Getty The Knicks will not sign Rokas Jokubaitis for next season
It was another promising summer for Knicks guard Rokas Jokubaitis, who suited up for five games in the Las Vegas Summer League last week, but alas, it looks like it will be back to the other side of the Atlantic, though, as Jokubaitis is reported to be close to agreeing to a new contract to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv. According to Sportando, Jokubaitis is in “advanced talks” to join up with the Israeli club for next season.
Jokubaitis has been with Barcelona for the past three seasons, averaging 5.3 points and 2.8 assists last year in 16.1 minutes in Euroleague play. Barca had a fourth-year option on Jokubaitis’ contract, but declined to pick it up.
This summer, he played 19.1 minutes per game for the Knicks, and averaged 9.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals. He shot 57.1% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line, but still did not wrest a contract offer from the Knicks, who maintain the rights to Jokubaitis. New York traded from him after he was selected in the second round by the Thunder in the 2021 draft.
Rokas Jokubaitis Wants an NBA Chance
Earlier in the summer, Jokubaitis had been rumored to be in talks to sign with Zalgiris in his home country, Lithuania. He began his pro career with Zalgiris when he was 18 years old, and tried to tamp down the rumors that he would be headed back there.
He does feel that he is ready to make the leap to the NBA. But the Knicks, apparently, do not.
“With years of maturity, experience I have from Europe, I think I’m ready,” Jokubaitis said in Las Vegas, via the New York Post. “And I would like to come here. … There are a lot of different things between this basketball and European basketball. Here, there’s not so much rules or play, just to feel your teammates.
“So it’s a good thing for me to know as many basketball [styles as possible]. European, American basketball, as many as possible because I don’t know where I’m going to play in my life.”
Knicks Guard Rotation Already Full
The Knicks still do have available roster spots—two of them—and are still hopeful of adding a backup big man to replace Isaiah Hartenstein.
Any chance Jokubaitis had of coming over to the NBA for next season evaporated when the Knicks signed point guard Cameron Payne, essentially filling out the entire guard rotation. The Knicks now have Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Payne at point, with Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo at shooting guard.
Rookies Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet will also be in the backcourt, though they’re not expected to get big minutes. Jokubaitis is a combo guard.
Knicks fans hoping to get another look at Jokubaitis can check him out with the Lithuanian national team at the Paris Olympics, which get underway this week. He still is hoping he lands in the NBA, but he is not holding his breath.
“At this point I don’t have any preference. I played my whole life in Europe but I always wanted to come back here to see myself how I would do here,” he said. “My options are free and why not try it here also?”