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Eastern Draft Notes: Tatum, Fultz, Knicks

May 25th, 2017 at 7:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Scouts and GMs who spoke with ESPN’s Chad Ford at this year’s combine peg Jayson Tatum as the favorite to win 2018 Rookie of the Year award. Tatum is one of most polished prospects in the upcoming draft and many scouts believe the Celtics would be the best fit for the small forward. He’s unlikely to go No. 1, but could Boston ostensibly trade down and select him at No. 3.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference on the upcoming draft:

  • All signs point to the Celtics taking Markelle Fultz with the top selection in the draft, Ford writes in the same piece. Lonzo Ball, who is widely regarded as the only threat to Fultz at No. 1, announced that he will not work out for Boston.
  • ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla believes the Knicks would have a good draft if they selected either Dennis Smith Jr. or Frank Ntilikina with the No. 8 pick in the upcoming draft, as Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays. “They both have very good long-term upside. They have NBA guard characteristics. They’re both athletic. They’re both reasonably well put together. It’s going to be a matter of do you like vanilla or chocolate, and how they come in and interview and work out with the teams,” Fraschilla said.
  • Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan could be an option for the Bulls at No. 38, Mark Strotman of Comcast Sportsnet writes. Nikola Mirotic will be a restricted free agent this summer and if Chicago plans on letting him walk, the franchise could look for frontcourt depth in the draft.
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Knicks Work Out Two Prospects

May 24th, 2017 at 8:28pm CST by ChrisCrouse
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Timberwolves To Pursue Derrick Rose

May 24th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves plan to target Knicks point guard Derrick Rose in free agency, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com.

Their interest in the 28-year-old point guard stems from his connection with coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose for five years in Chicago, including his MVP season in 2010/11. The teams had trade talks prior to the deadline involving Rose and Ricky Rubio, although nothing was worked out. Minnesota has roughly $22MM in cap space to spend this summer.

Entering free agency for the first time in his career, Rose should be completely recovered from a meniscus tear in his left knee that ended his season in early April. It’s the latest in a string of injuries that have plagued him over the past six years, although he was able to play 66 and 64 games the past two seasons.

Rose was part of a blockbuster trade that sent him from Chicago to New York last summer, but his first season in New York was seen as a disappointment. He averaged 18 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds, but the Knicks won just 31 games, there were persistent questions about his defense and he briefly left the team without explanation in January.

Rose has said he is willing to stay in New York, but there have been conflicting reports about the team’s interest in keeping him.

“He enjoyed playing here even with the losses, which of course surprises us because he’s been on some very successful teams,” said Knicks president Phil Jackson. “But he wants to redeem himself as a player. Which I like that attitude. I like who Derrick represents as himself. He’s very direct about taking on a big challenge.”

Begley adds that San Antonio may also be a potential landing spot for Rose, depending what happens with other free agent point guards.

Rose told reporters this week that winning, not money, will be the priority in selecting his next team.

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Draft Notes: Bradley, Swanigan, Deadline Decisions

May 24th, 2017 at 9:10am CST by Arthur Hill

North Carolina center Tony Bradley will hire an agent and remain in the NBA draft, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. After helping the Tar Heels capture the national championship, Bradley faces conflicting opinions about his draft status, with DraftExpress placing him 41st on its list of top 100 prospects but ESPN’s Chad Ford projecting him as a first-rounder at No. 22. The 6’10” freshman averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds during his lone season at North Carolina.

Bradley is among several dominoes that will fall as the deadline for withdrawing from the draft looms tonight. Here’s a roundup of some other prospects:

Here are several players have made a final decision to forgo the draft and head back to school:

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

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Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Coaching Decisions

May 23rd, 2017 at 10:04pm CST by marksuleymanov

With Kristaps Porzingis at odds with ownership, the Knicks made a questionable decision to part ways with popular development coach and Porzingis favorite, Joshua Longstaff. The 34-year-old had traveled to Latvia to work with Porzingis last summer and was expected to do the same this year, in addition to possibly holding down an assistant coaching role with the Latvian national team.

Curiously, the Knicks have decided to retain assistant coach Dave Bliss, sources tell Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Both Bliss and Longstaff were brought in under former head coach Derek Fisher and now, Bliss is the final holdover from Fisher’s staff. Coincidentally, during a recent chat with USA Today, Porzingis spoke of his satisfaction with both coaches.

“I’m happy for the coaches that we have, the development coaches. They’re doing an unbelievable job with us, the young guys, working really hard. Josh [Longstaff], Dave [Bliss] — those are my guys,’’ Porzingis said. “I’m getting better. It’s great to have coaches like that.”

Now, one of those coaches is gone and Bliss remains, almost as symbol of the Knicks’ dwindling relationship with their franchise star. Team president Phil Jackson has indicated his preference for superstar Carmelo Anthony to waive his no-trade clause; the same day Jackson initially made his stance on Anthony public, Porzingis elected to skip his exit interview with the team.

A recent meeting between Porzingis’ representation (older brother Janis Porzingis) and Jackson reportedly did little to resolve the apparent issues, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Janis has indicated his brother wants to remain in New York but he also wants to win.

In his first two NBA seasons, Porzingis has been a force; he increased his scoring from 14.3 to 18.1 PPG last season despite battling several nagging injuries. The 7’3″ forward has shown himself to be a potent shooter, scorer, and defender — a lethal triumvirate of skills that makes him a building block for the team.

This leaves several things to be considered: Did the Knicks make the wrong decision to fire Porzingis’ favorite coach amid their own issues with the Latvian forward?  Should the team have let Bliss go as well or was keeping him a compromise? Have the last few months caused irreparable damage to the Knicks-Porzingis relationship?

Share your thoughts on the Knicks’ moves below!

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Knicks Target Tucker, Cunningham, Simmons

May 23rd, 2017 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are putting together their free agent shopping list with an eye toward players who can contribute on offense and defense, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com.

One of those players is Raptors small forward P.J. Tucker, who previously played for coach Jeff Hornacek in Phoenix. Hornacek describes Tucker as an intense defender and a leader in the locker room. He could also give the Knicks a 3-point threat, shooting 35.7 from long distance this season, including 40% after a midseason trade to Toronto.

Another target is Pelicans small forward Dante Cunningham, who was the top 3-point shooter in New Orleans this year at 39.2%. Cunningham is also a solid defender and helped the Pels to a 13-8 record when he played at least 28 minutes per game.

Spurs forward Jonathon Simmons has fans in the Knicks organization, but he will be in demand around the league. Simmons is a restricted free agent, so San Antonio can match any offer he receives.

New York will enter free agency with about $19MM to spend, although that number could change significantly if efforts to trade Carmelo Anthony are successful. In addition to adding talent this summer, the Knicks are hoping to retain shooting guard Justin Holiday, who played all 82 games and averaged 7.7 points per night in his first year with the team.

The Knicks may also reopen trade talks for Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio, Begley adds. New York and Minnesota discussed a deal involving Rubio at the trade deadline, and Knicks officials might still be interested.

New York will be looking for more players in the mold of Courtney Lee, who was their lone success among last summer’s major moves. Lee, who is signed for three more seasons, believes the Knicks worked out many of their problems late in the season and are headed in the right direction. He also defended center Joakim Noah, who became a lightning rod for criticism after signing a four-year, $72MM contract.

“Joakim had a lot of injuries that people weren’t aware of during the season,” Lee said. “I know how tough he is and how prideful he is and I’m looking forward to him coming back 100 percent healthy and doing what he does for us on the court. I know he will come back strong and help lead for us.”

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Draft Notes: Kanter, Bucks, Swanigan

May 22nd, 2017 at 10:26am CST by ChrisCrouse

Kerem Kanter has withdrawn from the draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. Kanter, who is the younger brother of NBA player Enes Kanter, graduated from Green Bay and will play for Xavier this year.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

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Knicks Part Ways With Assistant Coach Josh Longstaff

May 21st, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

Despite the fact that the Knicks’ relationship with Kristaps Porzingis is already tenuous, the organization chose not to renew the contract of an assistant coach that he’s particularly close with, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes.

The second-year big man had bonded with Josh Longstaff through his first two years in the league, the pair even training overseas together last summer.

The Knicks didn’t specify why they decided to part ways with the 34-year-old player development specialist, one of several holdovers from Derek Fisher‘s coaching staff prior to the 2016/17 campaign, but the decision is curious. Per Bondy, the Knicks are said to be moving forward with a heavy focus on the triangle all throughout the organization.

Knicks fans have already seen their front office clash with the 7’2″ budding star this offseason. Porzingis ditched his exit meeting with the team last month to head back to his native Latvia. Just this week, team president Phil Jackson and Porzingis’ brother supposedly connected to discuss the apparently strained relationship but the sit down isn’t said to have been very effective.

All told, the move is the latest questionable one out of a front office that has spent the better part of the past year denigrating Carmelo Anthony, though a top-down effort to more seriously implement the triangle may put things in perspective.

Rumored to be a candidate to fill the vacancy is former Knick Pablo Prigioni. The 40-year-old played in Europe this season but served with the Knicks for three seasons ending in 2014/15.

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Celtics More Willing To Do Anthony Deal?; More Workouts Set

May 21st, 2017 at 12:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Boston will have up to $30MM in cap space, which Ainge would like to use on Jazz free agent Gordon Hayward. If he stays in Utah, the Celtics will have to consider other options, which could include Anthony. Berman says the Knicks would want Jae Crowder as the centerpiece of a deal, along with one of Boston’s two first-rounders in 2018. A signed-and-traded Jonas Jerebko might have to be included to make the salaries line up, but Boston has the cap space to handle most of Anthony’s $31MM price, including his trade kicker.

  • Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan has a workout scheduled with the Knicks on Wednesday, Berman notes in the same story. The sophomore big man, who was named Big 10 Player of the Year, is projected as a second-round pick, and New York has the 44th and 58th selections. Iowa State point guard Monte Morris interviewed with the Knicks at the draft combine and will work out for the team June 8th.
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Phil Jackson Recently Met With Kristaps Porzingis’ Camp

May 20th, 2017 at 8:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Team president Phil Jackson recently met with Kristaps Porzingis‘ brother and the two sides discussed the the power forward’s issues with the club, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reports. A Knicks‘ source tells Bondy that the sit down didn’t accomplish very much as Phil Jackson remained “steadfast” in his ways.

Jackson remains focused on installing and running the triangle. He’s aimed to tailor the teams’ workouts and training sessions around the offense, sources tell Bondy.

What specifics the two sides discussed is not clear, but Porzingis’ camp has previously called for New York to “create an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win.”

Porzingis has two years remaining on his deal and in the summer of 2019, he can become a restricted free agent. At that point, the team will be able to match any offer. If Porzingis badly wants out, the quickest route to secure a place on a new franchise without a trade is playing out the final two years of his deal, then signing a qualifying offer during the 2019 offseason. That would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020.

Porzingis has said he wants to remain in New York, but with the aforementioned conditions. The team has some time to repair the relationship and build a winning team, though as we’ve seen with the Carmelo Anthony saga, ongoing Knicks’ turmoil isn’t guaranteed to get better with time.

Jackson only has two seasons remaining on his deal. I’d speculate that he’ll make it through his current agreement, but he won’t see another deal in the 2019 offseason unless Kristaps Porzingis is happy with the state of the franchise. By that time, we’ll likely have more data on the triangle offense in our current pace-and-space culture and it should be clear whether or not the system has a place in the league.

 

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