Rokas Jokubaitis, the 34th overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2021 NBA Draft, is reportedly close to signing a deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a team in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
The move would mark the fourth straight season Jokubaitis has spent overseas since being drafted in 2021. The 23-year-old played for the Knicks Summer League team this year for the first time since 2021, averaging 9.8 points and 3.8 assists in five Summer League appearances.
Jokubaitis Could be Missing Out on a Role With the Knicks
Jokubaitis shared most of the reps at point guard with 2nd round pick Tyler Kolek and could’ve been in play for regular rotation minutes in the regular season, given head coach Tom Thibodeau’s track record of not trusting rookies right away. Instead, the Latvian point guard will delay his NBA debut even further.
The Knicks Have Legit Guard Depth
With Jokubaitis out of the picture, Miles McBride, Kolek, and Cameron Payne will take up the bulk of the backup guard minutes in the regular season. McBride has been dangled in trade rumors, given the team’s need for big-man depth, but for now, he remains in the fray.
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With Jokubaitis seeming primed for another stint overseas, it begs the question of whether he will ever come over to join the Knicks or not. Knicks fans have been waiting to see Jokubaitis in NBA action, but for now, they’ll have to wait at least one more year before they get to see it.