New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Rondo, Livingston, Knicks

November 14th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

A plurality of Hoops Rumors readers said that they thought the Sixers would win between 10 and 15 games when we asked earlier this week, but it’s worth wondering whether the “Less than 10” wins option might have garnered a few more votes if the poll had appeared this morning. The season debut of Michael Carter-Williams Thursday was a 53-point loss to the Mavericks as the pain continues in Philadelphia. Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

An Eastern Conference executive isn’t sold on Rajon Rondo‘s worthiness of a maximum-salary contract and believes the point guard’s impending free agency is a drag on his trade value, as the exec tells Chris Mannix of SI.com.
The Nets and Shaun Livingston had mutual interest heading into the offseason, but he made it a priority to seek as lucrative a contract as possible after he missed out on higher paydays earlier in his career, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post details. The Nets could only offer the mini mid-level, and Livingston exceeded those salaries in his new contract with the Warriors. “At the end of the day, everything I’ve been through as a player in this league, was about putting myself in the best position, one, to win, and also to get the value as a player, your market value,” Livingston said. “I think that was my case last [summer].”
The mere presence of Phil Jackson boosts the public perception of the struggling Knicks, who can sell hope based on the championship coaching experience of the newly minted executive, opines Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News.

And-Ones: Silver, Harris, Bryant, Celtics

November 13th, 2014 at 10:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Commissioner Adam Silver fired back at union executive director Michele Roberts, who held up players as the linchpins of the league while calling the salary cap “incredibly un-American.” The NBA sent remarks from Silver to media, including John Schuhmann of NBA.com, just hours after Roberts made her comments, “We couldn’t disagree more with these statements,” Silver said. “The NBA’s success is based on the collective efforts and investments of all of the team owners, the thousands of employees at our teams and arenas, and our extraordinarily talented players. No single group could accomplish this on its own. Nor is there anything unusual or ‘un-American’ in a unionized industry to have a collective system for paying employees – in fact, that’s the norm.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Tobias Harris says his first choice would be to remain with the Magic in restricted free agency this summer, according to John Denton of Magic.com. A report Wednesday indicated that Harris has strong interest in signing with the Knicks, so perhaps New York is Plan B.
Kobe Bryant has the same amount of championship rings as Tim Duncan (five), but that doesn’t stop the Lakers star from being envious of how the Spurs have kept their core together for so many years, Dan McCarney of The San Antonio Express-News writes. Bryant told Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, “I’m extremely jealous of that. I don’t know if I can express to you how jealous I am of the fact that Tim [Duncan], Tony [Parker], Manu [Ginobili] and Pop [Gregg Popovich] have been together for all those years. Like, I can’t even. It would be like if me, Pau [Gasol], L.O. [Lamar Odom] and Phil [ Jackson], if we were all here still. It’s crazy.”
The Celtics were one of the teams reportedly interested in acquiring Kevin Love this past summer, but Boston wasn’t able to entice the Wolves into making a deal. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com believes that with the way the franchise’s young core is performing it may end up being a blessing that no trade came to pass. Forsberg does add that the team still needs another star player to pair alongside Rajon Rondo, and Love would have certainly fit that bill.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: J.R. Smith, Knicks, Rondo

November 13th, 2014 at 11:33am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers do have at least some level of interest in J.R. Smith, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, who reported earlier this month that Indiana discussed Smith in conversations with the Knicks about a potential deal involving Chris Copeland. The Knicks are confident about the market for the former Sixth Man of the Year and aren’t merely looking to swap him for an expiring contract, a source tells Berman. While we wait to see how the Knicks proceed, there’s more from New York amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

Derek Fisher isn’t sure about the timetable that Phil Jackson has suggested for making judgments about the players on the Knicks roster, as Berman relays in the same piece. “I don’t know if it’s a fair assessment or not,’’ Fisher said. “[Phil] obviously knows a lot about his offense, but I think it’s more than just a guy is going to get it. Each player and person has different learning curves. I don’t know if there’s a date. It’s more where our team is from a management standpoint. For me, I don’t have a date on when I would assume a guy should or shouldn’t have it. I’m going to coach him until he’s here or isn’t here. Those won’t be my decisions.’’
Rajon Rondo told reporters that he didn’t disagree with Kendrick Perkins, who said earlier Wednesday that Rondo, set for free agency at season’s end, would like to remain with the Celtics, observes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “It’s about accurate,” Rondo said. “I mean, from media day in the beginning, that’s what I said initially. So regardless of what’s going on in the season, my perspective hasn’t changed. I love being a Celtic.”
Perkins, who’s also poised to become a free agent in the summer, is open to returning to the Celtics, saying it would be up to Boston’s brass to bring him back if they want him, Bulpett notes. The 30-year-old Thunder center sees Boston as increasingly attractive for free agents, as he told reporters, including Bulpett.
The Sixers are a long way from respectability, but tonight’s season debut for Michael Carter-Williams, who’s back from shoulder surgery, will pair him with Nerlens Noel for the first time. Having two building blocks on the floor at once will represent a landmark moment in Philly’s rebuilding, opines John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News.

And-Ones: Griffin, Lakers, Draft, Harris

November 12th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Alex Lee

Clippers star forward Blake Griffin was officially charged with a misdemeanor count of battery today stemming from an October incident at a Las Vegas night club, reports Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. We’re sure to hear more on this in the very near future. For now, though, let’s take a look at what else is happening around the league:

Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times provides some additional detail around the disabled player exception the Lakers were granted for Julius Randle on Monday, including a list of players that the team could pursue within the guidelines of the exception. In addition to the 15 players they could target via trade, Pincus also mentions Ray Allen, Emeka Okafor and Quincy Miller as free agents worth considering. Meanwhile, though it’s not Laker-specific, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders has compiled his own list of notable players that are still unsigned.
The crop of freshman talent in the 2015 draft class pales in comparison to last year’s group, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports hears. Utilizing opinions collected from various NBA scouts, Spears compiles his own top 10 prospect list which is topped by Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, Kentucky’s Karl Towns and Texas’ Myles Turner.
Orlando forward Tobias Harris reiterated his commitment to the Magic tonight when asked about the New York Post report from earlier today that indicated he’d have interest in joining the Knicks this offseason, reports John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (via Twitter). Harris will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Atlantic Notes: Rondo, McDaniels, Fisher

November 12th, 2014 at 6:21pm CST by Alex Lee

With tip off for the Celtics and Knicks only a few minutes away, let’s take a look at some of the news and notes coming out of the Atlantic division:

Rajon Rondo would like to stay in Boston, according to close friend and former teammate Kendrick Perkins, who spoke to a number of Celtics reporters, including Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, before Wednesday night’s Thunder-Celtics game (via Twitter). Rondo will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and we recently heard the Lakers might pursue him.
The impressive play of Sixers’ second round pick K.J. McDaniels has many in Philly wondering how long it will be before the rookie cracks the starting lineup, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While starting for the downtrodden Sixers is hardly remarkable — even for a rookie — McDaniels’ success is noteworthy because the Clemson product opted to gamble on himself with a one-year deal earlier this fall rather than sign the team’s four-year offer.
Knicks head coach Derek Fisher said he would currently be suiting up for his 19th season had the opportunity to hop right into coaching not come up this offseason, according to Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal (via Twitter). Fisher, of course, spent the past two-plus seasons in the Oklahoma City backcourt rotation.

Tobias Harris Interested In Joining Knicks

November 12th, 2014 at 8:57am CST by Chuck Myron

Tobias Harris has keen interest in signing with the Knicks next summer, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Harris is set for restricted free agency after the Magic failed to sign him to a rookie scale extension before last month’s deadline. Berman’s source points to the relationship that Harris, a Long Island native, has with Carmelo Anthony after the two worked out several times this past summer at Anthony’s gym in New York. Both Anthony and Harris are clients of the Creative Artists Agency.

An October report indicated that Harris would receive an “upgrade” in his shoe deal with Nike if he were to join a large-market team, though the NBA doesn’t permit players to receive any financial bonuses in their endorsement deals based on the teams that they play for. However, those contracts can give players a bump based on the number of national television appearances that their teams make.

The Magic have reportedly informed Harris’ camp that they’re likely to match any offers for the combo forward, who turns 23 in July. The same dispatch indicated that the Magic were eyeing salaries of around $9MM earlier this fall. Magic GM Rob Hennigan has said that he can’t imagine not keeping the former 19th overall pick, and Harris said at about the same time that he would like to stay in Orlando.

It’s unclear if the Knicks have strong interest in Harris. They have about $32.7MM in commitments for 2015/16, though that doesn’t count a nearly $6.34MM player option for J.R. Smith.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Fisher, Dolan, Agents

November 11th, 2014 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Phil Jackson isn’t keen on commissioner Adam Silver’s recent assertion that the Knicks have been slow to pick up on the triangle, but the Zen Master made it clear Monday that he, too, recognizes his 2-6 team still has a lot to learn, as Marc Berman of the New York Post chronicles. The Knicks team president hinted that he’ll soon be drawing conclusions about members of his roster, which suggests moves won’t be far behind.

“There’s still quite a ways from their execution capabilities as a team,’’ Jackson said. “This is going to happen, [it’s] all part of the process. We think in terms of basketball-wise, Thanksgiving, December, it’s time to really say, ‘If you haven’t gotten it by now, maybe we’ll have to think of you as a learner or not a learner as a ballplayer at that time.’ ’’

There’s more from Jackson’s chat with reporters amid the latest on the struggling Knicks:

Coach Derek Fisher insists Jackson doesn’t micromanage, as Berman notes in his piece, and Jackson explained that he’s tried to strike a balance between giving input and letting Fisher make his own decisions, observes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “I came back to impart what I learned,’’ Jackson said of his first-time foray into a team’s front office. “I’m constantly giving off ideas in the form of writing notes, communicating in various forms, some things we can try, some things we can initiate. We’ve touched just a very small part of our offense and adding bits and pieces as we go on.’’
Jackson has said before that input from James Dolan was sparse throughout the offseason, but the Zen Master said Monday that the owner has already spoken to him several times since the start of the season, as Begley points out. “Mostly, it was about pleasantries,” Jackson said. “But, to my surprise, he was happy with how the team performed.”
Jackson is delegating the duties of negotiation with player agents, as Begley notes via Twitter. “I’ve kind of let [GM] Steve Mills deal with those friends of ours,” Jackson said.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Pressey, Knicks

November 10th, 2014 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors are tied for the league’s best record at 6-1, and any trepidation about whether Kyle Lowry merely lucked into his four-year, $48MM deal thanks to an aberration of a season last year is dissolving with each passing game. His 17.9 points per contest this season is precisely the same number he put up in 2013/14, when he set a new career high. While we wait to see just how well Lowry and the Raptors will continue to play, here’s more from Toronto and other Atlantic Division locales:

Greivis Vasquez and James Johnson haven’t been Raptors teammates for long, but the point guard is already sold on the value of the forward the team signed this past summer, note Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes and Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter links). “He’s a little spicy, a little crazy, but I love playing with a guy like him because I know he’s got my back,” Vasquez said.
The decision the Celtics made to keep Phil Pressey past the date his minimum salary became guaranteed this summer is paying off with Marcus Smart injured, as Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com examines.
Phil Jackson has made his share of changes in his eight months as Knicks president, but none of them appear to have made a difference in the team’s effectiveness, opines Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Eastern Notes: LeBron, Waiters, Jennings, Knicks

November 8th, 2014 at 6:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

LeBron James endorses Dion Waiters‘ new sixth man role for the Cavs, writes Chris Haynes of The Plain Dealer. “For the best of the team, that should be Dion’s role,” James said. “Dion comes off the bench and brings us that scoring mentality but more than that, he brings us another defender off the bench, which we need. Someone that’s tough, someone that can guard one through three. It’s a new role, but it’s a good role for him.” Waiters is beginning to embrace his role as well. “I got to do whatever I got to do for the better of the team,” Waiters said. “If it’s starting, if it’s coming off the bench, if it’s the water boy, I got to do it. Whatever is best for the team.” Some have suggested that Waiters was not ready to sacrifice for the betterment of the team; perhaps this is a step in the right direction for the Cavs.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

LeBron’s pleas for patience regarding the Cavs early season struggles go against a number of moves the organization has made this past offseason, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. If Cleveland was truly taking the long-view approach, Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett would still be on the roster instead of in Minnesota, and the team wouldn’t have added so many aging veterans, Winderman opines.
Brandon Jennings doesn’t dwell on his past with the Bucks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gardner notes that Jennings could have had more success in Milwaukee if Andrew Bogut hadn’t gotten seriously injured during Jennings’ rookie year or if Monta Ellis hadn’t left the team in free agency. Both players are arguably in better situations than Jennings is after leaving the Bucks, but the point guard is being patient with the Pistons this season. “I’m just staying positive,” Jennings said. “It’s a long season. We’re still trying to find our identity with a new coach, a new system. It’s definitely going to take time.”
The Knicks‘ early-season struggles are more about team chemistry than learning the triangle offense, opines Harvey Araton of The New York Times. Araton points out that missing Jose Calderon, who was set to be the team’s starting point guard, as well as the team’s lack of long-term options in the frontcourt hinders New York’s ability to implement the offense that Phil Jackson has won 11 titles with. The Knicks have no players at the center or power forward positions signed past this season with Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani, Jason Smith, Quincy Acy, Travis Wear and Samuel Dalembert all set to become free agents at the end of the season.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Bucks, Allen, Wear

November 7th, 2014 at 10:30am CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors, Wizards and Bulls are in a three-way tie atop the Eastern Conference, a pair of them clash tonight with Washington in Toronto. The two surprise teams from last year’s Eastern Conference playoffs took somewhat divergent paths this past summer, as the Wizards replaced Trevor Ariza with Paul Pierce while the Raptors retained Kyle Lowry and are mostly intact from 2013/14. We’ll have an early read on which approach was better by night’s end, but for now, here’s the latest from around the Eastern Conference:

Bucks majority partners Wesley Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan, along with former owner Herb Kohl, have pledged an estimated $300MM toward the roughly $420MM cost of a new arena in Milwaukee, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. That’s up from the approximately $200MM the current and former owners were set to invest in the building when the sale of the team took place this past spring. The new total includes a “major” contribution from Dinan, who joined the partnership this summer, as well as additional money from Edens and Lasry, and the Bucks are expected to raise yet more funding through a naming rights deal, Woelfel writes. The NBA has the right to take control of the Bucks if there isn’t significant progress toward construction by fall 2017, but it appears most of the arena will be privately financed, as Woelfel points out.
The Bulls have remained in contact with representatives for Ray Allen, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes in his mailbag column. An early September report identified the Bulls as one of many suitors for the Jim Tanner client, who recently made a non-basketball-related trip to Chicago.
Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders recounts the journey of Travis Wear, who went from 2009 McDonald’s All-American to undrafted this past summer before the Knicks, who’d begun to eye him even before the draft this year, gave him a chance. Voluntary workouts prior to training camp were the key to Wear’s ability to win a spot on the opening-night roster, as Beer details.