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Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Hornacek, Anthony

September 25th, 2017 at 1:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks haven’t seen Kristaps Porzingis since he skipped an exit meeting in April, but the Latvian star was trying to smooth things over this afternoon at media day. Porzingis said he has no lingering bitterness toward the organization regarding the events of last spring or the offseason roster changes, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. “No I’m coming into this season with a fresh mind,” Porzingis said. “It’s a new season.”

Porzingis is also in a new role as team leader after the trade of Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City. Porzingis denied reports that he clashed last season with coach Jeff Hornacek, insisting he has a “great relationship” with the coach and saying he doesn’t “know where it’s coming from,” tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post.

There’s more today from New York:

Porzingis got bigger and stronger over the summer, which will come in handy as he tries to carry the team, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Anthony is gone, along with former team president Phil Jackson and his triangle offense, leaving the organization to rebuild around its 7’3″ center. “Moving forward in this league, he’s going to get a lot of opportunities to grow into that lead position,” Hornacek said of Porzingis. “We’re just excited to get back to coaching and moving forward with him and trying to develop him into that great player that we think he can become.”
With his trade to the Thunder becoming official today, Anthony penned a farewell note to New York fans on his website. He thanked owner Jim Dolan and the Knicks organization, along with everyone who supported him during his six and a half years with the team. “New York equipped me to make it in any other place in the world,” he wrote. “It taught me how to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable. Saying Goodbye is the hardest thing to do. I never thought I would, especially to you. No one will ever take your place. It’s hard to find someone like you, so know you will always be missed. You helped me laugh. You dried my tears. Because of you, I have no fears. You came into my life and I was blessed. It’s time to raise my hand and say goodbye. It’s not the end, because like I’ve always said, NYC ‘til the end.”
Despite his fond memories, Anthony’s time in New York was a disappointment, contends Neil Best of Newsday. Best gives Anthony credit for the classy way he handled the feud with Jackson, but says he never delivered the playoff success the team expected when it acquired him from Denver.
Once Anthony expanded his list of possible destinations to three teams, the Knicks took the best deal they could find, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Although neither Enes Kanter or Doug McDermott may have a long future in New York, Isola says they are a better alternative than taking on Ryan Anderson‘s huge contract.

Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony To Thunder

September 25th, 2017 at 9:51am CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 25: The Knicks have officially traded Anthony to the Thunder for the package detailed below, the team announced today in a press release. In a separate announcement, the Knicks also confirmed they’ve waived Chasson Randle – as expected – in order to create room on their roster to accommodate the incoming players from Oklahoma City.

SEPTEMBER 23: The Knicks have reached an agreement with the Thunder that will send Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City, reports Adrian Wojanrowski of ESPN (Twitter links). According to Wojnarowski, New York will receive Doug McDermott and Enes Kanter in the deal, along with a draft pick. Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link) indicates that pick will be the Bulls’ 2018 second-rounder.

The trade call will officially take place Monday, Wojnarowski adds, as Russell Westbrook and Paul George were successful in their lobbying efforts to get Anthony to waive his no-trade clause for the Thunder (Twitter link). Carmelo also has a relationship with top Thunder executive Troy Weaver, who recruited him to Syracuse a decade and a half ago.

Anthony has agreed to waive his $8.1MM trade kicker, since the deal wouldn’t have worked otherwise, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Anthony will retain his no-trade clause with the Thunder (Twitter link). Taking on his $26,243,760 salary will increase OKC’s projected luxury tax payment by $12.4MM, up to a total of $27.8MM (Twitter link).

The Knicks were at the maximum of 20 players before the trade, so a roster move will have to be made by Monday in order to make room for the extra incoming player. New York has five non-guaranteed players coming to camp, so one of them will likely be waived.

The Knicks will incur Kanter’s 15% trade bonus of $2.68MM, which pushes his cap hit for this season to $20.56MM (Twitter link). Kanter also has an $18.6MM player option for 2018/19 — his kicker doesn’t apply to that salary since trade bonuses don’t affect team or player option years. As for McDermott, he’s making $3.3MM in the final year of his rookie contract and is eligible to receive an extension until October 16. He’ll be on track to become a restricted free agent next summer if no agreement can be reached this year.

The Thunder obviously made the move with an eye toward winning this season, but it creates a fascinating scenario for the future of the franchise. Anthony, Westbrook and George are all currently eligible to become unrestricted free agents next summer, so this could be a one-year experiment.

Of course, the Thunder currently have an extension offer on the table for Westbrook, and Anthony has a lucrative player option for 2018/19, so there’s no guarantee there will be a mass exodus out of OKC after this season. Still, it would be difficult financially to retain all three players — Marks estimates the cost of keeping all three would bring the Oklahoma City payroll to $157MM with an additional $143MM in taxes (Twitter link).

For the Knicks, it closes a long chapter in their troubled relationship with Anthony, who was hailed as a franchise savior when he was acquired from the Nuggets in 2011. He never delivered the playoff success that was expected and became the target of public criticism from former team president Phil Jackson. Having expressed a desire to go to the Rockets for most of the 2017 offseason, Anthony expanded his list of preferred teams this week, adding Cleveland and Oklahoma City, which allowed the Knicks to get something done.

New York has now fully committed to the rebuilding project that the new management team outlined when it took over. The Knicks were reluctant to trade Anthony to the Cavaliers because they wanted him out of the Eastern Conference, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link), although it’s hard to understand why, giving the team’s remote playoff chances. Even though Jackson was dismissed this summer, hard feelings with Carmelo remained and the organization wanted a fresh start (Twitter link).

The trade of Anthony represents the culmination of an eventful offseason that saw many of the East’s best players join new clubs. Anthony is the sixth player from 2017’s Eastern Conference All-Star squad to change teams, following in the footsteps of George, Jimmy Butler, Paul Millsap, Isaiah Thomas, and Kyrie Irving. Anthony, George, Butler, and Millsap all moved over to the Western Conference.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Anthony, Cousins, Wade

September 24th, 2017 at 4:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t expect a firm answer from LeBron James tomorrow when Media Day questions turn to his future, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Monday will mark the first time the Cavaliers star has spoken to reporters since Game 5 of the NBA Finals and the first time since rumors emerged that he has plans to join the Lakers as a free agent next July. LeBron will probably tell the media that he hasn’t made up his mind, which Vardon believes is true.

The talk about LeBron’s next decision will overshadow other issues surrounding the team heading into training camp, such as the condition of Isaiah Thomas‘ hip, the new personnel on hand, the chances of Dwyane Wade coming aboard after a buyout from the Bulls and whether the organization plans to keep or trade the unprotected first-rounder it got from Brooklyn. But Cavaliers fans had better get used to it because LeBron’s future is going to eclipse everything all season.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

The Knicks were demanding a first-round pick from the Cavaliers in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, Vardon writes in a separate story. Anthony included Cleveland among the three teams he was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join, but the Cavs felt the price was too high.
The Cavaliers are listening to offers for the Brooklyn pick, but it’s unlikely a deal will involve either of the Pelicans’ big men, according to Sam Amico of Amicohoops. Rumors have been circulating about DeMarcus Cousins, who will be a free agent next summer, but Amico says the teams haven’t discussed a Cousins trade and the Cavs may not even be interested. Also, Amico hears that New Orleans won’t trade Anthony Davis under any circumstances.
Amico believes Wade is headed to Cleveland, possibly before the season begins. He and the Bulls are ready to part ways, and Amico sees no reason why the buyout should be a lengthy process. He passes along a few other roster details in the same piece, stating that it’s unlikely that Kay Felder or Edy Tavares earns a spot, although both could wind up with the team’s G League affiliate in Canton; most scouts like Ante Zizic, who was acquired in the Kyrie Irving trade, more than Cedi Osman; and the Cavs and Rockets “were at the one-yard line, ready to punch it in” on an Iman Shumpert trade this summer.

Knicks Notes: Noah, Ntilikina, Anthony, McDermott

September 24th, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The addition of Enes Kanter in Saturday’s Carmelo Anthony trade makes center Joakim Noah a stronger candidate for the stretch provision, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The Knicks signed Noah to a four-year, $72MM free agent deal last summer, and he is owed $55MM over the next three seasons. Kanter will make $20.5MM+ this season and has a player option worth more than $18.6MM for 2018/19, so that’s a lot to pay two centers when Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn are also on the roster.

Noah had a nightmarish first season in New York marked by disappointing performance, shoulder surgery and a drug suspension that will carry through the first 11 games of this year. Knicks management may want to get him off the roster, but the deadline to stretch this season’s salary passed on August 31, so the team is stuck with his $17.765MM and the accompanying cap hit. It could use the stretch provision on the $37.825MM Noah is owed over the final two years of his contract, paying $7.565MM a year over the next five seasons.

There’s more from New York this morning:

The Knicks view Frank Ntilikina as their point guard of the future, but veterans Ramon Sessions and Jarrett Jack will probably compete to be the opening-night starter, Berman adds in the same piece. A bruised knee forced the rookie to miss summer league, and the Knicks want to let him grow into the job, which GM Scott Perry believes is as difficult as being an NFL quarterback. Ron Baker, who re-signed this offseason, will spend more time at shooting guard.
Anthony was popular in the locker room, but was never seen by his teammates as a leader, Berman writes in a separate piece. Two of his former coaches, Mike D’Antoni and George Karl, thought he valued individual achievements and his personal agenda more than winning. Berman also wonders how much of Anthony’s prime is still left at age 33.
The Knicks hope Doug McDermott, who was also acquired in the Anthony deal, will give them a three-point threat who can handle both forward positions, Berman adds. One scout calls him a taller version of Kyle Korver.
If Kanter opts in for next season and McDermott isn’t re-signed, the Knicks will have saved about $8MM by trading Anthony, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Latest On The Carmelo Anthony Trade

September 23rd, 2017 at 2:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony recently added the Thunder to the list of teams he would waive his no-trade clause to join, but Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti and New York GM Scott Perry had been discussing a deal for weeks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Talks intensified over the last 24 hours before the agreement was reached earlier today. Anthony had reportedly insisted for most of the summer that he would only go to Houston, but he expanded that list this week to include the Thunder and Cavaliers.

The deal will be formally completed Monday, and Oklahoma City expects to have Anthony on hand when training camp begins Tuesday.

More has emerged since the trade was announced:

Sources tell ESPN’s Ian Begley that Anthony believed yesterday there was a good chance he was headed to Cleveland (Twitter link). Anthony has a tight relationship with LeBron James, and the Cavaliers could use another scorer while Isaiah Thomas is sidelined with a hip injury.
The addition of Anthony could put the Thunder in the running to sign Dwyane Wade once he reaches a buyout with the Bulls, tweets Chris Mannix of the Vertical. Wade probably wouldn’t start in Oklahoma City and the team can’t offer much money, but he may be willing to accept a sixth man role to take another shot at a ring beside Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
Presti should be lauded for rebuilding the Thunder without surrendering a first-round pick, tweets Michael Lee of The Vertical. OKC send Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indiana in exchange for George, then shipped Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-rounder to the Knicks to get Anthony. The Thunder already owe their 2018 first-round pick to Minnesota (lottery protected) and another first-rounder to Orlando two years later.
Oklahoma City had a secret weapon, Lee adds, in vice president and assistant GM Troy Weaver, who helped recruit Anthony when he was an assistant coach at Syracuse (Twitter link).
The trade establishes the Thunder as the greatest threat to the Warriors’ dominance in the West, writes Dieter Kurtenbach of The San Jose Mercury News. He sees Anthony stepping into a much better role as a complementary stretch four in Oklahoma City, rather than a primary scorer in New York. OKC added free agent Patrick Patterson this summer and re-signed defensive ace Andre Roberson and may now have the pieces to challenge Golden State in a seven-game series.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton graded the deal, giving the Thunder an A and the Knicks a D. Kanter and McDermott were both defensive liabilities, Pelton states, and the new alignment gives Oklahoma City a small-ball lineup that matches up much better with the Warriors. The Knicks didn’t take on any long-term contracts, but they also didn’t fill any pressing needs unless McDermott develops into a reliable wing scorer. Pelton expects New York to explore the trade market for Kanter before the February deadline.
Oklahoma City used two key pieces from the Bulls to pull off today’s deal, and Chicago doesn’t have much in return, writes Scott Krinch of CSNChicago. McDermott and the 2018 second-rounder that was shipped to the Knicks both came to OKC in a February trade that sent Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow to the Bulls. Lauvergne and Morrow left as free agents over the offseason, and Payne will miss three to four months after foot surgery.
Kanter posted a message on Twitter, thanking the fans and management in Oklahoma City and saying, “Please beat the Warriors for me.”

Knicks To Waive Chasson Randle

September 23rd, 2017 at 1:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will waive guard Chasson Randle to create a roster opening for the Carmelo Anthony trade to be completed, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

New York was at the roster limit of 20 players before agreeing this afternoon to send Anthony to Oklahoma City in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick. The Knicks had five non-guaranteed contracts heading into camp and elected to part with Randle.

Parting with Randle won’t cost the Knicks anything, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The 24-year-old would have been guaranteed $50K if he had remained on the roster through Tuesday.

Randle played for the Knicks and Sixers last season and spent significant time in the G League. He was waived by New York before the season started, then signed two 10-day deals with Philadelphia in January, followed by a long-term contract. However, he was waived less than a month later after appearing in just eight games.

Randle signed with the Knicks in late February and got into 18 games, averaging 5.3 points in 12.5 minutes per night.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Fultz, Caboclo, Hornacek, Ntilikina

September 23rd, 2017 at 10:59am CST by marksuleymanov

Joel Embiid gave the Sixers a glimpse of the impact he could have on the court last season, averaging 20.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG. However, injuries once again limited Embiid as he appeared in just 31 games due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. During a media lunch. Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo and coach Brett Brown discussed their oft-injured forward and gave contradicting statements, Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

Brown said that Embiid has yet to play in a five-on-five scenario but also added the team will “soon” know if and when he will do so. Then, Brown and Colangelo refused to give a clearer update on Embiid’s future in terms of his involvement — or lack thereof — in training camp or the preseason. Then, Colangelo provided a statement that contradicted itself within seconds.

“It’s not about being ready for the first practice or the first game,” Colangelo said. “And he will be out there on the first practice and the first game. The question is how much, how little, if at all.”

Embiid is not the only injured Sixer as last year’s first overall pick, Ben Simmons, is also looking to return to full health.

Below you can read more news from the Atlantic Division:

2017 first overall pick Markelle Fultz will start his NBA career with head-to-head matchups against John Wall and Kyrie Irving. As he acclimates to the NBA, Sixers coach Brown said he will stress defense on the young guard, David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
Bruno Caboclo has intrigued management with his size and shooting but questions about his mental maturity remain, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes in his last Wozbag.
Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek noted that the team’s current roster will not utilize the triangle offense that former team president Phil Jackson mandated, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes.
Knicks general manager Scott Perry expects first-round pick Frank Ntilikina to be part of a “healthy competition” for starting point guard, Bondy writes in a separate story.

Carmelo Anthony Considering Adding Portland To Trade List

September 23rd, 2017 at 8:44am CST by marksuleymanov

Just 72 hours before media day, Carmelo Anthony added the Cavaliers and Thunder to the list of teams for which he would waive his no-trade clause. The 12-time NBA All-Star is also “heavily considering” adding the Trail Blazers to the list, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Portland is not a surprising possible destination since Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have admittedly been in contact with Anthony this offseason. In a recent interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Lillard said Anthony “did not seem opposed” to the idea of playing in Portland. However, the Blazers’ point guard is focused on the upcoming season whether Anthony is on the team or not.

“I’m not giving up on anything. I just think I’ve done what I can do. And camp is a few weeks away,” Lillard said. “And you have to focus on getting ready with who we are, plan on going in as we are.”

Meanwhile, a July 16 Instagram post on McCollum’s account features a photoshopped image of Anthony in a Portland uniform.

Anthony, 33, has not played in the Western Conference since he was dealt from the Nuggets as part the blockbuster 2011-trade bringing him to New York. The Trail Blazers went 41-41 last season, sneaking in as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

After four straight seasons of losing at least 45 games, Anthony is looking to compete for a championship. That goal, however, may be more attainable with the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers or the Thunder, led by reigning Most Valuable Player, Russell Westbrook.

Anthony Adds Cavs, Thunder To Trade List

September 22nd, 2017 at 10:12pm CST by Austin Kent

10:12pm: The Knicks have been informed that the second of the two new teams on Anthony’s list of preferred trade destinations is Oklahoma City, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets. The Thunder, like the Cavs, would need to send at least $21.1MM back in any transaction.

It’s slightly more difficult to imagine a package coming from the Thunder than it is to envision one from the Cavs. Unlike Cleveland, Oklahoma City lacks a no-brainer appealing asset like the 2018 Nets pick.

A notable risk for any team looking to acquire Anthony, Bobby Marks of ESPN writes, is the fact that he could opt into a 2018/19 player option worth $27.9MM. In either Cleveland or Oklahoma City’s case, that could mean one year of paying a 34-year-old Anthony an exorbitant sum months after losing the core of their current teams (all of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Paul George can theoretically leave via free agency next summer).

8:08pm: The list of teams that Carmelo Anthony would approve being traded to now includes at least two other teams, one of which is the Cavaliers, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN writes.

The forward has been the subject of trade speculation over the course of the past year but had previously been very selective over the number of teams that he would waive his no-trade clause for.

Earlier today we discussed the fact that Anthony seemed destined to enter training camp with the Knicks after New York failed to find a suitable trade agreement with the Rockets.

Anthony, it’s been reported, had been eager to suit up alongside Chris Paul in Houston and reluctant to consider waiving his clause to appease the Knicks.

Per Wojnarowski, however, when New York’s front office failed to come to terms on a trade with the Rockets, they requested that Anthony’s camp expand their list.

Anthony, nothing but outwardly professional throughout this lingering saga, obliged and added at least two additional teams to his list within the past 10 days.

Wojnarowski writes that the Cavaliers and Knicks have been in touch regarding a possible deal but exact terms or players to be included haven’t been discussed. The Cavs, it’s worth noting, were originally on Anthony’s list last season prior to Houston’s trade to nab Paul earlier this summer.

The Knicks have assembled an intriguing team of young players and are actively seeking to expand their core. It’s said that general manger Scott Perry is looking for a scoring wing to replace Anthony’s production, short-term contracts and draft assets.

While the Cavs do hold Brooklyn’s first-round pick next season, a valuable asset considering the current state of the Nets, they’d have to include several rotation players to accommodate league salary cap rules. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Cleveland would have to include at least $21.1MM in outgoing contracts to make a deal work.

Knicks Expect Carmelo To Open Camp With Team

September 22nd, 2017 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

After a full offseason of trade rumors, Carmelo Anthony remains a Knick, and the club’s brass doesn’t expect that to change within the next few days. Speaking today to reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPN (Twitter link), Knicks president Steve Mills says he expects Anthony to be with the club on Monday for Media Day and on Tuesday for the team’s first practice.

While general manager Scott Perry says the Knicks will “continue to listen” to trade possibilities for Anthony, the team is currently planning to head into the season with Carmelo in its starting lineup, as head coach Jeff Hornacek confirmed today (Twitter links via Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog).

We’ve heard all summer that Anthony’s preference is to be traded, but Perry and the Knicks expect nothing but professionalism from the veteran forward, and believe he can set a good example for the team’s young players (Twitter links via Begley). Meanwhile, Mills – who confirmed that the team has been in regular contact with Anthony recently – indicated that he doesn’t expect the Knicks’ chemistry to be negatively impacted by the trade rumors surrounding the club’s leading scorer (Twitter links via Begley).

Here’s more out of New York:

Various reports over the offseason, including one this week from Marc Berman of The New York Post, indicated that Hornacek has a strained relationship with Kristaps Porzingis. However, the Knicks head coach said today that his relationship with Porzingis is good, and that he won’t comment on reports that state otherwise.
Hornacek suggested today that rookie Frank Ntilikina could compete for the starting point guard job, but Perry, likening the point guard position to a quarterback in football, cautioned that Ntilkina may need some time to get comfortable in the NBA (Twitter link via Berman).
Joakim Noah has been medically cleared to get back on the court following his rotator cuff injury, per Mills (Twitter link via Zagoria). Now that he’s been deemed healthy enough to play, Noah will open the regular season by serving the remaining 12 games on his 20-game suspension.
Based on Hornacek’s comments today, it sounds like the Knicks’ offense will change significantly, with the triangle no longer the focus, tweets Begley.