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Yahoo
a day ago
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Knicks coach reveals why New York 'didn't have a lot we could do' in free agency
The New York Knicks are shaping up to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference next season, despite not making major moves this summer. While Keith Smith of Spotrac was in Las Vegas for Summer League this year, he picked up some intriguing intel from several anonymous East sources, including some key Knicks personnel. Advertisement An unnamed Knicks coach explained to Smith why New York was encumbered by forces beyond its control when it came to team-building this summer. 'We didn't have a lot we could do, because of the apron. But we were able to land a really good big man in Guerschon (Yabusele) and an experienced backup guard in Jordan (Clarkson). We feel pretty good about getting those two guys,' a Knicks coach said. This story will be updated...
Yahoo
12-07-2025
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Former Knicks Guard Interested in Joining Surprise West Team: Report
Former Knicks Guard Interested in Joining Surprise West Team: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has been an interesting offseason thus far for the New York Knicks as they made a head coaching change and have also made multiple moves in free agency to upgrade their bench. Advertisement Of course, the Knicks began the offseason by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau despite him leading them to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 last season. After about a month of interviewing multiple candidates for their head coaching vacancy, the Knicks announced last week that they are hiring two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown as the franchise's next head coach. Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown gestures during the third quarter of his team's game against the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center on March 31, Yamashita-Imagn Images New York also made two notable additions in free agency as they entered the offseason looking to upgrade their bench behind their core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby. Advertisement The Knicks signed Jordan Clarkson after he was bought out by the Utah Jazz and they also signed Guerschon Yabusele after the Philadelphia 76ers let him walk in free agency. Feb 25, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) holds the ball away from San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. © Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports While the Knicks have made some notable additions to their roster this offseason, they may lose one of their key reserve guards to a Western Conference team after a recent report. According to Sacramento Kings play-by-play announcer Kyle Draper, Cameron Payne has interest in joining the Kings in free agency this offseason. 'His representatives are trying to angle him to Sac,' Draper said. Last season, Payne averaged 6.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 40.1% from the field and 36.3% from three in 72 games during his first season in New York. Advertisement The 30-year-old played a large role off the bench for the Knicks last season and with the Kings in desperate need of adding depth to their point guard position, adding Payne would be a solid move for them. It also seems as though the Knicks are open to letting Payne leave this summer, especially with the emergence of Miles McBride and the addition of Clarkson in free agency. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
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Knicks predicted to sign former $206 million ex-Thunder legend, 9-time All-Star via free agency
The New York Knicks have conducted a successful beginning to the 2025 NBA offseason. After acquiring both the 2021 Sixth Man of the Year winner Jordan Clarkson and versatile forward Guerschon Yabusele on relatively cheap free agent contracts, the Knicks have continued to prepare for a potential NBA Finals run in 2025-26. Advertisement New York looks out at a wide-open Eastern Conference while bursting with confidence after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years this past postseason, but it appears that the storied franchise's mission to revamp their bench unit is not yet complete. In fact, recent updates from ClutchPoints' Bailey Bassett have showed that the Knicks have a chance to acquire one of the greatest point guards in league history and 2017 NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook, as another crucial free agent signing. "The all-time great point guard isn't the caliber of player he was during his MVP days, but he did have a resurgence of a season with the Denver Nuggets," Bassett wrote Thursday evening. "The Brodie is still a freak athlete who can get downhill and a great playmaker who can still stuff the stat sheet." Advertisement Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp "The Knicks have long lacked depth. They took a step in the right direction by signing Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, but Westbrook could be the missing piece." "He displays the gritty style of play and resilient attitude that the Knicks' roster exudes." Even at age-36 and in the midst of preparing for his 18th NBA campaign, Westbrook's passion and overwhelming energy are still on full display. As a member of the Denver Nuggets in 2024-25, the 2-time scoring champion and versatile play-maker proved that he could still make important contributions to a true title contender. The explosive 6-foot-4 point guard averaged 13.3 points and 6.1 assists in 75 contests while graciously accepting a lesser role behind Denver's fringe All-Star point guard Jamal Murray. Advertisement The Knicks have focused on re-tooling their reserves after the stunning dismissal of former head coach Tom Thibodeau, and the franchise's newly-minted lead strategist Mike Brown would surely appreciate the team bringing in a wise veteran with endless postseason D.N.A. this summer. Sure, Westbrook's unreal athleticism has waned in recent years, but he's remained one of the absolute best first-guy-off-the-bench options in the entire NBA as he creeps toward the twilight of his illustrious career. By prospectively joining the Knicks to give superstar point guard Jalen Brunson a few breather's in a hotly-contested playoff atmosphere and develop chemistry with 5-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, Westbrook's hypothetical arrival in New York could truly take the franchise over the top as favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference in 2025-26. More NBA: Warriors considered trading for Stephen Curry's biggest rival — still could
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
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Grading the New York Knicks' Free Agency So Far
Grading the New York Knicks' Free Agency So Far originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks are coming off a season in which they made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 and they are looking to upgrade their roster and make a run at a championship next season. Advertisement Of course, the Knicks started their offseason by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and after almost a month of interviews with multiple candidates, they finally hired former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown as their new head coach. New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11), forward OG Anunoby (8), and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32)© John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images While the Knicks were busy looking for a replacement for Thibodeau before hiring Brown, they also made some key free agent signing to upgrade their depth behind their starting five of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. New York signed Jordan Clarkson after he was bought out by the Utah Jazz and they then signed Guerschon Yabusele to bolster their bench. Advertisement The Knicks have also not lost anyone in free agency to another team yet, though Precious Achiuwa is expected to be on the move this offseason. Knicks' Free Agency Grade: B+ With these two signings, the Knicks earned a B+ free agency grade as they have done a great job to upgrade their bench with two cheap contracts. Of course, there was speculation entering the offseason about the Knicks possibly trading some of their key starters, but it appears as though they are locked in on keeping their core together and instead bolstering their bench, which was an issue last season. Feb 25, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) holds the ball away from San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. © Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports For Clarkson, he will provide the Knicks with a great scoring option off the bench who should work well beside Miles McBride in the second unit. Advertisement Yabusele will also give the Knicks a great scorer off the bench and also provides them with another big man that they desperately needed due to Mitchell Robinson's injury history. Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele reacts against the Minnesota Ross-Imagn Images By making these moves, the Knicks were able to upgrade their depth without breaking the bank and they could still elect to make more moves this summer as they try to compete for a championship next season. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
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Mike Brown introduced as Knicks head coach: 'My expectations are high'
Mike Brown addressed the New York media for the first time since being hired as the head coach of the New York Knicks last week. Brown was officially announced as the 32nd coach of the team on Monday after former coach Tom Thibodeau was fired June 3. Thibodeau was in charge of the Knicks for five years but was dismissed three days after the team lost their Eastern Conference Finals series to the Indiana Pacers in six games. Advertisement On Tuesday, Brown took to the podium and expressed his excitement about taking over the franchise. He also addressed how he's dealing with the expectations of coaching the team. "You talk about a historic franchise. Madison Square Garden. It's iconic. Our fans, they're the most knowledgable and passionate in all of sports," Brown said. "There's a lot of work to be done. We have an outstanding roster, what they did in the playoffs shows their potential. I've had great conversations with all of our players and I'm looking forward to growing positive relationships with them over time. "Nobody has any bigger expectations than I do. My expectations are high. This is the Knicks. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it. So I'm looking forward to it." Advertisement Brown complimented the impact Thibodeau had during his tenure with the team, especially during their recent playoff run. He also raved about the team's recent signings: guard Jordan Clarkson and center Guerschon Yabusele. "I thought Tom Thibodeau did a great job, and the guys did a fantastic job last year," Brown said. "But I'm looking forward. We just added two new additions to the team. They're gonna bring a lot of versatility to how we're gonna play. I can't wait to get on the court." Brown began his head-coaching career in 2005 with a five-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He would return to Cleveland in 2013 after a brief tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2011-12. Brown became the associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors before his memorable run with the Sacramento Kings. Under Brown's leadership, the Kings broke a 16-year playoff drought in 2023 before losing to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Advertisement Brown takes over a Knicks team that gave a breath of hope to a frustrated fanbase by earning the No. 3 seed in the East. The Knicks held a 51-31 record and eliminated the Detroit Pistons before dethroning the Boston Celtics, but ultimately fell to Indiana in the East finals. The Knicks have not won a title since 1973, but Brown is optimistic and confident in building a winning culture in the Big Apple. "Our goal is to build a sustainable winning culture that produces championships," Brown said. "That's why I'm here."
