New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Carmelo-To-Celtics An Offseason Possibility?

April 21st, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

In the days and weeks leading up to the trade deadline, reports indicated that the Celtics weren’t overly enamored with the idea of acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks. According to Marc Berman of The New York Post though, the Celtics coaching staff was in favor of making such a deal. GM Danny Ainge, however, had “too many reservations,” per Berman.

One of Ainge’s primary concerns, according to Berman, was that trading for Anthony would compromise the Celtics’ projected salary cap room for the summer. The Post’s report isn’t the first to suggest that the ability to have free agency flexibility is important for Ainge — it was believed to be one roadblock for a major deadline trade. If the Celtics remain well under the cap, they could attempt to land a top free agent – such as Gordon Hayward – and then would still have the ability to make a big splash on the trade market after using their cap space.

Berman suggests that revisiting an Anthony trade is one possibility for the Celtics in July, and there’s some logic to that idea — an early exit from the playoffs is more likely to spur action for Ainge and the C’s this summer, and the acquisition price for Anthony wouldn’t be as high as it would be for players like Jimmy Butler and Paul George, given Carmelo’s contract situation.

According to Berman, the Knicks would have interest in Jae Crowder in any talks with the Celtics. Reports in February about the Celtics’ inquiries on Butler and George suggested that Boston would likely have to include multiple players from the Crowder/Marcus Smart/Avery Bradley/Jaylen Brown group, along with at least one Nets draft pick, to make a deal with either Chicago or Indiana. I’d expect those Brooklyn picks to be off the table in any Anthony trade talks, and the Celtics may also be reluctant to give up multiple productive rotation players.

In any case, it’s somewhat premature to get into what a potential Anthony trade would look like, as there’s no guarantee Ainge will change his position. The Knicks clearly have interest in moving the veteran forward and would probably love to bring Boston back to the negotiating table, but it will likely just be one of many options considered by the Celtics this summer.

Kristaps Porzingis Wants To Remain With Knicks

April 19th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kristaps Porzingis blew off an end-of-season meeting with team president Phil Jackson, but that does not mean he wants to be traded, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.

“Of course,” Porzingis said when asked if he wants to remain a Knick. “I love New York. I love New York.”

The team never received an explanation on why the big man decided to skip his scheduled meeting, a source tells Berman. The scribe hears that Porzingis is upset with how the organization has been run–especially the team’s dealings with his mentor, Carmelo Anthony. The 21-year-old declined to go into why he missed the meeting when asked on Wednesday.

“It’s not the right moment to comment on anything [about it],” he said. “I don’t want to say anything.’’

Last week, Porzingis said that he wants the franchise to have a clear direction. “No one’s comfortable with losing,” Porzingis said. “If it means going in the right direction and doing the right thing, let’s do that. But just having no idea the direction, then it’s not going to work out. The direction has to be clear what we want to do.”

During Jackson’s Good Friday press conference, he said that no one on the team is untouchable, which includes Porzingis. Berman notes that the Knicks will be hard-pressed to find equal value for the big man in a trade, adding the 21-year-old has a chance to become a star.

A source tells Berman that Jackson doesn’t feel good about Porzingis rebelling. “It wasn’t right,” said one individual close to Jackson. “But Phil went through this with Kobe [Bryant] and Andrew [Bynum], when they were still young but started to sprout their opinions and rebelled. It worked for Kobe. Hopefully this will make Kristaps better in the long run.”

Porzingis vows to “live in the gym” this summer, though he’ll spend most of it abroad. He leaves for Latvia on Thursday.

NBA Execs Talk Carmelo Anthony Situation

April 17th, 2017 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

It was an eventful long weekend in New York, as Phil Jackson used his Good Friday press conference to espouse the belief that Carmelo Anthony would probably “be better off somewhere else” where he can contend for a title. The players’ union objected to Jackson’s blunt – and public – assessment of the situation, while the Knicks president’s comments may inspire Anthony to dig his heels in this summer.

One frequent criticism of Jackson’s handling of the Anthony situation has been that publicly expressing a desire to move on from the star forward won’t exactly increase his trade value around the league. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News investigated that topic, speaking to a handful of NBA executives about Carmelo’s current stock, and found that the Knicks may have trouble finding a taker for Anthony, even if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause.

“If he were willing to keep altering his style of play, you might say yes,” one GM said of trading for Anthony. “At his best, when he was four or five years younger, you could win if you built the team to fit what he does. [The Knicks] had some good teams, people forget. But at this point, at his age, it is not possible unless he becomes more of a role player — a stretch four; a second or third option. But then you’re paying $25MM per year for a role player, and how does that help you?”

While other executives are more sympathetic toward Anthony’s situation and still like him as a player, his exorbitant salary for the next two seasons – which would include a 15% trade kicker if he were dealt – is a sticking point for many execs.

“I like Carmelo, I think he takes a bad rap,” an Eastern Conference exec tells Deveney. “He doesn’t get in trouble, he has put up with a lot from that organization and I think a lot of guys would have lashed out by now. Give him credit for that. But anyone who brings him in has to ask, does he make your team better, looking at everything including his (cap) number? In most cases, that’s going to be no.”

As for which teams might be matches for the Knicks in a Carmelo trade, most executives who spoke to Deveney proposed the same few clubs we’ve heard in previous Anthony rumors. The Cavaliers are viewed as more of a long shot, with most execs suggesting that the Clippers remain the best bet — particularly if L.A. has another early playoff exit and wants to shake things up. One Western Conference executive also pointed out that Anthony’s no-trade clause will likely help keep his trade cost down for any team acquiring him.

“If he waives the no-trade, you know he is going to be OK with coming (to his new team),” the exec said. “He is not going against his will. And look at it, everyone has the Knicks over a barrel. They’re just desperate to move the guy. You are not going to have to give up much of anything to get him, just make the salaries match.”

For all the latest updates related to Anthony, be sure to keep an eye on our rumors page for him.

New York Notes: Knicks, Holiday, Nets

April 16th, 2017 at 10:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Justin Holiday said last month that he’d love to find a way to play on the same team as his brother Jrue Holiday next season, and both players are eligible for free agency this summer, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, the Knicks may be an ideal landing spot for the duo, since Justin is the sort of effective two-way player the club wants to retain, and New York will also be in the market for a point guard like Jrue if Derrick Rose doesn’t return.

With the Holiday brothers not competing in the playoffs, Justin Holiday tells The Post that they plan to “take some time off” and eventually will talk about their plans for the future. Given how dysfunctional the Knicks have been this season, it remains to be seen whether the elder Holiday will make an enthusiastic pitch to younger brother Jrue on behalf of the franchise.

Here’s more from out of New York on the Knicks and Nets:

Phil Jackson the coach is undermining Phil Jackson the team president, in the view of George Willis of The New York Post. As Willis details, Jackson’s comments on Friday made it sounds as if he intends to micromanage the club more in 2017/18, which probably doesn’t thrill Jeff Hornacek and likely won’t address the problems that ail the Knicks.
While 2016/17 was a disaster, there are ways for Jackson to fix the Knicks‘ roster, or at least take steps toward patching the holes, Berman writes in a piece for The New York Post. Berman examines potential defensive-minded free agent targets for the Knicks, as well as draft options for the club.
The Nets will use the draft, the trade market, and free agency to attempt to upgrade their roster this season, but head coach Kenny Atkinson and the team will also do all they can to find ways to improve the players already on the roster, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “We’re obsessed with that as a staff, one through 15: How can we get those guys better?” Atkinson said. “I’m sure I have a wish list that’s Utopian, but where we are we have to keep taking a lot of pride in developing the players we have. … To me, that’s your wish list: Get these guys better that are on your roster.”

Pistons Committed To Keeping Caldwell-Pope

April 16th, 2017 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons plan to match any offer that restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope receives, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.

The organization is prepared to give the fourth-year shooting guard a maximum deal if that’s what it takes to keep him in Detroit, Ellis adds, with several sources saying he is an important part of the team’s future.

Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season, but his numbers declined after the All-Star break. Ellis states that the Pistons may have viewed the situation differently if they were confident that Stanley Johnson was ready to become a starter, but they believe keeping Caldwell-Pope is vital and they wouldn’t be able to get an adequate replacement because of their cap situation.

Ellis touches on several other Pistons-related matters:

Trade talks involving Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson will continue this offseason. Ellis states that the organization is becoming impatient with Drummond, with coach/executive Stan Van Gundy saying in Friday’s press conference that he needs a “sense of urgency to elevate his game.” Jackson’s drop in production stemmed from left knee tendinitis that plagued him throughout the season, and Ellis claims the only available replacement who might be an upgrade is the Suns’ Eric Bledsoe.
The Pistons believe they have enough young players and future first-rounders to acquire a star this offseason. There were rumors that Drummond was offered to the Kings for DeMarcus Cousins before he was sent to New Orleans, and a source told Ellis the Pistons contacted the Pacers about Paul George but never got close to a deal. George has another season left before he can opt out, and Detroit might be interested in taking the chance that it can re-sign him, but only if the price in a trade comes down. Other targets could include Jimmy Butler and Carmelo Anthony.
Although the Pistons might benefit from a franchise-altering move, Van Gundy said smaller deals are more realistic. “There’s a couple things we’d like to do and make us a little bit better, but I don’t think we’re broken” he said. “Getting our point guard situation back to where it was or even better is more than feasible and corrects a great deal of the problems we’re talking about. Our roster is pretty good from there.”

Porzingis To Spend Summer In Latvia; Anthony May Resist Trade

April 16th, 2017 at 9:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis, who made a statement about the Knicks organization by skipping his exit interview Friday, plans to spend most of the summer in his native Latvia, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

Porzingis’ move was seen as a protest against the “unprofessionalism and routine chaos” that he has encountered during his two seasons with the team, Wojnarowski writes, noting that he may not return to the United States until just before the start of camp.

His stance appears to represent the prevalent feeling in the locker room. Many players are saying privately that they don’t want to be involved in summer tutoring sessions in the triangle offense that are planned at the Knicks’ practice facility. Wojnarowski describes the atmosphere as an “open rebellion” against team president Phil Jackson’s philosophy.

It also appears that Jackson’s statements on Friday urging Carmelo Anthony to accept a trade this summer have backfired. Wojnarowski writes that the Knicks plan to reopen trade talks before the draft in June, but Anthony has become more determined to spend two more years in New York and try to outlast Jackson. With the Knicks picking up Jackson’s option this week, both he and Anthony have two seasons left on their current contracts.

Jackson’s press conference was the latest addition to the chaos that has left Porzingis disillusioned. He developed a good working relationship with coach Derek Fisher as a rookie, Wojnarowski writes, but Fisher was fired midway through last season, partly because of a dispute with Jackson over the triangle and the best way to use Porzingis in the offense.

Jackson appointed Kurt Rambis as interim head coach and wanted to give him the job permanently, but opposition inside and outside the organization forced him to hire someone else. He chose Jeff Hornacek, who had recently been fired by the Suns and had little leverage to oppose the triangle or force out Rambis, who remains as an assistant.

NBPA Objects To Phil Jackson’s Statement

April 15th, 2017 at 9:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Players union head Michele Roberts has issued a statement calling Phil Jackson’s comments about Carmelo Anthony in Friday’s press conference “inappropriate,” tweets Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated.

The union objected to Jackson saying that Anthony would be “better off somewhere else” next season. Anthony remains under contract with the Knicks for two more years, although he has an early termination option for 2018/19.

“We voiced with the Commissioner today our view on the inappropriate comments by Knicks President Phil Jackson,” Roberts’ statement read. “If players cannot, under threat of league discipline, speak openly about their desire to be employed elsewhere, we expect management to adhere to the same standards. The door swings both ways when it comes to demonstrating loyalty and respect.”

Reaction To Phil Jackson’s Press Conference

April 15th, 2017 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Feedback continues to pour in from Phil Jackson’s press conference on Friday, and almost all of it is negative. The Knicks president covered numerous topics in his first meeting with reporters since training camp, including the future of coach Jeff Hornacek, Derrick Rose‘s desire to stay with the team and whether Kristaps Porzingis is ready to be a franchise player. But the headlines revolved around the ongoing Carmelo Anthony dispute, with Jackson saying Anthony would be happier elsewhere.

Here’s a sampling of reaction from the media:

Jackson is undermining Hornacek by announcing plans to do more “mentoring” next season, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Jackson suggested that he would rather still be coaching than handling front office duties and blames a vacation he took for the team falling apart. He also defended his triangle offense and insisted that any failures were caused by resistance from players “at the top,” which sounds like another swipe at Anthony.
Jackson is blaming everyone but himself for the Knicks’ failures, charges Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Jackson “emerged from his ivory tower,” Bontemps writes, and insulted Anthony, undercut Hornacek and alienated Porzingis, who skipped his exit interview on Friday. Bontemps also blasts Knicks owner James Dolan, who had a chance to cut ties with Jackson this week, but instead picked up his option for two more years.
Jackson’s remarks toward Hornacek means the coach will be on a “short leash” starting next season, claims Marc Berman of The New York Post. Hornacek will be on the second year of a three-year contract and will be sharing control of the team with Jackson and assistant coach Kurt Rambis, another triangle advocate who served as interim coach before Hornacek was hired. Jackson cited “some disconnect at times with this team” at the press conference, and Berman states that discontent grew in the locker room as the season soured.
The Knicks’ offseason may turn out to be worse than the regular season, suggests Al Iannazzone of Newsday. In 49 minutes, he writes, Jackson managed to lower Anthony’s trade value and scare off any prominent free agents who may have been considering New York. Iannazzone sums up Jackson’s strategy as making sure the triangle is emphasized and turning over the roster one more time.

Latest On Carmelo Anthony

April 15th, 2017 at 9:13am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson didn’t mince words when addressing his long-simmering dispute with Carmelo Anthony in a press conference Friday. Making his intentions clear to end their relationship, Jackson said, “I think the direction with our team, he’ll be better off somewhere else.”

The problem is that there’s no easy way for a break-up to occur. Anthony is under contract for $26,243,760 next season and $27,928,140 in 2018/19 with an early termination option. There is also a 15% trade kicker that must be paid by whatever team acquires him, along with a no-trade clause that Anthony can use to block any deal he doesn’t like.

With that in mind, several NBA writers have taken a look at where Anthony might wind up:

Anthony has three options for the offseason, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation. He can waive the no-trade clause and accept a deal, although Ziller says he shouldn’t feel obligated to do so just because Jackson wants him gone. He can submit a list of teams that he would agree to be traded to, which would presumably include joining friends LeBron James with the Cavaliers, Chris Paul with the Clippers or Dwyane Wade with the Bulls. Or he can make a stand and tell the Knicks that he won’t leave until his contract expires. Ziller favors the last option, noting that Anthony likes being in New York and has earned the power he obtained through the no-trade clause.
The Cavaliers, Clippers and Celtics, whom the Knicks reportedly contacted about moving Anthony before the February deadline, are listed as possible destinations by The New York Post, along with the Heat and Wizards.
Miami may have interest in Anthony, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel, who notes that team president Pat Riley pursued the Knicks star in free agency three years ago. With more than $25MM expected to be freed in cap space once the Chris Bosh situation is resolved, Miami could add Anthony with a simple trade, and Winderman suggests Justise Winslow as a possibility. However, that would leave the team unable to re-sign James Johnson and Dion Waiters.
The Bulls “will steer completely clear of whatever Carmelo does,” predicts Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. In a video posted on CSNChicago.com, Friedell suggests that if Anthony had come to Chicago three seasons ago, Tom Thibideau probably would have been kept as coach and current Knicks Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah would still be with the Bulls.

Kristaps Porzingis Reportedly Skipped Exit Meetings

April 14th, 2017 at 11:30pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Knicks‘ season may be over, but the team’s PR struggles continued with Phil Jackson‘s press conference this afternoon. Following an unusual presser, in which Jackson asserted Carmelo Anthony would “be better off somewhere else,” Ian Begley of ESPN reported frustration from Kristaps Porzingis. Per Begley, Porzingis skipped exit meetings with the Knicks following this season, citing what he perceived to be “dysfunction and drama surrounding the organization.”

“Porzingis, according to team sources, is frustrated with the Knicks’ lack of direction,” Begley reports. Jackson’s remarks at Friday’s press conference involved Porzingis as well as Anthony; claiming the 21-year-old is not ready ot become the face of the franchise (Twitter link).

In the past, Porzingis hasn’t shied away from criticizing team management. At the end of March, Porzingis told Fred Kerber of the New York Post that his team didn’t do it from the beginning the right way…We didn’t have real fundamentals as a team.”

For what it’s worth, Jackson acknowledged the volatile reputation the Knicks have gathered in recent years.

“I think there’s disconnect sometimes with this team and I think there was some rebelliousness with this team that created some of the discord during the year. And I think has to stop and that will stop,” Jackson said.