Last Monday (coinciding with the deadline for signing such agreements), the New York Knicks signed Jacob Toppin to a new two-way agreement for the remainder of the season, which made him part of their NBA roster and allowed them to move him freely between the Association and the G League.
The Knicks were also working on adding the former Detroit Pistons the bought goalkeeper Shake Milton, which they made official before the match against the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, Milton was dressed but didn’t play SO.
These two additions moved New York’s team into 14-man territory, which is still below the 15-man minimum under NBA regulations. According to League regulations, teams are allowed to have squads of fewer than 14 players (all such players under standard contracts) for a maximum of two weeks.
The Knicks (as well as the Philadelphia 76ers) currently have two open roster spots, giving them some flexibility regarding potential additions between now and their particular deadline to fill the minimum quota, coming up on March 16.
The Timberwolves were in that group until yesterday, when they signed TJ Warren to a 10-day contract, leaving the Knicks and Sixers (their deadline will come a day earlier than the Knicks’, March 15) as the only franchises. with two contracts up for grabs.
The 76ers and Knicks could benefit from adding one or two players to their ravaged teams, which are currently lacking key starters: Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia; OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Jalen Brunson in Manhattan – and would provide some depth relief.
One potential addition the Knicks could consider before reaching their deadline is veteran forward Taj Gibson, who signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, March 6 and will expire on March 16, which coincides with the Knicks’ deadline to add someone to their roster.
Gibson signed three contracts with the Knicks this season at different times, the the first in December following Robinson’s injury, then again in Januaryand finally in mid-February. The last two contracts were 10-day pacts, meaning the Knicks can only sign Gibson to a long-term deal (i.e. for the rest of the season) if they want to bring him back .
Another player available on the free agent market and eligible for the playoffs is forward Marcus Morris, who was traded from Philadelphia to the San Antonio Spurs but never suited up for his new team, instead reaching an agreement to buy out his contract.
The two Timberwolves (via Patrick Beverly’s podcast) have been linked to the veteran, although no news has been reported regarding signing a potential contract by any means.
Morris also hasn’t spoken about his interest in joining Minny, and with Warren signing last Wednesday, it’s possible the franchise no longer wants him. That said, Karl Anthony-Towns was ruled out of Thursday’s game due to knee soreness, so they might consider adding Morris on a short-term deal to ease the load on KAT for the next few days.
From the Knicks’ perspective, it might make sense to add Morris on a low-cost deal given New York’s depleted frontcourt. In light of injuries to Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson – who are expected to return but are still working through their rehab process – and also given that Isaiah Hartenstein is dealing with Achilles issues on a daily basis that are impacting his time gaming, this connection should surprise no one.
The Knicks still have nearly 10 days to find someone they like, or they can simply move some of their two-way players (Jacob Toppin, Duane Washington Jr., Charlie Brown Jr.) to standard contracts by then and respect the rules along the way.
