TITLE: Knicks Test Bigger Lineup; Thunder and Kings Shuffle Training-Camp Rosters
SLUG: knicks-frontcourt-experiment-thunder-sign-sandfort-kings-waive-batcho
CONTENT:
New York, OKC and Sacramento delivered a fresh round of preseason updates Wednesday, highlighting lineup experiments and the latest Exhibit 10 transactions.
Knicks lean into size with Towns and Robinson
The Knicks have opened all three preseason games with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson side by side, a look new head coach Mike Brown appears eager to keep exploring. Robinson missed most of last season after ankle surgery, but his return has allowed New York to test a frontcourt built on length.
“The length on the floor is just unbelievable,” Brown told reporters. He cited a projected unit of Towns at power forward, OG Anunoby at small forward and Mikal Bridges at shooting guard as an unusually large, switch-friendly group expected to dominate the offensive glass—one of Brown’s priorities.
Brown also praised Robinson’s conditioning after an offseason geared toward playing faster. “He might be the best vertical threat I’ve ever been around,” the coach said. Robinson appeared in only 17 regular-season games last year but made a noticeable impact once healthy, especially in the playoffs. Combining his rim pressure with Towns’ perimeter range could make New York’s interior attack one of the league’s hardest to defend.
Thunder sign Sandfort, waive Lakhin
The Thunder continued tweaking the back end of the roster by adding former Iowa wing Payton Sandfort on an Exhibit 10 contract and releasing forward/center Viktor Lakhin. Sandfort, an undrafted rookie, averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists while starting all 33 games for the Hawkeyes last season, shooting 37% from three.
He is expected to be waived before opening night and funnelled to the G League’s OKC Blue, where he can earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he remains with the affiliate for 60 days.
Lakhin, a 6-foot-11 Clemson product, signed with Oklahoma City only days ago. He averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in college but missed the pre-draft process due to a torn tendon in his left foot. Like Sandfort, he is a candidate to land with the Blue.
Kings complete expected Exhibit 10 moves
Sacramento officially signed guards Mitch Mascari and Daniel Batcho to Exhibit 10 deals and immediately waived both players, keeping the preseason roster at the 21-man limit. Mascari, a 6-foot-5 shooter who helped Northwest Missouri State win two Division II championships before transferring to Drake, averaged 9.4 points and hit 40% from deep last year. He also appeared for Phoenix in Las Vegas Summer League.
Batcho, a 6-foot-11 forward, finished his college career at Louisiana Tech after transferring from Texas Tech. Both are expected to join the Stockton Kings, where they can earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they stay 60 days.
Source: Hoops Wire
