New York Knicks

While ring night was the best possible way the Boston Celtics could have started the NBA season, it was a less-than-desirable first game of the year for Josh Hart and the New York Knicks.

On Hart and Jalen Brunson's podcast, the Roommates Show, Hart explained why he can't stand playing on ring night.

"It sucks... Playing on ring night sucks," he said (45-second mark). "First off, nothing in the NBA starts on time. It says 7:30, tip-off is going to be like 7:43... It's just like an extra 15 minutes. For them, obviously it's dope because they get their rings, the atmosphere, the environment is going to be crazy. But for the opposing team, it just sucks, you're just sitting there adding another 15-20 minutes to the warmup."

Not only is ring night frustrating from a time standpoint like Hart explained, it also can't be fun watching a rival put on their rings and raise the banner into the rafters. For a team like the Knicks that seemed capable of competing for a championship, it's probably even harder.

Adding insult to injury was the result of New York's season-opener. The Celtics squashed the Knicks 132-109 behind their 29 made threes, which tied the NBA record.

The loss was just Game 1 of an 82-game schedule, so Hart, Brunson and New York have plenty of time to bounce back as they look to once again be NBA playoff contenders.

The revamped New York Knicks were one of the biggest stories of the NBA offseason, landing Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in blockbuster trades.

Despite many people believing they would be legitimate title contenders, the Knicks promptly opened the 2024-25 season with a 132-109 blowout loss against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

And Jalen Brunson wasn't happy about it.

"Personally, I got to be better."

- Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/1u6c89qUMo

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2024

"Personally, I got to be better," he told reporters after the loss. "It starts with my approach and everything, and I just got to be better. You can dissect everything, whatever, but they made a lot of threes, they probably made more than what we took. But we've got to be better on both sides of the ball, I've got to be better on both sides of the ball."

He also wasn't willing to blame the new-look roster for the early-season struggles:

Jalen Brunson was asked about the Knicks figuring things out with new players:

"That's an easy way out, but we still got our ass kicked." pic.twitter.com/IjhtUfOnKt

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2024

The Celtics indeed finished the game by tying an NBA-record with 29 threes made on 61 attempts, while the Knicks finished 11-of-30 from beyond the arc. Newcomers Bridges (16 points, two assists) and Towns (12 points, seven boards) weren't terrible, but all five New York starters finished with an efficiency of minus-18 or worse.

They also had no answer for Jayson Tatum, who went off for 37 points and 10 assists.

The Knicks have plenty of time to come together as a group. They certainly got off to a rocky start, however.

The New York Knicks currently only have 12 players on standard contracts heading into the 2024-25 season and need to be at 14 within the first two weeks of the regular season.

One player the team has reportedly shown interest in signing to fill out those roster requirements is veteran wing Matt Ryan, according to ESPN's Shams Charania:

Reporting on NBA Today: A free-agent sharpshooter on the Knicks’ radar. pic.twitter.com/Z7ptQ6xj9q

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 22, 2024

Ryan, 27, has played for the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans in his career, appearing in a total of 63 games dating back to the 2021-22 season and averaging 4.4 points per contest while shooting 41.1 percent from three.

Last year was his most productive season, as he averaged career highs in appearances (28), minutes per game (13.9), points (5.4) and three-point percentage (45.1 percent).

In New York, he'd be at the back end of the rotation, though given the team's lack of depth, he could see solid minutes.

Prior to Landry Shamet injury, Matt Ryan had been on Knicks radar as a potential two-way player if/when they cleared a two-way spot, per sources. Ryan, a sharpshooter & former Iona Prep HS star, remains on NYK’s radar as a potential free agent addition, as ESPN earlier reported

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 22, 2024

I'll add: This may take some time to play out. The Knicks seem fairly set on letting those open roster spots ride for a bit to give them a bit more clearance under the second apron hard cap.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 22, 2024

The Knicks have a starting lineup that is locked in place (Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns) but there isn't a ton of depth beyond that, with players like Miles McBride, Cameron Payne and Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa (once both are healthy) seemingly the only players guaranteed to secure minutes among the reserves.

New York gave up a lot of its depth in the trades to land Bridges and Towns, and they'll live with a short bench given the talent they have among the starters. But the team is going to need more potential options throughout a long season, especially if any of the starters suffer injuries.

Ryan wouldn't be a sexy addition, but his ability to stretch the floor as a shooter gives him value. He would be a logical addition for the Knicks.

Mikal Bridges reportedly declined the New York Knicks' contract extension offer ahead of Monday's deadline.

Per The Athletic's James Edwards, the Knicks offered Bridges a two-year, $60 million extension, which he opted to decline. He is entering the third year of a four-year, $90 million contract and will be a free agent after the 2025-26 season.

It makes sense that the 28-year-old decided not to take the extension given he will be eligible for a four-year, $156 million deal starting next season, per Edwards. The two-year, $60 million deal was the most he was eligible for this season, Edwards also noted.

Bridges has continually improved over the course of his career and could earn the entirety of the $156 million he's eligible for if he puts together a big season.

He's coming off a year in which he put up 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and one steal per game. The Knicks brought him in to provide a spark on both ends of the floor as they look to capitalize on their championship window. If he does his job well, it will likely result in a big payday next year.

The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference semifinals and fell one win short of reaching the Finals despite a roster depleted by injuries. This offseason, they added a talented swingman in Bridges and an All-Star in Karl-Anthony Towns.

Those two paired alongside star point guard Jalen Brunson and a strong supporting cast that features Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and more means New York has all the makings of a championship team.

Bridges is hoping to get a big extension after the 2024-25 season, but he will ultimately have a title on his mind this year.

New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson enjoyed an eventful summer that included the birth of his first child, a new contract extension, the anointment as team captain and a foray into the wrestling ring.

But now it's time for Brunson to get back to doing what he does best, as the Knicks open the season in a big way with a marquee matchup against the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday on TNT. However, the 28-year-old isn't getting ahead of himself and making the season opener bigger than what it is.

"We're excited to get the season started. I don't think there's any extra motivation going into Game 1, it's the first game of the season," Brunson told B/R in an interview. "For us, we're gonna see where we are after Game 1, and we're gonna have to get better regardless. So let's just go out and see where we are, and move from there. But we're excited for the opportunity to play against the team that everyone's chasing, and we'll be ready to go."

Even the Knicks' second game of the season on Friday against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers, who eliminated them from last year's playoffs in the conference semifinals, isn't enough to get Brunson focused on seeking revenge.

"We're excited for every challenge, we don't have circled dates, we don't have teams that we're looking for," he said. "The most important game is our next game, so as long as we continue to focus on one day at a time like we have been, I think we're gonna continue to make great strides going forward. We just can't lose sight of that, we can't look ahead or look past anyone, and I know that having Thibs, he's not gonna allow us to do that."

Brunson and Haliburton brought their rivalry to an episode of WWE SmackDown at Madison Square Garden in June. Coincidentally, WWE is coming back to New York for a show at the Barclays Center on the same night as the Knicks-Pacers game. Is there any could we see the two All-Star point guards settle their differences in the ring once again?

"I'm never gonna say never, but we'll see," Brunson said before adding with a laugh, "I gotta start focusing on putting the ball in the hoop now."

Indeed, head coach Tom Thibodeau runs a tight ship in New York. The hard-nosed veteran demands a lot from his star players, often playing them heavy minutes throughout the season, but Brunson doesn't mind the workload.

"Honestly, as long as he's putting us in a position to win, I couldn't care less what we do," Brunson said. "But I have the utmost trust and faith in him. He knows what he's doing, he's been in this for a long time. A lot of people give him a lot of criticism when it comes to that, but as a team, we stick together and we stand behind him."

To help him withstand the grind of the NBA season, Brunson partnered with BODYARMOR Sports Drink as the latest addition to a roster that includes Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and Sabrina Ionescu.

"It's been very important for me to work with them because it's important what I put in my body, and I think with BODYARMOR, they understand that for me, and that's what they do with their products," he said. "The real hydration, real flavors, real ingredients... it's genuine, it's authentic and I think we have very similar values."

Brunson will be leading a Knicks team that looks a lot different from last year's squad that finished second in the East with a 50-32 record. New York had a banner offseason that included the acquisition of star center Karl-Anthony Towns, the re-signing of swingman OG Anunoby and the acquisition of star wing Mikal Bridges, who won two NCAA national championships while playing alongside Brunson at Villanova.

"It's gonna be fun, obviously we have a lot of chemistry, we've known each other for about 10 years now," Brunson said of Bridges' arrival to the team. "It's gonna be fun, I'm really excited, I can't lie, it's gonna be a lot of fun."

Throwback pics came out and things got interesting 😂 pic.twitter.com/leTweQkMq2

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 1, 2024

The addition of so much talent around him is exactly what Brunson envisioned when he signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension this offseason, $113 million less than the five-year, $269.1 million deal he would've received had he waited until next summer. He said in addition to achieving security for his family, it was also important for him to put the Knicks in a position where they could still build a roster that could contend for a championship.

"Yes, it's very team-friendly, I want the team to do so well and I want us to make sure that we're gonna be contending as long as we can," Brunson said of his new contract. "It was most important that I did that because you never know what can happen within a year. You can wait a year, a lot can happen, and then there are question marks, you just never know. So for me, it was just important to secure that for myself, my mind and everything and just play stress-free."

That type of attitude is what has helped endear Brunson to New York. It's not often that a New Jersey native gets adopted as the City's prodigal son, but Brunson is close to royalty in the Big Apple. Fans on social media went as far as to dub him New York City's next mayor.

We decided that the real Mayor of New York City is Jalen Brunson months ago anyway

— Andrew Claudio (@AndrewJClaudio_) September 26, 2024

"It's been amazing, I can't lie. It's been really fun, it's been eye-opening, there's so many different things I can say about my experience here. It's been unbelievable, how they've taken myself in, my family and everything," Brunson said. "As long as we're winning, doing well, just going out there being genuine, giving it our all every night, not quitting and taking ownership for the things that we do, I think that's what attracts the fans to us."

Knicks fans had Madison Square Garden rocking throughout the 2023-24 season, with "Go New York, Go New York, Go!" blaring from the loudspeakers during the team's impressive campaign. Brunson hopes to help the Knicks reach even greater heights this year, and he's looking forward to the incredible atmosphere that comes when the team is successful.

"I can't wait for the energy at the Garden, I can't wait for that again," he said. "The energy that was felt last year was unbelievable and I can't wait for it this year."

The New York Knicks waived Landry Shamet on Saturday, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

The Knicks also waived TJ Warren and Chuma Okeke, trimming their roster down to 12 players.

New York will "look to bring Shamet back once he recovers," per ESPN's Shams Charania. The Knicks face limits on how long they can play with fewer than 14 players on their regular-season roster, as noted by ESPN's Bobby Marks:

New York is allowed to have fewer than 14 players on their roster but for no more than 28 total days during the regular season and 14 consecutive days at a time.

They are currently $3,579,479 below the 2nd apron. https://t.co/u7gjRQDF4Y

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 19, 2024

Warren could also rejoin the Knicks roster this season, per SNY's Ian Begley. Begley wrote that the Knicks decided to waive Warren in order to stay under the second apron with Shamet's status "up in the air."

With Landry Shamet situation up in air, NYK didn’t have cap space under 2nd apron for T.J. Warren. Warren had support among some NYK coaches & front office to make roster. He is going to join Westchester, SNY has learned, as he’ll likely be in mix to rejoin NYK during season.

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 19, 2024

Shamet dislocated his right shoulder on Tuesday during preseason action against the Charlotte Hornets.

The 27-year-old guard was set to play the 2024-25 season on a $2.6 million contract. The Knicks will owe him just $15,000 after waiving him, per Pete Botte of the New York Post.

The Knicks are currently slightly less than $3.6 million below the second luxury tax apron, per Marks.

Under league rules, the Knicks must remain under the second apron because the team aggregated salaries in order to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in July.

Here's a look at the projected Knicks depth chart with Shamet, Warren and Okeke off the roster.

---

PG: Jalen Brunson, Cameron Payne, Tyler Kolek

SG: Mikal Bridges, Miles McBride

SF: Josh Hart, Pacome Dadiet

PF: OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa

C: Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims

---

The Knicks also have Jacob Toppin, Kevin McCullar Jr. and Ariel Hukporti on two-way contracts.

Converting Toppin, McCullar or Hukporti would cost the Knicks $1.15 million against the cap, while signing Shamet or Warren on a veteran minimum would cost the Knicks $2.1 million, as noted by Marks.

The Knicks could alternately sign a free agent like Marcus Morris to a veteran minimum deal.

That means the Knicks could use a two-way player and a veteran to fill out the roster, but could not add both Shamet and Warren, or either player and a free agent, without exceeding the second apron.

New York could choose to prioritize Shamet depending on his injury status, as Marks and Charania described him as a "sure thing to make the Knicks' roster" prior to his injury.

The Knicks said when announcing Shamet's injury on Friday that he would be "re-evaluated at a later date," and head coach Tom Thibodeau indicated after the loss that he was still deciding about the possibility of undergoing surgery. Whether or not Shamet's recovery necessitates surgery could shape the Knicks' path to a 14-player roster.

The Knicks open the regular season on Tuesday with a road game against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson provided comments on the spat between his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, and his good friend and ex-college and pro teammate, Minnesota Timberwolves wing Donte DiVincenzo following a preseason game between the two teams on Oct. 13.

Brunson spoke about the matter on The Roommates Show podcast (h/t Stefan Bondy of the New York Post).

"I just wanted to address that families fight," Brunson said,

"Things were said. S--t should've been handled better on both sides but here we are. Everyone thinks the world's crumbling. Everyone thinks. … It is what it is at this point. But I just feel like it should've been handled way better."

The younger Brunson and DiVincenzo were teammates at Villanova and then teammates with the Knicks last season. Per Bondy, DiVincenzo was a groomsman at Brunson's wedding.

However, the Knicks traded DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns in early October.

Earlier in the game, DiVincenzo was seen jawing at the Knicks bench.

Then came the postgame confrontation following the Knicks' 115-110 win. DiVincenzo had this to say afterward.

DiVincenzo clearly has no ill will toward Jalen Brunson, saying (per Bondy): "My relationship with Jalen, that's my brother and my best friend. That's a separate relationship. I'll talk about that privately, and figure everything out. But it is what it is."

As for the elder Brunson and DiVincenzo, it's all "water under the bridge," per SNY's Ian Begley.

Talked to several people about Rick Brunson & Donte DiVincenzo exchanging words the other night & one thing I’ve heard consistently is that they’ve had a close relationship for a while and it’s water under the bridge at this point, for both Brunson and DiVincenzo.

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 17, 2024

So the Knicks and Timberwolves move forward with eyes toward the regular season. Both open the season Tuesday on the road, with New York visiting the Boston Celtics and Minnesota taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Karl-Anthony Towns says he believed he was going to finish out his NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves up until three weeks ago, when Timberwolves president Tim Connelly informed him he was being traded to the New York Knicks.

"I thought I was gonna retire there, I thought it was gonna be the place I called home for my whole career and then after," Towns told Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on the Roommates Show podcast (10:00 mark of the video below.) "My former employer did not agree with that ideology I had.

"It is what it is. I'm here now, with my two guys here, and hoping that we can do something special for the city."

The Timberwolves traded Towns to the Knicks in early October as part of a three-team deal that brought Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minneapolis.

Towns told Brunson and Hart that Connelly came to his house to inform him about the trade on Sept. 27.

The new Knicks big man seemingly reacted to the trade on X about half an hour before NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news.

…

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) September 28, 2024

"I just know how the world works, and I was as stunned as everybody," Towns said when asked about the post on the podcast. "I really just put 'dot, dot, dot' because I couldn't come up with words to try to be the one to break my own news, because I already knew it was gonna get leaked."

Towns was selected by the Timberwolves with the No. 1 pick of the 2015 draft. He went on to earn the Rookie of the Year award, then put up 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in each of his next five seasons.

The big man signed a four-year, $224 million super max extension with the Timberwolves in July 2022.

"My dream was always to try to retire here and live every single day of my NBA career as a Wolf... I feel very good with the possibility of that happening," Towns said after inking the extension in 2022, per Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press.

But the new deal hadn't even kicked in yet before the surprise blockbuster deal sent Towns to the Knicks.

Towns will now cost $49 million against the cap for his first season in New York, a number that is set to balloon over the next few seasons until reaching more than $61 million with a 2027-28 player option.

Those cap numbers may have encouraged the Wolves to pivot from building around Towns to using Randle and his $33 million cap hit as their go-to big man instead. Meanwhile, thanks in part to the team-friendly deal signed by Brunson, the Knicks were able to take on Towns' massive contract in order to bolster their hopes of entering the 2024-25 season as a potential title contender.

Towns is set to make his regular-season Knicks debut on Tuesday with a road game against the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Karl-Anthony Towns had been one of the faces of the franchise for the Minnesota Timberwolves since they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft, so president of basketball operations Tim Connelly took an extra step when it came to informing the big man he was traded to the New York Knicks.

During an appearance on the Roommates Show with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (four-minute mark), Towns revealed that Connelly came to his house to break the news of the trade.

"I didn't get called, Tim told me to my face I was traded," he said while expressing his appreciation for the move.

Both Brunson and Hart immediately expressed their respect for such a move from the executive, who could have just called Towns.

"It's a tough situation, regardless of what would have happened," the big man said. "The fact that it happened that way, I have to give him respect."

Towns explained he was at the house with three of his closest friends and his father, but that didn't stop Connelly from showing up and explaining the situation.

There was certainly some urgency involved, as the four-time All-Star said he found out about the trade just four minutes before NBA insider Shams Charania reported it.

It ended up being a three-team deal that also involved the Charlotte Hornets and sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves. By landing impact players such as Randle and DiVincenzo, Minnesota should still be able to compete in the loaded Western Conference with enough talent around its star player in Anthony Edwards.

New York bolstered its frontcourt with Mitchell Robinson sidelined to start the season because of an ankle injury. What's more, Isaiah Hartenstein joined the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason, which further depleted the Knicks' big man rotation.

Enter Towns, who gives the Eastern Conference team a matchup nightmare who can score on the inside, extend his game beyond the arc and help control the boards.

He averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game last season while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from deep. That perimeter shooting could be particularly valuable playing alongside Brunson, as he can work in pick-and-pops and take advantage of additional spacing when defenses collapse on the guard.

New York reached the second round last season but hopes to take another step with the additions of Towns and Mikal Bridges to a roster that already included Brunson, Hart and OG Anunoby, among others.

Competing with the likes of the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers won't be easy, but the Knicks have star power and players at different positions who can take over games after the headline trade.

Karl-Anthony Towns says he learned he had been traded to the New York Knicks "four minutes" before NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news on X.

"By the time the shock wore off, Shams had already Tweeted," Towns said on Friday's episode of Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart's The Roommates Show podcast (4:00 mark of the video below.)

Charania reported the terms of the blockbuster trade, which sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves, around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 27.

Knicks have acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick via Detroit, sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski. pic.twitter.com/FafQlY48Y1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 28, 2024

Towns is preparing to make his regular-season Knicks debut on Tuesday on the road against the Boston Celtics.

The big man, who spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career in Minnesota, said Timberwolves president Tim Connelly came alone to his house to inform him in person that he had been traded.

Three friends and Towns' father were there with him when Connelly shared the news, the newest Knicks star told Hart and Brunson.

"Honestly, it's a tough situation regardless of what would've happened, but the fact that happened that way, I've got to give him respect," Towns said.

Connelly told reporters at the introductory press conference for Randle, DiVincenzo and Keita Bates-Diop earlier this month that he had found it difficult to complete the trade for Towns.

"The whole idea of trading people I think is pretty gross and weird, and it's hard to get players of this caliber, so to ensure to do that, we had to give up one of the best players to ever put on a Timberwolves jersey," Connelly said. "As good of a player as he is, he's a better guy, so New York got a heck of a player and a better person. He'll be missed."

Connelly was hired by the Timberwolves in 2022, seven years after the franchise selected Towns with the No. 1 pick of the 2015 draft.

Towns went on to average win the Rookie of the Year award in 2015-16 before going on to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for the next five seasons.

He earned four All-Star nods in Minnesota, most recently getting the honor in 2023-24 before helping the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference Finals. He left Minnesota having recorded career averages of 22.9 points and 10. 8 rebounds through nine seasons.

Towns is now set to reunite with his old team twice this season, starting with his Dec. 19 return to downtown Minneapolis and followed by a Jan. 17 home game at Madison Square Garden.