New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Franchise Valuations, Maker, Ferrell, J. Smith

December 16th, 2021 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico has released his annual NBA franchise valuations, with the Knicks ($6.12 billion), Warriors ($6.03 billion), and Lakers ($5.63 billion) leading the way. Those three clubs are far and away the NBA’s most valuable, in Sportico’s view — no other team is valued above $3.61 billion, which is where the fourth-place Nets land, and the average league-wide valuation is about $2.6 billion.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA lottery pick Thon Maker and Hapoel Jerusalem have parted ways, the Israeli team announced earlier this week (via Twitter). Maker, who spent part of last season with the Cavaliers, is once again a free agent.
Veteran guard Yogi Ferrell recently signed with a team in Slovenia, but he remains focused on playing his way back to the NBA, he said this week on Eurohoops’ EurohooPOD podcast. “I definitely want to get back over there and still show I belong in the league,” Ferrell said.
While Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren have long been viewed as the consensus top two prospects in the 2022 draft class, John Hollinger of The Athletic says that Auburn’s Jabari Smith is making a legitimate case to be considered at No. 1.
The Bulls‘ organization is being impacted by COVID-19 at multiple levels. Like the NBA squad, the G League’s Windy City Bulls have had their schedule affected by the health and safety protocols and won’t take part in the upcoming NBAGL Winter Showcase, the league announced in a press release.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Kyrie, Knicks Trade Possibilities, Frazier

December 14th, 2021 at 8:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Celtics are trying to fight through what has been an uneven start to their 2021/22 season on both sides of the ball, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Under new head coach Ime Udoka and head coach-turned-team-president Brad Stevens, Boston is currently the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 14-14 record thus far.

“Obviously we’re coming back from a tough stretch,” wing Jaylen Brown said, in reference to a recent 1-4 Celtics road swing. “We’ve got to just take care of business and take it one game at a time and just get back to playing basketball the right way and keep moving in the right direction.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Though reports this week suggested there’s optimism about Kyrie Irving potentially returning to the Nets, head coach Steve Nash hasn’t heard any news to that effect, writes Adam Zagoria of Forbes. “I have no updates,” Nash said on Tuesday. “We connected last week, but not with any intel or any insight that things are changing… I know he’s working out and he’d love to be playing but I think the boundaries are still the same as they were before recent reports.” Irving, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, is not allowed to play on his home court in accordance with local ordinances. Brooklyn opted to shut Irving down completely rather than essentially only allow him to play with the Nets for road games in cities with more lenient coronavirus policies.
With the 12-15 Knicks struggling to start their 2021/22 season, Fred Katz of The Athletic discussed some trade possibilities in a recent reader mailbag. Among Katz’s preferred big-ticket targets are Pacers center Myles Turner and Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox. Katz also suggested that reserve point guards along the lines of Dennis Schröder, Jalen Brunson and Eric Bledsoe could fit well in New York.
Longtime MSG Network Knicks television broadcaster (and Hall of Fame shooting guard) Walt Frazier has entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Knicks players Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes are also all sidelined in the NBA’s coronavirus protocols. In his playing days, the now-76-year-old Frazier was a seven-time All-Star with the Knicks, with whom he won two titles.

Knicks Reportedly Interested In Trading Kevin Knox

December 14th, 2021 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on Shams Charania’s Monday report on Kevin Knox, Fischer says the Knicks would be interested in trading the fourth-year forward, but it’s unclear if he has any real value on the open market.

[SOURCE LINK]

Four Nets Players Enter Health And Safety Protocols

December 14th, 2021 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Four Nets players have joined forward Paul Millsap in the health and safety protocols, the team announced this morning. As Ian Begley of SNY.tv relays (via Twitter), LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre’ Bembry, Jevon Carter, and James Johnson have all entered the protocols and have been ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. Toronto.

We don’t have information yet on whether any or all of the five Nets players in the protocols have tested positive for COVID-19. If they’ve registered a false positive or have been deemed close contacts of someone who tested positive, it’s possible they could be cleared later this week.

However, if they’ve all tested positive for the coronavirus, they’ll be sidelined for at least 10 days or until they can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. In that scenario, the Nets would be eligible to add multiple extra players via the hardship provision.

The Nets, who are also without Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris, will now find themselves a little shorthanded when they host the Raptors on Tuesday. They should have as many as 10 players available, but there are a few little-used rookies in that group, including David Duke, Kessler Edwards, and Day’Ron Sharpe.

Kevin Durant and James Harden will, of course, be leaned on heavily to carry the scoring load, assuming Durant plays — he’s listed as questionable due to right ankle soreness (Twitter link via Marc Stein).

The Nets aren’t the only New York team currently being affected by the health and safety protocols. The Knicks announced this morning (via Twitter) that rookie guard Quentin Grimes is out for Tuesday’s game vs. Golden State due to the protocols.

Grimes is the third Knick to enter the protocols within the last four days, joining RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin. It’s unfortunate timing for 2021’s No. 25 overall pick, who had his best game as a pro in his first career start on Sunday when he scored 27 points with seven 3-pointers vs. Milwaukee.

Randle Isn't Natural Born Leader

December 13th, 2021 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With the Knicks going through rough times, leadership is essential. However, Julius Randle‘s personality doesn’t lend itself to that role, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Randle, who was signed to a $106MM+ extension, doesn’t fit the mold of a vocal leader and can occasionally be a loner in the locker room, according to Berman.

Trade Rumors: Schröder, Reddish, Ross, Knox, Forbes, J. Smith

December 13th, 2021 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

Rival teams anticipate that the Celtics will be willing to discuss Dennis Schröder in trade talks this season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Boston unexpectedly signed Schröder to a one-year, $5.9MM deal in the offseason using the taxpayer mid-level exception after the bottom fell out of the point guard’s market. He has enjoyed a strong season so far, averaging 17.5 PPG and 4.9 APG through his first 26 games (33.4 MPG) with the Celtics, which may ultimately price the club out of being able to re-sign him as a free agent in 2022.

The Celtics won’t have cap room in 2022 and would only be able to offer Schröder a 20% raise using his Non-Bird rights. As such, it might make more sense to recoup some value by getting what they can for him at the trade deadline — especially since the C’s don’t look like a legitimate contender at this point.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA, courtesy of Charania:

The Hawks are believed to be seeking a first-round pick in any trade involving Cam Reddish, while the Magic are taking a similar stance with Terrence Ross, says Charania. Neither team should face significant pressure to lower its asking price, since both players are under contract for one more season beyond this one.
Sources tell Charania that teams have called the Knicks to ask about former lottery pick Kevin Knox, who is in his fourth season and will be a free agent in 2022. Knox had a nice game on Sunday, with 18 points and five rebounds vs. Milwaukee, but has otherwise barely played this season, prompting teams to wonder what New York’s plan for him is.
Spurs guard Bryn Forbes, who is on a one-year, $4.5MM deal, is expected to receive trade interest from contenders, according to Charania. Forbes played a role for Milwaukee’s championship team last season.
Suns center Jalen Smith has drawn a little interest and is a candidate to be moved before this season’s trade deadline, per Charania.

Knicks, Lakers Among Teams Reportedly Interested In Ben Simmons

December 13th, 2021 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

Following up on ESPN’s recent report stating that there may be momentum toward a Ben Simmons deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms that the Sixers have increased their efforts to explore multi-team trade scenarios involving Simmons.

According to Charania, the Knicks and Lakers are among the teams with interest in Simmons. Charania adds that the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Kings, Pacers, and Cavaliers also have interest, but those clubs have been previously cited as potential suitors for the three-time All-Star, whereas New York and Los Angeles are new additions to the list.

The Knicks would be a fascinating potential trade partner for Philadelphia. Their top offseason additions – Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker – haven’t been major successes so far and the team is off to a 12-15 start, perhaps increasing the likelihood of an in-season shakeup. New York would have the contracts necessary to match Simmons’ $33MM+ salary, and it’s probably safe to assume Tom Thibodeau would be a fan of what last season’s Defensive Player of the Year runner-up could bring to the table on defense.

Still, while the Knicks might be willing to roll the dice on Simmons if all it took was Fournier, Walker, and a couple draft picks, Philadelphia will presumably seek a more significant return. The 76ers remain on the hunt for an All-Star caliber player and/or multiple first-round picks in any deal for Simmons, Charania notes.

It’s even trickier to imagine the Lakers as a realistic trading partner for the Sixers. Given the salaries on the team’s books, Los Angeles would almost certainly have to include Russell Westbrook in any trade involving Simmons and I’m skeptical that 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey would want to acquire Westbrook again after doing so in Houston didn’t pay dividends. Perhaps a three-team structure could work, but the Lakers seem like a long shot at best in the Simmons sweepstakes.

It’s unclear whether the Sixers have gained any real traction in any of their discussions involving Simmons, according to Charania.

Knicks Notes: Duarte, Toppin, Barrett, Walker

December 12th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks passed on a chance to give Chris Duarte a guarantee in this year’s draft, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman that Duarte’s representatives were seeking a promise from New York before Duarte conducted any personal workouts that he would be selected with the 19th pick. The Knicks declined, so Duarte proceeded with his workout schedule and was eventually taken at No. 13 by the Pacers.

Duarte has been one of this season’s top rookies, becoming a starter in Indiana and averaging 13.3 points per game. At 24, he was the oldest prospect in the draft and may have fallen a few more spots without the workouts. Duarte was born in the Dominican Republic, and people close to him say he was interested in playing in New York because of the city’s significant Dominican population, Berman writes.

Duarte was held 0ut of the draft combine and didn’t begin his workouts until late in the process. A source tells Berman that the Pacers were sold on Duarte after watching him work out alongside Corey Kispert, Cameron Thomas and Ziaire Williams.

There’s more from New York:

Obi Toppin has been much better in his second season, including a 19-point, 10-rebound performance Friday, but coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t thinking about putting him in the starting lineup, Berman states in a separate story. Any move with Toppin would be on hold now that he’s in the league’s health and safety protocols, and Thibodeau wants to keep the starting unit stable for a while after recently inserting Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel. Asked about a potential pairing of Toppin and Julius Randle, Thibodeau responded, “(It’s) very good offensively. Defensively, we lose the rim protection and rebounding. You’re sacrificing that part of the game which is critical. But I like the speed and the way they are playing.’’
A rookie-scale extension for RJ Barrett next summer has gotten less likely since the season began, says Fred Katz of The Athletic. Barrett’s inconsistent play might make the front office think it’s safer to negotiate with him as a restricted free agent in 2023 than to give him a big-money deal after this season.
Kemba Walker‘s benching could lead to his second buyout in less than a year, Katz adds. He doesn’t believe the Knicks would attach an asset to Walker to get another team to take him and it’s hard to envision Walker, who is under contract through next season, accepting a permanent role on the bench if that’s what it becomes.

RJ Barrett In Health And Safety Protocols

December 12th, 2021 at 8:13am CST by Arthur Hill

RJ Barrett has entered the league’s health and safety protocols, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). He will miss today’s game against the Bucks and maybe several more. He joins teammate Obi Toppin, who was placed in the protocols on Saturday.

As with Toppin, there is no word on whether Barrett tested positive for COVID-19 or has just been in contact with someone who has the virus. If he is positive, Barrett will be sidelined for a minimum of 10 days unless he returns two consecutive negative tests more than 24 hours apart.

The third-year swingman is averaging 15.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists through 25 games. Losing Barrett and Toppin will be the latest obstacle for a Knicks team that is off to a disappointing 12-14 start after finishing fourth in the East last season.

Obi Toppin Placed In Protocols

December 11th, 2021 at 4:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Obi Toppin is in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss at least Sunday’s game against Milwaukee, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).

The second-year forward is averaging 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 15.9 minutes per night in 26 games. He is coming off one of the best performances of his career, with 19 points and 10 rebounds Friday against the Raptors.

There’s no word on whether Toppin tested positive for the virus, but if he did he will miss at least 10 days unless he returns two consecutive negative tests a minimum of 24 hours apart.

Toppin is the first Knicks player this season to be sidelined due to COVID-19.