New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Drummond, Rose, Jackson, Wood

January 12th, 2020 at 10:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Trading Andre Drummond may be more difficult than expected, writes Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The Pistons are hoping to get a young player or a draft pick in return for their star center. But because Drummond intends to opt out of his contract this summer, teams would be taking a chance by giving up future assets for what could be a short-term rental.

Although the Knicks are the latest team to be mentioned in a possible Drummond deal, a source tells Ellis, “there’s nothing there.” The Pistons reportedly reached out to New York, offering Drummond and another player in exchange for Julius Randle and Frank Ntilikina, whom they have tried to obtain before.

Ellis compares Drummond’s situation to Kemba Walker‘s last season, noting that teams weren’t willing to make significant offers to Charlotte at the deadline, even though Walker is a better player. Ellis suggests the Pistons may elect to unload Drummond for a package of expiring deals, if only to eliminate the risk that he will opt into a $28.7MM salary for next season when the team hopes to be under the salary cap.

There’s more from Detroit:

In an interview with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Derrick Rose talks about possibly taking part in the skills competition during All-Star Weekend and discusses how he has responded to an increase in his minutes limitation. “I feel healthy. And I’m just trying to play with grace out there,” Rose said. “Trying to take shots that they’re giving me, be smart with my opportunities. It’s been a year since I’ve been at the point guard spot. I came back in the league at small forward with Thibs (then-Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau). And then I went to shooting guard with Minnesota after that. This year, it’s the first year I’m back at point guard.”
The Pistons are optimistic that Reggie Jackson may return to the lineup soon, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Jackson, who hasn’t played since the first two games of the season, received encouraging news when he met with a back specialist in Los Angeles last week.
Now that Christian Wood‘s $1.6MM contract is officially guaranteed, he has a chance to play a full season for one team for the first time since entering the league in 2015, Beard adds in the same story. “The transition for me has been good. It’s something I hadn’t really thought about,” Wood said. “I didn’t really kind of know the (guarantee) dates, but now it’s something I’m proud of. I’m happy and I think I deserve it.”

Knicks Notes: Knox, Wooten, Drummond

January 12th, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are wasting an opportunity to develop their young players as they string together losses with veteran journeymen, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. After whiffing on the big names in the free agent market last summer, New York signed seven players, with only Julius Randle having a fully guaranteed salary beyond this season. Those additions make up the core of a team that is 10-29 with five straight losses.

Affected most by not being on the court is Kevin Knox, a lottery pick from 2018, Popper adds. When Marcus Morris was hurt earlier this week, interim coach Mike Miller inserted Reggie Bullock into the starting lineup and continued to give limited minutes to Knox, who has regressed in his second NBA season.

“My Pops always just tells to go out there and just play every single possession as hard as I can, because you never know how long you’re going to be on the floor,” Knox said. “So just go out there and give it your all. So that’s the approach. The six minutes I had (January 5 against the Clippers), I thought I played really well; went out there and played hard. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back in the game. But like I said, you never know when your number is going to get called. So you always got to stay prepared, stay ready.”

There’s more from New York this morning:

The Knicks have an important decision to make this week on G League standout Kenny Wooten, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Wednesday is the final day that two-way contracts can be offered this season, and several teams are watching Wooten, who is among the G League leaders in blocks per game. New York doesn’t have a roster opening, so either Kadeem Allen or Ivan Rabb would have to be waived to create a two-way slot for Wooten.
Tommy Beer of Forbes examines why it would be a mistake for the Knicks to give up future assets in a trade for Andre Drummond. Not only would they be committing to re-signing Drummond to a massive contract once he opts out this summer, they already have a promising young center in Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks would still be on shaky ground even if they had achieved their dream scenario of signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and drafting Zion Williamson, observes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Williamson’s knee issue, Irving’s shoulder problem and Durant’s uncertain future after a ruptured Achilles tendon would all be giving nightmares to Knicks fans if they were on the roster.

Kenny Wooten Drawing Interest From Teams

January 11th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by marksuleymanov

G League standout Kenny Wooten is drawing interest from teams for a 10-day contract, SNY’s Ian Begley reports.

The undrafted rookie from Oregon, who was in camp with the Knicks in the fall, has stood out with his defense for the Westchester Knicks, particularly his blocks. He currently leads the G League with 3.7 blocks per game while averaging 6.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG.

“He certainly looks capable of defending on the interior at this level,” a scout said of Wooten’s NBA potential, per Begley.

As a G League player, Wooten is eligible to ink a 10-day contract with any NBA team. The Knicks could add Wooten to the NBA roster by waiving or trading a player to free up a roster spot.

Lonzo Ball On LaMelo Being A Fit For Knicks: “For Sure”

January 11th, 2020 at 11:23am CST by marksuleymanov

As Lonzo Ball‘s younger brother LaMelo Ball prepares for the NBA Draft this summer, the elder Ball brother believes the potential first overall pick would be a fit for the Knicks, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“Whoever has the No. 1 pick, I feel like that’s who’s gonna get him,” Lonzo said to the Post scribe. “He’s been in the spotlight since he was 15, plus I went through everything he’s gonna go through. So he always has me to fall back on.

“But what he did overseas, what he did in high school, I think it’s a fair choice [as the No. 1-overall pick], honestly. He’s been killing grown men in Australia, which is a very good league. So I expect the same thing here. It’s different for everybody. Hopefully, it happens from the first game. That’s what I’d love to see.”

LaMelo, 18, is currently in Australia with the National Basketball League but is sidelined with a foot injury. However, the injury is not considered serious enough to put his draft status in jeopardy.

It’s possible the Knicks — who landed R.J. Barrett with the third overall pick last year — could land the first overall selection this summer. The team currently sits third in the lottery standings, as our Reverse Standings show.

“Wherever he lands, he’s gonna help out a lot. Anybody could use him,” Lonzo said of his brother.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/10/20

January 10th, 2020 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Thunder assigned guard Deonte Burton and center Justin Patton to the Oklahoma City Blue for the G League affiliate’s game against Raptors 905, according to a team press release. Burton has played in 21 games with the Thunder this season, averaging 2.3 PPG in 8.4 MPG. Patton has made three brief appearances with the Thunder this season.
The Clippers recalled guard Terance Mann from the Agua Caliente Clippers, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round rookie has appeared in 22 games with the NBA club this season, averaging 2.4 PPG in 9.2 MPG.
The Knicks assigned rookie forward Ignas Brazdeikis to their Westchester affiliate, the team’s PR department tweets. The former University of Michigan standout has appeared in nine games with the NBA Knicks this season, averaging 1.9 PPG in 5.9 MPG.

Pistons Apply For DPE; Knicks Interested In Drummond?

January 10th, 2020 at 6:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have applied for a Disabled Player Exception due to Blake Griffin‘s potentially season-ending knee injury, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Detroit’s application is a clear indication it doesn’t expect Griffin, an All-Star last season and the team’s highest-paid player, to return. The $9.26MM exception, if granted, could help the injury-riddled Pistons make a trade to facilitate a rebuilding process.

Griffin underwent surgery on the same knee after last season but he’s been bothered by knee soreness and a hamstring issue that kept him out of the lineup the first 10 games of the season. He only appeared in 18 games before getting the latest procedure.

The Pistons are just $3,669 below the tax line, $5.8MM below the hard cap, and have a full roster, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Thus, the exception won’t be used on a free agent signing, barring a trade to clear money and open a roster spot, Marks adds.

The Pistons had a January 15 deadline to apply for the disabled player exception. As we noted earlier this week, if the Pistons were to trade Derrick Rose or Langston Galloway and take back a player on an expiring contract whose salary fits into the DPE, they’d create a trade exception worth $7.3MM, which could be used in the summer or next season.

In an unrelated but intriguing development, the Knicks have talked to the Pistons about Andre Drummond, according to Charania (Twitter link). The Hawks, Mavericks, Raptors and Celtics have also been linked to Drummond, who can opt out and become an unrestricted free agent after this season. The Knicks are owed two future first-rounders from Dallas, which could facilitate a trade with Detroit. They also have a number of expiring contracts to match salaries.

Knicks Put Positive Spin On Kawhi's Comments

January 10th, 2020 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After Kawhi Leonard denied having any offseason interest in the Knicks, the club found a way to put a positive spin on those comments, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. According to Berman, Kawhi’s uncle Dennis Robertson was in touch with the Knicks in the summer and wanted Leonard to listen to the team’s pitch. The Knicks claimed they canceled their scheduled meeting because they felt they were long shots for Leonard and believe the forward’s recent comments validate that decision, Berman notes.

Clippers Well-Positioned To Pursue Roster Upgrade

January 9th, 2020 at 10:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers‘ collection of trade assets puts them in a better position than many rival contenders to upgrade their roster at the deadline, according to one rival NBA executive who spoke to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.

“They’re the team that’s doing more talking (than the Lakers),” the executive said of the Clippers, per Deveney. “They’re in better position. They’ve got everything you want if you’re looking to get assets back for players. They have a draft pick, they have expiring contracts they can give up, they have really good, interesting young players. They’re in a great position to help themselves.”

As Deveney observes, the Clippers have traded away a handful of future picks but aren’t prohibited from trading their 2020 first-rounder, since they still control both it and their 2021 pick. And unlike a handful of other contenders, they have a movable contract in the mid-level range — Maurice Harkless is making $11MM in the last year of his contract, and while he has been a solid defender for Los Angeles, his offensive game is limited.

The Clippers are actively seeking help at power forward, according to Deveney, who notes that the team has at least expressed interest in Thaddeus Young (Bulls) and Marcus Morris (Knicks). Sources tell Deveney that the Clips believe they have the necessary assets to make a deal for Morris if they so choose, but will continue to scour the trade market.

While Harkless and a first-round pick would be a strong enough package for an upgrade, the Clippers also have young players who may intrigue teams. Even if the club isn’t willing to move Montrezl Harrell – who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end – or Landry Shamet, players like Jerome Robinson and rookies Terance Mann and Mfiondu Kabengele could appeal to trade partners.

“Both of those guys are NBA players,” that same exec told Deveney, referring to Mann and Kabengele. “We had a lot of discussion about both of them at the draft, they’re strong, NBA bodies, they play both ways. How good? That would be the question, but they’re both NBA players.”

The Clippers have four more weeks to make a deal before the February 6 trade deadline.

Atlantic Notes: Portis, Celtics, Fall, Sixers, Kurucs

January 9th, 2020 at 5:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Bobby Portis was ejected from Tuesday’s game against the Lakers for a vicious swipe that knocked Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out of the game. Portis was fined $25K for “recklessly making contact” above KCP’s shoulders (he hit him in the head) and the big man has apologized for the incident.

“It wasn’t intentional at all,” Portis said (via Alex Smith of SNY.tv). “Went for the ball. Apologies to Caldwell-Pope. Happy to see him back on the court doing his thing. My intent is never to hurt anyone or anything. Just tried to make a play on the ball, missed the ball, and hit him in the head.

“Like I said, that’s not my intent to hurt anybody, but I do apologize and I am sincere for it.”

Portis, who signed a two-year deal with a team option on the 2020/21 campaign this past offseason, could be on the move in the coming weeks — at least one recent report indicated that he has drawn some trade interest.

Here’s more from out of the Atlantic:

A year ago, a surprisingly strong Kings’ season meant that the first-round draft pick they sent to the Celtics wasn’t as valuable as initially believed. That may happen to the C’s again in 2020 with the pick the Grizzlies owe them. Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston explores how Memphis’ recent hot streak has affected the value of that top-six-protected first-rounder.
In an interview with ESPN (video link), beloved Celtics rookie Tacko Fall spoke about his road to the NBA and how he has adjusted to fame.
Derek Bodner of Rich Hofmann of The Athletic preview the Sixers‘ trade options and examine whether Matisse Thybulle should be viewed as untouchable. Their verdict? Moving Thybulle should only be considered if the team has a chance to acquire an impact player in a major deal.
Prosecutors from Brooklyn’s District Attorney’s Office turned over the evidence against Nets forward Rodions Kurucs this week in his domestic violence case, writes Andrew Denney of The New York Post. Kurucs, who is facing a series of charges that include third-degree assault and second-degree harassment, is due back in court on February 11.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Marcus Morris Confirms Turning Down Three-Year Offer From Clippers

January 9th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marcus Morris verbally accepted a two-year, $20MM deal with the Spurs before opting to sign with the Knicks instead, but that deal with San Antonio isn’t the only contract he turned down this past summer. The forward confirmed that he turned down a three-year, $41MM deal from the Clippers in July, as Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic relays.

“It had nothing to do with me playing here (in L.A.),” Morris explained. “Personally, as a player, I felt as though I was worth more. I felt as though my time in the NBA, with the production I had throughout the years, I felt I was worth more than what they offered. That was just my opinion. As a player that’s what I was standing on.”

Morris inked a one-year, $15MM deal with New York and there’s chatter that the franchise would like to keep him long-term. Rival scouts and executives believe the Knicks could get a late first-round pick for Morris should they decide to deal him. Vorkunov speculates that the Clippers could be a team to watch out for if the franchise indicates it wants to move on.

Morris added he turned down Los Angeles’ offer, which was first reported last July, because he wanted to “bet” on himself.

“I came with the Knicks, I’d seen a great opportunity, I’d seen a great group of guys, and I wanted to bet on myself on an opportunity where I can showcase what I really can do and I thought that New York would be the perfect place for me to come,” Morris said.

While none of the subsequent offers Morris received came close to matching the overall value of the Clippers’ deal, he did at least secure a higher 2019/20 salary on his deal with the Knicks. He and agent Rich Paul parted ways after Morris’ eventful free agent period.