New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Carmelo Anthony Talks Phil Jackson, Trade, OKC

October 18th, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In advance of a Thursday night matchup against his old team, Carmelo Anthony spoke this week about the trade that sent him from the Knicks to the Thunder, with both Marc Stein of The New York Times and Fred Kerber of The New York Post passing along the forward’s thoughts. While Anthony says he holds “no grudge” against the Knicks, he acknowledges he wasn’t thrilled with the way Phil Jackson handled his situation earlier this year, calling Jackson’s behavior “hurtful.”

“I was always … going to put my trust in Phil,” Anthony said, per Kerber. “That diminished after a while. I’m out here doing everything I can, and I’m still getting stabbed in the back. I’m not trusting in that anymore. I’m trusting in these guys (teammates) that are out here. Whoever’s out here, this is who I’m dealing with.”

As Anthony explains to Stein, he had a nagging sense that Jackson was trying to force him out of New York, which dampened his devotion to the Knicks. Jackson – who was willing “to trade me for a bag of chips,” according to Carmelo – was eventually ousted as the club’s president of basketball operations. At that point, the Knicks went, in Anthony’s words, “from asking for peanuts to asking for steak” in trade talks.

With Jackson gone and Steve Mills and Scott Perry taking a harder line in trade negotiations, the odds of a deal with the Rockets declined. Still, Anthony felt that bridges had been burned in New York, and remained committed to finding a trade that worked.

“I think at that point it was too far gone,” Anthony said. “I already had in my mind that I wanted to win, that I wanted to move on. We didn’t think it would take as long as it did, but my mind was already made up.”

As for his eventual destination, Anthony admits to Stein that his 10-year-old son Kiran was among those who sold him on Oklahoma City as his new NBA home.

“My son has a basketball mind,” Anthony said. “So I will always throw little topics at him. He was like, ‘Dad, where you getting traded to?’ I told him, ‘I don’t know, where do you think I should go?’ He said: ‘You really want me to give you my opinion? I think you should go to OKC.'”

Rockets, Knicks, Pelicans Eyeing Wade Baldwin

October 17th, 2017 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets, Knicks, and Pelicans are among the teams with some level of interest in point guard Wade Baldwin, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). The Timberwolves, Wolfson’s local team, haven’t shown interest in Baldwin at this point.

Baldwin, a Vanderbilt alum, was the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft and spent his rookie season with the Grizzlies. After 33 up-and-down games with the club, Baldwin was a somewhat surprising victim of the roster crunch in Memphis on Monday, with the team waiving him and fellow 2016 draftee Rade Zagorac to get down to the 15-man limit.

Although Baldwin struggled to adjust to the NBA in his rookie season, he’s still just 21 years old, so there will likely be clubs that view him as a project with some upside.

Currently, Baldwin remains on waivers. If a team wanted to claim him, that club would need to be willing to take on his $1.874MM guaranteed salary for 2017/18, and would need to have enough cap space – or a big enough trade exception – to accommodate that money. It’s more likely that Baldwin will clear waivers and perhaps sign a minimum salary deal with a new team.

If Baldwin doesn’t receive an NBA offer, he could end up playing overseas or in the G League, either on a two-way contract or a straight G League deal. Nine NBA teams have at least one open two-way slot at the moment.

Doug McDermott Very Unlikely To Sign Extension Today

October 16th, 2017 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are “highly unlikey” to sign newly-acquired sharpshooter Doug McDermott to a new deal today, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. As Begley observes, there’s no rush for the Knicks, who will have all season to see how McDermott fits in New York.

New York Notes: Crabbe, Starting Lineups, NBA Draft

October 15th, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by marksuleymanov

Newest Nets acquisition Allen Crabbe was limited during the preseason due to an ankle injury. Crabbe missed the first two preseason contests and was relegated to coming off the bench in the final two games. Head coach Kenny Atkinson wants to get Crabbe acclimated to the lineup but is also pleased with how Brooklyn’s highest-paid player has progressed, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.

“We still have to integrate Allen Crabbe a little bit. He’s obviously a little behind because he’s been out,” Atkinson said. “We got a good practice in [Friday] and he got a lot of reps. For him it’s just a matter of time. Overall [I’m] pleased.”

Crabbe, 26, had a productive season off the Trail Blazers’ bench last season, averaging 10.7 PPG across 79 games in Portland. Crabbe’s journey to Brooklyn was delayed by one year as the Nets originally issued him an offer sheet that the Trail Blazers matched. Now that he’s in a revamped culture with a revamped roster in Brooklyn, Crabbe’s health will be key to the team’s development.

Below you can check out other news surrounding New York’s two basketball teams:

Without a clear defensive big man on the Nets roster, playing with a smaller roster on the floor could spell disaster for the young Brooklyn squad, Lewis writes in a separate story.
A knee injury to 19-year-old Frenchman Frank Ntilikina is making the Knicks‘ opening night lineup clearer, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Veteran Ramon Sessions will be the likely starting point guard with Tim Hardaway Jr. (shooting guard) and Courtney Lee (small forward) rounding out the backcourt. Kristaps Porzingis has dealt with his own injury-riddled preseason but should start the season opener in Oklahoma City with Enes Kanter — acquired from the Thunder for Carmelo Anthony — as the center.
The Knicks are not expected to contend in 2017/18 so the team should consider its possible options in the 2018 NBA Draft when deciding on plans for this season, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News opines. Michael Porter Jr., Marvin Bagley III and Luka Dončić will be three highly sought-after targets in next year’s draft. A lowly Knicks team could set its sights on tanking this season in order to secure a draft pick high enough to select one of those youngsters next season.

Knicks Notes: Rotation, Hernangomez, Lee, Burke

October 15th, 2017 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Jeff Hornacek is planning to use nine or 10 players in his rotation, which means some Knicks won’t get the playing time they’re expecting, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Three starting slots seem to be set heading into Thursday’s opener, with Kristaps Porzingis at power forward, free agent addition Tim Hardaway Jr. at shooting guard and veteran Ramon Sessions at point guard because first-round pick Frank Ntilikina missed much of the preseason with an injuries.

Hornacek hasn’t decided whether to make Courtney Lee his starting small forward or go with a bigger option such as Lance Thomas, Doug McDermott, Michael Beasley or Mindaugas Kuzminskas. At center, Enes Kanter, Willy Hernangomez or Kyle O’Quinn are all in contention for the opening-night start, and Joakim Noah may join the rotation once he returns from his suspension. Begley suggests that Hornacek will have some disappointed players to deal with regardless of what he decides.

There’s more out of New York:

Hernangomez got the least playing time of the three centers during preseason, but that doesn’t mean the minutes will be divided that way going forward, Begley notes in another ESPN Now post. Hornacek wanted to see how Kanter, who was acquired from the Thunder three weeks ago, would fit with his new teammates. “We know what Willy can do with a lot of our players, especially [Kristaps Porzingis and others] that were here last year,” Hornacek said. “We’re trying to see Enes with that group.”
Marc Berman of the New York Post expects Lee to get the start on Thursday as Hornacek tries to add speed to his defensive unit. That means Lee will be matched up with former teammate Carmelo Anthony, who was traded to Oklahoma City last month. Hornacek plans to use different starters at the three spot depending on matchups, but Lee is confident he can guard anybody. “We got to do what’s best for the team,” he said. “If somebody’s starting at small forward that’s 6 [-foot-] 10 and starts posting me up, it only makes sense to get a bigger body on him. But if you put me on anybody, I’m going to fight him. I’m going to try to get the stop. That’s my job. Maybe I am blocking that 6-10 guy’s jump hook and I stay in.”
After waiving Trey Burke on Saturday, Knicks are hoping he will play for their G League affiliate in Westchester, Berman adds in the same story. Burke didn’t sign with New York until Wednesday, and Hornacek believes he needs more evaluation before giving him a roster spot. “Trey was probably in a tough position there coming in at the last minute,’’ Hornacek said. “The other guys are able to show some stuff. We like Trey, what we can do.”

Knicks Waive Trey Burke, Two Others

October 14th, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have announced three roster cuts, confirming today in a press release that they’ve waived point guard Trey Burke, guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes, and forward Nigel Hayes.

Burke is the most noteworthy player of the group. The former ninth overall pick signed a contract with the Knicks earlier this week, and given the team’s uncertain point guard picture, it looked like there may be an opportunity for him to sneak onto the regular season roster. That won’t happen after all.

Rathan-Mayes and Hayes look like good bets to land with the Westchester Knicks as G League affiliate players. Burke could also end up in the G League, though he’ll likely exhaust his NBA opportunities first, and overseas league may be an option for the former Michigan standout too.

As for the Knicks, they’re still carrying 16 players on their NBA roster, but don’t necessarily need to make any additional cuts before the season begins. Joakim Noah is in the midst of serving a 20-game ban and will open the year on the suspended list, giving the Knicks the chance to add a 16th player until Noah returns. Jarrett Jack – the only non-guaranteed player left on the roster – appears to be the beneficiary.

Frank Ntilikina Impresses With Eye For Xs And Os

October 12th, 2017 at 10:18pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks have been impressed with Frank Ntilikina‘s eye for Xs and Os, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. The guard apparently picked up on new plays that Jeff Hornacek added to the rotation while watching a preseason game from home as he nursed a knee injury.

Could Trey Burke Win The Knicks’ Starting Point Guard Spot?

October 11th, 2017 at 11:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Trey Burke may have a unique opportunity to showcase his ability and make a case to stay on the Knicks’ roster for the season despite only signing with the team just days before final cuts are due.

New York currently has 15 players on the books with guaranteed salaries for the upcoming season and by virtue of not being one of those players, Burke is on the outside looking in. However, Joakim Noah will be suspended for the first 12 games of the season, meaning the team will have an additional roster spot available for those contests.

[RELATED: Knicks Sign Trey Burke]

It was reported earlier today that the Knicks view Burke as a potential G-League player. Still, the former no.9 overall pick is confident that he’ll stick with the team during Noah’s suspension and force New York to cut a player on a guaranteed deal once the big man returns.

“I believe in myself. I’m looking forward to coming out here every day and proving myself,” Burke tells ESPN’s Ian Begley (via ESPN Now link). “Obviously I want to make this roster. We know nothing is given. For me, my faith took me a long way. So I believe that I will make the roster even if no one else does so we’ll see what happens.”

Should the club trade Courtney Lee, something it appears willing to do, and choose not to take back a player in the deal, Burke would have a better shot at making the opening night roster. His main competition for the 12-game audition is veteran Jarrett Jack, who signed a non-guaranteed deal with the club last month. Absent of a trade, it seems there’s a battle between an aging veteran and a former lottery pick who never reached his potential.

Jack came to New York’s training camp looking to prove that he’s healthy after a knee injury ended his 2016/17 campaign. The point guard hasn’t had any setbacks during the team’s three preseason games. He scored 22 points and dished out 12 assists over 69 minutes of action.

Projected starting point guard Ron Baker missed a couple of preseason games with an ankle injury and No. 8 overall pick Frank Ntilikina hasn’t been able to suit up yet because of a knee ailment. The injury woes likely compelled the team to bring in another option to run the point.

None of the team’s point guard options make a particularly strong case to start. The Knicks appear willing to take things slow with Ntilikina. Baker is likely best-suited for a reserve role; same with Jack if he makes the squad, though both players are capable of running the show, especially considering New York’s lack of stellar expectations this season. New addition Ramon Sessions got a pair of starts this preseason, though he didn’t exactly light the world on fire, tallying just 11 assists over 56 minutes of action.

The Knicks have one more preseason game remaining (Friday against the Wizards) and if Burke shines, he could find himself on the opening night roster. With that comes a dozen games to prove he belongs not only on the team, but also in the first-unit alongside his former college teammate Tim Hardaway Jr.

Burke faces an uphill battle to win a starting spot. However, the Knicks’ lack of top-notch options, coupled with Burke’s presumed familiarity with the team’s second-highest-paid player, give this former National Player of the Year award recipient a chance to become the franchise’s top floor general.

Will Burke make the opening night roster and will he be able to carve out a role with the Knicks?

Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Knicks Sign Trey Burke

October 11th, 2017 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have signed former lottery pick Trey Burke to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move increases New York’s roster count to 20 players, the preseason maximum.

Burke, who will turn 25 next month, was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, but has struggled to make an impact during his first four NBA seasons. After three up-and-down seasons in Utah, the former Michigan standout joined the Wizards for the 2016/17 season.

While his shooting numbers in Washington (.455/.443/.759) were the best of his career, Burke was also only playing 12.3 minutes per contest, easily a career low. The Wizards opted not to tender him a qualifying offer at season’s end, which made him an unrestricted free agent. Last month, Burke appeared to have a deal in place with the Thunder, but reportedly backed out of it in search of another opportunity.

The Knicks currently have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, and Burke won’t have much time to make an impression on the franchise before the regular season begins, so it’s not clear if he’ll have an opportunity to earn a regular season roster spot.

Ian Begley of ESPN.com suggests (via Twitter) that Burke may battle Jarrett Jack for a spot on the 15-man squad, and Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter) that the Knicks will actually be able to carry a 16th player early in the season while Joakim Noah serves his suspension.

Still, Marc Berman of The New York Post – who notes that the Knicks also have interest in John Jenkins – indicates (via Twitter) that the team likely views Burke as a potential G League player.

Kristaps Porzingis' Disappointing Preseason Is Alarming

October 10th, 2017 at 8:44pm CST by marksuleymanov

Kristaps Porzingis has performed poorly in the preseason and was called out on it by MSG announcers on a hot mic. He’s also having trouble lifting his leg as he deals with a hip injury, according to head coach Jeff Hornacek. It’s a concerning start to the season for the man the Knicks view as a franchise linchpin, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes.
Caris LeVert returned from an ankle injury to face the Knicks in the preseason and his energy, defense, and improvements impressed Nets officials, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.