- Knicks center Enes Kanter isn’t thrilled about being demoted to the second unit, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post reports. Kanter came off the bench against Golden State on Friday even though he’s the team’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder. Coach David Fizdale is determined to develop his younger players. “We all understand where our team is at and what we’re trying to accomplish right now,” Fizdale said. “One way or another we do have to bring our puppies along.” Kanter’s $18,622,514 salary comes off the books at the end of the season and the Knicks are expected to pursue higher-level free agents.
- Rasheed Wallace, who won a championship with Detroit in 2004, was invited to Knicks practice on Sunday to instruct the big men, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports. Wallace, who was invited by GM Scott Perry, gave rookie Mitchell Robinson plenty of food for thought. “He pushed me to talk more on defense. I have a tendency to be a little quiet. And him, he brings it,” Robinson told Bondy. Fizdale plans to invite another ex-Piston, Chauncey Billups, to deliver tips to his young guards.
Knicks second-year swingman Damyean Dotson has seen his playing time expand with rookie Kevin Knox sidelined by an ankle sprain, but coach David Fizdale was eager to play Dotson anyway, Peter Botte of the New York Post reports. Dotson has averaged 14.0 PPG over the past four games after not playing the first two games. “It was hard not to play him right away, because we have a lot of young guys I’ve got to look at. But he’s really earned his way, and he’s got my trust, for sure,” Fizdale said. Dotson is the low man on the salary list for New York. He’s making $1.378MM this season and has a non-guaranteed $1.62MM contract for next season.
With Kevin Durant and the Warriors set to play in New York tonight, there has been renewed speculation this week about the possibility of Durant ending up with the Knicks when he reaches free agency in 2019.
While we’re more than eight months away from July 1, 2019, Knicks fans are already figuring out ways to sell the star forward on New York City — as we relayed on Thursday, one fan purchased a billboard near Madison Square Garden this week asking if Durant could “make NY sports great again.” The two-time Finals MVP didn’t sound overly impressed by that recruiting tactic.
[RELATED: Knicks viewed as legit suitor for Durant in 2019]
As Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes, Durant is approaching his 2019 free agency planning to be a little more selfish than usual. Having faced a ton of criticism for his last major free agency decision, Durant has resolved to be as honest as possible this time around. For now that means admitting he’s keeping his options open, rather than trying to placate the Warriors – or any other team – with more PR-friendly comments.
After Wednesday’s win over Washington, Durant initially said he’s not thinking about his free agency, but later admitted that there’s one aspect he can’t help but keep in mind.
“I am thinking about the money I’m going to get,” Durant said, per Thompson. “I never got the (massive) deal. I’ve just seen a bunch of dudes around the league making so much money — and I’m happy for them. But I know I deserve that, too. That’s the only thing I’m probably thinking about, to be honest.”
Here’s more on Durant and his 2019 free agency:
- Asked in general terms this week about the Knicks, Durant raved about playing in Madison Square Garden, praised head coach David Fizdale, and downplayed the franchise’s past dysfunction, according to Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group. “I never looked at this organization or any organization as just being a bad one,” Durant said. “I never really focused much on it. A lot is happening in every organization like that where players are uncomfortable or guys force a trade or coaches and GMs don’t get along. That’s the nature of the business. Even in the best organizations, that happens. It’s just a part of the NBA.”
- Addressing Durant’s contract situation, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that he and the All-NBA forward “never talk about it,” per Medina.
- In an article for ESPN Insider, Ian Begley, Bobby Marks, and Kevin Pelton examine whether the Knicks genuinely have a shot to sign Durant, what moves they’d have to make to offer him a maximum-salary contract, and how good the team could be with him on the roster.
- For what it’s worth, based on the NBA’s most recent salary cap projections, Durant could get up to five years and $221.27MM with the Warriors or four years and $164.05MM with any other team, as we outline here. If he decides to accept another one-plus-one deal, any team with the necessary cap room could offer him his projected max ($38.15MM) for 2019/20, matching what the Warriors could pay him for one year.
As the Knicks prepare to host the Warriors on Friday night, a banner of Kevin Durant in a Knicks jersey rests outside of Madison Square Garden. Although its creator is unknown, the large, rectangular message reads: “Can you make NY Sports great again?”
Durant, who’s set to become a free agent in July, is expected to receive interest from several teams with maximum-salary space across the league. The Knicks could be one of these teams, with Durant likely to be at the top of their free-agent list.
“I don’t really know how to feel about that type of stuff,” Durant said, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “It’s cool. No disrespect, but I’m not really impressed with that type of stuff.”
Next to Durant on the banner is budding superstar Kristaps Porzingis, a selling piece for the Knicks to help attract free agents in the summer of 2019. In addition to Durant, the team could target the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler or Kyrie Irving.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Nick Nurse could be the key to the Raptors‘ reset, Jake Fischer details in a piece for SI’s The Crossover. Nurse was hired as Raptors head coach this past offseason and has guided the team to a 5-0 record, quickly earning the respect of players, assistants and fans.
- Nets guard Joe Harris has started the 2018/19 season on a good note, shooting the ball well and proving his worth after signing a new deal with the team this summer, as detailed in a piece by Nets Daily. Harris signed a two-year, $16MM contract to rejoin the club in the offseason, scoring 16 points and grabbing six rebounds on Wednesday against Cleveland.
- Despite being heavily criticized for trading the rights to Luka Doncic for Trae Young on draft night, the Hawks may have secured a long-term building block in Young, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor writes. Young is making a good early impression, averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 assists through four games.
As was reported last week, the G League is creating a new opportunity for NBA prospects over 18 years of age to sign a contract worth $125K as an alternative to the one-and-done route in college basketball. And per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, at least two current Knicks players, both of whom had to wait a season out of high school before entering the NBA Draft, would have taken advantage of this new program if it had been offered when they were getting ready for college.
Big man Enes Kanter, who attempted to play his freshman season at Kentucky before being ruled ineligible, and his current backup, rookie big man Mitchell Robinson, both told Bondy that despite skepticism surrounding the new program (e.g. salary too low, missing out on benefits of big-time college basketball, etc.), they like the new option for young prospects.
Kanter, who turned down millions to play in his native Turkey to play at Kentucky, said in his typical brash fashion, “I turned (millions of dollars) down to play NCAA and then they say no college basketball. Are you kidding me? The NCAA rules are terrible. Write that.”
Robinson, who enrolled at Western Kentucky but quickly withdrew to take the year off to prepare for the draft through individualized workouts, was a bit more measured, saying “I probably would (go that route) because the G League helps you get developed to play at the next level. I don’t see how it would hurt. You can get all the reps you want but you also need to be on the court. A lot people think that school won’t help them so this would be the best thing for them.”
Meanwhile, both Emmanuel Mudiay and head coach David Fizdale also support the new G League initiative, with Fizdale going as far as to support the end of the ban on high schoolers jumping straight to the NBA. “Most of them aren’t (ready for the NBA). But… I’ve always looked at this issue as a regular working human being would be able to make millions of dollars when they’re 18… so how do you tell an 18-year-old who can dunk and shoot 3s that he can’t go to the league?”
Marc Berman of the New York Post has more out the Big Apple this evening:
- Mario Hezonja appears to have maybe taken it personally after being ripped on social media by former team executive Clarence Gaines Jr., the right-hand man to Phil Jackson during a forgettable era of Knicks basketball from 2014-2017. Hezonja scored 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting and was physical on defense in a loss to the Bucks one day after Gaines’ tweet went viral.
- A potential silver lining to the ankle injury suffered by prized rookie Kevin Knox is the emergence of the otherwise seldom-used Damyean Dotson, who finished with 14 points in 31 minutes on 4-of-8 shooting from long range.
- The neck injury to Courtney Lee that has sidelined the veteran since the beginning of training camp remains a mystery, with Lee planning to undergo more tests to find a remedy or the cause of the neck spasms. It remains to be seen whether the effects of the injury are in any way related to the Knicks’ efforts to trade Lee.
Dwyane Wade knows David Fizdale from their time together in Miami and he believes the coach is changing the perception of the Knicks‘ organization.
“I think he’s already changed that perception. Players around the league want to play for Fiz,” Wade tells Stefan Bondy of the Daily News. “Now that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen right away because things happen – guys stay in certain places or they go team up with someone else. But if you ask every player around the league who is the coach they want to play for, Fiz’s name would come up.”
Wade added that a team’s coach isn’t the only factor in attracting free agents. Culture will play a role in making New York a desirable landing spot.
“It comes with what the players are doing on the court. It comes with what the organization is doing,” Wade said. “And other things as well. So he’s definitely going to try to change the culture but it’s a lot of other things that goes with it.”
Wade spoke about how Fizdale helped him shape his game. The current Knicks coach joined the Heat as an assistant in 2008 and used his tremendous communication skills to showcase his basketball mind, helping Wade become the player he is today.
“I allowed him to take my game to the place where I could still play now at 36 without having the same athleticism and everything I had when he first came here,” Wade said of Fizdale. “It’s tough. He came in and I’m a six-time All-Star already. So to sit there and show me a different way, to be able to explain it to me, to be able to give me the vision, it’s a talent he has.”
Turning the Knicks around will be a challenge and Wade feels Fizdale is ready for it. “I think he is very aware — him and his wife — they understand where they want to go. A job like the Knicks, he wanted the challenge. It’s one of those jobs that not many people have gotten right. But if you get it right, it’s a special thing. And someone like him, he doesn’t run away from a challenge,” Wade explained.
“He’s been to the mountaintop a few times here [with the Heat], so that is what he’s looking for. He’s looking for that challenge and what better place than New York?”
The Knicks will have to adjust their lineup to compensate for the loss of first-round pick Kevin Knox, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knox went down with an ankle sprain in Saturday’s game and will miss at least two weeks. He will stay behind for rehab work as the team embarks on its upcoming road trip, and his condition will be re-evaluated in another week.
Guard Damyean Dotson took Knox’s rotation spot after the injury, but coach David Fizdale has other options. He played centers Mitchell Robinson and Enes Kanter together at one point and could also give more minutes to Mario Hezonja.
“It’s the ugly thing about the sport,” teammate Trey Burke said. “Kev is going to be a big piece of this team. I talked to him back in the locker room. I told him to keep his head up. We’re going to need him back and get that ankle well. I’m sure he’ll be back out there soon.”
There’s more this morning from New York City:
- Courtney Lee‘s physical condition continues to be a concern, Berman adds in the same story. Tests are scheduled today to determine the cause of the neck pain he has been experiencing, which has now expanded to his chest. Lee has been dealing with the condition since getting fouled early in training camp. The Knicks reportedly would like to trade Lee, but they need him to get back on the court first.
- The Nets have been impressed by the early performance of rookie Rodions Kurucs, but it may be difficult for him to find playing time with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returning to the lineup, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Kurucs is averaging 8.7 PPG in about 14 minutes per night while shooting 47% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range. He has put aside any thoughts of sending him to the G League. “Rodi, he plays hard,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “There’s some good and some bad. He does everything full-out and we love his energy.”
- Jared Dudley was expected to bring a veteran presence when the Nets acquired him this summer, but he has been surprised to find himself in the starting lineup, relays Ben Stinar of AmicoHoops. Dudley didn’t play much with the Suns the past two years, but Atkinson has been using him with the starters while Hollis-Jefferson is out. “Obviously, two years with limited playing time in Phoenix, to get out there and dust the cobwebs off, and something that felt good,” he said.
Knicks coach David Fizdale has enjoyed the presence of Kristaps Porzingis at practice and games, with Porzingis still months away from a potential return to the court after tearing his ACL in February.
Porzingis, 23, has mostly been away from the team rehabbing his injury, but was at Madison Square Garden when the Knicks took on Boston Saturday night. He sat on the bench supporting his teammates and was available for advice when needed.
“It’s good for his mindset,” Fizdale said, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). “When you’re out that long and you’re dealing with injury and you’re dealing with, (you think) ‘if I don’t come back the same and man I can’t even play and these guys are having fun and competing’ and all of that. For him to be around helps.
“It’s very easy to go into some depression if you stay away from the team when you’re going through something that big. So I think it’s really good for him. I know it’s good for us. The young guys look to him for advice. And for encouragement. And he sees the game very clearly. The film sessions have been fantastic with him. Just him taking over the film sessions and (saying) hey, we have to do this, do this. I know he needs that right now. To feel connected and like I said he’s been fantastic from that point. Totally engaged.”
There’s more out of New York today:
- Kevin Knox sustained a sprained left ankle in Saturday’s game against the Celtics, an MRI confirmed. Knox is set to be re-evaluated in one week and won’t make the team’s upcoming two-game road trip.
- The sudden injury to Knox will free up minutes for young forward Damyean Dotson, Peter Botte of The New York Post contends. Dotson scored 20 points on 4-8 shooting last game, with coach David Fizdale later telling reporters, “I told him this. I told him all through preseason — I trust the kid — ‘You’re a player. You’re exactly what we’re looking for in a player.’ And he earned the right to get on the court. I’m really happy how he kept himself ready, real professional approach.”
- Former Knicks executive Clarence Gaines Jr. ripped Mario Hezonja following the team’s loss to Boston, tweeting that Hezonja is a “huge liability as an individual defender” (link). Knicks general manager Scott Perry is a longtime Hezonja supporter, with Gaines Jr. being a former right-hand man to Phil Jackson during his time with the Knicks.
Knicks rookie Kevin Knox could miss up to a month of action after spraining his left ankle Saturday night, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The injury took place late in the first quarter in a collision with Celtics guard Terry Rozier. Knox had to be helped to the locker room for x-rays, and the initial timetable for recovery has been set at two to four weeks.
It’s a tough way to start a career for the 19-year-old, who was originally pegged to be a starter before an uneven performance in the preseason. The Knicks are still counting on Knox to be an important contributor and want to give him as much court time as possible to help him adjust to the NBA.
“I had a real bad feeling in my gut when he went down,” coach David Fizdale told Marc Berman of The New York Post. “From my angle, I could basically see the [ankle] hit the floor, roll to the floor. I knew right away when he stayed down it was a good one. I feel for the kid. He’s had his fair share of adversity already. That’s what I joked to him about. ‘Welcome to the NBA. You play like crap. You play great [in Brooklyn], then you get hurt.’ It’s the roller coaster of our league. This is good for him. He’s going to learn from this.”
The new season is still in its first week, but there’s more injury news to pass along:
- Gordon Hayward sat out Saturday’s game with “general soreness” in the area of his surgically repaired left ankle, notes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. The Celtics forward, who is playing limited minutes, felt pain in the ankle after Friday’s game in Toronto. “We didn’t plan on that,” coach Brad Stevens said about playing without Hayward. “This is something we’ll take game by game, night by night. Obviously with the minutes restriction we’re monitoring it very closely. It’s general soreness, so not overly concerned about it.”
- An MRI is scheduled today for Nuggets guard Will Barton, who had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair after hurting his hip Saturday, according to an ESPN report. Barton fell to the floor after making a layup in the third quarter and said he heard a pop when he started to jump. Barton signed a four-year, $54MM deal over the summer and entered this season as a full-time starter for the first time in his career.
- Bulls swingman Denzel Valentine is trying to stay positive despite the latest setback in his recovery from a sprained left ankle, relays Sam Smith of NBA.com. Coach Fred Hoiberg said Valentine’s condition will be re-evaluated in another 10 days to two weeks. “I’m not going to quit; just deal with the hand deal,” Valentine said. “I can’t sit here and be negative. I’ve just got to fight, stay mentally strong and this will be bittersweet when I come back and have a great year.”