New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: LeBron, Smith Jr., Cauley-Stein, Lee

November 12th, 2017 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James offered an assessment of the Knicks’ draft strategy after Saturday’s game in Dallas, relays Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. impressed James with 21 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. The Cavaliers star told reporters after the game that Smith “should be a Knick,” indicating that New York should have taken him instead of Frank Ntilikina, who was selected one pick earlier.

“He’s an unbelievable talent [with] athleticism,” said James. “He’s very poised to be his age, can shoot the ball, penetrate. He’s only going to get better and better with the opportunity that he’s getting here. Dallas got a good one. I’ve been knowing that. I’ve been with him for so long now. I’ve been knowing his talent level.”

James is sure to be asked to expand on those comments when the Cavaliers visit Madison Square Garden Monday. MacMahon suggests the statements were part of a long-running feud with former Knicks president Phil Jackson, who angered James last year by using the word “posse” to describe his associates. The Knicks came to Ntilikina’s defense, with Enes Kanter tweeting, “Nope!! We love what we got…Thanks!!!”

There’s more this morning out of New York:

The Knicks received a better draft grade from Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein, who told Howie Kussoy of The New York Post that the organization made the right decision in 2015 when it passed on him to select Kristaps Porzingis. Cauley-Stein was labeled as the best defensive big man in the draft and had a pre-draft workout for the Knicks. The team opted for Porzingis at No. 4, and Cauley-Stein went to Sacramento two picks later. “I thought I had a pretty good chance of coming here, but they ended up picking the right guy,” Cauley-Stein said. “This league’s all about situations. I went to a situation where I’m playing behind the best center in the league [DeMarcus Cousins], or I could’ve gone to somewhere where they don’t have a guy, and now you’re the guy, and you’re getting all the touches. That helps a lot.”
Coach Jeff Hornacek has wanted Courtney Lee to shoot more often since he signed with the team in the summer of 2016, Kussoy writes in a separate story. The 10-year veteran posted a 20-point performance Saturday night and is making a case to be the team’s second option. “He shot the shots he was supposed to,” Hornacek said. “He didn’t need to be wide open. He’s a great shooter. He can shoot it with guys in his face. That helps spread the court.”
Hornacek is an overlooked factor in the Knicks’ 7-5 start, according to Ian Begley of ESPN. He has the team sharing the ball, improving from 23rd to seventh in assist ratio, and working together on defense. “I think he’s done a great job,” said Jarrett Jack, who became a starter after New York lost its first three games. “I know for me, as someone who always has to be a kind of extension of the coach, me and him have been able to kind to develop a relationship where I can kind of read what he wants on the court and I can kind of relay it to the guys.”

Knicks To Part With Mindaugas Kuzminskas?

November 12th, 2017 at 9:15am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks plan to unload Mindaugas Kuzminskas today to make room for Joakim Noah‘s return from suspension, a source tells Laura Albanese of Newsday.

The Lithuanian forward has been a forgotten man in New York, playing just two minutes all season. That comes after a promising rookie year in which he appeared in 68 games and averaged 6.3 points in nearly 15 minutes per night.

“I think the next three years are going to be the best of my career, I hope, because I’ve never felt so good — physically, mentally,” Kuzminskas told reporters before Saturday’s game. “If it is possible to play here, I would be more than happy. I think to play here, to win here is a great feeling, especially this year, when we’re playing pretty good, winning more games, the atmosphere in the gym is great and everything. If it is possible for me to play here, of course I would like to stay, and if not, I would just like to play.”

Kuzminskas lost one of his biggest supporters in the organization over the summer when the Knicks fired former team president Phil Jackson, who signed the 28-year-old to a two-year deal in the summer of 2016. That contract pays him $3,025,035 this season, but the Knicks are apparently willing to sacrifice that money even though there are cheaper options available. Jarrett Jack, Ramon Sessions and Michael Beasley each make $1,471,382 on veterans’ minimum contracts, and Jack’s deal is non-guaranteed.

Last night, Noah served the final game of his 20-game suspension for using an illegal substance, and the Knicks have to make a move by 5 p.m. today to add him to the roster. They will try to work out a trade involving Kuzminskas, Albanese writes, but will waive him if that is not successful.

“I think a lot of things happened this summer, you know, a lot of things changed,” Kuzminskas said. “And it’s obvious that last year’s team wasn’t that good, so you’ve got to change something … [And when] a person like [Jackson] is a fan of yours, it’s awesome, but you know, like I said, I was happy when he was here last year. He gave me a lot of advice. Just seeing him last year, the practices, it gives extra motivation. This year, he’s gone. This year we have other guys who are great too in our front office.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/11/17

November 11th, 2017 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are the G League transactions for today:

The Knicks recalled guards Ron Baker and Damyean Dotson from their Westchester affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
The Grizzlies recalled Wayne Selden and Deyonta Davis from the Memphis Hustle, the team announced (Twitter link).

Knicks Notes: Kuzminskas, Noah, O’Quinn, Porzingis

November 11th, 2017 at 7:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mindaugas Kuzminskas is among several Knicks waiting for the team’s next move once Joakim Noah‘s suspension ends, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Noah is serving the last of his 20 games tonight, which means a roster change should happen soon. The Knicks have 15 other players under contract, so an opening will have to be created before Noah can be activated.

Kuzminskas, who was inactive for tonight’s contest, told reporters he is anxious to see what the team decides to do. He is making $3,025,035 in the final year of his contract, which may be a lot for the Knicks to absorb when Ramon Sessions, Jarrett Jack and Michael Beasley are all signed for the veterans’ minimum of $1,471,382. However, Kuzminskas has barely played this season, getting into one game for just two minutes of action. That follows a promising rookie year in which he averaged 6.8 points in 68 games.

There’s more news out of New York:

Noah isn’t sure how he will fit into the team’s logjam at center, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Enes Kanter has taken over the starting job since being acquired in a trade with the Thunder, and Kyle O’Quinn has emerged as the primary backup. Willy Hernangomez has appeared in just six games, and playing time figures to get even tighter with four centers available. “All I can do is just be as ready as possible,’’ Noah said. “I feel like I’ve put myself in that position, grinding hard. Whatever my role is I’ll accept it. It’s tough, you know? We have a lot of very good players at our position.”
The front office has been making calls to measure O’Quinn’s trade value, Berman writes in the same story. He has been impressive with 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in a reserve role, and the Bucks may be interested after parting with Greg Monroe this week to obtain Eric Bledsoe.
Kristaps Porzingis isn’t just playing better this season, he’s enjoying it more, Berman notes in a separate story. Last year’s turmoil, which included Porzingis skipping his post-season exit interview then being shopped for potential trades, disappeared with the firing of team president Phil Jackson. “Yes, it was a tough year,’’ Porzingis said Friday on WFAN. “We won a lot of games in the beginning because of our talent. I could tell right away it wasn’t going to keep that up for the whole season. It started to go downhill, it wasn’t fun anymore. It was not a very enjoyable season.’’

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/10/17

November 10th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the G League moves from around the basketball world today:

The Timberwolves have recalled Marcus Georges-Hunt from their G League affiliate in Iowa, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune tweets. The forward scored 34 points in his lone game on assignment.
The Grizzlies have assigned three players to the Memphis Hustle, their G League affiliate, a press release on the team’s official site says. Assigned are Ivan Rabb, Deyonta Davis and Wayne Selden.
The Knicks have assigned Ron Baker and Damyean Dotson to their G League affiliate in Westchester, the team’s public relations department tweets.
Per Scott Bordrow of The Arizona Republic, the Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr. from the Northern Arizona Suns, their G League affiliate. The high flyer scored 11 points in his one and only game with the G League squad thus far.

Knicks Would Have Pushed For George Hill If Not For Jackson’s Ouster

November 10th, 2017 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

When they host the Kings on Saturday, the Knicks will get a first-hand look at a point guard who they may very well have signed if not for the front office overhaul in New York. Former Knicks president of basketball operations Phil Jackson had made George Hill his top free agent target before he was ousted, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

According to Berman’s source, Jackson believed Hill would be capable of mastering the triangle offense, and would serve as an excellent mentor for rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina. Hill, who is friends with Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah, was prepared to discuss contract terms with the Knicks on July 1, Berman writes. With Steve Mills running the show in Jackson’s place by that point though, the club’s interest in Hill was minimal.

At this point, the Knicks’ offseason interest in Hill under Jackson isn’t all that relevant, but it makes for a fascinating “what-if,” since it would have set off a chain reaction that impacted other free agents. Hill ultimately signed a three-year deal worth $57MM with the Kings. If he had received a competitive offer in that range from the Knicks, the team would have almost certainly been out of the running for Tim Hardaway Jr., who may have ended up accepting a more modest contract offer to return to Atlanta.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that Scott Perry, the Knicks’ current general manager, was with Sacramento when the Kings signed Hill. If he had joined the Knicks immediately after Jackson’s dismissal, perhaps New York would have gone just as hard after Hill as Jackson intended to. Perry was hired by the Knicks in mid-July.

As it stands, the Knicks can make the case that they made the right decision in pursuing Hardaway over Hill. Even though Hardaway’s contract was widely panned and may still prove to be a misguided investment, he’s probably a better fit for the Knicks right now than Hill. Jarrett Jack has performed well as Ntilikina’s mentor at point guard, and has done so on a much more affordable contract than Hill’s. Meanwhile, Hill’s 7.8 PPG and .406 FG% in the early going with the Kings are his worst marks since his rookie season in 2008/09.

Knicks Notes: Sessions, Porzingis, McDermott

November 9th, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks will have to make a roster move within the next few days, with Joakim Noah set to come off the suspended list, and that fact isn’t lost on Scott Perry. The Knicks general manager confirms that the club continues to explore its trade options with that roster deadline fast approaching, per Marc Berman of The New York Post.

“We know that is looming,” Perry said. “We’re going to have to address the roster. We’ve been working through the process for a few weeks. By Sunday at 5:00 pm., there’ll be a resolution one way or another. Whether it’s a trade or waive an individual.”

Perry referred to veteran point guard Ramon Sessions as a “true professional” who helps to set a “fine example” in the Knicks’ locker room, but it’s widely believed that the 11-year veteran would be on the chopping block if the team has to waive a player. As Berman details in a separate piece, Sessions is staying positive, but admits he hasn’t been in this position – fully removed from his team’s rotation – since entering the league. That doesn’t bode well for his spot on the roster.

Here’s more out of New York:

Kristaps Porzingis‘s brother and co-agent Janis Porzingis recently made a few somewhat incendiary comments to an international outlet about his brother’s future in New York. However, Perry declined to go into detail on those comments when asked about them this week, as Berman relays in a piece for The New York Post. “I don’t really want to talk about that right now,” Perry said. “The time to talk about contract extensions, that’s far. We’re living in today. KP is playing some very good basketball right now. He’s playing well and happy with this team. We’ll deal with all that stuff later. But no comment in terms of what was said because I really don’t know (what it meant).”
Perry also discussed the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City, pointing out that the team wanted to find a deal that benefited both Anthony and the Knicks. “We made the trade because we believed in the two guys we got back in [Enes] Kanter and Doug McDermott,” Perry said. “Thus far those guys have proven to really come in and fit. They’re hard workers, they’re pros. They’re about the things that we want [for] this team.”
Of the players acquired in the Anthony trade, Kanter has been having the bigger impact early in 2017/18, but McDermott showed on Tuesday that he shouldn’t be overlooked, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Doug’s a beast,” Lance Thomas said after the sharpshooting forward scored 20 points on just eight shots. “He was doing this in practice. We know what he’s capable of doing, and he’s doing it.” McDermott will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, and a few more games like that one should improve his stock.

Kristaps Porzingis May Require Offseason Surgery

November 8th, 2017 at 11:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kristaps Porzingis may require offseason surgery on his right elbow due to on-going bursitis, which is an inflammation condition. The big man has had the issue for years and might need to have his elbow drained or potentially undergo another sort of surgical procedure on it as soon as this summer, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“When I hit it again it just swells up and it’s sensitive and I can’t stretch my arm,’’ Porzingis said of his ballooning elbow. “It bothers me a little bit, but not that bad. It’s always, I have to get the swelling down and then I’ll be fine again. But I think once the season’s over. I might have to do something about it. I just can’t keep going like this every year.”

Porzingis was absent from Wednesday’s loss to the Magic, but he believes he’ll be back on Saturday against the Kings. In addition to the elbow injury, he’s also dealing with an ankle ailment.

“Sometimes it’s smart when something’s hurting to maybe sit out one game and not later lose four games,’’ Porzingis said. “But in this case, I got to the point with the ankle I needed to give it a rest. Hopefully I’ll be ready next game.”

The injury appears to be the only thing slowing down the 22-year-old this season. In 10 games played this season, Porzingis is averaging 30.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 51.2% from the field.

Carmelo Anthony: Knicks Exit Was 'Bittersweet'

November 7th, 2017 at 8:57pm CST by marksuleymanov

In a wide-ranging interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Thunder superstar Carmelo Anthony discussed his activism, his trade to Oklahoma City, missing his family in New York, and more. The interview is worth a read, but Anthony once again discussed his tumultuous exit from New York. The 1o-time NBA All-Star said multiple times before the trade that he wanted to win in New York — and even admitted in the interview that he was prepared to come to media day with the Knicks before a trade was consummated.

Kuzminskas, Noah On Trade Block For Knicks

November 7th, 2017 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

With the clock ticking on their 16th roster spot, the Knicks will have to make a roster move of some sort in the coming days, and the team’s preferred option would be to trade a player rather than eating a guaranteed salary, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.

To that end, the Knicks have been making calls to gauge potential trade interest in Mindaugas Kuzminskas, who recently expressed dissatisfaction with his reduced role in New York. Additionally, the club has made Joakim Noah available in trade conversations with several teams since the end of the 2017/18 season, but hasn’t found a viable deal, league sources tell Begley.

Marc Berman of The New York Post had previously reported that Kuzminskas’s representatives were gauging possible trade interest in their client, so it comes as no surprise that the Knicks are involved in those discussions too.

The 28-year-old Lithiuanian forward had modest overall numbers last season, but played well when given the chance to crack the starting lineup, recording 14.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and a .511/.391/.929 in his five starts. Kuzminskas is only earning about $3MM and will be a restricted free agent next summer, so it shouldn’t be overly difficult to move him if there are teams with interest.

The same can’t be said of Noah, whose contract is fully guaranteed through 2019/20 at a rate of approximately $18.5MM annually. As Begley notes, a trade involving Noah is highly unlikely, given his exorbitant salary and his declining production. With Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn off to solid starts, it’s not even clear if Noah will have a place in the rotation when he returns from his suspension, says Begley.

If the Knicks haven’t lined up a suitable trade by the time Noah’s suspension ends, the team may get back down to 15 players by waiving Ramon Sessions, according to Begley. The point guard’s 2017/18 salary is fully guaranteed, but it’s only worth the minimum, and Sessions isn’t a part of the rotation, with Jarrett Jack and Frank Ntilikina currently handling point guard duties.