Is Rokas Jokubaitis’ Knicks Career Over?

This New York Knicks urban legend has at least written his own (potential) happy ending.

Renowned Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv announced the signing of New York’s long-stashed international prospect Rokas Jokubaitis on Wednesday. Jokubaitis recently wrapped a three-game tour with the Knicks’ Summer League team, his second Vegas vacation since joining the New York system in 2021.

“This is a young and very hungry player,” Maccabi Tel Aviv sports director Avi Even said in a statement on the team’s official site. “Rokas has a very large growth potential and he comes to us at a good timing of a rebuild that suits both parties. He has a special personality and he understands the DNA of the club. We are happy that he chose to link his future with Maccabi Tel Aviv.”

Jokubaitis has signed a three-year deal in Israel … which will only raise more questions about his future with the Knicks.

Sightings of Jokubaitis in a Knicks uniform have been rare and fleeting: he joined the team in a draft night deal with Oklahoma City and has mostly made his mark on the international level through EuroLeague affairs. In his two Summer League tenures, the Lithuanian averaged 8.5 points and 2.6 assists over eight appearances. He shot 60 percent from the floor, which included a perfect 7-of-7 mark in the baby Knicks’ July 17 win over Sacramento.

But even with his developed prowess from deep, seeing Jokubaitis take the floor at Madison Square Garden anytime soon was likely a pipe dream at best: the Knicks already had a packed backcourt picture as is, as Jalen Brunson will take his traditional spot at the one.

Donte DiVincenzo will likely return to the bench with OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Julius Randle all back in tow while Miles McBride proved to be quite the depth star upon Immanuel Quickley’s move. The Knicks further indulged themselves by drafting Tyler Kolek and signing former Philadelphia 76er Cameron Payne.

With the futures of Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Kolek all secure on long-term deals, the Knicks’ backcourt vision seems packed both now and later. Jokubaitis thus feels destined to continue standing as the stuff of Knicks legend, perhaps one day included in another draft night swap where his “rights” are included in a salary-stabilizing deal (similar to how the Knicks acquired the draft rights of San Antonio Summer League coach Petteri Koponen at the last draft).

All in all, it’s perhaps a good problem to have and serves as a subtle sign of the progress made under president Leon Rose: not too long ago, the Knicks were crawling to whatever Derrick Rose had left in the tank, now they’re being forced to watch their international stash find new loving homes.

Like any New York deal, however, the aura of what might’ve been will continue to follow such a move, even if it pans out in the Knicks’ favor.

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