New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Rumors: Hernangomez, Thomas, Galloway

June 23rd, 2016 at 5:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Spanish center Willy Hernangomez, selected 35th overall in last year’s draft, intends to sign a multiyear contract with the Knicks this offseason, agent Andy Miller tells Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. “It is my intent to reach an agreement with the Knicks and have Willy come to New York for next season and beyond,” Miller said.

As Wojnarowski writes, Hernangomez, whose draft rights are held by the Knicks, was a teammate of Kristaps Porzingis in Spain during the 2014/15 season. GM Steve Mills said earlier this month that the team hoped to bring the 22-year-old stateside, though he indicated at the time that nothing could be finalized until July.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Knicks president Phil Jackson said today that he expects the team to re-sign free agents Lance Thomas and Langston Galloway this summer, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Galloway is eligible for restricted free agent, while Thomas will be unrestricted.
The acquisition of Derrick Rose, which involved sending Robin Lopez to the Bulls as part of the outgoing package, means New York will be in the market for a big man this offseason, Jackson said today (Twitter link via Begley). Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol have been mentioned as possible targets for the club, though Jackson didn’t specifically comment on any players.
Rose is entering the final year of his contract, and the Knicks would like to keep him for the long term, according to Jackson. However, he added that’s not a conversation for today (Twitter link via Begley).

Knicks Affirm Intent To Pursue Kevin Durant

June 23rd, 2016 at 3:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls missing the playoffs this season signaled to the front office that it was time to try a new approach, which led Chicago to trade Derrick Rose to the Knicks, Sam Smith of Bulls.com relays. “We had this window of opportunity,” GM Gar Forman said at a press conference Wednesday. “Obviously, injuries played a part where we couldn’t reach our ultimate goal to be a championship team. But we thought we had a window to compete at a high level. But through injuries and age… we felt that window was coming to a close.

Knicks team president Phil Jackson informed Rose that the team intends to go after unrestricted free agent Kevin Durant as soon as the free agent signing period opens in July, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News writes. Jackson hopes he can sell Durant on the idea of joining Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis in New York, Isola adds.
Marc Berman of The New York Post breaks down the five most pressing issues facing the Knicks following the Rose trade.

Knicks Acquire Derrick Rose From Bulls

June 22nd, 2016 at 11:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Bulls have agreed to deal that sends Derrick Rose to New York, along with Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick. In exchange, Chicago receives Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. Both teams have officially confirmed the move, with the Knicks announcing that they’ve also waived guard Tony Wroten as part of the deal.

K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) first reported that an agreement was in place, along with all the names involved, while Adrian Wojnarwoski and Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link) were first to report that the two teams were engaged in “advanced talks” on a trade that would send Rose to the Knicks. The deal also came on the heels of earlier reports that the Bulls were open to moving Rose, and that the Knicks had internally discussed acquiring the Chicago point guard.

While Rose has been plagued by injuries since his MVP campaign in 2010/11, he managed to stay on the court for 66 games this past season, his highest mark in five years. In those games, he recorded averages of 16.4 points and 4.7 assists, shooting .427 from the floor.

Rose is entering the final year of his contract, and is set to earn a $21.323MM salary in 2016/17, so the Knicks are betting on him continuing to stay healthy going forward, and perhaps recapturing the form that saw him win that MVP award five years ago. If the 27-year-old has a solid season in New York, the Knicks would hold his Bird Rights when he becomes eligible for free agency in 2017.

By acquiring Rose, the Knicks will perhaps shift their focus in free agency more toward big men. The team could still use backcourt help, particularly at the two, with Arron Afflalo opting out, but losing Lopez will leave a hole at center in New York. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News suggests (via Twitter) that Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol could be among the Knicks’ targets in July, and we know Howard would be open to signing with New York.

Noah and Gasol, of course, are Bulls free agents, but the odds of those players both landing elsewhere appear to be on the rise with Lopez headed to Chicago. If the Bulls go into full rebuilding mode, Jimmy Butler could be a trade candidate as well, but considering they acquired veteran players in exchange for Rose, I’d be surprised if the Bulls go in that direction.

As Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweets, the Bulls have been eyeing point guard prospects in this year’s draft class, and while the team won’t get Kris Dunn at No. 14, a player like Wade Baldwin is a potential target. In Calderon, Chicago will at least have a solid veteran at the position for one more year.

From a financial perspective, the salaries involved in the swap are virtually a wash, despite Rose’s $20MM+ cap figure. Lopez, Grant, and Calderon combined to earn $21,625,172 in 2015/16, compared to $21,040,340 for Rose and Holiday. As Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets, Rose’s 15% trade kicker won’t be applied to this deal, since his salary would exceed the max with that kicker — it would have been in play if the trade had been completed in July.

The Knicks create a traded player exception worth $1,572,360, the amount of Grant’s salary, but will likely renounce that exception next month in order to use space under the cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks Likely To Pursue Free Agent Big Men

June 22nd, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Knicks dealing away center Robin Lopez as part of the Derrick Rose trade, the team is now set up for a potential pursuit this summer of big men Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol or Dwight Howard, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News observes (via Twitter). Along with the Knicks, the Nets are also expected to have interest in signing Noah, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
As a result of the Rose trade, the Knicks‘ available cap space has decreased slightly, dropping from approximately $35.4MM to $35.1MM, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (on Twitter).

Knicks Among Teams Howard Would Consider

June 22nd, 2016 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Having declined his player option with the Rockets, Dwight Howard is headed for free agency in July, and according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, the Knicks are among the teams the veteran center will consider. Begley writes that Howard told friends earlier in the season that he’d be interested in playing for the Knicks, and that interest still exists with the free agent period around the corner, per Begley.

Of course, while Howard may be open to landing in New York, it’s not yet clear whether that interest will be reciprocated. With Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams opting out of their contracts, the Knicks figure to have more than $30MM in cap room, which would be enough to sign Howard, but the club will likely prioritize backcourt upgrades this offseason. Signing Howard might also mean jettisoning Robin Lopez, who signed a long-term deal with the Knicks a year ago and had a solid season.

Howard’s time in Houston probably can’t be considered a huge success, despite the fact that the Rockets made the Western Conference Finals in his second year with the franchise. The eight-time All-Star was never really a perfect complement for star shooting guard James Harden, and saw his involvement in the team’s offense decline during the past two seasons. Howard made 71 appearances for the Rockets in 2015/16, averaging 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.63 blocks in 32.1 minutes per game. He shot 62% from the field, but just 48.9% from the free-throw line.

Despite Howard’s up-and-down stint in Houston, ESPN’s Calvin Watkins reports that team officials tried to talk the former first overall pick into picking his player option and staying for one more season (Twitter link via ESPN’s Marc Stein). The Rockets could still make an effort to re-sign Howard in free agency, but they’ll have competition from other suitors now.

Eastern Rumors: Magic, Wizards, Noah, Knicks

June 22nd, 2016 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic were prepared to make Chauncey Billups one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the NBA, offering him a spot as the lead assistant on Frank Vogel‘s new staff in Orlando, but Billups has turned down the team’s offer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. According to Wojnarowski, the former NBA Finals MVP gave serious consideration to joining the Magic before deciding to remain in his current role as a television analyst. However, Billups does have interest in transitioning into a front-office role in the future.

Meanwhile, the Magic are in advanced talks with Timberwolves assistant David Adelman for a post on Vogel’s staff in Orlando, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Here’s more from across the Eastern Conference:

Add the Wizards to the list of teams with interest in Joakim Noah, says Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Noah, who may leave the Bulls and has said he’s looking forward to free agency, is also expected to receive interest from the Timberwolves.
Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams are opting out of their contracts with the Knicks, and while Afflalo is likely a goner, Phil Jackson is fond of Williams, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
Stan Van Gundy is confident that the Pistons will get a solid long-term piece at No. 18, but he isn’t counting on that player to contribute immediately, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details. In other words, if Detroit drafts a point guard with that first-round pick, that won’t stop the team from potentially pursuing a point guard in free agency. Van Gundy added that if the Pistons get trade inquiries on their pick, they have a good idea of “what would make us listen and what wouldn’t.”
If the right opportunities don’t arise this summer, the Celtics shouldn’t be in any rush to burn all their assets and cap room, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, making the case that “wait until next year” might not be a bad Plan B for Boston. Bulpett adds (in a tweet) that the C’s are “trying very hard” to make major deals, and are well prepared with quick counters when different scenarios are raised in trade talks.

Latest On Kevin Durant

June 21st, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant released his new KD9 signature shoe on Monday, and with reporters in attendance, the conversation eventually turned to Durant’s looming free agency. As Royce Young of ESPN.com details, the former MVP said that his free agency will be a “basketball decision.” Asked to clarify that answer, Durant explained that it’s not necessarily about moving to a bigger market, or landing the biggest contract.

“Just who I’m going to be playing with and the people I’m going to be around every single day, that’s what it’s all about for me,” Durant told ESPN.com. “You tend to hear about the market and the opportunities you can get off the basketball court, but I’m blessed, man, to be making what I make as a basketball player.

“And I’m doing this in Oklahoma City,” Durant continued. “I don’t care about commercials, I don’t really care about this s—, I just want to hoop. But this comes with it and I got all this being in Oklahoma City. So all that stuff doesn’t really matter to me. It’s all about who I’m gonna play with, what type of people I’m going to be around every single day and I’ll go from there.”

While Durant hasn’t been looking ahead to July 1st to figure out his plan for free agency, a number of teams around the NBA are hoping to make face-to-face pitches to him at that point, and it sounds like at least a few will have that opportunity. A source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that Durant, who had considered holding meetings in New York, will likely meet with suitors in Los Angeles once the recruiting period begins.

That same source suggests to Isola that if Durant decides not to re-sign with the Thunder, the Warriors look like the biggest threat to land him. Isola also writes that OKC viewed the Knicks as a major threat for Durant at one point, but haven’t been as concerned about New York since Derek Fisher was ousted as the team’s head coach.

Wherever he lands in free agency, Durant plans on being a part of USA Basketball’s Olympic squad later in the summer, as we heard over the weekend.

Arron Afflalo, Derrick Williams To Opt Out

June 21st, 2016 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Arron Afflalo will turn down his player option with the Knicks for the 2016/17 season, opting to explore the free agent market in July, reports Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops and The Associated Press (Twitter link). Afflalo’s decision on his player option had been due this Wednesday.

By opting out, Afflalo will forfeit an $8MM salary for the coming season, under the assumption that he’ll be able to land a bigger deal on the open market. While there’s a possibility he’ll return to New York, plenty of teams around the NBA will have cap room and could target the veteran shooting guard as a more affordable alternative to the players who will earn max deals.

Afflalo, 30, signed with the Knicks last summer as a free agent, and averaged 33.4 minutes in 71 regular season contests for the team. Most of his averages for the 2016/17 season, including 12.8 PPG, a .443 FG%, and a .382 3PT%, were very similar to his career marks.

Even before Afflalo made his decision, the Knicks had been prioritizing backcourt additions this offseason. The club had been preparing for Afflalo to test the market, with new head coach Jeff Hornacek suggesting earlier this month that he expected the former UCLA standout to “see what’s out there.”

Meanwhile, Derrick Williams, who has a $4.598MM player option for 2016/17 and whose decision was also due by tomorrow, will also opt out of his contract, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The former second overall pick had arguably his best NBA season in 2015/16, setting career highs in points per 36 minutes (18.7), field goal percentage (.450), and a few other categories, as a part-time contributor for the Knicks.

With Afflalo and Williams no longer on the books for next season, the Knicks now have $56MM+ committed to seven players, not taking into account qualifying offers or cap holds for pending free agents. The salary cap is projected to land in the $94MM range.

Pacific Notes: Walton, Rondo, Cousins, Clippers

June 19th, 2016 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luke Walton has managed to stay focused on his duties as lead assistant with the Warriors, even as his head coaching job with the Lakers awaits, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Walton had his first interview on April 18th — more than two months ago — when he had a phone conversation with Knicks president Phil Jackson. “Luke is a real loyal guy,” said fellow Golden State assistant Ron Adams. “And he’s real loyal to the Golden State Warriors — has been since he was named coach of the Lakers. It might be hard for people to understand that. I would say he’s atypical in that regard. A lot of people, if a team would’ve allowed what the Lakers allowed, I think [the person] would’ve been more fixated on that team than this team. That’s not Luke. That’s not what Luke has been.” Walton will coach his final game with the Warriors tonight, then will likely be introduced as the Lakers’ new coach later this week.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kings point guard Rajon Rondo pronounced himself fully healthy as he prepares for his second straight year of free agency, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rondo signed a one-year deal with Sacramento last summer, which gave him a first-hand view of the turmoil in the organization, especially between DeMarcus Cousins and former coach George Karl. “Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted it as an exit [missing the playoffs], but I was able to bounce back, I believe,” Rondo said. “I am very healthy. I’ve been working extremely hard on my body and my game. I’m 30 years old and I feel great.” Rondo’s numbers had declined since tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in 2013, but he bounced back to average 11.9 points and 11.7 assists per game this season.
Cousins’ younger brother, Jaleel, worked out for the Kings on Saturday, according to James Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The 6-11, 250-pound center was a senior this season at South Florida.
Dee Brown and Pat Sullivan have emerged as assistant coaching candidates with the Clippers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Kevin Eastman, a longtime assistant to Doc Rivers, announced his retirement earlier this week.
The Clippers will hold two workouts Monday, tweets Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. The morning session will feature Alabama’s Retin Obasohan, Miami’s Sheldon McClellan, Kentucky’s Alex Poythress, Maryland’s Jake Layman, Villanova’s Daniel Ochefu and UNLV’s Stephen Zimmerman. Working out in the afternoon will be Tulsa’s James Woodard, West Virginia’s Jaysean Page, UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Louisiana’s Alex Hamilton, SMU’s Markus Kennedy and Iowa’s Jared Uthoff.

Community Shootaround: Derrick Rose On The Knicks?

June 18th, 2016 at 6:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks are reportedly having internal discussions about adding Derrick Rose to the team. Point guard is clearly a need for New York, as trotting Jose Calderon out on the floor as the starting point guard when he’ll be 35-years-old next season clearly isn’t a favorable option. If the franchise wants to add a talented point guard this offseason, it could do worse than Rose.

The 2010/11 MVP has one year and $21.3MM left on his deal and although that’s a bit of an overpay based on Rose’s health and level of play these past few seasons, the contract isn’t a hindrance to acquire him. If Rose can stay healthy, New York is easily challenging for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If it doesn’t work out, New York still hasn’t clogged up its cap sheet long-term and can enter the 2017 offseason searching for another option with money to spend.

So here’s tonight’s topic: If the Knicks are going to make an attempt to trade for Rose, what kind of package should they offer the Bulls?

Jerian Grant would probably need to head to Chicago and New York would likely want to offload some salary in the deal. Robin Lopez is a nice player, but Kristaps Porzingis‘ future should be at the five spot, so the Knicks may be open to trading its starting center. The Bulls presumable would want a future first, but if I was New York, I’d only offer a heavily protected pick, possibly one that’s top-20 protected.

Those are my parameters for a Rose-to-New York deal, tell us yours as well as your thoughts and opinions on Rose’s fit in the Big Apple in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!