New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lue, Kidd, JVG, Jackson Among Nets’ Coaching Candidates

April 23rd, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson are among the names on the Nets‘ developing list of potential head coaching candidates, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). According to Stein, interim coach Jacque Vaughn, who replaced Kenny Atkinson last month, will also receive consideration for the permanent job.

As Stein explains (via Twitter), the Nets aren’t expected to complete their search and name a head coach until the 2019/20 season has been completed or canceled, so presumably this list of candidates is preliminary and figures to evolve in the coming weeks and months.

Still, the names are worth noting, as are the ones noticeably absent. For instance, Stein says that Tom Thibodeau is believed to be “solely a Knicks candidate” for the time being, despite some rumblings linking him to the Nets.

There has been speculation that Brooklyn will target a veteran coach who would be comfortable leading a veteran roster that aims to be a title contender in 2020/21. As such, it makes sense that all the candidates identified by Stein have previous head coaching experience, with Kidd having already served as the Nets’ head coach once, albeit not under the current ownership or management group.

Currently, Kidd works as a Lakers assistant under Frank Vogel, while Lue is on Doc Rivers‘ Clippers staff. Van Gundy and Jackson are analysts for ESPN and ABC.

Lue, who was said earlier this week to have interest in Brooklyn’s coaching job, would reunite with Kyrie Irving if he were to land the job. Citing that Irving connection, Stein adds (via Twitter) that Warriors assistant Mike Brown – another former Cavaliers coach – is another name to monitor.

Coronavirus Notes: Paul, Dolan, Arenas, China

April 22nd, 2020 at 8:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Paul, president of the National Basketball Players Association, admitted to reporters in a teleconference today that nobody can be certain what’s going to happen with the current season, writes Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman (link via USA Today).

“This is a situation where no one knows,” Paul said. “The virus is actually in complete control. I seriously tried to answer things the best I could, but there are things where, it’s not like I’ve got the answers and I’m just not telling you.”

Today marks six weeks since the last NBA game was played, and the league was supposed to be conducting the first round of its playoffs. If the season does resume, Paul estimates players will have to train for two to four weeks to get ready. He expressed confidence that the league will give them the time they need.

“Whatever the amount of time is, just know that players will have the input because we’re the ones playing,” Paul said. “We don’t ever want to put guys in a situation where their injury risk is higher.”

There’s more coronavirus-related news to pass along:

Knicks owner James Dolan has fully recovered from the virus and has registered to donate plasma antibodies to help with research, according to Larry Brooks of The New York Post. Dolan recently tested negative and is reportedly in good health. He had only mild symptoms and continued to work while quarantined.
A professor at MIT tells Michele Steele of ESPN that arenas can eventually be made as safe as public parks. Alex Pentland, head of the human dynamic lab, recommends having fans wear masks and filling only half the available seats, although family members could sit together. He also advises making all aisles one way and having fans in each section enter from a specified gate.
Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times talked to several American players about their experiences with the Chinese Basketball Association. Kyle Fogg said when he returned to China, he had his temperature taken several times by workers in hazmat suits. He and Ray McCallum Jr. were both quarantined to hotel rooms with armed guards posted outside to ensure they didn’t leave. “Everybody back home, they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re quarantined,’” McCallum said. “But I see on the news they’re outside. No.” The CBA remains on hold with hopes of starting play again in July.

Knicks To Hire Brock Aller To Front Office Role

April 21st, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are hiring Cavaliers capologist Brock Aller to be a high-ranking basketball official in their front office, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who adds that Aller will be the chief strategist for new president of basketball operations Leon Rose.

Frank Isola of SiriusXM NBA Radio reported earlier today (via Twitter) that the Knicks and Aller were moving toward a deal, while Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, who first reported a few weeks ago that Aller had interviewed with New York, tweeted that he’d be getting a “high position” within the organization.

A deal is expected to be finalized within the next week or so, according to Begley, who hears that the former Cavaliers executive will be one of Rose’s “right-hand men.”

As Begley details, Aller is expected to help Rose – a longtime player agent – navigate the management side of things, strategizing on how to build out the front office and coaching staff. While Aller is known for his salary cap work, he’ll have input in player personnel moves as well, Begley writes.

Aller played a role in building the Cavs team that won the NBA championship in 2016 and is highly respected in league circles, Begley adds.

Knicks Feel They’re Well Positioned To Trade For Star

April 21st, 2020 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Knicks struck out in their quest to land a star player (or two) on last year’s free agent market, multiple people with the team believe the franchise is well positioned to trade for a “disgruntled” star if one becomes available, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

“It’s the best path for us,” one member of New York’s front office recently said, per Begley.

As Begley explains, the Knicks hold all their own first-round picks going forward and also will receive the Clippers’ 2020 first-rounder, plus first-rounders from Dallas in 2021 (unprotected) and 2023 (top-10 protected).

Under previous presidents of basketball operations Phil Jackson and Steve Mills, the Knicks were reluctant – if not unwilling – to include first-round picks in trades, after having been burned by their willingness to do so in the past. However, that stance appears to be evolving under Leon Rose. According to Begley, multiple people within the organization are comfortable with the idea of giving up a first-rounder or two in the right deal, since the Knicks currently hold seven in the next four drafts.

The club has a fairly clean future cap sheet too, which would allow for some creativity in taking on salary in any trade. Additionally, while the Knicks would likely be very reluctant to include Mitchell Robinson or RJ Barrett in any deals, they have other young players like Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, who could appeal to teams that believe they could rebuild the value of those former lottery picks.

For now, there’s no obvious trade candidate for the Knicks to target, but as Begley observes, it’s likely just a matter of time before an All-Star caliber player becomes dissatisfied with his current situation and pushes to be dealt. If and when that happens, the Knicks figure to be among the teams in the mix.

Atlantic Notes: Robinson, Knicks, Sixers, Celtics

April 20th, 2020 at 9:28am CST by Luke Adams

Despite playing in just his second NBA season, Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson is already on his fifth agent since going pro, as Marc Berman of The New York Post details. Robinson signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports earlier this year, and Paul is confident that he can provide the sort of stable representation that will alleviate some concerns for the young center.

“When you get the right representation, there’s an ease that comes to your mind that allows you to focus on other things,” Paul told Berman. “It’s hard to sleep with both eyes closed in this business. It’s a lot more mental than people think.”

With a non-guaranteed salary for 2020/21 and a team option for ’21/22, Robinson is still a ways away from reaching free agency. However, Paul sounds as if he’s looking forward to eventually negotiating a second contract for the big man with new Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose, who previously represented Klutch’s current star client, LeBron James.

“He’ll shoot me straight when it comes to Mitchell and I’ll shoot him straight,” Paul said of Rose. “The Knicks know what’s best for him. They see him as a future guy. Leon knows the game. He’ll handle that properly.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After declaring for the 2020 draft, potential lottery pick Cole Anthony – who grew up in New York – told Zach Braziller of The New York Post that he’d welcome the chance to play for the Knicks. “It would be pretty cool,” Anthony said. “I was a fan for a good amount of time. I do like the Knicks. I think they definitely can use a guard, a good scoring point guard.” As Braziller notes, the former Tar Heel added that he’d be fine dropping several spots in the draft if it means landing with a team that’s an ideal fit for him.
Appearing on The Sixers Beat podcast with Derek Bodner and Rich Hofmann of The Athletic, former Sixers sharpshooter J.J. Redick said he doesn’t believe head coach Brett Brown should be made the scapegoat for any issues in Philadelphia (audio clip). “I would love to play for Brett again,” Redick said. “I don’t think Brett is the problem, if there’s a problem. Sometimes things maybe just don’t work.”
A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston revisits the Celtics‘ 2019 draft decisions, exploring whether the team should have gone in a different direction with any of its four selections.

Mixed Reviews On R.J. Barrett’s Rookie Season

April 19th, 2020 at 4:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

RJ Barrett had an up-and-down rookie season, but the 2019 No. 3 overall selection flashed the top-notch potential that made him a tantalizing pick. Some within the league believe Barrett’s strides are promising, as Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic hears.

“I think he’s a got a bright future if the Knicks handle him the right way and (give him) the resources to keep improving,” one Western Conference scout told Vorkunov.

Barrett’s 14.3 points per game were third among all rookies, though efficiency remains an issue. Barrett ranked in the 24th percentile as a scorer off the pick-and-roll, per Synergy Sports, and his turnover rate left much to be desired.

Another rival scout told Vorkunov that he doesn’t believe Barrett will become a “high-level” play-maker, but his ability to get the paint consistently provides hope for his future. Still, free throw shooting is an area of concern, as the rookie made just 61.9% of his attempts. Vorkunov notes that – within the last 10 years – only three rookies who shot at least 200 attempts during their respective rookie seasons were worse from the line (Nerlens Noel, Ben Simmons, Elfrid Payton).

Still, there’s optimism surrounding Barrett’s long-term viability in the league.

“Not sure (shooting guard is) his long-term role moving forward,” the aforementioned Western Conference scout added. “… I like his makeup. The way he plays. There’s definitely a competitive side to him that is not very common with a lot of these young players coming in … The pick for the Knicks was a good one … Once he finds his comfort zone he’ll be a really good player. He’s got to work on his shot.”

Robinson's Development Enhances Miller's Resume

April 18th, 2020 at 10:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

The league’s hiatus has made it much more difficult for new Knicks president Leon Rose to evaluate Kevin Knox, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Rose was unable to get a closer look at the second-year forward and doesn’t know if the 20-year-old is part of the team’s future, Berman adds. Rose must decide prior to the start of next season whether to pick up Knox’s $5.84MM fourth-year option.

Mitchell Robinson‘s development may be the biggest argument to remove the interim tag from Knicks coach Mike Miller, Berman writes in a separate story. Robinson has emerged as a foundation piece, according to Berman, and his high school coach, Butch Stockton, believes Miller is primarily responsible for that. “The Knicks have done a real good job developing him and getting toward to his full potential,” Stockton said.

Ntilikina, Miller Both Likely To Stay With Knicks

April 15th, 2020 at 9:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are less likely to try to move point guard Frank Ntilikina this offseason than they were last summer, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Several teams said New York reached out to them with trade proposals involving Ntilikina before last year’s draft and may have accepted an early second-round pick in return.
There is a “growing belief” that interim Knicks coach Mike Miller will have a role with the organization next season, although he remains a long shot to become the permanent head coach, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Miller has been studying tape and trying to keep the team running as normally as possible under the circumstances. “We’ve done a good job of making sure throughout the week our players hear from us almost on a daily basis — from the training staff, performance staff and medical staff,” he said. “They have been very well connected with us making sure everyone is safe.”

Knicks Not Retaining Consultant David Blatt

April 15th, 2020 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are parting ways with David Blatt, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link), who reports that Blatt’s contract has expired after he was hired by the team as a basketball operations consultant last December.

Blatt, a longtime basketball coach who was on the Cavaliers’ sidelines from 2014-16, was hired by the Knicks in the winter after most recently serving as the head coach of Greek team Olympiacos. His role in New York saw him working with the Knicks’ G League team and the organization’s international scouting.

Former Knicks president Steve Mills was responsible for hiring Blatt, who was his teammate at Princeton from 1978-81. Given the close relationship between the two men, it’s unsurprising that the Knicks are moving on from Blatt now that Mills no longer has a role in the club’s basketball operations department. However, Berman notes that Blatt leaves on “good terms” with new team president Leon Rose.

After officially starting his new position on March 2, Rose figures to make more changes to the Knicks’ front office in the coming months. So far though, the team hasn’t been actively hiring or firing executives during the NBA’s hiatus.

Rose Willing To Move Former Client Randle

April 11th, 2020 at 10:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

New Knicks president Leon Rose is open to dealing Julius Randle despite Randle being a former client when Rose was a player agent, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Rose would also be willing to shed Randle’s contract after next season, even though Randle has a partial guarantee of $4MM on his $19.8MM salary for the 2021/22 season. Prior to Rose taking over, the Knicks had discussions with Charlotte before February’s trade deadline involving Randle, who reportedly upset some teammates this season with his ball-dominant style.

Members of the Knicks organization last summer expressed confidence that Kevin Durant would have signed with them if he hadn’t suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the NBA Finals, Ian Begley of SNY.TV reports. If that were true, Durant would have convinced Kyrie Irving to sign with New York instead of the Nets or recruited a different star to join him, Begley continues. The Knicks were not prepared last summer to offer Durant a max deal due to concerns from owner James Dolan regarding the injury. However, Durant has said publicly that he didn’t give the Knicks much consideration anyway, Begley notes.