New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, JVG, Love

May 18th, 2014 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Nets don’t have a ton of wiggle room this offseason, so they’ll have to explore some unorthodox ideas if they want to make a major overhaul. Last week, it was reported that Brooklyn is open to the idea of moving star guard Deron Williams. Williams just finished a hugely disappointing season, his fourth with Brooklyn and the second on his five-year, $99MM contract, so they might not find the kind of return they’re hoping for. More out of the Atlantic..

The Celtics are slated to come away with the No. 5 pick in Tuesday night’s lottery, but the ping pong balls haven’t always equaled success for them, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Seventeen years ago, Boston brass gathered in Secaucus, N.J., with the best chance of landing the consensus No. 1 overall pick, Tim Duncan. The Celtics instead finished with two of the top six picks and selected Colorado guard Chauncey Billups third and Kentucky swingman Ron Mercer sixth.
Earlier today on ESPN Radio, Jeff Van Gundy reiterated that he would be happy to speak with Phil Jackson if he comes calling, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “If Phil Jackson ever wanted to talk basketball with me, which, listen, who knows if that’s true, but if he ever did, of course I would take the time, because I’m sure I could benefit from the conversation,” the former Knicks coach said.
The good news for Knicks fans is that Kevin Love wants out of Minnesota. The bad news is that the Knicks are going to have a whole lot of competing suitors for him, Begley writes. On top of that, Love is sick of losing and wants to contend immediately. The Knicks, as currently constructed, wouldn’t fit the bill.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Bobcats, Pistons

May 18th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times thinks Lance Stephenson or Thabo Sefolosha would be good backup targets for the Bulls if Chicago makes a failed attempt at signing Carmelo Anthony in free agency.

Coaching Notes: Ollie, Kerr

May 17th, 2014 at 9:20pm CST by Cray Allred

Within the next couple days, Kevin Ollie plans to reject the advances of the only NBA team that has reached out to him this offseason, a league source familiar with Ollie’s thinking tells Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News. The team’s identity is unknown, but the source tells Medina is isn’t the Lakers or Knicks. The source says Ollie, who is also renegotiating his contract with UConn, never “got to first base” with an NBA team. Here are more coaching notes on a night without any playoff action:

A league source told Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer the Cavs were not the team that had contacted Ollie, which would leave the Wolves and Jazz as the only other teams with head coaching vacancies that might have reached out.
A source close to Ollie tells Boyer that the coach is indeed “strongly leaning” toward remaining at UConn.
Steve Kerr’s agent told Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group that two teams other than the Knicks and Warriors pursued Kerr as a head coach, but he didn’t engage in talks with either. The Jazz were one such interested team, but any other interested teams have not been revealed.

Atlantic Notes: Dunleavy, Felton, Nurse

May 17th, 2014 at 4:52pm CST by Charlie Adams

There aren’t any teams from the Atlantic Division remaining in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening along the east coast. Let’s take a quick look at the latest from around the division:

Mike Dunleavy met with Phil Jackson to discuss the Knicks head coaching job, sources confirmed to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Dunleavy isn’t the leading candidate, Broussard says, but he remains a possible hire nonetheless.
Reports have surfaced that Jackson notified Raymond Felton that the Knicks intend to trade him this summer, and Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal examines whether or not that would be a good move for the team.
Former Celtics shooting guard Von Wafer has signed a contract to play in China, reports Enea Trapani of Sportando. Wafer hasn’t played in NBA game since 2011/12, when he appeared in 33 contests for the Magic.
There are rumors suggesting that Raptors assistant coach Nick Nurse might be heading to Golden State next season to join Steve Kerr‘s staff, but Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reveals that Nurse is still under contract with Toronto for next season (Twitter link). Still, as Wolstat points out in another tweet, coaches are generally let out of their contracts if they’re offered a better position elsewhere.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Aldridge, Assistants, Cavs

May 17th, 2014 at 1:41pm CST by Cray Allred

Clippers players told reporters, including Dan Woike of The Orange County Register, that they’re unsure what they would do if Donald Sterling isn’t removed from ownership by next season. Still, they expressed hope that the issue will be resolved sooner rather than later. “It appears that this will be a long process. Things will be in flux for a while,” J.J. Redick said. “I can’t imagine a scenario where we start the season next year and he’s the owner and all is kosher.” Here’s more from around the league:

The players union won’t demand a timetable on Sterling’s ouster as long as the league is acting “in good faith” on its promise to remove the Clippers owner, acting union executive director Ron Klempner told reporters, including Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link).
Extending LaMarcus Aldridge is the Blazers’ first priority moving forward, as Portland GM Neil Olshey tells Erik Gundersen of The Columbian (Twitter link).
Bobcats assistant coach Bob Beyer is a strong candidate to become Stan Van Gundy‘s top assistant on the Pistons bench, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Andy Greer and Nick Nurse are possibilities to become Steve Kerr‘s assistant coaches with the Warriors, per another Wojnarowski tweet. Greer and Nurse are currently on staff as assistants with the Bulls and Raptors, respectively.
Mark Jackson won’t be a serious candidate for the Cavs head coaching job, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com hears.
James Posey could be an assistant coaching candidate for the Cavs, Pluto writes. Posey has been an assistant with Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, and GM David Griffin holds him in high regard.
Pluto adds that Griffin would love to find a shooter in the draft, and mentions Doug McDermott, Nik Stauskas, and Rodney Hood as intriguing prospects where the Cavs will be drafting.
In a series of tweets, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News casts doubt on an earlier report that Phil Jackson had “low balled” Kerr. Isola insinuates that if the Knicks played “hardball” with Jackson’s only coaching target, it would have been a result of ownership’s influence, not Jackson’s.
In another tweet, Isola relays an accusation from a person involved in the Kerr talks that Knicks owner James Dolan “sabotaged” the negotiations.
Chris Mannix of SI.com weighed in with a tweet of his own, agreeing with Isola that a tough negotiation strategy would have come from Knicks ownership, not Jackson.

Coaching Rumors: Dunleavy, Fisher, Ollie

May 17th, 2014 at 11:44am CST by Cray Allred

Mark Jackson has a multiyear agreement to return as a lead game analyst for ESPN, according to a report from The Associated Press. Although this may be an indicator that Jackson isn’t occupied with any serious coaching opportunities at the moment, the contract would presumably allow for Jackson to return to the bench should he land another head coaching gig. Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group tweets that Jackson is still in the head coaching mix. Here’s more of the day’s coaching rumors:

Phil Jackson‘s meeting with Mike Dunleavy Sr. is believed to have been an interview for the Knicks open coaching job, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post.
A confidant of Derek Fisher tells Berman that the Thunder guard would be open to coaching next season if the right opportunity presented itself. Fisher is considered a leading candidate for the Knicks job.
Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal hears that it would take more than the $25MM contract Steve Kerr just received to lure Kevin Ollie to an NBA coaching job (Twitter link).

Knicks Notes: Phil, Kerr, Mark Jackson

May 17th, 2014 at 9:08am CST by Cray Allred

So far, the Knicks offseason has been busy but unfruitful. Phil Jackson failed to sign Steve Kerr as the team’s new head coach, and had already pitched a vision for the franchise to potential free agent Carmelo Anthony including Kerr as the team’s coach. Whether New York recovers with a string of successful moves or continues to strike out, there is sure to be plenty of rumor and speculation in the Big Apple this summer. Here’s the latest:

Jackson initially offered Kerr a three-year, $13.2MM contract to coach the Knicks, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. That salary, substantially below what Kerr was seeking, remained on the table for over a week until the Warriors entered into talks with Kerr. Berman blames Jackson’s “low ball” strategy for New York’s missing out on Kerr’s services.
A league executive described Jackson as “beat down” to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, following Jackson’s failure to land Kerr. Isola reports that there may already be tension between Jackson and owner James Dolan, who promised the Zen Master complete autonomy over basketball decisions when he signed him as team president. Knicks ownership didn’t appear supportive of the Kerr pursuit, writes Isola.
Isola adds that while Phil Jackson may give Mark Jackson a chance at the behest of Knicks brass, former players and coaches with ties to the coaching legend remain convinced that he won’t hire a coach he is unfamiliar with.

Draft Notes: Smart, Adams, Vonleh, Gordon

May 16th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Marcus Smart doesn’t regret returning to college for his sophomore season, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Smart said, “The reason I came back is my freshman year was the first time I played point guard. I wanted to embrace that role and become a better point guard, learn the position before I take my talents to the NBA where guys have been playing that role their whole life.“

And-Ones: Watson, Love, Seattle, Isiah, Draft

May 16th, 2014 at 5:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earl Watson would like to coach the Jazz next season, and he’s picked up the endorsement of restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, as both Watson and Hayward tell Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Watson, who played with the Blazers this year, hasn’t ruled out playing again next season, but if he becomes Jazz coach, he’ll target Hubie Brown as an assistant, he says. Here’s more from around the league with an altered title picture now that Serge Ibaka is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs.

Kevin Love will have some say in who coaches him next season on the Wolves, owner Glen Taylor confirmed to Charley Walters of the Star Tribune. President of basketball operations Flip Saunders has spoken with eight candidates, but he hasn’t endorsed any of them to Taylor, Walters adds.
Taylor also said the Wolves lost “a couple million” dollars this year, Walters notes in the same piece.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who partnered with Chris Hansen on an ill-fated bid to buy the Kings and move them to Seattle, is open to purchasing any NBA team, but wouldn’t necessarily bring them to the Emerald City, as he tells Shira Ovide of The Wall Street Journal. He says he wouldn’t move the Clippers out of Los Angeles if he bought them.
Isiah Thomas and the Pistons are in preliminary talks about a deal for him to purchase a minority share of the team, reports Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News.
Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and Cavs GM David Griffin have said they’re open to trading their respective first-round picks for players who can help immediately, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has political aspirations that would make him reticent to accept the post of executive director of the players union, but the job increasingly appears to be his if he wants it, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
Hawks and Cavs officials will meet with draft prospect Alessandro Gentile of the Italian league, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia reports. The swingman is No. 66 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and 100th with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.

Draft Combine Updates: Friday

May 16th, 2014 at 2:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

We gathered a slew of reports connecting draft prospects with teams yesterday on the first full day of the Chicago draft combine, and we’ll do the same today with this post. The latest updates will be on top as we follow the action throughout.

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders adds the Pistons, Kings and Suns to the list of teams interviewing Noah Vonleh (Twitter link).
The Pistons met with Rodney Hood, Ellis tweets, and the Thunder also met with him, Holmes notes (on Twitter).
Thanasis Antetokounmpo sat down with the Nets, Knicks, Pacers, Cavs, Wizards and Pelicans, according to Woelfel (Twitter link).

2:00pm updates:

The Pistons have met with Smart and Zach LaVine, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, respectively (Twitter links).
Smart is also among the players interviewing with the Celtics tonight, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, and the C’s spoke with Aaron Gordon, too, fellow Globe scribe Baxter Holmes notes (Twitter links).
Gordon also met with the Magic, who are set to meet with James Michael McAdoo, as well, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
Tyler Ennis is meeting with the Bucks today after interviewing with the Bulls on Thursday, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times and Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com report (Twitter links).
Jarnell Stokes already worked out for the Raptors, according to Wolstat (on Twitter).

12:02pm updates:

Dante Exum‘s interview with the Magic went well, he said, adding that the team would like to bring him to Central Florida for a workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins, in a full piece, added Marcus Smart to the list of top prospects who’ve interviewed with the Magic.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed a fondness for Smart today in an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz on the network’s coverage of the combine, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (on Twitter).
Gary Harris told Katz he met with the Raptors, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Pistons, as Zagoria once more passes along via Twitter.
The Raptors will interview Jordan Adams today, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who says the team also spoke with James Young (Twitter links).
Zagoria adds the Sixers, Spurs, Clippers, Mavs, Nuggets, Warriors and Bulls to the list of teams that Kyle Anderson either met or is slated to meet (Twitter link).
Markel Brown said he’ll talk with the Celtics today, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).