New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Hire David Blatt As Basketball Operations Consultant

December 18th, 2019 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have hired former Cavaliers head coach David Blatt as a basketball operations consultant, the team announced today in a press release. According to a statement from president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, Blatt will be involved with the Knicks’ G League team and the organization’s international scouting.

Blatt, who coached the Cavaliers to an 83-40 record (.675) from 2014-16, most recently served as the head coach of Greek team Olympiacos. However, he parted ways with the franchise in October after having been diagnosed earlier this year with multiple sclerosis.

In his own statement relayed by the Knicks, Blatt indicated that Olympiacos job will end up being his last as a head coach.

“I look forward to the next step in my career as I officially retire from coaching and pursue other opportunities in basketball,” Blatt said. “I’ve long been intrigued by working in a front office and thank Steve and Scott for the opportunity to be a resource to the basketball operations staff.”

Blatt, 60, also served as the head coach of Turkey’s Darussafaka, Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, and several other clubs over the course of his lengthy career. He has a close relationship with Mills, as the two men were teammates at Princeton from 1978-81. Mills is believed to be on the hot seat in New York, so it’s worth noting that he’s still being permitted to make front office hires.

Wolves Among Teams With Interest In Dennis Smith Jr.

December 18th, 2019 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

While many Knicks trade rumors this season have focused on frontcourt players like Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson, several teams that have been in touch with the Knicks recently believe they’re open to moving a point guard, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton certainly won’t be untouchable, but Begley singles out Dennis Smith Jr. as one player who has drawn interest from multiple teams. Sources tell Begley that the Timberwolves are among the clubs with interest in Smith.

Minnesota has been seeking a long-term answer at point guard, and while Smith may not be that answer, he could represent a low-cost flier for the Wolves. DSJ’s stock has slipped since he was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Mavericks. He’s averaging just 17.0 minutes per game in New York this season, and has received multiple DNP-CDs since Mike Miller took over for David Fizdale.

Still, Smith is only 22 years old and showed on Tuesday vs. Atlanta that he’s still capable of filling up a box score. In just 13 minutes, he recorded eight points, five rebounds, and five assists.

It’s unclear what sort of return the Knicks would want back in a trade involving Smith. Begley hears from one executive that the club probably can’t realistically demand a first-round pick in exchange for the third-year guard, which doesn’t come as a surprise.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/17/19

December 17th, 2019 at 8:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

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

The Pacers have assigned Victor Oladipo to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants as the former All-Star continues his rehabs, the team announced on Twitter. Indiana also recalled Edmond Sumner, Alize Johnson, and JaKarr Sampson.
The Knicks have assigned Ignas Brazdeikis to the Westchester Knicks, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Brazdeikis was available for the G League contest tonight.
The Wizards assigned Justin Robinson to the Capital City Go-Go, per the team’s Twitter feed. The guard has appeared in six games for Washington this season.
The Rockets have assigned Isaiah Hartenstein to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston tweets. The center has appeared in nine games for Houston this year.
The Clippers have assigned Mfiondu Kabengele and guard Terance Mann to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, per the team.
Jalen McDaniels is making another trip to the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets announced on their website. The second-round pick has appeared in 13 games in the G League this season.

Reggie Bullock Fully Cleared For Practice

December 17th, 2019 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Reggie Bullock, who underwent surgery in July for a cervical disc herniation, appears to be inching closer to making his debut for the Knicks. According to the team (Twitter link), Bullock has been cleared for full participation in practices, beginning on Wednesday.

Bullock initially signed a two-year, $21MM contract with the Knicks in free agency, but when his health issue arose, the two sides renegotiated a two-year deal worth $8.2MM, with only one fully guaranteed year. At that price, Bullock could be a bargain for New York – or a valuable asset at the trade deadline – if he proves he’s healthy and back to his old self.

Knicks Open To Trading Julius Randle?

December 16th, 2019 at 8:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

On Sunday, seven of the Knicks‘ offseason signees became trade-eligible and with the team in the midst of another woeful season, New York could look to ship out some of its veterans.

Steve Popper of Newsday hears from an NBA source that the Knicks are believed to be open to trading Julius Randle. The big man inked a three-year, $57MM deal with the club back in July and he’s had an uneven first couple months in New York, as he’s making just 44.5% of his shots from the field. Randle is the only one of the team’s offseason free agent signees that received multiple fully guaranteed years.

Marcus Morris is likely the team’s best trade chip right now. He’s averaging 48.2% from downtown in his point-forward role for the club and his one-year, $15MM deal won’t hinder any team’s long-term future (it’s probably safe to assume the Spurs won’t be the team trading for Morris).

The Knicks are balancing playing their veterans with getting their young core experience and it would be surprising if the team doesn’t make at least one deal before the trade deadline.

Southwest Notes: Gentry, Executives, Covington

December 16th, 2019 at 6:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pelicans entered the season without championship expectations as the team embraces year one of the post-Anthony Davis era. However, not many expected the team to have a record of 6-21, and some of the blame for that poor performance falls on Alvin Gentry. Still, the head coach is confident that he can turn things around and isn’t worried about the possibility of being let go before he’s given the chance to do so.

“I’ve been in the league 31 years, I don’t ever worry about anything that I don’t have any control over,” Gentry said (via William Guillory of The Athletic). “I don’t have any control over that. You would have to ask that question to the people that have control. I just know I’m going to come in to work every day and do everything I can to get this turned around.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes that it’s “highly unlikely” R.C. Buford would leave the Spurs to take a potential top role with the Knicks. Buford is under contract for multiple seasons after the 2019/20 campaign, per Begley.
In the same piece, Begley names Mavericks GM/president Donnie Nelson as a candidate for the Knicks‘ potential top executive role. The scribe hears that Nelson is an at-will employee, so New York wouldn’t have to offer Dallas any compensation to hire him as the team would with Masai Ujiri or other executives under contract.
The Rockets should do whatever it takes to land Robert Covington in a trade, Kelly Iko of The Athletic contends. Iko believes RoCo would mesh well with James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Prying Masai Ujiri From Toronto Expected To Be Pricey

December 16th, 2019 at 5:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Raptors simply aren’t going to let president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri waltz down to New York and take the Knicks‘ job before his contract – which runs through the 2020/21 campaign – expires. New York would have to send Toronto compensation if the franchise intends to hire him this summer and Ujiri wants to leave — but what would that compensation look like?

Ian Begley of SNY.tv sniffed around for the answer and learned that one NBA team recently demanded two first-round picks when another club inquired about letting its top executive out of his contract. Talks between those two teams stalled because of the price tag, but Begley hears that the two first-rounders are likely to be the baseline for any Ujiri-to-New York deal.

Raptors chairman Larry Tannenbaum recently said Ujiri wasn’t going anywhere. “He is the best,” Tanenbaum said. “But no team can come to talk to him. That’s tampering. And every owner knows that. Masai is here to stay.”

It’s not certain whether or not Ujiri has interest in the Knicks despite widespread speculation. There were conflicting reports on whether the executive turned down a long-term extension with the Raptors, with Tannenbaum denying that the team had made such an offer yet.

Dennis Smith Jr. Falls Out Of Rotation

December 15th, 2019 at 5:38pm CST by JD Shaw

Interim Knicks coach Mike Miller opted not to use Dennis Smith Jr. in the team’s game against Sacramento on Friday, giving the young guard a DNP-CD, Marc Berman details for the New York Post. Miller utilized guards Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton, pulling away with a 103-101 victory despite Ntilikina’s struggles.

Celtics Notes: Trades, Tatum, Irving, Stevens

December 15th, 2019 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are concerned about facing Sixers center Joel Embiid in a potential playoff series, and the trade market may not offer the help they need, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Embiid posted 38 points and 13 rebounds in Thursday’s win over Boston, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 record against its arch rivals. Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis combined for 36 points and 14 rebounds, but the Celtics might prefer one center who matches up better with Embiid and some of the other front line talent in the Eastern Conference.

Forsberg notes that the Celtics’ options are limited because they don’t have any substantial contracts to trade outside of their core players. That eliminates an option like Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams, who has a $25.8MM salary. The Celtics might have to send Gordon Hayward to the Thunder in return, which Forsberg says they won’t consider.

A more realistic possibility that Forsberg identifies is the Knicks‘ Taj Gibson, who is making $9MM this year and has a non-guaranteed contract for next season. Gibson has fared well against Embiid in limited minutes and played alongside Kanter when they were both with the Thunder.

There’s more today from Boston:

Jayson Tatum believes Kyrie Irving has been made an unfair scapegoat for last year’s disappointing season. Brown defended his former teammate this week in an interview with ESPN’s Maria Taylor (video link). “No, it’s not Kyrie’s fault. There was 15 guys on that team and coaches and front office,” Tatum said. “Everybody played a part in that. I feel like he gets a lot of blame undeservingly. He’s a great person. We still have a great relationship. He helped me out a lot, on and off the court, my first two years, that I’m thankful for. But no, he shouldn’t get all the blame, any of the blame.”
Coach Brad Stevens thinks the league is on the right track by experimenting with its schedule and considering an in-season tournament, relays Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. He admits it’s hard to deliver “your best product” 82 times a season. “I do appreciate the NBA looks at things and says, ‘We’re not just going to stay status quo because it’s status quo,’” Stevens said. “We have to continue to look at what’s best for the game, what’s best for the players, all the people in the travel party, all that stuff. So I appreciate the leadership in the league.”
The Grizzlies have moved into eighth place in our Reverse Standings with three wins in their past four games, Forsberg tweets. The first-round pick that they owe the Celtics is top-six protected for 2020, then unprotected after that.

Knicks Notes: Trades, Morris, Payton, Ntilikina

December 15th, 2019 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Today marks the unofficial start of the NBA’s trading season, but the Knicks won’t be in a hurry to make any deals, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. December 15 is the date that most free agents who signed during the summer are eligible to be traded. New York has seven of those, with six on expiring contracts, but several factors make any quick deals unlikely.

A team executive tells Berman that the Knicks want to wait until closer to the February 7 deadline to sort out their assets, especially since interim coach Mike Miller just took over last week. The Knicks are 2-2 under Miller, and management believes the players’ trade value will rise if the team continues to succeed. Another consideration is the shaky status of team president Steve Mills, which may delay any major decisions until after the season.

The Knicks will continue to emphasize cap flexibility heading into the summer, Berman adds, which means it’s unlikely they’ll take on any expensive, long-term contracts. The 2020 free agent class is considered weak, but the organization wants to have cap room available for any offseason trade opportunities that might arise.

There’s more this morning from New York:

The Knicks believe they can get a late first-round pick from a contender in exchange for Marcus Morris, Berman relays in the same piece. Figuring out the point guard situation remains a priority, with Elfrid Payton apparently back in the lead role. Berman notes that Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina have both been on the trade block before.
The Knicks have been much better since Payton returned after missing 17 games with a strained hamstring, Berman observes in a separate story. Payton has been closing out games under Miller and sparked a comeback in Friday’s win at Sacramento. “When he’s playing like that, he’s a monster and tough to deal with, pushing the pace,” Julius Randle said. “… He got it done on both ends. I’m extremely proud of him how he competes.’’ A source tells Berman that Randle believes his adjustment to joining a new team would have been much easier if Payton hadn’t been injured.
Ntilikina made progress under former coach David Fizdale, but finds himself in a different situation since Miller took over, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Ntilikina remains in the starting lineup, but he’s not the type of “downhill” point guard that Miller envisions. “My goal is to stay the same, go out here and play hard for the team, give everything I can bring to this team,” Ntilikina said. “So of course, being in that situation is tough. Losing a lot of games, losing a coach, is tough. However, we’ve got to focus on the future.”