Knicks and Raptors Drop 2023 Intellectual Property Lawsuit
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The New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors have jointly moved to end their long-running legal dispute, filing to dismiss with prejudice a 2023 lawsuit that accused Toronto of misappropriating proprietary team data.
The agreement, reached on October 10, 2025, closes a case in which New York alleged that former Knicks video coordinator Ikechukwu Azotam copied thousands of confidential scouting and analytics files before joining the Raptors. The Madison Square Garden club claimed the material was taken at the direction of the Raptors to secure a competitive edge.
In identical statements provided to ESPN, the Knicks and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment said they had withdrawn all claims and were “focused on the future.”
The Knicks had sought more than $10 million in damages. Toronto responded with a motion to dismiss and asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver to adjudicate the matter. New York later questioned Silver’s impartiality because of his close ties to Raptors minority owner Larry Tanenbaum. The Raptors countered that the lawsuit was being prolonged for publicity and threatened a countersuit.
A judge ultimately ruled that the dispute should be handled by the commissioner, siding with Toronto’s position.
Along with Azotam, the complaint named the Raptors organization, head coach Darko Rajakovic, player development coach Noah Lewis, and ten unidentified employees as defendants.
The voluntary dismissal with prejudice permanently ends the case and prevents the Knicks from refiling the same claims.
Source: Hoops Rumors
