CT.

NOVEMBER 8 VASSELL IN VS KNICKS 

Per Shams Charania, Devin Vassell will dress and partake in the San Antonio Spurs' Wednesday night visit to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG) 

Vassell (groin) was originally listed as doubtful on the original injury report but reportedly partook in San Antonio's pregame warmups. He is tied for the San Antonio lead in scoring alongside Victor Wembanyama at 19.4 a game and has missed each of the Spurs' last two contests, both losses. 

NOVEMBER 7 PLUMLEE SPRAINS MCL IN RANDLE COLLISION 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles Clippers center Mason Plumlee sustained an MCL sprain in a collision with New York Knicks forward Julius Randle during the teams' Monday night tilt at Madison Square Garden. Plumlee will not play in the Clippers' Wednesday visit to Brooklyn (7:30 p.m. ET, YES) and instead will be sent back to Los Angeles for further evaluation. 

Plumee's injury occurred during second half action when fighting for the ball with Randle. The latter's low dive sent him into Plumlee's knee and the latter required assistance leaving the floor and getting to the locker room. Randle was apologetic to Plumlee before he left the floor.

The Clippers (3-3) are relatively low on interior depth, having dealt a good bit of it in the trade for James Harden. The team is currently engaged in a three-game road trip that wraps up in Dallas on Friday night.

NOVEMBER 6 CLIPPERS SIGN PRIMO BEFORE KNICKS BATTLE 

The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to debut James Harden against the New York Knicks tonight (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG), but the team has another new name on its roster.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Clippers have signed former San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo to a standard deal. He was previously on a two-way contract with the team.

Primo, 20, was cut by the San Antonio Spurs just a year after being drafted with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft following "conduct detrimental" to the NBA. Primo had reportedly been inappropriately exposing himself to women, most notably Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a former psychologist for the organization. Dr. Cauthen filed a lawsuit against the Spurs and Primo, which was settled later that November.

NOVEMBER 3 KNICKS TICKETS PRICIEST IN NBA 

If you want to attend a New York Knicks game, it's going to cost you a pretty penny.

Axios conducted a study to determine the price of four of the cheapest tickets possible, four hot dogs, two 16 oz. beers, two 20 oz. sodas and a parking spot a each of the 29 NBA arenas. The Knicks were far away in first place with a total of $745.18, over $100 more than the second-priciest team, the Golden State Warriors' Chase Center. The NBA average is just over $300.

Given the fact that the Knicks play in New York City, this doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it's proof that it's not cheap to go to a game at Madison Square Garden.

NOVEMBER 1 BARRETT OUT VS CAVS 

The Knicks have announced that RJ Barrett will not play in Thursday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a sore left knee. 

Barrett has been the Knicks' leading scorer in the early going, averaging 21 over the opening quartet. He has been one of the more durable Knicks in recent memory, playing at least 70 games in each of the last three seasons. Josh Hart is expected to start in Barrett's place

OCTOBER 31 CLIPPERS LAND JAMES HARDEN 

The Los Angeles Clippers landed perhaps the NBA's ultimate example of a trick-or-treat superstar on Halloween.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a deal that will send James Harden to the Pacific. Philadelphia gets back Nic Batum, Rober Covington, KJ Martin, Marcus Morris, an unprotected first-round pick in 2028, and the 2026 first-round pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Los Angeles also receives Filip Petrusev and PJ Tucker. 

OCTOBER 31 BREEN SIGNS EXTENSION WITH WORLDWIDE LEADER 

While the New York Knicks have remained mostly quiet on the free agency front, one of their most beloved representatives just earned a big payday to stay off the market.

Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Mike Breen has signed a multi-million two-year extension with ESPN that will keep him calling the NBA's biggest games on the Worldwide Leader's airwaves through the 2026-27 season. Breen, 62, has been with ESPN/ABC since 2006 and also serves as the Knicks' lead television play-by-play voice for MSG Network.

Marchand notes that the deal is partly contingent on ESPN keeping its NBA rights, which expire after the 2024-25 season. With previous analyst companions (and former Knicks reps) Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy let go as part of ESPN's summer layoffs, Breen was a part of the new top pairing alongside Doris Burke and Doc Rivers. The triumvirate made its debut last Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, narrating the Knicks' opening night loss to the Boston Celtics. 

OCTOBER 30 KNICKS IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT COURT REVEALED 

The NBA unveiled new court designs to be used for each of the 30 teams' In-Season Tournament games, which tip off on Friday night. Each court appears to be inspired by the respective team's "City" edition uniform.

Though the Knicks' City uniform has yet to be revealed, view Madison Square Garden's makeover below:

In-Season Tournament court look / NBA

The court will make its debut on Friday, Nov. 24 against the Miami Heat.

OCTOBER 22 KNICKS FINALIZE ROSTER WITH WINDLER, WASHINGTON 

Barring any last-minute moves, the New York Knicks' 2023-24 opening night roster is complete.

Spotrac's Keith Smith has reported that the Knicks will convert Dylan Windler's deal to a standard contract while Ian Begley of SNY revealed that the final two-way designation will go to Duane Washington Jr.

Windler, 27 was, a first-round pick of Cleveland's in 2019 out of Belmont. He appeared in three games with the Cavaliers last season and shot over 40 percent from three-point range in 11 appearances with their G League affiliate, the Charge. Washington, on the other hand, rejoins the Knicks' system after joining the team midway through the season. He played 31 games with Phoenix and averaged over 20 points a game in four showings with G League Westchester.

OCTOBER 21 BROWN, TOPPIN ON TWO-WAY DEALS 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks are converting the contracts of Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin to two-way deals. In other moves, the Knicks waived Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin, Isaiah Roby, and Duane Washington Jr. 

Brown, who spent last season amidst the Delaware Blue Coats' championship effort, was the Knicks' season-leading scorer in Vegas Summer League action at 19.8 points per game. He appeared in all four games of the Knicks' preseason, scoring three points and earning two assists and rebounds each. Toppin, the younger brother of former Knick Obi, played one preseason game, tallying four points and two rebounds in the opening win over Boston. 

OCTOBER 20 TOPPIN GOES BETWEEN THE LEGS FOR PACERS 

The Indiana Pacers' Obi Toppin era has officially taken flight.

Toppin, formerly of the Knicks, had one more preseason highlight in store for those gathered for the Pacers' preseason finale at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, putting down a between-the-legs slam dunk during first period action against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Obi Toppin between the legs‼️

watch every angle as he hammers it home. pic.twitter.com/4UjCZGdnoh

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 20, 2023

After his playing time, or lack thereof, became a talking point in New York, Toppin has been in the Pacers' starting lineup in each of their four preseason games. In that span, Toppin has put up averages of 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in just over 17 minutes a game. He had an Indiana-best 13 in 17 first half minutes on Friday en route to a 56-51 halftime lead.

Toppin and the Pacers face the Knicks three times this season, the first matchup landing on Dec. 30 in Indianapolis. In the meantime, Toppin's official Indiana debut lands on Wednesday night at home against the Washington Wizards (7 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Indiana). 

OCTOBER 19 KNICKS CUT KNIGHT, SIGN TWO TO EXHIBIT 10S 

The New York Knicks' roster cutdown continued on Thursday, as SNY's Ian Begley has reported that Nathan Knight was waived from his two-way deal. In addition, the Knicks also signed Mamadi Diakite and Brandon Goodwin to Exhibit 10 deals (which can be converted into two-ways)

Knight, 26, spent the past three years in the Minnesota Timberwolves system. In just over eight preseason minutes, Knight hauled in an assist, block, and rebound each and sank his only attempt from the field. Knight's departure will open up a two-way contract slot, the second in a row opened after Jaylen Martin was bid farewell on Wednesday.

As for the newcomers, who will likely make their way to Westchester, Diakite has bounced around several teams after winning a national championship with the University of Virginia in 2019. He also has an NBA ring to his name, playing 21 games with the 2020-21 champion Milwaukee Bucks. Goodwin is likewise well-traveled and already has one tour of Westchester to his name, averaging 15.3 points and 7.0 assists during the 2021 season. His last NBA action came with Cleveland in 2022.

OCTOBER 18 KNICKS CUT ROBY AND MARTIN 

The New York Knicks are saying goodbye to two of their players on Wednesday.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Knicks are requesting waivers on Isaiah Roby and two-way player Jaylen Martin.

Roby signed with the Knicks back in April, while Martin joined the team for the Las Vegas Summer League. Both made an impression in camp, but not enough to make the final roster going into the season.

OCTOBER 12 DIVINCENZO LANDS ANTA SHOE DEAL 

This Knick has some new kicks.

According to Boardroom's Nick DePaula, DiVincenzo has agreed to a shoe deal with ANTA. One of the newest Knicks, DiVincenzo was previously affiliated with Nike and Puma. He joins the ANTA family which also includes Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. DiVincenzo made his unofficial Knicks debut on Monday night, scoring eight points and hauling in three rebounds in a 114-107 win over Boston.

OCTOBER 10 LIBERTY LEGEND ON HER WAY TO CHICAGO 

As her former team goes for WNBA glory, Teresa Weatherspoon has landed her own prize in the wake of the Finals.

Per Shams Charania, the former New York Liberty star is set to become the new head coach of the Chicago Sky. Weatherspoon, one of the Liberty's original legends, earned five WNBA All-Star bids over her seven seasons in New York (1997-2003) and established herself as one of the league's first faces. The Louisiana Tech alumna previously worked in the Liberty's developmental department and spent the last four NBA seasons as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans. She also served as the head coach at her alma mater for six seasons (2009-14), reaching the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament twice.

Chicago is two years removed from a WNBA title partly led by current Liberty star Courtney Vandersloot. The team endured its first losing season (18-22) since 2018 after previous head coach James Wade took a job on the Toronto Raptors' bench midway through the summer. Longtime assistant Emre Vatansever took over for the rest of the year, which ended with a first round playoff loss to the Liberty's current Finals foe from Las Vegas.

OCTOBER 9 HART, ARCDIACONO TO SIT ALONGSIDE CELTICS STARS

Per Steve Popper of Newsday, the New York Knicks will not play either Josh Hart (maintenance) or Ryan Arcidiacono (undisclosed) in Monday's preseason opener against the Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). The Villanova duo is set to play together in New York after they were involved in a swap between the Knicks and Portland at last year's trade deadline. 

Boston's absences are even more numerous, as SNY's Ian Begley has reported that they'll hold out Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White.

OCTOBER 8 TOPPIN, ROSE START PACERS-GRIZZLIES PRESEASON OPENER

Obi Toppin's desires for more playing time were fulfilled in his unofficial debut with the Indiana Pacers on Sunday: the former Knick was stationed in the starting five and scored seven points with five rebounds over 16 minutes in a 127-122 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Each of Toppin's points came over the first 4:30 as Indiana (0-1) jumped out to an early 14-10 lead. 

On the other side, Derrick Rose likewise landed in the Grizzlies' starting five and shot 6-of-8 from the field (including 5-of-5 in the first half) en route to 13 points in the win.

Toppin and Rose are looking to recover the narrative on their respective NBA careers after last year's trials and tribulations with the Knicks. Rose was removed from the nine-man rotation in the early going while Toppin struggled to generate a lasting role after coming over as the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft.  

OCTOBER 1 CELTICS TRADE FOR KNICKS TARGET HOLIDAY

Potential New York Knicks target Jrue Holiday is on the move again, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the two-time All-Star has been traded to the Boston Celtics. 

Holiday, who was previously included in the deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, goes to Beantown while his brief employers, the Portland Trail Blazers, land Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Toumani Camara, three first-round picks in 2024 (Golden State, top four protected), 2029 (Bucks and Celtics unprotected) and 2028 and 2030 Milwaukee pick swaps. Wojnarowski says that Boston, fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, is expected to sign Holiday to a long-term deal.

SEPTEMBER 29 NBA ALUMS WARN HARDEN OF TRADE DANGER

Matt Barnes and Kevin Garnett offered dire warnings to current Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden for his excess trade demands, ones that placed him in a strategic war of words with team president Daryl Morey. Barnes, no stranger to being an NBA nomad (nine teams over 14 Association seasons), was particularly critical.

"I think James has to be careful because the NBA doesn’t need him. The NBA doesn't need him anymore," Barnes said on Showtime Basketball. "I'm all for player empowerment. But he forced his way out of Houston, forced his way out of Brooklyn. Now, he's going to force his way out of Philly. He's got so much talent and a lot of game left, but he could talk himself out of the league, which is crazy to think."

Though not as nomadic, Garnett agreed with Barnes' assessment. 

"When you wiggle your way out, you only got one or two wiggles," Garnett said. "You ain’t got infinite wiggles."

While Harden is set to report to Philadelphia's training camp activities, it appears that he will continue to try to force his way out. A report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne earlier this summer claimed that Harden's preferred destinations are either the Knicks or Los Angeles Clippers.

SEPTEMBER 25 WESTCHESTER KNICKS TRADE TREVOR KEELS' RIGHTS TO IOWA

The New York Knicks organization has officially closed the book on the Trevor Keels era: the G League club in Westchester has traded the 2022 NBA Draft pick to the Iowa Wolves in exchange for rights to Matt Lewis and a 2024 first-round pick in the G League Draft.

Keels was the Knicks' only acquisition of 2022's draft night that had a name, as the team spent most of the event building a budget for Jalen Brunson. The Duke alum and the 42nd overall pick of the draft played sparingly for the big club (eight minutes over three games) and averaged 14.5 points on just over 42 percent shooting in 24 games with Westchester. Keels was waived by the Knicks earlier this offseason.

Formerly of James Madison, Lewis now joins Westchester after two seasons with Minnesota's affiliate in Iowa. Lewis came off the bench for Brooklyn's squad during the most recent Summer League action, averaging 11.2 points a game and shooting over 54 percent from the floor.

SEPTEMBER 24 PATRICK EWING'S DAUGHTER COMMITS TO PENN STATE

Her father starred above Penn Station. She'll star for Penn State.

Alexis Ewing, daughter of Knicks legend Patrick, announced her commitment to Penn State University on her Instagram page, labeling herself "extremely blessed." The post from the younger Ewing, one of the top high school volleyball players in the nation, features poses with her father Patrick and mother Cheryl Wilson, a former professional volleyball player.

Currently repping Bullis High School in Maryland (just over 20 minutes away from Patrick's alma mater of Georgetown University), Alexis has made headlines on and off the hardwood, notably becoming one of the first high school athletes in the state to land a name. image, likeness deal when she signed on with College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving.

SEPTEMBER 21 KNICKS TO HOLD TRAINING CAMP AT THE CITADEL

Per Andrew Miller of The Post and Courier, the New York Knicks will hold parts of their training camp on the campus of The Citadel in Charleston, SC. New York is expected to stay in Charleston from Oct. 3-7, the slate ending shortly before they return home to face the Boston Celtics in their preseason opener on Oct. 9 at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks will practice at McAlister Field House, the home floor of the Bulldogs, during their southern stay. This fall's activities will mark a return to Charleston for the Knicks, who previously held training camp at the College of Charleston before departing in 2000 as an act of protest to South Carolina's continued display of the Confederate battle flag above its Statehouse. The flag was removed in 2015.

The Citadel competes at the Division I level of NCAA men's basketball play and is set to open its 2023-24 season on Nov. 6 against North Carolina State.

SEPTEMBER 19 KNICKS FLAGSHIP STATION DROPPING FM SIGNAL

Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN New York (WEPN) will be dropping its FM Signal on Aug. 31, 2024. The station's AM signal, 1050, will remain active.

ESPN New York serves as the flagship radio station of the Knicks, Jets, and Rangers. The decision was made by parent company Good Karma Brands, which stated that 60 percent of listeners access the station beyond the 98.7 FM feed, citing 1050 AM and digital outlets. WEPN has been the flagship station of the Knicks since 2005 when they moved over from WFAN.

“We’re committed to serving the New York sports fan," Good Karma Brands CEO Craig Karmazin told The Post. "With the combination of our AM signal, the ESPN New York App, podcasts, smart speakers, YES, and other additional audio and video distribution, investing in an FM signal was not relevant in the way it was a decade ago."

ESPN New York's most-renowned original programming is "The Michael Kay Show," hosted by the eponymous New York Yankees play-by-play voice. Ed Cohen and Brendan Brown have been on the mics for Knicks games since 2017. 

SEPTEMBER 17 DAMYEAN DOTSON SIGNS IN CHINA

A former member of the New York Knicks has a new home overseas: according to Sportando, former Knicks guard Damyean Dotson is signing with the Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Dotson, 29, played with the Knicks from 2017-20 and then for another two-game stint in 2021-22. Last season, he played in Turkey for Gaziantep Basketbol, averaging 14.8 points and three assists per game.

SEPTEMBER 15 WESTCHESTER KNICKS TRADE FOR RJ BARRETT TEAMMATE

The Stockton Kings of the NBA G League announced a trade that sent former RJ Barrett collegiate teammate Alex O'Connell to the Westchester Knicks, a deal that also acquired Jeriah Horne. In return, Westchester is sending James Akinjo, earner of 14.4 points and 6.6 assists a game last season, to Sacramento's affiliate.

Both Horne and O'Connell are currently stationed overseas. O'Connell (Italy's Umana Venezia) originally played with Duke during Barrett's single season in Durham and later transferred to Creighton. He averaged 9.6 points a game in three appearances (1 start) with Sacramento's Summer League team during the most recent competition in Las Vegas. Horne (Poland's MKS Dabrowa Gornicza) spent his collegiate career between Nebraska, Tulsa, and Colorado and shot over 39 percent from three-point range with Stockton last year.

SEPTEMBER 13 SILVER COMMENTS ON KNICKS' RAPTORS LAWSUIT

NBA commissioner Adam Silver briefly touched upon the New York Knicks' lawsuit against the Toronto Raptors during a press conference centered upon the newly-released Player Participation Policy.

"On that dispute, I don't know more than what I read in the complaint that was filed in federal court, and so I don't have a sense yet of how egregious it is, and I haven't had an opportunity to see what the Raptors response is," Silver said (h/t New York Basketball on X). "This ultimately may end up in front of me, so I think it's appropriate to withhold judgment."

The Knicks are suing the Raptors over the potential theft of proprietary materials, with former team employee Ike Azotam and new Toronto head coach Darko Rajaković among the defendants. Toronto management has denied any wrongdoing

SEPTEMBER 11 DRAFTKINGS PROMO REFERENCES 9/11 

Sports betting site DraftKings faced backlash for a tasteless promotion that centered upon a parlay that referenced the tragic events of the September 11, 2001 tragedies. On the 22nd anniversary of terrorist attacks that destroyed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, DraftKings offered a "Never Forget" parlay, which centered upon three New York teams (Jets, Mets, Yankees) winning their respective games on Monday night.

DraftKings pulled the promotion after an overwhelmingly negative response and released an apology to Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe.

“We sincerely apologize for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11," DraftKings said. "We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the familys [sic] of those who were directly affected.”

SEPTEMBER 10 GERMANY WINS FIBA WORLD CUP

Germany completed an undefeated FIBA Basketball World Cup run with an 83-77 win against Serbia in Manila, earning the first title in program history and its first podium finish since a third-place posting in 2002.

Dennis Schroder (Toronto) was named MVP of the tournament after his 28-point performance in the final while Franz Wagner (Orlando) also helped out with 19 points.

For Serbia, Aleksa Avramovic led the way with 21 points while Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta) scored 17.

SEPTEMBER 9 KEVIN KNOX RETURNS TO PORTLAND

Kevin Knox's attempt to reclaim the narrative of his NBA career will continue in a familiar place, as Shams Charania reports that the 24-year-old will return to the Portland Trail Blazers on a one-year deal.

Chosen by the Knicks as the ninth overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox has struggled to live up to the hype that followed him out of Kentucky, as Portland is his fourth different team since a January 2022 trade to Atlanta ended his New York career. Sent to the Pacific Northwest from Detroit in a different deal in February, Knox appeared in 21 games for the Trail Blazers and averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds, which would've been his best full-season numbers since his rookie campaign with the Knicks in 2018-19.

SEPTEMBER 8 KNICKS SIGN CHARLIE BROWN JR.

The New York Knicks are adding a familiar face to their G League team.

According to the New York Post's Peter Botte, the Knicks are signing Charlie Brown Jr. to an Exhibit 10 deal. Brown, 26, has 41 games of NBA experience under his belt and last played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021-22 season. He played for the Knicks in Summer League, and made enough of an impression to land a training camp invitation to the tune of 19.8 points and 6.3 rebounds, both good for second among the Vegas group.

In a corresponding move, the team cut Obadiah Noel.

SEPTEMBER 8 JOKUBAITIS, LITHUANIA TO PLAY FOR 5TH AT WORLD CUP

Rokas Jokubaitis earned eight points and assists each in Lithuania's penultimate 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup excursion en route to a 100-84 classification victory over Slovenia. 

Jokubaitis, a New York prospect who came to the team in a draft night trade in 2021, and the Lithuanians (6-1) will now play for fifth against Latvia on Saturday (8:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+). 

Luka Doncic (Dallas) put up 29 points for the Slovenians in defeat. 

SEPTEMBER 7 FIBA WORLD CUP SEMIFINALS

The New York Knicks will be well-represented in the FIBA Basketball World Cup semifinals, both of which take place Friday in Manila.

In the first game, RJ Barrett, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will lead Canada against Serbia at 4:45 a.m. ET on ESPN+ In the latter contest, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and the United States face off against Franz Wagner, Dennis Schroder and undefeated Germany at 8:40 a.m. on ESPN2.

SEPTEMBER 5 JOKUBAITIS DISHES 9 IN LITHUANIA LOSS

Knicks prospect Rokas Jokubaitis' strong showing couldn't steer Lithuania away from elimination from the FIBA Basketball World Cup, as Serbia took an 87-68 decision to open quarterfinal play on Tuesday in Manila. 

Despite the loss, Jokubaitis exited the competition on a personal high note, scoring 13 points and dishing out a game-best nine assists in defeat. The draft night arrival finishes the six-game showing in Asia with averages of 12.8 points and 6.2 assists for Lithuania (5-1), which was looking to medal in World Cup play for the first time since 2010.

SEPTEMBER 3 WORLD CUP QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS, SCHEDULES SET 

The FIBA Basketball World Cup quarterfinals in Manila will have no shortage of Knicks representation: current stars RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart will be repping North America while 2021 draft pick Rokas Jokubaitis will partake with Lithuania.

Fresh off their high-scoring showdown on Sunday, Jokubaitis, Brunson, and Hart will return to action on Tuesday with a quarterfinal doubleheader. Lithuania will open against Serbia (4:45 a.m. ET, ESPN+) while the Americans face Italy in their own tilt (8:40 a.m. ET, ESPN2). Should they prevail, the Americans will play the winner of Wednesday's Germany-Latvia game (4:45 a.m. ET, ESPN+) which precedes Barrett and the Canadiens' quarterfinal against Slovenia (8:40 a.m. ET, ESPN+). 

All games in the knockout round will be held in Manila.

SEPTEMBER 2 FOURNIER QUIET AS FRANCE WINS WORLD CUP FINALE Evan Fournier played a muted role in his 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup finale, scoring two points in 17 minutes and missing all four attempts from the field in France's classification tilt against Ivory Coast. Fournier did haul in six rebounds in an 87-77 victory.

Thus ends a disappointing showing in Jakarta for Fournier and the French, who officially placed 18th in the final World Cup standings. Fournier's minutes were reduced during the consolation stages after he averaged 21.7 points during the preliminary stages. The 18th-place finish is France's worst in nine World Cup appearances, and they entered this year's edition as the two-time defending third-place posters

France nonetheless has a spot secure in the 2024 Summer Olympics competition as the host nation. Isaia Cordinier was the leading scorer for the French on Saturday, putting in 19 on 6-of-8 shooting to stave off one last upset bid.

SEPTEMBER 2 CANADA ON BRINK OF ELIMINATION 

New York Knicks forward RJ Barrett and Canada will play for their FIBA World Cup lives in Sunday's second-round game against Spain (9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+).

After Friday's upset loss against Brazil, Canada is in a four-way tie for first place in Group L with Spain and Latvia. The winners of the two games on Sunday will move on to the quarterfinals.

Spain has had an eerily similar tournament path to that of Canada, winning its first three games without much sweat before losing in an upset to Latvia on Friday. Now, the pair of group favorites have only one spot available in the next round for the two of them.

AUGUST 31 CANADA, USA MOVES ON IN FIBA WORLD CUP 

The second round of the FIBA World Cup is set to begin Friday, and New York Knicks forward RJ Barrett is still going strong with Team Canada, while Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are starring for the U.S.

The Americans, partaking in Group J, will face Montenegro on Friday (4:40 a.m. ET, ESPN2) and Lithuania two days later (8:40 a.m. ET, ESPN2), with both games in Manila. Fellow group winner Canada will stay in Jakarta, facing Brazil on Friday (9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+) and the defending champion Spain on Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+).

If the U.S. and Canada can be in the top two in their respective groups, they will advance to the knockout round, where the tournament becomes single-elimination.

AUGUST 24 KIM VAN GUNDY, SISTER-IN-LAW OF JEFF, DIES AT 61 

The Van Gundy family is in mourning following the death of Kim, the wife of Stan and sister-in-law of former Knicks coach Jeff. Kim passed at the age of 61 and her cause of death was not disclosed.

"Kimberly’s kindness and love for all around her was shown through her charitable works and activism," Kim's obituary notes. "In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando or Crossroad’s Corral in Kim’s memory."

Kim and Stan had been married since 1998. In addition to Stan, Kim is survived by her four children, two parents, five siblings, and 13 nieces/nephews.

AUGUST 22 JAMES HARDEN LANDS $100,000 FINE FOR PUBLIC TRADE DEMAND

The NBA announced on Tuesday that Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden would be charged with a $100,000 fine "for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team." 

Such a fine is the latest turn in the ongoing drama between Harden and the 76ers, one that previously culminated in the 10-time All-Star calling Philadelphia's president of basketball operations a "liar." Harden previously agreed to sign his player option for the 2023-24 season but reportedly did so with the understanding that a trade would be sought.

AUGUST 19 BARRETT SCORES 10, SITS OUT 2ND HALF OF FINAL CANADA TUNE-UP

RJ Barrett had 10 points in Team Canada's final tune-up exhibition leading into the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The Knicks' homegrown star hit 3-of-5 from the field against the Dominican Republic and also hauled in five rebounds over the first 20 minutes before he was shut down as part of a planned resting period along with the rest of the Canadian starters. With the star attractions out, the Dominicans took a 94-88 decision.

Canada finished 3-2 in a five-game exhibition slate before moving on to Jakarta for World Cup pool play. Their first game in Group F action lands on Friday against France, which stars fellow Knick Evan Fournier. 

AUGUST 15 KRISTAPS PORZINGIS OUT OF LATVIA'S WORLD CUP BID

Boston Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis announced that he will miss the upcoming FIBA World Cup, as his recovery from plantar fasciitis will prevent him from traveling to Asia. 

"A decision has been made that I will not play in the World Cup," Porzingis said in a translated statement on X. "After several weeks of recovery and a repeat MRI examination, the plantar fasciitis of my foot still prevents me from being on the field in full readiness. 

"This joint decision has been made by both the medical staff and coaching staff of the national team, as well as the Celtics team - with the advice and opinion that it is now necessary to continue the recovery process. Such a decision is not easy to make, but I promise that I will be there and support the team as much as I can."

The former Knicks All-Star was traded to Boston earlier this offseason. His fellow Latvians will face off against current Knicks RJ Barrett (Canada) and Evan Fournier (France) in Group H play in Jakarta. 

AUGUST 14 HARDEN WILL NEVER PLAY FOR "LIAR" DARYL MOREY

The verbal war of attrition between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers continues: after reports of the team shutting down trade talks surrounding the All-Star, Harden vowed that he would never play for the organization as long as president of basketball operations Daryl Morey likewise lingers.

"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of," Harden declared during an Adidas event in China. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of."

The 76ers reportedly spoke with Harden's desired destination, the Los Angeles Clippers, but failed to come to a deal. Harden previously inked a $35.6 million player option with the understanding that a trade would be sought. The New York Knicks reportedly lingered in discussions but the 76ers are reportedly ready to run back their core despite another second round exit in the most recent postseason.

AUGUST 12 76ERS END JAMES HARDEN TRADE TALKS

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Philadelphia 76ers are taking James Harden off the trade block and anticipate having him in this fall's training camp activities.

"The Sixers had periodic offseason conversations with the Clippers, Harden’s desired destination, but no traction on a deal materialized," Wojnarowski said. "Harden has been emphatic in wanting a trade, so the Sixers are setting up an uncomfortable situation to start camp. Ultimately, Philadelphia wouldn’t make a trade that they believed would compromise their title hopes."

The 76ers' latest second-round washout has had quite an impact: the team ousted head coach Doc Rivers in favor of former Toronto Raptors boss Nick Nurse and also had to deal with reigning MVP Joel Embiid's public desire to win a championship "in Philly or anywhere else." Harden the Sixers recently agreed to a $35.6 million player option with the understanding that both sides would seek a trade. 

AUGUST 12 DONCIC TO SIT OUT VS BRUNSON, TEAM USA

The Slovenian men's national basketball team announced that Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will not play in Saturday's exhibition against the United States in Malaga en route to the FIBA Basketball World Cup (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1). Doncic reportedly sustained a minor injury in the team's prior exhibition against Spain and is missing the showdown against Team USA for precautionary reasons.

Thus denies the basketball world a chance to see Doncic square off against former Dallas teammate and current Knicks star Jalen Brunson. The latter missed his return to Dallas with an injury last December in a game that saw Doncic tally a 60-point triple-double in a comeback victory.

AUGUST 11 GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO OUT OF GREECE'S WORLD CUP RUN

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has ruled himself out of Greece's FIBA Basketball World Cup effort, citing lingering concerns over his recovery from knee surgery.

"After months of work and multiple meetings with medical staff, it is clear that I am not ready to compete in the level that I need to be to participate in the World Cup," Antetokounmpo said on X. "This was not a choice but my only option in ensuring I get back to the level of basketball I have worked so hard to achieve so far in my career. 

"I am extremely disappointed in this outcome but this was a decision made with the medical staff. I’m going to continue to push myself to be ready for the next time my name is called." 

The Greeks are situated in the same group as a United States team featuring Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, as well as Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee teammate Bobby Portis. Team USA and Greece are set to compete in Group C play with Jordan and New Zealand in Pasay. Both sides are due for an exhibition battle beforehand on Aug. 18 in Abu Dhabi.

AUGUST 10 AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE TO BE INDUCTED INTO SUNS RING OF HONOR

Former Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire will have his number retired by the Phoenix Sun next season, the team announced this week. Stoudemire's digits will be retired alongside those of teammate Shawn Marion at a date to be determined this season.

“I bleed purple and orange, making this a tremendous honor to be inducted,” Stoudemire said in a team statement. “My best and most transformative years came in Phoenix with the Suns. I have so much love for Suns fans and appreciation for the love they have always shown me. I am excited to reconnect with the fanbase in joining the Ring of Honor.”

Stoudemire, who wore No. 32 in Phoenix, played his first eight NBA seasons with the Suns after arriving as the ninth overall pick of the 2002 draft out of high school. Alongside Marion and Steve Nash, Stoudemire led an exhilarating age of Suns basketball, one that saw him average 21.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. Stoudemire then moved onto the New York Knicks, where reunited with his Phoenix boss Mike D'Antoni.

AUGUST 9 FOURNIER SITS OUT FRENCH WORLD CUP TUNE-UP

The French men's national basketball team ruled Evan Fournier out of Wednesday's exhibition against Lithuania, as the Knicks' sharpshooter was said to have "slightly sprained" his ankle during a Monday win over Venezuela. Fournier had 13 points in an 86-67 victory for Les Bleus, who look to build upon a third-place finish from the last tournament in 20190.

The Knicks certainly hope that the ailment won't affect Fournier for the upcoming tournament in Asia. New York will likely continue to seek out a trade for the 30-year-old after he fell out of the metropolitan rotation. France is set to partake in Group H action in Jakarta alongside New York teammate RJ Barrett and Canada as well as Latvia and Lebanon. 

AUGUST 9 BARRETT, CANADA DROP FIBA EXHIBITION VS. GERMANY 

RJ Barrett and the Canadian men's basketball faced off against the German team in a World Cup prep exhibition, but alas, for Barrett and the Road Warriors, Canada fell to the Germans in an 86-81 defeat as a comeback effort fell short. Barrett was second in scoring for Canada with 12 points, only trailing Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, who scored 14.

Canada's next FIBA exhibition match comes Saturday in Hamburg, Germany against New Zealand.

AUGUST 4 NTILIKINA RETURNS EAST, SIGNS WITH CHARLOTTE

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Charlotte Hornets have signed Frank Ntilikina to a one-year deal, putting him on a collision course for a showdown with his original NBA employers in the upcoming In-Season Tournament.

Ntilikina, 25, began his professional career as the eighth overall pick of the 2017 draft. He struggled to live up to that hype in Manhattan, averaging 5.5 points and 2.7 assists over four seasons in blue and orange. Ntilikina signed with the Dallas Mavericks in 2021 and spent the last two seasons coming off their bench. 

The Knicks won't have to wait long to see Ntilikina again: the team will likely face off against Charlotte in the early portions of their schedule, as the Hornets are placed in their group as the NBA prepares to stage its first In-Season Tournament. New York and Charlotte will be joined by Miami, Milwaukee, and Washington in group play. 

AUGUST 3 KNICKS ADD SUMMER LEAGUE, G LEAGUE ALUMS TO EXHIBIT 10S

The New York Knicks announced on Thursday that Obadiah Noel and Dmytro Skapintsev have inked Exhibit 10 deals. Both have partaken in the Knicks' developmental endeavors in Las Vegas and Westchester/Bridgeport.

Noel starred at UMass Lowell on the college level, earning first-team All-America East honors before embarking on a career in the G League systems of the Raptors and Knicks. Last year with Westchester, Noel appeared in 29 games and averaged 10.6 points and 2.1 assists.

The Ukranian-born Skapintsev also appeared in the G League last season, playing 42 games and shooting over 59 percent from the field with 6.9 points and 5.4 boards. Standing at 7-1, Skapintsev was one of the breakout stars of the Knicks' recent Summer League activities in Las Vegas, coming off the bench to put up 7.4 points and 6.6 boards in just over 17 minutes a game. 

JULY 30 KNICKS BRING BACK DUANE WASHINGTON JR.

The Knicks announced on Sunday that Duane Washington Jr. would be brought back on a new contract less than a week after he was granted his release. Washington is the latest in a series of mini-transactions for the Knicks, added to a list that also includes Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler.

A second-generation NBA athlete, Washington as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State in 2021. He came to New York in late February after his release from the Phoenix Suns, where he averaged 7.9 points and two assists in 31 appearances. Washington did not appear in any games for the NBA team but scored 83 points over four showings with the Knicks' Westchester-branded G League group.

JULY 26 KNICKS TO FACE TIMBERWOLVES IN PRESEASON CLASH

The reveal of the Minnesota Timberwolves' upcoming preseason schedule offered a nugget of the Knicks' future: Madison Square Garden will host an exhibition between New York and Minnesota with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

October's trip to MSG will be part of a busy preseason slate for the Timberwolves, who open with two showdowns with the Dallas Mavericks in Abu Dhabi. After the Knicks game, they'll face Israeli club Maccabi Ra'anana before wrapping things up against the Chicago Bulls on the road.

In addition to head coach Tom Thibodeau, who spent three seasons at the helm of the Wolves, the Knicks will likely showcase the services of former Minnesotan Nathan Knight, who recently joined the team on a two-way deal.

JULY 24 KNICKS SIGN DYLAN WINDLER ON TWO-WAY CONTRACT

Per Adrian Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks are signing former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dylan Windler on a two-way contract. As a 2019 first-round pick to the Cavaliers, the 6-6 forward had lost opportunity and playing time, appearing in 84 games in three seasons (including only thee last season).

The near 27-year-old played just three games last season and has dealt with numerous injuries. If Windler can get healthy, he poses a potential 3&D wing to add depth for the Knicks. Finding a way to remain available to the squad will be important for the Belmont alum as he looks to eventually find a standard contract with the team. 

JULY 21 KEMBA WALKER SIGNS WITH AS MONACO BASKET

Per Marc Stein, former New York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker has signed with AS Monaco Basket, which participates in premier French league LNB Pro A. The club recently earned its first title in its domestic league, topping the Metropolitans 92 team led by top NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama.

Walker, 33, earned four All-Star appearances between Charlotte and Boston before joining the Knicks for the 2021-22 season. He failed to fill the long-standing point guard void in Manhattan (since filled by Jalen Brunson), averaging 11.6 points and 3.5 assists in 37 games before an injury shut him down for most of the second half. Walker played nine games with the Dallas Mavericks last season in his most recent NBA action

JULY 19 KNICKS ADD SYRACUSE NATIVE NATHAN KNIGHT ON TWO-WAY DEAL

Per Anil Gogna of No Trade Clause, the New York Knicks will add Nathan Knight on a two-way contract. Knight, 25, has 108 games of NBA experience under his belt including 38 last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A Syracuse native, Knight made a name for himself at William & Mary, winning the CAA Men's Basketball Player of the Year Award in 2020. In that season, Knight also earned the CAA's Defensive Player of the Year Award, as well as the Lou Henson Award annually bestowed to the most outstanding mid-major college basketball player.

This creates an interesting situation surrounding the Knicks' two-way situation, as Knight joins Duane Washington Jr. and recent Summer League participant Jaylen Martin ass those potentially commuting between Manhattan and Westchester. 

JULY 17 ROKAS JOKUBAITIS EXTENDS BARCELONA CONTRACT

New York Knicks draft pick Rokas Jokubaitis apparently will not make his NBA debut this season, as the Lithuanian-born prospect has added another year to his contract with Spanish club FC Barcelona. 

Jokibaitis came to the Knicks in a draft day trade in 2021 shortly after the Oklahoma City Thunder made him the 34th pick. With the exception of a three-game Summer League showing in 2021, Jokubaitis has spent his whole career overseas, where he built a solid professional career as an outside shooter (notably hitting 56 percent of his attempts from three-point range in his first season with Barca in 2021-22).

In addition to returning to Spain, Jokubaitis is also set to rep Lithuania in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he'll compete against fellow Knicks Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (USA), RJ Barrett (Canada), and Evan Fournier (France).

JULY 16 SUNS TRADE CAMERON PAYNE TO SAN ANTONIO

A flurry of moves from the Phoenix Suns was headlined by the trading of backcourt bench prescience Cameron Payne to the San Antonio Spurs. Payne was said to be a target of the New York Knicks in a three-team deal with the Indiana Pacers that eventually fell through.

Per Shams Charania, the deal will also send a second-round pick and cash to the Spurs, who transfer a future second-round choice. In addition to dealing Payne, Phoenix, loaded with big expectations and big contracts after adding Bradley Beal to a team that already featured Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, signed Bol Bol to a one-year deal and brought in three second-round picks from Orlando in a different deal that features a first-round pick swap in 2026. 

JULY 12 KNICKS PROSPECT ROKAS JOKUBATIS TO REP LITHUANIA AT WORLD CUP

Another New Yorker is on his way to the FIBA World Cup, as Knicks prospect Rokas Jokubatis has been named to Lithuania's roster at the upcoming competition in Asia. 

Jokubatis, a draft day arrival in 2021 after a trade with Oklahoma City has played almost entirely overseas with the exception of a Summer League tour in 2021. He has developed a reputation as a prolific three-pointer shooter, notably sinking over 56 percent of his attempts from deep during the 2021-22 season with FC Barcelona.

Other New York representation in Lithuania includes 2019 second-round choice Ignas Brazdeikis. The team is looking to improve on a ninth-place posting in the last World Cup in 2019 and will compete in Group D in Pasay against Egypt, Mexico, and Montenegro. 

JULY 11 KNICKS SCOUT 2013 1ST ROUNDER MCLEMORE, JOHNSON

Per SNY's Ian Begley, the Knicks attended private workouts featuring 2013 first-round pick Ben McLemore and tenured professional veteran Alize Johnson as they work through Vegas Summer League play.

McLemore, best known for his brief collegiate endeavors at the University of Kansas, did not appear in the NBA last season, though he averaged over 10 points a game in 64 games in Portland in 2021-22. His more recent play placed him with Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of the Chinese Basketball Association. McLemore was the seventh overall pick of the 2013 draft, originally chosen by the Sacramento Kings.

Meanwhile, Johnson has lingered in the systems of eight different NBA teams, most recently spending most of last year with Milwaukee's G League team, the Wisconsin Herd, in Oshkosh. At 6-8, it appears that the Knicks are doing their due diligence on potential replacements for Obi Toppin behind Julius Randle. 

JULY 10 NEW YORK TIMES DISBANDS SPORTS DEPARTMENT

The New York Times, one of the most prominent and longest-running daily newspapers in the country, announced on Monday that it would disband its sports department, turning over daily coverage affairs to The Athletic, which was purchased by The Times in early 2022.

“We plan to focus even more directly on distinctive, high-impact news and enterprise journalism about how sports intersect with money, power, culture, politics, and society at large,” NYT editors Monica Drake and Joe Kahn wrote in an email to The Times newsroom. "At the same time, we will scale back the newsroom’s coverage of games, players, teams, and leagues.”

No layoffs are planned for the time being, with the Times' current sports staff expected to be transferred to other roles. 

JULY 5 KNICKS GIVE BRYCE JAMES 'PRIORITY' SCOUTING AT PEACH JAM

"James to the Knicks" will continue long after LeBron James has moved on from the hardwood.

Per Krysten Peek of Yahoo! Sports, the Knicks were one of several teams whose scouts "made (Bryce) James a priority" at the Peach Jam AAU showcase in South Carolina. James, the youngest son of current Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron, is said to have "excellent shooting mechanics and a high release." He scored 12 points as his prep group, California-based Strive for Greatness, earned a victory in the opening day of the competition.

In addition to James, the Knicks were also reported to have an eye on NBAPA camp MVP Cameron Boozer and 6-foot-8 win A.J. Dybantsa. 

JULY 4 FORMER KNICKS G DERRICK ROSE GETS A FAMILIAR NUMBER BACK

A former Chicago Bull wearing No. 23 is equally vital to Memphis as it is to the Windy City.

With Derrick Rose making his way to the Memphis Grizzlies, the former New York Knicks guard is set to don familiar digits, as he will wear the number 23 he had in college at Memphis University. Rose's wife Alania had the honors of the reveal, doing so on her Instagram account as the veteran made his way back. 

In his first Memphis tour in 2007-08, Rose earned All-American honors in a single collegiate season that saw the Tigers post a 38-2 record en route to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's championship game. While Memphis was forced to vacate that season's accomplishments due to fabrication of Rose's SAT scores, he played them into top pick honors at the NBA Draft, going to Chicago before spending two terms with the Knicks. 

Rose wore Nos. 25 and 4 with the Knicks, the latter during his three-season tour that ended when the Knicks declined his $15.6 million player option.

JULY 3 JACOB TOPPIN TO MISS SUMMER LEAGUE PLAY

Keeping up with the apparent theme of ejecting Toppins from the lineup, the New York Knicks will not have undrafted rookie Jacob Toppin on their Summer League roster.

Per Ian Begley of SNY, Toppin is dealing with a "minor injury" that will keep him out of the upcoming prospect showcase in Las Vegas. Toppin, who spent his collegiate days at Rhode Island and Kentucky, was signed to a two-way deal shortly after the draft, averaging 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds. His older brother is set to be traded to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday after a trade was reportedly agreed upon over the weekend.

The Knicks' Summer League affairs tip-off on Saturday when they face the Philadelphia 76ers' prospects.

JULY 1 DAMIAN LILLARD REQUESTS TRADE, KNICKS NEXT?

Damian Lillard will no longer be blazing a trail in the Pacific Northwest.

Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes has reported that Damian Lillard has officially requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, ending the seven-time All-Star's 11-year run with the team. With Portland poised to go younger, Lillard will apparently get a chance to move on to a contending squad. The closest he came with the Blazers was in 2019, when the team reached the Western Conference Finals but ran into the Golden State juggernaut.

While the Knicks seem rather set in the backcourt, having inked Jalen Brunson and enjoying the breakout of Immanuel Quickley, they've lingered in Lillard conversations for as long as his Portland status has been in doubt. Lillard previously built a strong relationship with Josh Hart, who was dealt to the Knicks at the trade deadline and recently inked his $12.9 million player option.

JUNE 30 PACERS ADD KNICKS TARGET, NBA CHAMPION BRUCE BROWN

Former Brooklyn Net and reigning NBA champion Bruce Brown has turned a chance to return to New York City, instead inking a two-year, $45 million according to ESPN. Brown spent last season with the Denver Nuggets, from whom he turned down a $6.8 million player option.

Brown was capable of playing nearly every position on the floor in Denver, where he averaged a career-best 11.5 points last season. He'd later partake in all 20 games of the Nuggets' run to the first NBA championship in franchise history. Brown notably tallied 21 points off the bench in the penultimate victory of the NBA Finals against Miami

JUNE 29 JAMES HARDEN AGREES TO PLAYER OPTION, TRADE NEXT?

Knicks fans may have to be patient with the availability of Joel Embiid, but another star from the City of Brotherly Love ... beyond the Villanova prospects they have and are targeting ... may be available.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, James Harden has agreed to his $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers, which will be used to collaborate on a trade. Wojnarowski says that the Knicks are among the teams interested in a trade, as are the Los Angeles Clippers.

In his first full season with the 76ers since he was traded over from the Brooklyn Nets, Harden averaged 21 points and led the Association at 10.7 assists per game. Those efforts, however, weren't enough to push the Sixers past the Eastern Conference semifinal round, as they fell to the Boston Celtics in seven games.

JUNE 28 BLAZERS NOT EXPECTED TO BESTOW QUALIFYING OFFER TO CAM REDDISH

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Portland Trail Blazers will not extend a qualifying offer to former New York Knicks reserve Cam Reddish, which will make him an unrestricted free agent. Reddish spent parts of the last two seasons in New York and was sent to the Pacific Northwest in a deal that landed the Knicks Josh Hart.

Reddish has not come anywhere near to living up to the hype of being the 10th overall pick of the 2019 draft. In the final stanzas of his New York career, Reddish made eight starts and was perhaps most famous in New York lore for a dominant showing on opening night in Memphis, scoring 22 points off the bench and hitting a buzzer-beating equalizer that sent the game into overtime.

After the trade to the Blazers, Reddish made 20 more appearances (12 starts) and averaged 12 points with 2.9 rebounds. 

JUNE 28 KNICKS ADD FORDHAM STAR KHALID MOORE

The New York Knicks didn't have to look far for their next acquisition.

Fordham University announced that forward Khalid Moore will join the Knicks' Summer League roster when play tips off in Las Vegas next week. Moore enjoyed a breakout season in one of the most lucrative seasons in the history of Rams basketball: as a graduate transfer, Moore ranked in the Atlantic 10's top ten in both scoring (15.7) and rebounding (6.7), earning third-team all-conference honors for his efforts.

Thanks to Moore's efforts and more, the Rams earned a program-record 12 wins in conference play this season and their 25 total victories were their best since the 1990-91 campaign.

JUNE 26 KNICKS TURN TO COLLEGE RANKS FOR SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER ARRIVAL

Indiana University confirmed that former Hoosiers forward Race Thompson will be part of the Knicks' Summer League endeavors. Thompson played five seasons in Bloomington and ranks seventh in new-century IU history with 196 offensive rebounds. He averaged 7.7 and 5.5 boards in his career while earning an Honorable Mention for the All-Big Ten team in 2021-22. Thompson is poised to join fellow undrafted NBA freshmen Jaylen Martin and Jacob Toppin in Las Vegas as the Knicks look to build upon a runner-up finish in the annual showcase.  

The Knicks' 2023 NBA Summer League action will tip off on July 8, when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers' prospects.

JUNE 24 T'WOLVES TAKE PAC-12 DPOY WITH KNICKS' PICK

In the wee hours of Friday morning, the Minnesota Timberwolves used a pick that originally belonged to the Knicks to select UCLA guard Jaylen Clark. New York originally dealt that choice, which became the 53rd overall pick, to Charlotte in a cost-cutting move during the last draft before the Hornets sent it north shortly after.

Clark brings with him a fair amount of defensive prowess, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award from both the Pac-12 Conference and Naismith committee. He also nearly doubled his scoring output from the prior campaign, averaging a career-best 13 points per game. He fell in the draft due to an Achilles injury, one that ended his season early and will likely postpone his professional debut.

JUNE 23 MAVERICKS TRADE KNICKS' WOULD-BE PICK TO OKLAHOMA CITY

What could've been NYC's is OKC's.

The Dallas Mavericks traded the 10th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to the Oklahoma City Thunder during Thursday's opening round, sending Davis Bertans over in exchange for the 12th choice, which was used on Dereck Lively of Duke. With the pick in question, Dallas chose Cason Wallace out of Kentucky, with his rights moving onto the Thunder. The deal also allows the Mavericks to shed $22 million in guaranteed salary that was previously attached to Bertans. 

Dallas was able to keep and trade its first-round pick this season thanks to a de facto shutdown that cost them a spot in the Western Conference postseason. The protected choice, the final part of the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to North Texas, was kept away from the Knicks as a result. New York will obtain the first-round pick if Dallas avoids the top 10 in either of the next two years, after which it will become a second-rounder.

JUNE 22 CELTICS SET TO DEAL LONGTIME BOSTONIAN SMART IN PORZINGIS TRADE

If at first you don't succeed, try again ... and part ways with one of your franchisee faces in the process.

Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Boston Celtics have found new partners in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, as the Memphis Grizzlies have joined the fray. Boston is set to land Porzingis, the former Knick, and Memphis' next two first-round picks, including the one in Thursday's NBA Draft, while sending longtime Bostonian Marcus Smart south. 

The Thursday pick lands at 24th overall while the 2024 selection is top-four protected from the Golden State Warriors. Memphis will also send Tyus Jones to Washington, which also obtains another previous Knicks first-round choice in Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. 

Thus appears to end Smart's nine-year career in Boston, one that saw him serve as a constant prescience from the team's rise back to prominence after the end of the Ray Allen/Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce era. Smart established himself as a feisty defender, earning first-team All-Defensive honors on three occasions as well as the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2022.

JUNE 21 PORZINGIS TRADE TO BOSTON 'FALLS APART' ... FOR NOW

The Knicks-Celtics rivalry might just get a little hotter this summer.

Per Shams Charania, the Washington Wizards are planning a three-team deal with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers that would send former Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis to Beantown. Washington would get back Marcus Morris and draft compensation while reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner Malcolm Brogdon would move on to LA

Porzingis has been the next name floated in the Wizards' ongoing rebuild, as the team previously shipped Bradley Beal earlier this week. Some have lobbied for the Knicks to set up a reunion with Porzingis, their top pick in the 2015 draft, but that would require picking up a $36 million player option on his D.C. contract. Porzingis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2019 and recently wrapped up his first full season in the nation's capital.

[[UPDATE]]: Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, all sides "are moving on" from such a deal. He further clarified that the Wizards are still attempting to negotiate with the Celtics but any potential deal wouldn't involve the Clippers.

JUNE 20 CONSENSUS NO. 1 VICTOR WEMBANYAMA TO THROW 1ST PITCH AT YANKEE STADIUM

Victor Webmanyama will don a New York uniform on NBA Draft week.

Alas for anyone hopping for Leon Rose magic from the Knicks, it'll likely be the pinstriped duds of the New York Yankees: the MLB team announced that the consensus top pick of Thursday's NBA Draft (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) will throw at the ceremonial first pitch of the Bronx Bombers' Tuesday tilt with the Seattle Mariners (7:05 p.m. ET, YES).

Wembanyama is set to join another historic franchise looking to get back on the championship track, as he is widely expected to be named the top pick of the draft by the San Antonio Spurs, The French phenom has been described as a generational talent, well-regarded for utilizing his 7-foot-3 frame and nearly eight-foot wingspan. Wembanyama most recently repped Metropolitans 92 in LNB Pro A, the highest-ranked tier of professional French basketball. 

JUNE 18 BEAL, CP3 SWAPPED IN SUNS, WIZARDS DEAL

The Phoenix Suns are going from CP3 to a Big 3. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns are finalizing a trade with the Washington Wizards that would send scoring sensation Bradley Beal to the desert to unite with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Wojnarowski says that Washington will get back Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks, and pick swaps. 

Thus ends Beal's lengthy, loyal tenure in the nation's capital, one that the Knicks reportedly expressed interest in ending. Beal has averaged 22.1 points over 11 seasons in Washington but has partaken in only 45 postseason games in that span. Phoenix is banking big on Beal to get them back to the NBA Finals after falling to eventual champion Denver in a six-game second round this spring. 

It will cost the Suns a pretty penny: Beal is due over $200 million guaranteed thanks to a contract extension inked with the Wizards last summer.

JUNE 16 MJ SELLS HORNETS TO NEW YORKERS 

His Airness is flying away from the big chair of the Charlotte Hornets. 

Michael Jordan has agreed to sell his majority stake in the franchise, though he will stay on as a minority partner.

The pair of New Yorkers soon to be in charge are Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall. Plotkin is known for his role in the Gamestop/Robinhood financial scandal and is a minority owner in Charlotte. The billionaire Schnall owns a minority stake in the Atlanta Hawks.

Jordan, 60, will reportedly net $3 billion in the sale.

JUNE 14 TEAM USA ADDS WALKER KESSLER TO WORLD CUP EFFORT

Team USA's men's basketball program made a slight wave on Flag Day, as ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Utah Jazz rookie standout Walker Kessler will join the upcoming FIBA World Cup effort that's already said to include New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

Kessler was the 22nd overall pick of last year's draft and was traded to Utah after he was originally selected by Memphis. The former Auburn star averaged 9.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in his first year in Salt Lake City and earned entry onto the NBA's All-Rookie First Team. 

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup will tip off on Aug. 25 in Asia between Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. Team USA will tip off against New Zealand on Aug. 26 before taking on Greece and Jordan in Pasay.

JUNE 12 NUGGETS DOUSE HEAT, CLINCH 1ST NBA FINALS TRIUMPH

Behind 28 points from Nikola Jokić, the Denver Nuggets clinched the 2022-23 NBA crown, downing the Miami Heat by a 94-89 final at home at Ball Arena on Monday night. The five-game triumph earned the Nuggets their first NBA championship since entering the Association in 1976. Miami led by as much as 10 in the first half before Denver put forth a dominant effort on both sides of the ball in the second half, cooling the Heat to outscore them 50-38 in the second half. 

The top seed in the Western Conference, Denver won 10 of its final 11 games en route to a Larry O'Brien Trophy hoist. In a culmination of his efforts in the postseason, leading almost all major statistical categories among competitors, Jokić was bestowed the Bill Russell Award as the series MVP

Miami was paced by 21 points from Jimmy Butler, whose own postseason prowess helped the Heat become the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals (joining the 1999 Knicks). That's perhaps of no consolation to Miami, which dropped its second NBA Finals in the past four years (previously falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020).

JUNE 10 'PLAYOFF JIMMY' NOT ENOUGH 

"Playoff Jimmy"? No problem in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The rest of a Miami Heat team that was good enough to oust the Knicks from these playoffs? They didn't quite show up in a 108-95 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 38 points to help Denver grab a commanding 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. 

And Butler? He put up 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat. But otherwise? Miami was 8-of-25 on three-pointers on Friday, and outside of Bam Adebayo's 20 points? Denver's starters outscored Miami's starters 83-59.

Game 5 is slated for Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Denver.

JUNE 7 SUNS SET TO WAIVE CHRIS PAUL

Per Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, the Phoenix Suns have informed point guard Chris Paul of their plans to waive him, ending his tenure in the desert after three seasons. Haynes says that Paul, 38, has no intentions of moving on and will look to sing with a contender. 

Even at his advanced age, Paul will be one of the top free agents lingering on the market come this summer. Though he tallied a career-worst 13.9 points, he still dished out 8.9 assists and is just one year removed from averaging a double-double (14.7 points, 10.8 assists). Phoenix, fresh off another disappointment in the second round in the Western Conference playoffs is undergoing a de facto reboot two years removed from a run to the NBA Finals, likewise bidding farewell to head coach Monty Williams.

JUNE 6 EX-KNICKS COACH DAVID FIZDALE RETURNS TO SIDELINES, JOINS FRANK VOGEL 

Former New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale is set to return to an NBA bench this season, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reported that he'll reunite with Frank Vogel when the latter takes the reigns with the Phoenix Suns next season.

Fizdale, who spent the past year in the Utah Jazz's front office, previously served on Vogel's final staff with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22. It was his first coaching position since the Knicks removed him from their head coaching position 22 games into his second season in 2019-20. Fizdale's time with the Knicks has not been remembered fondly: his .202 winning percentage (21-83) is the worst in franchise history.

The former Memphis Grizzlies boss does have a pair of championship rings as an assistant, winning two with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. South Beach is where he first met James Jones, who now serves as the Suns' president of basketball operations. Phoenix is starting over after bidding another former Knick, 1994 first-round pick Monty Williams, farewell after four seasons. Williams has since been hired to the same role in Detroit.

MAY 31 PISTONS PLEDGE HISTORIC SALARY TO EX-KNICKS COACH MONTY WILLIAMS

Trying to rev up a new era of winning basketball the Detroit Pistons have gone to historic lengths to hire Monty Williams: per Shams Charania, Detroit has inked Williams to a deal that could reach as high as $100 million and eight seasons. Williams, the Knicks' first-round pick from the 1994 draft, joins the Pistons after he was let go from the Phoenix Suns earlier this spring.

Despite his departure after a six-game, conference semifinal defeat at the hands of eventual Western champion Denver, Williams guided the Suns to a brilliant three-year stretch that included an NBA Finals appearance in 2021 and Coach of the Year honors upon winning an Association-best 64 games the following year. Prior to Phoenix, Williams had spent five seasons (2010-15) at the helm of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans, going 173-221 in that span.

Hiring Williams may be a bit of a cathartic experience for the Pistons, who found bad luck at the worst possible time: despite enduring an Association-worst 17-65 record last season, they saw the ping pong balls at the NBA Draft Lottery bounce them out of the top draft slot, denying them a chance to land lauded prospect Victor Wembanyama. Though Wembanyama won't be joining them, 2021's top choice Cade Cunningham is set to return, as are 2022 first-round arrivals Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.

MAY 29 HEAT BEST BOSTON, DESTINED FOR DENVER IN NBA FINALS

Behind a red-hot performance from Caleb Martin, the Miami Heat staved off scary history, besting the Boston Celtics 103-84 in the decisive seventh game of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night at TD Garden. Martin's 11-of-16 outing from the field that went with 10 rebounds helped the Heat avoid infamy, as they were on the verge of blowing a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven set (which would've been an NBA postseason first).

With expected postseason hero Jimmy Butler putting in 28 more, the Heat advance to their second NBA Finals over the past four seasons and their sixth since head coach Erik Spoelstra took over before the 2008-09 season. They'll face a Denver Nuggets team headlined by two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić in a series that tips off on Thursday night at Ball Arena (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). 

The Heat, which disposed of the New York Knicks in six games, during the East's conference semifinals, advances to the Finals after needing two Play-In Tournament contests to secure the last spot on the bracket. They also become the first No. 8 seed to reach the Finals since the Knicks did so in the lockout-shortened 1999 season. 

MAY 27 BUCKS TO HIRE SETON HALL ALUM ADRIAN GRIFFIN

Griffin and the Greek are about to embark on a tour of Milwaukee.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Milwaukee Bucks are set to name Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin as their new head coach, succeeding Mik Budenholzer after an Eastern Conference-best record yielded a five-game first-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat.

Griffin, an alum of Seton Hall in New Jersey and an accomplished international player, is set to embark upon his first head coaching gig after 15 years as an NBA assistant between Milwaukee, Chicago, Orlando, Oklahoma City, and Toronto. Griffin's lone NBA head coaching experience came against the Knicks, as he served as the team's acting head coach during the 2021-22 season finale at Madison Square Garden (a 105-94 Knicks win).

MAY 22 JOKIĆ, NUGGETS PUNCH NBA FINALS TICKET, DOWN LAKERS IN 4

The Western Conference half of the 2023 NBA Finals has been formed, as the Denver Nuggets completed a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in a 113-111 triumph. 

Nikola Jokić led the way for Denver with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists in the way, which saw the Nuggets erase a 15-point halftime deficit. The two-time NBA MVP was an easy choice for the series' similar award named after Magic Johnson, as he averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists in the four-game ousting. Denver, the top seed in the West, earned entry to the NBA Finals for the first time since transferring over from the ABA in 1976. They now await the winner of the Eastern finals between Miami and Boston, the former holding a 3-0 lead with a chance to clinch on Tuesday night (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT). The 2023 NBA Finals will tip off on June 1 in Denver. 

Thus ends Los Angeles' improbable run, which ended despite a 40-point effort from LeBron James. Having led the seventh-seeded Lakers to the semifinal round after starting the year 2-10, James ended his postgame comments on a cryptic note.

"I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest," the 38-year-old James declared. "Just for me, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.

MAY 19 PHILLY'S HARDEN 'EXPECTED TO REUNITE' WITH ROCKETS 

A report from Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer hints that the Philadelphia 76ers are inching closer to a full-on reset thanks to James Harden's potential departure: the point guard is "expected to reunite" with the Houston Rockets, per anonymous "NBA executives." The rumors surface shortly after the 76ers bid farewell to head coach Doc Rivers in light of another loss in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the loss to Boston being their third such season posting.

Harden previously spent nine seasons with Houston (2012-21), which included an MVP campaign in 2018. He's the reigning NBA leader in assists (averaging 10.7 a game) after his first full season with the Sixers after he was traded from Brooklyn last February. 

Harden's potential departure will only further fuel the Knicks' potential connection to newly-minted MVP Joel Embiid, who could be dealt if Philadelphia opts for a full-on roster rebuild. The current core headlined by Embiid has reached the playoffs on six consecutive occasions but has yet to earn entry to the Eastern Conference Finals.

MAY 16 76ERS PART WAYS WITH DOC RIVERS

Former New York Knicks on-court rep Doc Rivers was fired by the division rival Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Thus ends Rivers' three-year tenure at the helm of the Sixers, during which he amassed a 154-82 record.

During Rivers' tenure, the 76ers' win tally was third-best in the NBA in that span. They failed to advance past the conference semifinal round each time, however, with this season ending in seven-game heartbreak at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

Rivers is the latest coach with a championship ring to be bid farewell, joining Mike Budenholzer (Milwaukee) and Nick Nurse (Toronto). Phoenix, boasting one of the best records in the NBA over the past three seasons, also let another former Knicks on-court rep, Monty Williams, go after an equally disappointing second-round series.

MAY 14 MORANT SUSPENDED AFTER GUN VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The Memphis Grizzlies suspended Ja Morant on Sunday after another video featuring the All-Star brandishing a firearm surfaced on social media. His latest suspension is said to last indefinitely and comes just over two months after Morant was charged eight games for a similar incident following a Memphis loss in Denver.

This incident is the latest in a bizarre series of happenings for Morant, who is being sued by a high-school prospect that claims to have been assaulted by both the player and his childhood friend Davonte Pack (who posted the latest video in question). Pack was recently banned from the Grizzlies' home of FedEx Forum for a year after a heated confrontation with the Indiana Pacers' travel team.

Morant and the Grizzlies are coming off a disappointing season, one that saw them place second in the Western Conference before they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. 

MAY 13 SUN SETS ON MONTY WILLIAMS IN PHOENIX

Former New York Knicks first-round pick Monty Williams was let go from the Phoenix Suns' head coaching position on Saturday, ending a prosperous yet disappointing tenure in the desert. Over four seasons, Williams amassed a 194-115 record at the helm, standing as the fourth-winningest coach in Suns history. 

Though Williams guided the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021, his tenure will likely be remembered for the way his last two campaigns ended: Williams earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding Phoenix to an Association-best 64-18 record in 2021-22 but they were denied a return trip to the Finals by a blowout loss at the hands of current Knick Jalen Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks. Phoenix brought in former Brooklyn superstar Kevin Durant at this year's trade deadline but the fourth-seeded Suns once again saw their season end in brutality, falling 125-100 to top-ranked Denver in the Western semifinals earlier this week.

Early reports suggest that the Suns could look into current Los Angeles Clippers boss Tyron Lue, who was the victim of Williams' final playoff series victory in the West's opening round.

MAY 9 ADEBAYO GETS ALL-DEFENSIVE HONORS

With his team up 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks, Miami Heat center/forward Bam Adebayo was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team. Joining him on the list is O.G. Anunoby (Toronto), Dillon Brooks (Memphis), Draymond Green (Golden State), and Derrick White (Boston).

This marks Adebayo's fourth consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive Second Team. The Knicks have felt his wrath during their series, as he's averaging 10.3 rebounds in the first four games. As a whole, the Heat have held the Knicks to 99.8 points while putting them a game away from elimination. Their first chance to end the series lands on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis) headlined the All-Defensive First Team, joined by Milwaukee Bucks teammates Jure Holiday and Brook Lopez. The top group was rounded out by Alex Caruso (Chicago) and Evan Mobley (Cleveland). 

MAY 7 NBA WORLD MOURNS PASSING OF NICK GILBERT

The NBA world bid farewell to Nick Gilbert, the son of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, on Sunday. Nick passed away at the age of 26 after a long bout from incurable neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), part of "a group of genetic disorders that cause tumors to form on nerve tissue" according to the Mayo Clinic.

The younger Gilbert was perhaps best known for repping the Cavs at the NBA Draft Lottery, where he became well-known for his enthusiasm and bow ties. Under his watch, Cleveland leaped to the top of the draft boards, going up seven spots in 2011 (Kyrie Irving) and two in 2013 (Anthony Bennett). Cleveland's most recent season was dedicated to Gilbert as a tribute. 

Several teams posted tributes to Gilbert, with the Cavs bidding farewell in a statement on their website.

"Nick was a light and inspiration to so many throughout his 26 years of life," the statement reads in part. "Whether taking on his signature role as the Cavs’ good luck charm during several NBA Draft Lotteries or using his voice to advocate in the fight against NF, Nick’s unrelenting spirit has been a driving force behind our organization.

"It was our honor to stand with Nick this past season and celebrate the strength and resilience of all those impacted by NF. Our season-long Bow Tie campaign was a constant reminder that there’s still more work to be done to find a cure." 

MAY 2 DILLON BROOKS OUT OF MEMPHIS NO MATTER WHAT

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Memphis Grizzlies are fully prepared to cut ties with Dillon Brooks, as the forward has been informed he "will not be brought back under any circumstances."

The report declares that Brooks' six-year tenure in Memphis ended thanks in part to his antics during the Grizzlies' six-game run in the Western Conference quarterfinals, which yielded a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Brooks made headlines for attempting to antagonize Lakers star LeBron James and was later charged with a $25,000 fine for not speaking to the media after the second-seeded Grizzlies' season ended to the tune of a 40-point loss in Game 6 on Saturday night.

That fine was one of several assessed to Brooks this season, also getting charged $4,000 and one game for hitting Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell in the groin during a February game and $35,000 for shoving a cameraman after diving for a loose ball during a March contest against Miami. 

APRIL 28 SUNS, MERCURY TO STAGE GAMES OVER THE AIR

Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Phoenix Suns will stage their game broadcasts on free, over-the-air local television networks in the local area in lieu of cable. The WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, under the same ownership umbrella, will do the same.

"We're not focusing on money. We're focusing on winning, success, and taking care of fans, taking care of the community," Suns/Mercury owner Mat Ishbia said. "What happens is you always end up making money. It always works out."

"We're going to have more fans than ever before. We're going to have more people who will have eyeballs on Devin Booker and Deandre (Ayton) and Kevin Durant, Chris (Paul) and cheer the team on and more people buying merchandise because they're bigger fans."

Games will also be available on streaming firm Kiswe.

The Phoenix teams had staged their games on Bally Sports Arizona (previously known as Fox Sports Arizona) since 2003. This new over-the-air deal, described as a "tipping point" in sports media by Windhorst, comes in the wake of Bally Sports' parent company, Diamond Sports Group, filing for bankruptcy in March. The Suns claim that moving their games from cable, where they've been stationed in some form since 1981, will more than double the households able to take in games. 

APRIL 24 MARKKANEN WINS MIP, BRUNSON FINISHES 3RD

Lauri Markkanen was named the NBA's Most Improved Player on Monday, besting Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who came in third. Markkanen earned 69 of 100 first-place votes while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City was the runner-up. 

Markkanen besting Brunson for the award carries a slight hint of irony considering Brunson's current affairs: the Utah Jazz star was involved in the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are engaged in a playoff series with the Knicks. New York leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 with a chance to clinch on Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).

In his first season in Utah, Markkanen averaged a career-best 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, his work awarded with his first All-Star Game nomination (the game ironically held in Salt Lake City). 

With the win, Markkanen earns the George Mikan Trophy and becomes the first Utah representative to win MIP. Brunson's teammate Julius Randle previously won the award after the 2020-21 campaign.

APRIL 22 BRUNSON DUNKS 'EM 

The Knicks crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 99-79, in Game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup on Friday, taking a 2-1 series advantage in the process - with Jalen Brunson showing up ... up ... up ...

Brunson was the Knicks' leading scorer with 21. But he also led the folks in Madison Square Garden to getting fired up with a rare dunk.

You just witnessed Jalen Brunson’s second dunk of the season.
pic.twitter.com/XTOh7Pdxtl

— BrunsonMuse (@BrunsonMuse) April 22, 2023

"Don't expect too many more dunks ... Or power layups, whatever you want to call them,'' the stocky 6-2 Brunson joked in a self-effacing way.

The Knicks became the first team in the NBA this season to hold an opponent under 80 points and look to take a 3-1 lead in the series on Sunday when they host the Cavaliers for Game 4 at 1 p.m. ET.

APR 21 CONSENSUS TOP CHOICE VICTOR WEMBANYAMA DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT

Touted prospect Victor Wembanyama has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, announcing his intentions on Friday's edition of "NBA Today" on ESPN.

"It's been a year with so (much) great news for me," Wembanyama told host Malika Andrews. "I want to thank everyone that has been a part of that journey ... all the coaches, my family. I'm really excited to announce that I'm going to declare for the 2023 NBA Draft. I hope it's big news!"

The French-born 19-year-old is widely assumed to be the top pick of the draft and currently stars for Metropolitans 92 in Levallois-Perret near Paris. Listed at 7-foot-3, Wembanyama has drawn comparisons to fellow European big men like Dirk Nowitzki and former Knick Kristaps Porzingis. As it stands, the Detroit Pistons currently own the best odds for landing Wembanyama's services later this summer with a 14 percent chance of landing the top overall choice.

APR 19 MIKE BROWN UNANIMOUSLY EARNS NBA COACH OF THE YEAR

Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown made NBA history on Wednesday as the first unanimous winner of the NBA's Coach of the Year honor. The award was originally bestowed in 1963 and was previously won by Brown in 2009 (when he was at the helm of the Cleveland Cavaliers).

At 48-34, Brown guided the Kings to their first winning seasons and playoff appearance since 2005-06 and ended the longest postseason drought in the commonly accepted "big four" North American professional sports leagues. Brown is in the midst of his first season in Sacramento after six years as Steve Kerr's second-in-command with the Golden State Warriors, a tenure that produced four NBA titles 

Brown and the third-seeded Kings currently own a 2-0 series lead on his former employers from Golden State in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night in San Francisco (10 p.m. ET, TNT).

APR 16 INJURIES MAR SUNDAY PLAYOFF ACTION

With the second half of Game 1 slates commencing in the NBA Playoffs on Sunday, several contenders endured injuries that could impact the playoff picture...

• Memphis' Ja Morant was forced to leave the Grizzlies' Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers due to a hand injury. While x-rays were negative, Morant's status for Game 2 on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) is "very much in jeopardy.”

• On the winning side, Los Angeles' Anthony Davis left the game in the first half after an encounter with Jaren Jackson Jr. Davis visibly said he couldn't move his arm after the incident but returned to the tune of a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double. He was said to have sustained a "stinger" on his right arm.

• The Miami Heat earned an unexpected win over the top-ranked Milwaukee Bucks but the triumph came at a price: the team is expected to be without Tyler Herro, who sustained a broken hand while diving for a loose ball. Herro's recovery time is expected to be 4-to-6 weeks.

• Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed most of the defeat due to a back contusion that forced him out of the game in the first quarter. While he did not return to the game, there is "optimism" surrounding his availability on Wednesday night (9 p.m. ET, NBA TV).

APR 10 TIMBERWOLVES SUSPEND RUDY GOBERT AFTER TEAMMATE PUNCH

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Minnesota Timberwolves have more or less suspended Rudy Gobert in the wake of a Sunday incident that saw him strike teammate Kyle Anderson during the team's regular season finale. 

Wojnarowski says that the three-time All-Star will not travel with the team when it heads west to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening leg of the Western Conference on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET, TNT). Gobert, averaging 13.6 points and 11.4 rebounds in his first season in Minneapolis, addressed the incident on his social media feeds

"Emotions got the best of me today, Gobert said. "I should not have reacted the way I did regardless of what was said. I want to apologize to the fans, the organization, and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that I truly love and respect as a teammate."

Minnesota, finishing eighth in the West, will clinch the seventh seed and the chance to face No. 2 Memphis with a win on Wednesday. If they fall to the Lakers, they'll have one more chance to earn a playoff invite on Friday if/when they take on the winner of Wednesday's tilt between New Orleans and Oklahoma City. 

APR 9 KNICKS ADD ISAIAH ROBY FOR 2023-24 SEASON

Even though they're bound for the NBA Playoffs, the New York Knicks are apparently already thinking of next season. Prior to their regular season finale against the Indiana Pacers (1 p.m. ET, MSG), the Knicks added former San Antonio Spur Isaiah Roby, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Since Roby, 25, was waived in March, he will not be eligible to join the Knicks' playoff roster. Wojnarowski says that the Knicks are paying "significant guaranteed money" to bring him aboard for 2023-24 and The Athletic has declared that Roby will earn $400,000 for being on the Knicks roster for Sunday's game. 

Roby appeared in 42 games (2 starts) for the Spurs this season after spending three years in Oklahoma City. He has averaged 7.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in his four NBA seasons. 

MAR 31 OBI TOPPIN'S BROTHER DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT

Jacob Toppin, the younger brother of current New York Knicks forward Obi, has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, announcing his eligibility in a social media post on Friday. The younger Toppin played the last three seasons at Kentucky after transferring from Rhode Island and had one year of eligibility remaining. 

“I came to Kentucky to chase that dream and in my time here, I’ve grown tremendously not only as a player but as a man," Toppin said on his Instagram page. "This place has taught me things that I will take with me for the rest of my life. For that, I want to thank my coaches and my teammates, and most importantly the fans. Your support and passion are things I’ll never forget, and I will carry with me. It has been a memorable time for me, and Kentucky will forever hold a special place in my heart. I’ve loved my time here, but I’m ready to finally fulfill my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA. With that being said I will be entering my name into the 2023 NBA Draft. Go Big Blue!”

Toppin jumped into the Kentucky starting lineup this season, averaging 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, ranking eighth in the SEC in the latter category. The Wildcats returned to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament after a nine-win season in 2020-21 but were denied a chance to play in the East Regional's latter stages at Obi's current dwelling of Madison Square Garden thanks to a 75-69 loss at the hands of Kansas State. 

The 2023 NBA Draft will be held on June 22 in Brooklyn.

MAR 30 FORMER KNICK TIM THOMAS TAKES NJ COACHING JOB

Tim Thomas, a former New York Knick and a first-round pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, is returning to the New York City tri-state area. Thomas has accepted the head coaching job at his alma mater of Paramus Catholic HIgh School, where he burst onto the national scene, standing as the second-ranked recruit in the class of 1996 behind only Kobe Bryant.

The 46-year-old played 131 games (92 starts) in two stints with the Knicks, originally coming over in a multi-team deal in February 2004. Thomas spent the whole 2004-05 season with the team before he was traded to Chicago and returned in November 2008 before another trade to the Bulls four months later. It was part of a 13-year NBA career that also went through Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas.

In New York, Thomas is perhaps best known for the rivalry he developed with New Jersey Nets star Kenyon Martin during the 2004 playoffs. When Thomas suffered an injury that kept him out of all but one game of the Knicks' brief, four-game run, he referred to Martin as "fugazi," igniting a feud that followed each player for the rest of his career. 

MAR 27 KNICKS LOCK UP G LEAGUE STAR JEFFRIES

Per Shams Charania, the New York Knicks have signed NBA G League standout DaQuan Jeffries to a multi-year deal, which comes after he played on two 10-day contracts with the big club. Despite no appearances with the main NBA squad, Jeffries has flourished with G League Westchester, averaging 21.3 points in 21 games, best among the squad's regulars. Jeffries originally joined the Knicks organization through its Summer League squad in Las Vegas, averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in relief. His last NBA experience came with Memphis in January 2022. Westchester (9-23) wrapped up its 2022-23 season on Saturday, falling 114-105 to Washington affiliate Capital City. 

MAR 20 PITINO ACCEPTS ST. JOHN'S JOB

Rick Pitino will return to Madison Square Garden next fall, as the former Knicks boss has agreed to a six-year deal to serve as the head coach of St. John's University's men's basketball program. In previous Manhattan affairs, Pitino amassed a 90-74 record in two seasons at the helm of the Knicks (1987-89). 

The polarizing Pitino, whose lauded collegiate coaching career has been offset by several off-court scandals, spent the past three seasons at Iona College in New Rochelle, guiding the Gaels to two NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament appearances. This season saw Iona earn 27 wins, tied for the second-best total in program history and best since 1997-98. The Gaels were seeded 13th in the West Regional on the NCAA Tournament bracket and fell to Connecticut in first round action on Friday. In addition to his success with the Gaels, Pitino brings over a well-accomplished resume that boasts two national titles (1996, 2013 with Kentucky/Louisville) and 834 unofficial victories. 

St. John's, the Knicks' MSG hardwood roommates, has struggled to keep pace in the Big East Conference in recent seasons. The Red Storm, having recently bid farewell to Mike Anderson after four seasons, has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000 and recently capped off an 18-15 season.

MAR 17 JEFFRIES, SIMS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EXTRA G LEAGUE WORK

The Knicks sent down Jericho Sims and DaQuan Jeffries to their NBA G League team based in Westchester for further work on Thursday night and each took advantage despite a loss to Indiana affiliate Fort Wayne. Jeffries, working on a second 10-day contract, led all scorers with 34 points in defeat while Sims pulled down 17 rebounds. Each has already been recalled to the NBA squad and will be available on the bench when the Knicks battle the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, MSG). 

While Jeffries has not appeared in an NBA game this season, Sims has been in and out of the Knicks' rotation, notably attracting enough attention to earn an invite to the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City for the All-Star break. He has fallen out of the nine-man set upon the return of starting center Mitchell Robinson. 

MAR 16 MJ SAYS BYE-BYE TO HORNETS?

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, NBA legend Michael Jordan is holding "serious talks to sell a majority stake" in the Charlotte Hornets. The interested party is reportedly led by Hornets minority owner Gabe Plotkin (who was sold his stake from Jordan in 2019) and Rick Schnall, who holds the same stake in the Atlanta Hawks.

Jordan, 60, has been involved in the Charlotte franchise when he bought a minority stake in the franchise (then known as the Bobcats) in 2006. At that time, he was also granted full control of basketball operations. He purchased the rest from Bobcats founder Robert L. Johnson four years later. 

Charlotte has struggled to enjoy the same success Jordan earned during his illustrious, unmatched playing career: under his watch, the Hornets (22-49) got back their famed nickname (which originally went to New Orleans) and his leadership helped the franchise earn 48 wins in 2016, its best win total since 2000. However, Jordan was also part of the Bobcats' 7-59 mark in the shortened 2011-12 season, posting the worst win percentage in NBA history (.106). 

As it stands, the Hornets are on the verge of elimination in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, suffering from the loss of LaMelo Ball to injury and Miles Bridges to an NBA investigation for domestic violence. Charlotte won 43 games last season, its first winning campaign since the aforementioned 2015-16 edition, but fell in the first leg of the Play-In Tournament to Atlanta. 

MAR 13 CELTICS' SMART FINED FOR ALTERCATION

The NBA announced on Monday that Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart would be fined $25,000 for an on-court altercation with Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young during their Sunday showdown. Smart and Young got together in the penultimate minute of play and the former was ejected for taking his opponent down. Young was awarded free throws that proved ultimately meaningless as Boston won the game 134-125. 

This marks the second time Smart has been fined this season, previously assessed a $35,000 charge for inappropriate language toward an official in a January showdown against Oklahoma City. 

MAR 12 KNICKS WAIVE MOSES BROWN

Per Shams Charania, the New York Knicks have waived center Moses Brown four days after signing him to a two-way deal. Brown, a New York City native and alum of Archbishop Molloy High School, put up 18 points and 17 rebounds in his lone appearance with the Knicks’ Westchester-branded NBA G League team. 

In a sense of macabre irony, Brown’s departure shortly after the NBA team dropped a 105-96 decision to the Los Angeles Clippers, the team that played host to his most recent Association endeavors. The Knicks also re-added 2022 second-round pick Trevor Keels on a two-year deal.

MAR 11 KYRIE RIPS GAMBLING 

During a recent Twitch livestream, Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving is torching the gambling world, especially scolding those who reach out to him because they've placed a bet on him or his team.

"Everybody be talking about their f***ing ticket,'' Irving said. "If you gamble on me, I’m not going to tell you whether it’s a good gamble ...''

Irving continued: “Gambling and sports betting has completely taken the purity and the fun away from the game at times. I'm gonna just be honest with y'all," Irving said. "It's tainting the game.''

Read more from Kyrie Irving here.

MAR 10 DURANT EXPECTED TO MISS 2-3 WEEKS

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant is expected to miss at least two-to-three weeks with an ankle injury sustained during warm-ups of what was supposed to be his first home game as part of his new organization.

Durant, traded from Brooklyn to Phoenix at the NBA trade deadline, had played three games for the Suns and put up averages of 26.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. Injuries have limited him to 42 games this season but, provided his re-evaluation works out well, he should be ready for the championship push the Suns brought him in for.

As it stands, Phoenix (37-29) sits in fourth place in the Western Conference, 2.5 games behind Sacramento and Memphis' tie for second. They'll return to action against the Kings on Saturday night (9 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Arizona).

MAR 9 IRVING'S TWITCH SESSION ADDRESSES ON, OFF COURT ISSUES

Kyrie Irving, currently of the Dallas Mavericks, spoke for over an hour on Twitch on Thursday, his live stream covering a variety of topics of both an on-and-off-court variety. 

• On the rise of legalized gambling: "It’s tainting the game ... as a hooper, I’m just trying to get a bucket. I’m trying to win ballgames most importantly, and I’m gonna be successful some nights and I’m gonna fail but overall the reason why I said peace of mind is everything. Just look at these distractions that ultimately take away from the game."
• On his publicized departures from Boston, Brooklyn, and Cleveland: “You see me on the court for three hours. What do you think I’m doing in those 21 other than sleeping? You see me for three hours. You see my social presence on my platforms. You see me for three hours and you think you know who I am ... All from seeing me for three hours. You get all that? ‘What is Kai going to do this summer? Does Kai like Dallas? What happened in Brooklyn? What happened in Boston? What happened in Cleveland? Why did you leave LeBron? Why did you leave Jayson? Why did you leave KD? Why did you leave all these people?’"
• On racism he faces from fans: “I’ve been called anything and everything under the sun because I’ve made decisions with my life and I’ve tried to assist my community to awaken to the truth of the way that we’ve been treated ... we’re going on about 500 years of a war against nonwhite people. I’m not being a racist. I’m not being a bigot. I’m just saying I am in alignment with my ancestors.

MAR 8 MORANT NOT CHARGED AFTER FIREARM VIDEO

The Glendale (CO) Police Department will not press criminal charges against Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant after an investigation into a social media video where he supposedly displayed a firearm in a nightclub on early Saturday morning. Morant posted the video following Memphis' Friday loss to the Denver Nuggets.

"GPD was not able to determine that probable cause existed for the filing of any charges," a statement from the department said, per ESPN. "In this case, it should be noted that on the night in question, the GPD did not receive any calls for service at the nightclub regarding a weapon of any type. Subsequently, no disturbances were reported, and no citizens or patrons of the club came forward to make a complaint. The investigation also concluded that no one was threatened or menaced with the firearm and, in fact, a firearm was ever located."

Morant, who has since shut down his social media channels, has not played for Memphis since the incident and there remains no immediate timetable for his return. The Grizzlies (38-26) return to action on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

MAR 5 CELTICS WILL NOT HAVE ROBERT WILLIAMS VS KNICKS

The Boston Celtics will be without one of their recurring contributors when they face the New York Knicks on Sunday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), as center Robert Williams III has been ruled out due to a left hamstring sprain. Williams had left the Celtics' most recent contest, Friday's brutal loss to Brooklyn, with tightness and did not return.

This is the latest medical blow to Williams, who has been unable to follow up on a career-best season that saw him average 10 points and 9.6 rebounds en route to last year's NBA Finals. He had six points, seven boards, and two blocks in last week's get-together at Madison Square Garden, a 109-94 New York victory.

In addition to Williams, the Celtics' injury report also features reserve contributor Malcolm Brogdon (ankle soreness), who had a visitors'-best 22 points in the aforementioned last meeting.

MAR 4 MORANT OUT "AT LEAST" NEXT TWO GAMES

The Memphis Grizzlies announced that Ja Morant "will be away from the team for at least the next two games," due to an NBA investigation opened when the All-Star guard was seen brandishing a handgun at a nightclub in his Instagram Live channel early Saturday morning. It's the latest incident involving Morant, who was also the subject of a Washington Post report where a 17-year-old claimed the Grizzlies star threatened him with a weapon after a confrontation following a pick-up basketball game.

Morant has deactivated his social media channels and will miss the Grizzlies' next two games against the Los Angeles teams. He took full responsibility for the latest incident, which came after Memphis' 113-97 road loss to Denver.

"I'm sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis, and the entire organization for letting you down," Morant said. "I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being." 

FEB 27 HAWKS FIND NEW HEAD COACH IN QUIN SNYDER

The Atlanta Hawks named Quin Snyder their new head coach before the weekend ended, as the two sides agreed to a five-year deal that will include the final 21 games of this ongoing regular season.

“From our first conversation, it was clear that Quin had all the characteristics we were looking for in our next head coach," former Knick and current Hawks general manager Landry Fields said in a team statement. "He has both an incredible basketball and emotional IQ, and we share the same core values and basketball philosophies of having honest communication and collaboration with players, tremendous attention to detail, and placing a great emphasis on player development."

Snyder, 56, previously served as an Atlanta assistant coach under Mike Budenholzer in 2013-14 before taking the top job in Utah, a role he'd hold for eight seasons. Under his watch, the Jazz reached the playoffs in six consecutive seasons and Snyder became the second-winningest coach in franchise history behind Jerry Sloan. Snyder could be on the bench as soon as Tuesday when the Hawks battle the Washington Wizards at home (7:30 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Southeast).

Atlanta (31-30) dismissed Nate McMillan in his third season with the team earlier this month. Assistant coach Joe Prunty went 2-0 as interim boss, and the latter victory over Brooklyn on Sunday helped the Knicks move into a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks are currently 3.5 games behind the Knicks and Nets for the final automatic Eastern playoff berth.

FEB 26 BROWN'S NOT AROUND FOR CELTICS' VISIT TO MSG

Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown will not play in a Monday night showdown against the surging New York Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). Brown has been wearing a mask while playing with a facial fracture, but his absence from Monday's game instead centers on personal reasons. He earned a team-best 26 points in Boston's primetime thriller on Saturday night, a 110-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

In addition to Brown, the Celtics could also be missing Derrick White, who is listed as probable due to a right ankle sprain. White, averaging 12 points and 3.8 assists per game, is the only player to have appeared in all 61 games for the league-leading Celtics (44-17).

FEB 23 KNICKS INK DRAFT PICK TO 10-DAY DEAL

The Knicks announced the signing of 2022 draft pick Trevor Keels to a 10-day contract. Keels, the 42nd overall pick from last summer's draft, is the Knicks' first effort to create a full 15-man roster and Daquan Jeffries could soon follow. 

A Duke alum, Keels has spent most of his first professional season with the Knicks' Westchester-branded G League team. In 17 games, Keels is averaging 14.9 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game, which came before he put up 5.8 tallies and 4.6 boards in five Summer League contests in Las Vegas. Keels previously appeared in one NBA game this season, playing one minute in a blowout win over Detroit in October.

FEB 21 HAWKS PART WAYS WITH NATE MCMILLAN

The Atlanta Hawks, pursuing the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference playoff race, fired head coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday. McMillan amassed a 99-80 record over parts of three seasons with the team, having taken over in the middle of the 2020-21 campaign. 

Under McMillan's watch, Atlanta earned two playoff series victories, both of which came in 2021. The first was a five-game triumph over the Knicks before they upset top-seeded Philadelphia in seven. Though they fell to the eventual champions from Milwaukee, the postseason efforts and a 27-11 record to close out the regular season earned McMillan the full-time job.

Since then, however, Atlanta, headlined by the efforts of Trae Young, has been stuck in Play-In Tournament purgatory, finishing ninth in last year's standings before disposing of Charlotte and Cleveland for the right to play top-seeded Miami, where they fell in five games. As it stands, the Hawks (29-30) sit in eighth place in the East, 3.5 games behind the Knicks for the sixth and final automatic playoff spot. The Knicks were the last team to face a McMillan-led Hawks team, taking a 122-101 decision in Atlanta last Wednesday night. Two nights prior, Atlanta let up a season-worst 144 points in a loss to Charlotte.

Though the Hawks reportedly have sights on former assistant Quin Snyder, the former boss of the Utah Jazz, assistant coach Joe Prunty will take over the rest of the way. Prunty, a three-time champion as a San Antonio assistant, previously served as an interim boss with Milwaukee in 2018, going 21-16 before falling in seven games to Boston in the opening round of the playoffs.

FEB 20 FROM MIAMI WITH (KEVIN) LOVE

The Miami Heat are bringing in a specialist to help them catch the New York Knicks. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Kevin Love, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers, intends to sign with the Heat once he clears waivers. Love was bought out by Cleveland after nine years with the team, one of which yielded an NBA title in 2016. 

Though Love, 34, had fallen out of the Cavs' rotation, he always seems to bring his top game against the Knicks. Throughout his career, Love is averaging a double-double against New York (18.8 points, 10.5 rebounds) and he broke loose for one of his finest performances of this season against New York on Oct. 30, scoring 29 points off the bench in a 121-108 win.

As it stands, Miami (32-27) is a half-game behind the Knicks (33-27) for the last of the six automatic Eastern Conference playoff spots. The Knicks will face the Heat three times over their final 22 regular season games, the first of those matchups slated for Mar. 3 in South Beach. New York took the first get-together by a 106-104 final earlier this month.

FEB 14 KNICKS EX JAMAL CRAWFORD TO JUDGE SLAM DUNK CONTEST

The New York Knicks earned further representation at NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, as former point guard Jamal Crawford was named among the judges for Saturday's Slam Dunk Contest (8 p.m. ET, TNT). Current Knicks rep Jericho Sims is set to partake alongside Kenyon Martin Jr. (Houston), Mac McClung (G League Delaware), and Trey Murphy (New Orleans). 

Crawford spent parts of five seasons of a lengthy NBA career in Manhattan, averaging 17.6 points and 4.4 assists. Alongside Lou Williams, Crawford is one of the only players in NBA history to win three Sixth Man of the Year titles, earned during a 20-year NBA tour with nine different teams that wrapped in 2020 in Brooklyn. 

Joining Crawford at the judges' table will be Basketball Hall of Famers Lisa Leslie, Karl Malone, and Dominique Wilkins, as well as two-time Dunk Contest champion Harold Miner. 

FEB 12 FURTHER TRANSACTIONS COME VIA BUYOUTS

Though the NBA trade deadline has passed, several flurries throughout the league have brought about further player movement. (All reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN)

• Three-time NBA champion and North Babylon, NY native Danny Green was traded to the Houston Rockets but has been bought out and appears to be headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Green previously partook in three games with Memphis this season and has 165 games of playoff experience under his belt.
• The Orlando Magic are planning to buy out veteran Terrance Ross, who is aiming to join the revamped Phoenix Suns. Ross is averaging 8.2 points over 42 games and will likely play a vital role on the Phoenix bench after the lucrative, if not costly, trade with Brooklyn that landed Kevin Durant.
• Reggie Jackson was traded to the Charlotte Hornets but has been bought out to sign with the Western Conference leaders in Denver. In 52 games (38 starts) with the Los Angeles Clippers, Jackson averaged 10.9 points a game in his 14th NBA season

FEB 11 CAM REDDISH SEES IMMEDIATE ACTION AFTER TRADE TO PORTLAND

Cam Reddish appeared in an NBA game for the first time in over two months on Friday night, starting for the Portland Trail Blazers after the New York Knicks dealt him to the Pacific Northwest. In 17 minutes, Reddish earned 11 points (4-of-7 from the field) and two rebounds and assists each as the Blazers (27-29) dropped a 138-129 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Reddish was Portland's primary gain in a deal that sent Josh Hart to New York. Though the first-round pick from the 2019 draft briefly worked his way into the Knicks' starting five, he had not touched the floor since Dec. 3. Reddish was relatively quiet about his New York tenure in the aftermath though he did express relief that he was "free."

“I think it’s just (a) more free mentally for me, already,” Reddish said. “I feel like just being free mentally is a huge difference."

New York and Portland will do battle at Moda Center on March 14.  

FEB 10 JALEN BRUNSON NOT AMONG NBA ALL-STAR INJURY REPLACEMENTS

Jalen Brunson's final chance for the NBA All-Star Game has come and gone. 

The NBA unveiled its list of injury replacements for this month's exhibition in Salt Lake City on Friday but featured no further Knicks representation. Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) and De'Aaron Fox (Sacramento) step into the Western Conference pool while Pascal Siakam (Toronto) joins the East. The trio replaces a trio of injured Westerners, including Stephen Curry (Golden State), Zion Williamson (New Orleans), and Kevin Durant. The latter was originally chosen as a member of the Eastern pool but has since been traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Knicks fans can take solace in the fact that Brunson has been an All-Star in his own right for them this season, fulfilling every expectation at point guard and then some as the team seeks to return to the playoffs. New York will be well-represented at each event of All-Star Weekend even without Brunson's prescience: in addition to Julius Randle partaking in the game itself, Quentin Grimes and Jericho Sims will respectively appear in the Rising Stars Challenge and Slam Dunk Contest. 

FEB 9 NETS TRADE KEVIN DURANT TO PHOENIX

The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns literally burned the midnight oil to pull off one of the jaw-dropping trades in recent memory. 

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, the Suns obtained 13-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant in a trade that sent Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, and four first-round picks. TJ Warren also heads out west and a pick swap is also involved. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report was the first to report the deal.

Thus ends Durant's roller-coaster tenure with Brooklyn, a three-season stretch that saw him average 29 points and 7.1 rebounds ... and only one playoff series victory. The Durant deal comes shortly after the Nets dealt fellow superstar Kyrie Irving to Dallas. 

Brooklyn (32-22) is currently stationed in the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They'll face the Knicks in Manhattan on Monday, having taken each of the first two meetings at Barclays Center so far this season. 

FEB 8 LEBRON JAMES SETS NBA ALL-TIME SCORING RECORD

LeBron James' latest brand of NBA history is one of his biggest accomplishments yet. Tuesday night saw the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, breaking the record Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had held since 1984. James earned the record with the last two of 36 points earned through three quarters of the Oklahoma City Thunder's visit to Crypto.com Arena. 

38,388 POINTS

LeBron James hits the fadeaway jumper to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer! #ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/P5LyTZAZn3

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023

The game was briefly paused to acknowledge James' historic tally earned through 20 seasons between Cleveland, Miami, and Los Angeles. Abdul-Jabbar himself was on hand to watch his long-standing record fall.

"Everything just stopped. It gave me an opportunity to embrace it and look around and seeing my family, the fans, my friends," James said of the moment. "It was pretty cool. I probably can count on my hands how many times I have cried in 20 years, either in happiness or in defeat. So that moment was one of them when I kind of teared up a little bit. It was 'I can't believe what's going on' tears." 

Alas for James and the Lakers (25-30), history wasn't enough to alter fate: behind 30 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder (26-28) put a damper on the proceedings with a 133-130 victory, allowing them to move a half-game behind Utah for the fourth and final spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.

The Knicks will face off against the Lakers on March 12 in Los Angeles.

FEB 7 QUENTIN GRIMES TO COLLABORATE WITH JOAKIM NOAH AT RISING STARS GAME

Part of the Knicks' future will meet the team's past, as Quentin Grimes will be part of Joakim Noah's team at the All-Star Game's Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 17 (9 p.m. ET, TNT). Grimes was chosen by Noah in the fifth round of a seven-stage draft on Tuesday that also netted Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams (both Oklahoma City), Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio), Jabari Smith. Jr. (Houston), and Jalen Duren (Detroit).

Ironically, Grimes is drafted by a former Knick, as Noah spent parts of two seasons in Manhattan (2016-18) after his nine-year tenure with the Chicago Bulls. Alas, things did not pan out well for Noah, as injuries limited him to only 53 games in New York after inking a four-year, $72 million contract. 

Grimes and the Knicks (29-26) are set to face off against the top pick in the draft, Orlando's Paolo Banchero, when New York visits the Magic on Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG). Banchero will be playing a team led by Noah's fellow NBA alum Pau Gasol while teammate Franz Wagner was chosen first by the team led by Deron Williams. The Rising Stars Game will feature the three teams consisting of NBA rookies and sophomores as well as a team consisting of G League stars led by another alum Jason Terry. 

FEB 5 MAVERICKS FIND BRUNSON REPLACEMENT IN KYRIE IRVING TRADE?

Ironically enough, the Dallas Mavericks' long-sought replacement for Jalen Brunson might come from New York City. 

Per Shams Charania, the Brooklyn Nets have traded polarizing point guard Kyrie Irving to Dallas in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and second-round choices in 2027 and 2029. The Nets are also sending over Markieff Morris. 

Irving requested a trade from Brooklyn last week, just days before the deal deadline on Feb. 9. While his season has been defined by controversy, Irving's on-court contributions (27.1-point, 5.3-assist averages) could serve as Dallas' long-sought floor answer to Brunson's departure after he inked a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks over the summer. Without Brunson, Dallas (28-26) has struggled to find consistent help for franchise face Luka Donćič, currently sitting in the sixth and final automatic playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

FEB 2 OLADIPO OUT VS. KNICKS

The Miami Heat announced that guard Victor Oladipo will not play in Thursday night's visit to Manhattan against the New York Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). Oladipo, diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, had finally gotten back into a bit of a professional groove, returning to NBA action on Dec. 6 after missing the first 24 games of the year due to lingering knee issues that limited him to a mere dozen appearances over the last two seasons. 

Over 26 games this year, Oladipo has averaged 11.2 points and 3.9 assists in what's primarily been a reserve role. 

JAN 31 LEBRON JAMES ACTIVE FOR LAKERS' MSG VISIT, FIRST SINCE 2020

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James will be active when his Los Angeles Lakers visit Manhattan to battle the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT). It will mark his first active visit to MSG since January 2020, when he had 31 points in a 117-87 Los Angeles victory. 

James, who is closing in on one of the greatest records in NBA history, sat out of Los Angeles' Monday loss in Brooklyn with ankle soreness. Entering Tuesday night action, James is 117 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the title of the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

Though James has never played for the Knicks, there's a star-crossed history, at least from the New York side, between the pair. In 56 games regular season contests against the Knicks. who have often reached out to him during his highly publicized free agency sessions, James has averaged 26.6 points.

JAN 28 SIMMONS OUT FOR METROPOLITAN MELEE 

Knee soreness will keep Brooklyn Nets guard out of the New York City civil war against the Knicks on Saturday evening (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Simmons left the Nets' Thursday loss in Detroit early and did not return, playing 20 minutes and missing all three attempts from the field, though he did dish out a team-best seven assists before leaving.

Though Simmons has struggled to score (career-low 7.4 per game this season), he stands as the Nets' leader in assists (6.4) and steals (1.4). The Knicks are perhaps a tad relieved not to run into Simmons again: though he scored only six in the teams' only prior meeting this season (though he hauled in nine rebounds in a 112-85 win on Nov. 9), Simmons has been on the winning side in each of the 15 occasions he's faced New York since entering the league as the top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

In addition to Simmons, the Nets (29-19) will also be missing T.J. Warren (shin). 

JAN 26 ALL-STAR STARTERS REVEALED BEFORE KNICKS-CELTICS

Prior to the New York Knicks' nationally televised showdown with the Boston Celtics, the NBA unveiled the starting lineup for its upcoming All-Star Game in Salt Lake City on Feb. 19. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Western Conference's most popular candidate, made history with his 19th All-Star Game selection, tying a record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James will get to pick teams alongside the East's captain Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Knicks are doing battle with one of the other Eastern selections, Jayson Tatum of Boston, while Donovon Mitchell of Cleveland joins Brooklyn Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Joining James out west are Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, and Zion Williamson.

JAN 26 'TRASH CELEBRATION' 

Kevin Durant is working to come back from injury before the All-Star Break - he and the Nets play the Knicks on Saturday - but in the meantime he is displeased with Joel Embiid's over-celebration during Wednesday night's game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn.

Embiid thrust his hips three times while making a lewd gesture reminiscent of WWE's D-Generation X; he's apparently got some sort of WWE connection.

"Trash celebration," Durant wrote on Twitter, tagging Embiid.

Joel's lewd response? "Suck It!''

#SuckIt https://t.co/rVpradzgkW pic.twitter.com/xP8uJ3T6IA

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) January 26, 2023

Brooklyn lost the game, 137-133. And Joel lost a fan in Durant.

JAN 21 LAKERS' DAVIS ON PACE FOR RETURN NEXT WEEK

When the New York Knicks welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to Madison Square Garden on Jan. 31, they might be in for an elite surprise. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Davis is making "pain-free progress" as he continues to work his way back from a foot injury. 

"There's optimism for a return to the lineup as soon as late next week," Wojnarowski said in his report.

Davis has not played since Dec. 16, though the team has managed to tread water to the tune of a 9-9 record in his absence. Los Angeles (21-25) currently sits in 13th place in the Western Conference but is only one game behind 10th-place Phoenix for the fourth and final Play-In Tournament spot. 

JAN 18 BEAL RETURNS TO WASHINGTON LINEUP IN TIME FOR MSG VISIT

Per Adrian Wojnarowski, Bradley Beal will return to the Washington Wizards' lineup on Wednesday night when the team visits Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). Beal has dealt with a hamstring strain that has kept him out of the last four games, including last Friday's 112-108 loss to the Knicks at Capital One Arena. 

Beal has missed eight of the past nine overall and the Wizards (18-26) have struggled without him, going 1-4 over the last five. They currently sit two games behind 10th-place Chicago for the final spot in the Eastern Conference's Play-In Tournament. 

JAN 13 SPURS RETURN TO SITE OF '99 FINALS

The San Antonio Spurs made NBA history on Friday night, hosting the largest-ever crowd for an NBA regular season game at 68,323. It was part of the Spurs' 50th anniversary celebration, which briefly returned the team back to its old home of the Alamodome. 

The previous record, a March 1998 showdown between the Atlanta Hawks and the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls at the Georgia Dome, had stood for nearly 25 full years. Behind a combined 47 points off the bench from Jordan Poole (25) and Jalen Brunson's collegiate teammate Donte DiVincenzo (22), the record crowd watched the defending champion Golden State Warriors throttle the Spurs (13-30) by a 144-113 final.

The Alamodome hosted the Spurs for nine seasons after over two decades at HemisFair Arena. It hosted the team's first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 1999, which saw them dispose of the Knicks in five games. San Antonio won both games at the facility before clinching at Madison Square Garden. Though the Spurs moved to AT&T Center in 2002, the Alamodome has remained active as a football facility, hosting the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners and the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas. 

JAN 10 KNICKS TRADE DUMP?

Would the Knicks really "trade-dump'' Cam Reddish?

That's the rumor as the NBA Trade Rumor Mill gets cranked up, New York is seemingly willing to move on from a player it traded a first-round pick for just a year ago.

Reddish hasn’t been a factor for the Knicks this year, so the former No. 10 overall pick might be headed to the Lakers, suggests HoopsHype.

JAN 8 KEVIN DURANT SET FOR MRI AFTER LEAVING MIAMI VISIT EARLY

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is set to undergo an MRI after he was forced to leave Sunday's visit to Miami early with a knee injury. Durant was injured in the penultimate minute of the third quarter when opponent Jimmy Butler fell backward into his right knee after a blocked attempt to the rim. Despite losing Durant, Brooklyn (27-13) prevailed in a 102-101 final over the Heat after Royce O'Neal put in the winning two off a Kyrie Irving miss with three seconds remaining.

The Nets will likely be especially careful with Durant's injury considering he missed significant time with an MCL ailment sustained last January, one that derailed Brooklyn's season to the tune of a 5-17 mark that more or less doomed them to the Play-In Tournament. The team has gone 14-1 in its last 15 and has a potential chance to take away the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed when it faces Boston on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT). A nationally-televised visit from the Knicks looms on Jan. 28.

[[UPDATE: 11:40 AM ET:]]: Shams Charania has reported that Durant has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

JAN 7 GOLDEN STATE'S IGUODALA SET FOR SEASON DEBUT 

Andre Iguodala's 19th and final NBA season is set to begin on Saturday night, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN reports that he'll dress for the Golden State Warriors when they take on the Orlando Magic (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Bay Area). He will be on a minutes restriction in his first days back but his defensive prowess will no doubt be welcome back on a Warriors team struggling in its latest title defense. 

Iguodala, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, has been an undeniable architect of the Warriors' success over the past decade. After earning his fourth championship ring last summer against Boston, Iguodala inked a one-year deal on a veteran's minimum contract, intending to make the 2022-23 season his final year. A hip injury kept him out of the first half of this campaign, which has seen several Golden State contributiors, namely Steph Curry, go down due to injury.

Entering Saturday night action, the Warriors (20-19) currently hold the sixth and final automatic playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

JAN 6 KEMBA WALKER WAIVED BY MAVERICKS

Kemba Walker's time with the Dallas Mavericks has ended, as the 32-year-old was waived by the team on Friday. North Texas hosted Walker's first professional minutes since a one-year stint with the Knicks failed to solve the team's long-lasting point guard problems. 

Walker was guaranteed for the season if he was still on the Mavericks' roster by Saturday. Some found his brief Dallas tour ironic in the sense that the Mavericks brought him in to partly make up for the loss of Jalen Brunson, who assumed Walker's duties as the Knicks' big-ticket point guard last offseason. 

Though Walker has been cleared to afford playing time for younger players like Jalen Hardy and McKinley Wright IV, he nonetheless played a role in Dallas' recent success, notably earning a 32-point game in an overtime loss to Cleveland on Dec. 17. His Dallas tenure ends with averages of eight points and 2.1 assists and the Mavericks (22-17) currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference, two games above the Play-In Tournament cut-off. 

JAN 4 BULLS CUT DOWN NETS' 12-GAME WINNING STREAK

Behind three starters scoring at least 20 each, the Chicago Bulls overcame a 44-point effort from Kevin Durant to end the Brooklyn Nets' 12-game winning streak on Wednesday night. The Nets' dozen-win tally was the longest in the NBA this season.

"To come out here after those two tough losses and beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA, it's good," Bulls guard Zach LaVine, he of 13 points in the win, said per ESPN. "I think we came out with the right attention to detail. We withstood their run at the end, and we beat them collectively."

DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams led the team with 22 points while Nikola Vučević was right behind them with 21. The Bulls (17-21) led by as much as 18 and earned their first win of the new year after dropping consecutive contests to Cleveland. They currently hold the last Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament spot, a half-game ahead of Washington. 

JAN 2 MITCHELL JOINS CHAMBERLAIN, BRYANT, AND MORE IN 70-POINT CLUB

Former Knicks trade target Donovan Mitchell entered rarified NBA air on Monday, as his 71-point effort in an overtime win over the Chicago Bulls is tied for the sixth-greatest single-game showing in Association history. 

Mitchell is only the seventh player to reach 70 points in a single NBA game and the first since Devin Booker in March 2017. The 71 points scored is also the best in a game since Kobe Bryant's famed 81-point night in January 2006. Mitchell gains entry to the 70-point club alongside Booker, Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson, and six-time entrant Wilt Chamberlain.

"To be there in the record book with guys like Wilt is truly humbling,'' Mitchell said in the aftermath of the 145-134 win. "I always believed I could be one of the best players in the league. I'm speechless and blessed to be in the company of that greatness.''

Cleveland (24-14) has won seven of its past nine after sweeping a home-and-home set with the Bulls. They'll visit Madison Square Garden on Jan. 24. 

DEC 31 DONČIĆ REACHES 50 AGAIN AS MAVS CLOSE 2022 ON HIGH NOTE

The New York Knicks aren't the only ones to feel the wrath of Luka Dončić in the final week of the calendar year. 

The Dallas Mavericks' superstar earned his third 50-point game over the last five games, putting in 51, including the clinching free throws of a 126-125 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Dončić's haul over the last five games allowed him to become the first player in NBA history to earn at least 250 points and 50 rebounds/assists in a five-game stretch, having earned a good part of that tally with his historic double-double on Tuesday against the Knicks. 

His antics have allowed the Mavericks (21-16) to end the year on a six-game winning streak, which has placed them in the fourth slot on the current Western Conference playoff bracket. They return to action on Monday against the Houston Rockets (8 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Southwest).

DEC 31 BRUNSON TO MISS THIRD STRAIGHT GAME

Point guard Jalen Brunson (hip) will not play in the Knicks' calendar-year finale against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG). The team has ruled him out for the third consecutive game due to the injury sustained in Sunday's Christmas Day loss to Philadelphia.

Brunson joins RJ Barrett (finger) and Obi Toppin (knee), who likewise will not play on Saturday, Barrett and Brunson's starting five spots will likely be filled by Miles McBride and Immanuel Quickley. 

DEC 29 NBA HANDS SUSPENSIONS FOR MAGIC-PISTONS FIGHT

The NBA issued punishments to those involved in extracurriculars stemming from the Wednesday showdown between the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic. Instigators Killian Hayes and Moritz Wagner were assessed multi-game suspensions at three and two respectively while Cole Anthony, Mo Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr., R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris, Kevon Harris, Admiral Schofield, and Franz Wagner each got a game for leaving the Orlando bench. 

On Detroit's side, Hamidou Diallo also got a game. Orlando's excess suspensions will be served over the next two games so they're capable of fielding a full contingent for their upcoming contests, as a three-game homestand starts on Friday against Washington (7 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Florida). 

The fight ensued in the final stages of the first half when Mortiz Wagner pushed Hayes into the Detroit bench when the two battled for a loose ball. Diallo shoved Wagner into the bench in response, where he was restrained. Hayes arose to punch Wagner in the back of the head, leading to the latter's Magic teammates rushing over to assist. The rest of the game was played without incident as Detroit (9-28) prevailed 121-101 to end a six-game losing streak. 

Detroit and Orlando (13-23) meet again on Feb. 23. In the meantime, the Pistons' suspensions begin on Friday when they face Chicago (8 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Detroit).

DEC 27 KINGS LOSE HEAD COACH, STAR CENTER IN FOR MEDICAL REASONS

The Sacramento Kings will be missing head coach Mike Brown and star center Domantas Sabonis for an indefinite, but hopefully brief, stretch. Brown entered the NBA's health and safety protocols after displaying mild symptoms of COVID-19 while Sabonis is dealing with a thumb injury on his non-shooting hand. Neither appeared in Tuesday night's 113-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. Assistant coach Jordi Fernandez is serving as the team's interim head coach in Brown's place. Sabonis, a seventh-year veteran out of Gonzaga is the team's leading rebounder (12.5) in his second Sacramento season. 

The Kings (17-15) are looking to end the longest postseason drought among the so-called "big four" major North American professional sports leagues at 16 years. They currently hold the top seed in the four-team Play-In Tournament, a half-game behind sixth-place Dallas for the final automatic Western Conference playoff spots. Sacramento returns to action on Wednesday night, facing the Nuggets again to complete a back-to-back (10 p.m. ET, NBA TV). 

DEC 23 HARDEN PROVIDES EARLY PHILLY CHRISTMAS GIFT

In the Philadelphia 76ers' final game before making their Christmas Day arrival to Madison Square Garden on Sunday (12 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), James Harden posted one of the most unique box scores in NBA history, becoming just the ninth player all-time to post a triple-double featuring at least 20 points, 20 assists, and 10 rebounds. 

Harden joined a list that also includes Wilt Chamberlain, Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook during Philadelphia's comeback from a 20-point deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night, putting in 20 points and helping on 21 more tallies while pulling down 11 rebounds in the 119-114 triumph.

In addition to his new role in NBA history, Harden is now among the greats in 76ers history: he joins Maurice Cheeks as the franchise's all-time leader in single-game assists and became the first player Pennsylvanian since Chamberlain to earn at least 20 points and assists in the same game.

Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 44 points in the comeback victory. Philadelphia (19-12) has won each of its past seven and will face the Knicks for the 13th time on Christmas Day, expanding the holiday record for most stagings of a single matchup.

DEC 22 FORMER LIBERTY STAR BECKY HAMMON AMONG 2023 HOF CANDIDATES

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame unveiled its list of candidates for its 2023 class, a group partly headlined by former New York Liberty star Becky Hammon. 

Hammon, who earned a WNBA championship as the first-year head coach of the Las Vegas Aces in September, is one of seven names enshrined in the Liberty's Ring of Honor, having spent her first American professional seasons (1999-2006) in seafoam. She continues to rank near the top of the franchise's all-time marks, including fourth in points (2,367) and assists (575) and second in three-pointers (331). Hammon made a name for herself on the NBA level as an assistant on fellow finalist Gregg Popovich's staff with the San Antonio Spurs.

Their proteges Pau Gasol and Tony Parker are also among the headliners, as are Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and the 1976 United States women's basketball team, the winners of the inaugural women's tournament at the Olympics in Montreal.

DEC 20 DAMIAN LILLARD MAKES PORTLAND HISTORY IN NARROW LOSS

Damian Lillard became the all-time leading scorer in Portland Trail Blazers history on Monday night, passing Clyde Drexler during the third quarter of a showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lillard needed 21 points to secure the honor and earned the fateful tally at the free throw line and now tops the scoring list of the franchise formed in 1970. 

Entering the league in 2012 as a first-round pick out of Weber State, Lillard has spent his entire career with the Blazers. He finished Monday night with 28 points, the last pair of which came on an equalizing layup with just over three seconds remaining in regulation. Alas for Portland, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's buzzer-beating jumper denied them a win on a historic night, as Oklahoma City prevailed in a 123-121 final.

Lillard did not play in the first matchup between the Knicks and Blazers (17-14) in November. A rematch in Portland is scheduled for March 14. 

DEC 18 FORMER KNICKS STAR AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE ACCUSED OF STRIKING DAUGHTER

Former Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire was arrested on allegations of domestic violence on Saturday. The Miami Herald was the first to report Stoudemire's arrest, said to be in response to the NBA veteran striking one of his daughters.

"I observed blood stains on the victim’s sweater and sweatpants,” the arrest report obtained by The Herald reads. “The mother of the victim showed me the photo she received from her daughter, which shows the victim crying and blood running down her face.” The same report states that Stoudemire told officers that his daughter "received a whooping from him for being disrespectful and a liar."

The incident apparently happened shortly after Stoudemire received his master's degree from the University of Miami, which earned a congratulatory tweet from the Knicks. Stoudemire partook in 14 NBA seasons, including five with the Knicks, which yielded the last of six All-Star appearances and an All-NBA Second Team nomination in 2011.  

DEC 18 LAKERS LOSE DAVIS FOR "AT LEAST ONE MONTH;" BACK FOR KNICKS' VISIT?

Per Shams Charania, Los Angeles Lakers star forward Anthony Davis will miss "at least one month" with a foot injury sustained in the team's Friday win over Denver. The 29-year-old Davis was averaging 27.4 points and a career-best 12.1 rebounds at the time of the ailment, which forced him to leave the nationally-televised tilt against the Nuggets during first quarter action. Davis had already been ruled out for the Lakers' Sunday showdown against the Washington Wizards (9:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet).

As it stands, the Lakers (12-16) sit 1.5 games out of the final Western Conference Play-In Tournament spot. LeBron James put in 30 points while Trevor Bryant added 21 off the bench in Davis' absence to top the Nuggets by a 126-108 final. It's possible Davis could return in time for the first of two meetings between the Lakers and Knicks this season, as the two sides are set to do battle on Jan. 31 at Madison Square Garden.

DEC 15 CURRY OUT 'A FEW WEEKS,' LIKELY GONE FOR MSG VISIT

Per ESPN, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will miss at least "a few weeks" with a left shoulder injury sustained during Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. 

Though Golden State (14-15) is struggling in its latest title defense, Curry was fulfilling his superstar duties to the tune of 30 points and 6.8 assists per game. He had 38 points upon his third quarter exit from Wednesday's tilt in Indianapolis, a 125-119 defeat that served as the Warriors' fourth loss in the past five games. Golden State currently holds the final Play-In Tournament spot in the Western Conference as they enter a four-game Eastern swing that begins on Friday night in Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). 

Curry's reported diagnosis will more than likely remove him from the Warriors' upcoming showdown with the Knicks on Dec. 20. It was set to be Curry's first appearance at MSG since last December when he became the NBA's all-time leader in successful three-pointers during a win over New York. 

DEC 13 JORDAN RULES: NBA ATTACHES MJ'S NAME TO MVP AWARD

Following up on the unveiling of last week's new hardware, several NBA legends will now have their names attached to the league's major year-end honors, the Association announced. The list is headlined by the Michael Jordan MVP Trophy, named after the Chicago Bulls legend widely considered to be the greatest player in NBA history. Nikola Jokic of Denver is the two-time defending earner of the award. 

Other legends of the game honored with hardware include Wilt Chamberlain (Rookie of the Year), John Havlicek (Sixth Man of the Year), George Mikan (Most Improved Player), Hakeem Olajuwon (Defensive Player of the Year), and Jerry West (Clutch Player of the Year).

DEC 12 CUNNINGHAM'S SOPHOMORE SEASON IS OVER

Per Adrian Wojnarowski, Detroit Pistons sophomore Cade Cunningham has shut down for the 2022-23 campaign, opting for season-ending shin surgery. The top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft appeared in 12 games this season, averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and six assists after finishing third in NBA Rookie of the Year voting last season. With the surgery, Cunningham is expected to be ready in time for the 2023-24 campaign

DEC 11 BOOKER MISSES SUNS' PEACEFUL, FUTILE REMATCH WITH PELICANS

Devin Booker was a late scratch from the Phoenix Suns' Sunday lineup, diagnosed with hamstring tightness prior to their showdown with the New Orleans Pelicans. Booker was forced to watch the Suns' fourth consecutive loss, a 129-124 defeat at the hands of the Western Conference leaders. 

"I didn't see the normal 'Book' look," Suns head coach Monty Williams said of the decision to sit Booker, per ESPN. "As an organization, it's just best to make sure he's good ... "He wants to play as Book would. We're just trying to be as smart as we can."

Booker had partaken in each of the Suns' first 26 games averaging 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. Phoenix (16-11) faced New Orleans just two days after tensions arose after Zion Williams slammed down a dunk with a 128-117 decision well in hand during the final seconds. Sunday's game was a placid affair, as New Orleans (18-8) captured its seventh win in a row. 

Time will tell if Booker is forced to miss more time. The Suns return to action on Tuesday in Houston (8 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Arizona).

DEC 10 EX-KNICKS COACH BROWN STEPS DOWN AT MEMPHIS

Citing health concerns, former Knicks head coach Larry Brown stepped down from his advisory role at the University of Memphis' men's basketball program. The well-traveled Brown, who coached the Knicks for one season (2005-06), had been an assistant on former metropolitan protege Penny Hardaway's staff since June 2021 though he primarily operated in off-the-court affairs.

A statement from Memphis indicates that Brown's health problems are "not considered serious."

"We wish Coach Brown a speedy recovery," Hardaway said. "Having Coach Brown as part of our program over the last year-and-a-half was very impactful on our student-athletes and me as a coach, and we hope all the best for him and good health moving forward.

Brown amassed a 1,098-904 record as an NBA coach, his last such experience coming in 2010-11 with Charlotte. Memphis (7-2) returns to action on Saturday late afternoon against No. 11 Auburn (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2). 

DEC 8 BRITTNEY GRINER RETURNS HOME IN PRISONER EXCHANGE

WNBA star Brittney Griner is returning home to the United States as part of a prisoner exchange that will release her from a Russian penal camp. Griner's freedom was ensured in exchange for convicted Russian arms deal Viktor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death."

Griner, partaking in professional overseas basketball in Russia after her ninth season with the domestic Phoenix Mercury, was arrested for carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in a Moscow airport and spent 294 days in Russian custody, a detainment seen as unlawful and excessive, especially after she was sentenced to nine years in August. WNBA players and other figures throughout the basketball world advocated for Griner's release throughout the season and beyond.

President Joe Biden confirmed Griner's release in a press conference in Washington D.C., where Griner's wife Cherelle spoke.

"Today my family is whole, but as you all are aware, there are so many families who are not whole," Cherelle said. "BG's not here to say this, but I will gladly speak on her behalf to say BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home." 

DEC 6 NBA UNVEILS NEW BEST RECORD TROPHY

The NBA unveiled revamped and renamed honors and trophies, the batch headlined by a new award that will honor the team with the best regular season record. Similar to the NHL's Presidents' Trophy, the award will be named the Maurice Podoloff Trophy after the first president of both the NBA and its predecessor, the Basketball Association of America. The trophy is a crystal ball cut into 82 panels, representing the number of games in a standard NBA season, sitting on a pedestal of rings meant to represent the Eastern and Western Conferences.

The unveiling of the regular season champion's trophy was part of a new design showcase, as the coaching, sportsmanship, and teammate awards (respectively named after Red Auerbach, Joe Dumars, and Maurice Stokes/Jack Twyman) were all re-designed. Podoloff's name also graces the current NBA MVP Award held by Nikola Jokic, hinting that further change could be on the way. 

DEC 5 HARDEN WORKS OVERTIME IN RETURN TO HOUSTON

The Knicks' Atlantic Division rivals from Philadelphia welcomed back James Harden to their lineup on Monday night as the 76ers fell by a 132-123 final to the Houston Rockets in double overtime. Harden, perhaps appropriately, made his return at the site of his breakout as a premier talent, having repped the Rockets for nine seasons before spending most of the past two seasons with Brooklyn. 

A foot injury sidelined Harden for just over a month, causing him to miss 15 games, including the Knicks' visit to Philadelphia on Nov. 4. Harden had 21 points on 4-of-19 shooting from the field on Monday, playing 38 minutes after the game went into extra periods. Monday also marked the first time Harden descended upon Houston's Toyota Center since the January 2021 trade that sent him east.

"This is where he was made," Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said of Harden's homecoming. "This is his home place, his hometown in a lot of ways, basketball speaking. It will always be a great memory for him, no matter what, whenever he comes here."

Philadelphia (12-12) next faces the Knicks on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. In the meantime, they'll try to end a three-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). 

DEC 4 D-ROSE TO BIG D?

Don't let the hard words exchanged between each team's fan base fool you ... the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks might secretly love each other based on all the connections they've had since 2019.

According to Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, the Mavs are interested in Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, who we've pegged as being a potential third ball-handler fix for Dallas in recent weeks.

“The Mavericks, of course, lost [Jalen] Brunson to the [New York] Knicks last summer and are in desperate need of a second playmaker to relieve All-Star point forward Luka Dončić,” writes Bucher “They’ve brought on a former Knick, Kemba Walker, for a test run, but a league source said they also have interest in a current one, the aforementioned Rose.”

If the Mavs did want to trade for Rose, they'd have to salary-match the $14.5 million he's making this season. Rose has a team option on his current contract for $15.5 million next season.