The Knicks have sent SF Cleanthony Early to the D-League, according to reports. The move does not open up a roster spot for the Knicks, but should be in Early’s best interest, as the rookie will now get to play major minutes for the Westchester Knicks instead of riding the bench on the Manhattan club. It’s not uncommon for teams to send players back and forth to and from the D-League, so Cleanthony could be in Westchester when the D-League team has a game, and then join the pro team for their games. Early has gotten off to a frustrating start after missing much of the early (ha!) part of the season with a knee injury, but was widely regarded as a steal in the draft, and the potential is still there. The Knicks have made use of their D-League team in the past, letting Jeremy Tyler, Langston Galloway, and—most notably— Jeremy Lin get practice down there. Cleanthony and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the two players New York drafted last summer, will try to join them on the list of NBA talent to pass through the Knicks’ minor league system.

Check out an interview we did with Cle before the season, here.