Getty RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks.
New York Knicks RJ Barrett was spotted training with one of his team’s rumored trade targets, Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, in Los Angeles.
Both Barrett and LaVine are clients of renowned NBA trainer Drew Hanlen, who posted the photo on his Instagram account.
Barrett is slated to play for the NBA-stacked Canada in the FIBA World Cup next month, while LaVine is training for next season as he is not part of Team USA. It is unclear if he begged off or was not invited.
But LaVine’s future is the subject of speculation this summer after Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported last month that the Bulls had been quietly gauging LaVine’s trade market.
The Knicks made contact with the Bulls regarding LaVine, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, but it “never got close.”
“Other All-Stars have trickled in and out of the rumor mill over the years, including this summer. New York contacted the Chicago Bulls about their shooting guard, Zach LaVine, but the asking price for the two-time All-Star was “giant,” as one league source told The Athletic, which is exactly why LaVine remains in Chicago. The Knicks and Bulls, according to league sources, never got close,” Katz wrote.
LaVine, a two-time All-Star, averaged 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 77 games with the Bulls last season, coming off a successful left knee surgery in the previous offseason. He has four years left on his five-year $215 million contract.
The Bulls, according to NBC Sports’ Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, “are valuing LaVine highly, as they should.”
“One league source said the Bulls would be focused on getting a good young player, multiple first-round picks and salary filler if they decide to trade LaVine. Another said one first-round pick and an established, high-end player, might be sufficiently intriguing,” Johnson reported last month.
Quentin Grimes Trains with JJ Redick
Knicks starting wing Quentin Grimes trained under 15-year NBA veteran-turned-TV analyst JJ Redick, picking the veteran shooter’s brains for two days.
A day after their training, Redick named Grimes as one of the young players who could make a leap next season.
“Some improvement offensively. Some improvement in consistency in shooting the basketball. He’s highly competitive and highly energetic. He fits on that team. He fits on that roster. Quentin Grimes is another one,” Redick said on the July 28 episode of his podcast “The Old Man & the Three.”
Grimes is also scheduled to train with Team USA as part of the U.S. Select Team in Las Vegas next month.
Knicks’ Dizzying 2-Way Deals
Just as when everybody thought the Knicks were done adding players on two-way deals after going above the league’s maximum limit of three for next season, they added another one.
The Knicks officially announced the signing of Dylan Windler, the 26th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, to a two-way deal on Wednesday.
To accommodate Windler, the Knicks have waived Trevor Keels, their second-round pick last year, and Duane Washington, Jr.
Both Keels and Washington, Jr., the Knicks’ two-way-players last season, received $75,000 each after getting cut. The Knicks retained their G-League rights should no other team picks them up and elect to return.
Windler joined Nathan Knight and Jaylen Martin as the Knicks’ two-way players for next season.