The Knicks announced they exercised their rookie-scale team options on R.J. Barrett and Kevin Knox.
Conspicuously absent from that press release? Omari Spellman, who held a $3,588,845 team option for next season.
The deadline for New York exercising that option passed last night without any further word. The Knicks didn’t respond to a question about Spellman’s status. I think it’s safe to assume his option lapsed.
New York acquired Spellman mostly (only?) as matching salary in the Ed Davis-Timberwolves trade, which was primarily about getting a second-round pick from Minnesota. The Knicks already waived the other piece of the deal, Jacob Evans (effectively declining his rookie-scale option in the process).
The No. 30 pick in 2018 by the Hawks, Spellman still holds some intrigue as a stretch big. But, amid conditioning issues, he just hasn’t sustained enough production.