REPORT: Knicks hesitant to join eight-team summer training camp

The New York Knicks will not be involved when the 2019-20 NBA restarts in late July, but there are rumblings that they could be among the eight loser squads to take part in some sort of multi-team training camp later in the summer.

While some teams are interested in holding these camps, the Knicks have some qualms, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick: (subscription required)

“The Knicks, sources say, have expressed reservations about participating, in part because they have a roster with several soon-to-be free agents. If accommodations could be made to help a team like the Knicks fill its roster by way of G League players, however, then that could be an X-factor of sorts.”

I was actually hoping that the front office was hesitant because of concerns over the health of their employees, but alas, no team in any American sport seems to operate that way.

It’s true that the Knicks have a ton of impending free agents, many (most?) of whom won’t be asked back to the team next season. It should be noted that one such impending free agent, Taj Gibson, is currently working out at the team’s Tarrytown facility.

So would the Knicks invite a bunch of G Leaguers to fill out a roster headlined by youngsters like RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson? Would veterans with contracts extending into next season, like Julius Randle, be invited? Should Julius Randle be invited? Watching him play is not very fun.

I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.