#New York Knicks

#New York Knicks

The Washington Wizards are being monitored ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February for a variety of reasons. Not only do the Wizards have several glaring holes on the roster that need to be addressed, but they also have multiple players who could be major additions for playoff-bound teams looking for an upgrade to their depth chart. Whether the Wizards plan to be buyers or sellers at the deadline is still unknown,

The Knicks took care of business first, defeating the Orlando Magic 132-120 after a stellar performance from guard Jalen Brunson. He dropped a season-high 40 points, plus eight assists. It marked Brunson's 19th 40-point performance as a Knick, the third most in franchise history, according to ESPN Research. Knicks coach Mike Brown said Brunson's performance is "what MVPs are supposed to do."

Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence with 22 points and nine rebounds, giving San Antonio a surge and the Oklahoma City Thunder just their second loss with the 111-109 victory Saturday night putting the Spurs in the NBA Cup final. The Spurs play the New York Knicks in Tuesday night's final. Oklahoma's last defeat was on 5 November at Portland, and the Thunder carried a 16-game winning streak into this game.

The Knicks lost to the Orlando Magic 133-121 Saturday, failing to cover as a 2-point road underdog. The Over (230.5) cashed. G Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 33 points on 12-for-21 shooting. New York has alternated wins and losses over its last 6 games, going 2-4 against the spread (ATS) in that span. It is 8-7 ATS on the season. The Knicks beat the Nets 134-98 at home Nov. 9, 2025, the last time these teams met. New York covered as a 15.5-point favorite as the Over (227) cashed.

Even though it's not too often that two rivals like the Knicks and Heat do business with each other, the former could be a soft landing spot for Yabusele. The Heat needs a big man and will likely attempt to add one after December 15. Who knows if the Heat would look to New York, but he's a player who does become trade-eligible on December 15, and one who does have characteristics of being a culture-type player.

I'm just appreciative of wherever I came from. [Brooklyn was] just one stepping stone where I was at before I was here. So just appreciative,

[Dolan] said, 'I don't want you to go through it. I know what it's like to deal with these people [the media],' Jackson says in the book. 'I said, 'Unfortunately my relationship with Carmelo is kind of busted, and if he's going to be here, it's probably best that I go.'

"He has versatility, toughness on both ends of the floor," Brown said. "He can [make plays] for himself and others. Gets us organized. "He had a really good game defensively [Friday] night for the most part, and then during the first stretch, he was really good offensively. In the second half, he wasn't as good. But he's a young guy and he's going to learn and grow from any minutes that he gets."

This is our year. This is our time.

The league's best teams often teeter on a knife's edge, thriving thanks to continuity but in a constant state of fragility, which explains the current state of the weakened Eastern Conference. The two favorites, who meet in a made-for-television opener Wednesday in New York, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks (7 p.m. ET on ESPN), are in this place because of the consistency of their rosters and misfortune of fellow contenders.