New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Durant, Knicks, Raptors

July 28th, 2022 at 10:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Various members of the NBA world have been weighing in since word spread earlier this week that the Celtics and Nets have been in conversation about a potential trade centered around current Brooklyn All-Star forward Kevin Durant and current Boston star wing Jaylen Brown.

Brown’s All-Star running mate in Boston, Jayson Tatum, shared his two cents on the matter earlier this week, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.

“I played with [Durant] during the Olympics,” Tatum said on Tuesday, attending the premiere of the new Showtime documentary ‘Point Gods.’ Durant, as an executive producer, was also in attendance, but did not discuss his future with assembled media.

“Obviously, he’s a great player, but that’s not my decision,” Tatum continued. “We got two new pieces [in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari]… I love our team. I just go out there and play with my teammates. I don’t put that [general manager] hat on to make decisions.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The aforementioned notion of the Nets and Celtics swapping Durant, Brown, and additional assets was explored by Jared Weiss, Jay King, and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic in a new roundtable.
The other big lingering line item that persists at this point in the 2022 NBA offseason is the fate of Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. The 6’1″ swingman has long been floated as a possible fit for the Knicks, a star-hungry big market club with the contracts, future draft equity, and intriguing young talent to potentially swing a deal that the Utah front office may value. The Athletic’s Fred Katz and Mike Vorkunov experiment with a fascinating exercise by opting to stage a mock draft of New York’s most valuable trade chips, starting with RJ Barrett and the Knicks’ 2029 first-round pick.
The Knicks are not the only game in town when it comes to possibly acquiring Mitchell from Utah. Raptors team president Masai Ujiri and his Jazz front office counterpart Danny Ainge may appear at first blush to be particularly abrasive trade partners, doomed to haggle over picks and protections, opines Eric Koreen of The Athletic. However, Koreen notes that, because of the depth of Toronto’s young talent, the teams could wind up being particularly good fits for each other in a Mitchell transaction, provided Ujiri and Ainge can agree on the granular details of such an exchange.

Lakers Notes: Anthony, Reaves, Bryant, Westbrook, Handy

July 27th, 2022 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony may return to the Lakers for another season, but a decision isn’t expected quickly, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy. Like many NBA veterans, Anthony’s status is on hold while teams wait to see what happens with this summer’s trade rumors.

“They have a lot to sort out obviously,” an unidentified general manager said of the Lakers. “But as more things get set, they’ll probably get back around to bringing him in. It’s just, at this point, you don’t know what might happen with (Russell) Westbrook and whether you might need to take on players, so you see that around the league a lot — teams have 10, 11, 12 players signed and there’s no hurry to fill in the last spots until you see how the other stuff plays out.”

A return to the Knicks has been mentioned as a possibility for Anthony, and Deveney sees the Nets as a potential landing spot as well. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving reportedly wanted Brooklyn to sign Anthony when they joined the team in 2019, and adding him to the roster might be a way to mollify them if they’re both still with the Nets when training camp opens. The GM also mentions the Warriors, who would give Anthony his best chance to win a ring before he retires.

There’s more on the Lakers:

Austin Reaves has a strong case for a starting spot heading into camp, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Reaves will need to improve his outside shooting, but he can serve as a secondary ball-handler and his defensive abilities make him an ideal backcourt mate for Westbrook, Buha adds. He also notes that Thomas Bryant could become a starter if L.A. is determined to play Anthony Davis at power forward rather than center.
Westbrook will face a “moment of truth” if the Lakers can’t find a way to trade him, states Dan Devine of The Ringer. If Westbrook plays another season in L.A., he’ll either have to adapt to a different role or get out of the way of his star teammates, Devine adds.
Assistant coach Phil Handy recently signed an extension with the Lakers, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Handy had been heading into the final year of his contract.

Jazz, Knicks, Pacers Have Talked To Lakers About Westbrook

July 25th, 2022 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz, Knicks, and Pacers are among the teams that have spoken to the Lakers about possible trades involving point guard Russell Westbrook and draft assets, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Lakers don’t appear to be close to making a deal with any of those teams, according to Charania, who notes that Westbrook trade talks could continue to take place over the remaining couple months of the offseason.

Because the cap hit on Westbrook’s expiring contract is so substantial ($47MM+), any team that acquires him would almost certainly have to send out at least two sizable contracts of its own. And since few teams can put together a package to match Westbrook’s salary without including at least one productive rotation player, potential trade partners are asking the Lakers for draft compensation in return for taking on Westbrook, who is coming off a disappointing year in Los Angeles.

The Lakers and Pacers have reportedly spoken about Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, but L.A. has been unwilling to meet Indiana’s asking price, which is believed to be two first-round picks. According to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic, the Lakers offered Westbrook, one first-rounder, and two second-round selections for Hield and Turner.

While they continue to gauge Donovan Mitchell‘s value on the trade market, the Jazz could offer some combination of veterans like Mike Conley ($22.68MM), Bojan Bogdanovic ($19.55MM), Jordan Clarkson ($13.34MM), and Rudy Gay ($6.18MM) in a deal for Westbrook and draft picks. Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley are also potential Utah trade candidates who have eight-figure cap hits, though neither can be aggregated in a trade until September 6.

The Knicks’ possible high-priced trade candidates, meanwhile, include Julius Randle ($23.76MM), Evan Fournier ($18MM), Derrick Rose ($14.52MM), and Cam Reddish ($5.95MM), though the team would be more willing to move some of those players than others, and wouldn’t want to compromise its pursuit of Mitchell by jumping the gun on a separate deal involving Westbrook.

Marc Stein previously reported that Utah and New York were both considered by league executives to be possible landing spots for Westbrook. However, Stein suggested that the Jazz and Knicks were probably only viable trade partners for the Lakers if a Mitchell trade got done first — especially if Mitchell ended up in New York.

The thinking among those execs, Stein explained, is that the Knicks may look to move Randle and his long-term contract if they acquire Mitchell. The Jazz, on the other hand, would presumably be pivoting to a full-scale rebuild and would be open to trading more veterans for draft assets and cap flexibility if Mitchell is no longer on their roster.

It’s unclear if any of the Jazz, Knicks, or Pacers would keep Westbrook on their roster if they were to acquire him, or if they’d simply buy him out. Draft picks and/or future cap room would be the main motivators for any team trading for Westbrook.

Latest On Donovan Mitchell

July 25th, 2022 at 7:38am CST by Luke Adams

While the Knicks continue to be viewed as the frontrunners to trade for Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that talks between the two teams have moved slowly so far. New York and Utah remain far from an agreement, Charania adds.

As Charania explains, with three guaranteed years remaining on Mitchell’s contract and approximately two months until training camps begin, Utah has plenty of time to gauge the trade market and evaluate the best offers for the All-Star guard, so the club isn’t operating with a sense of urgency at this point.

Since word broke that the Jazz are open to inquiries on Mitchell, the Knicks have frequently been mentioned as his primary suitor, but they’re far from the only team in the mix, according to Charania.

Sources tell The Athletic that the Heat, Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Hawks, and Kings have all registered some level of interest in the 25-year-old.

Mitchell hasn’t requested a trade and hasn’t pushed to leave Utah, says Charania. However, if the Jazz were to shift into full-fledged rebuilding mode, he would prefer to end up with a contender, per Charania.

Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale trades earlier this offseason signaled that a rebuild could be on the horizon for the team. Still, it remains possible that the Jazz could use some of the draft assets acquired in those deals to trade for win-now help with the intent of retooling around Mitchell. The roster still features veterans like Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Patrick Beverley, and Malik Beasley, so it’s not as if Utah has engaged in a full tear-down yet.

Knicks Remain Most Likely Landing Spot For Donovan Mitchell

July 24th, 2022 at 6:35pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks remain the most likely landing spot for Donovan Mitchell if he gets traded, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. Aside from Mitchell having ties to New York, the Knicks own a significant amount of draft capital and young players to offer in discussions. Mitchell is coming off a season where he averaged 25.9 points per contest — his second straight 25+ PPG campaign.

Knicks Notes: Tampering, Brunson, Wright, Fournier, Rose, Mitchell

July 23rd, 2022 at 8:29am CST by Dana Gauruder

There is a strong possibility the NBA will open up a tampering investigation into the Knicks’ recruitment of Jalen Brunson, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. A rival team doesn’t necessarily need to file official tampering charges to make it happen, considering that reports of an agreement between the Knicks and Brunson surfaced before the two sides could negotiate. The Knicks also made salary-shedding moves with the confidence Brunson would come aboard if they opened up enough cap room.

We have more on the Knicks:

Brunson’s college coach, Jay Wright, said the former Villanova star will embrace the pressure of playing in New York City, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. “He is very comfortable in having all that pressure on him,” Wright said of Brunson. “When Luka [Doncic] was out, he was very comfortable taking on that responsibility in the playoffs. But he’s really smart and he really knows that he needs good players around him, too. His basketball IQ is off the charts. He will look at the game like a coach and a general manager. His ego doesn’t get in the way. But he’ll never shy from the responsibility. He loves it.”
If the Knicks don’t trade RJ Barrett or Julius Randle in a blockbuster deal for Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, then either Derrick Rose or Evan Fournier would have to be dealt for salary-matching purposes. SNY TV’s Ian Begley looks at potential combinations of players that the Knicks could send out to Utah.
Mitchell may be one of the top 10 offensive talents in the league but he’s not considered a top-10 player overall due to his defensive shortcomings. The Ringer’s Dan Devine explores whether Mitchell is the right star for the Knicks to pursue.

Trade Rumors: Lakers, Pacers, Vanderbilt, Durant, Knicks

July 22nd, 2022 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Talks between the Lakers and Pacers about a trade that would include Russell Westbrook, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, and other assets are currently dead, a source tells Bob Kravitz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kravitz adds that those discussions could reignite if the Lakers add another first-round pick to their offer, but he says they’re currently at a standstill.

Kravitz’s wording suggests L.A. is only willing to attach one of its two tradable first-rounders (2027 and 2029) to Westbrook in exchange for Hield and Turner, so it’s not surprising that the Pacers aren’t interested.

As we noted earlier this week, if the Lakers want to try to acquire just one of Hield or Turner, there are ways to construct a deal using Talen Horton-Tucker ($10.26MM) and Kendrick Nunn ($5.25MM) instead of Westbrook’s $47MM expiring deal for outgoing salary purposes. But acquiring both Pacers veterans would mean including Westbrook and would require a substantial package of draft assets.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who suggested last week that Jarred Vanderbilt is drawing trade interest, said on the latest episode of his podcast that “a lot of teams” have called the Jazz about the 23-year-old forward. “I don’t know the number. I don’t really have any specific teams that I’ve heard of,” Fischer said, per HoopsHype. “But last I (heard), he was the guy who’s getting the most calls, the most incoming calls of all the (Jazz) players.”
Given that no team is willing to meet the Nets‘ sky-high asking price for Kevin Durant, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today on Thursday (video link) that he’s waiting for one of two things to happen: Brooklyn to lower that asking price, or Durant to be pulled off the trade market. There has been no indication that either one of those moves is imminent, Windhorst adds.
As the Knicks pursue a possible Donovan Mitchell deal, it’s important that they consider what pieces would be left over, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Besides not wanting to sacrifice too many players who could play alongside Mitchell, the Knicks will also want to retain enough assets to potentially be able to trade for another star within a couple years, since Mitchell alone wouldn’t make them a title contender, Katz says.

Jalen Brunson Talks Knicks, Mavericks, L. Rose, Mentality

July 21st, 2022 at 6:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After officially finalizing his new $104MM deal with the Knicks, guard Jalen Brunson sat down this week for a wide-ranging interview moderated by Bill Pidto of MSG and attended by season ticket holders (YouTube video link).

“It’s like a whirlwind of emotions for me,” Brunson told Pidto (hat tip to Alex Smith of SNY.tv for some of the transcription). “It’s a lot. This building (Knicks home arena Madison Square Garden) is very special and I’m just happy to hopefully create some new memories here.”

During a breakout 2021/22 season for the Mavericks, Brunson averaged career highs of 16.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.9 RPG, and 0.8 SPG across 79 contests, including 61 starts. He posted shooting splits of .502/.373/.840. Starting in the backcourt alongside All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, Brunson helped Dallas return to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years. The team lost in five games to the eventual champion Warriors.

Here’s more from Brunson’s conversation with Pidto:

The 25-year-old Brunson, whose father Rick Brunson is now an assistant coach under Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, discussed his familial connections to the club. The elder Brunson, himself a former NBA point guard, also played for the Knicks during the 1999/2000 NBA season. Thibodeau was an assistant coach under Jeff Van Gundy at the time. “It brings everything full circle,” Jalen Brunson said of joining the Knicks organization. “I’ve known them for a long time. It’s family. It’s a comfort level to this and something that I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to. I knew that these guys have my best interests at heart, and… I think Leon (Rose) probably saw me before my dad did, so it’s just one big family for me and I’m just super excited.”
When asked about his successful tenure with the Mavericks, culminating in the aforementioned trip to the 2022 Western Conference Finals, Brunson reflected on his difficult decision to move on to a new team. “For the longest time, I thought I would never leave Dallas,” Brunson said. “I thought Dallas was my home for my entire career. It’s a great place, it’s a place that I really wanted to be and I’m so thankful that they took a chance on me. It was definitely tough. I’m going to miss my teammates. That organization’s special. The relationships that I made that, it was really special, so I’m definitely going to miss it.”
The 6’1″ point guard spoke of how his mentality will fit a revamped Knicks roster. “(I’m a) person who’s never going to quit,” Brunson, a two-time NCAA champion while with Villanova, said. “It’s never been in my DNA. Something about me is that it’s about the little things for me. People see the stats and all that stuff, but the things that matter to me most [are] the little things like putting my body on the line for my teammates, diving on the ground, being that person that everyone can turn to saying, ‘That guy is going to do everything he can to help this team win a game,’ and that’s just how I’ve been my entire life.”
Brunson discussed his evolution as a player, from prep school through the NBA. “Everywhere I’ve gone, since high school it started for me, it’s always been, ‘Jalen Brunson’s good, but’ — it’s always that ‘but,'” Brunson said. “They’re going to say something negative about (me)…. It was ‘too slow,’ ‘not athletic enough,’ ‘too small,’ all those things that don’t measure heart.”

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Playoffs

July 19th, 2022 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The play-in tournament, which has been adopted as an every-season fixture, means that only 10 of 30 NBA teams won’t get at least a taste of the postseason from year to year.

Last season, the Knicks, Wizards, Pacers, Pistons and Magic were the five Eastern Conference teams who failed to qualify.

All of those teams, via some combination of the draft, free agency and trades, have made numerous roster moves this summer in an effort to improve their stock.

Let’s take a quick look at each of those clubs’ major moves, focusing on acquisitions beyond re-signing their own free agents:

Knicks – They made a big splash by dumping salary in order to sign one of the top free agents on the board, Mavs guard Jalen Brunson. They also upgraded their frontcourt by nabbing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Of course, they are considered the favorites to acquire Donovan Mitchell if Utah deals the All-Star guard.
Wizards – They were intent on upgrading their point guard position and did so by trading for Monte Morris from Denver and signing free agent Delon Wright. Small forward Will Barton was also acquired from the Nuggets. They also added high-scoring guard Johnny Davis with their lottery pick.
Pacers – The went all-out to sign All-Star caliber center Deandre Ayton and came up short, as the Suns matched their offer sheet. They did add a very promising wing, Bennedict Mathurin, in the lottery. They also added guard Andrew Nembhard with the first pick of the second round. Guard Aaron Nesmith and center Daniel Theis were acquired in the trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston.
Pistons – Thanks to a draft-night swap, Detroit ended up with two lottery selections. The Pistons selected point guard Jaden Ivey with their own pick to pair up in the backcourt with last year’s No. 1 overall selection, Cade Cunningham. A three-way trade gave them the rights to center Jalen Duren. They also added guard Alec Burks and big man Nerlens Noel via the Knicks’ salary-dumping maneuvers.
Magic – Other then re-signing Mohamed Bamba and Gary Harris, the Magic have been relatively quiet on the free agent market. However, they had the No. 1 overall selection in a loaded lottery and used it on Duke forward Paolo Banchero, giving them a dynamic forward combo alongside last year’s lottery pick, Franz Wagner.

That brings us to our question of the day: Which Eastern Conference team that failed to reach the postseason this spring – Knicks, Wizards, Pacers, Pistons, Magic – has the best chance to qualify for next year’s playoffs?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Fischer’s Latest: Durant, Warriors, Heat, Barrett, Herro, Suns

July 19th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Although some reports have mentioned the Warriors as a possible suitor for Nets star Kevin Durant, Golden State doesn’t appear to have made “serious overtures” for the two-time Finals MVP, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. While Fischer hints that the two teams have at least talked, he says little traction has been generated.

The Heat, meanwhile, continue to focus on acquiring either Durant or Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell before moving on to other business. Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation tell Fischer that Miami is prioritizing Durant over Mitchell.

Here’s more from Fischer:

Knicks personnel have projected confidence that they’ll be able to acquire Mitchell without including RJ Barrett in their offer, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the Jazz may not be eager to give Barrett a lucrative long-term extension anyway.
While both Barrett and Tyler Herro are considered candidates for maximum-salary rookie scale extensions, Fischer says NBA executives believe the Heat guard is a better bet than the Knicks forward to sign a new deal this offseason (rather than in 2023 free agency). “They always seem to pay their guys,” one assistant GM said of the Heat.
According to Fischer, league personnel continue to classify Suns forwards Jae Crowder and Dario Saric as potential trade candidates. Both players are on expiring contracts for a Phoenix club whose team salary is now well above the tax line.