Hot Takes on Knicks' Charlie Brown Jr. vs. Magic's Anthony Black, Jett Howard

The New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 82-80 on Wednesday night in NBA Summer League action at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, and it proved to be a tremendous showing for Charlie Brown Jr.

Brown—not the iconic character from the comic strip Peanuts—finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocks in just over 32 minutes.

With Brown thriving in the desert, Knicks fans are calling for the 26-year-old to make New York's opening night roster:

Brown began his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2019-20 season as an undrafted free agent out of Saint Joseph's. He has also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers.

Now on New York's Summer League roster, Brown is vying for a regular-season roster spot with the big club.

As for the Magic, Jett Howard, the son of former NBA player Juwan Howard, was also highly impressive in Wednesday's game, notching 22 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in just over 35 minutes.

Anthony Black added eight points, 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks in nearly 34 minutes.

While Howard drew much of the reaction from Magic fans, both players drew rave reviews on Twitter after the game:

The Magic selected Black sixth overall in the 2023 draft out of Arkansas and Howard 11th overall out of Michigan.

With both continuing to show flashes of their potential at the next level, they should be two of the most intriguing young players to watch in Orlando next season on a roster that also includes Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.