New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Sign Trey Burke

January 14th, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by marksuleymanov

JANUARY 14, 12:04pm: The signing is official, the Knicks announced on Twitter.

JANUARY 13, 10:38am: The Knicks are expected to sign point guard Trey Burke from the team’s G League affiliate Westchester Knicks, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley. The signing will not be official until tomorrow, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. New York will request waivers on veteran guard Ramon Sessions to make room for the former ninth overall pick from the 2013 NBA Draft.

Burke, 25, has played exceptionally well for Westchester, averaging 26.6 PPG and 5.3 APG while shooting 49% from the field in 37 minutes per game. The former lottery pick, who spent his first three seasons with the Jazz and last season with the Wizards, has not lived up to the hype thus far. In those four seasons, Burke has averaged 10.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, and 2.1 RPG.

It’s unclear how Burke fits in with the current Knicks roster as Jarrett Jack and Frank Ntilikina have soaked up most of the minutes at point guard. The signing reunites Burke with his former Michigan teammate Tim Hardaway Jr., Begley notes.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/13/18

January 13th, 2018 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:

The Knicks recalled guard Damyean Dotson from their Westchester affiliate, the team tweeted. Dotson has appeared in 20 NBA games during his rookie season.
The Hornets recalled rookie guard Dwayne Bacon from their affiliate in Greensboro, the team announced on its website. Bacon is averaging 26.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists with the Swarm.
The Thunder recalled rookie center Dakari Johnson from the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team website. Johnson has played 19 games for the Thunder, averaging 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14.6 minutes.

Knicks Waive Ramon Sessions

January 13th, 2018 at 1:04pm CST by marksuleymanov

1:04pm: The move is official, per a team release.

10:00am: The Knicks will request waivers on veteran point guard Ramon Sessions later today, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Sessions, 31, will receive the remainder of the $2.3MM salary for the 2017/18 season, Pompey adds.

Entering the season with rookie Frank Ntilikina, the Knicks added veteran depth with the signings of Jarrett Jack and Sessions. Sessions started the first three games of the regular season but has since fallen out of the rotation. In 13 games for New York, Sessions has averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.1 APG in 12.8 minutes per night.

Waiving Sessions has been rumored in recent days as the Knicks have pondered calling up fellow point guard Trey Burke from the G League affiliate Westchester Knicks. In 26 games for Westchester, Burke, 25, has played exceptionally well, averaging 26.6 PPG and 5.3 APG in 37 minutes per game.

Ramon Sessions In Familiar Position With Knicks

January 10th, 2018 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ramon Sessions may be in his last days with the Knicks, but the issue isn’t being addressed behind the scenes, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York reportedly wants to sign guard Trey Burke from its G League affiliate, but first it must create a roster opening. Sessions, who started the season’s first three games but has barely played since, seems like the prime candidate to be waived.

Enes Kanter is baffled by his new role in the Knicks‘ rotation, Berman adds in a separate story. Kanter is still the starter and he puts up double-doubles most nights, but he hasn’t played in the fourth quarter of the last five games coming into tonight. Hornacek has been trying to find minutes for four centers, which has reduced Kanter’s playing time. “What’d [Hornacek] say,” Kanter asked. “I have no idea why. I guess it’s a little weird. I have no idea. I look at the coach. He look at me. OK? I’ll sit on the bench.’’

Tim Hardaway's Return Accelerating

January 9th, 2018 at 10:52pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks have missed Hardaway’s scoring since he went on the shelf with a stress injury in his left leg. In 21 games before the injury, Hardaway averaged 17.8 PPG and 4.2 RPG.

The Knicks are reportedly considering signing Trey Burke to their roster from the G League but Hornacek does not see a clear roster spot for the point guard, Joyce writes in a separate story. Burke has played well for the Westchester Knicks, averaging 26.6 points and 5.3 assists. The roster is currently at 15 players and if Burke is added, it’s expected that Ramon Sessions is released, Joyce notes.

Kyler’s Latest: Knicks, Jazz, Magic, Bucks, Lakers

January 9th, 2018 at 2:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks may use the trade market to open a roster spot for G League guard Trey Burke, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. New York is reportedly in “serious talks” about signing Burke, who has been with the organization’s Westchester affiliate since being waived during the preseason.

The Knicks have a full roster and there is speculation that veteran point guard Ramon Sessions could be waived to clear the way for Burke. However, Kyler says the Knicks have received interest in backup centers Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez. They may be able to get a draft pick in return for O’Quinn, but not many teams can take on his $4.08MM salary without sending another player back to New York, which wouldn’t help with signing Burke.

Burke has been outstanding in the G League and has attracted interest from other organizations. According to Kyler, Burke’s representatives have told the Knicks he will consider other offers if they don’t sign him soon. So while there’s not a definite deadline to open a roster spot, there is an incentive to get something done.

Kyler offers info on several other potential deals as the trade deadline draws nearer:

The Jazz would like to get something in return for the expiring contracts of Derrick Favors [$12MM] and Joe Johnson [$10.5MM]. Utah is among the teams linked to Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic, who becomes eligible for a deal Monday. Kyler says the Bulls are willing to make a deal and would be happy to get draft picks and expiring deals in return.
The Magic could be active at the deadline, as sources say they have received inquiries on nearly all their players. They would like to deal guard Evan Fournier, but haven’t received any offers they consider attractive. Despite being a non-contender at 12-28, Orlando isn’t overly interested in draft picks because it already has a lot of young talent and its own pick is likely to fall in the top five. It would take a proven All-Star to land Aaron Gordon, according to Kyler, and the Magic don’t expect to receive that kind of offer. They are also resigned that no one is going to take Bismack Biyombo with two years and $34MM left on his contract beyond this season.
The Bucks continue to need frontcourt help and might give up Jabari Parker in the right deal. However, with Mirza Teletovic sidelined with blood clots in his lungs, the organization would have difficulty matching a big salary. Sources believe Malcolm Brogdon or Thon Maker would have to be included in any significant trade.
The Lakers may have to deal Larry Nance Jr. as an incentive to get teams to take on other salaries. They would love to get rid of Luol Deng‘s contract, but are finding no options without giving up a hefty package of first-rounders.

New York Notes: Hernangomez, Carroll, Okafor

January 9th, 2018 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

Willy Hernangomez got back on the court for the Knicks in Sunday’s win over Dallas, with Jeff Hornacek opting to get all three of his active centers into the game. However, Hernangomez still only played six minutes. As Marc Berman of The New York Post details, the young big man was happy to get back into the rotation, but also told The Post for the second time in two weeks that he wouldn’t mind being traded if it means he’d get to play more.

“I feel great to know other teams are interested about me, right?,” Hernangomez said, referring to a weekend report that he’s receiving trade interest. “My situation is like this right now, not playing much. But I’m ready. I like to be with my teammates. I like to be a part of this team. But I don’t want to [sound] selfish, but I want to play. I’m ready for everything.”

According to Berman, the Knicks still hope to make a deal to clear their center logjam before next month’s trade deadline, but would prefer to move Kyle O’Quinn rather than Hernangomez. Sources tell Berman that a couple “playoff-bound teams” have inquired about O’Quinn as a rental.

Here’s more from out of New York:

The signing of Jarrett Jack, who will have his 2017/18 salary become guaranteed tomorrow, has been one of the big wins of Scott Perry‘s tenure with the Knicks so far, Berman writes in a separate story for The New York Post.
DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe both went down with injuries this week, but the Nets received good news on both fronts, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Carroll is day-to-day with a knee sprain and Crabbe was able to get back into last night’s game against Toronto after initially exiting. Within the same piece, Lewis confirms a report from ESPN, writing that Carroll has received some interest around the NBA as a possible trade piece.
In an interesting piece for The Players’ Tribune, Jahlil Okafor opens up about the trade that sent him to the Nets, his desire to be a “franchise cornerstone,” and his favorite movie as a kid (Air Bud).

Knicks In Serious Talks With Trey Burke

January 8th, 2018 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are engaged in “serious talks” with G League standout Trey Burke, and could reach an agreement with the veteran guard by the weekend, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Charania, Burke is expected to be held out of this week’s G League showcase by the Westchester Knicks, New York’s affiliate.

This is the second time in the last week that the Knicks have been linked to Burke, who briefly joined the team in the fall in order for New York to secure his G League rights as an affiliate player. Last Thursday, a report indicated that the Knicks were considering calling up Burke, with some members of the organization in favor of giving him an NBA contract.

Burke, the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has excelled in the G League so far this season, averaging an impressive 26.6 PPG to go along with 5.4 APG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.9 SPG for Westchester. The 25-year-old has also posted a very respectable shooting line of .488/.416/.831.

In order to lock up Burke to an NBA deal, the club will need to make a roster move. With Jarrett Jack sticking around through yesterday’s non-guaranteed contract deadline, the Knicks now have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so they’ll have to waive one of those players or make a trade in order to create room for Burke. Ramon Sessions looks like the strongest candidate to be cut, while bigs like Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn could be trade candidates.

Woj’s Latest: Pistons, Fournier, Lakers, Hawks

January 8th, 2018 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Shooting guards and small forwards are in high demand as the trade deadline approaches, and there simply aren’t that many quality wings expected to be available, Adrian Wojnarowski writes in his latest report for ESPN.com. As Wojnarowski details, the Pistons, Knicks, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers are just a few of the many teams looking for upgrades on the wing.

DeMarre Carroll (Nets), Alec Burks (Jazz), Kent Bazemore (Hawks), and Evan Fournier (Magic) are among the veterans attracting some interest on the trade market, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that the Pistons pursued a deal for Fournier. Such a trade would be hard to pull off without including Reggie Jackson‘s contract, so nothing’s imminent at this point, but the Pistons continue to be aggressive on the trade market, a reflection of Stan Van Gundy‘s desire to win now, says Wojnarowski.

As for the Pelicans, they also remain active in trade talks despite their limited assets, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca have negative value and won’t be movable without New Orleans attaching a draft pick or two. If the Pelicans can’t trade for a wing, they’ll have to count on getting Solomon Hill back healthy for the home stretch of the season.

Here’s more from Woj:

The Lakers have “made it clear” that Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr. are available in trades, reports Wojnarowski. The club had been planning on waiting until after the season to try to move Clarkson, but there may be a mutual desire to get something done on that front sooner rather than later.
Bazemore, Ersan Ilyasova, and Marco Belinelli are expendable in Atlanta, where the Hawks are focused on unloading veterans and stockpiling more young players and draft picks, per Wojnarowski.
The Bulls still plan to trade Nikola Mirotic after January 15, assuming he OK’s a deal. According to Wojnarowski, Mirotic is somewhat intrigued by the Jazz and their head coach Quin Snyder, who has a reputation for maximizing offensive talent.
It’s possible their outlooks could change by the trade deadline, but the Thunder and Pelicans currently have no plans to trade Paul George or DeMarcus Cousins, respectively. Both players can become unrestricted free agents this July.
We passed along more rumors from Woj in full stories earlier today, providing the latest on DeAndre Jordan and examining the Grizzlies‘ asking price for Tyreke Evans.

Knicks’ Willy Hernangomez Attracting Trade Interest

January 7th, 2018 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Several teams have contacted the Knicks about backup center Willy Hernangomez, according to Ian Begley on ESPN Now.

Playing time has been an issue all season for Hernangomez as Enes Kanter took over as the starting center after being acquired from Oklahoma City, leaving Kyle O’Quinn, Joakim Noah and Hernangomez to compete for the remaining minutes.

Hernangomez has only played in three of the Knicks’ last 16 games and has appeared in just 17 all season. He is averaging 9.7 minutes per night, roughly half of his playing time as a rookie last year. The teams reaching out to the Knicks believe Hernangomez still has potential based on his performance last season, when he averaged 8.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

The Knicks don’t want to part with Hernangomez unless they receive a “prime talent” in return, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. He adds that no concrete offers have been received, but the teams making inquiries have a history of pursuing European players. New York would prefer to deal O’Quinn, who is expected to opt out this summer, but has only received “mild interest” from contenders about him.

A deal has been considered likely for some time as New York tries to solve its overabundance of centers. Hernangomez has the easiest contract to absorb, making $1,544,951 this season with a non-guaranteed $1,676,735 for 2018/19. O’Quinn is earning a little more than $4MM this year with a $4,256,250 player option for next season, while Noah is virtually untradable with two years and nearly $38MM left on his deal.