The New York Knicks are no longer pursuing eight-time All-Star wing Paul George after balking at his price tag, according to MSG Network and ESPN commentator Alan Hahn.
“They had a chance to get Paul George. They said it was too expensive. They didn’t want to do it. They’ve already backed out of that. They talked to the Clippers, the Clippers gave what it would cost, then Paul George said, ‘But I want an extension.’ And they said, ‘We’re not doing that.’ And they walked away. So Paul George is off the table,” Hahn said on the July 3 episode of the “Bart & Hahn” radio show.
It would have cost the Knicks some of their young core and their draft assets to acquire the injury-prone George, who is expected to seek the four-year, $220 million max extension he’s eligible to sign in September. George will be 34 by the time his next contract kicks in.
“More than likely — and again, this is Bobby Marks and a number of those who, who are a lot smarter than I am when it comes to trade deals and whatnot in the NBA — it would take RJ Barrett, [Quentin] Grimes, [Evan] Fournier, about three of the 11 first-round draft picks that the Knicks have,” Anita Marks said on her ESPN radio show on July 2.
However, when healthy, the 33-year-old George is still one of the best two-way wings in the league. He earned his eighth All-Star berth last season, playing in 56 games, the most he’s played since appearing in 77 for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2018-19 season. Last season, George carried the Clippers averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals on a 46/37/87 shooting split while Kawhi Leonard was in and out of the lineup.
Knicks Interested in Grant Williams
According to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, the Knicks are among the potential landing spots for Boston Celtics’ restricted free agent Grant Williams.
“Though most of the league’s cap space has dried up at this point, the expectation with Williams has always been that a sign-and-trade or midlevel exception (MLE) would be the likely outcome. Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, New York and Washington are all still in the mix, according to league sources, with Williams eligible to sign an offer sheet on July 6. The Celtics have 24 hours to match once the sheet is signed,” Weiss wrote.
The Kristaps Porzingis trade made Williams, a restricted free agent, expendable. The 22nd overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, Williams is coming off his best season, averaging career highs in scoring (8.1), rebounding (4.6), assists (1.7) and minutes (25.9).
Rokas Jokubaitis Not Playing in Summer League
According to New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy, Rokas Jokubaitis is out of the Knicks Summer League roster due to his commitment to play for Lithuania in the FIBA World Cup in August.
Jokubaitis, the 34th pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, has spent the past two seasons with Barcelona FC in the Euroleague after briefly playing for the Knicks in the 2021 NBA Summer League.
“There is no room for Rokas on the Knicks roster, therefore playing summer league doesn’t make much sense,” Jokubaitis’ agent told Bondy.
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Knicks Backed Out From Pursuing Expensive 8-Time All-Star: Report