Major Development Takes Place in Knicks Lawsuit

The New York Knicks are no longer involved in a 2023 lawsuit with the Toronto Raptors, which accused former employee Ikechukwu Azotam of theft of thousands of confidential files.

Azotam worked with the Knicks from 2020-23, but was soon hired by the Raptors and was "provide a trove of internal information after Toronto began recruiting him in the summer of 2023," according to ESPN reporter Baxter Holmes.

"The Knicks and [Raptors owner] Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment withdrew their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The Parties are focused on the future," a joint statement read.

The lawsuit was filed in August 2023, but a hearing for the case wasn't given a date until December 2024. The hearing was meant for July 2025, but it was pushed back before ultimately being settled.

"We’ve been waiting for any direction from the NBA on next steps in this matter for months — proving our point that the NBA is not capable of appropriately and fairly handling this serious theft of proprietary and confidential files," an MSG Sports spokesperson told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post in December. “Unfortunately, because of the clear conflict of interest between the Commissioner and the Chairman of the NBA, there has been complete silence from the league.”

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and Toronto Raptors forward Jonathon Mogbo. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The dispute was a challenging one for the Knicks, who felt as though they had been wronged by the Raptors, but New York is no longer investigating the matter.

It's clear that the Knicks were not going far with the investigation considering it hadn't been resolved in two years, so the organization has come to an understanding with the Raptors and is moving forward with their solution.

The decision comes just days before the start of the 2025-26 season, where the Knicks will begin play on Oct. 22 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. The Knicks are hoping to compete alongside the Cavs to determine which team will be the best in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Knicks are viewed as one of the favorites in the East this season after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals back in May. While the Knicks ultimately lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers, the team made some moves in the offseason towards competing for a championship.

If the Knicks can come away this season moving in the right direction, they could win their first NBA Finals since 1973.

Make sure you bookmark New York Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!