Hart said Monday that there hasn't been much movement in extension talks with the Knicks and that he doesn't expect a deal to get done, Vincent Goodwill of ESPN reports.
McCullar agreed to a two-way contract with the Knicks on Sunday.
Nickel agreed to a two-way contract with the Knicks on Sunday.
Hawks president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh called Daniels "one of the most impactful players in the NBA" and an "all-world defender" while expressing confidence that his shooting will improve, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
Brunson announced Thursday that he's been fully cleared after undergoing surgery on his left wrist over the offseason, New York Basketball reports.
The Knicks want Towns to take a pay cut on a potential contract extension, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Hart is eligible for a contract extension, per Ian Begley of SportsNet New York.
The Hornets traded Finney-Smith to the Hawks on Tuesday in exchange for Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Agbaji signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the Knicks on Wednesday.
Wiseman signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the Knicks on Wednesday.
FanDuel. OG Anunoby has not only emerged on the glass, which I highlighted in Game 5, but he’s consistently provided complementary scoring to Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in spot-up and transition opportunities. This matchup schematically was always a positive for him, having cleared this line in all three regular season matchups - and now with a sky-high minutes ceiling, I have him projected closer to 26.
FanDuel. I’m going to run back an under on Jalen Johnson in Game 6, this time on his points and assists line. Johnson managed to stay under in Game 5 with an 18 and 6 stat line, with a higher than expected 26% usage rate. While the blowout did shave some time off his final rotation, I also expect a much more engaged CJ McCollum tonight (6 points on 10 FGA). Look for the Knicks to continue to limit the Hawks in transition and keep possessions to a minimum. I’d bet this at under 35.5 PRA as well.
In addition to scoring 20.0 PPG in the series vs. Atlanta, Karl-Anthony Towns has become a playmaker, averaging 5.2 assists over the five games. He's had 4+ assists in four of the five games, with 16 combined in Games 4 and 5. And it's not just in the Hawks series. He averaged 6.5 assists per game in the final four games of the regular season. Add it all up, and you get 5.8 a game over the last 9 games (the start of April). The chances are there, as he's getting 5.8 assist chances a game this series and 7.6 chances per game dating back to April 1.
After recording a triple-double over just 29 minutes in Game 4, Karl-Anthony Towns racked up six more assists in Game 5. In the series, he has finished with at least four assists in four of the five games. The Hawks have had problems staying with the Knicks on back cuts, which has helped Towns in the passing department. In a game in which Towns should play a lot, he has a favorable opportunity to finish with at least four assists again.
OG Anunoby played a series-low 35 minutes against the Hawks in Game 5 with the Knicks earning a lopsided victory. Still, he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He has stepped up in this series, averaging 20.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. Mikal Bridges has disappeared offensively, and Josh Hart is battling a back injury. The Knicks need Anunoby to take on a leading role again, so I like this over.
The Knicks turned around this series, in part, by letting Karl-Anthony Towns have the ball more. At 7 feet, Towns is an excellent playmaker who can see clearly over his defender. He dished out 10 assists in Game 4, six assists in Game 5. He has cleared this prop total in four of the five playoff games. In addition, he had six assists when the Knicks visited Atlanta on April 6 and snapped the Hawks' 13-game home won streak. The Knicks' tweaking their offensive approach is working for Jalen Brunson too, so there's no reason to change anything Thursday.
