New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Calderon, Williams, Nets, Jack

October 13th, 2014 at 10:28pm CST by Charlie Adams

Over 50% of Hoops Rumors readers think that Raptors have the best shot at winning the Atlantic Division this season, and Toronto certainly looked impressive tonight as they bested the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. We’ll round up the latest on the Knicks, Raptors, and Nets below in tonight’s look at the Atlantic..

Jose Calderon spent his first seven-and-a-half seasons in the NBA as a member of the Raptors, but after a spending a year in Dallas, he’s happy to return to the Atlantic Division and kick off his tenure with the Knicks. “It’s been great,” Calderon told Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, “(Derek Fisher projects the) confidence that he’s been coaching for years now, I like that, I think everybody’s comfortable with him, but now it’s going to be about timing. New (Triangle) system, new game, new players, new coaching staff, so you need some time, but we’re on the right path we’ve got to keep going.”
David Aldridge of TNT complies a list of 10 under-the-radar players who might be poised for breakout seasons. Among those on the list is recently acquired Raptors guard Lou Williams. The 27-year-old is looking for a bounce back year after struggling to recover from a torn ACL in Atlanta last season.
Joe Johnson is excited about the Nets’ offseason acquisition of Jarrett Jack, as Robert Windrem of Nets Daily transcribes. “I think Jarrett’s probably going to be one of the biggest X-factors for this team,” said Johnson. “I think he’s very underrated, a guy that can do multiple things, as far as catch and shoot, shooting off the dribble, create, defending, another ball handler who can break down the defense. So I think it’s only a plus for us, man. I was excited when we got him.“

And-Ones: Jackson, Knicks, Draft, Towns

October 12th, 2014 at 9:38pm CST by Zachary Links

At a public event earlier today in New York, Knicks president Phil Jackson reiterated that he’ll be the one making the basketball decisions and said he’ll only consult owner James Dolan on spending matters, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Things have been different in the past, of course, but Jackson said that Dolan only got overly involved in the past because he felt he was forced to (link). As evidence that Dolan is now hands-off, Jackson noted that he was told he didn’t have to re-sign Carmelo Anthony this summer if he didn’t think it was the right move (link). Here’s more from around the Association..

With the first Kentucky Combine in the books (yes, you read that right), Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress looks at how the Wildcats’ NBA prospects fared. UK’s Karl Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, and Alex Poythress are all possible first-round picks in the 2015 draft.
An NBA scout at the combine told Adam Zagoria of SNY (on Twitter) that Towns is their best prospect “and it’s not even close.” The big man is currently slated to go No. 3 in DraftExpress’ 2015 mock.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has high hopes for what offseason addition Pau Gasol can do on the defensive end, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. “He could do better,” Thibodeau said. “He’s done well, but I think he could be great. That’s what I want him to be. He’s got great length, he’s got great timing. He’s smart. He can anticipate. He’s still not communicating as well as he’s capable of, but he’s done well thus far.”

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Knicks, Blatt

October 12th, 2014 at 12:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

While some may chide the Sixers for their rebuilding through the draft lottery strategy, the team could most certainly get the last laugh, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. In comparing the Sixers and the Celtics, Bulpett favors the Sixers situation because they have more actual NBA prospects on the roster, rather than having to gamble solely on future first-round picks working out favorably.

Here’s more from the east:

The Knicks were one of the teams that attended Kentucky’s weekend scouting combine, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). New York possesses a first-rounder in next year’s NBA Draft, a rare occurrence for the franchise in recent years, and the Wildcats are expected to field a number of lottery prospects this season.
New Cavs head coach David Blatt is transitioning from Europe to the NBA, and Jordan Brenner of ESPN.com chronicles his journey. Brenner traces Blatt’s steps back the the U.S., and opines that establishing a rapport with the game’s best and most powerful player, LeBron James, will be his most crucial task.
New Knicks point guard Jose Calderon is destined to become a fan favorite, mainly because Calderon is replacing the departed Raymond Felton, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News writes. “Well, I want to be better,” Calderon said of replacing Felton. “I don’t know if it’s going to be because of me. I’m going to try to do my best for this team to do the best we can do, go as far as we can go. It’s not only one thing. I think we are a team, too many things to say only one position, one weakness. Last year, I don’t know how many wins they had — 30-something — don’t think it’s only one guy.”

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Steve Kerr On Warriors, Knicks, Jackson

October 11th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Eddie Scarito

Steve Kerr is stepping out from behind the microphone as an announcer and venturing into new territory as an NBA rookie head coach with the Warriors this season. Golden State wasn’t his only suitor this summer, and Kerr was the heavy favorite to land the Knicks coaching position before deciding to pick up the clipboard in Oakland. Kerr sat down with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com for an interview, and here are some of the highlights…

On why he doesn’t want to return to a front office role:

“I like being on the court. I enjoyed the job, but you’re never on the court as a GM. You’re always upstairs and talking to agents. It’s a more-corporate position. I’d rather dress like this (T-shirt, shorts) every day to practice, to be honest with you. I like working with players and I like the game itself.”

On what the Knicks-Warriors decision came down to for him:

“New York was very intriguing, especially my relationship with Phil [Jackson] and the opportunity he was presenting me, and the Knicks, the franchise itself and the history. But it would have been a really, really difficult situation in terms of the family and being all the way across the country. I just felt better suited to work with these guys here, this younger roster with a more established core. It just felt more comfortable.”

On the differences between Golden State’s and New York’s rosters:

“The fact that the Knicks were in the East and were a year away from cap room was really intriguing. I think the Knicks are a playoff team right now and I think they’re going to get better and I think a year from now they’ll have a chance to make a real splash in free agency. The basketball situation, particularly being aligned with Phil, was very intriguing actually. It much more came down to lifestyle and family and the established roster here. On the flip side, we’re in the West. (He laughs) That was a negative. But can’t do much about that.”

On how close he was to coaching the Knicks:

“I came close. It was very difficult to turn down. Agonizing. I actually at one point told Phil I was going to come, without knowing anything about contracts and without really talking in detail about certain circumstances. At one point I told him, “I’m coming,” but the caveat that we need to hash the rest of this out. And that’s when the Golden State job opened up and that’s when they were able to contact me and I was able to explore it. The timing was weird.”

On if Phil Jackson was disappointed in Kerr heading to the Warriors:

“He [Jackson] understood. In fact, he said, ‘If you had come here and regretted it, it would have been the worst thing for both of us.’ That’s why Phil’s Phil. He understands people. In hindsight, it probably would have been best not committing, not saying anything, just saying, Look, I need to talk to Golden State. But the timing was an issue on both ends. It was very tricky. Anyway, it all worked out. I think the Knicks ended up with a great coach and Derek (Fisher) and Phil will do well together and I’m happy to be here with (general manager) Bob (Myers) and the team.”

Eastern Notes: Anthony, Nets Sale, Heat

October 10th, 2014 at 10:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Carmelo Anthony said that the players and the league should prepare themselves for another lockout in 2017, and if it indeed comes to that, he doesn’t think the owners can complain about losing money this time around, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “I think we have to prepare for a work stoppage,” Anthony said. “And that’s the worst-case scenario at this point in time. So I think guys should start preparing for that now. I don’t think you really have to focus and think about it at this stage. But just keep in the back of your mind that it is a [possibility].”

Here’s more from the east:

The Nets are currently reviewing “multiple” proposals from the Guggenheim Group despite the reports that the potential sale of the franchise was in jeopardy, Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News reports. A source with knowledge of the negotiations told Abramson, “Negotiations are taking a cooling off period since they’ve been played out in the media but there have been proposals to the Nets and they’re still being considered. Because of the amount of media attention, there’s a calming off period that’s going on but interest still remains by both parties and yes there was a proposal – multiple proposals – that were given to the Nets that are still being considered.”
With the 2014 draft class having been hyped as one of the best in years, the focus will now be on how the rookies perform under the spotlight of the NBA regular season. Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders runs down five “under-the-radar” rookies to watch for, including Nikola Mirotic (Bulls); Cleanthony Early (Knicks); and K.J. McDaniels (Sixers).
When the Heat face off with LeBron James and the Cavs in Rio tomorrow, the main focus for Miami will be on speeding up the rebuilding process, not on James being in a different uniform, Tales Azzoni of The Associated Press writes. “We are trying to understand that we are behind the eight ball because we’ve got 13 new guys,” Dwyane Wade said. “We’ve only been together for 10 days on the basketball floor. We’ve got to all understand that we’ve got to have patience, because the last two years just happened, we had the same team and it just happened. But now this is not that kind of team, so we all have to have patience and understand that it’s a process.”

And-Ones: Butler, Caven, Jefferson, Macklin

October 9th, 2014 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jimmy Butler is focusing on basketball rather than becoming a restricted free agent next summer, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Friedell adds that Butler may seek more than the $9.7MM annual salary that former Bulls teammate Luol Deng received this offseason from the Heat. When the topic of the new TV deal was broached, Butler deflected the question, saying, “I don’t know nothing about a TV deal. I just know that it’s my contract year, and I got to play well and I want to help us win. That’s all that I know.” Butler will be one of the first players to sign a deal in the new cap era, Friedell notes.

Here’s more from around the league:

The contracts of D.J. Mbenga (Knicks), Jason Kapono (Warriors), and Yuki Togashi (Mavs) are all non-guaranteed, minimum salary camp deals, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Kapono’s deal is for one season, Pincus notes on Golden State’s salary page.
One of Europe’s top prospects, Joonas Caven, a 6’11” big man from Finland, will enter the NBA D-League Draft this year, according to his agent K.C. Callero, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reports (Twitter link). Caven is targeting the 2015 NBA Draft and the D-League will act as a showcase for his talents, notes Carchia.
The Pelicans waived Vernon Macklin so that he could pursue an opportunity to play in Europe, John Reid of The Times-Picayune reports (Twitter link).
One of the newest members of the Mavs, Richard Jefferson, accepted a veteran’s minimum deal this offseason, but that doesn’t mean he is willing to settle for a minimal role, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. MacMahon adds that Jefferson understands that he won’t be a starter but he is determined to find his niche on the team. “I like to believe myself to be an everyday contributor,” said Jefferson. “Whether it works out that way remains to be seen, but my job is just to stay ready.“

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Phil Jackson’s Influence On Knicks Personnel

October 9th, 2014 at 10:36am CST by Chuck Myron

Phil Jackson didn’t waste time putting his stamp on the Knicks. Two days after owner James Dolan officially installed him as team president, Jackson re-signed Shannon Brown, whom Jackson had coached on the Lakers and whose 10-day contract with New York had expired, to a deal that covered the rest of the season and beyond. It seemed reasonable to expect at that point that the Knicks would start to resemble a latter-day East Coast version of Jackson’s old Lakers and Bulls teams.

Jackson has indeed surrounded himself with people from both of the teams for which he used to work, but the connections are not widespread with the Knicks organization. Brown was only one of three of Jackson’s former players the team has signed under the Zen Master’s watch, and only D.J. Mbenga is still with the Knicks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jackson’s greatest influence appears to have been on the coaching staff, where two of his pupils will man the bench.

The Knicks haven’t hired everyone with a connection to Jackson who’s asked for a job, as Metta World Peace‘s fruitless clamoring for a contract demonstrates, and not all who worked under Jackson in the past wound up answering his call to do so again, as the Steve Kerr saga proved. Still, there are a half dozen with ties to Jackson who have either signed playing contracts with the Knicks, joined the team’s coaching staff, or agreed work under Jackson in the front office. Here’s a look at all of them.

Players

Shannon Brown — The guard was already on the second of a pair of 10-day contracts he signed with the Knicks before Jackson officially came on board, and the contract to which Jackson signed Brown covered the rest of the season and also included a non-guaranteed salary for 2014/15. Still, the reunion didn’t last long, as Jackson and the Knicks waived Brown in July.
D.J. Mbenga — The Knicks signed Mbenga on Wednesday. He played for Jackson on the Lakers from 2008-2010.
Lamar Odom — Jackson took a minimal risk on the troubled forward, signing him to a deal on the final day of the regular season. The Knicks invested $5,202 in guaranteed salary for that last day of 2013/14, apparently in the hopes that Odom could either return to form as an NBA player, or at least that his non-guaranteed salary for 2014/15 would serve as a trade asset. Neither happened, and the Knicks waived Odom in July.

Coaches

Derek Fisher — The longtime Laker was Jackson’s second choice to become the team’s head coach after former Bulls sharpshooter Steve Kerr spurned New York to coach the Warriors instead. Still, Fisher is in the job and at work installing the triangle offense that Jackson ran at both of his NBA head coaching stops.
Kurt Rambis — For an assistant to Fisher, Jackson hired the man who immediately preceded him as head coach of the Lakers. Rambis finished the 1999 season in that job before Jackson took over the following offseason, and later Rambis returned to the Lakers bench as an assistant under Jackson.

Front Office

Clarence Gaines Jr. — The Zen Master brought Gaines on in an informal advisory capacity. Gaines scouted for the Bulls during Jackson’s time in Chicago.

Eastern Notes: Mbenga, Pacers, Pistons

October 8th, 2014 at 8:44pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks head coach Derek Fisher had good things to say about D.J. Mbenga, his former teammate with the Lakers who was signed by New York earlier today, Marc Berman of The New York Post reports (Twitter link). Fisher said that Mbenga was a solid teammate who has a good knowledge of the triangle offense, and also added that Mbenga could help the “vibe” out in training camp this month, notes Berman. Berman’s wording of “this month” seemingly doubles down on his earlier report that Mbenga was signed purely for preseason purposes.

Here’s more from the east:

Chris Bosh hasn’t spoken with his former teammate LeBron James since James left the Heat to sign with the Cavs, ESPN.com reports. When asked by reporters if he had talked to James, Bosh said, “No. I’m in the mode where I’m trying to lead my team, help these guys out around here. If guys aren’t in this locker room, I don’t have much time for them — if any.” Miami’s first regular season game against LeBron and Cleveland is scheduled for Christmas day.
With all of the offseason turmoil the Pacers organization has gone through, Frank Vogel‘s contract extension will provide some needed stability, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star writes.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, in a video report with CineSport’s Brian Clark, discusses the uncertainties surrounding the Pacers and speculates that while Vogel is sticking around, some of his key players might not be.
With Indiana expected to to take a step back this season, it leaves the door open for the Pistons to improve their standing in the Central Division, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes in his season preview for Detroit. Amico believes the talent is there for the Pistons to take the next step toward being a playoff team.

Knicks Sign D.J. Mbenga

October 8th, 2014 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks have signed seven-year NBA veteran center D.J. Mbenga, the team announced (Twitter link). The team is limited to giving out only the minimum salary, but it’s unclear if any of it will be guaranteed for the 33-year-old who played under Knicks president Phil Jackson when he was coaching the Lakers. New York doesn’t have to let anyone go to make room, since the team had been carrying 18 players, two shy of the preseason roster limit of 20.

Mbenga hasn’t played an NBA regular season game since the 2010/11 season, but he was with the Mavs for the 2012/13 preseason. He spent the regular season that year playing in China and in the Philippines. The 7-footer’s greatest success came when he was with Jackson and averaged a career-high 2.7 points in 7.9 minutes per game for the title-winning 2008/09 Lakers. Mbenga has never seen more than 8.1 MPG in any NBA season.

The team made the signing with only training camp in mind, though it had been in the works for a while, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. There’s little opportunity for Mbenga or any of New York’s camp invitees to crack the 15-man regular season roster, since the team has 14 fully guaranteed deals and a partial guarantee with Samuel Dalembert, as I outlined Tuesday. Still, if the Knicks let him go and he’d like to play in the D-League, New York can retain his rights for its D-League affiliate.

New York Notes: Nets, Pierce, Knicks, Executives

October 8th, 2014 at 10:26am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Knicks will renew their intracity rivalry this season as both teams hope to get off to faster starts than they did in 2013/14. Each club figures to be in the mix for a playoff spot again this season, so while we wait to see if we’ll have a subway series come the postseason, here’s the latest from the Big Apple:

Nets GM Billy King insists the team is still doggedly pursuing a championship and isn’t focused on making financial cutbacks, telling reporters, including Newsday’s Rod Boone, that he still has permission from owner Mikhail Prokhorov to make expensive acquisitions. King made his remarks in response to Paul Pierce‘s assertion that the team was no longer willing to spend to win. ” . . . We have some younger guys like Mason Plumlee who are under rookie contracts, and that helps your payroll. But [Prokhorov] hasn’t wavered in pursuit of what he wants,” King said.
That seems to conflict with King’s admission last month that money was a factor in the team’s decision not to re-sign Pierce and that the club doesn’t want to repeat its more than $190MM expenditure on players and luxury taxes last season. Pierce’s representatives with Excel Sports Management asked the Nets for a two-year, $24MM deal this summer, but the Nets didn’t want to pay that much, according to Boone.
Former Magic GM John Gabriel‘s influence is growing within the Knicks front office, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Gabriel, who holds the title of director of basketball operations, is on the upswing while former Nuggets GM and current Knicks director of player personnel Mark Warkentien is losing sway, and assistant GM Allan Houston doesn’t have the pull that he once had, either, Berman adds.
The Knicks have hired former D-League assistant and small college head coach Kevin Whitted as head coach of their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Whitted went to college with Houston, who serves as the GM of the Knicks D-League affiliate in addition to his duties with the big club.