The Knicks may have found a small but meaningful new edge in their search for frontcourt help, and it comes from a hire that barely registers on most radar screens.
Ed Flynn, who spent the past three seasons as a video coordinator in New Orleans, is now in New York as the team’s new video replay challenger after Jordan Brink left for a larger role with Chicago. Flynn also served as the Pelicans’ head video coordinator last season, which gives the Knicks a fresh internal line on a team they’ve already had interest in this offseason.
That matters because New York has already tried to work its way toward Pelicans big men Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic. The Knicks brought in James Wiseman to compete for the third center spot, but familiarity appears to have played into that move as much as his on-court track record.
Wiseman had worked with Mike Brown in Golden State, so he arrived with some built-in trust. Flynn could create a similar kind of comfort with New Orleans players, only from the other side.
The Knicks’ need is still there. Big-man depth remains on the table, and Flynn’s background with the Pelicans may give New York a better read if those trade talks heat up again before opening night.
New Orleans, though, has not shown a willingness to move either center yet. Matkovic, a 6-foot-10, 25-year-old, has put together production that would catch the eye of most teams: 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per 36 minutes while shooting 60% from the field and 42% from deep. But the Pelicans don’t seem set up to keep rewarding a third-string center, especially with other needs everywhere on the roster and the second apron looming.
Matkovic’s pairing with Derik Queen has also been shaky. In 380 minutes together, the Pelicans posted a minus-4 rating. Missi, who is three years younger, brings better offensive rebounding and shot deterrence, and his contract is more team-friendly, including a team option for 2028 at $5.6 million.
The Pelicans’ roster and front office remain unsettled, and that kind of instability can change how they value players. Zion Williamson once sat at the center of everything, but now Derik Queen is younger, cheaper by nearly $40 million and, in the source’s framing, hasn’t carried the same baggage. Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver fired Willie Green last season, passed on interim James Borrego and brought in Jamahl Mosley, who is trying to win immediately and has more credibility with fans simply because he isn’t tied to the previous regime.
That uncertainty could matter if New Orleans slides deeper into another long season. If that happens, teams may start asking about Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and maybe Bennedict Mathurin as well.
Even if the Knicks never land Missi or Matkovic directly, either one could still surface in a larger deal and end up as the kind of low-cost piece that winds up mattering more than anyone expected. The kind of move that looks minor at the time and later feels huge.
And it all might trace back to a new challenge guy watching the iPad.
In Other News...
Knicks Face A Roster Crunch With One Final Spot Suddenly Crucial
With the Knicks operating under the NBA salary caps second apron, even the margin for roster tinkering has become a real issue. After losing Mitchell Robinson and bringing in Andre Drummond, New York still has a clear need behind its frontcourt depth, and the club has been piecing together its training camp mix with veterans and two-way players while trying to preserve as much flexibility as possible.
Tony Bradley has entered the conversation as part of that camp competition, joining Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman in the fight for what amounts to a critical depth role. The Knicks have one standard contract spot left, but limited cap maneuverability has made any move harder to pull off, and the lack of strong trade interest in Pacme Dadiet only adds another layer to a roster puzzle that is still waiting on a clean solution. [Read more 🡒]
Spike Lee Got Pulled Into An Ugly Scene At Yankee Stadium
Spike Lee found himself in the middle of an ugly moment at Yankee Stadium before Game 2 of the Yankees Wild Card Series, turning a normally routine playoff night into something far more tense. Stadium staff had to step in and hold Lee back after a fan confronted him in a scene that quickly drew attention in a ballpark already buzzing with postseason pressure.
The confrontation started with a political question from the fan, who was then removed from the area as the situation settled down. Lee, meanwhile, stayed put and watched the game anyway, a reminder that even on a night built around baseball, the crowd can find a way to make something else the main event. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Costly Core Decision With Miles McBride Looming
The Knicks are already navigating a tighter financial picture after Mitchell Robinsons departure to the Boston Celtics, and the next layer of business is starting to come into focus. With Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Miles McBride all part of the conversation, coach Brown made clear the organization has important extension decisions ahead, even if those talks are happening well above his pay grade.
Brown said he trusts Leon Rose and McBrides representatives to sort through the details, while also acknowledging he does not really understand how the cap works. It is a familiar divide for a contender trying to keep its core intact: the front office handles the math, the coaches manage the basketball, and for now the Knicks are left hoping the two sides line up before the situation gets any more complicated. [Read more 🡒]