New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Rumors: Porzingis, Hezonja, 2019, Noah

July 11th, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Devin Booker has already signed a maximum-salary extension with the Suns, and Karl-Anthony Towns is discussing a similar deal with the Timberwolves, but the Knicks appear to be in no rush to lock up Kristaps Porzingis to a long-term rookie scale extension of his own. As Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes, signing Porzingis now would mean giving up about $10MM in 2019 cap room, so the team may prefer to wait until next summer to get something done with the standout big man.

“We’ll continue to stay in touch with Kristaps,” Knicks GM Scott Perry said on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “He’s part of our long-term plan. But we’ll get all that figured out at the appropriate time in terms of when we get into that negotiation. We’re comfortable with were at with him and we’ll work together with he and his representation to figure something out.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

This year’s signing of Mario Hezonja may represent a hedge against striking out on top free agents in 2019, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. As Berman explains, the Knicks would probably have to renounce Hezonja next summer in order to clear cap room for a maximum-salary free agent, but if New York doesn’t need to maximize its space, Hezonja’s Non-Bird rights should give the team the ability to make a competitive offer to retain him for one more than one season.
Knicks president Steve Mills sounds like he doesn’t want to put all his eggs into one basket when it comes to landing a star free agent in 2019, Berman adds. “We didn’t say our ultimate goal was to have cap room in 2019 — that’s just a byproduct of the situation of how our salaries line up,” Mills said. “There’s no reason to think if Mario does really well, he shouldn’t be part of what we’re doing. Our goal is to put together a Knick team that could be competitive in the long-term.”
Speaking of Hezonja, he said he got offers from the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Thunder before he accepted the Knicks’ proposal, Berman writes in a separate article.
According to GM Scott Perry, all options are still in play for Joakim Noah, whether that means trading, stretching, or keeping him, per Ian Begley and Nick Friedell. “He’s still a member of the Knicks franchise right now,” Perry said of Noah. “He’s part of this team. Like we said to you earlier, all options are on the table for us concerning him, whether it’s coming back or some sort of trade or whatever the case may be.”
During his introductory press conference as a Pacer, Kyle O’Quinn made a comment that could be interpreted as a dig at the Knicks. “I just felt like at this point, I owed it to myself to be a part of something bigger than next year’s draft,” O’Quinn said, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays.

New York Notes: Robinson, Lin, Nets, Noah

July 9th, 2018 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Despite some speculation that he may be a first-rounder, the Knicks were able to nab Mitchell Robinson with the 36th overall pick in last month’s draft. That was never a lock though, and a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that the Knicks mulled the possibility of trading up a few spots in the draft to make sure they’d be able to grab the young center.

Robinson, who signed his first NBA contract on Sunday, looked good in Summer League play later in the day, putting up 12 points and 11 rebounds with a pair of blocks against Utah. As Berman writes in a separate article for The Post, the rookie big man still wants to get in better shape, but is optimistic that he’ll be able to make an impact for the Knicks.

“I feel I really can play in the NBA,” Robinson said. “Nowadays you got the 7-footer who can jump out of the gym. I’m one of them. It will work out great for me.”

Here’s more from out of New York on the Knicks and Nets:

Brian Lewis of The New York Post checks in on Jeremy Lin‘s recovery from a torn patellar tendon. While the Nets point guard hasn’t played five-on-five ball yet, he anticipates being ready to go for training camp.
In another story for The Post, Lewis explores what’s next for the Nets now that Dwight Howard‘s buyout has been finalized. That agreement opened up more cap room, but GM Sean Marks doesn’t sound like he’s in a hurry to spend it. “I wouldn’t rule anything out. I’d just say we’re constantly weighing our options,” Marks said. “We’re going to be strategic and see how [free agency] comes. The longer the process is drawn out and going into July, there will probably be better deals out there.”
Joakim Noah‘s future with the Knicks remains a question mark, but the big man sounds enthusiastic about the idea of staying in New York and playing for new head coach David Fizdale, as he told TMZ this weekend.
Marc Berman of The New York Post takes a closer look at Juwan Howard Jr., who is playing for the Knicks in Summer League and hopes to get an invite to join the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate. Fizdale, of course, has a good relationship with Howard’s father from their days in Miami.

Knicks Sign Second-Rounder Mitchell Robinson

July 8th, 2018 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:17pm: Robinson signed a four-year deal with two fully guaranteed seasons and a team option for year four, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. According to Berman, the pact includes about $4.8MM in the first three years, so at least one year is worth more than the minimum. Three years at the minimum would have been worth about $3.9MM. The third year isn’t fully guaranteed (Twitter link).

5:10pm: The signing is official, per a team press release.

3:48pm: The Knicks have reached a multi-year agreement with second-round pick Mitchell Robinson, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.

The contract is expected to be at least thee years, meaning the Knicks will use their mid-level exception to complete. the move. The team has about $2.1MM left on its MLE after signing Mario Hezonja, but it’s certain how much of that amount Robinson will receive.

The 7’1” center, who was the 36th overall pick, didn’t play college ball after committing to Western Kentucky. However, the Knicks have been impressed with his confidence and aggressiveness thus far on their summer-league team, Begley adds.

New York has three other centers on the roster — Enes Kanter, Luke Kornet and Joakim Noah, though it’s unlikely the disgruntled Noah will play again for the franchise.

Michael Beasley Hasn't Heard From Knicks

July 6th, 2018 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Michael Beasley hasn’t heard from the Knicks since free agency began, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman that Beasley, who is drawing interest from a couple teams, is “disappointed” in the lack of interest from the Knicks, but understands that they’re “going young.”

Kings To Focus On Trade Market With Cap Room?

July 6th, 2018 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are one of three NBA teams with significant cap room still available and have been linked to big-name restricted free agents like Jabari Parker and Zach LaVine within the last week or two. However, rather than making a bid for an RFA, Sacramento may take another route with its cap space.

According to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, the Kings intend to focus on the trade market, hoping to use their cap room to absorb an unwanted contract or two and collect extra draft assets. The ideal scenario for the team, Jones suggests, would be to acquire a veteran small forward in a trade and pick up a 2019 first-rounder, since Sacramento’s own 2019 pick is headed to the Celtics or Sixers.

While Jones confirms that Sacramento has expressed interest in Parker and LaVine, the prospect of reshaping the roster around either player, plus the uncertainty surrounding an offer sheet – which could be matched by the Bucks and Bulls, respectively – may ultimately discourage the club from pursuing either RFA. The Kings also view Parker as a power forward and aren’t looking to add more players at that spot, Jones notes.

The Kings have been on the lookout for a small forward in free agency, offering slightly more money to Mario Hezonja than the $6.5MM he’ll reportedly receive from the Knicks. However, if the team can add a small forward in a trade that also includes another asset or two, it may be a win in both the short- and long-term for the franchise.

While Jones doesn’t identify any specific trade partners the Kings may talk to, Bobby Marks’ list of clubs with the highest projected 2018/19 team salaries gives us a pretty good idea of which teams might be looking to cut costs.

The Thunder are one possible trade partner, though Alex Abrines and Kyle Singler may not appeal much to the Kings, and Carmelo Anthony is unlikely to approve a trade to Sacramento. The Raptors could be an intriguing fit if they’re looking to get out of the tax, or at least to reduce their projected tax bill — Norman Powell is believed to be available, and C.J. Miles could be too.

David Fizdale's Serious Crush On Wingspan

July 5th, 2018 at 9:03pm CST by Austin Kent

While he’s always been one to play footloose and fancy free with the concept of traditional player positions, a vision Knicks boss David Fizdale shared with Marc Berman of The New York Post could be one of the most innovative yet. The head coach talked about playing Mitchell Robinson and Luke Kornet – both seven footers – together, with Kristaps Porzingis at the three and 6’9″ rookie Kevin Knox at the two. “Obviously, I have a crush on wingspan,” Fizdale said.

Pelicans, Bucks, Others To Be Hard-Capped

July 5th, 2018 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA salary cap is somewhat malleable, with various exceptions allowing every team to surpass the $101.869MM threshold when that room is used up. In some cases, teams blow past not only the cap limit, but the luxury-tax limit as well, with clubs like the Thunder, Warriors, and Nuggets projected to go well beyond that tax line this year.

The NBA doesn’t have a “hard cap” by default, which allows those clubs to build significant payrolls without violating CBA rules. However, there are certain scenarios in which teams can be hard-capped. When a club uses the bi-annual exception, acquires a player via sign-and-trade, or uses more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception, that club will face a hard cap for the remainder of the league year.

When a club becomes hard-capped, its team salary cannot exceed the tax “apron” at any point during the rest of the league year. For the 2018/19 league year, the apron is $129.817MM, approximately $6MM above the $123.733MM tax line.

Based on the agreements reported so far in free agency, it appears that five teams are set to hard-cap themselves for the 2018/19 league year. Here are the details on those teams:

New Orleans Pelicans

When the Pelicans agreed to sign Elfrid Payton to a one-year, $2.7MM deal, we assumed they’d use a portion of their mid-level exception rather than their bi-annual exception, to avoid creating a hard cap. However, the team then reached a two-year agreement worth a reported $18MM with Julius Randle.

It now appears that the Pelicans will sign Randle using their full ($8.641MM) mid-level exception. With Rajon Rondo headed to the Lakers, it’s possible the two teams will arrange some sort of sign-and-trade agreement to allow New Orleans to preserve its MLE, but there’s been no indication so far that that’s in the works. And either way, the Pelicans would become hard-capped.

The projected salaries for Randle and Payton bring the Pelicans’ total team salary to about $112MM. With Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins headed elsewhere, New Orleans likely doesn’t have any other big-money investments coming, so the hard cap shouldn’t be a major issue.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks agreed to a deal with Ersan Ilyasova worth a reported $21MM over three years. The taxpayer mid-level exception would only allow for about $16.8MM over three seasons, so Milwaukee figures to exceed that amount and create a hard cap.

Taking into account Ilyasova’s projected salary, the Bucks are up to almost $108MM in guaranteed team salary. Keeping Brandon Jennings and Tyler Zeller, who have non-guaranteed deals, would increase that number to nearly $112MM. That would leave less than $18MM in breathing room under the hard cap as Milwaukee considers what to do with restricted free agent Jabari Parker.

Minnesota Timberwolves

When word of the Timberwolves‘ agreement with Anthony Tolliver initially surfaced, the one-year deal was said to be worth about $5-6MM. That amount lined up with the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.337MM), so it made sense that Tolliver would receive that taxpayer MLE. However, subsequent reports said the forward will actually earn $5.75MM, meaning Minnesota will be using the full MLE and will become hard-capped.

Tolliver’s signing isn’t yet official, so it’s possible that final number will look a little different, but if the Wolves’ flexibility this season ends up limited by paying Tolliver an extra $400K, that move will be questioned. For now, Minnesota projects to have a team salary of about $118MM for 11 players, assuming they stretch Cole Aldrich‘s partial guarantee. That should give the Wolves enough room to fill out their roster and stay well below the apron, perhaps even avoiding the tax too.

San Antonio Spurs

Like the Timberwolves, the Spurs appear to have imposed a hard cap on themselves by barely exceeding the taxpayer mid-level exception. A two-year deal using the tax MLE would end up just shy of $11MM, but San Antonio’s reported agreement with Marco Belinelli is for $12MM, suggesting the team will be using its full MLE.

Taking into account new deals for Belinelli and Rudy Gay, the Spurs appear to have a team salary of approximately $108MM. That puts them more than $20MM below the tax apron, so as long as they don’t have to break the bank for restricted free agents Kyle Anderson, Davis Bertans, and Bryn Forbes, they should be fine.

New York Knicks

In order to secure a commitment from Mario Hezonja, the Knicks had to go over the taxpayer mid-level, agreeing to sign the veteran forward for $6.5MM. New York will be using the full MLE, dedicating most or all of the remaining portion to second-rounder Mitchell Robinson.

The hard cap shouldn’t be a factor for the Knicks, who are currently at about $109MM in team salary, and don’t have any other major expenditures planned.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Knicks Sign First-Rounder Kevin Knox

July 5th, 2018 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are the latest team to lock up their first-round pick to his first NBA contract, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed Kevin Knox to his rookie deal.

[RELATED: 2018 Draft Pick Signings]

Like all other rookie contracts for first-round picks, Knox’s deal will be a four-year pact with two guaranteed years, followed by team options in years three and four. As our chart of rookie salaries shows, his earnings project to exceed $18.5MM if he plays out the full four-year contract.

Knox, the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft, won’t turn 19 years old until next month, but there’s already talk in New York about the possibility of him entering the team’s starting lineup in his rookie year.

In his lone season at Kentucky, the versatile forward averaged 15.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG with a shooting line of .445/.341/.774.

David Fizdale Aspires To Play More Positionless Basketball

July 4th, 2018 at 3:13pm CST by Austin Kent

While Knicks acquisitions Mario Hezonja and Kevin Knox are a far cry from the future Hall-of-Famers David Fizdale worked with as a member of the Heat‘s coaching staff, the head coach believes that those flexible wings can play similar roles to the ones Dwyane Wade and LeBron James filled in Miami. Marc Berman of The New York Post spoke with Fizdale about his desire to play more positionless basketball.

David Fizdale Expects Free Agent Splash Next Summer

July 3rd, 2018 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

New coach David Fizdale believes the Knicks will be in position to have a huge impact on free agency next summer, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Mario Hezonja represents the Knicks’ only major signing this year, but Fizdale gave a hint of what the organization expects 12 months from now.

Knicks first-rounder Kevin Knox is focused on conditioning prior to the start of summer league, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. There was concern about Knox’s energy level at Kentucky, and he admits some of it was justified. “I worked on my conditioning a lot this summer as far as getting in extra sprints, so I keep my motor up the whole game,” he said. “You’re going to get tired at some point during the game. It’s good we got a lot of guys that if I have to sub myself out so I can be on the court 100 percent playing with full energy.”