Knicks Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Knicks, Green

March 10th, 2015 at 5:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Raptors guard Louis Williams‘ strong play in the final year of his deal has put him in the running for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. When discussing his past, present, and future with Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com, Williams relayed that his free agent preference this summer is to remain in Toronto. “Absolutely. I already tried to get them to go do it — get an extension,” Williams said. “But at this point in my career, I want to play somewhere where the fans appreciate you, your team is serious about winning and create something special. We have an identity, and I love it. It’s perfect for my personality. I’ve always been the underdog, I’ve always been overlooked. I’ve always been the guy where it was like we’ll see what he does and then we’ll check on Lou. That’s been my career.”

It should be noted that Williams would have been unable to ink an extension with the Raptors since he is currently on a three-year deal. The collective bargaining agreement stipulates that a player can only ink a contract extension if he is signed to a deal of four years or greater in length.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

When asked by Mazzeo about the trade that sent him from the Hawks to the Raptors, Williams said, “I knew it was coming. I just knew my experience in Atlanta was coming to an end. It was either gonna be I was leaving after my contract was up or they were gonna trade me, and that’s just how things were going. We had a coaching change and I had missed the first [eight] games of that season, and the Hawks head coach Bud [Mike Budenholzer], he just was very honest and upfront with me and just said, ‘I’ve gotten more comfortable with this other guy and he’s probably gonna play the minutes.’ I had to respect that because the coach has a job to do.“
The Knicks may have difficulty luring free agents to New York because of the restrictions that the triangle offense imposes on players’ athleticism, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.
Jeff Green, who holds a $9.2MM player option for next season, is still very close with his former Celtics teammates, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays (Twitter link). Green is especially close with Avery Bradley, Blakely adds. It’s unknown if this camaraderie could lead Green back to Boston, or if the team would have any interest in re-signing the forward if he opts out of his current deal.

Atlantic Notes: Jason Smith, Shaw, Datome

March 10th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Jason Smith said he inked only a one-year deal with the Knicks last summer because that’s all the team offered, and the center made it clear he wants to re-sign with the team in the offseason, as Marc Berman of the New York Post observes.

“I love New York,’’ Smith said. “I like the triangle offense. I wouldn’t have a problem coming back to New York. I think it’s a great market, great basketball organization. [Team president] Phil [Jackson]’s got the team moving in the right direction. It’s tough to say that now because he’s trying to change the culture.’’

The Knicks will have Smith’s Non-Bird rights in the offseason, so they can give him a deal with a salary of no more than $3,933,600 unless they use the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception or open cap room. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Derek Fisher said he’s spoken with Brian Shaw since the Nuggets fired Shaw last week, as Berman notes in the same piece. Shaw has ties to Jackson and speculation has linked the ex-Denver coach to an assistant’s job with New York.
Gigi Datome was buried on the bench in Detroit, but the Celtics are giving their deadline-day acquisition significant minutes while Avery Bradley heals from a minor injury, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines. The C’s can match offers for Datome, who hits free agency this summer, if they tender a nearly $2.188MM qualifying offer.
The Sixers will take a different approach with waiver claim Glenn Robinson III, who won’t see the floor much at first, coach Brett Brown said, according to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. That won’t give the team much of a chance to evaluate him before his contract is up at season’s end, but Brown indicated that the team had been keeping an eye on him for a while before acquiring him. Robinson’s qualifying offer will be slightly more than $1.045MM this summer.

Knicks Open To Re-Signing Andrea Bargnani

March 9th, 2015 at 9:57am CST by Chuck Myron

Suddenly resurgent former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani has Knicks president Phil Jackson interested in re-signing him on a reasonably priced deal this summer, a league source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman heard from an executive that the Leon Rose client would command at least a one-year deal for the minimum salary, though another exec told Berman that the forward/center would merit no more than that. Bargnani almost certainly won’t end up with a salary anywhere close to his $11.5MM pay for this season, yet the interest from the Knicks is a sharp turnaround from earlier this season, when the club reportedly shopped him on the trade market and mulled buyout talks.

The Knicks have the ability to sign Bargnani to a veteran extension between now and June 30th, the final day before his contract expires, but such extensions are rare and that outcome is probably remote. He’ll nonetheless represent a $17.25MM cap hold on New York’s books should he indeed hit free agency, so the Knicks seem destined to renounce his Bird rights to clear that hold and open cap room to sign other free agents, though that’s just my speculation. The Knicks would have to use cap space, an exception, or the minimum salary to sign Bargnani if they renounce him.

Bargnani appeared a likely buyout candidate as the trade deadline approached, but Jackson publicly cast doubt on that idea, pointing to the 29-year-old’s scoring ability. He’s put up 18.6 points on 13.4 field goal attempts in 31.1 minutes per game in five appearances as a starter over the past 10 days, and he was a 21.4 PPG scorer in 2010/11 for the Raptors.

The native of Italy made it clear last week that he wants to remain an NBA player rather than head back overseas, though he wouldn’t specifically address a long-term future with the Knicks when asked, Berman notes. Rose, his agent, is also the representative for Carmelo Anthony, as Berman points out, though the influence of the Creative Artists Agency on the Knicks hasn’t appeared as widespread as it was before Jackson’s tenure began.

Eastern Notes: Jennings, Knicks, Antetokounmpo

March 8th, 2015 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Pistons guard Brandon Jennings says he’s three weeks ahead of his recovery schedule and expects to be able to walk without a boot in two weeks, David Mayo of MLive.com tweets. Jennings suffered a torn Achilles tendon in January and will miss the remainder of the season. Jennings is set to earn ~$8.34MM in 2015/16 before hitting the open market. More from the East..

Knicks coach Derek Fisher says the team is considering filling their open roster spot with unsigned second-round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The shooting guard is playing for the Westchester Knicks of the D-League after declining a deal from an Italian team. Fisher hinted that he’d like to see the roster spot filled, but said that it’s a decision that’s up to front office brass.
Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv is worried that Knicks president Phil Jackson won’t be able to add talent to his roster this summer. The Knicks have a good deal of flexibility, but top free agents Marc Gasol and Goran Dragic appear to be unlikely options at this point. LaMarcus Aldridge is a possibility, but how likely such a union is remains to be seen.
Since being traded to the Celtics in February, Isaiah Thomas has averaged 8.7 points scored in the fourth quarter and has taken on the role of a go-to guy, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.
Khris Middleton, a pending restricted free agent, is going to see a healthy payday this summer, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 23-year-old (24 in August) is averaging 12.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 28.2 minutes per contest for the Bucks this season.

Knicks Notes: Trades, Draft Pick, Prospects

March 8th, 2015 at 1:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks are looking to see what they could possibly get if they trade their draft pick, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Technically, New York cannot trade its pick due to the Ted Stepien Rule, but the team can make arrangements to trade a player that it selects with the pick ahead of time. The Knicks are 12-49 on the season and, as our Reverse Standings indicate, they are in a good position to nab an elite prospect in the 2015 draft.

Here’s more from New York:

The Knicks might make such a trade because of soon-to-be 31-year-old Carmelo Anthony, Begley adds. This option might be more palatable than wasting another season or two of Anthony’s prime by waiting for a 19-year-old prospect to develop. If New York can lure a marquee free agent to the city and trade the player it drafts for a more established talent, the team could challenge the 2007/08 Celtics for best single-season turnaround in NBA history, although that is just my speculation. Boston won 66 games that season after only winning 24 games during the 2006/07 season. It’s highly improbable that the Knicks reach 24 win this season, so the team could approach the record even if it has a less successful campaign next year than the Celtics did during their championship season.
The team has had either had a front-office member or scout at approximately 20 of the past 30 Kentucky practices and games, league sources tell Begley for the same piece. It could be a sign that New York has interest in Karl-Anthony Towns, who ranks fourth in our latest Prospect Power Rankings. Begley speculates that it could also mean the team is doing its homework on Willie Cauley-Stein, who comes in at sixth place on our list.
The Knicks should take a page from the Pacers’ book on running an organization, opines Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman applauds president of basketball operations Larry Bird’s approach and compares the two franchises. Both teams are without their star players but the difference is that the team in Indiana has stepped up, while turmoil has surrounded the Knicks during their time learning Phil Jackson‘s triangle offense.

Categories:
New York Knicks

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Hardaway, Draft

March 7th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers fans should expect a more competitive team next season, opines Tom Moore of Calkins Media. After two straight years of tanking and collecting assets, Moore sees the 2015/16 season as a “modified” tanking situation, forecasting something in the neighborhood of 25 to 29 victories. Philadelphia should make several lineup improvements during the offseason. Rookie center Joel Embiid, who hasn’t played this season after undergoing foot surgery, is expected to be healthy, and Philadelphia will have its own pick plus Miami’s and maybe others in June’s draft. The Sixers could also have up to $40MM in available cap space, although GM Sam Hinkie hasn’t committed to using it.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nuggets were interested in Glenn Robinson III, who was claimed today off waivers by the Sixers, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Robinson had been waived Thursday by the Timberwolves to create room for Justin Hamilton, whom Minnesota claimed on waivers.
Tim Hardaway Jr., who was mentioned in trade talks prior to the deadline, has struggled during his second season in the NBA. When discussing the future of the slumping Knicks sophomore, coach Derek Fisher said, “Well, he is under contract for next year,” Fred Kerber of The New York Post relays. Fisher then expanded on Hardaway’s growth, adding, “Timmy has a great deal of potential as a young guard. He is showing more skill in handling the basketball and playing defense. Every guy on every team thinks he can score and there are plenty of guys who are willing to shoot the ball every time they get it. How many guys are willing to play defense every night and be the type of guy that’s going to do some of the dirty work? Tim is turning the corner in that area.”
The Knicks may choose between two Kentucky players if they get an early pick in June’s draft, writes Frank Isola of New York Daily News. Mark Warkentien, the Knicks’ top scout, has reportedly attended nearly a dozen Kentucky practices, presumably for a closer look at Wildcats big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein. The Knicks currently occupy the top spot in Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Mudiay, Bhullar, Alexander

March 7th, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Eddie Scarito

Emmanuel Mudiay has shown significant physical development during his injury shortened season in China, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. According to Knicks radio broadcaster Mike Crispino, who came away unimpressed when he checked out Mudiay at the beginning of the CBA season, said that Mudiay has developed more of an NBA body, Berman relays. “He looked totally different, he filled out, hit the weight room, he looked more like a grown man — if you can say that about a 19-year-old,’’ Crispino said. “He was more confident. But he’s still doing a lot of things that are just mistakes — that you wouldn’t do if you had experience under your belt. He’s still very inexperienced as a basketball player on the professional level.’’ Mudiay is one of the players who New York will consider selecting with its first round draft pick, Berman notes.

Here’s more from around the league:

Sim Bhullar, the 7’5” center of the Reno Bighorns, the Kings’ D-League affiliate, who leads the D-league in field goal percentage and blocks per game, said he is surprised by his quick success in an exchange with the Indian media relayed by Jason Wise of NBA.com. The big man was in training camp with the Kings this season but failed to make Sacramento’s regular season roster.
NBA draft prospect Lovro Mazalin has committed to a long-term deal with Cedevita Zagreb of the Euroleague, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Mazalin,17, is a 6’6″ small forward from Croatia. It isn’t clear if Mazalin’s deal overseas includes any NBA out provisions.
The Mavs have re-assigned Dwight Powell to the Texas Legends, their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release.Powell has appeared in 19 games for Dallas this season and is averaging 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.
2015 draft prospect Cliff Alexander will be sidelined indefinitely as the NCAA investigates the Kansas freshman for allegations that his family members received impermissible benefits from an NBA agent, Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports reports. Alexander is the No. 25 prospect according to DraftExpress and ESPN.com ranks him 34th.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 3/1/15-3/7/15

March 7th, 2015 at 10:28am CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:

“Now that JaVale McGee isn’t going to be a member of the Celtics, where does he end up playing this season?” — Andrew R.

The pairing that makes the most sense for both sides is for McGee to sign with the Warriors. With Golden State a serious title contender this season, and given the injury histories of Andrew Bogut and David Lee, adding a big with McGee’s ability would be a very wise move from an on-the-court perspective. It’s in the locker room where McGee becomes a risk, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr even making it a point to comment that he doesn’t want to risk upsetting the team’s excellent chemistry. I’m not sure if he was referring to McGee specifically, but probably so. I do think McGee would behave himself for the remainder of the season in Oakland. With him being in need of employment next year, McGee has far too much to lose.

From McGee’s perspective, joining the Warriors would be a wise career move for the big man. Not only would he have the chance to chase a ring with this extremely talented team. But if McGee behaves like a professional and answers the bell when he is on the court for the remainder of the season, then his next contract will get a healthy boost as a result. I should note that Golden State currently has the league maximum 15 players on its roster, so someone would need to be waived in order to add McGee.

“Do you think Brian Shaw will get another shot at being a head coach?” — Curtis

Shaw had a tough situation in Denver, and his old school personality was not a great fit with the group of players currently on the team’s roster. I put a lot of the blame on the players for Shaw getting the boot, but NBA coaches also need to be able to overcome obstacles of this nature. But this was Shaw’s first head coaching gig and I’m sure he learned quite a bit that will help him out in the future. There are a number of coaches who failed at their first job only to turn things around when given a second opportunity. Shaw isn’t a bad coach, he just needs more seasoning in how to manage players.

I do see Shaw getting another shot, seeing how the league loves to recycle. But he’ll most likely need to go the assistant coach route for at least a season or two before he’ll be seriously considered to take over another team. Look for Shaw to possibly end up as an assistant with the Knicks, a move which has already been speculated about by Marc Berman of The New York Post. If Fisher can’t turn things around next season, who knows, maybe Shaw slides into his spot on the bench. It’s the Knicks, so anything is possible…

“Who’s the next head coach you see getting his walking papers?” — Tyreese J.

The answer to this question depends on whether or not you want to include interim coaches to the list. If so, then the Magic’s James Borrego is the coach most likely to be let go of first. But if we are talking about a non-interim coach, then I would have to say that the Hornets’ Steve Clifford would be my pick, with OKC’s Scott Brooks a close second.

Clifford had a great start to his career, guiding Charlotte to a 43-39 record and a surprise playoff berth last season. An accomplishment that is somewhat diluted when realizing Charlotte plays in the Eastern Conference. But his encore isn’t going so well, with the team sitting at a disappointing 27-33. Clifford may get one more season, but his seat is definitely one that could get hot rather quickly. As for Brooks, unless the Thunder make it to the conference finals, I believe the team will bring in a new face and voice to coach the team. Someone who will likely require future free agent Kevin Durant‘s seal of approval to get the job, since OKC won’t do anything to jeopardize its shot at re-signing the forward in the summer of 2016.

“In order, who are the five best point guards in the 2015 NBA draft?” — Jimmy P.

It’s not necessarily a banner year for drafting at the one-spot, seeing as there are only about eight point guards in this year’s NBA draft who are likely to stick in the league. But that doesn’t mean a few teams won’t be able to snag a useful player at the position. As requested, here are my top five…

Emmanuel Mudiay (China)
D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State)
Tyus Jones (Duke)
Jerian Grant (Notre Dame)
Delon Wright (Utah)

Out of this group only Mudiay and Russell have star potential, with Mudiay possibly being the best player in the entire draft. It’s hard to tell given Mudiay’s limited body of work, but this player can be something special. The remaining three players on my list will all need some development time, but each could turn out to be an extremely solid pro. I should note that Russell is playing shooting guard in college, but he is projected as a point guard in the NBA.

“How do you rate the strength of the 2015 draft against the way too overhyped class of 2014?” — Kev

While I do think that in a few season’s time the 2014 draft class will prove themselves worthy of the attention they received, the 2015 crop of players is possibly the deeper of the two. The top four players in this year’s draft (Mudiay, Russell, Jahlil Okafor, and Karl-Anthony Towns) all have star potential, and their ceilings could actually be higher than last year’s group of draftees. After the big four is a scrum of about 10-15 players who are relatively interchangeable right now as far as draft position goes. This level of depth is a big reason why I am sweating doing my mock draft this year. Once individual pre-draft workouts begin that will hopefully change a bit, but the second tier in the 2015 draft is quite intriguing, and could end up being superior to last year’s. There should be a number of late first round value picks made this June, which should make for an exciting draft.

Well folks, that’s all the space I have for this week. Keep sending in your questions and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.

Atlantic Notes: Thomas, McGee, Valanciunas

March 6th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Will Joseph

Isaiah Thomas, who has thrived since being acquired by the Celtics in a February trade, will continue to come off the bench because Boston coach Brad Stevens is more concerned with how his team finishes games, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. Thomas, who was named Eastern Conference player of the week last week and who has three years and approximately $19.76MM remaining on his contract after this season, prefers to be a starter but his approach remains the same, Blakely added.

“The biggest thing is, he wants to start because he has a lot of pride and works really hard,” Stevens said. “Starting is not the end-all, be-all. And being a part of a team and being a really important part of a team and for a guy with that talent being on the floor at the end of the game, certainly is important. It [starting] may be something he wishes he would do, but I don’t think there’s any question he knows what we think of him. We’ll go from there.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Free agent JaVale McGee has all the physical tools to succeed, but he’s barely played in two years and it’s never been clear if he understands basketball, opines Zach Lowe of Grantland (via Twitter). McGee was on the verge of a deal with the Celtics on Thursday before a dispute over whether the second year of a deal would be a team option or a player option derailed things.
Jonas Valanciunas, whom the Raptors reportedly mulled trading before the deadline, should be Toronto’s go-to scorer in the final quarter of games, opines Eric Koreen of the National Post. The franchise needs to begin transitioning toward featuring the big man more if it hopes to advance in the playoffs, Koreen adds.
Citing the turnaround seasons the Cavs and Hawks are experiencing, Knicks coach Derek Fisher believes his club will be different next season because it will likely have a top-5 draft pick and plenty of cap room, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Teams that feel like maybe they’re one step away or one piece away, they’ll make a move in the summer,” Fisher said. “We have money to spend and we’re heading for a pretty high [draft] pick so we’re expecting to be different as well.”

Zach Links contributed to this post

Knicks Notes: Matthews, Green, Galloway

March 6th, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Wesley Matthews was a prospective free agent target for the Knicks, but his season-ending Achilles tendon injury probably takes him off their list, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets. That might be a tough blow for the Knicks, but it’s definitely a tough break for the Blazers, who currently occupy the top spot in their division. Here’s more out of MSG…

Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv knows the Knicks are in win-now mode, but he still believes that they can keep the big picture in mind and take advantage of a potentially depressed market for Matthews if he has to miss some time to start the 2015/16 season.
Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders wonders if the Knicks should make a run at pending restricted free agent Draymond Green. Depending on where the salary cap finally falls, New York may be looking at nearly $28MM in cap space to work with, which could allow for one max deal and another significant contract. Even if the Knicks offer up the max, however, there’s no guarantee that they’ll snag him.
The Knicks see potential in undrafted rookie guard Langston Galloway, who has a partial guarantee for next season, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. Galloway hasn’t had the smoothest transition going from the D-League to the NBA, but it sounds like the Knicks will give serious thought to keeping him around next season.

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