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Latest On Hawks’ Front Office Search

May 16th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hawks placed former team president Mike Budenholzer and former GM Wes Wilcox into new roles earlier this month and it appears the team’s search for new front office members is progressing out of its “infancy stage.”

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) hears that Sacramento’s Scott Perry is being considered for the open GM position. The Kings hired Perry as their executive VP of basketball operations less than four weeks ago.

Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks have granted the team permission to interview their Director of Player Personnel Mark Hughes for the Hawks’ open GM position. Like New York, Houston will allow Atlanta to interview a member of its front office. The Hawks have their eye on Rockets VP of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas.

Atlanta is reportedly also considering Cavs GM David Griffin and Joe Dumars. The team also plans on discussing the position with TV analysts Chauncey Billups and Brent Barry.

Clippers Assistant Mike Woodson Vouches for Anthony

May 16th, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, who coached Carmelo Anthony with the Knicks, would be in favor of acquiring him this summer, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I love Carmelo Anthony, that’s all I’m gonna say,” Woodson said in an interview with TMZ. “… He was great for me.” Woodson took over the Knicks midway through the 2011/12 season and served as head coach through 2013/14.

Draft Notes: Johnson, King, Thompson, Pasecniks

May 16th, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Junior guard Robert Johnson will withdraw from the draft and return to Indiana, according to Jon Rothstein of Fanrag Sports. Players who entered the draft but did not hire an agent have until May 24th to pull out and remain in school. Johnson averaged 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game with the Hoosiers this season. He was not listed among the top 100 prospects by DraftExpress and would have been a long shot to be taken this year.

There’s more draft news on lottery day:

Colorado’s George King will also return to school next season, Rothstein reports. He averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds as a junior. Stephen Thompson Jr. is heading back to Oregon State, Rothstein adds. The sophomore guard put up 16.3 points and 3.0 assists this season. Both were outside the DraftExpress top 100.
Anzejs Pasecniks could be the next young Latvian star in New York, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The Nets reportedly have interest in the 21-year-old, who was considered to be a similar prospect to Kristaps Porzingis when they were growing up. At 7’2″, Pasecniks would fill a need at backup center for Brooklyn, which holds the 22nd and 27th picks in next month’s draft. “I don’t want to say he’s Porzingis, but he’s a reasonable facsimile,” said international draft expert Fran Fraschilla of ESPN. “I don’t want to give the impression he’s unathletic, because he’s not. He gives you length, he gives you shooting, he can protect the rim a little bit.”
The Bucks will work out six players today, according to a tweet from the team. Scheduled to participate are Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo, Georgetown’s L.J. Peak, SMU’s Sterling Brown, Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes, Utah State’s Jalen Moore and Louisville’s Deng Adel.
North Carolina center Tony Bradley will participate in a workout with the Knicks on Wednesday, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
The Lakers have four players coming in for a workout on Thursday, tweets Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Participants will be Xavier’s Trevon Bluiett, UCLA’s Isaac Hamilton, Michigan’s Zak Irvin and Miami’s Davon Reed.
The Ringer has issued a draft guide ranking the top 60 players available. Markelle Fultz is the site’s top pick, followed by Josh Jackson, Lonzo Ball and Malik Monk as a surprise in the No. 4 slot. Seven guards are likely to be taken in the lottery, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer in a separate piece.

Magic Await Permission To Talk To David Griffin

May 16th, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic have submitted a formal request to the Cavaliers to speak with GM David Griffin, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Griffin is believed to be the front-runner to become Orlando’s president of basketball operations, with a report last month saying he will be offered the job when he becomes available.

The Cavaliers have not responded to the request, Wojnarowski adds, and have the option of holding onto Griffin until his contract expires at the end of June. With free agency starting July 1st, it’s possible that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert will deny the interview request as a stall tactic to see if Orlando turns to someone else.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that Gilbert hasn’t made a substantive offer to try to keep Griffin, who built the Cavaliers into a championship team after LeBron James returned in 2014. James has been an outspoken advocate of keeping the GM, but his public comments seem to have had little effect on negotiations.

The Magic are getting ready to start interviewing other candidates for the position, including Hall of Famer Kevin McHale and Bucks GM John Hammond, who still has a year left on his contract in Milwaukee. Interim Magic GM Matt Lloyd has already been through the interview process and is highly thought of in the organization, according to Wojnarowski.

Orlando launched a front-office shakeup when the season ended, firing GM Rob Hennigan and assistant GM Scott Perry. The Magic plan to put control of the front office in the hands of a president, who will then hire the next GM.

The team faces competition from the Hawks, who recently relieved Wes Wilcox of GM duties. Griffin is seen as a candidate in Atlanta, along with former Pistons executive Joe Dumars, Rockets VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, Knicks director of player personnel Mark Hughes and former players and current TV analysts Chauncey Billups and Brent Barry. Wojnarowski reports that the Hawks have received permission to interview Rosas and Hughes.

NBA Confirms Lottery Reps, Will Announce All-NBA Teams On Thursday

May 15th, 2017 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA confirmed each team’s representatives today for this year’s draft lottery, which will take place on Tuesday night. As confirmed by the league (via Twitter), here are this year’s reps for lottery teams:

Boston Celtics: Wyc Grousbeck (owner)
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker
Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson (president of basketball operations)
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid
Orlando Magic: Frank Vogel (head coach)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Andrew Wiggins
New York Knicks: Walt Frazier (MSG Network broadcaster)
Sacramento Kings: Dave Joerger (head coach)
Dallas Mavericks: Michael Finley (assistant VP of basketball operations)
New Orleans Pelicans: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
Charlotte Hornets: Rich Cho (GM)
Detroit Pistons: Jeff Bower (GM)
Denver Nuggets: Gary Harris
Miami Heat: Alonzo Mourning (VP of player programs)

Additionally, the NBA also announced that it will reveal several award winners and award finalists later this week. The league will unveil its three All-NBA teams on Thursday. Then, prior to the Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday, the NBA will name its three finalists for each major award: MVP, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Coach of the Year.

Those individual awards won’t be officially announced until June 26, during the NBA’s inaugural awards broadcast on TNT. However, the All-NBA announcement on Thursday will be an intriguing one. A team’s ability to offer a player a more lucrative Designated Veteran Extension hinges on whether or not he earns an All-NBA nod. So teams like the Pacers and Jazz will be watching very closely to see if Paul George and Gordon Hayward earn All-NBA spots and become eligible for those super-max extensions.

Jackson's Comments Have Hurt Anthony's Stock

May 14th, 2017 at 9:16pm CST by Austin Kent

If Knicks president Phil Jackson was looking to get value out of Carmelo Anthony in a trade, his negative comments have only hurt the forward’s stock, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.

While Anthony posted reasonable numbers for the underachieving Knicks in 2017/18, the fact that Jackson has slammed both his personality and playing style certainly aren’t reassuring.

“Phil made a statement basically that Carmelo’s a losing type of player. Well, if he’s a loser for the Knicks, he’s going to be a winner someplace else? That obviously didn’t help,” one Eastern Conference executive told Kerber.

Anthony’s famous no-trade clause already limits who the Knicks may be able to trade with, so Jackson’s mystifying approach to marketing make it even less likely that the franchise will be able to yield a reasonable return for their once-prized building block.

Don’t expect an immediate impact out of this year’s draft class — at least that’s what Knicks boss Phil Jackson implied to Lakers president Magic Johnson, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. “It’s just really tough,” Jackson said. “The maturation level, particularly the education the game has stepped to, the amount of work it takes physically, mentally, the preparation. We don’t expect a whole lot.“

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Hornacek, Fox

May 13th, 2017 at 8:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Team president Phil Jackson hasn’t changed his mind about Carmelo Anthony leaving the Knicks, but coach Jeff Hornacek sounds less certain, relays Jeff Arnold of The New York Times. Hornacek appears to be leaving the door open for a return by Anthony, who has two seasons left on his current contract and a no-trade clause to block any deal he doesn’t like. “Carmelo is a great player — he did a lot of great things for us,” Hornacek said. “He won us games. He hit some big shots for us; he was a guy that we could go to. If he’s back, he’ll be a guy that we go to again. If he’s not, then that’s when other guys are going to have to become the guy that maybe you can go to or give us big buckets.”

There’s more tonight out of New York:

Despite their differences, Jackson recently sent a text message to Anthony expressing support regarding his separation from his wife, La La, Arnold writes in the same story. Jackson notes that it’s a “tough time” for Anthony as his personal life has become the topic of tabloid headlines.
Jackson realizes the Knicks’ immediate future isn’t bright, which is part of the reason he wants Anthony to leave, writes Adi Joseph of USA Today. Addressing reporters at the draft combine, Jackson noted that Anthony hopes to compete for a title and New York can’t give him that opportunity. “We’d just like him to have success somewhere,” Jackson said. “We’re not going to be there. Hopefully we’ll be maybe a playoff team next year. It would be tough to consider us possible champions.” The Knicks are coming off a 31-51 season and haven’t had a winning team since 2012/13.
Jackson recently met with commissioner Adam Silver to discuss the state of the franchise, according to a post from Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Jackson indicated that Silver believes the Knicks are headed in the right direction. “You guys seem to want to knock us around a little bit, then make us look like we don’t know what we’re doing,” Jackson said to reporters, “but [Silver is] comfortable that we do. …. To have a positive base to work from is really important. And our fan core is positive and we’d like to give them hope because they’ve been disappointed.”
Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox interviewed with the Knicks during the combine and said he would love to play in New York, relays Adam Zagoria of Fanrag Sports. Fox is projected as a top five pick, so the Knicks might need some lottery luck to acquire him. “I don’t know too much about the triangle,” he said. “Everyone says it’s hard to learn, but if I go in there I’ll have to learn quickly. And [Kristaps] Porzingis, he’s amazing, watching the NBA this year. I really paid attention to the NBA this year knowing I’m about to go into this business; I had to stop watching it as a casual fan and start thinking of it as a business aspect. He’s great and if I get to play with him, I feel like we can do something special.”

Jackson Reiterates Feelings About Melo

May 12th, 2017 at 10:52pm CST by Austin Kent

Speaking with reporters at the NBA Draft Combine, Knicks president Phil Jackson reiterated that he thinks Carmelo Anthony should waive his no-trade clause and accept the reality of playing elsewhere, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“He has a no-trade contract. I think I expressed what I felt [in April]. I can’t express it any better,” Jackson said of the Knicks forward.

Jackson did note that he’s been in touch with Anthony through text messages, referencing the news reports that the Knicks star and his wife may be headed toward divorce.

In 74 games for the Knicks this season, Anthony averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game but the club won just 31 contests in a year marred by off-court melodrama.

In an attempt to stop things in their tracks, Knicks president Phil Jackson opted not to address the situation unfolding with a beleaguered Kristaps Porzingis, an ESPN report mentions. The second-year man has voiced his displeasure with the organization but has also declared that he’d like to remain with the franchise.

Knicks Looking For System Players

May 11th, 2017 at 8:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Coach Jeff Hornacek firmly believes Kristaps Porzingis will be on the Knicks next season, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets. “There’s no doubt in my mind,” Hornacek said of Porzingis’ place on the team. Porzingis’ brother recently said that the big man wants to remain in New York.
The Knicks are at the combine in Chicago with an eye on finding players who fit into their system, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Phil Jackson, who met with several point guard prospects, recently said that the team is “interested in skill players that know how to play together in team form.”

Brother: Porzingis Wants To Stay In New York

May 11th, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

Janis Porzingis, the brother of Kristaps Porzingis, reiterated to Ian Begley of ESPN.com that the Knicks big man wants to remain New York, despite the seemingly rocky nature of the relationship between the team and the player as of late. As Begley details, Janis also issued something of a warning to teams that might be interested in trading for his brother.

“Kris wants to stay in New York; he feels at home there. There is no question about it. The only thing he wants is for the Knicks to create an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win,” Janis Porzingis told Begley. “If he were traded, he would play out his contract and head into free agency, where he can choose his own destiny.”

While family members’ statements on behalf of NBA players should generally be taken with a grain of salt, it’s worth noting that Janis isn’t just Kristaps’ brother — he’s also a certified agent who works for ASM Sports, the home of Kristaps’ agent Andy Miller. As such, Janis’ comments carry some extra weight, and his statement about the Knicks echoes what Kristaps said about the team last month, when he insisted that he loves New York and wants to remain with the Knicks.

As for Janis’ comments about a hypothetical trade, any team interested in Porzingis would have to consider the possibility of him bolting at the end of his contract. But since Porzingis remains on his rookie deal, he’d only be eligible for restricted free agency when it expires in 2019, giving New York – or another team – plenty of leverage to hang onto him. In any case, the Knicks aren’t expected to seriously explore trading Porzingis at this point.

Although the 2016/17 season came to an end for his Knicks nearly a month ago, Porzingis has continued to dominate NBA headlines in recent weeks. After skipping his exit meeting with the organization, Porzingis made plans to spend his summer in his native Latvia. That prompted teams to inquire with the Knicks about Porzingis’ availability, and the 21-year-old created a stir when a Clippers-themed message was posted and deleted to his Twitter account; he later claimed he was hacked.