Five Potential New York Knicks NBA D-League Team Names

While the New York Knicks seemed to be letting their fans pick the name of its new D-League team that will launch at the beginning of next season, it appears as though the organization has already begun to brainstorm some ideas of their own.

According to Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal, the Knicks filed five trademarks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The New York 914s - Westchester's area code.

The New York ‘Bockers - from the team's full-name, "Knickerbockers."

The New York Empire - NY is the empire state, after all.

The New York Hutch - As Deadspin points out, "this is after a nickname for major north-south artery the Hutchinson River Parkway, which is itself named after Anne Hutchinson, a British-born religious figure who settled in the area. Like "Knicks," it's a throwback to the area's colonial history."

The New York Plainsmen - from White Plains, the town in which the team is located.

The Knicks filed for these trademarks on March 7, three days prior to the announcement that they would be asking fans to help pick a name. As Herring points out, however, the submission process doesn't end until March 24, at which point there will be an online vote held to determine what the team's name will be moving forward.