New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Several Contenders Had Interest In Mario Hezonja At Trade Deadline

April 9th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by ChrisCrouse

Mario Hezonja is showing off his play-making skills during the Knicks final games of the season. The team handed him starting point guard duties over the weekend and he has looked like a completely different player than the one who registered just a single 20-point game prior to his trial as New York’s floor general.

If the Knicks had allowed Hezonja more play-making responsibilities, perhaps the former No. 5 overall pick would be on a different team. Several contenders reached out to the Knicks about trading for Hezonja at the trade deadline, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. No deal materialized and it’s unclear what the Knicks wanted in return for the Croatia native. Had the point guard experiment occurred earlier this season, the interest in Super Mario may have been more intense.

Hezonja believes that he could have helped younger players such as Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox further develop if given more time at the one, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News relays.

“In terms of involving them and making them better, yes [I wish I played point guard more],” Hezonja said. “But then we have to understand if I get the ball, where is [Emmanuel Mudiay] going to be, where is [Dennis Smith] going to be? They have to play, too.”

The Knicks’ point guard situation will be a major storyline this season. The team reportedly plans to shop Frank Ntilikina. Coach David Fizdale hinted that Mudiay could be playing elsewhere and while Smith was the centerpiece of the Kristaps Porzingis deal, the team would have no problem shifting him to a different role if a top target such as Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker signs with the franchise.

Hezonja, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, would welcome a return to the Knicks. a league executive tells Bondy that the 24-year-old is probably looking at a contract worth part of the mid-level exception on the open market. The 2019/20 MLEs are projected to come in at $9.246MM (standard), $5.711MM (taxpayer), and $4.76MM (room). Hezonja made $6.5MM this past season.

“I’m ready to talk to [owner James] Dolan,” Hezonja said. “If he gives me that call on July 1, we’re done.”

Draft Notes: T. Jones, J. Smith, Dawkins, Tyree

April 8th, 2019 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Duke guard Tre Jones published an Instagram post this weekend in which he strongly hinted that he’s leaning toward returning to school for at least one more year. Nothing is official yet, but if Jones does elect to stick with the Blue Devils for his sophomore season, it would be big news for the program.

Currently, Jones ranks 29th on Jonathan Givony’s 2019 NBA draft big board at ESPN.com, including fourth among point guards. According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter), the Knicks, Grizzlies, Hornets, Pelicans, Hawks, and Thunder have all done a “great amount” of background work on Jones.

As we wait for official word from the Duke guard, here are a few more draft-related updates:

Maryland freshman forward Jalen Smith, a potential draft candidate, has elected to return to the Terrapins for his sophomore season, the school announced today in a press release. “I’m excited to return to Maryland for my sophomore year and advance my education as I continue to develop both on and off the court with my teammates and coaching staff,” said Smith, who averaged an impressive 17.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 3.0 BPG in two NCAA tournament games.
UCF guard Aubrey Dawkins has submitted the paperwork necessary to declare for the 2019 draft, according to a press release. The 6’6″ junior left a strong final impression, having racked up 32 points against Duke in UCF’s second-round NCAA tournament loss.
Ole Miss junior guard Breein Tyree has announced that he’ll test the draft waters, maintaining his college eligibility during the process (Twitter link). Tyree averaged a team-high 17.9 PPG on .459/.375/.831 shooting in 33 games in 2018/19.

Community Shootaround: Postseason Droughts

April 8th, 2019 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

After the Timberwolves snapped a 14-year playoff drought last spring, only seven NBA teams entered the 2018/19 season having not reached the postseason at all since 2015. Three of those teams – the Nets, Magic, and Nuggets – have secured playoff berths, meaning that 26 NBA clubs have now earned postseason berths at least once in the four-year period from 2016-19.

That leaves the following four teams with the NBA’s longest playoff droughts:

Sacramento Kings (last playoff appearance in 2006)
Phoenix Suns (2010)
Los Angeles Lakers (2013)
New York Knicks (2013)

None of those teams ultimately came very close to reaching the postseason this season, but the Kings will finish the closest. After holding onto one of the top eight spots in the Western Conference for much of 2018/19, Sacramento has struggled down the stretch — the team is just 9-15 since the All-Star break. Still, the Kings will end up ninth in the West and feature an impressive collection of young talent, led by De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley. There’s plenty of reason for optimism going forward.

The Lakers will finish right behind Sacramento in the West, though L.A.’s young core wasn’t nearly as impressive in 2018/19 as the Kings’ group. Armed with cap room and trade chips this offseason, the Lakers will make every effort to add a second star to complement LeBron James, which would put them in a good position to return to the playoffs next season. Of course, there’s no guarantee the club will land that kind of star, and if James’ health issues in ’18/19 are a harbinger of things to come, the Lakers are no lock to rebound next year.

Further down the Western Conference standings, the Suns will win fewer than 25 games for the fourth straight season. The team is starting to put together a nice group of long-term building blocks, led by Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges. However, the Suns have yet to experience a Kings-like breakout season. Phoenix will add another top prospect in June’s draft and is expected to have some flexibility in free agency, so perhaps that will happen in 2019/20.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are perhaps the NBA’s biggest wild card heading into the 2019 offseason. The club has the cap room necessary to sign, say, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and doing so would make New York a near-lock to return to the playoffs a year from now. On the other hand, if the Knicks strike out in free agency, or end up with a couple second- or third-tier stars, their position will be far more tenuous.

What do you think? Which of these four perennial lottery teams do you expect to return to the postseason first? Is there a team that will have to wait another two or three years (or more) to end its drought?

Head below to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

Southeast Notes: Connelly, Walker, Lamb, Briscoe

April 7th, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Asked about the possibility that he might leave to run the Wizards‘ front office, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly passed on the chance to issue a denial, relays Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Washington has reportedly targeted Connelly as its top candidate after firing Ernie Grunfeld this week.

“To be honest with you, I was hoping not to have to answer that question on a night when we win the Northwest Division,” Connelly responded Friday as the team celebrated its title.

Connelly grew up in Baltimore and had his first NBA job as an intern with the Wizards. He signed an extension with the Nuggets in February, but Kiszla notes that the organization doesn’t have a history of paying executives especially well, which led to the departure of Masai Ujiri in 2013. Kiszla suggests that Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, should refuse any request from the Wizards to interview Connelly.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

With the Hornets as a long shot to reach the playoffs, Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders examines some situations that might be better for free agent guard Kemba Walker. Rhodes states that the Suns are intriguing with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton already in place and a high lottery pick about to join them. Rhodes names the Bulls, Knicks, Lakers and Mavericks as other possibilities.
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer examines whether the Hornets can afford to bring back Jeremy Lamb if they re-sign Walker. Lamb has established himself as a legitimate scorer and another crunch-time option, but the team would be well into luxury tax territory if it brings back both free agents. Bonnell speculates that it will probably take a max offer to keep Walker ($190MM over five seasons or up to $221MM if he makes an All-NBA team and qualifies for a super-max contract), plus something in the range of $10-$13MM annually for Lamb.
The Magic are interested in working out a new deal with Isaiah Briscoe this summer, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Briscoe, who is sidelined by a torn meniscus, was waived this week to open a roster spot for Michael Carter-Williams. He cleared waivers yesterday and is an unrestricted free agent.

Knicks Notes: Durant, Thomas, Mudiay, Letter

April 7th, 2019 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Rich Kleiman is an NBA agent with only one client, but he’ll get plenty of attention this summer, especially in New York, writes Stefan Bondy of The Daily News. If Kleiman, a native New Yorker, can deliver Kevin Durant to the Knicks, he might be in line for a front office job as well, as a commission.

Kleiman and Durant go into detail about their relationship in newly released episodes of the ESPN series, “The Boardroom.” Durant says he was seeking guidance with his career in 2007 when he met Kleiman at a concert. They became friends, but their business partnership didn’t happen until 2013, making Kleiman his third agent in five NBA seasons. Durant also explains that he left the Thunder for the Warriors in 2016 because he wanted “another challenge,” possibly offering hope to the Knicks that he might view this offseason the same way.

“For us, it was stepping into a new chapter,” Durant said. “Let’s see how much we can conquer this totally, all the way around, not just on the basketball court, but as much as we can do in the community, as much as we can do for our businesses as well and obviously me as a basketball player.”

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks are two losses away from the worst season in franchise history, bringing back bad memories for Lance Thomas, who was part of the team that set that record in 2015, Bondy adds in a separate story. “Nobody in any competitive setting likes to lose,” Thomas said. “But it takes a tough-minded individual to keep focus and to make sure things are done the right way to change things around. Myself, I’ve just been constantly working and pushing the guys to have the mindset I have.”
Coach David Fizdale is dropping hints that Emmanuel Mudiay has played his last game for the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Fizdale kept Mudiay on the bench Friday with a sore shoulder and said afterward that he didn’t want to take the chance of Mudiay aggravating the injury with free agency upcoming. “I think about these guys’ careers from the standpoint of, we’re not going to the playoffs, this kid has now established himself and put himself in position to have an offseason where multiple teams are going to want to talk to him,’’ Fizdale said. “I don’t want to risk that after that he’s done so much to get to where he is.” The Knicks have other plans with more than $70MM in cap space, and Dennis Smith Jr. appears to be the point guard of the future unless Kyrie Irving comes to New York.
The letter the Knicks sent to season ticket holders touting the team’s free agent prospects was a mixture of optimism and caution, Steve Popper of Newsday.

Mills, Perry Cite Knicks’ Cap Space In Letter To Fans

April 6th, 2019 at 9:30am CST by marksuleymanov

Entering this summer, the Knicks are expected to be major players for some of the top free agents. Among the names the franchise is expected to pursue are Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

In a letter to season ticket holders, general manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills cited February’s Kristaps Porzingis trade — which netted the team Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan two first round picks — and cap space as reasons for confidence this summer, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. The 279-word letter is the first public acknowledgment from brass on the two max slots the team wields in an offseason with several viable candidates to fill them.

“We have created a tremendous amount of financial flexibility, which has put us in a position to potentially sign up to two max free agents,’’ the letter states. “We will continue to focus on the draft in an attempt to replicate the type of players we added last summer. Most importantly, we will use our cap space diligently and only on players who believe in our plan and are committed to building the New York Knicks into the championship team that you deserve.”

This letter is not the first public vote of confidence from a high-ranking team official in recent months. During a wide-ranging interview last month, team owner James Dolan said the team is set up to do well in free agency.

“Yes, I do think that. I think we offer a pretty good situation for [to acquire free agents]. One is a lot of them love New York, a bunch of them live in New York in the offseason,” Dolan said. “They know the team, they know [head coach David Fizdale] really well, they know [Mills] and [Perry]. Players want to go to a winner and they want to get paid. We’re definitely going to pay them. We think with them combined and the kids we’ve got today, we can build a winning team.”

Zion Would 'Love To Play' In Big Apple

April 5th, 2019 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks apparently won’t have to worry about Zion Williamson demanding a trade if they win the lottery. Williamson said on Friday that he would “love to play” for the Knicks if they drafted him, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. The Duke freshman made the remark during a Final Four press conference while accepting the Oscar Robertson (Player of the Year) Award. He went on to say he’d be happy to go wherever he was drafted.

Knicks Notes: Jordan, Culver, DSJ, Offseason

April 5th, 2019 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

When the Knicks acquired DeAndre Jordan two months ago as part of the seven-player trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas, the veteran center appeared to be destined for the buyout market along with Enes Kanter and Wesley Matthews.

However, the Knicks had other plans for Jordan, keeping him in the mix despite cutting back his role. With Jordan out of the lineup the last few games, Steve Popper of Newsday lauds the 30-year-old for accepting his new role without complaint.

“This is very strange for me,” Jordan said. “I’ve never done this before … At the same time, I know the development of these guys is very important. That’s something that I’m down for.

“We had a few conversations,” Jordan said of head coach David Fizdale. “There was definitely some back-and-forth. He knows how much I love to play and how much I want to compete. Overall, we came to the decision together. Everybody thought it was best for the young guys to, like I keep saying, see these guys play and play in bulk minutes.”

Jordan will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and while the Knicks will have the cap flexibility to bring him back, their pursuit of elite free agents may compromise their ability to do so.

Here’s more out of New York:

While Knicks fans are hopeful of landing a draft pick that gives the team a chance at a player like Zion Williamson or Ja Morant, the odds favor that pick falling to No. 4 or 5 instead. In that scenario, a player like Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver could intrigue the franchise. Marc Berman of The New York Post takes an extended look at Culver, who remains alive in the Final Four and was scouted by the Knicks’ brass earlier in the NCAA tournament.
Dennis Smith Jr. may not play again for the Knicks this season, Berman writes in a separate story for The New York Post. Smith recently re-aggravated a back issue and is uncertain if he’ll be able to return for any of the club’s final four games.
While it’s certainly a positive that the Knicks will enter the offseason armed with cap room, there’s no guarantee that the front office will use that space wisely, Sean Deveney of Sporting News writes in his preview of New York’s offseason.

Beck’s Latest: Lakers, Clippers, Nets, Knicks, LeBron, Durant

April 4th, 2019 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest article for Bleacher Report, Howard Beck looks ahead to an upcoming offseason that figures to feature a four-team, big-market battle for many of the NBA’s star free agents. The Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Nets aren’t the only four clubs that will have the cap space necessary to add one or two maximum-salary players, but they’re the clubs most frequently cited as top destinations for those stars.

While the Knicks and Lakers are popular choices to land marquee free agents, Beck asked 10 executives and scouts to evaluate and rank those four New York and Los Angeles teams based on basketball considerations( such as roster, coaching staff, front office, and ownership), and seven placed the Nets and Clips in the top two. Eight ranked the Knicks last.

As Beck explains, the Lakers and Knicks are viewed with skepticism because of doubts about their young prospects, a lack of faith in the Lakers’ management duo of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, and the poor reputation of Knicks owner James Dolan.

“Brooklyn and the Clippers have a decided advantage over the two marquee names because they’ve done far more in the last few years to position themselves to be sustainable than either New York or the Lakers,” one veteran GM told Beck.

Still, many Lakers and Knicks rivals wouldn’t necessarily be surprised to see those clubs do well in free agency, given the history and “mystique” attached to the two franchises.

“If the Knicks and Lakers get the guys, it means mystique and market really will matter more [than which franchise is run the best],” one GM said. “That’s terrifying.”

Here’s more from Beck’s piece, which is worth checking out in full:

LeBron James tells Beck that this will be a “critical summer” for him and the Lakers, and he fully intends to help with recruiting stars to Los Angeles. “I will be as active as I need to be for this franchise to get better. That’s why I came here. I came here to win,” James said. “And obviously, we need to get better, as far as our personnel. We have an opportunity to get better. And there’s a lot of talent out there, and a lot of guys that can help our franchise. So I’ll be as active as I need to be for us to get better and go from there.”
One assistant GM is skeptical that any star wings or point guards will want to team with LeBron, suggesting that the team will have to focus on star bigs. Rivals also view the Lakers as behind the curve in areas such as analytics, sports science, and player development, according to Beck. Still, the “glamorous sheen” attached to the franchise can’t be overlooked. “The Lakers can show up with a dead body in the room and not get arrested,” a rival official said. “It’s just the nature of the business we are in that they are perceived in this holy-grail-type situation.”
According to Beck, rival executives around the NBA are nearly uniform in their belief that Kevin Durant will end up with the Knicks this summer. While no one knows for sure yet, “virtually everyone believes he’s leaving the Warriors,” Beck writes.
Beck adds that it’s also “considered a given in NBA circles” that Durant and Kawhi Leonard won’t seriously consider the Lakers.
Despite a widespread belief that the Knicks will land Durant, people around the NBA have far more praise for their cross-town rivals, Beck writes. “I think they’ve turned around the Brooklyn era,” a scout said of the Nets. “They’re one or two steps ahead of the Knicks.” Another executive offered the following assessment: “Who would want to go play with the Knicks? Who are your teammates? [Kevin] Knox isn’t even that good.”

Knicks Notes: Kornet, Allen, Mudiay, Oakley

April 3rd, 2019 at 12:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luke Kornet is making a strong push for a new contract during his late-season audition with the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Coach David Fizdale has benched veteran center DeAndre Jordan to take a longer look at rookie Mitchell Robinson alongside Kornet, who will be a free agent this summer. They will be starting for the rest of the season as management evaluates how well they fit together.

Kornet responded to the opportunity with 17 points against the Heat, followed by a career-high 24 against the Bulls. Fizdale has called him the smartest player on the team when it comes to ball movement and helping his teammates on defense.

“They have chemistry together,’’ Fizdale said of the Kornet-Robinson pairing. “Luke stretches the floor for us. Mitch puts pressure on the rim. Both when they get the ball in their hands, they’re looking to get down the floor and get other people involved.”

There’s more out of New York:

Two-way point guard Kadeem Allen would also be getting a chance to showcase his talents if he hadn’t suffered a concussion Monday, Berman notes in a separate story. Allen was a two-way player with the Celtics last season and reportedly turned down an offer to stay in Boston because he believed the Knicks provided a better opportunity. Berman states that scouts from other teams have shown up since the All-Star break to get a look at Allen. He adds that Fizdale has included Allen in discussions of the team’s future and seems to prefer him to Frank Ntilikina.
Emmanuel Mudiay started his 41st game Monday, meeting starter criteria and making him eligible for a $5.75MM qualifying offer, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Knicks have a June 29 deadline to make the offer. His $12.88MM cap hold will not change.
Former Knick Charles Oakley is predicting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be the next owner of the team, tweets Bill Simmons of the Ringer. Oakley, who has feuded with current owner James Dolan, made the surprising statement during the filming of a “Tough Chef” segment. Oakley also predicts New York will miss out on free agent targets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and will sign Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler instead.