New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Sign Ignas Brazdeikis

July 6th, 2019 at 5:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

10:23pm: Brazdeikis received a three-year deal with the first two seasons guaranteed, tweets Lithuanian basketball writer Donatas Urbonas. The Knicks hold a team option on the third year.

5:02pm: The Knicks have signed second-round pick Ignas Brazdeikis, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

Terms of the agreement were not released, but it looks like New York will use cap room, since it was announced before any of the team’s other moves. That means Brazdeikis is eligible for a deal up to four years, which is what second-round pick Mitchell Robinson received last summer.

New York traded up to No. 47 on draft night to select Brazdeikis, sending cash and the 55th pick to the Kings in return.

A 6’7″ forward out of Michigan, Brazdeikis averaged 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 37 games in his only season with the Wolverines. He was also a 39% 3-point shooter in college.

Eastern Notes: Dinwiddie, Knicks, Olynyk, Mykhailiuk

July 6th, 2019 at 12:05pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Nets enjoyed their most successful free agent period ever this week, agreeing to deals with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan. The moves figure to make Brooklyn one of the Eastern Conference’s premier teams next season, one year after the Nets’ made the postseason.

Even with the likelihood that Durant misses most – if not all – of next season, Brooklyn figures to be in the hunt for a top seed. Current Net Spencer Dinwiddie, a crucial part of the franchise’s increased success as of late, reportedly played a major role in recruiting those aforementioned All-Stars.

For the first time, Dinwiddie addressed Brooklyn’s moves, giving a coy response to the nature of recruitment among NBA players today.

“The thing about the NBA, everything you read is plausible,” Dinwiddie said to The Athletic’s Michael Scotto. “And with that being said, obviously, it could’ve happened, it may not have happened.”

With the spotlight now shining on the Nets, Dinwiddie noted that the team expects to be in contention for not just a playoff spot but for a title in the coming seasons.

“Anytime you add two probably top-10 players in the world, multi-time All-Stars, you’re obviously going to get better,” Dinwiddie said. “It’s on the rest of us to kind of help facilitate that transition, and hopefully we can be a very good team next year.”

Check out more Eastern Conference notes:

Even with cap space for two max contracts, the Knicks failed to lure any top-tier free agents to New York this summer. Marc Berman of the New York Post opines that the Knicks’ failures warrant an image overhaul of the franchise if it hopes to lure top players in the future.
Kelly Olynyk remains a member of the Heat, despite nearly being traded away last week. But the veteran understands that having his name come up in trade rumors is just a part of the game, Chad Klassen of CFJC Today writes. “It’s the business side of the game, fortunate or unfortunate, however you want to look at it,” he said. “But you get paid to do something you love and there’s not much to complain about in this industry, honestly.”
The Pistons plan to keep Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk on the roster, thus fully guaranteeing his salary for the 2019/20 season, Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops relays (Twitter link). Mykhailiuk’s minimum-salary contract had a guarantee date of July 5.
After suffering a torn Achilles, C.J. Wilcox thought his career was over. At 28 years old, Wilcox – who re-signed this week with the Pacers – is in the midst of a comeback attempt, Robby General of the Indianapolis Star writes. “Eight months ago, I was done playing basketball after tearing my Achilles,” Wilcox said. “Now I have some level of a contract, which is something to be proud of.”

Robinson To Join Select Team

July 5th, 2019 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Elfrid Payton will be given every opportunity to become the Knicks’ starting point guard next season, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Payton agreed to a two-year, $16MM deal with a team option for the second season. Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina are the other candidates for the starting role, though the team has shopped Ntilikina, Begley continues. It’s unclear whether the Knicks would consider a backcourt pairing of Payton and Smith, who started at the point after being acquired from the Mavericks last season.

Knicks second-year center Mitchell Robinson has been invited to join the Select Team at USA Basketball’s training camp, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets. Robinson averaged 7.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 2.4 BPG in his rookie campaign.

Knicks Reportedly Canceled Meeting With Kawhi Leonard

July 3rd, 2019 at 10:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks pulled out of a scheduled meeting with Kawhi Leonard, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Leonard agreed earlier in the week to meet with Knicks officials, but not until today after he completed sessions with the Lakers and Clippers. New York decided its chances of luring Leonard were remote without Kevin Durant and decided to call off the meeting because of “logistics.” There had been rumors that Leonard and Durant were looking to team up with the Clippers or Knicks, but those plans were scrapped when Durant committed to the Nets on Sunday.

New York’s front office didn’t want to wait for a decision from Leonard before diving into the free agent market. Berman noted that the team exhausted nearly all of its $70MM in cap space in the first 20 hours after free agency began.

The best scenario for the Knicks, he adds, would be for Leonard to sign a one-year deal with an option in Toronto and hit the market again next summer. Julius Randle is the only one of New York’s signees to get a guaranteed multi-year deal.

There’s more from New York City:

The Knicks plan to retain Damyean Dotson through his July 15 guarantee date, Berman adds in the same story. The second-year guard, who will earn about $1.5MM, will get increased competition for minutes from free agent additions Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington and Elfrid Payton.
Tim Bontemps of ESPN examines whether the Knicks did the right thing by loading up on free agents after their top targets were off the board. While they retained their financial flexibility for the future and should put a better product on the court, they also missed out on a chance to acquire assets by saving some of that cap money to facilitate deals such as the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade, the Andre Iguodala trade to the Grizzlies or the D’Angelo Russell trade to the Warriors.
Kevin Knox wants to prove his omission from the All-Rookie Team was a mistake, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Knox collected just 22 second-team votes, well short of the amount needed to earn a spot. “Yeah, of course I deserved to make it,” he said. “But it was definitely motivation. I worked hard this summer. That was kind of a chip on my shoulder for me to work hard this summer. Definitely, it was motivation. I’m going to use it for summer. I’m going to keep using it for next year.”

Free Agency Notes: Durant, Knicks, Cousins

July 3rd, 2019 at 2:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant‘s decision to go to the Nets was not an easy one to make. Golden State, New York, and Brooklyn were reportedly in contention, but it’s beginning to sound like the two Atlantic Division teams were always the frontrunners, as Mark Berman of The New York Post writes.

There were people in Durant’s camp that wanted him to go to the Knicks, according to Jay Williams (former NBA player and friend of Durant’s). Williams also said that the Knicks trading away Kristaps Porzingis was not a factor in KD’s decision.

Here’s more from around the league:

There’s pretty much no chance that the Wizards add DeMarcus Cousins, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Washington brought back Thomas Bryant in free agency and the team is committed to developing him.
Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com examines the Knicks strategy this offseason and makes the case that they made the moves possible given that no stars were coming in free agency. New York will have cap flexibility next summer and the team will likely get one more chance to land a top pick in the lottery.
The Cavaliers didn’t have the flexibility to make major free-agent signings this offseason, but next summer, the team projects to have the ability to make a big splash, Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays. Cleveland will have upwards of $55MM in cap room, assuming they don’t add any long-term salary before then.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Sumner, Nets, De Colo

July 2nd, 2019 at 10:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The first-round draft pick the Pacers will send the Bucks in their sign-and-trade deal for Malcolm Brogdon is lottery-protected in 2020, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. And if it doesn’t convey in 2020, it’s lottery-protected for five more drafts after that before becoming unprotected in 2026, Lowe adds. In other words, barring a catastrophe in Indiana, Milwaukee will be getting a pick in the back half of the first round, likely next year.

Meanwhile, Edmond Sumner‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will be worth $6.5MM, a league source tells Grant Afseth of The Kokomo Tribune (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether all three years will be fully guaranteed, but it sounds like Sumner will be getting more than the minimum.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

A source tells Marc Stein of The New York Times that Spencer Dinwiddie was “at the forefront” of a months-long push to convince Kyrie Irving to choose the Nets over the Knicks — and to push Kevin Durant in the same direction. While DeAndre Jordan spent the last two months of the season with the Knicks, he also came to view Brooklyn as a more favorable destination to team up with Irving and Durant, according to Stein, who says the veteran center “joined the chorus promoting the Nets” in recent days.
EuroLeague powerhouse Fenerbahce is in serious pursuit of Raptors RFA guard Nando De Colo, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, De Colo – who last wore an NBA uniform in 2014 – remains focused on getting back into the NBA. But if he doesn’t get an offer he likes within the next couple weeks, it’s possible he’ll sign with the Turkish club, says Carchia.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype caught up with veteran center Nikola Vucevic to talk to him about his new $100MM contract agreement with the Magic. “I feel rewarded for what I’ve done – not just last season, but what I’ve done throughout all of my years in Orlando,” Vucevic said of his new deal. “It means a lot for the team to reward me with this nice contract. It was important for me to be able to continue [my career] there and I’m glad we were able to agree on a deal that keeps me in Orlando for four more years.”

Free Agent Rumors: Mavs, Morris, Knicks, Wizards, Wolves

July 2nd, 2019 at 8:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have interest in free agent forward Marcus Morris, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, confirming a report from Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com (Twitter link). However, Dallas has “a few [players] ahead” of Morris on their wish list, according to Townsend.

Danny Green is one of those names believed to be ahead of Morris. The Mavericks have been linked to the veteran sharpshooter since the start of free agency, and a tweet from the account for Green’s podcast today listed the Mavs, Raptors, and Lakers as the teams still in play for the veteran shooting guard. The Mavs aren’t expecting an answer from Green until tomorrow at the earliest though, says Townsend.

Here’s more on the NBA’s remaining free agents:

The Knicks project to have one slot open on their 15-man roster for next season, and Lance Thomas is the favorite to fill it, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). New York recently waived Thomas to avoid guaranteeing his 2019/20 salary, but could bring him back on a more modest deal.
The Wizards haven’t circled back to free agent forward Jabari Parker so far, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link), who says that the market is “still developing” for the former No. 2 overall pick.
The Timberwolves have kicked the tires on free agent forward Jake Layman, tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. Layman received a qualifying offer from the Trail Blazers, so he’s a restricted free agent.

Knicks Sign R.J. Barrett

July 2nd, 2019 at 6:59pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks have signed R.J. Barrett to his rookie contract scale contract, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

Assuming he signed for 120% of the rookie scale, Barrett will take home $7.84MM during his first season in the league. Barrett is expected to play for the Knicks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.

Barrett was excited to be drafted by the franchise and at the time, it appeared he would come into the league on a contender, as New York was expected to make a splash in free agency. Instead, he’ll be in a typical situation for a team drafting in the top five.

The No. 3 overall pick should have the opportunity to be one of the most productive rookies during the 2019/20 season.

Free Agent Rumors: Cousins, Kawhi, D. Green, Ennis

July 2nd, 2019 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

Big man DeMarcus Cousins is perhaps the biggest name left among free agents besides Kawhi Leonard, but there doesn’t appear to be much of a market for him, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on the network (video link). According to Wojnarowski, it’s not even necessarily a lock that Cousins will exceed the one-year, $5.34MM deal he signed with the Warriors a year ago.

In a separate appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (video link), Woj suggested that a one-year deal below $10MM for Cousins appears to be the most likely scenario, while ESPN’s Tim Bontemps pointed to the Lakers as one team that might be a fit in terms of cap room — but only if they fail to land Leonard.

Here’s more on some of the remaining free agents:

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins (Twitter link) hears that Kawhi Leonard met with the Clippers on Monday night, though Perkins believes the Lakers have the “upper hand” of the two L.A. teams. After meeting with the Clippers and Lakers, Kawhi is expected to give the Raptors the chance to make the final pitch before he finalizes his decision.
The Mavericks are in “strong position” to land free agent shooting guard Danny Green, regardless of what happens with Leonard’s free agency, tweets his podcast co-host Harrison D. Sanford. According to Sanford (via Twitter), Dallas views Green as a valuable floor spacer and locker-room presence.
With approximately $4MM in cap space and their $4.8MM room exception still available, the Knicks have checked in on free agent wing James Ennis, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. According to Begley (via Twitter), the Lakers and Clippers are also among the clubs that have touched base with Ennis since free agency started.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Horford, Knicks, Hornets

July 1st, 2019 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have engaged the Wizards in trade discussions, a source in contact with one of the teams tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Jackson notes that Miami “loves” Bradley Beal, but acknowledges that Washington has repeatedly indicated it has no plans to move its star shooting guard. Even if the Wizards were willing to discuss Beal, the Heat’s limited assets and difficult cap situation would make it “highly challenging” to put together a realistic deal, Jackson adds.

In other Heat trade news, the proposed deal with the Mavericks that appeared to be nearing completion on Sunday now looks dead. It won’t receive the same scrutiny or mockery that the in-season Dillon Brooks/MarShon Brooks mix-up involving the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Suns did, given everything else that’s going on this week, but the Mavs/Heat deal apparently also fell apart due to a miscommunication — Miami was certain that Goran Dragic was involved, while Dallas thought it was acquiring Kelly Olynyk and Derrick Jones, as Tim Cato of The Athletic details.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

A source tells Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald that Al Horford‘s decision to sign with the Sixers was partly about money, but also about the opportunity to play alongside a star center. Horford has “always been uncomfortable in a traditional center’s role,” Murphy writes.
Multiple league executives questioned why the Knicks used their cap room to sign a collection of non-stars rather than trying to take on bad contracts to add future assets, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Hornets owner Michael Jordan issued a statement today bidding farewell to Kemba Walker and thanking him for “eight incredible seasons with our franchise” (link via JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors). “He always represented the Hornets, the NBA, and the city of Charlotte with class – both on the court and in the community – and we are disappointed he is leaving,” Jordan said.