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Isaiah Hartenstein
THE The New York Knicks To research Isaiah HartensteinThe replacement hit a snag when the price of one of their business targets doubled.
From at least one first-round pick to now two first-round picks, the Utah Jazz’asking price for the center Walker Kessler has increased, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“All the information coming out of Utah has been that Walker Kessler is going to be expensive. They’ve asked for a couple of first-round picks,” Buha said on his podcast “Buha’s Block” on August 9.
The Jazz’s price appears to have doubled after SNY’s Ian Begley reported on July 9 that they were asking for at least a first-round pick in previous discussions with teams.
“The Knicks have shown interest in Kessler,” Begley said. “I was told later that teams had offered two first-round picks to Utah in the last two weeks, but had been turned down.
“Obviously, we don’t know the value of the first-round picks that are being offered. Not all first-round picks are created equal,” he said. “There are protections on those picks, but it gives you a little bit of an idea of how much the Jazz value Kessler and what it would take to get him out of Utah.”
Buha noted that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is “still looking to win the trade.”
Kessler, 23, and the Charlotte HornetsNick Richards, 26, is one of the Knicks’ trade targets as a potential replacement for Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed with Oklahoma City Thunder in July, according to Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.
Kessler finished last season as the league’s second-best shot blocker with 2.4 per game, behind San Antonio Spurs Rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama (3.6).
Kessler, the 22nd overall pick in 2022, played for Team USA at last year’s FIBA World Cup in Manila, Philippines, after being named to the All-NBA Rookie First Team.
Knicks tried to recruit French Olympic star
The Knicks attempted to bring French Olympic star Mathias Lessort to the NBA, by Begley.
“New York inquired about Lessort’s interest in signing, but the player and team were unable to find common ground,” Begley wrote in his SNY mailbag on Aug. 8 ahead of Team USA’s gold medal game against France.
Lessort, who stands 2.05m tall, played a key role in France’s run to the gold medal. He had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block against Canada in the quarter-finals. Then, he had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block against Germany in the semi-finals.
Lessort, 28, averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in just 13.6 minutes as France’s sixth man.
Before his breakout performance with the Blues, Lessort had just won a title and been selected to the Euroleague first team.
Lessort helped Panathinaikos win its seventh Euroleague title with 17 points and six rebounds in the final against Real Madrid. He will return to Panathinaikos for the final year of his current contract.
The Knicks acquired Lessort’s draft rights in the smart trade which earned them Immanuel Quickley in the 2020 NBA draft.
Jacob Toppin returns with two-way contract
Jacob Toppin, younger brother of former Knicks lottery pick Obi Toppinreturns to new two-way contract, team announcement Wednesday, August 14.
Toppin completes Knicks’ two roster spots, joining rookies Ariel Hukporti And Kevin McCullar Jr. Under NBA rules, players on two-way contracts can play in a maximum of 50 games.
Toppin appeared in 17 games He played for the Westchester Knicks in the G League last season. He averaged 14.9 points and 6.9 rebounds on 40.6 percent shooting and 30.3 percent from three-point range. He also represented the Knicks in the NBA Slam Dunk Competition last All-Star Weekend, but failed to advance to the Finals.
Alder Almo is a basketball journalist who covers the NBA for Heavy.com. He has over 15 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is originally from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Learn more about Alder Almo
