New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Cut Brandon Jennings, Sign Chasson Randle

February 27th, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

11:50am: The Knicks have officially confirmed Jennings’ release and Randle’s new deal, tweeting a photo of the rookie guard signing his contract.

7:23am: The Knicks are set to cut ties with veteran guard Brandon Jennings, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). After waiving Jennings, the club will use its open roster spot to sign free agent guard Chasson Randle, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter).

Randle, who went undrafted in 2015, appeared headed toward a roster spot with the Knicks in October, but was waived after suffering an orbital bone fracture. Randle subsequently joined New York’s D-League squad as an affiliate player, and a solid showing in Westchester earned him an audition with the Sixers, which in turn led to two 10-day contracts and a rest-of-season deal. However, he lost his roster spot last week when the club needed to clear a spot to complete its Nerlens Noel trade with Dallas.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Randle will ink a multiyear deal with the Knicks that features a partial guarantee for the 2017/18 season.

As for Jennings, the former 10th overall pick signed a one-year, $5MM contract with the Knicks last summer, and has averaged 8.6 PPG and 4.9 APG in 58 games for the club, with a .380/.340/.756 shooting line. Per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (via Twitter), Jennings recently informed the Knicks that he’d like to join a playoff team, so the Knicks will release him to potentially give him that opportunity.

If Jennings clears waivers, he’ll be free to sign with any team, but as Bobby Marks of The Vertical observes (via Twitter), that $5MM contract could be appealing to teams below the salary floor, since there’s only about $1.2MM left to pay on it. We identified the teams below the floor over the weekend, including the Jazz ($4.23MM below) and Wolves ($3.24MM below).

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/26/17

February 26th, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the D-League transactions for Sunday:

The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via Twitter. The forward has seen action in just seven games for Toronto this season, the last coming on January 13.
The Cavaliers have assigned Kay Felder to their D-League affiliate, the team said in a press release on its official website. Felder has averaged over 30 points per game in three games with the Canton Charge this season.
The Knicks assigned Ron Baker, Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee to their affiliate in the D-League, the team said on Twitter.
The Nuggets have recalled Malik Beasley from the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team said in a press release on their website. Beasley has played in 17 games for Denver so far this season.
The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from their D-League affiliate, the team revealed in a press release. Huestis has only seen the court in one game for the Thunder this season.

Latest On Derrick Rose And The Knicks

February 25th, 2017 at 5:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

B.J. Armstrong, the agent for Derrick Rose, said that his client “wants to be in New York,” Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. Rose was the subject of trade rumors leading up the trade deadline, but his representatives believe the Knicks had his best interests in mind when negotiating with other teams. Rose told the local media on Friday that he holds “no grudges and no hard feelings” about the trade chatter.

“It was an opportunity to see what his value truly was throughout the league,” Armstrong said. “So as you can see, through all the reports, there were teams that were interested in him and what he does and what he brings to the court.”

Begley notes that several teams contacted the Knicks regarding a Rose trade. The Knicks had discussions with the Wolves regarding a Ricky Rubio-Rose swap, but those talks stalled when New York demanded additional assets. Shortly before the deadline passed, the Knicks backed off those demands, but Minnesota backed out of talks because it feared Rose wouldn’t be open to re-signing with the club.

“I wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t traded,” Armstrong said of Rose. “Derrick is putting together, game by game, coming back and really beginning to play at a consistent level to where he’s at and what he’s going to be at this stage of his career. So I think there was a lot of rumors, his name was out there. But in the end, I think the Knicks did what they thought was in their best interests.”

Rose would like to remain in town, but it’s unclear whether or not the Knicks would like to continue the relationship past this season, according to Begley.

Rose is averaging 17.6 points while shooting 46.2% from the field this season. However, the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story, as Dan Favale of NBAMath details. Rose prioritizes scoring when he’s on the court and his decision making has hurt the team this season. New York’s assist percentage drops significantly when Rose is in the lineup and Favale believes Rose has taken opportunities away from other players, especially Kristaps Porzingis.

Earlier in the year, it was reported that Rose would seek a max deal when he hits free agency this summer. It’s unlikely that he receives the max offer, but with a plethora of teams in need of a point guard, he’ll have plenty of suitors. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him land a deal in the $12-15MM/year range, though that is simply my speculation.

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Rose, Porzingis, Jackson

February 24th, 2017 at 4:45pm CST by Milo Taibi

Carmelo Anthony is unsure of the Knicks‘ direction after standing pat at the trade deadline. “I think they were kind of planning on the trade deadline, whether they were trying to make moves,” Anthony said. “I think that was one plan. Now they’ve got to get back to the drawing board and come up with another plan about the future of this team.”

Anthony’s frustration is understandable. Team president Phil Jackson extensively discussed the prospect of shopping Anthony, despite ‘Melo’s no-trade clause. While Anthony wasn’t mentioned in trade rumors throughout the deadline, the team was apparently rebuffed by Minnesota on a Ricky Rubio-for-Derrick Rose swap. Anthony claimed he “kind of knew” he wouldn’t be dealt in the days leading up to the deadline, and spoke for his teammates in criticizing the front office’s lack of transparency.

“Yeah, I mean, nobody likes to be in limbo,” Anthony said. “We all want to know kind of what’s going on, especially when it’s involving you. I think there’s other players who feel the same way, that they want to be involved — not involved, but at least up to date with what’s going on.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/23/17

February 23rd, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are today’s D-League assignments and recalls:

The Knicks recalled Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee from their Westchester affiliate, the team tweeted.
The Raptors brought Bruno Caboclo, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam up from Raptors 905 this morning (Twitter link). All three were sent back down later in the day (Twitter link).
The Suns recalled slam dunk contest runner-up Derrick Jones Jr. from Northern Arizona (Twitter link).
The Pistons called up Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije from their affiliate in Grand Rapids, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

Timberwolves Balked At Rose/Rubio Swap

February 23rd, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Milo Taibi

3:04pm: A source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link) that the Wolves got “extra concerned” that they wouldn’t be able to re-sign Rose this summer, and didn’t want to acquire him as a rental.

2:40pm: The Timberwolves walked away from trade negotiations involving Ricky Rubio and Derrick Rose, Marc Stein of ESPN reports. The Knicks made a final push for a Derrick Rose-for-Ricky Rubio trade with no additional pieces, but Minnesota balked. (Twitter links).

Earlier today, the Knicks pushed Minnesota to include additional trade pieces along with Rubio. Apparently unable to receive other assets (New York was said to be interested in Nemanja Bjelica), the Knicks made a final push at a straight-up trade offer.

Ian Begley of ESPN corroborated Stein’s report, claiming the Knicks’ willingness to lower their demands came too late in negotiations. Phil Jackson had been looking for draft picks in trade talks with other teams, which may have been the sticking point with Scott Layden of the Timberwolves.

Barring a buyout, Derrick Rose appears set to finish the season in New York before testing the free agent market. Ricky Rubio, who remains ahead of Tyus Jones and Kris Dunn on Minnesota’s depth chart, is under contract through 2018/19.

Trade Talks Between Wolves, Knicks Stalled?

February 23rd, 2017 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

1:42pm: The talks between the Knicks and Wolves have “stalled significantly” with the deadline less than 20 minutes away, per Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link).

11:40am: The Knicks and Wolves remain engaged in discussions on a potential deal headlined by Rubio and Rose, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link).

8:35am: Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio continues to be a “significant” trade target for the Knicks today, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). We’ve heard in recent days that the two teams have discussed multiple variations of a deal involving Rubio and New York point guard Derrick Rose.

There had been some skepticism about the Knicks’ ability to trade Rose this week, since he has a $21MM+ expiring salary and some members of the organization were believed to be reluctant to take long-term salary back for him. However, as Marc Berman of The New York Post has noted, the Knicks have had interest in Rubio for several years, so it’s possible that he’s a player for whom the team would sacrifice summer cap room.

Because the Wolves are far below the cap, the team could trade Rubio straight up for Rose, despite a gap of nearly $8MM between their 2016/17 salaries. For Minnesota, such a move would allow the club to reach the salary floor this season and create some cap flexibility going forward. Tom Thibodeau‘s history with Rose may also hold some appeal if the Wolves view the former MVP as more than a rental.

Still, if the two sides can get something done, it may not just be a one-for-one swap. The Knicks are said to have some interest in Wolves forward Nemanja Bjelica as well, and ESPN’s Marc Stein tweets that New York’s desire to get another piece in the deal has been a sticking point so far.

Eastern Notes: Hawks, Celtics, Butler, Knicks

February 23rd, 2017 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Whether it’s via trade or free agency, the Hawks are planning to add a third point guard to their roster, head coach Mike Budenholzer said today (Twitter link via Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution). Dennis Schroder has had a very solid season in Atlanta, but Malcolm Delaney has been up and down as his backup, and the team doesn’t really have additional depth at the position.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

On The Vertical’s live trade deadline show, Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that one reason the Celtics and Bulls haven’t moved forward in Jimmy Butler talks is because the Bulls would want at least a couple players capable of joining their rotation immediately, and Boston is more interested in using draft picks in a potential package.
The Knicks have yet to budge on their insistence that the Timberwolves add an additional player or draft pick to a Ricky Rubio/Derrick Rose swap, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. As Begley notes, it’ll be interesting to see if either side budges before the deadline.
J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com takes a closer look at why the Wizards targeted Bojan Bogdanovic and were willing to give up a first-round pick for him.

Trade Rumors: C. Lee, Clippers, Pacers, Jazz, Kings

February 23rd, 2017 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we heard that the Clippers recently showed interest in Courtney Lee, and according to Ian Begley and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, the Clips and Knicks continue to talk. New York has been seeking draft picks in discussions on Lee and other players, and the Clippers don’t have any immediate first-rounders to offer, as Begley notes. So if the Knicks want to send Lee to Los Angeles, they may have to settle for a player or get a third team involved.

Here are more of the latest trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Pacers have been talking to teams about possible trades that would allow them to clear roster spots, tweets ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. As Windhorst notes, teams suspect that might be related to their talks with the Celtics regarding Paul George. Of course, Indiana may also just be doing due diligence as well in case Boston ups its offer — the Pacers wouldn’t want to be stuck having to waive useful players to make a deal work.
The Jazz don’t appear likely at this point to make a deal, says Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (via Twitter). TNT’s David Aldridge notes (via Twitter) that Utah could still make a move for Deron Williams, but if Williams isn’t dealt, the veteran point guard won’t ask for a buyout from the Mavericks.
The Kings continue to mull their options, but don’t appear to be moving forward with talks for players like Darren Collison and Arron Afflalo for now, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post (Twitter link), who adds that Sacramento’s asking prices may be too high. If those prices come down, things could change.
The Wizards continue to work the phones, but aren’t overly optimistic about getting another deal done by the deadline, tweets Bontemps.
The market for Iman Shumpert appears to be cooling as the deadline approaches, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link). Amico says that teams are asking for a draft pick from the Cavaliers, and Cleveland doesn’t have many picks left.

Deveney’s Latest: Tucker, Favors, Gallinari, Anthony

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:49am CST by Dana Gauruder

P.J. Tucker‘s expiring, affordable contract makes him the player most likely to be dealt before today’s trade deadline, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. The Suns are holding out for a first-round pick for the veteran small forward, even if it’s a future first-rounder that they can use down the road as an asset, Deveney continues. The Jazz, Celtics, Clippers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Hawks and Bulls have all shown interest in Tucker, giving the Suns hope they can get a first-round pick for him, Deveney adds.

Deveney touched on a number of other players who could be wearing a different uniform by the end of the day:

Luxury-tax concerns have the Jazz exploring the market for power forward Derrick Favors. Rudy Gobert‘s extension kicks in next season and Utah is hopeful of re-signing Gordon Hayward in the likelihood he opts out of the final year of his current contract this summer. That makes Favors expendable but his nagging knee injury has tempered the market for him.
Danilo Gallinari is drawing more interest on the market than fellow Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler. Denver is seeking a first-rounder for either player but Gallinari’s ability to opt out of his contract after the season makes it more difficult for the Nuggets to get value for him.
Carmelo Anthony is likely to stay put unless Knicks president Phil Jackson can revive talks with the Clippers. Jackson is also trying to deal free agents he signed last summer — Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah — for draft picks.
The Hawks, Hornets and Bucks have shown interest in point guard Darren Collison as the Kings continue their latest rebuild in the wake of the DeMarcus Cousins blockbuster.
The Bulls, Pacers and possibly the Mavericks are still in play as potential suitors for Sixers power forward Jahlil Okafor but Philadelphia is not determined to move him unless it gets the right package.
The Mavericks are hopeful of getting a first-rounder for either Andrew Bogut or Deron Williams but may be willing to settle for a couple of second-rounders.