Knicks, Raptors agree to dismiss lawsuit

The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors have agreed to voluntarily dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Knicks in 2023, reports Baxter Holmes for ESPN.

The lawsuit alleged that former Knicks employee Ikechukwu Azotam “illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position” in Toronto at the behest of the Raptors, who looked to gain a competitive advantage.

“The Knicks and (Raptors ownership group) Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment withdrew their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The Parties are focused on the future,” the two teams said in identical statements to ESPN.

What was the lawsuit between the Knicks and Raptors about?

The Knicks sought over $10M in damages, while the Raptors filed a motion aimed at dismissing the charges and called upon league commissioner Adam Silver to adjudicate the proceedings. The Knicks then questioned Silver’s impartiality based on his close relationship with Raptors minority owner Larry Tanenbaum. In response, the Raptors accused the Knicks of dragging out the case for publicity and threatened to counter-sue.

Ultimately, a judge agreed with the Raptors that the matter should be resolved by Silver.

Along with Azotam and the Raptors organization, head coach Darko Rajakovic was listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with player development coach Noah Lewis and 10 unidentified employees.

Holmes notes that the case has now been voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, which means the decision is permanent.