New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Sign Brandon Jennings

July 4th, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 1:07pm: The Knicks have officially signed Jennings, the team announced today (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 3:28pm: It’ll be a one-year, $5MM deal for Jennings and the Knicks, according to Goodwill (Twitter link). That could be a nice value pickup for New York if the former 10th overall pick can stay on the court in 2016/17.

3:19pm: Veteran guard Brandon Jennings has become the latest notable free agent to strike a deal with the Knicks, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to terms. ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported (via Twitter) that the Knicks were on the verge of reaching an agreement with Jennings.

It has been a busy offseason so far for the Knicks, who kicked things off in June by acquiring Derrick Rose in a five-year player trade with the Bulls. The team has since reached agreements with Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee on four-year deals that will pay them $72MM and $48MM, respectively.

Based on those deals, the Knicks weren’t expected to have a whole lot of money left to go shopping for a backup point guard, so landing Jennings could be a coup for the team, assuming there are no other moving pieces in play. We’ll have to wait for the full terms of the deal to surface before we can evaluate it, but if he’s healthy, Jennings is capable of backing up Rose and scoring points off the bench.

Jennings, 26, has been plagued by injuries over the last two years, having missed about half the season in both 2014/15 and 2015/16. He also saw his minutes and his production take a huge hit last season in both Detroit and Orlando. He averaged just 6.9 PPG for the season, after never having scored less than 15.4 PPG in any of his six previous seasons.

As is the case with Rose and Noah, the Knicks are presumably counting on Jennings to return to health and to look a little more like his old self going forward.

The Knicks figure to have renounce the rights to one or two of the free agents they’d wanted to re-sign in order to make room for Jennings. Derrick Williams, Langston Galloway, and Lance Thomas are candidates to be let go, with Williams likely heading that list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks Interested In Tim Frazier

July 4th, 2016 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

One of the players on the Knicks‘ list of inexpensive guard targets is Tim Frazier, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Frazier is a Pelicans restricted free agent, so New Orleans would have an opportunity to match an offer sheet. Meanwhile, New York only has about $5MM – or less – in cap room remaining, and may look to create a little more space via trade(s), per Begley.

Knicks Favorites To Sign Lance Thomas

July 4th, 2016 at 12:15am CST by Luke Adams

While the Nuggets continue to pursue Dwyane Wade, the Knicks and Bulls appear to be unlikely suitors for the veteran guard after having committed significant chunks of leftover cap room to other players, writes ESPN’s Marc Stein. Wade’s reps have also reached out to the Mavericks, and a meeting with the Bucks is expected to take place this week, but it would still be a surprise if the former Finals MVP signs with any team besides the Heat.

The odds of Lance Thomas re-signing with the Knicks are “better than 50-50,” a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. According to that source, Thomas has received at least two offers that would exceed what the Knicks could give him, but the forward’s preference is to remain in New York. In addition to previously-reported suitors like Minnesota and Oklahoma City, the Spurs, Clippers, and Pelicans are also interested in Thomas, per Berman.
Having reached deals with a center (Joakim Noah) and a shooting guard (Courtney Lee), the Knicks‘ next priority will be finding a viable backup at point guard, writes Newsday’s Al Iannazzone.

Heat Notes: Johnson, Wade, Haslem, McRoberts

July 3rd, 2016 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The poison-pill contract that the Nets offered to Tyler Johnson will be difficult for Miami to match, writes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. Johnson will receive $50MM over for years, but the deal is heavily backloaded so that most of the money comes in the third and fourth seasons. The payout is $5.628MM in the first season and $5,881,260 in the second, followed by $18,858,765 in season three and $19,631,975 in season four. The Heat already have $70.3MM committed for the 2018/19 season among Chris Bosh, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic. Miami will also need cap space in those years to keep Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson. Heat officials will have three days to make their decision once Johnson signs his deal with Brooklyn, but Whiteside and Richardson have already posted farewell messages on social media (Twitter links).

There’s more tonight out of Miami:

The Bucks will meet with Dwyane Wade sometime after the Fourth of July, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein. Wade began looking at other teams after being unhappy with Miami’s initial contract offer. Milwaukee doesn’t have room to sign Wade to the deal he wants, but it could if it finds a taker for Greg Monroe (Twitter link).
If the Heat give approximately $20MM to Wade and don’t land Kevin Durant, they will have to fill the roster with a $2.9MM room exception and minimum contracts, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Most of the room exception may be needed to re-sign Udonis Haslem. Miami hasn’t pursued Gerald Green since free agency began, but he could become an option if there’s nobody better at a minimum salary. The team appears to have no interest in bringing back Dorell Wright.
Miami may want to think twice about sacrificing Josh McRoberts for cap room, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The Heat may have to move his nearly $5.8MM salary for 2016/17 to create enough cap space to meet Wade’s demands, but if they keep the veteran big man, he might be the starter at power forward next season if Bosh isn’t healthy.

And-Ones: Gasol, Ginobili, Barnes

July 3rd, 2016 at 2:40pm CST by Will Joseph

The market for Pau Gasol appears to be around $18-22MM per year with the Raptors, Bulls, Blazers, Wolves and Spurs among the teams talking with him, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). Of those teams, the Wolves have made an “aggressive” two-year offer to reunite Gasol with his former coach Tom Thibodeau, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports. It is unclear whether or not Gasol will wait for Kevin Durant to make a decision before pulling the trigger on his own move, Shelburne adds. The Blazers may have a two-year deal worth $40MM out there for Gasol, per Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Here’s more news from around the league:

Manu Ginobili, who announced he intends to play this season, plans to re-sign with the Spurs, but the two sides have yet to begin negotiations, Ginobili’s agent Herb Rudoy told Jeff McDonald of of the San Antonio Express-News. Rudoy has fielded calls from multiple teams gauging interest in his client since Ginobili’s announcement, McDonald reports. However, most teams strongly believe the veteran will reach a deal with the Spurs, McDonald adds.
Matt Barnes has received interest from the Clippers, Kings, Mavs and Warriors, Shelburne reports.
Derrick Williams‘ future with the Knicks is uncertain because New York could have only about $5MM in available cap space and Williams would likely be able to fetch a larger sum elsewhere, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays.

Noah, Carmelo Involved In Knicks' FA Recruiting

July 3rd, 2016 at 12:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks struck a four-year deal with Courtney Lee on Saturday, and according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, new Knick Joakim Noah played a key role in recruiting the free agent shooting guard. “Noah has been talking to him since [Friday], and Courtney decided he wanted to be with the Knicks and they found common ground [in terms of salary],” the source said.
Like Noah, Carmelo Anthony has been involved in the Knicks‘ recruiting offers and has been in touch this week with the team’s front office, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, who notes that Anthony’s involvement is a sign that he’s pleased with the direction of the franchise.

Knicks Sign Courtney Lee

July 2nd, 2016 at 6:45pm CST by Will Joseph

JULY 8: The Knicks have made it official with Lee, announcing that his deal has been signed (Twitter link).

JULY 2: The Knicks and Courtney Lee have agreed to a four-year deal, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The deal is worth $48MM and it’s fully guaranteed with no options, Michael Scotto of The Associated Press reports.

New York has been looking for a shooting guard to add to a starting rotation that is set to feature Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah. The Knicks were reportedly in the mix for Eric Gordon, with potentially disgruntled Heat star Dwyane Wade lurking as a fallback option, but landing Lee appears to be a more prudent pickup, given his consistent health.

“Excited to be a part of the Knicks and play in the Garden. The fans and city are amazing, and the team is ready,” Lee said, per Kennedy.

After agreeing to a deal with center Joakim Noah, the Knicks were projected to have approximately $12MM in cap space remaining, so Lee may be the team’s latest notable free agent addition. An unselfish two-way player with good shooting ability, the 30-year-old looks like a solid addition for New York.

Lee finished the 2015/16 season with the Hornets, appearing in 28 games after being acquired from Memphis and averaging 8.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists during his time in Charlotte. He shot .445/.392/.885 from the field for the Hornets.

The Wolves, Kings, Nets and Hawks were all reported to be interested in Lee before he agreed to terms with the Knicks, though Atlanta and Sacramento have landed alternate targets in Kent Bazemore and Arron Afflalo, respectively.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Courtney Lee

July 2nd, 2016 at 1:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks continue to search for a wing player to add to their roster, and to that end, are still pursuing unrestricted free agent Courtney Lee. New York’s latest offer to Lee was for four-years and approximately $40MM, or to do some quick math, $10MM per season, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports (ESPN Now link). Phil Jackson and company are also reportedly in the mix for Eric Gordon, with potentially disgruntled Heat star Dwyane Wade lurking as a fallback option.

New York is facing competition for Lee, with the Kings ready to offer the swingman a deal valued at approximately $14MM per season, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets. The Wolves Kings, Nets and Hawks are also reported to be interested in Lee. After agreeing to a deal with center Joakim Noah, the Knicks project to have approximately $12MM in cap space remaining, Begley notes, which could prove problematic for the team if the bidding for Lee escalates.

Lee finished the 2015/16 season with the Hornets, appearing in 28 games after being acquired from Memphis and averaging 8.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists during his time in Charlotte. He shot .445/.392/.885 from the field.

Free Agent Notes: Rondo, Wolves, Gasol

July 2nd, 2016 at 11:50am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pelicans could still make a push for signing Rajon Rondo even after securing an agreement with E’Twaun Moore, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. Reid acknowledges that there are other teams in the mix for Rondo and New Orleans appears to be a long-shot. There were conflicting reports on Friday as to whether the team was interested in Rondo.

Reid confirms an earlier report that the Pelicans were interested in Jeremy Lin, but the point guard’s price was too steep for the team. Lin signed a three-year, $36MM deal with Brooklyn on Friday.

Here’s more from around the league during this crazy start to free agency:

The Wolves had interest in Luol Deng before he signed with the Lakers and they made calls to both Pau Gasol and Kent Bazemore before the latter signed with Atlanta, Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune writes. The team would also like to add depth and has interest in Randy Foye, Willie Reed, Courtney Lee, Kris Humphries, Jamal Crawford, Brandon Bass, and Ian Mahinmi.
The Thunder have also expressed interest in Reed, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
Amar’e Stoudemire would be interested in returning to the Knicks, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets. “If they want to bring me back, that would be a nice opportunity,” Stoudemire said.
The Lakers bumped up Deng’s offer to $18MM per season after Bazemore turned down the same offer, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link).
Ish Smith‘s new deal with the Pistons will pay him $5.7MM in year one, $6MM in year two and $6.3MM in the final season, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter link).
Former first-round pick Jan Vesely has interest from NBA teams, but it will take a starting salary of $11-12MM to bring him stateside, Net Income of SB Nation tweets.
Rade Zagorac is negotiating a deal to play overseas with Red Star Belgrade, international journalist David Pick tweets. The Grizzlies acquired the No.35 overall pick in a deal with the Celtics on draft night.
Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News takes a look at who the Mavericks can still get in free agency.

At Least Four Teams Pursuing Dwyane Wade

July 1st, 2016 at 9:02pm CST by Luke Adams

With teams around the league sensing that there’s tension between Dwyane Wade and the Heat, a handful of clubs are pushing to lure the veteran guard away from Miami, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski reports that the Bulls, Mavericks, Nuggets, and Bucks are courting Wade, with multiple multiyear offers in the $20MM-per-year range on the table for the Heat star.

Wojnarowski suggests that the Heat have been reluctant to offer a deal in the $20MM range so far, and Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post echoes that sentiment, tweeting that Miami’s opening offer was closer to $10MM. While the Heat will probably willing to increase that offer eventually, especially if Kevin Durant doesn’t choose Miami, it still makes sense that Wade would explore the market. Even if he doesn’t sign elsewhere, there’s so much cap space available around the league that he could improve his leverage by fielding offers from other teams.

Earlier tonight, we heard that the Bucks and Knicks were looking to set up meetings with Wade, and while Wojnarowski confirms Milwaukee’s interest, he doesn’t mention New York. ESPN’s Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Knicks have made a four-year offer to Courtney Lee, and the club is also reportedly in the mix for Eric Gordon, so Wade may be a backup plan for Phil Jackson‘s club.

As for Milwaukee, Wojnarowski suggests that the Bucks don’t currently have the cap space to make Wade a competitive offer, and the team isn’t sure whether to fully commit to pursuing him. While Wade did attend Marquette University, it’s still hard to imagine him returning to Milwaukee at this stage in his career.

Meanwhile, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune confirms (via Twitter) that the Bulls are in talks with Wade’s reps, adding that the two sides are discussing a two-year deal. According to Wojnarowski, Chicago and Denver have been the most aggressive suitors for Wade so far.

Finally, the Mavericks may be a long shot to add Wade, but after missing out on their top two targets – Hassan Whiteside and Mike Conley – it makes sense that they’d at least kick the tires on other top-tier free agents.