The New York Knicks have officially dropped their lawsuit against the Toronto Raptors, bringing an end to a year-long legal battle over allegations that the Raptors had stolen proprietary scouting and video information from the Knicks organization.
According to a court filing obtained by ESPN, both teams agreed to dismiss the case on Monday voluntarily. Representatives from both franchises issued a joint statement to ESPN saying they are “focused on the future,” signaling a mutual decision to move on from the dispute that briefly placed the two NBA franchises at legal odds.
Yet the lawsuit did not prevent the Knicks and the Raptors from consummating the blockbuster trade that brought OG Anunoby to New York and sent former No. 3 pick RJ Barrett back home to Canada, alongside Immanuel Quickley, in December 2023.
GettyRJ Barrett drives with the basketball during a January 20 game against the New York Knicks.
Background of the Lawsuit
The Knicks originally filed the lawsuit in August 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that a former employee, Ikechukwu Azotam, had stolen thousands of confidential files and delivered them to members of the Raptors’ coaching staff after accepting a new position in Toronto.
Azotam, who joined the Knicks in 2020 as an assistant video coordinator, was promoted in 2021 to director of video/analytics and player development assistant. His duties included compiling video, scouting reports, and statistical analysis used by the Knicks’ coaching staff for game preparation and player evaluation.
The Knicks alleged that after informing the organization of his new job with the Raptors, Azotam forwarded team-owned files from his Knicks email to his personal Gmail account.
According to the lawsuit, those materials included play frequency reports, a scouting prep book for the 2022–23 season, video data, and access to the Knicks’ subscription to Synergy Sports, a private video and analytics platform used by all 30 NBA teams.
Claims of Conspiracy and Competitive Advantage
In their original complaint, the Knicks accused Raptors officials — including newly hired head coach Darko Rajaković, player development coach Noah Lewis, and several unnamed staff members — of conspiring with Azotam to obtain the materials and use them to “organize, plan, and structure” the new Raptors coaching and video operations department.
The Knicks claimed Azotam created and transferred over 3,000 files to the Raptors, giving them an unfair competitive advantage.
Rajaković, speaking at Raptors media day in October 2023, denied any wrongdoing.
“I was surprised. I was shocked,” Rajaković said. “Obviously, the lawsuit is ongoing, so I cannot make too many comments. But I know who I am, how I was raised, and that I have nothing to be worried about. I couldn’t wait for this lawsuit to be over so everybody can find the truth.”
Raptors Called Allegations ‘Baseless’
In their court response, the Raptors called the Knicks’ accusations “baseless” and “a public relations stunt.” They argued that the allegedly stolen materials were composed of publicly available data and that no competitive advantage was gained.
“The alleged ‘theft of data’ involved little more than publicly available information compiled through sources accessible to all NBA members,” the Raptors said in a filing.
Toronto’s legal team also urged NBA commissioner Adam Silver to intervene and mediate the dispute, emphasizing that the matter should be resolved within the league rather than in federal court.
Case Dismissed With Prejudice
A judge in the Southern District of New York later agreed to close the case, and both sides filed a voluntary dismissal with prejudice, meaning the lawsuit cannot be refiled in the future, according to ESPN.
The NBA has not issued an official statement on the dismissal. Both organizations appear eager to move forward as they begin their respective seasons — the Knicks focused on capitalizing on their rising Eastern Conference standing, and the Raptors continue to rebuild under Rajaković’s leadership.
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