The Knicks talked to multiple teams this earlier this summer about potential deals involving reserve big men, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv who reports that Pelicans forward/center Karlo Matkovic was one of those trade targets.
However, New York’s efforts to pry Matkovic away from New Orleans were obviously unsuccessful, which is why he’s still a Pelican.
Begley reiterates that he expects the Knicks to bring in multiple veterans on non-guaranteed training camp contracts to compete for the team’s third center spot.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic recently wrote that he was confident the Knicks would offer Karl-Anthony Towns an extension this offseason, but that he doesn’t expect New York to put a maximum-salary contract on the table for the six-time All-Star big man. Begley agrees that the Knicks are unlikely to offer Towns a max deal, but he does think the two sides will work out an extension unless the team’s offer is “insultingly low.” Begley speculates that an extension for Towns could start at about $45MM. Because Towns holds a $61MM player option for 2027/28, he’ll remain extension-eligible throughout the season. If he and the Knicks don’t reach a new deal before opening night, he’d have to decline that ’27/28 option and replace it with the first year of a new deal in order to extend during the season.
- Josh Hart and Miles McBride are two other key Knicks who are extension-eligible this offseason. Begley thinks a new deal for Hart is more likely than one for McBride, since McBride is on a very team-friendly contract and probably isn’t looking to take a discount on his next deal. Hart, on the other hand, may not be looking to maximize his earnings as the team looks to defend its title in 2026/27.
- Second-round pick Tyler Nickel is “leaning toward” signing with the Knicks rather than playing another year in college after he was recently granted — at least temporarily — a fifth year of NCAA eligibility, a league source tells Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. There have been conflicting reports on whether Nickel wants to start his NBA career or return to school for what would likely would be a more lucrative payday, but Schwartz hears there’s “momentum” on the former scenario. Even if the ex-Vanderbilt sharpshooter did return to college, the Knicks would retain his draft rights; Nickel would essentially be a domestic draft-and-stash prospect.
