**Malcolm Brogdon**‘s announcement that he was retiring caught many around the league by surprise. Brogdon was presumed to have pole position in the preseason battle for a Knicks’ roster spot, and he was expecting to have a real role in head coach Mike Brown‘s rotation, write James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz for The Athletic.
Edwards and Katz, citing league sources, report that the cause for the sudden retirement was a feeling that he was no longer up for the toll, both physical and mental, that came from his many years of dealing with injuries. They note that he was not thinking about retiring in the run-up to training camp and that the decision only happened within the last couple of days.
The Knicks had been widely reported to be seeking a trade that would allow them to keep both Brogdon and another veteran, presumably Landry Shamet. With this news, the team can add Shamet without making any further moves.
We have more Knicks notes:
Josh Hart is getting closer to making his return for the Knicks after back spasms kept him out for much of the team’s preseason, reports Kristian Winfield for New York Daily News. Brown isn’t sure if Hart will be ready for the Knicks’ preseason finale on Friday, and Winfield adds that Brown made clear he didn’t want to rush the recovery process, as Hart’s energy and health are crucial components of the Knicks’ identity. “At the end of the day, Josh is an extremely important part of our process,” Brown said. “We know this is gonna be a process.”
The Knicks plan to manage **Mitchell Robinson**‘s minutes closely this season, reports SNY’s Ian Begley (via Twitter). Robinson has been starting with Karl-Anthony Towns throughout the preseason, but given his extensive injury history, Begley writes that New York plans to hold the defensive-minded center out of some games as a precaution. Robinson, when healthy, has been a crucial part of the Knicks’ playoff success over the last few years. Begley also noted (Twitter video link) that Robinson missed practice today with some lingering soreness after sitting out the second half of the team’s most recent preseason game.
In their article for The Athletic, Edwards and Katz note that sharpshooting guard Garrison Mathews was also in consideration for the final spot alongside Brogdon and Shamet, and that the team may still try to keep both Shamet and Mathews. Mathews is averaging 6.8 points on 41.7% three-point shooting in 13.3 minutes for the Knicks during the preseason. If Mathews doesn’t make the Knicks’ final roster, he’s not planning on joining the Westchester Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy for the New York Post (subscriber link). “[The Knicks] got a lot of stuff going for them. And I think they’re going to be a contender,” Mathews said. “I’m just hoping I can be a part of it.”