NBA Notes: Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns, Thunder, Kings

Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson are getting a longer look together, and new Knicks coach Mike Brown sounds like he’s all in on the experiment.

Both big men have started New York’s first three preseason games, something that rarely happened last season when Robinson was recovering from ankle surgery. Now, with Robinson healthy and Towns firmly in place, the Knicks are testing a frontcourt that’s built on size, length, and versatility.

“The length on the floor is just unbelievable,” Brown said, via The New York Post’s Zach Braziller. “When you’re playing KAT at the four, OG (Anunoby) at the three, and Mikal (Bridges) at the two — that’s a big, long team with a lot of interchangeable parts. You’d think that group should be able to offensive rebound at a high level, which is one of our staples.”

Brown praised Robinson’s conditioning, noting that the 7-footer spent much of the offseason working to adapt to a faster pace.

“He’s not a good runner, he’s a great runner,” Brown said. “He might be the best vertical threat I’ve ever been around.”

Robinson played just 17 games last season but made a strong impact once healthy, particularly in the playoffs. With Towns stretching the floor and Robinson attacking the rim, the Knicks’ new-look lineup could quickly become one of the league’s toughest to handle inside.

Thunder

The Thunder continued to tweak the bottom of their roster, signing ex-Iowa wing Payton Sandfort and waiving forward/center Viktor Lakhin, per the team and Spotrac’s Keith Smith.

Sandfort, an undrafted rookie, averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season for the Hawkeyes. He started all 33 games and shot 37 percent from three. Oklahoma City had been expected to bring him in on an Exhibit 10 deal after the draft, and that move is now official.

He’ll likely be waived before the regular season and join the G League’s OKC Blue, where he’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he stays at least 60 days.

As for Lakhin, the 6-foot-11 big man was signed just days ago after going undrafted out of Clemson. He averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds last season but missed the pre-draft process with a torn tendon in his left foot. Like Sandfort, he’s also a strong candidate to wind up with the Blue.

Kings

The Kings made official what had been expected, signing Mitch Mascari and Daniel Batcho to Exhibit 10 contracts and then waiving both players, per the NBA’s transactions log.

Mascari, a 6-foot-5 sharpshooter, won two Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State before transferring to Drake, where he averaged 9.4 points and shot 40 percent from deep. He also appeared for the Suns’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.

Batcho, a 6-11 forward, played his final college season at Louisiana Tech after transferring from Texas Tech. Both players are expected to land with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, and could earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they stick for 60 days.

The moves keep Sacramento’s roster right at the preseason limit of 21 players.