New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Noel, Korkmaz, Harris, Achiuwa

November 4th, 2021 at 6:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Nerlens Noel made his season debut on Wednesday and drew some praise from his coach, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Noel had been sidelined by knee and hamstring soreness. He had two points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. “For the first game I thought he gave us some really good minutes,” Tom Thibodeau said. “Good activity. Rim protection. Effort plays. A lot of good things.” Noel re-signed with New York this summer on a three-year, $32MM contract.

We have more on the Atlantic Division:

Furkan Korkmaz has changed agents, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. The Sixers wing will now by represented by Jason Glushon and Dan Tobin. Korkmaz re-signed with the team on a three-year, $15MM contract this summer.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris was placed under the league’s health and safety protocols on Wednesday and he’s experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “He’s doing OK, but not great, honestly,” coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s the most I’m gonna say about it. But it hit him, for sure. A lot of guys have had this and they are mad like, ‘What the hell? I’m fine.’ Tobias is not in that category right now.”
Raptors coach Nick Nurse said that Precious Achiuwa earned the starting nod at center and doesn’t plan on making a change despite inconsistent play, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. “We don’t expect (the young guys) to play great every night,” Nurse said. “It doesn’t mean we’ve got to change the starting lineup. I think we just stick with it and see how it goes.” Achiuwa has gone 5-for-27 from the field in his last three games.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks Centers, Thibodeau, Stevens, Durant

November 2nd, 2021 at 10:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though he sat for his seventh straight game to start the season Monday night in a 113-104 loss against the Raptors, reserve Knicks center Nerlens Noel appears poised for a return, and not a moment too soon, as third-string center Taj Gibson sprained his ankle during the game’s first half, writes Greg Joyce of the New York Post. Rookie big man Jericho Sims served as Gibson’s replacement during the second half.

The Knicks re-signed Noel to the tune of a three-year, $28MM contract this summer. Noel has been struggling with a knee/hamstring injury since the preseason. During the 2020/21 season, his first with the Knicks, the former lottery pick averaged 5.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 2.2 BPG, while starting in 41 of his 64 total games.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is reluctant to blame New York’s defensive issues this season on its increased pace, writes Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “It’s probably too early to really tell,” Tom Thibodeau said of a link between the pace and the defense. “You see it in the league all the time, teams that play with an edge usually have an advantage. Oftentimes, it’s teams that have guys that are out, that they play with great intensity. We should understand that better than anyone.” The Knicks are currently ranked 20th in the NBA with a defensive rating of 109.
During an interview with NBC Sports Boston (Twitter video link), Celtics team president Brad Stevens addressed starting point guard Marcus Smart‘s criticism of All-Star teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown following a 128-114 come-from-ahead loss to the Bulls on Monday night. “When you see (Smart) and (Tatum) sitting down eating breakfast together today and talking about how to find our solution for our team… those guys want to win.”
Despite the 4-3 Nets grappling with a variety of on- and off-court problems, All-Star forward Kevin Durant looks as great as ever, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. Durant is averaging 27.7 PPG while shooting 58.3% from the floor and averaging 8.9 RPG. “He’s our guy — he’s The Guy,” new reserve power forward Paul Millsap said. “We feed off of him and what he does. He carries our team a lot. We kind of need him to do that. We need him to be him.”

New York Notes: Gibson, Aldridge, Nets, Thibodeau

October 31st, 2021 at 6:28pm CST by JD Shaw

Knicks veteran Taj Gibson understands that his role will change when Nerlens Noel eventually returns from a knee injury, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes.

Gibson has played a key role in New York’s 5-1 start to the season, providing frontcourt depth in Noel’s absence. Noel started in 41 of 64 games last season and helped the Knicks reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

“Right now I’m just trying to do what’s best for the team,” Gibson said. “When Nerls comes back, I’m gonna support him. That’s my young boy and I’m extremely happy because I know the work he puts in on a daily basis, and our big-man group, we work together. I’m happy to see everybody get some reps because I’m old enough.

“Whatever Thibs need me to do, the coaching staff, I just enjoy playing the game and being on this team.”

There’s more out of New York today:

Speaking of Gibson, the 36-year-old is enjoying a rebirth with the Knicks as a first-time father, Steve Popper of Newsday writes. Gibson is in his 13th NBA season, carrying 848 games of experience.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post examines whether Nets big man LaMarcus Aldridge could become a reliable third scoring option for the team. Aldridge has averaged 12 points in 20 minutes per game, and with Kyrie Irving still out, Brooklyn will need continued production from the veteran.
Knicks players and head coach Tom Thibodeau value the privilege of dining together, Steve Popper writes in a separate article for Newsday. Team coaches, staff and players came together for a dinner after the team’s 104-103 victory over Chicago on Thursday, building chemistry off the court, Popper writes.

Community Shootaround: Strong Starts

October 31st, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bulls, Knicks, Warriors, Heat and Wizards are tied for the league’s best record (5-1) entering the final night of October, having opened the season on a strong note.

Chicago is sporting a new core that includes Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic in the starting lineup — its only loss came against the Knicks on Thursday in a one-point game.

New York is looking to build on its success from last season after adding Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to a battle-tested core. Golden State has seen strong performances from Stephen Curry (28.7 points per game), plus two backcourt pieces in Damion Lee and Jordan Poole (combined 28.2 points per game).

The two Southeast Division teams on the list, Miami and Washington, are enjoying win streaks of four and three games, respectively. The clubs have played well despite dealing with various absences, including Bam Adebayo (knee) and Daniel Gafford (quad) on Friday.

The million-dollar question is simple: which of these teams are most likely to sustain a high level of success? Chicago and Washington have relatively new cores, while Miami and Golden State have veterans and coaches with valuable championship experience. New York remains a hungry wild card.

From a long-term perspective, the Heat and Warriors are still waiting for Victor Oladipo and Klay Thompson to return from their injuries. Chicago has also lost second-year forward Patrick Williams, who’s expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season with a dislocated wrist.

We want to know what you think. Which of these teams are more likely to succeed than others? Is it still too early in the season to draw any serious conclusions? Take to the comments section below!

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Walker, Fournier, Robinson

October 31st, 2021 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Zion Williamson was the top prize in the 2019 draft, but the Knicks should be grateful they wound up with RJ Barrett instead, writes Adam Zagoria of Forbes. Williamson, who is recovering from offseason foot surgery, watched Saturday night as his former college teammate scored a career-high 35 points in New York’s victory over the Pelicans. Forbes notes that in their two-plus seasons in the NBA, Barrett has played in 134 games compared to Williamson’s 85.

“I saw him after the game,’’ Barrett said, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “He just said he was happy for me, stuff like that. But it’s cool. I can’t wait till he gets back out there on the court. It’s cool to just see him there, we don’t see each other often anymore because of the schedules.’’

There’s more from New York:

Kemba Walker is playing without the knee pain that limited him to 43 games last season, Berman details in a separate story. While Walker can’t beat defenders to the rim like he used to, he seems to have regained his shooting touch, connecting on 50% of his attempts from the field through six games after hitting just 42% a year ago. “This is the best I’ve felt in a very long time,’’ he said. “My days consist of me taking care of myself. I don’t mean that when I’m in the facility with the trainers. I mean that when I’m home. When I’m in my room, I’m taking care of my knee. That’s like my whole day. There’s a lot of preparation leading up to these games for me.’’
The Knicks are fans of the NBA’s emphasis on not calling fouls on defensive players when shooters jump into them, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. While some teams have struggled to adapt, Evan Fournier believes the league is moving in the right direction. “It was actually very frustrating for me. For years — I don’t like to compare anything — but coming from Europe we have guys that aren’t as physical, aren’t as athletic, and yet the game is more physical there,” Fournier said. “So as a rookie, I kept fouling and fouling and fouling. And I was like, ‘What the hell?’ I’m skinny. I’m not that strong. And I think the league did a great job. We have to adjust. As a fan, I think it’s better. You don’t want to see guys trying to trick referees all the time.”
Mitchell Robinson had two serious injuries last season, so he understands what Bulls forward Patrick Williams is going through, Bondy adds in a separate piece. Williams suffered torn ligaments in his left wrist after Robinson’s flagrant foul this week, and Robinson felt the need to defend himself against accusations on social media. “I was just reading stuff and people trying to make it seem like it was something that it’s not, which that’s what people want to do,” Robinson said. “I went down myself. I know the pain. I know what it is. So when somebody goes down, I feel what they feel. I went through two injuries back-to-back. That’s the worst feeling in the world.”

Western Notes: Conley, Valanciunas, Ayton, Mann

October 30th, 2021 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks, Bulls, Mavericks and Pelicans showed interest in Mike Conley during free agency but re-signing with the Jazz was an “easy” choice, as he told Sam Amick of The Athletic.

“It was an easy decision (based) on what we had built here and what I was able to be a part of last year and in the last few seasons,” he said. “Just wanted to be a part of that journey with these guys. Trying to bring a championship to a place that, you know, it’s not easy to do. I think that seeing Milwaukee win was awesome.”

Conley signed a three-year, $68MM contract that includes some incentives.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Jonas Valanciunas has quickly emerged as a crucial player for the Pelicans, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. Valanciunas is averaging 18.2 PPG and 14.7 RPG while logging a career-high 34.3 MPG through six games. Coach Willie Green said the starters would continue to play big minutes until Zion Williamson returns. “Right now, those guys are going to play high minutes. That’s why we’re not doing much at practice,” Green said. After being acquired from Memphia, Valanciunas signed a two-year, $30.1MM extension this fall.
Suns coach Monty Williams isn’t worried about Deandre Ayton‘s focus even though the team didn’t reach an extension agreement with their center, Amick writes in a separate story. In fact, Williams hopes Ayton plays more selfishly as he heads toward restricted free agency. “He probably doesn’t get enough credit for how unselfish he is. We want him to be more selfish,” Williams said. “We want him to be more aggressive, but I don’t foresee that happening. The young man wants to win, and that’s what I’ve seen since I’ve been with him from Day 1.”
The Thunder have assigned Tre Mann, the 18th overall pick, to the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue. Head coach Mark Daigneault believes that will accelerate his development more than having him play spotty minutes with the Thunder, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. “His ability to go there, play more minutes, take on a heavier load defensively, find a little bit of rhythm offensively, settle into games a little bit more, settle into practices a little bit more is a great opportunity for him to grow,” Daigneault said. Oklahoma City also has a logjam of young guards, Mussatto notes.

Rose Brushes Off Retirement Thoughts

October 28th, 2021 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick Rose considered retirement a few years ago due to persistent knee injuries, but he doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “Hopefully, I’m going to try to Tom Brady this thing, play as long as possible, make sure I really take care of my body,” he said. “And if I’m playing play with joy. I don’t have to score 30 points a night anymore to affect the game.” Rose re-signed with the Knicks on a three-year deal this summer.

Atlantic Notes: Walker, Rose, Mills, VanVleet

October 28th, 2021 at 8:17am CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose seem to have solved the Knicks‘ long-standing problem at point guard, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Walker and Rose are both over 30 and have troublesome injury histories, but they’re off to a strong start, averaging a combined 26.8 points, seven assists, almost six rebounds and more than two steals through the first four games.

When New York signed Walker after his buyout with the Thunder, Rose staved off any controversy by saying Walker should be the starter. The question of who will close out games appears to depend on who’s having the better night.

“There’s gonna be games where I do score like that, maybe even more. There’s gonna be games where I don’t,” Walker said following Tuesday’s win over the Sixers. “There’s gonna be games where Derrick is playing super well, and he’s gonna stay in the game. It just is what it is. … There’s gonna be games where I’m not gonna get back on the court just because guys are playing super well. And I have no problem with that, especially D-Rose, the youngest MVP ever.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

After a strong rookie season, Immanuel Quickley is fighting for playing time again in a crowded Knicks backcourt, notes Mirin Fader of The Ringer. Quickley says proving himself has been a recurring theme ever since he arrived at Kentucky.
The Nets didn’t know they wouldn’t have Kyrie Irving available when they added Patty Mills in free agency, but he has turned out to be exactly what they need, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Mills, who signed for the mid-level exception, was considered one of the top bargains of the summer. “He’s a winner,” coach Steve Nash said. “He plays the right way, he’s experienced. Obviously he’s skilled, but he just brings a great feel to the game, with (or) without the ball. And defensively, he makes our team communicate better. He organizes us (on) both sides of the ball. So, he just brings a lot to the table, and he’s a great addition to our team.”
Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet was second in the league in minutes played last year and his workload has increased in the early part of this season, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. VanVleet doesn’t mind the extra playing time, saying he spent the summer preparing for it. “I feel good, that’s why you put so much work in during the offseason,” he said. “I spend every hour that I’m not on the court trying to figure out how I can get my body ready for tomorrow. So just being dedicated to the craft and trying to figure out how I can be the best pro I can be.”

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Kemba, Thibs, Culture

October 26th, 2021 at 10:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Third-year Knicks swingman RJ Barrett is honing in on the defensive side of the ball this year, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post.

“The biggest part I’ve been trying to work on is my defense. I want to be first-team All-Defense,” Barrett said after a recent team practice. “Try to make every night a struggle for anybody I’m guarding.”

“He’s a terrific player,” head coach Tom Thibodeau raved about the 21-year-old wing, drafted with the third pick out of Duke in 2019. “We are asking him to do more this year, but I think he’s ready for that challenge.”

There’s more out of Madison Square Garden:

New Knicks starting point guard Kemba Walker has had a bit of an up-and-down start to his Knicks tenure, but Thibodeau would not give up on the 31-year-old vet, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Through his first three games, Walker averaged 10.3 PPG across 25.7 minutes, with a team-worst -17 plus-minus rating. “We need everyone to play well, so it’s not falling on Kemba,” Thibodeau said ahead of New York’s contest this evening against the Sixers. “Kemba is a good player. We know that. We’re still finding our way. Just be who you are.” The confidence Thibodeau had in Walker seems to have borne fruit in the short-term: Walker just led the Knicks to a 112-99 defeat of the Sixers. The point guard had a team-high 19 points (on 7-of-15 shooting), plus five assists, two boards, two steals and a block.
While the effort of the Knicks may vary from game to game, the commitment of Thibodeau never does, says Steve Popper of Newsday. “Thibs is a hell of a coach,” Sixers head coach Doc Rivers raved ahead of their teams’ matchup Tuesday night. “Worked with me for three years (on the Celtics), felt like nine, I’m not sure. But he’s just good. He works his butt off. He’s in love with the game of basketball. If every player had that same passion they’d be better players. Same for coaching.”
Though drama may persist for several other playoff-level teams in the Atlantic Division, most notably the Sixers and the Nets, the Knicks have established a steady, supportive culture around All-Star forward Julius Randle and Thibodeau, writes Barbara Barker of Newsday.

2021 NBA Offseason In Review: New York Knicks

October 26th, 2021 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the New York Knicks.

Free agent signings:

Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.

Evan Fournier: Four years, $73MM. Fourth-year team option. Acquired via sign-and-trade.
Derrick Rose: Three years, $43.56MM. Third-year team option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
Alec Burks: Three years, $30.04MM. Third-year team option. Re-signed using cap room.
Nerlens Noel: Three years, $27.72MM. Third-year team option. Re-signed using cap room.
Kemba Walker: Two years, $17.89MM. Signed using cap room.
Taj Gibson: Two years, $10.07MM. Second year non-guaranteed. Re-signed using room exception.
Wayne Selden: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Luka Samanic: Two-way contract.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Rokas Jokubaitis (No. 34 pick) and the draft rights to Miles McBride (No. 36 pick) from the Thunder in exchange for the draft rights to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (No. 32 pick).
Acquired the draft rights to Quentin Grimes (No. 25 pick) and the Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick from the Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Keon Johnson (No. 21 pick).
Acquired the Hornets’ 2022 first-round pick (top-18 protected) from the Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to Kai Jones (No. 19 pick).
Acquired Evan Fournier (sign-and-trade), the Hornets’ 2022 second-round pick (top-55 protected), and either the Thunder’s, Wizards’, Heat’s, or Mavericks’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) from the Celtics in exchange for cash ($110K).
- Note: If either the Heat’s or Mavericks’ 2023 second-round pick is the least favorable of the four, the Knicks would instead receive the second-least favorable pick of the four.

Draft picks:

1-25: Quentin Grimes
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $11,128,042).
2-34: Rokas Jokubaitis
- Stashed overseas.
2-36: Miles McBride
- Signed to three-year, minimum-salary contract. Third-year team option. Signed using cap room.
2-58: Jericho Sims
- Signed to two-year, two-way contract.

Contract extensions:

Julius Randle: Four years, $106,444,800 (base value). Includes $15,966,720 in incentives, a fourth-year player option, and a 15% trade kicker. Starts in 2022/23.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Signed general manager Scott Perry to two-year contract extension.

Salary cap situation:

Went under the cap, used their cap room, then used the room exception.
Carrying approximately $119.1MM in salary.
Hard-capped at $143MM.

The Knicks’ offseason:

Armed with more cap flexibility than just about every other team in the NBA entering the 2021 offseason, the Knicks could’ve gone in a number of different directions in free agency and on the trade market.

Although New York hadn’t been the most desirable destination for top-tier free agents over the last several years, the team earned a playoff berth last season and its new-look front office and coaching staff helped established some stability within the organization. If the Knicks had wanted to go out and chase impact free agents, those players were probably more inclined to listen to the club’s pitch than they would have been in past years.

Rather than shaking up their roster too significantly though, the Knicks doubled down on the core that led the turnaround in 2020/21.

That meant Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, who signed team-friendly one-year deals in 2020, got three-year contracts and sizable raises. Derrick Rose, a midseason trade acquisition who was a key part of New York’s second-half push into the postseason, also received a three-year deal and a pay bump. Even Taj Gibson, who helped solidify the frontcourt during Mitchell Robinson‘s injury absence, was rewarded with a salary increase — after Gibson initially agreed to a minimum-salary contract, the Knicks decided to give him $5MM per year with their room exception that may have otherwise gone unused.

In addition to re-signing their own free agents, the Knicks made a long-term commitment to Julius Randle, offering the most money they could over four years ($106MM, or up to $122MM with incentives) following his breakout season. Some of the gains Randle made in 2020/21 – such as his .411 3PT% – may be unsustainable, but the extension was still a win for New York. The 26-year-old could easily have decided to wait a year and try his luck in free agency, where he would’ve been eligible for a much larger payday. The Knicks were able to lock him up at a rate more commensurate with a No. 2 option than a maximum-salary star.

Not every one of the team’s key players returned. Reggie Bullock, a three-and-D specialist who played more minutes last season than every Knick except for Randle and RJ Barrett in ’20/21, chose the Mavericks in free agency. New York had plenty of cap room to replace him though, and after considering other wings like DeMar DeRozan, the front office brought in Evan Fournier, whose four-year, $73MM contract was the biggest free agent deal handed out by the organization this summer. Fournier isn’t the defender Bullock is, but he has a more well-rounded offensive game.

Finally, there had been speculation entering the summer that the Knicks would make a run at a free agent like Spencer Dinwiddie or Lonzo Ball to address the point guard position, which was viewed as their most glaring need. New York did turn to free agency to fill its hole at the point, but the choice was an unexpected one — after being traded from Boston to Oklahoma City, Kemba Walker reached a buyout agreement with the Thunder that allowed him to sign with his hometown Knicks.

It was a fortuitous turn of events for the team. Walker has a history of knee issues that could be a problem, but when he’s healthy and at his best, he’s an All-Star caliber player who was available at a bargain price due to the circumstances of his availability and his desire to play in New York. Walker is a defensive downgrade from Elfrid Payton, and relying on Kemba and Rose as the top two point guards on the depth chart is a risky endeavor. But as long as he’s available, Walker will provide a major influx of offensive firepower.

Besides having plenty of cap room, the Knicks entered the offseason with four 2021 draft picks, including two in the first round and three in the top 32. The team made multiple draft-night deals to move down from their original slots, picking up a couple future picks in the process, but still came away with four players — two (Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride) who made the 15-man roster, one (Jericho Sims) on a two-way deal, and one (Rokas Jokubaitis) who will remain overseas for at least another year. Given the amount of veteran depth the Knicks are carrying, I wouldn’t expect them to count on any of their rookies to play big roles right away.

The Knicks still have a surplus of future draft picks they could use to go shopping on the trade market at some point, but this offseason essentially represented the end of their rebuilding era. The years they spent hoarding cap room and drafting in the top 10 are over for the time being — while most of the contracts the Knicks handed out this offseason have early outs (via non-guaranteed final seasons), the team will be operating well over the cap in 2022.

The Knicks’ season:

After finishing no better than 18 games below .500 for six straight seasons, the Knicks posted a 41-31 record and claimed the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference in 2020/21. That kind of massive jump is a rarity in the NBA, and it’s fair to expect some regression going forward.

Still, even if the Knicks take a step back, it shouldn’t be a big one. Tom Thibodeau‘s impact is real, there’s plenty of depth on the roster, and Barrett should keep getting better. Plus, it’s not as if everything went right last season — Robinson missed more than half the season, and Rose only arrived midway through the year. It’s overly optimistic to count on 82 games from Rose, but if he and Robinson play more minutes in 2021/22, it should only increase the club’s ceiling.

Competition in the Eastern Conference will be stiffer going forward than it was last season, when presumed contenders like the Celtics, Heat, Raptors, and Pacers all fell well short of expectations. Another top-four finish may be unlikely, but the Knicks have more than enough talent to remain firmly in the playoff mix.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.