New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Covington, Johnson

February 8th, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Arthur Hill

Steve Kerr rejecting team president Phil Jackson’s offer to become the coach of the Knicks was the first sign that Jackson and his 13 championship rings aren’t enough to sell people on New York’s chances of winning, opines George Willis of the New York Post. Willis argues that if Jackson can’t convince an inexperienced coach to come to the Knicks, it doesn’t bode well for the team’s chances of attracting stars to the Big Apple. The Knicks have more than $32.717MM in commitments against a projected $66.5MM salary cap for next season.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Langston Galloway is starting to feel comfortable on the Knicks, as he tells Steve Serby of the New York Post. “Yeah, I mean I’m trying to prove that every day, that I belong. It’s not easy to try to do that, but each day I just try to build off of the last, not look backwards but keep moving forward. I’m trying to stay up here for the rest of my career. You can’t look at it as a long process, but just taking it day by day, and I feel I can prove that I belong, and continue to stay up here,” said Galloway. The point guard is averaging 11.4 points and 3.1 assists per contest in 14 games for New York this season.
Robert Covington‘s perimeter shooting may make him a long-term asset for the Sixers, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Going into Saturday’s game, Covington was hitting 38.4% from beyond the arc and leading Philadelphia with 94 made three-pointers. Covington signed a four-year, $4.2MM contract with the Sixers in November.
James Johnson‘s versatility has impressed the Raptors as he makes a case for more playing time, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Johnson, who seems equally comfortable as a small forward or power forward, returned to the court Friday after missing four games with an injury. He scored 16 points in 19 minutes on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting night. “You work on your game,” Johnson said of his time off. “You stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” Johnson is signed for $2.5MM this season and another $2.5MM next season.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post

Knicks Notes: Stoudemire, Galloway, Draft

February 7th, 2015 at 8:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Amar’e Stoudemire isn’t emotional about the possibility that tonight could be his last home game in a Knicks uniform, telling Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, “I haven’t thought about that at all.” (Twitter link). Stoudemire, 32, is considering a buyout and is expected to make a decision during the All-Star break. He is in the last season of a five-year, $99.7MM contract and is making more than $23.4MM this season.

There’s more regarding Stoudemire and the Knicks:

A buyout would have benefits for the team and for Stoudemire, Begley writes in a separate piece. It would cut the Knicks’ luxury tax bill, which currently stands at $6.4MM, and open a roster spot for a younger player such as Orlando Sanchez or Thanasis Antetokounmpo from the Knicks’ D-League affiliate in Westchester. A buyout would allow Stoudemire to leave the last-place Knicks to play for a contender, with the Mavericks rumored to be the front-runner if he hits the open market. But the Warriors could be in the running because of Stoudemire’s ties to head coach Steve Kerr and assistant Alvin Gentry from their days in Phoenix, reports Frank Isola of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).
Langston Galloway believes he made the right decision to pass up offers in Europe for a chance to prove himself in the D-League, according to Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. After going undrafted out of St. Joseph’s, Galloway received what he called “significant” offers to play in Italy, Germany and Spain. “But I talked to my agent and my parents and I thought the best decision was to stay and try and develop in the D-League,” Galloway said. “Even though it’s not a prestigious league, I knew I could build on my game every day. Westchester gave me the opportunity.”
While Knicks fans have been frustrated by all the losing this season, they are in a much better position for the future than the cross-town Nets, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Brooklyn, he notes, will have no cap room this summer and will almost certainly be exchanging its draft pick with the Hawks, who could have the 30th overall choice. The Knicks, tied for first in Hoops Rumors’ latest Reverse Standings, are in the running for the top pick and Duke phenom Jahlil Okafor, and will have cap room to chase Kevin Durant in 2016.

And-Ones: Shaw, Lakers, Early, Marble

February 7th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There is still a strong belief within the Nuggets front office that Brian Shaw can become an elite NBA coach, Chris Mannix of SI.com writes. Denver’s GM Tim Connolly also reiterated that the franchise has no intention of firing Shaw this season. In his two seasons in Denver, Shaw’s overall record is 55-77, including a fourth place finish in the Northwest Division in 2013/14.

Here’s more from the West:

Shaw admitted that the all of the trade speculation regarding the Nuggets‘ players has become a distraction to the team, Mannix adds. “When you hear your name swirling around in trade rumors, it can’t help but have an effect on most people,” Shaw said. “But I say now and I say to them, it’s something we can’t control. As a player I was traded a few times. I can say to them until I’m blue in the face that they should continue to play and control what you can on the floor, but you are still going to think about it. It’s still going to have an effect on you. But whatever happens is going to happen. It’s part of the business and we have to deal with it.”
The Knicks have recalled Cleanthony Early from their D-League affiliate in Westchester, the team has announced.
The staff over at ESPNLosAngeles.com discussed the Lakers‘ point guard situation, and the consensus was that Jordan Clarkson, whom Los Angles selected with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has been a pleasant surprise this season and should factor into the Lakers’ future plans. The 22-year-old rookie out of Missouri is averaging 6.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27 appearances, including six starts.
The latest player rankings for the 2015 NBA draft were released by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, and the updated list sees Ohio State star D’Angelo Russell shooting all the way up to the No. 2 spot. In addition, Kristaps Porzingis has dropped out of the top five for the first time this season.
Flip Saunders, the Wolves‘ president of basketball operations, said that since Minnesota’s roster is finally healthy, the team intends to send Glenn Robinson III to the D-League for seasoning, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune tweets. Minnesota has yet to assign a player to the D-League this season, as our tracker shows.
Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders examined the Lakers roster and ran down where each player stands in regard to the franchise’s future.
The Magic have recalled Devyn Marble from the Erie BayHawks, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel tweets. This concludes Marble’s second sojourn of the season to the D-League.

Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 2/1/15-2/7/15

February 7th, 2015 at 10:59am 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:

“With Hassan Whiteside tearing it up in Miami, do the Heat still look to try and acquire Brook Lopez?” — Robert R.

Well Robert, first off, there has been conflicting information regarding the Heat’s interest in trading for Lopez. Pat Riley had come out last week and denied reports of a proposed deal that would have sent Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts to the Nets for Lopez. Granted, Riley publicly denying a trade proposal doesn’t mean it didn’t occur, and both Cole and McRoberts have been mentioned as trade candidates, so there is probably some level of truth to Miami taking a shot at Lopez.

As for Whiteside, he is certainly making a name for himself lately, and he’s become the main reason to watch the Heat play this season. I’m still not 100% sold on Whiteside being a long-term dominant big man in the league. His sample size this season is far too small to accurately predict his future performance, and it seems unlikely that he would be able to maintain the same energy and momentum that he is currently providing. But Whiteside is certainly stating his case to factor into the Heat’s future plans with performances like his 24 point, 20 rebound explosion versus Minnesota on Wednesday night.

But if the price was reasonable, then sure, I could see the Heat pulling the trigger on a deal to nab Lopez. But with Whiteside performing as well as he is, and his non-guaranteed salary for 2015/16 only $981,348, it would be unlikely that Miami would still actively pursue Lopez. I like what Lopez can bring to a team, but his limited defense, ball-stopping ways on offense, and his injury history make Lopez too big a risk at this point. Plus, there’s no guarantee that he would remain with the Heat past this season if they acquired him. Lopez hasn’t publicly stated his intentions regarding his $16,744,218 player option for 2015/16. If I’m the Heat, I avoid Lopez and stick with Whiteside. But keep in mind that Whiteside could be rather expensive to keep after next season when he hits free agency. As thankful as he may be to the Heat for giving him the opportunity to show his stuff, I would be very surprised if he gave Miami a discount on his next deal. Whiteside’s path to the NBA is a true journeyman’s tale, and he’ll likely look to cash in big when he has the opportunity.

“The Suns seem to have taken a step back since last season. Do they hold onto their three point guards (Eric Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas, and Goran Dragic)? If not, who is the most likely to be traded?” — Bradley

Technically, the Suns have four point guards on their roster. Don’t forget about Tyler Ennis, whose potential I’m still rather high on. But on to your question. I don’t see Phoenix moving Thomas, Dragic, or Bledsoe before the deadline. Phoenix seems to be rather fond of its three point guard set, and there isn’t a major demand for big money point men currently. There are a number of teams in need of help at the one spot right now thanks to injuries, but I don’t see any of them making a serious play for Phoenix’s guys. Most of the teams needing a floor general are seeking backup-type players on team-friendly contracts, which doesn’t quite describe the Suns’ trio.

However, the one major caveat here is if GM Ryan McDonough gets the sense that Dragic isn’t going to re-sign with the team, then it’s entirely possible that he gets moved for the right return. There will be quite a few teams that will take a run at signing Dragic this summer, and since he can also play shooting guard full-time, that increases the potential market for the player. My gut feeling is that Phoenix will hold onto him, as well as Thomas and Bledsoe, for the remainder of the season. I do believe that the Suns will try and make some significant changes this offseason, and I can’t shake the feeling that Dragic will head elsewhere this summer. But for now, unless McDonough is blown away by an offer, which would likely require a star-caliber player to be included, I don’t see Phoenix making a major deal in the next two weeks.

“Where does Greg Monroe end up next season? Any chance he could return to Detroit?” — Kyle M.

There’s always a chance that Monroe could return to Detroit, but it’s unlikely. If he wanted to remain in Motown he would have simply signed an extension with the team instead of playing for Detroit’s $5.48MM qualifying offer and risking an injury that could harm his future earnings. With the team’s improved play since jettisoning Josh Smith, things may have changed, but I still don’t see Monroe wearing a Pistons jersey next season.

As for where Monroe is likely to end up, my money is on him going to the Knicks. New York will have plenty of cap space to throw around, and Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge are unlikely to leave their current teams, which will leave Phil Jackson desperate to make an impact move with his wealth of available cap space. Monroe would immediately upgrade the Knicks’ roster, as well as be a nice complement to Carmelo Anthony. Plus, the Knicks are one of the teams likely to overpay for Monroe, which never hurts a franchise’s chances of landing a player. If New York doesn’t nab Monroe, my second choice for his destination would be the Rockets.

“The East seems to be wide open right now as far as the playoffs are concerned. Which Eastern Conference team do you think will make the biggest splash on the trade market before the deadline?” — Zeke

This has been an odd season in relation to roster moves thus far, which makes the next two weeks extremely difficult to predict. With the East as open as it is regarding the playoffs, there should be quite a few teams that will be looking to add an impact player or two before the deadline with the hopes of snagging a playoff spot. The two Eastern Conference teams that are poised to have the biggest potential impact on the trade front are Brooklyn and Charlotte.

The Hornets will still likely look to trade Lance Stephenson, and I believe they will do everything within their power to cut ties with the mercurial swingman. The problem for Charlotte is that teams around the league are leery about adding Stephenson to their respective locker rooms, which is something that the Hornets should have considered prior to signing him. Sometimes you get exactly what you expect, and Stephenson has lived up to the reputation he made for himself in Indiana thus far. On the right team, Stephenson could be the missing piece for a playoff run. But only a team with a strong locker room could maximize what Stephenson has to offer, while avoiding the pitfalls his attitude and personality bring with him.

But it’s the Nets who could make the biggest splash prior to the deadline. With the team reportedly looking to deal Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Lopez, that is a significant amount of talent and salary in play. While it’s doubtful that Brooklyn would nab a true star player in return, dealing any one of those players would not only change the identity of the Nets. Each of those players, if healthy, could be game-changing acquisitions for teams willing to take on cap hits of that magnitude.

That’s all the space that I have for this week. Thanks to all those who sent in their questions. I’ll be back next Saturday to answer a whole new batch. So fire away and keep filling up my inbox with your inquiries.

Eastern Notes: Gibson, Prigioni, Muscala

February 7th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls have made no calls to other teams about trading Taj Gibson , a source tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, who indicates that the team is especially reluctant to part with Gibson given health concerns surrounding Joakim Noah. The Raptors, Suns, Pistons and Trail Blazers are reportedly interested in the sixth-year veteran.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni, whom the team has reportedly been trying to trade for a second round draft pick, says that he is extremely focused on staying in New York, and doesn’t wish to be dealt, Marc Berman of The New York Post reports (Twitter link). Prigioni also revealed that he recently injured his hip during a workout, Berman notes. The full extent of his injury, nor its impact on the Knicks’ efforts to find a taker for Prigioni, isn’t yet known.
Steve Kerr was Knicks team president Phil Jackson‘s first choice to replace Mike Woodson as head coach this past offseason, but Kerr accepted the coaching job in Golden State instead. Kerr’s Warriors currently possess the NBA’s second best record, while the Knicks have floundered to a 10-40 mark. When asked if he has thought about what might have been if he had come to New York instead of heading to Oakland, Kerr said, “Sometimes I lie when I say I haven’t thought about stuff. But I’m not lying this time. I haven’t thought about the Knicks at all,” Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group relays (Twitter link).
The Hawks have assigned Mike Muscala to the Iowa Energy, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Muscala’s fourth trek of the season to Iowa.
Marcus Thornton knows that his expiring contract makes him a likely candidate to be dealt by the Celtics, but the veteran would love to remain in Beantown, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI 93.7 FM writes. “No, I’m not thinking about that,” Thornton said regarding the February 19th trade deadline. “Whatever happens, happens. I would like to stay here. Who wouldn’t? We’ve got a good thing going, but like I said, it’s not controllable. I can’t control it, so whatever happens, happens.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Amar’e Stoudemire Still Considering Buyout

February 6th, 2015 at 5:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

5:44pm: Stoudemire reiterated that he will use the upcoming NBA All-Star break to decide whether or not to ask the Knicks to work out a buyout arrangement with him, Josh Newman of SNY.tv notes. “We’ll discuss that after the break,” Stoudemire said. “Right now, I’m focused on the rest of the season. We’ve got four games before the break, so I’m focused on that right now. I’ll keep you guys posted, man. Right now, we’ve got games in front of us today and tomorrow. We’ve got a lot going on, so I’ll keep you guys posted.”

9:32am: The Knicks have yet to speak with Stoudemire about a buyout, sources told Ian Begley of ESPN.com earlier this week.

12:54am: Amar’e Stoudemire‘s recent comments seemed to engender the belief that he wouldn’t ask the Knicks to agree to a buyout deal, but he tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he plans to think about doing so over the upcoming All-Star break. The 32-year-old, who’s in the final year of a massive five-year contract worth nearly $99.744MM that pays him almost $23.411MM this season, nonetheless emphasized to Spears his strong affection for the Knicks organization and living in New York. Meanwhile, the Knicks are more focused on talking buyout with Andrea Bargnani, a league source tells Spears.

“All possibilities at this point are still open,” Stoudemire said of his own buyout possibility. “The door is still open for that. But at the same time, I am with the Knicks now. I got to stay optimistic about things and what we are doing here. I can’t really focus on the future because it’s not here. We still have a couple weeks left before it’s all said and done. It’s a decision I have to make with my family to figure out the best scenario for the near future.”

Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers has spoken of his intention to fill the team’s pair of open roster spots with players who come free during “buyout season,” as Spears points out, speculating that they could become candidates to sign Stoudemire if he hits the market. The Mavs and Blazers are also looking for big men, Spears notes. Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote that it’s “quite possible” that Stoudemire would return to the Suns this summer and speculated that the Magic would have interest in the central Florida native this summer. It’s not entirely clear whether any of those teams would have interest in Stoudemire later this season, but if the Happy Walters client is willing to accept the minimum salary, he’d surely have no shortage of teams in pursuit.

Stoudemire is averaging 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game for the Knicks this season, and the rebounding average is by far his best since 2011/12. A 19.4 PER shows he’s still efficient in the playing time he sees, which persistent knee trouble and other ailments have limited in recent years. The Knicks have nonetheless been appreciative of his professionalism throughout his health struggles and the team’s woes on the court, Spears writes. Stoudemire tells Spears that he’s interested in playing several more years and said earlier this week that he expected to soon have a conversation with Knicks officials about a future with the team beyond this season.

“My heart always lies with the Knicks,” Stoudemire tells Spears. “My loyalty is with [Knicks owner] Mr. [Jim] Dolan. I feel like New York is my home now. I feel like I’m a New Yorker for sure.”

The Knicks reportedly engaged in internal discussions about a buyout for Stoudemire earlier this season. Team president Phil Jackson and company apparently spoke with the Sixers this summer about a trade, but it’ll be “virtually impossible” for the Knicks to find a taker for his bloated salary before the February 19th trade deadline, according to Spears. The Knicks have reportedly shopped Bargnani recently, though it has appeared as though the team was putting off buyout talks with him until after the deadline passes. The last day that either Stoudemire or Bargnani could hit waivers and still be eligible to appear in the postseason for another team is March 1st. That effectively sets the date as a buyout deadline, since there’d be little reason for either to give up salary if they couldn’t join another club for the postseason.

Atlantic Notes: Garnett, Hollins, Raptors, Knicks

February 6th, 2015 at 12:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Grantland’s Zach Lowe suggests that Kevin Garnett will be the subject of trade discussions between now and the deadline. The 20th-year vet is appealing to teams looking for a either bench upgrade, an expiring contract or both, according to Lowe, identifying the Warriors, Hornets and Raptors in that group. However, it doesn’t appear from Lowe’s report that those teams are indeed going after Garnett, who has one of the NBA’s few true no-trade clauses. There’s more on the Nets amid the latest from around the Atlantic Division:

Nets GM Billy King denies that Lionel Hollins‘ job is in jeopardy in the wake of a report that the team had upped its scrutiny of the coach, observes Johnette Howard of ESPNNewYork.com. “I don’t know where that story came from about Lionel, but it’s not true,” King said. That report indicated that Hollins’ criticisms of Nets players had rankled ownership, but King says he likes the coach’s demanding approach, Howard writes.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said Thursday that he’s always listening to trade proposals but added that he doesn’t have a lot going on for now, notes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The team has reportedly been looking for an upgrade at power forward and has been linked to David West, Taj Gibson and Kenneth Faried.
Langston Galloway says he received “pretty significant” offers from multiple European teams but turned them down to play with New York’s D-League affiliate this season, as he tells Chris Mannix of SI.com, who writes in his Open Floor column. The Knicks signed Galloway out of the D-League last month to a pair of 10-day contracts before inking him to a multiyear pact.
If the Triangle Offense fails to work for the Knicks by next season and Phil Jackson continues to insist that coach Derek Fisher use it, that puts Fisher in a compromising position not just in New York but for any coaching job he’d want to take in the future, opines Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal.
The Celtics have recalled Phil Pressey from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). Pressey’s first career assignment to the D-League lasted but one day, long enough for him to record 34 points, nine assists and six turnovers in a single game for Boston’s affiliate.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Early, Magic

February 5th, 2015 at 8:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Scott Skiles has been mentioned as a candidate to take over as coach of the Magic, but he has a reputation as being difficult for players to get along with, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype writes. Keyon Dooling, who played for Skiles when both were with the Bucks, thinks that Skiles will do better in his next coaching job, Sierra notes. “Skiles is a high-pedigree coach,” Dooling said. “A lot of times when coaches get fired, they get better at wherever they were weak. [If he gets the Orlando job] I think he’ll be better in how he deals with players this time. During my time in Milwaukee, he had an average relationship with the players. I don’t think it was great, I don’t think it was bad. His work ethic, X’s and O’s and game-planning were his strengths. Where he fell short is maybe with people.”

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks have assigned Cleanthony Early to their D-League affiliate in Westchester, the team announced. This will be Early’s second trip of the season to the D-League.
Tobias Harris says that the Magic need to rally around interim coach James Borrego, John Denton of NBA.com writes (Twitter link). “We have to have his back. We have to want to win and play hard and do all that we can do to help [JB].“
The Sixers were pleased with the production that they received from Larry Drew II, but the rookie was caught in an unfortunate numbers game that prevented Philadelphia from signing Drew for the remainder of the season, Max Rappaport of NBA.com writes. “Flexibility,” coach Brett Brown said when asked why the team didn’t sign Drew for the rest of the 2014/15 campaign. “The trade deadline is coming up, and we need flexibility. We may see [Larry] again. Who knows? What I do know is he was an ‘A’. He did everything and some, and it doesn’t prohibit us from revisiting him [in the future] at all.”
Jacque Vaughn became the fall guy for the Magic, who are in the third season of their rebuilding project and appear to be heading in the wrong direction as a franchise, Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel writes.
One of the issues that the Magic‘s front office had with Vaughn was his inconsistent use of Harris and Maurice Harkless, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Both players received sporadic playing time under Vaughn, which didn’t sit well with Orlando’s GM Rob Hennigan and CEO Alex Martins, Schmitz notes.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Walton, Celtics

February 5th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The success of the Sixers’ 2014/15 campaign will be gauged by the amount of players the team finds who are “keepers,” Sam Donnellon of The Philadelphia Daily News writes. Two players who just might fit that description are Hollis Thompson and Robert Covington, Donnellon notes. Both players are proving themselves to be valuable assets who could play large roles in Philadelphia’s future, the Daily News scribe adds.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics have assigned Andre Dawkins and Phil Pressey to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be the fourth trip of the season to the D-League for Dawkins, and the first trek for Pressey.
Luke Walton was all set to join Derek Fisher‘s staff as an assistant this past offseason, but with the blessing of Knicks president Phil Jackson, who is Walton’s mentor, Warriors coach Steve Kerr nabbed Walton first, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. The Knicks could have used Walton’s expertise with the triangle offense to help ease the transition, one that hasn’t gone smoothly, Berman adds. “It’s definitely tough,’’ Walton said. “I think Derek knows that. I know Phil knows that. It’s about patience and building. And I don’t think you come in right away and teach a brand-new team who has never known the triangle and executing it the way it needs to be executed in the first season. When we played triangle [in LA], we had the same core and then added a couple of new guys each year. And it was the same coaches running practice with it every day, drilling. Even then it takes players a while to fully grasp it.’’
The Sixers are making progress as a franchise but still have quite a bit of work to do before they can become a winning team, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes. The primary void that the team has is in its distinct lack of a star player who GM Sam Hinkie can build around, Moore notes.

Draft Rumors: Okafor, Wolves, Knicks, Sixers

February 5th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Every team with which Chad Ford of ESPN.com has spoken has Jahlil Okafor atop its draft board, as Ford writes in an Insider-only piece, and that includes the Timberwolves, who have the pole position for the No. 1 overall pick, as our Reverse Standings show. That’s even despite the presence of Gorgui Dieng, whom Ford says the team is high on, and Nikola Pekovic, who’s making about $12MM each season through 2017/18. The ESPN.com draft guru runs down how Okafor would fit with each of the teams in line for a lottery pick, and he tosses in some noteworthy rumors as he does so. We’ll hit the highlights here:

The Knicks like Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell in addition to Okafor, Ford writes, adding that the Jazz are Russell fans, too.
Philadelphia would draft Okafor in spite of the presence of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, Ford hears. The Sixers aren’t sold that either Noel or Embiid will become an elite player, Ford also hears, as he writes in his chat with readers.
Mudiay is No. 2 behind Okafor as far as the Lakers are concerned, but it’s not close, as Ford says he’s been told.
The Magic won’t hesitate to draft Okafor and believe he has the superstar potential that their other players don’t, Ford hears.
Al Horford would “love to move to power forward,” Ford writes, suggesting that the Hawks, who have the rights to take Brooklyn’s pick, would grab Okafor if given the chance.
Ford speculates that the Pistons are the team in line for a lottery pick that’s least likely to draft Okafor, believing he’d be a poor fit alongside Andre Drummond.