New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Walker, Bacon, Offseason

August 24th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are open to signing Mitchell Robinson to a contract extension before the 2021/22 season begins, “as long as it’s not crazy,” a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Robinson, who is one of the Knicks’ longest-tenured players, is entering a contract year and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2022 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.

As Berman notes, there are reasons both sides may want to wait on an extension. Robinson is coming off a season in which he suffered a broken hand and broken foot, so the Knicks might want to see him at full health again before making a major investment. The team’s multiyear commitment to Nerlens Noel in free agency also reduces the urgency to lock up Robinson.

Robinson, meanwhile, could significantly boost his stock in the coming months if he shows he’s back to 100% health and continues to improve on both ends of the court. For now, Berman says, league insiders consider the big man’s value to be around the mid-level or slightly higher. Berman suggests $44MM over four years could be a fair price for both sides.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

During his introductory press conference last week, Kemba Walker said he came “pretty close” to signing with the Knicks as a free agent in 2019 before heading to Boston instead. A source tells Berman that Walker had been interested in teaming up with Kevin Durant for the Knicks, but Durant – of course – chose to go to Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving instead. Berman says the Knicks and Walker decided at that point that a union wouldn’t make sense without another star on board.
According to Berman, multiple sources believe the Knicks decided to add Dwayne Bacon to their roster due to a recommendation from his former coach Steve Clifford, who is close with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. However, as Ian Begley of SNY.tv noted last week (via Twitter), Bacon is on an Exhibit 10 contract, so he’s no lock to make the regular season roster.
In his ranking of all 30 teams’ offseason moves, David Aldridge of The Athletic places the Knicks at No. 13, praising the team’s signing of Walker but arguing that losing Reggie Bullock will hurt.

Latest On Paul Millsap, J.J. Redick

August 24th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Paul Millsap and J.J. Redick are two of the most talented unrestricted free agents left on the board, but there’s a sense that the two veterans – who are 36 and 37 years old, respectively – may not be in a hurry to pick a team for the 2021/22 season, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Redick has stated publicly that he’ll wait until sometime in the fall – or even later – to sign a new contract, and Fischer says people around the league believe Millsap will take his time too.

“I think (Millsap)’s gonna be a minimum or a midseason guy,” one source told Fischer. “What’s the rush? The money wouldn’t get much better, and he can just pick his team. What if New Orleans is really good come January? What happens when some guy gets hurt, and that team starts scrambling for a replacement? He can pick his spot.”

As Fischer observes, Millsap didn’t have much of an offseason in 2020, having reported to training camp about two months after Denver was eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals. Facing another abridged offseason in 2021, Millsap may benefit in the long run from taking a longer break.

Here’s more from Fischer on Millsap and Redick:

The Warriors have been the team most frequently linked to Millsap, but he has also drawn interest from the Hawks, Nets, Pelicans, Sixers, and Timberwolves, according to Fischer, who adds that there are no indications the big man has gotten close to finalizing a deal with any of those teams.
Sources tell Fischer that in discussions with potential suitors, Millsap has been seeking a salary worth some or all of the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.9MM).
Redick figures to draw interest from teams around the NBA, with one Western Conference head coach telling Fischer that he’d like to have the sharpshooter on his roster. However, there’s a league-wide belief that Redick is eyeing the Knicks or Nets so that he can remain close to home. Some execs have speculated that Redick could even retire if he doesn’t land with either of those teams, Fischer writes.
Any team with interest in adding Redick would likely want more information on the heel injury that limited him in 2020/21, says Fischer. Sources tell Bleacher Report that teams flagged that issue back at the March trade deadline when New Orleans was shopping Redick.

Kemba Talks Signing With Hometown Knicks

August 22nd, 2021 at 1:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a conversation with Steve Serby of The New York Post, Knicks point guard Kemba Walker discussed the opportunity he received this offseason to join his hometown team.

Walker, a four-time All-Star with the Hornets and Celtics, has already had a busy summer. He was traded to the Thunder, then reached a buyout agreement with Oklahoma City so that he could sign a two-year, $18MM deal with New York.

“There’s nothing more I will want than to win a championship in New York,” Walker said. “I’m gonna give it every-everything I got. Every time I step on the court I’m gonna play super-hard, 110 percent. As far as a championship, I can’t put a time or date on it, but just know that we’re gonna be working towards that goal.”

Knee issues hampered the end of his tenure in Boston, but when he was able to see the floor last season Walker’s counting stats were respectable. Across 43 games, he averaged 19.3 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.0 RPG, with a shooting line of .420/.360/.899.

Walker discussed his enthusiasm to play with foundational All-NBA Knicks forward Julius Randle. When asked what he most appreciated about his new teammate, Walker replied, “His toughness, and his growth from the last couple of years into now, I’m just like in awe the way he has grown as a basketball player.”

RJ Barrett, 2019’s third overall pick and the Knicks’ second-leading scorer last year, also warranted special mention from Walker.

“I’ve just been a fan of him,” Walker said. “When he was in high school I saw him play and I saw his highlights and stuff like that, I’ve always been a super-big fan of him. Playing against guys like RJ, the first thing I noticed was how hard he plays, it’s not even the skill. … That’s a real talent, playing hard. So I’m looking forward to just helping those guys a little bit more, teaching them the ropes. Just being a vet.”

Walker has also already developed a bond with second-year point guard Immanuel Quickley.

“When I signed, he was one of the first guys to text me, which was really cool, welcome me in, asked me to get some workouts in with me, I definitely appreciated that,” Walker said. “But playing against him last year, even watching at Kentucky, he has so much potential. I think I could be able to help him get there.”

Knicks Sign M.J. Walker To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 20th, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 20: The Knicks have officially signed Walker, the team tweets.

AUGUST 2: The Knicks have reached an agreement to sign former Florida State shooting guard M.J. Walker to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link).

Walker, who went undrafted last Thursday, averaged 12.2 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 2.5 RPG in 24 games (29.0 MPG) as a senior in 2020/21. He posted an impressive three-point shooting percentage of 42.3% and earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.

Walker is the second undrafted rookie reported to have reached a contract agreement with the Knicks, who also lined up a training camp deal for Clemson’s Aamir Simms.

An Exhibit 10 contract will put Walker in position to either have his deal converted to a standard contract or two-way deal if he makes the team. If not, he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K by joining the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.

Free Agent Moves Came With Flexibility

August 20th, 2021 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks emphasized flexibility in nearly all their free agency moves, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Contracts for Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel all have team options for the final season, while Taj Gibson‘s two-year deal is non-guaranteed for the second season. New York will have the chance to create some cap space in 2023, Begley adds.

Bacon's Contract Isn't Guaranteed

August 19th, 2021 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dwayne Bacon‘s contract with the Knicks is non-guaranteed, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Bacon signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal after being waived by Orlando.

Knicks Sign Dwayne Bacon

August 19th, 2021 at 7:33am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 19: The Knicks have officially signed Bacon, according to RealGM’s transactions log. It’s a one-year, minimum-salary contract, and I’d be surprised if it’s fully guaranteed.

AUGUST 9: After being waived by the Magic on Sunday, free agent shooting guard Dwayne Bacon appears to have lined up a new home elsewhere in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are set to sign Bacon on a new deal, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).

Bacon, 25, spent his first three NBA seasons with the Hornets and their NBAGL affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.

He then signed on with the Magic in 2020, proving his durability by appearing in every single game for Orlando during the 72-game 2020/21 NBA season, including 50 starts. He averaged 10.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.3 APG and 0.6 SPG in 25.7 MPG for a lottery-bound Orlando squad. Bacon sported a shooting line of .402/.285/.824.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) notes, the Knicks’ roster currently projects to include 14 guaranteed deals, one non-guaranteed contract (Argentinian point guard Luca Vildoza), and one player on a two-way contract (rookie forward Jericho Sims). It’s unclear whether Bacon will receive a full or partial guarantee on his new deal.

Of course, before he can sign with the Knicks, Bacon will need to clear waivers. That will happen on Tuesday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

Knicks Sign Aamir Simms To Training Camp Deal

August 19th, 2021 at 7:32am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 19: Simms’ deal with the Knicks is now official, per RealGM’s transactions log.

JULY 30: Undrafted rookie Aamir Simms will sign with the Knicks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Woj doesn’t offer specifics on the deal, but it will likely be an Exhibit 10 contract, which is frequently given to camp invitees.

The 6’8″ power forward spent four years at Clemson, averaging a career-best 13.4 points per game as a senior, along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He opted to skip an extra year of eligibility being offered by the NCAA and declare for the draft.

He was a third-team All-ACC selection as a junior and a second-team choice as a senior.

Simms’ deal with New York can become official once the NBA’s new league year begins next week.

Knicks Notes: Fournier, Gibson, Rose, Burks

August 18th, 2021 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have formally announced many of their offseason free agent signings in recent days, with new deals for Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Taj Gibson all becoming official.

We’re still waiting on the team to finalize its four-year extension for Julius Randle, along with some minor signings like Dwayne Bacon. But the flurry of transactions this week means that we now have details on several of the Knicks’ new contracts. Let’s dive in and round them up…

As we relayed earlier today, Evan Fournier has $1.5MM per year in unlikely incentives on his new four-year deal. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Instagram video), the majority of those bonuses are related to team success — Fournier would earn an extra $1MM, for instance, if the Knicks were to win the title. There are also bonuses related to All-Star and All-NBA nods, which are a long shot to be earned.
Taj Gibson‘s new two-year deal features a team option for the 2022/23 season, according to Marks.
Marks says the cap hits on Derrick Rose‘s new three-year contract are $13.4MM, $14.5MM, and $15.6MM. Those are likely rounded figures, as the most the Knicks could’ve offered Rose using his Early Bird rights was approximately $13.445MM in year one, $14.521MM in year two, and $15.596MM in year three. The deal, which includes a third-year team option, comes in at about $43.56MM.
Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets the details of Alec Burks‘ three-year, $30MM+ contract, which are identical to what Burks would’ve received if he were signed using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Knicks used cap room to sign Burks, but as Marks observes, they may have structured the agreement that way early in free agency in case they found a way to stay over the cap all offseason and needed the MLE for Burks.

Details On Evan Fournier's Contract, Celtics' TPE

August 18th, 2021 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Originally reported as being a four-year deal that could be worth up to $78MM, Evan Fournier‘s new contract with the Knicks could actually max out at $79MM, but only has a base value of $73MM, according to breakdowns from Bobby Marks of ESPN and Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter links). The deal, which has a fourth-year team option, includes $1.5MM in annual unlikely incentives that account for that $6MM difference.

The exact value of Fournier’s first-year salary is $17,142,857, according to Smith. That figure is important because the traded player exception created by the Celtics in their sign-and-trade of Fournier to the Knicks is equivalent to that amount. Boston will have until the 2022 offseason to use that $17.14MM trade exception.