New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Interested In Signing Troy Williams

February 19th, 2018 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks are interested in signing forward Troy Williams, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets. They are one of several teams looking at the former Rockets forward and he’s expected to make a decision soon, Begley adds.

New York has an open roster spot, so it wouldn’t have to shed a contract to add Williams. He was the odd man out when Houston decided to add veteran swingman Joe Johnson during its stretch run.

Williams, 23, began his NBA career with the Grizzlies last season before being waived a little over a year ago. The 6’7” forward finished the 2016/17 campaign with the Rockets, then signed a new three-year contract with Houston but only the first year was fully guaranteed.

In 34 total NBA games, Williams has averaged 5.6 PPG and 2.1 RPG. He was placed on waivers on February 14th and officially became a free agent on February 16th, according to RealGM.com’s transactions list.

Noah, Hornacek Altercation Turned Physical?

February 19th, 2018 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 19: There are conflicting reports on the exact details of the altercation, with sources telling Marc Berman of The New York Post that Hornacek never pushed Noah. Berman reports that the two men did engage in a shouting match, adding that Noah had to be restrained.

FEBRUARY 17: Knicks center Joakim Noah got into a physical altercation with coach Jeff Hornacek that led to his leave of absence, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

Their long-running disagreement over playing time became heated at a practice following a January 23 game against the Warriors in which Noah logged just five minutes. They had to be separated after Hornacek shoved Noah, Bondy reports.

Noah is currently on a leave of absence, which Knicks officials describe as mutual. The team tried to trade him before the February 8 deadline, but there were no takers because of his hefty contract, which still has two more seasons and nearly $38MM remaining.

Trying to reach a buyout agreement is another option, but it’s one the Knicks have been opposed to. If Noah does become a free agent, the Timberwolves are an obvious potential destination with Noah’s former coach Tom Thibodeau running the team.

Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler, a teammate of Noah for five seasons in Chicago, spoke to the veteran center recently and said he just wants an opportunity to play.

“He wants to help win. He’s a great dude,” Butler said. “I talked to him a little bit, not a lot. All in all, I want him to be happy. Because you can’t go to work every day, being with the same people every day, if you’re not happy. That’s not good for anybody.”

Joakim Noah Makes First Public Appearance In Several Weeks

February 18th, 2018 at 10:58pm CST by marksuleymanov

Joakim Noah is currently away from the Knicks, but he made his first public appearance in weeks during the All-Star break. The former Defensive Player of the Year was spotted at a party hosted by NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein. Marc Berman of the New York Post spoke to Goldstein about Noah’s rare appearance.

We noted on Saturday that a confrontation in late January between Noah and head coach Jeff Hornacek allegedly turned physical. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Hornacek shoved Noah and the two men had to be separated, though Berman’s sources dispute that Hornacek pushed Noah. The veteran center has not been back with the team since then as the Knicks have tried him and the remainder of his near-$38MM salary for the next two seasons.

Ntilikina And Mudiay Could Play At Same Time

February 18th, 2018 at 5:35pm CST by marksuleymanov

It’s been established that once regular season games resume, the Knicks plan on using recently acquired Emmanuel Mudiay, rookie Frank Ntilikina, and Trey Burke more extensively. Former NBA point and guard and TNT analyst Kenny Smith believes the Knicks can play both Ntilikina and Mudiay at the same time and let them compete for playing time, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

With the Knicks planning of using the aforementioned trio of guards, veteran Jarrett Jack is expected to lose playing time and may even be a buyout candidate. The organization had made it clear that Ntilikina is being groomed to be the future point guard, but the team is reluctant to make him the full-time starter. Mudiay, a former lottery pick, gives the Knicks both another option and competition.

Ntilikina Planning Summer In France

February 18th, 2018 at 10:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks fans may find some hope in comments that Celtics guard Kyrie Irving relayed Saturday about Kristaps Porzingis, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I told him I would love to play with a big like you, man, when we played them in the beginning of the season when he came to Boston,’’ Irving said. “He’s so versatile. So I wish him nothing but the best and hope he comes back even stronger.” Irving will be a free agent in the summer of 2019, which is the next time the Knicks will have a healthy amount of cap space. Porzingis is expected to be fully healed from ACL surgery by then and could give Irving, who grew up in West Orange, N.J., a reason to consider coming to New York.
Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina will spend most of the offseason in France and doesn’t plan to play in the Las Vegas Summer League, Berman reports in a separate story. The front office hasn’t discussed the offseason with Ntilikina and may send a developmental coach to France if that happens.

Frank Ntilikina Uses All-Star Break To Take Mind Off Struggles

February 16th, 2018 at 5:59pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks have limped into the All-Star break on an eight-game losing streak. Rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, one of the 10 players chosen to represent the World Roster at the NBA Rising Starts Challenge tonight, hopes to take the weekend as an opportunity to take his mind off things and soak in advice, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.

Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Head Coaching Job

February 15th, 2018 at 11:01pm CST by marksuleymanov

As we outlined in an earlier Knicks post, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News wrote today that it’s “hard to envision a scenario” in which head coach Jeff Hornacek is back next season. Hornacek is in his second year at the helm and the Knicks have struggled to a 54-87 record under his watch. The roster has been in a constant of flux, the front office has been at odds, and Hornacek has taken the brunt of the blame.

Since 2014, the New York has had four head coaches, with Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis and Hornacek holding down the position. However, the Knicks have not enjoyed a winning campaign since the 2012/13 season and have seemingly been building for the future for half a decade.

The rest of this season is all but over as the Knicks sport the ninth-worst record in the NBA and are likely out of the playoff picture after franchise star Kristaps Porzingis went down with a season-ending torn ACL. With solid young long-term pieces such as Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Tim Hardaway Jr. in place, the front office – along with Hornacek – has stressed that this year is designed to prepare for the future.

If that is the plan, is Hornacek the man to lead the Knicks into the future? Do you think the Knicks should move on from Hornacek? If the team does make a change, who do you feel would be the right coach for the current roster? Sound off in the comments below!

Knicks Notes: Jack, Ntilikina, PGs, Hornacek

February 15th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Knicks return from the All-Star break, their backcourt rotation may look a little different, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. As Bondy details, Jarrett Jack has been New York’s starting point guard for 56 of the team’s 59 games this season, but that figures to change in the coming weeks as the club focuses on developing its younger players.

While it’s not clear who will replace Jack in the starting lineup, or whether the veteran’s role will be altogether eliminated, head coach Jeff Hornacek said that the Knicks expect to give more minutes to some combination Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Trey Burke — the club may even play two of those young point guards alongside one another at times, writes Bondy.

Getting Ntilikina more action at his natural point guard spot is also a priority for the Knicks, per Hornacek. “We don’t want (Ntilikina) to always be off the ball,” Hornacek said. “We want to play him on the ball. So that he continues to get that taste of the point guard position.”

As we wait to see what the Knicks’ new rotation looks like, here are a few more notes on the lottery-bound club:

Within his post on the Knicks’ point guard plans, Bondy includes an interesting note on Jeff Hornacek, writing that it’s “hard to envision a scenario where he returns next season.” Bondy isn’t reporting outright that the Knicks are expected to make a coaching change, but it sure sounds like he thinks it’ll happen.
The Knicks currently have the ninth-worst record in the NBA, and they’ll have a tough time passing many of the team’s above them in our Reverse Standings. Taking that into account, Marc Berman of The New York Post takes a closer look at a couple prospects who could be available at No. 9 for the Knicks: Villanova’s Mikal Bridges and Michigan State’s Miles Bridges.
On Wednesday, we passed along the latest updates on the season-ending injuries suffered by Kristaps Porzingis and Ron Baker.

Knicks’ Ron Baker Out For Season

February 14th, 2018 at 6:35pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 14: Following a successful surgery, Baker will be in a sling for 4-6 weeks as his shoulder heals, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. The full recovery time is about four months, which means he should be fully healthy come June, as initially reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post.

FEBRUARY 5: Knicks guard Ron Baker is scheduled to undergo an arthroscopic shoulder stabilization procedure on his right shoulder this Wednesday, the team announced today (Twitter link). The surgery will sideline Baker for the remainder of the 2017/18 season, according to the Knicks.

The Knicks had announced last week that a dislocated right shoulder and torn labrum would keep Baker out of action indefinitely, but initially avoided ruling him out for the entire season. Now that he’s set to go under the knife, the second-year guard will see his season come to an end, but he should be healthy for training camp — the Knicks said today that there will be a four-to-six month recovery period for Baker.

After being rewarded for a promising rookie season with a two-year, $8.9MM contract in the offseason, Baker struggled this year. In 29 games for the Knicks, the former Wichita State standout has averaged just 2.4 PPG and 1.6 APG, with a shooting line of .339/.333/.769.

While Baker’s $4.54MM salary for 2018/19 isn’t yet guaranteed, he has long been considered a lock to exercise his player option, and this season-ending injury should only further cement that decision.

Porzingis Eager To Begin Rehab

February 14th, 2018 at 6:23pm CST by clarkcrum

According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis is ready to begin his rehab after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. “I’m attacking my rehab right away,” Porzingis wrote. “I truly believe that with consistent hard work, patience and positive attitude I’ll come back stronger, better, and sharper than ever.” And Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek took the enthusiasm one step further, telling Marc Berman of the New York Post that Porzingis will ultimately “be glad he went through it.”