Knicks Re-Sign Former 1st Round Pick After Getting Waived: Report

Getty New York Knicks president Leon Rose and VP William Wesley look on during a bout with the Chicago Bulls.

The New York Knicks have re-signed Chuma Okeke to a training camp deal, according to The Athletic’s James Edwards III, after getting waived to complete the Karl-Anthony Towns deal.

Okeke, the 16th overall pick in 2019, will battle Landry Shamet for the 13th spot in the Knicks’ rotation.

After completing the Towns trade Tuesday, October 1, the Knicks are $3.6 million under the second apron, at which they are hard-capped, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac.

“That means, for now, New York has enough room to sign one player to a veteran minimum deal, which runs about $2.1 million for this season,” Smith wrote.

This is also the reason why Marus Morris, Sr., despite the Knicks’ interest in bringing him back after also getting waived, declined the team’s offer to return on a training camp deal.

Morris would not fit into the Knicks’ remaining camp room as he is set to earn a minimum contract worth more than $3 million as a 10-plus year veteran.

The likely option for the Knicks to get to the 14-roster minimum, according to Smith, is for them to convert one of their two-way players — Ariel Hukporti or Kevin McCullar — to a standard rookie contract or “sign any of the 13 former draft picks that they retain rights for.”

Knicks Land Nigerian Prospect in Karl-Anthony Towns Deal

As a bonus, the Knicks have also acquired the draft rights of James Nnaji, the 31st overall pick in 2023, to complete the Towns deal.

The Knicks signed and traded DaQuan Jeffries, Duane Washington Jr. and Charlie Brown Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets as the third team in the trade to make the financial side work. They also sent two second-round picks and $7.2 million cash to the Hornets as added compensation for their role.

In Nnaji, the Knicks are getting a stashed pick who is a “long-armed big man who’s built like a tank and has the mentality to dominate on both ends of the paint,” Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor wrote in a 2023 profile.

The 20-year-old Nigerian center, who boasts a 7-foot-5 wingspan, could serve as a long-term project for the Knicks.

Nnaji is currently stashed in Europe with Barcelona FCB.

Jalen Brunson Thanks Julius Randle After Stunning Trade

Before Jalen Brunson‘s rise as the face of the Knicks franchise, Julius Randle held that role.

Randle was the Knicks’ top player when they ended an eight-year playoff drought in 2021. He also signed a team-friendly extension after that which helped the Knicks’ finances to go after Brunson in the 2022 free agency.

Brunson thanked Randle for everything he’s given, not only to him but to the team.

“That was definitely tough,” Brunson told reporters, per SNY, during the Knicks’ Media Day on September 30. “Thankful that Julius welcomed me with open arms here. That news, it was crazy.”

“I’m really thankful for them and their friendships and everything and what they brought to this team. Really thankful I got to get a relationship with Julius. The memories we made together [were] really fun.”

Randle and Brunson’s close friend and former Villanova teammate, Donte DiVincenzo were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Towns.