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Knicks Notes: Robinson, Ntilikina, Front Office

May 19th, 2020 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

As a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, Mitchell Robinson came cheaper than a first-rounder, but his contract could create some complications if and when the Knicks look to extend him, as Mike Vorkunov and Danny Leroux of The Athletic explore.

Robinson has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2020/21 and a minimum-salary team option for 2021/22, making him a great bargain for the next two years. However, if the Knicks wait until the end of that four-year deal to try to re-sign him, Robinson will be eligible for unrestricted free agency and could sign with any team.

On the other hand, if the Knicks were to turn down Robinson’s fourth-year option and negotiate a new deal in the ’21 offseason, he’d be a restricted free agent, giving the team the opportunity to match any offer sheet he may sign.

As Vorkunov and Leroux observe, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets found themselves in a similar situation a couple years ago, and Denver opted to lock up its star center after his third year, significantly increasing his fourth-year cap hit but avoiding the risk of unrestricted free agency. Robinson isn’t on Jokic’s level, but it still may make sense for the Knicks to take a similar approach with their young big man to ensure they don’t lose him after his fourth year.

For now, Leroux estimates that Robinson might cost about $15MM per year on his next contract, but cautions the 22-year-old’s value could substantially increase or decline depending on his performance over the next year or so.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Within the above-linked piece, Vorkunov and Leroux discuss what Frank Ntilikina‘s next contract might look like, given his defensive strengths — and his offensive shortcomings. While they cite Dante Exum as one point of comparison, the Athletic’s duo notes that Exum’s three-year, $28.8MM deal with Utah ended up being an overpay. Leroux expects Ntilikina – a restricted free agent in 2021 – to get less than that.
In his latest mailbag, Ian Begley of SNY.tv examines how changes to the salary cap projection for 2020/21 might affect the Knicks, while also addressing the team’s coaching situation and a few other topics.
Nothing has been finalized yet, but sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link) that Knicks executives Craig Robinson, Gerald Madkins, and Harold Ellis are unlikely to be retained by new president of basketball operations Leon Rose.
In case you missed it, the Knicks are finalizing a pair of front office deals, with the team set to hire Walt Perrin and Frank Zanin as assistant general managers.

Knicks To Hire Frank Zanin As Assistant GM

May 19th, 2020 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

After a Monday report indicated that the Knicks are finalizing the hiring of Walt Perrin as an assistant general manager, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports this morning that the team is also bringing aboard veteran executive Frank Zanin as an assistant GM for pro personnel.

According to Vorkunov, Zanin’s hiring is not yet official, but he and the Knicks are working toward finalizing a deal. The same is true of Perrin — he and Zanin are expected to complement one another in the Knicks’ front office, with Perrin overseeing college scouting and Zanin dealing with the pro side, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.

Zanin, who began his career working for the Sixers as a scout, later served as an assistant GM in the Nets’ front office and became the team’s de facto GM for a few weeks in 2016 following Billy King‘s departure. Most recently, he worked in the Thunder‘s scouting department.

As Ian Begley of SNY.tv notes (via Twitter), Zanin and Kobe Bryant played for rival high schools in the Philadelphia area in the 1990s, and Zanin received Bryant’s endorsement for the Nets’ permanent GM job back in 2016.

Having officially named Leon Rose as their new president of basketball operations in early March, the Knicks have slowly been reshaping their front office since then. The organization previously hired away capologist Brock Aller from the Cavaliers to be the Knicks’ VP of strategy and elected to retain GM Scott Perry for at least one more year. Now, Zanin and Perrin are set to take on key roles in New York as well.

Knicks To Hire Walt Perrin As Assistant GM

May 18th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are finalizing the hiring of Jazz executive Walt Perrin, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Perrin will be an assistant general manager in New York.

Perrin, who has spent nearly the last two decades in Utah, was initially hired as the team’s director player personnel before eventually being promoted to vice president of player personnel. Prior to joining the Jazz in 2001, he was a scout in Minnesota and Detroit, holding the title of director of college scouting with the Pistons.

John Hollinger of The Athletic, formerly a Grizzlies executive, praised the hiring for the Knicks, referring to Perrin as someone who’s a “fixture at every event with an even remotely relevant prospect” (Twitter link).

Perrin will be the second noteworthy addition to the Knicks’ front office since Leon Rose assumed president of basketball operations duties in March. The organization previously hired away capologist Brock Aller from the Cavaliers to be the Knicks’ VP of strategy. Rose also elected to retain GM Scott Perry for at least one more year.

New York Notes: Team Options, P. Jackson, Russell, Dinwiddie

May 17th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

ESPN’s Bobby Marks predicts all 29 players with options will exercise them this offseason, potentially creating a favorable situation for the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Huge losses in revenue are expected, even if the season can completed, and a reduction in the salary cap and luxury tax threshold could benefit New York, which holds several team options that it will likely decline.

“If I was the Knicks I would want the cap and tax to crash,’’ Marks said. “It would give them a huge advantage. They can collect the tax money and also have flexibility while few do.’’

The Knicks have a $15MM team option on Bobby Portis and would owe $1MM each to Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington, Reggie Bullock and Taj Gibson if they are let go. Marks also notes that New York will be in a group of four teams that will have enough cap room to take advantage if players sign for less than their normal market value.

There’s more from New York City:

Phil Jackson was warned not to take the job as Knicks president by writer Charley Rosen, his biographer and longtime friend, Berman adds in a separate story. Rosen was concerned that Jackson would tarnish his legacy by going into a “crazy” atmosphere and believes the failure to find the right coach doomed any chance of success. Rosen also states that Carmelo Anthony could have been a huge star under the triangle offense, but refused to embrace the system. “Carmelo undercut him, telling (Kristaps) Porzingis not to say anything in public about how good the triangle was,’’ Rosen said. “Carmelo refused to run the triangle — which is why Phil re-signed him: There was a lot of pressure from (owner James) Dolan. But if Carmelo would’ve run the triangle, he’d be open on the weakside. … He’d be a killer. He’d be Michael Jordan. He’d be unstoppable. But Melo was catch and shoot and didn’t want to do other things.’’
Even though former Nets guard D’Angelo Russell refuses to credit coach Kenny Atkinson with helping him become an All-Star, D-Lo’s time in Brooklyn was positive for both him and the team, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Brooklyn was a place that he needed as well as Brooklyn needed him,” said his older brother, Antonio Russell Jr. “They were able to mold each other and build each other up.”
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is willing to let fans choose his next team, but only if they meet a Bitcoin goal of $24,632,630 on GoFundMe, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. “Shoe companies and endorsers influence team decisions all the time,” Dinwiddie said in explaining the semi-serious offer. “My/our biggest endorsers will always be the fans, so I want to have some fun with this while we’re all under quarantine. I hope no owners/team personnel participate so there’s no impropriety on this one-of-a-kind endorsement deal.”

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Head Coach, Free Agency

May 13th, 2020 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

As they prepare for the 2020 NBA draft, the Knicks have “extensively” scouted North Carolina point guard Cole Anthony, a source tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Anthony, who currently ranks 11th on ESPN’s big board, could be an option for New York if the team doesn’t move up in the draft lottery. Currently, the Knicks are most likely to land at No. 7 or 8.

Begley cautions that just because the Knicks are doing a ton of homework on Anthony, that doesn’t mean they’ll draft him or even that they’re targeting him. After all, the club is also said to be keeping a close eye on RJ Hampton and is likely monitoring several other lottery prospects too.

Still, the Knicks’ potential interest in Anthony is worth keeping in mind. A report back in February – shortly after the team reached agreed to hire new president of basketball operations Leon Rose – suggested the Knicks intended to target a scoring point guard in the draft. And Anthony, who grew up in New York, has talked about having interest in joining the franchise.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a mailbag for SNY.tv, Ian Begley discusses RJ Barrett‘s future, the Knicks’ draft plans, possible offseason trade targets, and more. Responding to one question about the head coaching situation, Begley says that he knows Tom Thibodeau is a strong candidate and that he expects Mike Miller to get an interview, but he’s not certain yet about any other specific candidates.
Mike Vorkunov and Danny Leroux of The Athletic explore which players might be good options for the Knicks in free agency and discuss whether pursuing a Chris Paul trade would make sense for the organization. Leroux isn’t in favor of going after Paul, pointing to a few veteran point guards on the free agent market who would come at a more reasonable cost, albeit without CP3’s upside.
In case you missed it over the weekend, we previewed the Knicks’ salary cap situation for the 2020/21 league year.

Pistons Notes: Wood, Rebuild, Practice Facility

May 12th, 2020 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons will hold Christian Wood‘s Early Bird rights this offseason and will have the opportunity to dip into cap room if those Early Bird rights (which would allow the team to offer about $10MM per year) aren’t enough to re-sign him. That should put Detroit in the driver’s seat to bring back the promising young big man, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2019/20.

However, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic details, the Pistons figure to face some competition for Wood’s services on the open market.

Edwards points to New York and Boston as two teams that could pursue the free-agent-to-be. A March report identified the Knicks as a potential Wood suitor — they could have plenty of cap room and a positional need if they decide not to bring back Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson. As for the Celtics, they’ll only have the mid-level exception available, but expressed interest in Wood at the trade deadline.

Edwards goes on to speculate that the Hornets and Pelicans may also be among the teams that keep an eye on Wood in free agency. Charlotte, in particular, will have a good chunk of cap room available and will likely be in the market for a big man with Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez set to reach the open market.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

Given the volatile nature of both the draft lottery and the draft itself, launching a full-fledged rebuild doesn’t come with any guarantees, and the Pistons’ decision to do so wasn’t as obvious as some believed, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. However, shifting into rebuilding mode was still the right call for the franchise, Langlois contends.
The Pistons likely won’t be reopening their practice facility until at least May 28, since Michigan’s stay-at-home order runs through that date, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News details. “We’re adhering to that,” head of basketball operations Ed Stefanski told Beard. “When the governor of Michigan will let us open the facility and the league is going to allow the players to come back if they want to, to get workouts. We have plenty of protocols to set in place already, and we’ll be ready when they’re allowed.”
In case you missed it on Monday, Blake Griffin shared a positive update on his recovery from knee surgery, suggesting he has “basically been cleared for a while now.”

Knicks Notes: M. Jackson, Paul, Aller, Robinson

May 10th, 2020 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson admits he dreams of getting another NBA coaching opportunity, but added that he won’t be upset if it doesn’t happen, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. During an appearance this week on ESPN’s First Take, Jackson talked about his experiences in Golden State and shared his opinions on other head coaches, including Steve Kerr and Tom Thibodeau.

Jackson, who grew up in New York City and played for the Knicks, was a candidate to take over the team before David Fizdale was hired two years ago. Begley isn’t certain how strongly he would be considered if the Knicks decide to replace interim coach Mike Miller, but adds that Jackson still has supporters in the organization. Jackson is reportedly being considered by the Nets as well and has a strong relationship with Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant‘s business partner and manager.

Begley also notes that Jackson wanted to hire his current broadcast partner, Jeff Van Gundy, who is also under consideration to become the Knicks coach, as his top assistant with the Warriors.

There’s more from New York:

The financial fallout from the NBA’s hiatus may make it easier for the Knicks to trade for a star such as Thunder guard Chris Paul, suggests Marc Berman of The New York Post. Paul was the favorite client of new president of basketball operations Leon Rose when he was an agent, Berman points out, and his huge contract might make him available. Paul remains an elite point guard at age 35, but is owed $41.4MM next season and $44.2MM in 2020/21. With the salary cap expected to fall, the luxury tax will be a greater concern than ever and sources tell Berman that some teams will be eager to move their larger contracts.
Newly-hired VP of strategy Brock Aller spent more than a month consulting with associates before deciding to leave the Cavaliers for the Knicks, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland general manager Koby Altman wanted Aller to stay with the organization where he spent the past 15 years, but Aller decided the chance to be part of a historic turnaround in New York was too good to pass up.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at center Mitchell Robinson to determine how much he can improve after two years in the league.

2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: New York Knicks

May 9th, 2020 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the NBA calendar, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.

It was another dismal season for the Knicks, who were on track to miss the playoffs for a seventh consecutive year when the season was suspended in March. And while RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson look like potential long-term building blocks, former top-10 picks Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina still aren’t producing consistently for the club.

The good news? The Knicks have a new president of basketball operations (Leon Rose) who will likely bring in a new head coach and some new voices in the front office. Plus, with plenty of cap flexibility going forward, the team isn’t locked into the current roster.

Here’s where things stand for the Knicks financially in 2020/21, as we launch our Salary Cap Preview series:

Guaranteed Salary

Julius Randle ($18,900,000)
RJ Barrett ($8,231,760)
Joakim Noah ($6,431,667) — Waived via stretch provision.
Frank Ntilikina ($6,176,578)
Dennis Smith Jr. ($5,686,677)
Kevin Knox ($4,588,680)
Ignas Brazdeikis ($1,517,981)
Taj Gibson ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. ¹
Wayne Ellington ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. ²
Elfrid Payton ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. ³
Reggie Bullock ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. ⁴
Total: $55,533,343

Player Options

None

Team Options

Bobby Portis ($15,750,000)
Theo Pinson ($1,701,593)
Total: $17,451,593

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Taj Gibson ($8,450,000) ¹
Wayne Ellington ($7,000,000) ²
Elfrid Payton ($7,000,000) ³
Reggie Bullock ($3,200,000) ⁴
Mitchell Robinson ($1,663,861) ⁵
Kenny Wooten (two-way)
Total: $27,313,861

Restricted Free Agents

Damyean Dotson ($2,023,150 qualifying offer / $2,023,150 cap hold): Bird rights
Jared Harper (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Total (cap holds): $3,468,847

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Maurice Harkless ($16,516,851): Bird rights
No. 8 overall pick ($4,862,040)
No. 27 overall pick ($1,977,000)
Total: $23,355,891

Offseason Cap Outlook

In theory, the Knicks could operate as an over-the-cap team if they retain all of their veterans with team options or non-guaranteed salaries. In reality, I’d expect only two or three of those players to be back. Besides Robinson, who will obviously be retained, Bullock looks like a solid value, and Gibson and/or Payton are candidates to stick around.

Even if they retain all of those players, plus their guys on guaranteed deals and their two first-round picks, the Knicks project to open up more than $25MM in cap space, assuming the cap doesn’t drop from its 2019/20 level. Moving on from Gibson, Payton, and/or Bullock would push that number even higher and could result in New York having the second- or third-most room of any NBA team this offseason.

Cap Exceptions Available

Room exception: $4,767,000 ⁶
Trade exception: $3,988,766 (expires 2/8/21) ⁷

Footnotes

Gibson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
Ellington’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
Payton’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
Bullock’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
Robinson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
This is a projected value.
The Knicks will have to renounce this exception in order to use cap room.

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

New York Notes: Knicks, Perry, Nets, Levy

May 7th, 2020 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

A report last month indicated that Knicks management believes the team is well positioned to trade for a disgruntled star if one becomes available, given its surplus of first-round picks and cap flexibility going forward. However, even if the Knicks are right, it’s not clear which star player may be the next to push for a trade — or when that will happen.

Looking to identify a possible target to monitor, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News zeroes in on second-year Hawks guard Trae Young as one option. As Bondy explains, Atlanta has a 49-100 (.329) record since Young entered the league and at least one report has suggested the young star hasn’t always been on the same page as head coach Lloyd Pierce. Bondy also points to some positive comments Young made about the Knicks before the 2018 draft, when the youngster said it would be a “blessing” to be selected by New York.

While Knicks fans may enjoy dreaming about Young lighting up Madison Square Garden, Bondy’s proposal – which earned an “LOL” from Hawks beat writer Chris Kirschner of The Athletic – seems far-fetched at this point.

Young is under contract through at least 2022 and young stars rarely leave their teams at the end of their four-year rookie contracts, since they can’t reach unrestricted free agency unless they’re willing to accept a modest fifth-year qualifying offer instead of a lucrative long-term deal. That’s such a rarity that few teams even take the threat seriously — the Knicks, who dealt Kristaps Porzingis before he reached restricted free agency, are one of the only teams in recent history to trade a fourth-year star amidst rumors he’d sign his QO, and that deal hasn’t worked out especially well for them.

There’s nothing wrong with the Knicks keeping an eye on Young, but I imagine they’ll have to look elsewhere if they want to acquire a star in a trade during the next year or two.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

Having received a one-year extension from the Knicks, GM Scott Perry may only be a short-term solution for the team under new president of basketball operations Leon Rose. Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes a look at how that decision to retain Perry for a bridge year could backfire.
The Nets parted ways with former CEO David Levy back in November, just two months after hiring him. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reports, Levy’s stint with the franchise was short-lived because his contract stated he’d have some influence in the basketball operations department and that didn’t sit well with members of the team’s front office. According to Bondy, the “pushback” Levy received led to the Nets essentially buying him out.
Neither the Knicks nor Nets will open their practice facilities on Friday, and neither team has specified a target date for when that may happen, per Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina of USA Today.

Jeff Van Gundy A Potential Coaching Candidate For Rockets

May 6th, 2020 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Unlike the Nets and Knicks, who have interim head coaches in place, the Rockets aren’t necessarily a lock to conduct a coaching search of their own later this year. However, with Mike D’Antoni in a contract year, there has been plenty of speculation that Houston will go in another direction.

With that in mind, and in the wake of a recent report linking Tom Thibodeau to the Rockets, Kelly Iko, Mo Dakhil, and Sam Amick of The Athletic discussed the situation on Tuesday’s edition of the ‘Brodie and the Beard’ podcast, with Amick suggesting that another former NBA coach – Jeff Van Gundy – has been frequently connected to the Houston job.

“Jeff Van Gundy’s name is the one that I have heard consistently as a very possible replacement for Mike,” Amick said (hat tip to RealGM). “It’s interesting to see Thibs’ name in there now because you’ve got a guy who was Jeff’s top assistant when Jeff was the Rockets’ coach. … Van Gundy and Thibs being from the same tree, whatever happens next, I think you’re starting to get a sense of what might be prioritized. Obviously defense first. Discipline.”

Amick cautioned that there’s no guarantee the Rockets will move on from D’Antoni after the 2019/20 season, especially if the team makes a deep playoff run. However, he does still think this will probably be D’Antoni’s last year in Houston.

“Barring a championship if they do save the season, I do not get the sense that Mike D’Antoni is going to be back,” Amick said. “They’ve had a major divide in the contract negotiations.”

As Amick explains, the decisions to part with Van Gundy in 2007 and to hire D’Antoni in 2016 were largely driven by former Rockets owner Leslie Alexander. With the franchise under new ownership and GM Daryl Morey believed to be a fan of Van Gundy – who reportedly received strong consideration from Houston in ’16 before the hiring of D’Antoni – it’s possible a reunion could be in the cards. Van Gundy had a 182-146 (.555) record as coach of the Rockets from 2003-07.

Of course, for that reunion to come to fruition, Van Gundy would have to decide he wants to leave a comfortable broadcasting job with ESPN and ABC to return to coaching. And even then, he’d likely draw interest from other teams — the Knicks and Nets are each believed to have JVG on their list of potential candidates.