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The Knicks punted their first-round pick this year but their Summer League squad still features members of the last two draft classes.
Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, Jericho Sims and Trevor Keels highlight the roster of 15, which will be coached by assistant Dice Yoshimoto and open in Vegas on July 8 against the Warriors.
The notable absence is Rokas Jokubaitis, the 34th overall pick in 2021 who played in last year’s Summer League but remained in Europe last season. According to a report from Basket News, Jokubaitis underwent ear surgery after his campaign with Barcelona in Spain and is expected to remain overseas unless he’s called up by the Knicks or they trade his draft rights.
The 21-year-old Lithuanian had an up-and-down Summer League experience in 2021 and improved with time. He averaged just 7.8 points for Barcelona last season but shot an efficient 58% — including 57% from beyond the arc.
Grimes, McBride and Sims all cracked the Knicks rotation and are making their second Summer League appearances. Grimes cracked Tom Thibodeau’s starting lineup before suffering a dislocated knee, which only sidelined the 22-year-old for nine games. Still, he sat out the final three games with knee soreness.
Sims surged toward the end of last season and solidified an opportunity to become the team’s regular backup center, especially after Nerlens Noel was traded for cap space. He operated on a two-way contract last season, which will probably now convert to a full-time NBA deal.
Keels, an 18-year-old from Duke, was drafted by the Knicks last week with the 42nd pick. The 6-4 guard was a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American out of high school but disappointed in his lone season with the Blue Devils while averaging 11.5 points and shooting 42% (31.2% on 3-pointers).
The Knicks have fared well recently with second rounders. McBride, Sims and Mitchell Robinson, a second-round pick in 2018, have all made an impact on the NBA level.
The Knicks play five games in Summer League, including against Orlando and No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero on July 14.
The rest of their roster includes Jean Montero, an intriguing 18-year-old prospect from the Dominican Republic who played for Overtime Elite last season. The Knicks have already agreed to sign Montero, a 6-2 guard, to a training camp deal.
KNOX’D OUT
Speaking of Summer League, former Vegas sensation Kevin Knox was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Hawks and will become an unrestricted free agent.
In other words, he was released.
Knox was drafted ninth overall by the Knicks in 2018 and shined in that Summer League, prompting optimism that Steve Mills discovered a steal. He won Rookie of the Month that December but it was a steep and quick descent thereafter.
Knox was attached to a first-round pick and traded last season to the Hawks, where he rarely played. By picking Knox, the Knicks passed on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges and Michael Porter — all taken from ninth to 12th.
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