Knicks Add New Big Man After Jericho Sims, Mitchell Robinson Injuries

Getty Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot against Jericho Sims #45 of the New York Knicks.

The New York Knicks have signed Ukrainian big man Dmytro Skapintsev to a two-way contract on Saturday, December 23, the team announced.

Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto first reported the Knicks’ move to add size after key injuries to Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims.

Robinson is projected to be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing ankle surgery last week. Sims is also out for one to two weeks because of an ankle injury. The Knicks have applied a Disability Player Exception worth half of Robinson’s annual salary ($7.8 million). If granted, they could use it to sign a free agent on a one-year deal or trade for a player on an expiring salary.

Meanwhile, the 7-foot-1 Skapintsev will serve as an insurance big for the Knicks, who still have Isaiah Hartenstein and 38-year-old veteran Taj Gibson.

The 25-year-old Skapintsev is playing for the Westchester Knicks in the G League, where he is averaging 5.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in 18.6 minutes across 15 games. He also saw action with the Knicks in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July.

The Ukrainian big man went undrafted in 2020. He signed with the Knicks last season for their G League roster.

Skapintsev will be on the active roster when the Knicks face the Milwaukee Bucks in back-to-back home games, beginning this Saturday, December 23.

NBA allows two-way players to be on the team’s active roster for 50 regular-season games.

Knicks Interested in Dejounte Murray

Despite their pressing need for Robinson’s replacement this season, it does not stop the Knicks from exploring their options to add another player for a different position.

The Knicks are among several teams who have expressed exploratory trade interest in Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto. They explored adding him in the summer of 2022 before the Hawks beat them to the draw with a godfather offer of two first-round picks and a pick swap.

“Murray can’t be traded until Jan. 9 after agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Hawks in July. However, given Atlanta’s sluggish start to the season as a fringe Play-In team following Jalen Johnson’s injury, nothing can be considered off the table for the Hawks in addition to usual trade suspects De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela,” Scotto wrote.

Murray is averaging 20 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting a career-best 37.4% from long distance this season. His backcourt partnership with Trae Young has not panned out in Atlanta.

Tom Thibodeau Fires Back at Becky Hammon

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau fired back at Becky Hammon over his criticism of Jalen Brunson, as being too small to lead a team to a championship.

“They’re paid for their opinions, so it’s just a bunch of chatter. The only thing that matters is what we think,” Thibodeau said via New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield.

On the December 21 episode of the “NBA Today,” Hammon said the Knicks don’t have that “dude,” the “1A star” to hang with the Eastern Conference elite teams.

“My philosophy, if your best player is small, you’re not winning [championships],” Hammon said. “I’m saying this [about Brunson] as a small person. This is a game that [favors] the big and bold. It favors that god-given gift and I love Jalen Brunson but are you going to put him on the level of a 1A, are you putting him with Giannis [Antetokounmpo]?”