Knicks Rumors

Knicks Shop Prigioni, Clippers, Pistons Interested

January 25th, 2015 at 12:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

SUNDAY, 12:35pm: The Pistons are among the teams to show exploratory interest in Prigioni, in wake of losing Brandon Jennings to injury, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 8:53am: The Clippers have held an interest in Prigioni, a source tells Zagoria, adding that the Clips don’t have the second-round pick New York is looking for. The earliest second-round pick that the Clippers can guarantee New York is for 2019. The point guard has drawn interest from three or four European clubs, agent Claudio Villanueva told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype, though Villanueva cautioned that he and his client haven’t pursued those possibilities and that they’re not worried about his situation in New York.

WEDNESDAY, 1:17pm: The Knicks would like to trade Pablo Prigioni in exchange for a second-round pick, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). The 37-year-old point guard doesn’t have much of a role at present, having fallen out of the team’s rotation the past three games, and he’s not a part of the club’s future, either, according to Zagoria. He’s making nearly $1.663MM this season, but his salary of almost $1.735MM for next season is only partially guaranteed for $290K.

New York reportedly considered attaching Prigioni to a deal that would unload Wayne Ellington this past summer. Knicks officials were apparently nonetheless fond of Prigioni, though it seems they continued to mull trading him even after they were able to keep him when they shipped Elliington to the Kings. The Knicks opened the season with playoff aspirations, but their need for an aging backup isn’t great with the team at 6-36. New York is reportedly shopping starter Jose Calderon, but Shane Larkin has moved ahead of Prigioni on the Knicks depth chart.

It appeared this past summer that the Jazz were in the mix for Prigioni as the Knicks and Kings looked for a third team to facilitate the Ellington trade. It’s unclear whether Utah still has any interest, even in the wake of Tuesday’s announcement that shooting guard Rodney Hood will be out until at least the All-Star break. Prigioni had been seeing fairly consistent minutes before his recent downturn in playing time, and he’s averaged 4.8 points, a career high, in 19.1 minutes per game this season.

Atlantic Notes: Plumlee, Nets, Galloway, Sixers

January 24th, 2015 at 7:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rival teams keep asking the Nets about Mason Plumlee, the one player they least want to trade, reports Howard Megdal in a special story for USA Today. The second-year center has seen his role expand under new coach Lionel Hollins. “[Former coach Jason Kidd] gave me very specific instructions,” Plumlee said. “He gave me exactly what I wanted, so when I did what he wanted, I stayed on the floor. It jump-started my career. Now on this team, they need me to do more.” Plumlee is under the Nets’ control through the 2017/18 season.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets rookie Cory Jefferson could see his minutes rise as the result of the loss of Mirza Teletovic, writes Reed Wallach of Netsdaily.com. The team announced Friday that Teletovic will miss the rest of the season while he undergoes treatment for blood clots in his lungs. Wallach expects Joe Johnson to see more time as a stretch four, but also forecasts an increased role for Jefferson.
Confidence has helped Langston Galloway make the switch from the D-League to the Knicks‘ starting lineup, according to Jonah Ballow of Knicks.com. Galloway received the first D-League callup in team history on January 7th, shortly after guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert were traded to Cleveland. He quickly became a fan favorite and helped the floundering Knicks to a three-game winning streak. “He is playing with a confidence,” said teammate Carmelo Anthony. “He’s been playing like that when he was down in the D-League and he’s carrying it over to us now.”
The Sixers will have plenty of cap room this summer, but don’t expect them to use it on a big-name free agent, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Moore expects GM Sam Hinkie to pass on players like Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard and stick to the strategy of rebuilding through the draft.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Kidd, Fisher, Harris

January 24th, 2015 at 1:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Heat team president Pat Riley denies a report from last week indicating that the team proposed a deal that would send Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts to the Nets for Brook Lopez, notes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Riley insists the Heat haven’t made any offers to any team, and that while the Heat have had conversations with other clubs, they aren’t active on the market, as Jackson transcribes in a second piece. The executive doesn’t feel the team needs an upgrade to make the playoffs and indicated that he would only commit to salary beyond next season for a star, Jackson adds.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Bucks coach Jason Kidd doesn’t believe that Kobe Bryant‘s latest injury will be a career-ending one, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. Kidd also spoke about how his own career ended, which he says was on his own terms, Gardner notes. “I would say, yes, in a way I did get to go out on my terms, but I had no gas left in the tank,” Kidd said. “It was an easy call. I got to make the call, but the car had no gas. A lot of times for athletes, we want to be able to go out on our own and not with an injury. You want to play and you want to leave feeling you’ve given everything to the game.“
Knicks rookie coach Derek Fisher didn’t anticipate how difficult it would be to get his players emotionally ready to compete, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “Probably what jumps out the most is you still have to work pretty hard to motivate and inspire guys at this level,’’ Fisher said. “Something a guy who came into the league in 1996, that wasn’t required. If you weren’t self-driven and self motivated, you couldn’t get on the floor. As a player for 18 years, my brain worked that way. It’s one area that continues to evolve — find ways to help my guys be more inspired and more motivated.’’
With the highly touted NBA draft class of 2014 not quite living up to the hype thus far, David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) looks at a number of rookies who have stood out. These players include Nikola Mirotic (Bulls), Jerami Grant (Sixers), and Elfrid Payton (Magic).
The Cavs assigned Joe Harris to the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team announced.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 1/18/15-1/24/15

January 24th, 2015 at 11:44am 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:

“If the Knicks win the lottery this year and have the No. 1 pick, who would they choose out of Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Jahlil Okafor? — Mathias

This will be an interesting draft for the Knicks, since it will be Phil Jackson‘s first after a full season as an executive, and he doesn’t have any track record to draw from for reference as to what he might do. Having stated that caveat, I don’t see how New York could pass on Okafor, who is by far the top talent in this draft class. The only way I can see Okafor slipping out of the top slot is if he suffers an injury between now and when his predraft workouts occur. The only other factor that could change Jackson’s focus, possibly to Mudiay, is if Jackson somehow gets the indication that Marc Gasol wants to come to New York via free agency. But that’s an extremely unlikely scenario.

“With all of the trade talk surrounding Michael Carter-Williams, wouldn’t the Sixers be more inclined to trade K.J. McDaniels first? After all, GM Sam Hinkie slipped up in the contract process with McDaniels following the draft. Why not move him and get a return before he can walk?” — Pete D.

I agree with you that Hinkie probably made an error in not signing McDaniels to more than a one-year deal. That kid is a keeper. But it’s for just that reason that I don’t see Philly dealing McDaniels unless the team is absolutely blown away by an offer. But Philadelphia isn’t likely to garner much for what could potentially be just a few months’ rental of McDaniels. Teams will likely be wary of what it might cost them to retain him when he hits restricted free agency this summer. This would likely knock down any potential return that Philadelphia might receive for McDaniels. So I think that Hinkie should, and will, hold onto him, and then do his best to sign McDaniels to a long-term contract this summer. So while he’ll end up costing the Sixers more than if they had simply offered him a guaranteed deal from the start, I think McDaniels is too strong of an asset to give up on this season. Plus, Philly will have ample cap space to match whatever offer sheets McDaniels would garner, within the bounds of the Gilbert Arenas provision and as long as a team doesn’t throw a Chandler Parsons-like contract offer at McDaniels (not very likely). If McDaniels does sign a bloated offer sheet, Philly will just have to swallow hard and let him go.

“Who is more likely to change teams as a free agent this summer — LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol?” — Steve-O

My honest answer would be neither, but that would be cheating! If I had to pick, I would choose Aldridge as the player more likely to change zip codes and uniforms. Gasol essentially grew up in Memphis, having attended high school there while Pau Gasol was playing for the Grizzlies. Memphis has a solid team that can offer him the most money, and the younger Gasol isn’t a headline chaser, so moving to a major market would likely hold little appeal. Sure, the Spurs may be an intriguing possibility, given how stellar that organization is. But San Antonio’s core won’t be around for too much longer. So why would Gasol risk heading into a potential rebuilding situation when Memphis will remain a contender over the next few seasons?

As for Aldridge, he’s also unlikely to leave his current team, since the Blazers are also a solid franchise and have a talented roster. Plus, Portland could offer Aldridge nearly $30MM more than any other competing team over the life of any deal. But Aldridge is from Texas, and all three teams in the Lone Star state would likely love to add Aldridge to their rosters. But to do so all three teams would need to clear cap space to add him, or in San Antonio’s case, have Tim Duncan and/or Manu Ginobili retire. I would be stunned if Gasol ended up leaving Memphis. Conversely, I wouldn’t be completely shocked if Aldridge changed teams, but it’s still a long shot.

“Is Langston Galloway for real, and is he a big part of the Knicks next season?” — NYCKingpin

I assure you, Langston Galloway exists! But seriously now. Yes, I think he’s an intriguing prospect whom the Knicks should sign for the remainder of the season when his second 10-day deal expires. I also think he’s a keeper for next season as well. From what Galloway has shown thus far, he can be quite a useful rotation piece in the future. Is he a starting-level player on a playoff team? To that I would say probably not. But he can absolutely develop into a valuable bench player on winning team. But I would temper your expectations a bit. It’s too small a sample size to accurately judge his true worth just yet. Sure, he’s putting up decent numbers, but they’re on a dreadful Knicks squad. Competing teams don’t really bring their A-game when playing against New York this season, which is also something to keep in mind when looking at Galloway’s performances. But Galloway has been the best 10-day signee in the league thus far. So at least the Knicks have accomplished something this season!

“Who is the most intriguing free agent in your opinion this summer?” — Kyle M.

For my money it’s the Warriors’ Draymond Green. The 24-year-old will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so Golden State will have the opportunity to match any offer sheets that Green receives. And Green should get a few lucrative offers thrown his way with how well he is performing this season. While Green won’t be the biggest name on the market, he is the one with the most potential to end up being overpaid, since an extremely player-friendly deal is what it will likely take to discourage Golden State from matching another team’s offer sheet. But Green also has as much upside as any player who will be hitting free agency this summer, which is a huge draw.

I simply love Green’s combination of athleticism, hustle, defensive ability, and raw talent. Green’s youth is also a tremendous asset to prospective bidders since his next contract will cover his prime production seasons. Green also has the ability to blossom into a star on a team where the ball isn’t dominated by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. My only concerns regarding Green is if his breakout season is simply a product of Golden State’s system, and how much his stats have benefited from playing alongside two All-Star caliber players in Curry and Thompson. But out of all of the second-tier free agent players that will be on the market this summer, Green is the one that I would say has the most potential to be a franchise changer.

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.

Trade Candidate: Jose Calderon

January 23rd, 2015 at 8:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks believed that they had solved a number of their issues with one trade this past summer. That’s when newly appointed team president Phil Jackson dealt Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Mavericks for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington, and two 2014 second round draft picks. But as was stated in a proverb that the poet Robert Burns first wrote and that John Steinbeck later made popular, the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.

New York’s Achilles’ heel during the 2013/14 campaign was its point guard play, or to be specific, a complete lack of production from the group it threw out on the floor to facilitate the offense. The Knicks as a team averaged a meager 20.0 assists per game, which was good for the third lowest total in the league. Felton was one of the worst starting point guards in the league statistically, and his off the court issues involving the possession of a handgun certainly didn’t help raise his stock around the league and with the team.

With Jackson needing to live up to whatever promises that he may have made to Carmelo Anthony in order to get him to re-sign with the Knicks, the Zen Master must have figured adding a more competent ball distributor in Calderon was a good place to begin. While I was certainly a fan of the team cutting ties with Felton, I will point out that he actually had a higher assist per game average during the 2013/14 campaign (5.7) than Calderon did (4.7) with the Mavs that same season.

But Calderon was also brought in to help spread the floor with his outside shooting, something that Felton didn’t provide for the Knicks. Also, with the team switching to the triangle offense, the change in scheme was supposed to remove part of the need for a point guard to rack up gaudy assist totals in order to be successful. The Spaniard is also known as a good teammate, and was looked at as a player who could help provide veteran leadership, something that the Knicks sorely missed with the retirement of Jason Kidd and the departure of Kenyon Martin.

Unfortunately for the Knicks and their fans, Calderon has not produced at the level that the team had hoped for when it acquired him. In 30 appearances this season, Calderon has averaged 9.3 points, his lowest total since the 2006/07 season, a career-low 4.3 assists, and he’s shooting a career-worst 39.9% from the field. He has looked a step slow on both ends of the court, and it’s unclear if age is finally catching up with him, if Calderon’s apathetic due to New York’s lost season, or if he’s still hampered by the calf injury that he suffered during the preseason.

With the Knicks seemingly in full on tank-mode for the remainder of the season, a veteran point guard like Calderon is an expendable piece. Jackson would probably love to clear the remaining two years on Calderon’s contract off of the team’s books to provide the franchise with additional flexibility. New York has been reported to be actively shopping Calderon along with some of the other remaining veterans on its squad. The Spaniard is making $7,097,191 this season, due to make $7,402,812 in 2015/16, and owed $7,708,427 for 2016/17. Those numbers don’t necessarily make Calderon untradeable, but the trick for Jackson will be finding a deal for players with expiring contracts so that he can maximize New York’s cap space to pursue free agents over the next two summers.

Despite Calderon’s lack of production this season and not quite desirable contract, there still should be a market for his services, though it is highly unlikely that he would bring the Knicks much of a return on his own. Unless Calderon is packaged with other players and draft picks, any deal would become more of a salary dump than a franchise changing transaction. But dealing players in return for little more than future cap space is something that seems to fit with the current Knicks philosophy, so there shouldn’t be an issue there.

While no teams have been specifically reported to be interested in acquiring Calderon, here are a few franchises that could be potential fits for a deal. It should be noted that these are purely my speculation, and not based off of any published reports:

Oklahoma City: The Thunder could use a veteran like Calderon to add backcourt depth, especially with the team’s injury history. The acquisition of Dion Waiters, who can play the point if required to, lessens the Thunder’s need at this position. But if OKC decides that it has little chance or desire to re-sign Reggie Jackson, then GM Sam Presti could decide to unload him, though the Knicks probably don’t have enough in addition to Calderon to offer for a talent such as Jackson to close a deal without getting a third team involved.
Chicago: The Bulls appear to be set for the moment at point guard, with Derrick Rose working his way back into form, and Aaron Brooks providing solid production as a backup. But these are the Bulls, who are seemingly always dealing with injuries, especially late in the season. Calderon would provide extra insurance in the event of another injury to Rose or Kirk Hinrich, but fitting his salary in would be quite a challenge.
Boston: The Celtics have reportedly let teams know that they would be willing to take on cap-eating contracts, and they could use more depth at point guard in the wake of the Rajon Rondo trade. This would make Boston a logical trade partner, but the Knicks lack the draft picks that the Celtics would likely require in order to take on a contract such as Calderon’s. But if president of basketball operations Danny Ainge decides that rookie Marcus Smart isn’t ready to lead the team, a trade for Calderon could become a very real possibility.
Philadelphia: The Sixers have become the salary cap dumping ground for the league, and with the team not sold on the long-term viability of Michael Carter-Williams, Calderon would seem like a potential fit. Couple that with Tony Wroten‘s injury, and it’s clear that the Sixers have a definite need at the one spot. But with Philly GM Sam Hinkie determined to collect every second round draft pick between now and 2020, the Knicks would have an issue scratching that itch for the Sixers. It’s possible that Jackson could flip Pablo Prigioni for a second-rounder, as he is reportedly seeking to do. But it’s not clear if that would be enough to get Hinkie to bite on two more seasons of being committed to Calderon.
Cleveland: The Cavaliers have a definite need for a stronger backup at the point. Matthew Dellavedova is a nice player, but if Kyrie Irving is injured, Dellavedova’s not likely to inspire confidence in a deep playoff run as a starter. Cleveland may not be too keen on taking on the final two years of Calderon’s deal, but with the franchise in win-now mode, it’s a deal it would likely consider pulling the trigger on.
Miami: The Heat would be a longshot here, but the team has a definite need for an upgrade at the point guard spot. Miami is in an odd position, with the team needing to rebuild after LeBron James‘ departure while having a veteran-laden roster. Calderon could step right in and provide an immediate upgrade, but the length of his deal could scare the team off from pursuing a trade with the Knicks.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers could absolutely use a player like Calderon, and would be able to deal the expiring contract of Steve Nash as part of a package to obtain him. Los Angeles is still likely entertaining thoughts of inking Rondo this offseason, though that is far from a done deal, especially since Rondo appears to be settling in nicely in Dallas. With Kobe Bryant in the waning years of his career, Calderon could be seen by GM Mitch Kupchak as a player who could bolster the roster and allow him to concentrate on adding much needed frontcourt talent this offseason.

While Calderon’s trade value has taken a definite hit since the beginning of the season, he’s a player who still could help a number of teams. I also believe that a change of scenery, and the chance at playing for a playoff team, could revitalize his play. Calderon is one of the Knicks’ most tradeable of assets currently, though his contract length will be a hurdle that Jackson will need to overcome in order to remove Calderon from the team’s balance sheet. The veteran point guard is likely to be the subject of numerous rumors leading up to the deadline, and if he still remains a Knick beyond that date, it’s because Jackson couldn’t find a taker, and not because he was unwilling to part with Calderon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks Plan Pursuit Of Tobias Harris

January 23rd, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks are planning to try to attract soon-to-be restricted free agent forward Tobias Harris, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The 22-year-old downplayed Berman’s November report indicating that he’s interested in signing with New York this coming summer, though a close friend of the Long Island native told Berman on Thursday that Harris wants to win a title with the Knicks. Many around the league believe the Knicks will target second-tier free agents this summer, Berman writes, naming Harris, Wesley Matthews and Draymond Green as examples.

Harris said earlier this season that the Magic will be his first choice in free agency, even though the sides failed to reach an extension before the October 31st deadline. The Magic have reportedly told the Henry Thomas client‘s camp that they’ll probably match any offer sheet he signs, though executives around the league are split on whether the Magic would match a high-dollar offer sheet, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote last week. Orlando GM Rob Hennigan said in October that he couldn’t envision not keeping Harris around. There was some conflicting dialogue about how the sides approached a possible extension, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported in early November that Orlando raised the idea of a deal with annual salaries around $9MM in talks with Harris around Labor Day. The sides didn’t negotiate further, Kyler added.

Thomas is an agent with the Creative Artists Agency, the same group that represents Carmelo Anthony and, at least until team president Phil Jackson took over last spring, held widespread influence in the Knicks organization. Harris worked out several times together with Anthony this past summer at Anthony’s gym in New York, as Berman noted in his November report. Harris can’t receive any direct financial incentive in his shoe deal for playing with any particular NBA team, as an October report had indicated, but the NBA does allow endorsement contracts to afford bonuses based on the number of national television appearances.

The NBA moved another Knicks game off national television today with New York still carrying the league’s worst record, though Harris expressed optimism about Jackson’s regime Thursday, as Berman notes. The Knicks have about $32.7MM in commitments for next season against a projected $66.5MM cap.

Harris was a starter for his first 37 appearances with the Magic this season, but he came off the bench for the first time Wednesday after missing five contests with a sprained ankle. He’s averaging a career-high 18.0 points per game fueled in part by an increase in shot attempts and also by 40.7% three-point shooting, a drastic improvement on last season’s 25.4% rate.

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Kidd, Robinson

January 22nd, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets weren’t as close to trading Brook Lopez to the Thunder as they seemed, a league source tells Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher, adding that Brooklyn simply didn’t want Lance Stephenson, who would have come from Charlotte in a three-way proposal, or Kendrick Perkins. Still, a Lopez trade remains a possibility, Bucher writes, and the Nuggets are expected to make another run at him, according to Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post, just as they did when they reportedly spoke about a package with JaVale McGee as the centerpiece. There’s more on the Nets amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

“High ranking sources” in the Nets organization dispute to Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News that Mikhail Prokhorov wants to sell his majority interest in the club, but those same sources tell Abramson that it’s not out of the question that Prokhorov will give up the team.
The management for Jason Kidd‘s ownership stake in the Nets has asked the NBA for more time to find a buyer, reports Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg.com. Kidd owns one-sixth of 1% of the Nets, Soshnick notes, but he’s required to divest himself of that share, worth $2.5MM based on the Forbes valuation of the franchise, since he’s now coaching the Bucks instead.
Nate Robinson gave up $689K of this season’s salary of nearly $2.107MM in his buyout agreement with the Celtics, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
The Knicks and Sixers both have dreadful records this season, but only in Philadelphia’s case is that according to any sort of plan, as Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines.

Knicks Notes: Smith, Prigioni, Galloway

January 21st, 2015 at 4:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Carmelo Anthony believes that the trade that sent J.R. Smith to the Cavaliers was the best thing that could have happened to the former Knicks guard, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I’ve seen him play a couple of games,’’ Anthony said. “He’s playing well. I know the type of game he has and what he can do. He looks comfortable out there, looks like he’s settling in very well. I’m actually happy for him — a change of environment for him, a new thought process, new mindset mentally. It looks like he has some clarity right now. I believe LeBron [James] will help him make that adjustment that much better.’’

Here’s more out of the Big Apple:

‘Melo didn’t necessarily dispute Smith’s parting statement that the Knicks’ players were “walking on eggshells” under the franchise’s new regime, Berman adds. “I don’t know exactly what he meant by that,’’ Anthony said. “I’ve heard him say that before in conversations we’ve had. Anytime something is new, trying to incorporate something, everybody’s trying to do the right things, so it can be a tense situation where you can feel like walking on eggshells. Because you don’t want to do the wrong thing. You want to impress the coaches, want to impress the front office, impress your teammates. If that’s what he’s coming from that standpoint, I agree with it.’’
With 10-day signee Langston Galloway continuing to impress, Pablo Prigioni has seen his playing time wither, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the veteran is done with the team, Berman adds. “I don’t think it’s where we are in the season,’’ coach Derek Fisher said. “It’s just continuing to find ways to help the team be successful. Sometimes that means personnel changes and adjustments. It’s the way it’s working right now. It doesn’t mean it will stay that way. It’s just the way the last couple of games have worked. If I feel it’s something that can stay that way for a while, I’d try to pull them to the side and let them know it’s the direction we’re going.” The Knicks are reportedly looking to deal Prigioni for a second round draft pick.
Clarence Gaines Jr., team president Phil Jackson‘s top adviser, deserves much of the credit for bringing Galloway to New York, Berman writes in a separate article. Gaines first noticed Galloway during a pre-draft camp last spring, and he believed the undrafted rookie fit the profile of the type of player whom Jackson sought, Berman adds.

Knicks Re-Sign Lou Amundson, Lance Thomas

January 21st, 2015 at 8:43am CST by Arthur Hill

WEDNESDAY, 8:43am: The Knicks have indeed signed Thomas to another 10-day contract, too, the team announced (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 1:07pm: The deal with Amundson is official, the Knicks announced (Twitter link), though the team has yet to make announcement regarding Thomas.

MONDAY, 8:32pm: Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas have both reached agreements on second 10-day contracts with the Knicks, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). Amundson has played in just one game for New York, scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds. Thomas has also played one game, registering seven points and four boards.

Amundson and Thomas both joined the Knicks in a three-team deal on January 5th involving the Cavaliers and Thunder. Both players were waived by New York on January 7th, but signed 10-day contracts three days later.

This is Amundson’s ninth season in the NBA and his 10th NBA team. He has averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds during his time in the league. Thomas spent three seasons in New Orleans with the Hornets and Pelicans, and signed with the Thunder in September. His career averages are 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Western Notes: Thomas, Spurs, Hood

January 20th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Suns‘ three point guard system was one of the factors that led Isaiah Thomas to agree to a sign-and-trade deal this past summer, the guard said during an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (hat tip to Matt Petersen of NBA.com). “That’s what I signed here for, was to play with those other two guards and to cause havoc on both ends of the floor playing with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe,” Thomas said. “Everybody’s getting a consistent rotation. Guys know when they’re really going to come in and play, and who they’re going to play with. I think everybody’s just getting comfortable with everybody.”

Here’s more from the West:

The Spurs are finding their quest to repeat as NBA champions a rather difficult road to travel, Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes. Because of injuries and the age of his roster, coach Gregg Popovich has already had to use 23 starting lineups through 42 games so far this season, which is tied with Knicks for the most in the NBA, Lee notes. “You just deal with whatever you have and move on,” Popovich said. “I don’t think there are too many coaches who aren’t concerned about something.”
Rajon Rondo‘s true value to the Mavericks isn’t necessarily reflected in his stat line, but rather in his excellent play during clutch situations, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “He’s a big-time player, and big-time players make big plays down the stretch,” Dallas big man Tyson Chandler said. “He’s not going to always put up the huge numbers that are going to wow you, but he’s one of those guys that you want with you in the trenches when you know the game is on the line. He’s just going to do something – something – to make an impact on the game.”
Jazz rookie Rodney Hood, who injured his left foot during Sunday’s contest against the Spurs, will be out of action through the All-Star break, at which point his status will be reevaluated, the team has announced. The 22-year-old has appeared in 24 games for Utah this season, averaging 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.3 minutes per contest.