New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Bryant, Rose

December 10th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson held a one-on-one meeting with Carmelo Anthony today regarding comments that Jackson made this week, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Jackson visited the team at practice in Los Angeles and tried to clarify his remarks about Anthony holding the ball too long in the triangle offense. Anthony said the meeting was productive, but added that Jackson has “got to be careful the choice of words he uses.” “He said what he had to say,” Anthony said. “I don’t want to tell you all what he said. The conversation was good — to hear his perspective on what happened, how it all went down.”

There’s more news tonight regarding the Knicks:

Anthony says he has talked to former Lakers star Kobe Bryant about how to relate to Jackson, relays ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Jackson said recently that Anthony has been given the same role in the triangle that once belonged to Bryant and Michael Jordan. Anthony’s main concern was why Jackson keeps talking about him to the press. “That was my question, was just, ‘Why?’ Regardless of what was the context of the interview or conversation, just why? …. Why, every time, do I come up?” Anthony said about his discussions with Bryant. “He explained that. It’s been behind me for two days. There’s no reason to keep harping on it.”
It’s too soon for the Knicks to be talking about a contract extension for Derrick Rose, argues Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Rose’s injury history makes his too much of a risk, the writer contends, and the team should wait until he proves he can stay healthy for an entire season. Rose has missed 228 games over the past five seasons, but appeared in 66 last year with Chicago, the most since his MVP season in 2010/11. He has played 21 of the Knicks’ 23 games so far. Rose, who will be a free agent this summer, said he understands the Knicks’ caution and won’t be upset if they wait until the offseason to discuss an extension. “It’s cool,” he said. “It’s no bad blood if they were to wait until after the year, it wouldn’t matter to me. I’m not worried about money. Whatever they decide to do it’s in their hands.”

Jackson's Media Missteps Overshadowing Knicks' Solid Play?

December 10th, 2016 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Knicks‘ decision to sign Joakim Noah to a pricey four-year contract has received some deserved criticism, many of Phil Jackson‘s other moves are paying off, with the team playing well, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. That includes the hiring of Jeff Hornacek, though he wasn’t Jackson’s first choice, sources tell Begley. Still, Jackson’s recent public comments about LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have overshadowed the Knicks’ on-court performance, as Begley details.

Anthony Unhappy With Jackson's Comments

December 9th, 2016 at 9:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is “baffled and hurt” by the recent comments team president Phil Jackson made about him in the media, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Anthony told the scribe that he wishes that Jackson would have come to him first with any critiques rather than airing them through the media. “I think we’re playing good basketball,’’ Anthony said. “I don’t know what’s this cloud over the team now. We lost a game. I just feel if it was something he wanted to address and had a stance on something, the door has always been open both ways. He always sends me a text or talks to me if it was any type of problem that was going on. I always welcome the conversation with open arms.”

The Knicks are considering hiring Makhtar N’Diaye, who currently is a player agent with the Wasserman Media Group, as a scout, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News tweets.

Jackson Has To Stop Feuding With Carmelo

December 8th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks president Phil Jackson has to stop feuding with Carmelo Anthony or the team’s season could fall apart, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. Jackson cannot afford to have a strained relationship with his top player, considering he was the executive who decided to re-sign Anthony to a long-term deal, Vaccaro continues. The drama between them is silly and counterproductive, Vaccaro adds.

New York Notes: Carmelo, Jackson, Knicks, Nets

December 8th, 2016 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony – who is usually affable with the media – was “visibly annoyed” when he was asked last night about Phil Jackson‘s comments on Anthony’s tendency to hold onto the ball for too long. After initially saying he didn’t want to answer those questions, Carmelo weighed in on Jackson’s assertion.

“I don’t even know what was said, to be honest with you. I just don’t even want to talk about that, what he’s talking about exactly. I want to stay away from that at this point,” the Knicks forward said. “My focus is my teammates and winning. We’ve been playing great basketball, and that’s the only thing I’m focused on. Whatever Phil said, he said it. I have nothing to say about that.”

When Jackson made comments last month about LeBron James‘ “posse,” which the NBA Finals MVP took exception to, Anthony questioned why the Knicks president was even discussing LeBron at all. This time around, while Carmelo was careful not to be critical, it sounded like he was once again unsure why Jackson’s comments were necessary.

Here’s more from out of New York:

Mitch Lawrence of Forbes.com wonders if Jackson’s “penchant for speaking his mind” will negatively impact his ability to stick around long-term with the Knicks or to land another NBA job.
In the wake of Houston’s decision to match the Nets‘ offer sheet to Donatas Motiejunas, GM Sean Marks said he didn’t regret not using the team’s huge chunk of cap room to make a bigger offer that would have made it harder for the Rockets to match. Brian Lewis of The New York Post has the details and the quotes from Marks.
In a separate piece for The Post, Lewis examines how the Nets might use all that cap room, passing along a few more quotes from the club’s general manager.

Jackson Critical of Anthony's Offense

December 7th, 2016 at 9:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Knicks team president Phil Jackson believes Carmelo Anthony could play better on the offensive end, Al lannazzone and Laura Albanese of Newsday write in a collaborative piece.

Coach Jeff Hornacek admitted that there are times when Anthony is a ball-stopper, but he doesn’t see it as a major issue for the Knicks, lannazzone and Albanese relay in the same piece. “It’s a fine balance,” Hornacek said. “He’s a star player who can really create his own shot from that midrange area. Sometimes we talk about maybe moving the ball and holding it, maybe it’s a second or two too long for a normal guy, but for Carmelo it’s fine because he can make that play.”
Derrick Williams said he never heard from Jackson during free agency this past summer and Hornacek didn’t reach out to him either, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Williams said he expected to at least get an offer from the Knicks, but he’s happy with his decision to sign with the Heat. “I love my time in New York,” Williams said. “Being one of the fan favorites, leaving a place where I felt I could keep getting better, keep growing. But ultimately I feel it was the right decision. It might not seem that way right now. But I’m getting better each day. Even though I may not be on the court right now, this is for the second half of the season.”

Agent Optimistic About Rose’s Future With Knicks

December 6th, 2016 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Knicks haven’t yet formally explored a contract extension for Derrick Rose, the point guard recently said he’d be open to the idea, and agent B.J. Armstrong expressed optimism about his client’s future in New York this week. During in an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Armstrong called New York a “great” fit and suggested there’s a “good possibility” Rose remains with the Knicks beyond this season, assuming the team wants to get something done.

“I really do [think so],” Armstrong said. “I know he really enjoys the city of New York. He enjoys the talent, the challenges of playing in New York. He’s embraced it. Sometimes you just get a fit, and he’s really embraced the city. … He sees this as the right place for him to be at the right time in the right moment. Playing with a young kid like [Kristaps Porzingis] and Carmelo [Anthony] and all the players and things they’ve done there, I think this just presents a challenge for him that he’s really embraced.”

Rose is one of about two dozen NBA veterans who is eligible to sign a contract extension during the 2016/17 season. For players who are no longer on their rookie contracts, extensions are rare, but if three years have passed since a player signed his current contract, he’s eligible for a new one. Rose, who is in the final year of his deal, signed it way back in December of 2011.

Still, while the Knicks reportedly aren’t ruling out an extension for Rose, the two sides haven’t engaged in any discussions about a new deal so far, as Armstrong said during his SiriusXM appearance.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of that and reading a lot about it in the papers,” Rose’s agent said. “It’s something they haven’t brought up to me or anyone in our camp, so I’m not sure where that’s coming from. I think right now the best thing for everyone involved is to allow the game to take care of itself. … All that other stuff, contracts and other stuff, will take care of itself. It’s not anything that we’re concerned about at the moment.”

Rose, 28, would be eligible for an extension starting at around $23MM, and worth up to about $75MM over three years. He’d be eligible for a larger starting salary and a longer deal if he waited until free agency, though based on his modest production so far, it’s not clear if any teams will be willing to make him a huge long-term offer along those lines.

Afflalo Will "Always Remember" Time With Knicks

December 5th, 2016 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings guard Arron Afflalo played his old team in New York on Sunday, and said that even though his brief stint with the Knicks didn’t result in much success, he still valued the experience, per Newsday’s Barbara Barker. “Playing for the Knicks is one of those things that whether it was good, bad or indifferent, it’s something to be proud of. It’s really a historic franchise,” Afflalo said. “Had some good times, had some bad times. Quick one-year run, but it’s something I’ll always remember.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/4/16

December 4th, 2016 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Thunder have assigned forward Josh Huestis to Oklahoma City Blue, according to a press release from the team. Huestis has appeared in four games with the Blue, averaging 9.3 points and 6.5 rebounds.
The Spurs have recalled forward Davis Bertans from their Austin affiliate, the team announced on its website. Bertans has played two games in the D-League and 16 in San Antonio, where he is averaging 3.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per night.
The Knicks have recalled power forward Maurice Ndour from their Westchester affiliate, tweets ESPN’s Ian Begley. Ndour had 12 points, six rebounds and four blocks for the D-League team Saturday night.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Knicks, Celtics

December 4th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Will Joseph

The Raptors have raced to an impressive start this season, prompting Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun to wonder if Toronto should pull the trigger on a significant deal to improve its chances of winning a title. Wolstat clearly relays that no deal is imminent. He points out that Paul Millsap would make for an “intriguing” addition, but also cautions such a deal with the Hawks would likely risk key parts of the Raptors future. Again, this is speculation, but the Raptors look like a team to watch as the trade deadline rumor mill starts to ramp up.

Here is more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks will have a dilemma on their hands on whether or not to re-sign Derrick Rose, assuming he stays healthy, and will have to weigh how it impacts Kristaps Porzingis, Micah Adams of ESPN.com writes (Insider subscription needed). The Knicks have been better with Rose on the floor than him off it, but in losses he has often failed to get teammates involved, Adams writes in a deep-dive piece involving analytics.
Jaylen Brown, who was thought of as a possible trade candidate earlier this season, is learning to make the most out of opportunities as a rookie on a deep team like the Celtics, Taylor Snow of NBA.com relays.