New York Knicks

ESPN's Bobby Marks reported on the Hoop Collective podcast (12:00 mark) that Mikal Bridges will not seek to extend his contract with the New York Knicks until the 2025 offseason.

There are timing and financial reasons for waiting, including a six-month rule that only permits the 28-year-old to extend his deal for two years within the first six months of the trade that sent him from Brooklyn to the Knicks and limitations on any raise he may receive.

Beyond that, though, there is another significant reason for waiting.

There is no such thing as an exact science for building a star-studded, title-contending superteam.

For every mid-1990s Chicago Bulls team, there is a Houston Rockets team that brought together Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon and failed to sniff a title.

The 2008 Boston Celtics paired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo in a championship-winning combination, while the 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets—featuring Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving—never jelled and failed to make it past the second round of the playoffs.

The Knicks are hoping their newly assembled roster, featuring Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (upon completion of a trade with Minnesota) is more 2011-12 Miami Heat and less 2012-13 Lakers.

But what if the on-court chemistry is not as expected?

Brunson, Bridges and Hart previously played together at Villanova, winning the NCAA title in 2016. Eight years is a long time, though, and they are not playing in the same system or under the same coach they did in college.

Add in the unknown element of Towns and how well he fits what the team wants to do, and there is plenty of reason for any player not to go all-in on committing his future to the organization for the long term.

By not extending his deal, Bridges can play through the upcoming season, see how well he and his teammates vibe on the court and then decide if he thinks it is the right fit for him moving forward.

If so, he can extend his deal and even follow Brunson by inking a team-friendly deal that lets the organization bring in any necessary pieces to ensure long-term feasibility and competitiveness in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

If not, Bridges has a further year left on his current deal and can become a free agent in the 2026 offseason.

D'Angelo Russell projects sparks to fly for Karl-Anthony Towns in New York.

The Los Angeles Lakers guard took to social media to share his thoughts on Friday's reported blockbuster trade that saw the Minnesota Timberwolves deal Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Russell expressed confidence that Towns will have an impact by saying that the center "will be an All-Star" with his new team.

Towns spent the first nine seasons of his career with Minnesota, where he earned four All-Star nods.

Towns' most recent All-Star appearance came during the 2023-24 season, so becoming one for the Knicks would simply be a continuation of his current pace. However, Russell's comment likely means that he believes that Towns can flourish with the Knicks and take his game to a new gear.

Russell is familiar with the New York landscape, having spent two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. He had his only All-Star appearance with that franchise.

Towns averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 62 games for Minnesota in 2023-24. He will fill in quite well for New York, who is expected to be without incumbent center Mitchell Robinson for the first few months of the 2024-25 season.

Towns will solidify himself in the team's core and hope to lift the Knicks to new heights going forward. The franchise has reached the postseason in three of the last four seasons and has high expectations for 2024-25.

Russell's Lakers, on the other hand, will enjoy having Towns out of the Western Conference.

Donte DiVincenzo was reportedly fired up to be a member of the New York Knicks during the upcoming season before he was included in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade package.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported Monday that DiVincenzo was "pumped" about playing with Mikal Bridges and the Knicks and not unhappy that he may come off the bench.

That contradicts a Saturday report from Ian Begley of SNY that said "DiVincenzo didn't exactly love the idea of playing fewer minutes/a reduced role this season."

Alas, he will not be in New York, as The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski reported Friday that the Knicks were sending DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, Keita Bates-Diop and a future first-round draft pick via the Detroit Pistons to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Towns.

It should be noted that Begley reported any potential unhappiness on DiVincenzo's end likely didn't play a role in New York's decision to trade him.

Instead, this is a team in the middle of a win-now window after reaching the second round of the playoffs last season. It saw an opportunity to land a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection who is just 28 years old in Towns and surely jumped at the chance.

The frontcourt situation also likely played a role in the Knicks' decision, as Isaiah Hartenstein signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason and Mitchell Robinson is dealing with a foot and ankle injury that could keep him sidelined for a significant amount of time.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Saturday the Knicks are "planning" for the big man to miss "at least three more months" after he underwent surgery in May.

With a core that already includes Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart and is looking to be a true playoff factor in the Eastern Conference, adding an impact player in the frontcourt felt like a necessity.

It cost the Knicks a valuable role player in DiVincenzo, but Towns is the type of difference-maker who could elevate the overall ceiling. He is a double-double threat every time he steps on the floor, can score 30-plus on any given night and can extend his game beyond the arc as a matchup problem.

That means he can work in pick-and-pops with Brunson or take advantage of the spacing created by playing alongside so many talented guards and wings.

As for DiVincenzo, Knicks fans will surely give him a warm welcome when he returns to Madison Square Garden as a visitor following this trade.

During NBA media day on Monday, the New York Knicks were staying tight-lipped on the reported acquisition of star center Karl-Anthony Towns.

When asked if he greeted Towns on Monday, Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson joked, "Who's Karl? Don't know who that is."

Knicks veteran forward Josh Hart took it a step further, acting as if he hadn't previously heard about Friday's reported trade between the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves that shipped away Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in exchange for Towns:

Even Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached Towns early in his career in Minnesota, refused to answer a question about the star big man:

The trade between the Knicks and Timberwolves is not yet official, but SNY's Ian Begley confirmed that Towns arrived at New York's practice facility on Monday.

The Knicks are hoping to position themselves as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Once the acquisition of Towns becomes official, many people will have a lot to say in New York.

Julius Randle is showing his appreciation for his time in New York.

The three-time All-Star is reportedly in the process of being dealt alongside Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. This ends his five-year tenure with the franchise and he took to Instagram to thank the city he called home.

The photo showed Randle possessing the ball at Madison Square Garden and he captioned it "New York! Thank You!"

Randle averaged 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists during his five seasons with the Knicks. He earned all three of his All-Star selections with the franchise and helped the team break a seven-year playoff drought in the 2020-21 season.

He averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and five assists in 46 games for New York in 2023-24 and will play alongside Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert on a Timberwolves team that reached the Western Conference Finals in 2023-24 and hopes to go further this season.

He is entering the final year of his contract and will hope to either sign a lucrative extension with Minnesota or solidify his case as a top free agent next summer.

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges will be eligible to sign a a two-year extension worth around $61 million starting on Oct. 1, though it doesn't sound as though he'll go that route.

"The indication I've gotten just from talking to people is that there is not going to be an extension," ESPN's Bobby Marks said during an appearance on the Hoop Collective podcast (12:00 mark) Sunday. "That he will wait until next year. Because he's limited as far as the six-month rule, as far as what he can extend for. Next year, he can extend for four years. So it just gives him more flexibility. That could certainly change by Oct. 21. Maybe this trade does change that thinking."

A few points of clarification.

One, the aforementioned six-month rule applies to players who are traded. For six months after a trade, extension-eligible players can only sign deals that will take them to four total years under contract. So because Bridges is already under contract for another two seasons, he can only extend for two more.

Additionally, players can only receive a 20 percent raise in the first year of the extension, followed by a five percent raise in each corresponding year. So Bridges could sign a deal that would net him just under $30 million in the 2026-27 season and just over $31 million the following campaign.

Previous reporting had suggested that Bridges might take such a deal, offering the Knicks the same sort of extension discount that Jalen Brunson took to ease New York's salary cap constraints.

And as Marks noted, Bridges still could choose to take a discount in the wake of the Knicks reportedly landing Karl-Anthony Towns in a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets, which will also send Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minny.

Marks said that he spoke to people about the possibility of a Bridges extension before that trade was orchestrated. It's possible that Bridges' thinking has changed, or will change, after the Knicks revamped the roster yet again.

Either way, the Knicks will now build around a Big Four of Brunson, Towns, Bridges and Anunoby. No team has made bigger splashes this offseason than the Knicks as they look to keep pace with the defending champion Boston Celtics.

The blockbuster trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks is not official yet.

The move, which will send Karl-Anthony Towns to New York in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo was reported on Friday. However, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that the trade is "still on track but not completed yet."

The trade also features a first-round pick heading to the Timberwolves via the Detroit Pistons while the Charlotte Hornets received DaQuan Jeffries and "draft compensation."

While the move is not yet official, the trade still should go through and will mostly just impact the media availabilities of the traded players prior to training camp.

The Knicks got significant improvement in the depth at center with the move. Incumbent starter Mitchell Robinson is set to miss multiple months to start the 2024-25 season and backup Isaiah Hartenstein departed in free agency.

Randle may have found some reps at center, but now the Knicks will plug in Towns and see him produce from the paint. He averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and three assists in 62 games for the Timberwolves in 2023-24 and is a four-time All-Star.

Randle should see a significant role in Minnesota and could form a strong core alongside Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. He averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and five assists in 46 games for the Knicks in 2023-24.

The trade should help both teams when it does become official and the players will eventually get a chance to discuss the move. However, it will just be a little bit longer until that gets settled.

Mitchell Robinson is now the most veteran New York Knick.

Following the Knicks blockbuster trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, Robinson became the longest-tenured Knicks player and the only one left from the 2020-21 team that ended a seven-year postseason drought.

He took to social media following this move and acknowledged his status as the "longest Knick" and saying that he is a "really great vibe."

Robinson is entering his seventh season in the NBA and has spent his entire career with the Knicks franchise.

The photo showcased the entire 2020-21 Knicks roster with everyone but himself in grey, referencing the fact that he is the only one remaining. He also added a comment saying that risked his body for the team.

This cryptic post not only shows that he will miss Randle but also that Towns' presence puts his role on the team in jeopardy. Robinson and Towns are both centers, although Robinson will miss "at least three months" and the team isn't exactly sure when he will be ready to play, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

That will give Towns some time to solidify his place on the team without Robinson vying for minutes. While Towns has excelled in a two-center system in Minnesota, the move and the remaining term on his contract could signal that Robinson will be playing elsewhere in the near future.

Robinson averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 31 games. Towns will provide a significant upgrade in offensive production but is viewed as a premium rim protector.

He has two seasons remaining on his current contract and could be an intriguing option for teams looking for a defensive star in the paint. However, he could also be an intimidating depth piece for a New York core that is growing and extend his tenure even further.

The New York Knicks have waived forwards Marcus Morris Sr. and Chuma Okeke, the team announced on Saturday.

The Knicks reportedly agreed to a blockbuster trade on Friday night, acquiring four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. In exchange for Towns, the Timberwolves received Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a future first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons.

Fred Katz of The Athletic noted that the Knicks needed to open up roster spots in order to complete the deal before waiving Morris and Okeke.

Per Katz, the move allows New York to sign and trade forward DaQuan Jeffries to the Charlotte Hornets. Charania and Krawczynski reported on Friday that the Hornets were included as a third team in the deal and will receive Jeffries as well as "draft compensation" from the Knicks.

New York signed Okeke to an Exhibit 10 contract on Aug. 1. The 26-year-old appeared in 47 games with the Orlando Magic during his 2023-24 season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game.

The Knicks added Morris just over a month later, signing him to an Exhibit 9 deal. The contract essentially served as a training camp invite, as sharpshooter Landry Shamet also received one on the same day. With the veteran swingman waived, Shamet now has a strong chance to make New York's regular-season roster.

Morris played 49 games with the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers last season. He averaged 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game on 43.9/40.3/81.8 shooting splits.

Team president Leon Rose has been active throughout the past year, as the Knicks' projected rotation looks vastly different compared to the squad's 2023-24 campaign. Of the nine players to appear in New York's 2023 season-opener against the Boston Celtics, only three are still on the current roster.

With training camps opening on Tuesday, Morris and Okeke are back on the free-agent market.

Julius Randle's future in New York was reportedly uncertain before Friday's blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Randle was dealt alongside Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick to the Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. The move ends his five-year run with the franchise and he now enters a contract year on a new team.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Randle and the Knicks had made "no progress" on a potential contract extension and that Randle wasn't exactly sure where he fit into the team's new core.

"Meanwhile, there had been no progress on contract extension talks over the summer with Randle, who was likely headed toward free agency in 2025," Windhorst wrote. "Randle, an All-Star each of the past two seasons, had seen the franchise totally change around him over the past nine months, and he wasn't sure where exactly he'd fit with a team built around Jalen Brunson and former Villanova teammates. Randle knew he would likely be playing a ton of rugged minutes out of position at center in what was shaping up to be a contract year."

Randle averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 46 games for New York in 2023-24. He earned his second consecutive All-Star selection and was a major impact player for the team.

However, the acquisition of Mikal Bridges, re-signing of OG Anunoby and the extension of Jalen Brunson showed where the team's priorities lie, and keeping Randle around beyond 2024-25 may have been a tall task.

He has one guaranteed year remaining on his deal at $28.9 million, although he does have a player option for 2025-26. However, his recent production shows that he could earn much more than that and now Minnesota will hope to make him a major part of their core for the foreseeable future.

Towns, meanwhile, is under contract through 2026-27 and will provide much-needed strength to the center position. Mitchell Robinson is likely to miss several months to begin the season, and now Towns can take that position over and be a stable presence in the paint.