New York Knicks

The New York Knicks announced Saturday they re-signed point guard Ryan Arcidiacono.

The team didn't disclose the terms of the contract.

Arcidiacono made 10 appearances for the Knicks in 2021-22, averaging 1.6 points and 0.4 assists. He's entering his sixth season in the NBA.

The 28-year-old's alma mater might have played a role in his return to the Big Apple. He was a four-year starter at Villanova, and he shared a backcourt with Jalen Brunson as a senior.

"When we were recruiting, Arch had the biggest impact on the recruitment of Jalen," former Wildcats head coach Jay Wright told USA Today's Nicole Auerbach in 2016. "When Jalen came on his recruiting visit, he stayed in Arch's room. We got a hotel room for him, but he stayed and slept in Arch's room."

The pair quickly built a rapport on and off the court.

"It’s made life a lot easier knowing I have someone who’s been through it," Brunson said in a 2016 interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Ryan’s like a big brother to me. He’s a role model. He does everything with such a sense of purpose. He’s someone I really admire."

The Knicks have no shortage of guards for the season ahead. They signed Brunson to be their starter at the point, while Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes have shown promise in their young careers.

Arcidiacono, a 37.4 percent three-point shooter, might at least be able to provide some floor spacing in a limited role. His presence should also help Brunson adjust to a new team and manage the increased expectations that will come from his four-year, $104 million contract.

The Los Angeles Lakers were in talks about a four-team deal involving the New York Knicks, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets earlier this summer before the Jazz sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha, one preliminary iteration of the talks between the four teams would have seen the Lakers get Bojan Bogdanovic and Terry Rozier.

Amick and Buha noted the Lakers and Jazz are still talking, with Los Angeles pursuing Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley.

The Cavs acquired Mitchell from the Jazz for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three draft picks and two pick swaps on Sept. 1.

The rumor mill continues to churn with talk about what the Lakers might look to do before the start of the regular season. They did add help on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.64 million deal with Dennis Schröder, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Buddy Hield and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers have been linked to the Lakers throughout the offseason, but there's no indication anything is getting close between the two sides.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week on SportsCenter (h/t Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors) that Los Angeles has shown a willingness to use its 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks for the right player(s).

According to Wojnarowski, Hield and Turner wouldn't be enough to get the Lakers to use both of those picks to facilitate a deal.

The Jazz might be the best potential partner for the Lakers in their quest to find players who can help them compete for a playoff spot this season. Utah is clearly in sell mode after moving Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Los Angeles has already taken advantage of the Jazz's fire sale by acquiring Patrick Beverley for Stanley Johnson and Talen Horton-Tucker. Clarkson is very familiar with the Lakers, having spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the team.

Bogdanovic is probably the best trade candidate still on Utah's roster. The 33-year-old is owed $19.3 million in 2022-23, the final season of his current deal. He's averaged 18.3 points per game with a 40.3 three-point percentage over the past four seasons.

The Lakers are coming off an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record in 2021-22.

The New York Knicks front office hierarchy is considered "confusing" by other teams around the NBA, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Leon Rose is the team's president, but he didn't take the lead role in the failed negotiations for Donovan Mitchell.

"Leon delegates too much—delegates to a fault," one coaching source told Berman. "They had a breakaway layup and blew it."

Even Mitchell admitted he thought he was going to the Knicks—his hometown team—before ultimately being traded from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via RealGM) previously reported Gersson Rosas was the lead negotiator for the Knicks in the Mitchell pursuit. Rosas was previously president of the Minnesota Timberwolves before being fired in 2021, but he was only hired by the Knicks as a consultant last February.

He still took on major responsibilities for the team in recent months, while Rose never spoke to Jazz president Danny Ainge during negotiations.

General manager Scott Perry, executive vice president William Wesley and vice president Brock Aller also all have significant roles within the front office, although opposing teams clearly don't know who is in charge.

Rose notably has minimal front-office experience, spending most of his career as an agent before joining the Knicks in 2020. Wesley was also new to NBA management when taking his current job.

It has led to mixed results, featuring few high-profile moves.

The most notable free-agent signing was Jalen Brunson, who was Rose's former client at CAA and has family ties with the Knicks that go back decades. Other signings, like Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, have proved to be disastrous.

New York made the playoffs in 2021 to end a seven-year drought, but last year's team couldn't follow up on it with just a 37-45 record. Another poor season in 2022-23 could lead to some changes among the brass.

The New York Knicks still have two roster spots open with less than two weeks before training camp opens.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, however, the Knicks don't see Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge as "a good fit at the moment" for those vacancies.

In June, Berman reported that the "Knicks brass has had internal conversations about Anthony, though more pressing concerns about how to rebuild a franchise that's missed the playoffs eight of the past nine years have taken precedence."

Thus far, the team's offseason has been defined by the free-agent signing of Jalen Brunson and the failure to land Donovan Mitchell in trade talks with the Utah Jazz. The return of Anthony, in particular, would be a splashy signing, but it's fair to question how much the veteran has left to offer.

The 38-year-old averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season in 69 total appearances for the disaster that was the Los Angeles Lakers, primarily coming off the bench as a bit of instant offense.

Anthony can undoubtedly still put the ball through the hoop. But for a Knicks team that already has spacing issues, Anthony may not be the cleanest fit, even if he did shoot 37.5 percent from three last season.

Both the 33-year-old Griffin and 37-year-old Aldridge are each best utilized as offensive-only centers at this stage in their respective careers. Griffin averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 56 games for the Brooklyn Nets last season, while Aldridge averaged 12.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 47 appearances for the Nets.

Both can still score. But neither has the athleticism at this stage to ideally play anywhere but the 5, and neither offers much of anything in the way of rim protection or post defense.

With Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein on the roster, the Knicks also have options at center. So while Griffin and Aldridge would bring name recognition, it's fair to question if they would be the right fit.

The New York Knicks' decision to pass on acquiring All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz ultimately came down to what they felt was an exorbitant asking price.

Appearing Friday on SiriusXM Radio (h/t Marc Berman of the New York Post), Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley passed on what Knicks senior vice president William Wesley told him about the negotiations:

"I'm going to give you inside information. I asked why didn't you make the trade. He said, 'Oh man. Don't go by the media stuff. They wanted my wife, my kids, my grandkids. I was not going to give them … we wanted the deal obviously, but they were just trying to rip somebody off. We had to pass on it.'"

Utah ultimately dealt Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers instead, receiving Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps in return.

Berman previously reported that Jazz president Danny Ainge initially asked the Knicks for seven first-round picks in a trade for Mitchell. It was later reported that Utah wanted wing RJ Barrett included in the deal.

As negotiations continued to stall, the Knicks decided to sign Barrett to a contract extension instead, and that move may have been the death knell to the chances of Mitchell going to New York.

Utah's reportedly high asking price may have derived from the fact that they were able to get a ton out of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the trade of All-Star center Rudy Gobert earlier in the offseason.

Despite Gobert being far older and less offensively dynamic than Mitchell, the Jazz received four first-round picks, one pick swap and five players for him.

Had the Knicks managed to acquire Mitchell without giving up Barrett, they may have had a playoff roster on their hands with Mitchell joining Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and free-agent signing Jalen Brunson.

The drawback is that New York likely would have had to part with many of its future assets, including draft picks and players like Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley.

Even without Mitchell, the Knicks have a chance to be legitimate playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference, especially if Brunson performs close to the level he achieved with the Dallas Mavericks during last season's playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Cavs look like playoff locks and even dark-horse contenders to win the entire conference with Mitchell joining Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and others.

As for the Jazz, they are now in a full rebuild, and they may not be done making moves, as they still have plenty of valuable veterans they could trade.

It promises to be a long road back to playoff contention for Utah, but with the king's bounty of picks it received for Mitchell and Gobert, the future looks bright.

After the New York Knicks failed in their pursuit of Donovan Mitchell, ESPN analyst and former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy is not bullish on the team's chances next season.

"The Knicks have good players, but you line it up against the competition in the East, and this roster is not on the same level," Van Gundy told Marc Berman of the New York Post. "They could shock the world and be a playoff team, but I look at the East and I'd have to say eight to 13 is where they should be predicted. They're not even close to a lock for the play-in. A lot has to go right."

The Knicks finished 37-45 and were six games out of the play-in last season. They did get involved in the free-agent market, inking guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract to fortify their backcourt.

New York hoped to add Mitchell to the fold but struck out on its nearly two-month-long pursuit of the All-Star guard when the Utah Jazz agreed to a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers last week.

Oddsmakers weren't all that impressed with the Brunson signing, with Knicks' win total currently listed at 38.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook. A one- or two-game improvement is not going to be enough to get the Knicks into the playoff picture in an increasingly deep East, so Van Gundy might be onto something with his prediction.

The New York Knicks are "shocked and disappointed" that the Cleveland Cavaliers swept in and traded for former Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell via trade, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Berman also reported that the Knicks, who were connected to Mitchell in trade talks for months, didn't get an opportunity to make their best offer to Jazz president Danny Ainge before he took the Cavaliers' package.

Berman also reported that it wasn't a coincidence the Knicks signed RJ Barrett to a four-year contract extension and announced it before the Cavaliers-Mitchell news broke.

One NBA source said the Knicks preferred to wait until October or even restricted free agency next July to sign Barrett.

However, the ultimate Knicks preference was to deal Barrett in a Mitchell trade.

"They didn't want to pay RJ now, they like RJ but he's not one of their guys," an NBA source told Berman. "The preference was to trade him in a Donovan deal. A few weeks ago, if they got Donovan without Barrett in the deal, they weren’t going to pay RJ now."

In the end, though, the Knicks stuck with Barrett after finding out the Cavs had the edge on them in the Mitchell trade race.

"They had to do something," a source told Berman.

The Knicks reportedly believed they could trade for Mitchell sans Barrett by improving their draft capital offer, but the Jazz-Cavs talks progressed to such a point that the "Knicks couldn’t get back in control of their own destiny," per Berman.

New York has to move on without Mitchell. Although losing out on a three-time All-Star who routinely scores 25 or more points per game stings, the Knicks would have had to pay a steep price for him.

The Knicks have exciting young players (e.g. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley) and all of their future first-round picks, which puts them in position for success in the future. For now, Jalen Brunson is the Knicks' biggest position, and he puts them in a better spot to compete for the playoffs after the team missed out last year.

The New York Knicks signed R.J. Barrett to a four-year, $120 million extension earlier this week, but the move is being viewed as a "consolation" after losing out on Donovan Mitchell, who was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks wanted to wait until the mid-October deadline to sign Barrett to an extension.

"They didn’t want to pay RJ now, they like RJ but he’s not one of their guys," an NBA source told Berman "The preference was to trade him in a Donovan deal. A few weeks ago, if they got Donovan without Barrett in the deal, they weren’t going to pay RJ now."

The source also told Berman that the Knicks "had to do something" once they lost out on Mitchell, so they signed Barrett to an extension.

The Knicks offered a package of Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and three unprotected first-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Mitchell, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

However, the offer clearly wasn't enough for Jazz executive Danny Ainge, who dealt Mitchell to the Cavaliers in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, 2022 14th pick Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps.

The Knicks selected Barrett third overall in the 2019 NBA draft out of Duke.

The decision to select him was not unanimous, according to Berman, though Knicks president Leon Rose referred to Barrett as a key piece of the team's future in a statement announcing his extension:

“We are thrilled to announce a well-deserved extension for RJ Barrett, a core piece of our team’s foundation. At only 22 years old, he has elevated his game each season, solidifying himself as a force on both ends of the court. We believe he will continue to improve because of his passion for the game and dedication to his craft. We want to continue to build our team and culture around players like RJ who possess these values and qualities.”

Barrett, who is entering his fourth season in the NBA, had a career year in 2021-22, averaging 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 70 games while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from deep.

The Canadian has improved in each of his seasons in the league, and there's no reason to believe he can't hit another level this year. However, he's no Mitchell, and an NBA executive referred to him as the "third-best player on a contending team" while speaking with Berman.

If the Knicks have another opportunity to land a star player in the future, it seems like Barrett could be available for trade. That said, the franchise will need to be more willing to part ways with some of its first-round picks if it ever hopes to bring in a cornerstone player.

The Utah Jazz accepting the Cleveland Cavaliers' offer for Donovan Mitchell was a blessing in disguise for the New York Knicks.

Picture the Knicks locked into a core of Mitchell, Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and two unprotected first-round picks weren't enough. A time machine taking us into the future shows us a world with pundits and fans laughing at the Knicks for "Knicks-ing" in 2022, when they traded a chest full of assets for a single player who barely moved the needle and limited the front office's flexibility to improve the roster.

Even a core of Mitchell, Brunson, Barrett and Randle has a capped ceiling. And given what they'd be paying each cornerstone, forget about landing another difference-making free agent.

Looking back, the Knicks may have actually caught a break when Utah initially declined an offer of Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and three unprotected first-rounders, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Given what Cleveland eventually gave up for Mitchell, a time machine taking us back to early July might show Jazz CEO Danny Ainge accepting New York's initial offer (before Robinson and Barrett re-signed) or Knicks president Leon Rose proposing a weaker deal to initiate negotiations.

Regardless of whoever the Knicks would have had to give up to get the 6'1" scoring guard, the roster's upside wouldn't have been close to Cleveland's with Mitchell. The Cavaliers went all in on a core of Mitchell, All-Star Darius Garland, All-Star Jarrett Allen and (likely) eventual All-Star Evan Mobley. That group's ceiling feels like it reaches the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks' ceiling with Mitchell—minus the departures—might not have even been higher than a roster with Barrett, Quickley, Toppin and Grimes if each continue to develop on their current trajectory.

From a fit perspective, the biggest question worth asking was whether a frontcourt of Barrett, Randle and Mitchell Robinson could offset the defensive issues likely to surface once the Knicks paired Mitchell and Brunson. While Robinson is a shot-blocking machine and Barrett is an improved two-way player, it's difficult to picture a team defense that can rank in the tier with most contenders or serious playoff threats.

The other worry about Mitchell in New York concerned Barrett's and Randle's roles with more off-ball reps. Barrett graded in the 36th percentile as a spot-up player. Randle was in the 22nd. Mitchell finished No. 7 in the NBA in usage last year. Brunson and Mitchell dominating ball-handling touches would have meant too much of the team's core forwards (who'll together make over $50 million a year) uncomfortably standing around the arc, playing to their weaknesses.

Still, one of the biggest talking points of the entire trade discussion didn't even include Mitchell, Barrett or draft picks. It was Grimes' perceived value and potential.

According to the New York Post's Marc Berman, the Knicks withheld Grimes from all offers. That may seem wild for a 22-year-old who averaged 6.0 points as a rookie. The Knicks clearly value last year's flashes, his tremendous summer-league breakout and Grimes' character, something scouts and executives were high on before the 2021 NBA draft.

There isn't much debate over his shooting, based on his 40.3 three-point percentage at Houston, his 38.1 percent mark last year and an eye test that detects no flukiness. But if the flashes of creation from Las Vegas were real—and the former McDonald's All-American and U-18 FIBA MVP definitely showed more off-the-dribble skill and playmaking than he did early in college—the Knicks may have a real steal and quality starter.

Throw Grimes into a mix with Quickley, who averaged 16.4 points, 5.4 boards and 5.0 assists over his last 22 games, and Toppin, who averaged 17.2 points in the 19 games he played at least 20 minutes, and the Knicks could have three very valuable prospects who keep getting better on rookie contracts.

Instead of Rose throwing all the teams' eggs into a basket that includes Mitchell, Randle and Brunson, the Knicks will be better off betting on the development of their last three-first round picks while keeping Barrett and those unprotected picks Utah coveted.

And maybe another star becomes available over the next season or two. If the Knicks' young players keep making new strides each season, their trade values will also increase.

After an aggressive first offer, Rose ultimately demonstrated some restraint, and it could wind up saving the team from being locked into a mismatched, expensive roster with fewer, valued draft assets. He could have easily given in to the pressure and fan expectations created by media narratives that suggested New York acquiring Mitchell was only a matter of time. Caving to Utah's demands and acquiring Mitchell may have earned Rose short-term love and approval as his first major move to convert previous draft decisions into a star.

But not grabbing the shiny object was a disciplined, executive decision, at least in this case for this particular roster.