In an ironic twist, the New York Knicks are being used to advance de facto free agency negotiations.

ESPN has a massive void to fill after Wednesday, as longtime NBA insider announced his retirement from reporting to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at his alma mater St. Bonaventure.

In a de facto tribute to Wojnarowski, fellow ESPN insiders Jeff Passan and Adam Schefter took to the realm of hardwood talk on Wednesday’s edition of “NBA Today.” Each had the same NBA Finals prediction, calling for the Knicks to face the Oklahoma City Thunder … albeit with the Western Conference champion prevailing.

“The New York Knicks and everything they showed in the postseason last year, grinding as much as they did with all the injuries they had, New York deserves a Finals team,” Passan, normally known for his MLB updates, said (h/t New York Basketball on X). “That’s what I think they’re going to get.”

An Oklahoma City victory would have lasting repercussions for the Worldwide Leader: Schefter promised to officially throw his hat into the ring to succeed Wojnarowski despite his breaking news prowess on the NFL level.

A battle between the Knicks and Thunder would be a matchup of two rising squads in the Association, one headlined by arguably the league’s most impactful young point guards: the Knicks, of course, boast the talents of Jalen Brunson while Oklahoma City features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander … who could’ve been a New Yorker upon his NBA entry in 2018 if not for the selection of Kevin Knox at ninth overall.

The Knicks-Thunder series, swept by Oklahoma City last season, is also a bit personal from a metropolitan perspective this time around: seeking to solve its lingering rebounding issues, the Thunder added former Knicks depth star Isaiah Hartenstein on a three-year, $87 million contract.

The annual regular season couple between the Knicks and Thunder will be staged at the onset of the new calendar year: the Knicks hit up Paycom Center on Jan. 3 while Hartenstein returns to Madison Square Garden a week later.

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