Could you believe Cape Verde was this close to advancing in the knockout stages of a freaking World Cup!? Didn’t happen, but the African nation surely made Lionel break a sweat. Sweet goal!
Anyway, links and notes…
- Once and for all, the Knicks landed a backup center in signing uber-veteran Andre Drummond to a one-year vet minimum deal. If you’re coming out of a coma, traitors Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti left for Boston and Philadelphia. Mandatory cap note: He will receive $3.9 million but count for only $2.4 million against the Knicks’ apron math.
- Dr. Dru, known as the Big Penguin, is 32 and from Connecticut, and reportedly liked the idea of coming back to his old “neighborhood,” wrote The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
- The Knicks are now roughly $6.5 million below the second apron, and can get to the 14-man minimum with two more veteran minimum signings. Two of those could be Jonas Valanciunas and Jordan Clarkson, according to The Athletic and the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy.
“The Knicks still have two roster spots to fill and roughly $6.5 million remaining under the second apron. Jonas Valanciunas, another veteran center, is a target to further bolster the frontcourt depth, according to The Athletic. Jordan Clarkson, a guard, is also a candidate to return, sources
said.”
- Rich Paul basically killed the LeBron-to-Knicks scenario on his podcast, confirming New York “checked in,” but adding that it would be hard to mess with something that just worked, putting LBJ at risk of being labeled a literal and legit party pooper.
- Here’s Rich Paul’s infamous whiteboard, soon-to-be relic of better times.
- Then, shortly after, the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy cited league sources claiming the Knicks’ signing of LeBron is “not gonna happen.”
- Paul also pushed back on the idea that this is definitely LeBron’s final season. So, doc, or no doc, doc?
- Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, LeBron has narrowed down his list to six teams.
- Kyle Kuzma went off on the current CBA and said the next negotiation will be a “do or die moment” for NBA players. His basic point was built around the fact that both the first and second aprons are functioning like a hard cap, hurting player value, movement, and team continuity.
“After sitting here watching NBA free agency this year and overall NBA movement over the past 2 years somebody has to say it… The next CBA is a do or die moment for us as players. It’s only going to get worse for us. We need transparency, accountability, and a serious re evaluation of who is representing us and how they are representing us.”
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst threw more fuel into the Jaylen Brown trade fire and included some brutal league-side framing in his latest story. Some sources told Windy that Philadelphia basically got Brown for “free,” or close to it, because Paul George’s contract is viewed as such a headache.
- James Dolan is stepping back from day-to-day Rangers ownership duties and handing those responsibilities to his son, Quentin Dolan. Unluckily, it’s not happening to the Knicks.
- Jalen Brunson revisited his Mavericks past with Sports Illustrated, looking at an old photo with Luka Doncic and handing over the receipts.
- The Lakers are definitely committed to doing something in between a teardown/rebuild/reconfiguration/retool of their whole dam roster following a flurry of FA moves and after trading Deandre Ayton to Washington for Jaden Hardy and a couple of second-round picks on Friday. Ayton, LeBron, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes are all gone from last season’s roster, while Rui Hachimura remains unsigned and is on the outside looking in. Not that the incoming players are making them better, Melissa Rohlin writes.
- Stephon Marbury apparently has smoke for Richard Jefferson. Scoop B Robinson had the details on a since-deleted video where Marbury called out Jefferson after what he described as a hollow handshake, then wrote in the comments that “ESPN cannot gatekeep for you.” Sheesh…
