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Atlantic Notes: Calderon, Sixers, Celtics

April 18th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks point guard Jose Calderon had a difficult first season in New York, but he insists that he’ll turn things around if he’s still a member of the organization in 2015/16, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “One hundred percent, we didn’t see the Jose Calderon I was all these years,’’ Calderon told Berman. “Personally, [I was] just disappointed how it was individually because I can do a much better job. And I didn’t get it right. The only good thing about it, I know I’m going to be much better next season. I know what they want, I know what they want from me and how it’s going to work. Hopefully I’ll get better with [avoiding] injuries.’’

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

There is still a chance that the Knicks could waive Calderon using the stretch provision, but the veteran says his first choice is to return to New York, Berman adds. “I’m pretty confident I’m going to be here,’’ Calderon said. “I want to be here. That’s the feeling I got from the coaching staff. That’s what I feel about next year. But you’re only one phone call away for something to happen. I always got to be prepared. It’s how the NBA works. I don’t want to get out now because the good part is coming. You don’t want to leave now.’’
The Sixers have many needs that need to be addressed this offseason, but coach Brett Brown says the team needs to prioritize improving its defense, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes. “In my heart of hearts, I know we have to build on our defense,” Brown said. “That’s just who we are.” Philadelphia ranked 20th in opponents points allowed this past season.
The Celtics made the playoffs this season not by bringing in more talented players, but by acquiring players who better fit their philosophy, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opines. “It’s very unusual,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of Boston’s rebuilding efforts while still making the playoffs. “They’ve done it with overhaul, and at the same time losing an All-Star point guard [Rajon Rondo). We kind of did the same thing last year [with Rudy Gay]. We lost an All-Star wing guy, kind of rebuild. Sometimes it’s good, addition by subtraction. And Boston is a good example of that.”

Atlantic Notes: Teletovic, Embiid, Ledo

April 17th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets forward Mirza Teletovic has been cleared to resume basketball activities and he could return during Brooklyn’s first-round playoff series against Atlanta, Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com relays. The 29-year-old has been out of action since January, and has been receiving treatment for multiple blood clots in his lungs. “The doctors … they know what’s best for me,” Teletovic said. “And the coaches are there, they know what’s best for them and for the team, and they’re going to decide. It’s not up to me. They’re going to look at it and see. And then probably decide if I’ll play or not play, but for now I’m just happy to be back.”

Teletovic is in the final year of his contract, making slightly more than $3.368MM, and he said in the fall that he planned to listen to offers from the Nets as well as others after the season. Brooklyn can make him a restricted free agent if they extend a qualifying offer worth $4,210,125.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown hasn’t been enamored with injured rookie Joel Embiid‘s work ethic this season, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “There were times that I wasn’t happy,” Brown said. “And you know it’s been well-documented. I tell my guys, you want me to coach you. You want to show up on time. You want to do the right thing. You want to act the right way.”
Ricky Ledo is hoping that he can remain in the NBA next season, and that he can change the perception around the league that he is a troubled player, Tim Casey of USA Today writes. The Knicks had inked Ledo to a deal that covered the remainder of this season after his second 10-day contract with the team ended. In 12 appearances for the Knicks Ledo averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge when discussing what he termed the league’s “transcendent players” mentioned Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and LeBron James, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI 93.7 FM notes (Twitter links). Omitted from Ainge’s list was his former player Rajon Rondo. When asked, Ainge said he never thought Rondo would reach that level of excellence, Rohrbach adds. Rondo will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and some around the league have doubts that the veteran is worth a max contract, which Rondo is likely to be seeking this summer.

Latest On Goran Dragic

April 17th, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Chuck Myron

Goran Dragic today confirmed that he’ll turn down his $7.5MM player option for next season, as he’s long planned to do, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The point guard continued to talk up his affection for the Heat during an exit interview with the media today while stopping short of commiting to a return. The Heat can offer a fifth year this summer because they have his Bird rights, and that extra year will be “huge,” Dragic said, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link).

“I had a great time in Miami and I want to come back, but we’ll see what happens,” Dragic said, as Lieser tweets.

Dragic said the Heat meet all of the criteria he’s looking for in a team from the basketball standpoint, and he already named Miami his favorite U.S. city, as Lieser relays (Twitter link). Still, the BDA Sports Management client said that he’ll consider every offer this summer, Winderman notes (on Twitter).

The 28-year-old Dragic, who turns 29 next month, reportedly had the Knicks and Lakers in addition to the Heat on his list of preferred destinations as he pushed for a midseason trade from Phoenix. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reportedly briefly after the trade that Dragic viewed the Lakers as a “perfect fit” and would relish the chance to join the team in free agency this summer. Still, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News heard at about the same time that Dragic would probably re-sign with the Heat, and the expectation was that the Heat would make a five-year max offer to bring him back, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made it clear to the media today that he wants to retain Dragic as well as Luol Deng, as Lieser relays in a full story. Deng also has a player option for next season.

“We love them; hopefully they love us,” Spoelstra said. “I love working with them and our staff loved working with them. They’re two pros. From an objective point of view, they’re not difficult guys to work with. They’re absolute pros, the kind of guys you want to build your team around, the guys you want to go to work with, the guys you want to be in a foxhole with. The next two months [the playoffs], what that feels like, you want to have guys like that. When this thing kicks off this weekend, you have to have reliable professionals, and both of those guys’ resumes and careers scream that.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Towns, Noel, Nets

April 16th, 2015 at 7:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Paul Pierce fired some shots across the Nets‘ bow the other day with his negative comments regarding his year spent in Brooklyn. Current Nets coach Lionel Hollins, who was not with the team during Pierce’s tenure, dismissed the veteran’s barbs, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes. “I don’t really care,” Hollins said. “I wasn’t here. I don’t care. All I can go by is how we are this year, and as I’ve said many many times, the vocal leader of our team early on was Kevin Garnett, and since he’s left it’s been more of a collective. Paul Pierce is entitled to his own opinion. I don’t get into that kind of stuff. Players say stuff all the time. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn’t. But they’re entitled to it.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown said that rookies Jerami Grant and JaKarr Sampson were both “keepers,” Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link). Both players are signed for next season to minimum salary arrangements, though Sampson’s pact is non-guaranteed.
The Knicks are now assured of having no lower than the fifth pick in this year’s NBA draft. Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal profiles prospect Karl-Anthony Towns, and what he would bring to New York. Towns is currently the No.1 ranked prospect by both ESPN.com and DraftExpress.
The Knicks are expected to remake their roster this offseason and Tim Hardaway Jr. wants to remain a part of what New York is building, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. “I gotta get stronger and faster and hopefully I’m back,” Hardaway said. “I wanna be back.“
Celtics president of Basketball operations Danny Ainge said that Isaiah Thomas was the type of player you had to pounce on when given the opportunity to acquire, the executive told CSNNE.com. Discussing the trade for Thomas, Ainge said, “You never know when you can get a deal like that again and you can’t sit around and wait for a player like Thomas.“
Ainge also referred to this year’s NBA draft as “mediocre,” and is unsure if he will keep Boston’s draft picks or look to trade them away.
On of the biggest contributions Nerlens Noel brought to the Sixers this season was his energy and hustle, something that Philly’s coaching staff has taken notice of, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report writes.

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Jackson, Fisher

April 16th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony admitted that he briefly had second thoughts this season about having re-signed with the Knicks last summer, but he says he hasn’t lost faith in team president Phil Jackson, as ‘Melo said today to reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).

“I try to keep myself from thinking like that,” Anthony said of looking back on his decision. “But as a human being, those thoughts definitely come into play. You sit down at night and you’re thinking, ‘Did I really make the right decision?’ and just things like that,” Anthony said. “Not often did I think about that. There was one point in time this season where it was just cloudy and I didn’t really have any clarity; I was second-guessing what I did and the decision I made. But after that, I was smooth sailing.”

Here’s more out of New York:

Anthony is prepared to help Jackson recruit, joking that his home office looked like a GM’s, as Peter Botte of the New York Daily News relays. He said he’s OK with the Knicks bringing in someone who’d make him the second option, Begley notes, and he added that while Jackson should explore trading the team’s lottery pick, he’d ultimately like to see the team keep it, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Knicks fans should be more concerned about what Jackson is able to accomplish this summer than the state of Anthony’s knee, Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Now we really get a chance, and he really gets a chance, to put a stamp on what he wants this organization to be about,” Anthony said. “What he wants this team to be about, what players he wants in here. This is the time he steps up to the plate.”
Coach Derek Fisher says that he would like to be more involved in the organization’s personnel decisions, Berman writes in a separate piece. “I would hope so,’’ Fisher said. “I’ve said before, Phil and [GM] Steve [Mills] have been very open in that regard in wanting my thoughts and opinion.’’
One NBA executive said the Knicks’ biggest mistake this season was in how the team evaluated its roster, Fred Kerber of The New York Post writes. “To me their biggest mistake was they overrated players. They’ll probably point to Andrea Bargnani getting hurt, but he’s not good enough. Jose Calderon did not have the year they anticipated,” the exec said. “They’re continuing to try to put the triangle in. How many of those guys are going to be back?”

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Latest On Greg Monroe, Knicks

April 15th, 2015 at 12:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

WEDNESDAY, 12:19pm: Monroe praised Knicks president Phil Jackson in comments to New York reporters today, but he reiterated that he can envision himself re-signing with the Pistons this summer, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (All Twitter links). “Anyone who has had as much success as [Jackson] has … it’s not hard to be comfortable with the decisions they make,” Monroe said. “[Jackson’s] been where everybody dreams about going when they play in this league. He knows and understands what it takes to win.”

TUESDAY, 9:38pm: Greg Monroe‘s agent David Falk said that his client has yet to make out a list of the teams he is interested in signing with this summer, but indicated strongly that the Knicks are expected to be one of Monroe’s top choices, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. New York’s fans will get a taste of Monroe on Wednesday night when the Pistons and Knicks square off in the final game of the 2014/15 season for both squads.

League executives told Berman that of all the free agents on the Knicks’ radar, Monroe has the best chance of coming to New York. An unnamed NBA executive added that the big man signing with the Knicks is “about as close to a done deal as you can get.” These notions displeased Falk since teams and players cannot officially negotiate with each other until July 1st, Berman adds. “It’s so silly,’’ Falk said. “It’s factually incorrect and completely unsubstantiated.’’ The agent also acknowledged that he intends to discuss his client with New York, the Post scribe notes. “We are well aware the Knicks have cap space and we will sit down with them at the appropriate time,’’ Falk told Berman. “Now is not the appropriate time.’’

Falk also indicated that Monroe has not made up his mind about where he would like to play next season, noting that his client didn’t risk playing for the Pistons’ qualifying offer this season to pass up a shot at exploring all of his options, Berman relays. “He didn’t do what he did so he could short-circuit the process,’’ Falk said. “It goes against the grain of everything we did. We haven’t even made a short list of teams he’s interested in yet. After the season, after he unwinds, we will sit down, have a few dinners, a few drinks, a few meetings and I’ll present him a number of different teams and I’ll find out what fits his priorities. Which team, which geographical area, which coach he wants to play for. The money will be the same everywhere. Does he want to be the best player on a younger team? Or a complementary player on a championship contender?’’

It won’t be necessary for Monroe to visit the cities of the teams that he is interested in, Falk says, since Monroe has already been to all of them during his time in the league, Berman relays. The big man is expected to make his decision within the first 24-48 hours from the free agent signing period commencing in July, the Post scribe notes. “There’ll be no tours, no parades, no balloons,’’ Falk said. “This is a business decision about where he wants to go to work. He’ll have a wide range of teams and options and he’ll start examining them after April 15th.’’

As for how well Falk believes that Monroe would fit with the Knicks’ triangle offense, the agent said, “Do I think he’d be a good fit for the Knicks? Absolutely. He’d be a good fit for 30 teams. Can he work in the triangle? Sure. He played the Princeton offense at Georgetown. He could play in the rhombus. He’d be a great fit for any system.’’

Monroe is set to complete his fifth season in the league tomorrow night after being selected No. 7 overall by Detroit back in the 2010 NBA draft. Through 377 career games the 24-year-old is averaging 14.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.6 blocks. His career slash line is .505/.000/.692.

Eastern Notes: Calderon, Farmar, Pistons

April 14th, 2015 at 9:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s been a difficult first season in New York for Jose Calderon, who has only appeared in 42 contests for the Knicks this season, averaging 9.1 points and 4.7 assists in 30.2 minutes per night. Though the team was reportedly shopping him prior to February’s trade deadline, the point guard still believes that he has a future with the team, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. “I really want to stay here,” Calderon said. “I think they want me here. That’s the feeling I got. I think I really can help this team next year.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Jordan Farmar said that the Cavaliers expressed interest in signing him after his release from the Clippers in a buyout arrangement, but playing time concerns led him to ink a deal with Darussafaka Dogus of Turkey, David Pick of Eurobasket.com relays (Twitter link). “I wanted to play,” Farmar told Pick. “Enough of being an NBA backup.”
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is already gearing up for what should be an active offseason for the franchise, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. Discussing Detroit’s free agent strategy this summer, Van Gundy said, “You’ve got to study those guys and know where you want to go. A lot of it depends on Greg Monroe and Reggie Jackson and all of that when you get to free agency and who you have in the draft and what you think their timetable might be. So there’s a lot of things you have to consider, but in the meantime you’ve got to evaluate [free agents] and have an idea.“
Van Gundy also indicated that the Pistons‘ planning extends beyond this summer, Langlois notes. “One of the things we do after the season – one of the first things – is look at our budget, salary wise, not only for the coming year but what that’s going to mean going out,” Van Gundy said. “You’ve got to have some planning. If we’re going to pay this guy X amount of money in year two, three four and five and then we’re going to pay this guy X amount of money, what are we going to have left to build our team? I know [GM] Jeff Bower has already done a lot of work on it, but I haven’t really looked at it. It’s easy to say you’re so much under the cap, but going out, if you’re giving people raises where is it going to put you the next year? There’s got to be a lot more careful planning than what we’ve done to this point.“

DeMarre Carroll Interested In Knicks

April 14th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Chuck Myron

Soon-to-be free agent forward DeMarre Carroll acknowledged interest in the Knicks and hinted that he wouldn’t mind signing with the Lakers or Clippers, either, in a response to a question about whether he would give a great deal of consideration to the Knicks, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. The sixth-year veteran who turns 29 in July has blossomed while on a two-year, $5MM contract with the Hawks that expires at season’s end.

“Most definitely,” Carroll said. “When guys talk about playing in certain places — they talk about Madison Square Garden and Staples Center. Those two places. New York has a lot to offer but at the end of the season, I’ll let my agent do that. We’ll keep our options and hopefully it will work out for the best.’’

Knicks coach Derek Fisher likes Carroll, and his defense in particular, a source tells Berman. Carroll is a proficient rebounder, grabbing 5.4 per game this season, but his defense is a minus, according to both ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus and Basketball-Reference’s Box Plus/Minus. Those metrics show him as a better offensive player, and he’s transformed his attack in Atlanta, shooting nearly six times as many three-pointers the past two seasons as the rest of his NBA career put together. He’s made 39.6% of his shots from behind the arc this year and is averaging a career-high 12.7 points per game.

Berman figures the Mark Bartelstein client will command a starting salary around $5MM, but Grantland’s Zach Lowe would be surprised if he doesn’t see more than that (Twitter link). Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal speculates that Carroll’s in line for $6MM salaries (Twitter link). In any case, it would seem he’s due a significant raise on the more than $2.442MM he’s making this season. The Hawks only have Carroll’s Early Bird rights, so unless they use cap space, they’d be limited to a starting salary of a figure that will likely come in just shy of $6MM when the league’s average salary is computed during the July Moratorium. Still, Atlanta, just like the Knicks and Lakers, is in line to open a significant amount of cap room this summer, depending in large measure on what happens with Carroll and Paul Millsap. The Clippers are unlikely to have the sort of cap flexibility it would take to land Carroll.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote more than a month ago that it appeared the Hawks were looking for an upgrade at small forward, where Carroll plays. Still, it would be tough to envision the Hawks not having at least some interest in re-signing a player who has found his niche within their system. The team on Monday awarded Carroll the Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for his work as a community ambassador, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes, so clearly the club is high on his character.

Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, Knicks, Perkins, Kidd

April 12th, 2015 at 10:48pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Knicks are guaranteed to have a record that’s among the worst three in the NBA this season, but Bucks coach Jason Kidd thinks Carmelo Anthony’s presence on New York’s roster could help lure free agents to the Big Apple this summer, relays Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The Knicks will have about $32.4MM in commitments next season, and they’ll surely be looking for an upgrade at almost every position on their roster going forward. We’ve got more from Begley on the Knicks in tonight’s look at the latest from the Atlantic:

Pacers executive and former Knicks president Donnie Walsh believes Phil Jackson’s influence will eventually turn New York into a winning club, as Begley writes in the same piece. Still, Walsh cautions that Jackson’s approach will likely require patience, and free agents won’t just flock to the Knicks simply because they play in a big market.
Kendrick Perkins spoke fondly of the Celtics and told Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com that he thinks the C’s are on the right track moving forward. Perkins, a free agent at season’s end, added that he’s proud of the progress his former team has made this season and complimented the play of Avery Bradley.
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post explores Kidd’s transition from coaching the Nets to coaching the Bucks.

Eastern Notes: Celtics, Monroe, Bass

April 12th, 2015 at 3:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Celtics will rely on the reputation of the franchise and the current framework in place to build a contender as their selling points in free agency, as team owner Wyc Grousbeck tells Jared Weiss of SB Nation.

“This whole thing that we have to beg people and we have our hat in our hand and we’re telling people to please come; well if you don’t want to be a Boston Celtic, you’re not going to be a Boston Celtic. We’re not going to drag you here. We want you to be here and we want you to [choose] us. You’ve got a chance potentially to join a team that is on the way back, hopefully, to being a contender. Hopefully in not very long. We actually want people asking us to possibly consider them,” Grousbeck said.

Boston has surpassed expectations this season and currently owns the seventh seed in the conference. If the playoffs started today, the team would play the Cavs in the first round and the Celtics would welcome that matchup. “I would love to play [LeBron James] in the playoffs somehow and I would love to beat him,” Grousbeck added.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Greg Monroe says neither he or his agent, David Falk, has a deal in place with the Knicks, according to David Mayo of MLive.com (Twitter link). “Y’all have to go ask Frank Isola what he thinks he knows,” the Georgetown product said. Monroe was referring to the Saturday’s report in which a league executive told Isola that a deal between New York and the 24-year-old was “about as close to a done deal as you can get.”
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald believes Brandon Bass‘ consistency has been key to the Celtics’ success. Entering today’s game against the Cavs, Bass, who will become a free agent at the end of the season, has played in 276 straight games.