Tag: New York Knicks

Tyler Kolek had a crazy game-winner to power Knicks to win in summer league

Tyler Kolek converted a difficult and-1 attempt on Wednesday to send the Knicks to a win over the Kings.

Tyler Kolek converted a difficult and-1 attempt and produced his best outing of the NBA Summer League on Wednesday to send the New York Knicks to a win over the Sacramento Kings.

Kolek recorded a team-high 21 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in the 106-105 victory at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. He finished by shooting 6-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, in 32 minutes.

The 34th pick got the ball coming out of a timeout in the closing seconds down by two points. He got a layup to fall through contact with 2.4 seconds left and hit the ensuing free throw to send the Knicks to their first win in three chances in the desert.

Kolek led the team on the court and was in great control of the offense throughout the contest. He emerged as one of the top point guards in the country this past season at Marquette and has shown that ability in a small sample size with the Knicks.

The 23-year-old has dished out at least seven assists in each appearance this summer, while only committing four turnovers, which all came on Wednesday. He has brought great playmaking to the court and looked like a veteran on the court.

Kolek was considered by many to be a first-round pick this year, so the Knicks may have gotten a bit of a steal to get him early on the second day of the draft. He has performed to expectations and is emerging as one of the top first-year players in the early going.

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Nets beat Knicks 92-85 in summer league; Jalen Wilson drops 27

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the New York Knicks in the Las Vegas Summer League on Tuesday 92-85 thanks to Jalen Wilson’s 27 points.

The Brooklyn Nets (2-1) came off a tough loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday thanks to how poorly they shot the ball as a team. To that point, Brooklyn had a good opportunity coming into Tuesday as they were reeling from a loss while facing their rival in the New York Knicks (0-2) on Tuesday.

The Nets beat the Knicks 92-85 despite trailing by as many as 21 points in their matchup in the Las Vegas Summer League thanks to a 27-point effort from forward Jalen Wilson. Wilson has been arguably Brooklyn’s best player over the past two summers as he has used his experience as a former Player of the Year in college to his advantage.

Wilson shot 8-of-16 from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point range to lead the team on the offensive end, but he had some help as well from some of his more experience teammates. Tyrese Martin came off the bench to help with the scoring by dropping 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from deep.

Jacob Gilyard also had a good outing for the Nets as he put up 13 points along with seven steals to hold down the point guard position for Brooklyn on both ends of the floor. Dariq Whitehead continued his immense struggles shooting the basketball as he finished with just one point on 0-of-10 shooting from the floor.

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Mikal Bridges discusses being traded from the Nets to the Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks on June 25. Bridges addressed the media on Tuesday to give his reaction.

The Brooklyn Nets made one of the most surprising moves in the NBA this summer when they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for as many as five first-round picks and three players. Brooklyn had given the impression that Bridges was virtually untouchable on the trade market so once he was traded, he was more shocked than anyone else.

“Yeah, it’s tough. This is my third team now and wherever I go, I always feel like I build pretty good relationships,” Bridges said during his introductory press conference to the media on Tuesday. The Bridges trade was officially announced on July 6, but the initial reporting of the trade happened on June 25, leaving a lot of time for both times to figure out how to make the trade work for both sides.

“I got a lot of relationships that I built over there (Brooklyn), my teammates, everybody in the organization, the staff,” Bridges explained. “The year and a half I was there, I talk to everybody so you know I’m going to be pretty close with everybody, it’s sad, man.”

Bridges came to the Nets during the 2022-23 season as part of the Kevin Durant trade that sent Durant to the Phoenix Suns. The way that Bridges played in Brooklyn that season even led many people in the NBA space to believe that he would become an All-Star for the first time in his career.

However, Bridges went from 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 47.5/37.6/89.4 shooting splits during 2022-23 to 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 43.6% from the field, 37.2% from three-point land, and 81.4% from the free-throw line.

It sounds like Bridges appreciated his time with the Nets and will miss the connections that he made there, especially since he was traded away from his “twin,” forward Cam Johnson. The two have played on the same team since the 2019-20 season.

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Nets GM Sean Marks explains trading Mikal Bridges to Knicks

After the Brooklyn Nets’ summer league practice on Monday, general manager Sean Marks explains why Mikal Bridges was traded to the Knicks.

NEW YORK — On June 25, the Brooklyn Nets made a decision that shocked the NBA world when they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks and subsequently triggered a rebuild. Up to that point, Brooklyn had reportedly been treating Bridges as virtually untouchable, but it looks like the Knicks’ offer was too enticing.

“I think it’s numerous factors, frankly; you’re weighing up the situation we find ourselves as a team, as an organization, the timing of such,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said on Monday during his press conference following Brooklyn’s summer league practice. Marks, in collaboration with governor Joe Tsai, seemingly decided that holding out hope for a star to come to Brooklyn to play with Bridges was not worth passing up on one of the biggest hauls in NBA history.

“It’s a difficult decision because Mikal was a focal point of this organization for the last year since we did the trade,” Marks said about how important Bridges became to the organization after he was acquired as part of the Kevin Durant trade during the 2022-23 season. “So, not an easy decision, but at the same time, when you have an offer like we did from New York, I think that sets us up on a very, very clear direction and pathway to continue to build this team with sustainable success, and that’s the ultimate goal here.”

The Bridges trade became official on July 6 and the final return was essentially five first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, and three players including forward Bojan Bogdanovic. It took awhile for the deal to become official because the Knicks were trying to find a way to maintain some financial flexibility without trading Miles “Deuce” McBridge and that’s how the Nets ended up with Shake Milton and Mamadi Diakite.

After the trade was initially reported, there were rumors that Bridges wanted to be on the Knicks possibly as an attempt to reunite with three of his former college teammates that play for New York. Either way, it seems that Marks was willing to hold onto Bridges until an offer came along that made him think things over.

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Isaiah Hartenstein flirts about bringing back 3-point shot with Thunder

Isaiah Hartenstein flirts about bringing back 3-point shot with Thunder.

After a breakout season last year, Isaiah Hartenstein collected a hefty pay raise with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 26-year-old turned from an unknown 2017 second-round selection to one of the best backup centers in the league.

Hartenstein accomplished this by being a stellar traditional center with the New York Knicks. The seven-footer used his frame to dunk and finish around the basket. He has a soft touch in the form of a patent floater.

Hartenstein can also crash the glass and should be a massive help on the boards for OKC. He grades out as an elite rim protector that can roam the paint. He’s also an underrated passer and can facilitate out of the high post.

But just because he had a career season last year with the Knicks doesn’t mean he’s done developing. The 26-year-old flirted with the possibility of reintroducing his outside shot.

Hartenstein is a career 27-of-87 (31%) from 3 in his six seasons but only attempted three outside shots last year. The shot looks decent but the serious lack of attempts could change in OKC if that’s something both sides want to explore.

“I think you’re an NBA player, you have to adapt to certain roles, and that’s what I had to do in New York,” Hartenstein said. “I think my passing only came out probably last year, so my first year I had to adapt to a certain role.”

Hartenstein wants to be a versatile center who can do whatever is asked of him. His playmaking from last season — where he averaged a career-high 2.5 assists — is the latest example.

“That was something that I felt like I can really bring, expand my game as I was talking about before, just getting back to the shooting aspect,” Hartenstein said. “Because before I was shooting it, so it’s really just getting back to that and being more versatile because that’s kinda what the team needs.”

It’ll be quite the curveball to add to Hartenstein’s repertoire. It’d be a shocker to see him blossom into an outside shooter at this stage of his career. It’s happened before with someone like Brook Lopez, but that’s more of an anomaly than replicable.

Instead, Hartenstein’s hypothetical outside shots should be rerouted to other players like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. They both are seen as legitimate outside shooters that opposing defenses will scout for more.

It’d be a neat trick to have on the Thunder that can be Plan Z if a possession lacks cohesiveness, but what Hartenstein did these last two seasons with the Knicks is exactly what OKC needs.

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Knicks sign Tyler Kolek to record contract for a second-round pick

Former Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek, the 34th pick in the draft, signed his rookie contract with the Knicks on July 5.

Former Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek, the 34th pick in the 2024 NBA draft, signed his rookie contract with the New York Knicks on July 5, the team announced.

Kolek will reportedly receive $6.6 million in guaranteed money over the contract, according to Ian Begley of SNY. That figure represents the most guaranteed money in history for a second-round pick, surpassing the previous record of $6.4 million (Andrew Nembhard, 2022).

The Knicks signed Kolek via the second-round pick exception, which was introduced in the new collective bargaining agreement. The exception allows teams to save some of their non-taxpayer midlevel exception to sign their draft picks.

Kolek was named a consensus second-team All-American after averaging a career-high 15.3 points, 7.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals on 38.8% shooting from 3-point range. He became one of seven players in program history to be a consensus All-American selection.

The 6-foot-3 standout led the country in assists per game and was fourth in assist percentage (42.1). He is second in program history with 697 assists and is one of four Marquette players with at least 1,000 points and 600 assists in a career.

Kolek is expected to play for the Knicks in the NBA Summer League beginning on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets. He will likely be joined by fellow picks PacĂ´me Dadiet (No. 25), Kevin McCullar Jr. (No. 56) and Ariel Hukporti (No. 58), among others.

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Isaiah Hartenstein mulled over decision to leave Knicks for Thunder

Isaiah Hartenstein mulled over decision to leave Knicks for Thunder.

Mulling over his choices, Isaiah Hartenstein made the close decision to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the New York Knicks.

Traditionally struggling to draw free agents, a mixture of contract and being a contender helped the Thunder land Hartenstein, who is seen as the best outside addition in franchise history.

The 26-year-old admitted he struggled with his decision to leave the New York Knicks. He had his breakout year last season as he took over the starter spot over Mitchell Robinson, who was injured.

“If I’m honest, it was hard. I was in a situation (where) I loved my teammates out in New York,” Hartenstein said. “I really appreciate what Tibs and Leon did for me, and the fans in New York showed a lot of love.”

The appeal to play for a title contender allured Hartenstein. In OKC, he can make a stellar frontcourt with Chet Holmgren. The pair of seven-footers provide the Thunder with stout rim protection.

“But going into this situation, this is very exciting,” Hartenstein said. “From afar, I always saw how the culture was, especially since they’ve been in OKC, how they established a culture.

“The style of play I think really fits me. I’m a high-IQ player. They have a lot of guys who cut, so I think to me I’m one of the best passers in the NBA.”

The Thunder landed their biggest fish yet since they relocated to OKC. Perhaps this is the dawn of a new era where modern players are more open to playing with the Thunder than previous generations.

The finances are likely the biggest reasons, but it’s still shocking to see an NBA player willingly choose OKC over the bright lights of New York.

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Russell Westbrook texted Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein about OKC

Russell Westbrook texted Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein about OKC.

After admiring from afar, Isaiah Hartenstein will now enjoy a firsthand experience of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s culture for the foreseeable future.

The signing became official on Saturday. Hartenstein spoke to the media about his decision. He mentioned the Thunder’s reputation as one of the selling points to his decision to leave the New York Knicks and ink a three-year deal in OKC.

The 26-year-old disclosed the Thunder’s reputation precedes itself less than a week since it was reported he signed a contract. Even though he’s yet to spend a minute on the court with his new teammates, he easily envisions how much his playstyle meshes with OKC’s.

“The style of play I think really fits me,” Hartenstein said. “I’m a high-IQ player. They have a lot of guys who cut, so I think to me I’m one of the best passers in the NBA.”

Hartenstein mentioned that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached out to him. The MVP runner-up welcomed him to OKC. Both players will likely share ample time on the court as pick-and-roll partners.

Hartenstein also said he remembered growing up in Germany watching the old Thunder squads headlined by the trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

“OKC was always a team I was always excited about,” Hartenstein said.

He even detailed that Westbrook reached out to welcome him to OKC. The former MVP enjoyed the best years of his career with the Thunder from 2008-19. They crossed paths at the Houston Rockets in the 2019-20 season.

“Russ was probably one of the first guys that texted me,” Hartenstein said. “He was like, ‘If you ever need anything — I think he said ‘the O’ or something — just let me know.'”

That was a surprising namedrop by Hartenstein. Westbrook is obviously looked at fondly by Thunder fans during his time. The future Hall-of-Famer’s ability to relate himself to all of his teammates from up and down the depth chart is well documented.

Hartenstein is the latest example of this. Before he became one of the best backup bigs in the league, he tried to find his footing in the early stages of his career as a 2017 second-round selection.

The reaction to the Westbrook anecdote was largely positive from Thunder fans. Despite not being together for five years, the love between Westbrook and OKC remains strong.

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Former Ohio State basketball star being traded to the New York Knicks

Onward and upward. #GoBucks

Playing professional sports can set you up financially for the rest of one’s life, but it is often a nomadic lifestyle while raking in the money.

We saw the latest example on Friday when former Ohio State forward, Keita Bates-Diop was again a part of a trade, this time from the Brooklyn Nets to the New York Knicks. At least this time, unlike his previous other five stops, it was just across town.

Bates-Diop was orginally selected by the Minnestoa Timberwolves in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft, and ever since then, he’s been trying to carve out a long-term niche with a team, all while doing a decent job of coming off the bench with a 6 points and 3 rebouds so far in his career.

His last year in an Ohio State uniform, Bates-Diop averaged 19.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game en route to earning Big Ten Player of the Year and second-team All-American honors.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

Nets trading Mikal Bridges to Knicks surprised Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart

The Brooklyn Nets trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks last week was something that surprised Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

The Brooklyn Nets made one of the most shocking moves last week when they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for forward Bojan Bogdanovic and as many as five first-round picks. Not only had there not been recent history of the Nets and Knicks doing business with each other, but Bridges being the one who was traded surprised many, including a couple of current Knicks.

In a recent episode of the “Roommates Show” podcast, New York’s Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart discussed many topics related to free-agency, including the moves that the Knicks made. One of the main stories to come up was New York trading for Bridges, something that both Brunson and Hart were taken aback by.

“I think it caught all of us by surprise because I actually was talking to (Mikal) like three hours before. We were just talking, really. Just saying nothing like we was just in there chopping it up and then, we hang up,” Hart said.

Ironically enough, Bridges and Hart had a hilarious exchange on Instagram about a possible reunion between the former Villanova teammates while Hart was participating in ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Finals. Brunson also gave his take on the trade that seemingly catapulted the Knicks to potential championship contenders while the Nets get the rebuild that many in NBA spaces had been begging them to do.

“I was in Chicago last week doing my camp at my high school and then, we went to dinner. I’m literally picking up sushi from the other side of the table and Miles, the Knicks’ videographer, he’s like ‘damn Knicks just got Mikal.’ I just started laughing, he’s like ‘no for real look.’ Man, I ran out the door with my phone and called y’all right away.” Brunson said.

Similar to Hart and Brunson, many around the NBA were surprised on two fronts: that Bridges was traded at all after the Nets made him virtually untouchable and that the Nets and Knicks made a trade with each other for the first time since 1983. However, many view the trade as beneficial for both franchises and it seems that both fanbases are equally as happy.

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