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New York Knicks Cut Roster Down To 15 Players

By Kenneth Teape

Oct 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Chasson Randle (4) dribbles the ball past Washington Wizards forward/center Johnny O'Bryant III (7) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Chasson Randle (4) dribbles the ball past Washington Wizards forward/center Johnny O'Bryant III (7) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Knicks announced their cuts for the regular season, dropping their roster from 20 players down to 15.

The New York Knicks had their cut down day today. The Knicks had 20 players on the roster during training camp, but had to get that number down to 15 for the regular season. The Knicks had a couple of more days to cut down the roster, but wasted no time as they waived five players this afternoon.

Some of the players waived should come as no surprise, as the Knicks invited some of their players from their summer league team to training camp so no one else could sign them away. But, there were also some names that people will be disappointed to see did not make the roster out of training camp.

The Knicks announced their cuts this afternoon. The five players to not make the regular season roster were Lou Amundson, Chasson Randle, J.P. Tokoto, Cleanthony Early, and Damien Inglis.

One of the big men on the roster had to go, and Amundson was the odd man out. He was beaten out by undrafted free agent Marshall Plumlee, as Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez were both guaranteed roster spots. Plumlee showed a lot of energy and hustle during the preseason, so the Knicks felt he was a worthwhile prospect to keep around.

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In a nutshell, Plumlee is a cheaper, younger version of Amundson; they do a lot of similar things on the court with their hustle, ability to play defense and rebound.

Some people will be disappointed to see Randle go. He turned around the Knicks’ fortunes during Summer League with his play and looked good during the preseason. But an injury forced him to miss the final three preseason games. Head coach Jeff Hornacek said the injury would not impact his standing on the team, but it certainly didn’t help.

Early is expected to report to the Knicks D-League affiliate so that he can continue rehabbing an injury. Inglis played for the Knicks D-League team last season as well, and Tokoto is probably ticketed for a spot there as well. Early and Inglis were late additions to training camp, while Tokoto earned a spot with strong play during the summer. All three players are decent prospects for the Knicks to groom at the D-League level.

Next: New York Knicks Takeaways From Preseason

The Knicks now know which 15 players they will be bringing on the road with them when they start the regular season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Congratulations to Plumlee, Maurice Ndour, and Ron Baker for making the roster despite being undrafted free agents from the last two draft classes.

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