New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Express Interest In Anthony; Carmelo Won’t Waive NTC

August 10th, 2017 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

A report last month indicated that New Orleans would be willing to help facilitate a multi-team Carmelo Anthony trade, but the Pelicans are also eyeing Anthony themselves, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who suggests that the team has expressed interest in the Knicks forward.

The Pelicans would want to keep their core of Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and Jrue Holiday intact if they were to pursue Anthony, so putting together a viable package for Carmelo would be challenging. Even if the club is able to entice the Knicks with a competitive offer, a deal probably isn’t in the cards. According to Berman, Anthony has told the Knicks that he’s not interested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to New Orleans.

Anthony has plenty of leverage in any negotiations because of that no-trade clause, which has limited the Knicks’ options. As Berman notes, New York is holding out hope that the All-Star forward will expand his list of preferred destinations, with teams like the Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Thunder believed to have conveyed some interest. At this point, Anthony is focused on the Rockets, and appears unwilling to accept a deal anywhere else.

Although the Rockets and Anthony have mutual interest, Houston has yet to make an offer appealing enough to intrigue the Knicks, who don’t want to take on Ryan Anderson‘s contract. According to Berman, the Knicks has told Anthony they’re unwilling to make a “bad trade,” encouraging him to expand his wish list to give the club more options. Carmelo seems to understand the team’s stance, a source tells Berman.

While a deal that sends Anthony to the Pelicans appears unlikely, Berman’s report confirms that the team is making an effort to act on Cousins’ recruiting efforts. The star big man said last week that he had reached out to “some of the biggest names that are on the block right now,” which was likely a reference to a pair of his former USA Basketball teammates, Anthony and Kyrie Irving.

Knicks Notes: Front Office, Dotson, Perry

August 8th, 2017 at 10:10pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks announced a series of hires for the team’s front office on Tuesday, which included Gerald Madkins (assistant general manager), Craig Robinson (vice president, player development and G-League operations), Harold Ellis (director, player personnel), Michael Arcieri (director, basketball strategy) and Fred Cofield (scout). Clarence Gaines Jr. will remain with the team as a scout as well.

“Last month, the day after I was hired, I started a full evaluation of the entire basketball operations staff,” Knicks general manager Scott Perry said in a press release. “My first goal was to build-up the highest level front office in the NBA. We are adding a host of highly-regarded and respected basketball people to work with the Knicks to fortify the franchise for years to come.”

Madkins and Cofield both have ties to the Knicks organization, whereas Ellis and Arcieri worked on Perry’s staff in Orlando. Robinson, the brother-in-law of former president Barack Obama, had a prominent role in the Bucks’ front office before joining New York. As ESPN’s Ian Begley notes (via Twitter), Gaines was hired by since-departed president Phil Jackson, who credited Gaines with the team’s decision to draft Kristaps Porzingis.

Read below notable tidbits of news surrounding the Knicks:

Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Perry has been able to come in the Knicks’ front office and make the personnel moves he desires. Creating a staff of preferred people was reportedly one of the hurdles that kept former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin from coming to New York, so Perry seems to have at least some power in the early stages of his Knicks tenure.
Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter), Damyean Dotson is the fourth second-round pick in 2017 to sign a contract worth over $1MM for the coming season. Dotson’s deal guarantees him $1.1MM in 2017/18 and $1.4MM in 2018/19. As for the $1.6M salary in 2019/20, it is non-guaranteed with trigger dates during the season to guarantee it.

Knicks Sign Michael Beasley To One-Year Deal

August 8th, 2017 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

5:17pm: The deal is now official, per the Knicks’ press release.

2:19pm: The Knicks are closing in on a contract agreement with former second overall pick Michael Beasley, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). According to Scotto, Beasley and the Knicks are nearing a one-year deal.

The two sides are expected to finalize the terms of an agreement later today, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com. While neither Scotto nor Begley provides specific details on those terms, the Knicks have used up all their cap room and signed Ron Baker with their room exception, so Beasley appears to be in line for a minimum salary pact.

Selected one spot after Derrick Rose in the 2008 draft, Beasley spent two seasons with the Heat, and has since played for the Timberwolves, Suns, Rockets, and Bucks. He also had a second stint in Miami, and played multiple seasons in China. Prior to the 2016/17 campaign, Beasley was traded from Houston to Milwaukee in exchange for Tyler Ennis.

While he never lived up to his pre-draft billing, Beasley – who is now 28 years old – continued to provide value as a scorer off the bench in Milwaukee last season. In 56 games for the Bucks, the veteran forward averaged 9.4 PPG with a career-best .532 FG% and .419 3PT%.

Beasley figures to play a similar role in New York, giving the team some scoring punch off the bench. Of course, if the Knicks ultimately find a trade they like involving Carmelo Anthony, that could open the door for Beasley to take on a larger role.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks Sign Ramon Sessions To One-Year Deal

August 8th, 2017 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 8: The Knicks have officially signed Sessions, per the team’s press release.

JULY 28: The Knicks are in the process of finalizing a one-year contract with free agent point guard Ramon Sessions, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). New York has used just about all of its cap room and committed its room exception to Ron Baker, so Sessions will get a minimum salary deal, Charania confirms (via Twitter).

The Knicks have been on the lookout all month for a veteran point guard to act as a mentor for lottery pick Frank Ntilikina. However, a lucrative offer sheet for Tim Hardaway tied up most of the club’s remaining cap space, reducing its options. A report from mid-July had indicated that the Knicks were exploring trade options for a point guard, but had also reached out to Sessions.

Of course, in the wake of Kyrie Irving‘s trade request, there has been speculation that the Knicks could be a landing spot for the star point guard. Still, while New York has reportedly made the Cavs an offer, a deal between the two teams appears increasingly unlikely. Sessions certainly can’t match Irving’s star power or production, but he’s one of the more reliable veterans still available on the free agent market.

A 10-year veteran, Sessions has bounced around the league since being selected in the second round of the 2007 draft. After starting his career in Milwaukee, the point guard also spent time with the Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Lakers, Bobcats, Bucks, Kings, and Wizards.

Sessions returned to Charlotte – now the Hornets – for the 2016/17 season, but had one of his worst seasons as a pro, averaging a career-low 6.2 PPG and 2.6 APG in 50 games. The Knicks will be hoping the 31-year-old can rebound to his 2015/16 form, when he averaged 9.9 PPG and recorded a .473 FG% in Washington, serving as John Wall‘s backup and appearing in all 82 regular season games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kyler’s Latest: Bradley, Celtics, Barton, Ariza

August 8th, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

While Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony have generated the most discussion as trade candidates in recent weeks, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders suggests in his latest piece that there are a number of players entering contract years who could become the subjects of trade rumors over the course of the 2017/18 season. Kyler took a closer look at a few of those players, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Sources tell Kyler that the Pistons are aware Avery Bradley will be expensive in unrestricted free agency next summer, but will have no problem paying him if he fits in like they hope. As Kyler notes, the Pistons appear more comfortable at this point with a long-term commitment to Bradley than they were with a similar deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
While Isaiah Thomas wants to land a maximum salary contract from the Celtics in 2018, Kyler points to Jrue Holiday and Kyle Lowry as point guards who were believed to be max-salary candidates this summer and ultimately settled for a little less. As Kyler observes, with Thomas and Marcus Smart headed for free agency next offseason, and Terry Rozier not far behind, Boston could explore some backcourt trade options before 2018’s trade deadline.
There’s a belief that the Nuggets “can and would” pay Will Barton when he reaches unrestricted free agency next summer, but if Denver ends up making a big trade, Barton could be a prime candidate to be included, says Kyler.
The Rockets‘ stance this offseason has been that Trevor Ariza isn’t available in trades, including to the Knicks in a potential Carmelo Anthony deal, says Kyler.
The Jazz are taking a wait-and-see approach with Derrick Favors, who could become a trade candidate at this season’s deadline, with his free agency looming. Big men with a skill-set like Favors’ haven’t been valued particularly highly in recent years, which is a double-edged sword for Utah — he may not have much trade value, but he also may not be overly expensive if the club wants to re-sign him.

Knicks Re-Sign Ron Baker

August 7th, 2017 at 6:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

AUGUST 7, 6:20pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

JULY 11, 1:52pm: Baker’s new deal with the Knicks will be worth $8.9MM over two years, with a second-year player option, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. That means New York will use its room exception – worth $8,872,400 over two years – to complete the signing, which explains why it wasn’t finalized earlier, and why the Knicks were comfortable renouncing Baker’s rights.

JULY 1, 2:03pm: Baker said today that his new contract will be a two-year deal, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).

JUNE 30, 11:35pm: The Knicks have reached an agreement on a new deal with restricted free agent Ron Baker, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The details of the pact (length and amount) have not been relayed at this time.

It is doubtful that the Knicks intend for Baker or 2017 first round pick, Frank Ntilikina, to begin the season as the starter at the one, but retaining Baker was a solid move for a New York team desperately in need of talent and hustle moving forward.

In his rookie season, Baker appeared in 52 games (13 starts), averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.1 APG in 16.5 minutes per contest. The Wichita State product was one of the Knicks’ few positives this past season, showing energy, tenacity, and ability on both sides of the ball.

Knicks Sign Second-Rounder Damyean Dotson

August 7th, 2017 at 2:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 7: The Knicks have officially signed Dotson, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 22: The Knicks have reached an agreement with second-round pick Damyean Dotson, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Dotson’s contract covers three years, with the first two fully guaranteed.

Dotson, a 3-point marksman out of Houston, was taken with the 44th selection in last month’s draft. He averaged 17.4 points per game as a senior with the Cougars and shot an impressive 44% from long distance.

The 6’5″ guard impressed Knicks officials with his performance in the Orlando Summer League, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“He can really shoot the ball, he’s athletic,” said Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek. “I wasn’t quite sure how his feel for the game is but his feel for the game has been great in these scrimmages. He’s making the right passes at the right time and he’s one of those guys when he gets an open look at it you’re pretty confident he’s going to make it.”

Knicks Hire Craig Robinson For Front Office Job

August 7th, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks continue to re-shape their front office, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports that Bucks executive Craig Robinson is accepting a job with New York.

Robinson will fill multiple roles for the Knicks, working in a player development capacity, per Charania. It’s not clear exactly who Robinson will report to, but he’ll work in the club’s new-look front office under president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry.

Robinson, who served as the Bucks’ vice president of player and organizational development, played college basketball alongside Mills at Princeton from 1979 to 1981 and is the brother-in-law of former President Barack Obama.

With Phil Jackson out and Perry and Robinson in, it will be interesting to see what other changes the Knicks make to their front office this summer. Charania’s report suggests that Robinson will take over as the GM of the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate. However, that role is currently held by Allan Houston, and Ian Begley of ESPN suggests Houston will continue to work in that position.

While Houston may not be impacted significantly by the hiring of Robinson, the future of Knicks executive Clarence Gaines – a Jackson hire – is less certain.

Perry's Meteoric Rise; NY Is Irving's Top Choice

August 6th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Austin Kent

In a span of three months, Scott Perry went from being cast aside by a moribund Magic franchise to a sound front office hire for the Knicks. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently wrote about the underdog’s meteoric rise up the executive landscape.

Perry’s tenure in Sacramento, however, didn’t last. On July 13, three months after leaving the Magic and making a handful of heady decisions for Sacramento, Perry was plucked away from Vlade Divac to be the general manager of the Knicks.

“One of the more amazing front-office sagas I can ever remember,” longtime NBA executive Pat Williams told Berman for his in-depth long-read. “Scott’s dismissed in mid-April, within 48 hours he’s talking with Sacramento and ends up hired by the Knicks in probably the most important front-office job in the NBA — GM of the Knicks.”

The Knicks are Kyrie Irving‘s first choice, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. Irving had previously listed four teams that he’d prefer the Cavaliers trade him to last month, the others being the Timberwolves, Spurs or Heat.

Nets Notes: Offseason Trades, Anderson, Crabbe

August 5th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets’ moves this offseason may form the foundation of the team for several years to come, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn has taken advantage of its cap space to pick up assets while absorbing salary, adding D’Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe and DeMarre Carroll, among others.

GM Sean Marks has been assessing the team since the flurry of deals and indicated that he may be done with major moves. “We’re continuously going to be trying to have our finger on the pulse of the league and see what happens,’’ he said. “I think we’ll take a little bit of a deep breath and just see what shakes out here. But I don’t know. Who knows what’s going to happen throughout the year? I think if you’d asked us a month ago, we couldn’t have predicted all the things that may have happened, not just here but around the league. It’s something that we’ve just got to stay fluid and be ready to react.”

The Nets could use more size in the frontcourt, where newly acquired Timofey Mozgov and rookie Jarrett Allen are the only players taller than 6’8″. They still have interest in former Celtic and Raptor Jared Sullinger, who earned all-tournament honors at The Basketball Tournament this week.

There’s more tonight out of Brooklyn:

The Nets are no longer in contention to sign Alan Anderson, Lewis adds in the same story. Anderson’s agent, Chris Luchey, confirms that he talked to Brooklyn’s front office shortly after free agency began, but after all the Nets’ moves, they are no longer a possible destination. Lewis adds that the Knicks are also out of the running.
Crabbe will provide shooting help, but the team is counting on him to do much more, Lewis relays in a separate story. Crabbe was the NBA’s second best 3-point shooter last year, connecting at a .444 rate beyond the arc, while the Nets ranked fifth from the bottom in that category. “We sat with Allen [and said]: ‘Look, we think we can help your game. We think we can take it to another level. Let’s not just be a shooter,’” Marks said. “And he’s excited about that. He’s got a chip on his shoulder, and he wants to take his game to another level, all-around facets. It’s not just shooting. It’s defense. It’s everything.”
Brooklyn needs to find another frontcourt player who can shoot the 3-ball, writes Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. The Nets have about $5.1MM in cap space they could use to find a shooter who fits coach Kenny Atkinson’s system better than the players they have now.