New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Rumors: Fournier, George, Toppin, DiVincenzo, McBride

June 22nd, 2023 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Evan Fournier‘s representatives are working to find a trade involving their client, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link). As Bondy notes, the news is hardly surprising, given that Fournier spoke after the Knicks‘ season ended about his expectation that he wouldn’t be back with the team in 2023/24, despite being owed a guaranteed salary of $18.9MM.

Finding a taker for Fournier won’t be easy for his reps, given that the veteran wing doesn’t have positive trade value even though he’s on a pseudo-expiring contract (his deal includes a 2024/25 team option). The Knicks will almost certainly have to package him with more valuable assets to get anything worthwhile in return.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Knicks and Clippers have been in touch about a possible Paul George trade, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). However, the star forward is unlikely to be moved, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the Trail Blazers also expressed interest in building a deal around the No. 3 pick and George, and failed to gain any traction. The Clippers remain focused on building their roster around George and Kawhi Leonard, Fischer says.
Begley believes that the Knicks and Obi Toppin‘s camp may work together to find him a new home this offseason, unless the team makes other moves that open up more regular minutes for the former lottery pick (Twitter video link).
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Toppin and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had an “intense verbal altercation” following Game 4 of the club’s playoff series vs. Miami after the forward was held out of action for the entire second half. However, Katz clarifies that there doesn’t seem to be any lingering resentment related to that incident, and says the team didn’t show any interest in moving Toppin at the 2023 trade deadline. Katz also polled 15 executives about Toppin’s potential value on a rookie scale extension — 10 of those respondents suggested an annual salary between $10-15MM.
Several “influential” people within the Knicks organization are fans of swingman Donte DiVincenzo, who is expected to reach unrestricted free agency this offseason, per Begley.
Knicks guard Miles McBride has generated some interest from rival teams, according to Begley, who adds that McBride’s minimum-salary team option for 2023/24 looks like a lock to be exercised with or without a trade.

Toppin Could Be Worth Late First-Rounder

June 20th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Julius Randle believes the Knicks are “not that far off” from being a championship team, he said on Paul George‘s Podcast P show (hat tip to SNY TV’s Ian Begley). “We got a great mixture of talent, bro. We’ve got young dudes, we’ve got guys going in their prime. So we’ve got a great mixture of guys and it’s like, ‘How do we keep getting better?’ So from a team standpoint, I think that’s where we at.”
Obi Toppin’s trade value could be a late first-rounder in this year’s draft, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The Pacers could be a potential suitor for the Knicks’ backup power forward, Bondy suggests, since they were interested in him before last season’s trade deadline and possess two late first-round picks. However, Toppin has supporters within the organization and he would become more valuable to the Knicks if they deal Randle in a blockbuster.

Trade Rumors: Brogdon, Ayton, Blazers, Zion, CP3, More

June 19th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With Bradley Beal headed to Phoenix, the Suns are no longer likely to be players for Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, whom they were linked to last week, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

As Robb notes, the Suns still have Deandre Ayton as a trade chip and could theoretically send him out in a Brogdon trade. But the Celtics aren’t interested in Ayton due to his pricey multiyear contract, Robb says, so a third team would have to be involved to take Ayton and send something to Boston. Even if the Suns and Celtics could find a third team, it seems unlikely that Phoenix would want to trade Ayton for another guard, given the current make-up of the team’s core.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has gotten the sense from league sources that if the Trail Blazers were to make a trade with the Pelicans involving the No. 3 pick, they’d rather acquire Zion Williamson than Brandon Ingram. Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that the Hornets (at No. 2) would likely prefer Ingram to Williamson.
Although he expects Williamson to open the 2023/24 season with the Pelicans, Ian Begley of SNY.tv explores potential pathways for the Knicks to acquire the former No. 1 overall pick.
During an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link), Charania says the Warriors were among the teams to discuss a Chris Paul trade with the Suns before Phoenix agreed to acquire Beal from Washington. With the Wizards exploring the possibility of flipping Paul to a third team, it’s unclear whether or not they’ve touched base with Golden State.
The Clippers, previously identified as a possible trade partner for Paul, wouldn’t shut the door on re-signing Russell Westbrook if they were able to land CP3, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who hears from sources that the Clips would still offer Westbrook the biggest deal they can using his Non-Bird rights (120% of the veteran’s minimum).

Wizards To Trade Bradley Beal To Suns

June 19th, 2023 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 19, 12:21pm: In addition to Beal and Goodwin, the Wizards are also sending Isaiah Todd to the Suns in the trade, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Todd’s minimum salary ($1,836,096) for the 2023/24 season is fully guaranteed.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets, Todd is coming off a disappointing season and was no longer in the Wizards’ plans, but from the Suns’ perspective, he’ll be a little cheaper than a minimum-salary veteran.

JUNE 18, 7:34pm: The Wizards are likely to include Jordan Goodwin in the trade, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Goodwin’s minimum-salary ($1,927,896) contract for next season is currently partially guaranteed for $300K.

JUNE 18, 3:35pm: The Wizards and Suns have agreed to a blockbuster trade that will send Bradley Beal to Phoenix, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links).

According to Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Wizards are expected to receive Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps in the trade. It will likely take a few days for the deal to be officially finalized, Woj adds.

Word first broke on Wednesday that the Wizards and Beal’s camp had been in contact about possible trade scenarios as the team’s new front office – led by president of basketball operations Michael Winger – mulled the possibility of a roster reset.

Beal’s contract, which has four years and nearly $208MM left on it, includes a no-trade clause, which gave him significant control over the process and limited the Wizards’ options. On Saturday, reports indicated that Washington was in serious talks with the Suns and Heat about possible deals involving the star guard.

It’s unclear whether the Wizards preferred the Suns’ offer, Beal preferred Phoenix over Miami, or both. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) hears that Phoenix was the only place Beal wanted to go, viewing it as the best fit for him and his family. However, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the 29-year-old would have been happy to land with the Heat too, but the Suns were more aggressive in their pursuit.

Either way, Beal will form a new Big Three alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, as new Suns owner Mat Ishbia takes another big swing following the team’s deadline acquisition of Durant. A three-time All-Star, Beal will be changing teams for the first time in his career following 11 years in Washington.

“This was an extremely complicated process with so many different hurdles to get through and (Wizards owner) Ted Leonsis and Michael Winger were unbelievable partners in making this happen,” Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein said in a statement confirming the agreement, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

One of the NBA’s most prolific scorers in recent years, Beal averaged 30.5 points per game in 2019/20 and 31.3 PPG in 2020/21, but has seen his numbers dip in the past two seasons as he battled injuries and cut back on his shot attempts. In 90 games since the start of the ’21/22 season, he has averaged 23.2 PPG and 6.0 APG on .480/.333/.838 shooting in 34.6 minutes per night.

With Durant, Booker, Beal, and former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton all on maximum-salary contracts that run through at least 2025/26, the Suns’ team salary projects to be over the NBA’s new second tax apron for the next three seasons or more, limiting their ability to upgrade their roster around that core, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Barring a trade of Ayton, Phoenix will have to fill out its roster this offseason by re-signing its own free agents and/or adding outside free agents on minimum-salary contracts.

Having already sent their 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 first-round picks – as well as a 2028 first-round pick swap – to Brooklyn for Durant, the Suns could only offer the Wizards a pick swap in 2024 and/or 2026 in addition to multiple second-round selections. Phoenix’s 2029 second-rounder is the only one that was traded away in a previous deal.

Meanwhile, Winger’s tenure in D.C. will begin with a cost-cutting trade of a franchise player who signed what was – at the time – the richest contract in NBA history just one year ago. Paul and Shamet are under contract through at least 2024/25, but aren’t owed any guaranteed money beyond ’23/24, so they’re essentially on expiring contracts, while Beal would have made an average of $52MM through ’26/27.

Paul’s $30.8MM salary for next season is currently only partially guaranteed for $15.8MM, but that guarantee will need to be increased by nearly $10MM in order to meet the NBA’s salary-matching rules.

A league source tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the Wizards would like to keep Paul for next season, but if CP3 decides he wants to be on a club closer to contention, the Wizards and Suns would work to expand the trade to get him to a third team. It’s unclear whether Paul might be waived or bought out if he doesn’t want to play in D.C. and the trade can’t be turned into a three-team deal.

If he’s cut by Washington, Paul would be ineligible to return to the Suns, but would almost certainly pass through waivers and be able to sign with any other team as an unrestricted free agent. The Lakers are reportedly among the clubs expected to have “strong” interest in him in that scenario.

Shamet is owed $10.25MM in 2023/24 with non-guaranteed cap hits of $11MM and $11.75MM for the following two seasons.

Having moved on from Beal, the Wizards will now face major decisions on Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom can become unrestricted free agents if they decline player options for 2023/24.

If Washington pivots to a full rebuild, it will have a ripple effect on the Knicks, who are owed one of the Wizards’ first-round picks. That pick is top-12 protected in 2024, top-10 protected in 2025, and top-eight protected in 2026. It would turn into a pair of second-rounders if it hasn’t conveyed by then.

As for the Heat, they intend to shift their focus to Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and genuinely believe that Lillard could seek a trade out of Portland this offseason, reports Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link).

Beal has a 15% trade kicker, but because he’s already earning the maximum salary, it will be voided in this deal, Marks notes (via Twitter). Crucially, the guard’s no-trade clause will carry over to Phoenix, so the Suns would need to get his approval if they want to trade him down the road.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Knicks, Podziemski, Celtics

June 18th, 2023 at 1:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-NBA Raptors power forward Pascal Siakam enjoyed what in many ways was a career year in 2022/23, averaging highs in points (24.2 PPG) and assists (5.8 APG), plus 7.8 RPG and 0.9 SPG across 71 contests. All of which might precisely be why it’s time to trade him, opines Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

If Siakam, 29, makes an All-NBA Team in 2023/24, he would be eligible for a new super-max deal as a free agent that would pay him 35% of the new salary cap. As Koreen notes, Siakam has already proven that he can function well as one of the key contributors on a title team.

While Siakam has emerged as a solid play-maker and defender, Koreen writes that he may be miscast Toronto’s highest-usage player. Given that both the clubs with the second and third pick in this year’s draft could be open to trading those selections, Koreen sees now as being an optimal time to move Siakam, before he becomes significantly pricier.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks have a variety of trade assets, between their intriguing young players and draft equity. Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News takes stock of several possible stars whom New York could target, including Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid, Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, and more.
The Nets have already auditioned an abundance of NBA hopefuls ahead of Thursday’s draft, but Santa Clara’s Brandin Podziemski is the highest-ranked of the bunch, and could fit in well with what the new-look Nets are striving to build, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link).
The impending new CBA, which has yet to be officially ratified, could force a bit of a roster crunch for the Celtics, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. As Forsberg writes, Boston projects to be well over the new second tax apron next season, especially if Grant Williams is retained, which is why he believes the team could look to move on from one of its three pricier point guards this summer. In a follow-up article, Forsberg unpacks how just retaining the same personnel as last season could get prohibitively costly in a hurry.

Stein’s Latest: Beal, Heat, Suns, Zion, Harden, Rosas, Bucks

June 17th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards may be motivated to move Bradley Beal sooner rather than later, Marc Stein writes at Substack, observing that the team’s leverage in trade negotiations could take a hit if Damian Lillard asks the Trail Blazers for a trade while Beal is still in D.C.

As Stein writes, the Heat are currently one of Beal’s prime suitors, but if Lillard were available, Miami would be at the top of his wish list too. The Heat are believed to prefer Lillard to Beal, but may not have the luxury of waiting to see if the Blazers guard will request a trade, says Stein. Miami theoretically has the assets to make a play for both stars, but the Wizards probably don’t want to risk having the Heat pivot to Lillard and away from Beal.

As we noted within our initial story on Beal this afternoon, the Wizards seem to be prioritizing cap relief rather than players on long-term contracts, which means Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul would be at the center of offers put forth by the Heat and Suns, respectively. Stein and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) confirm that Paul is expected to be part of any Phoenix offer, with Haynes adding that Landry Shamet would likely be included too.

Stein and Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald suggest that Paul’s partially guaranteed contract could appeal to the Wizards, since they could waive him by June 28 and only owe him his $15.8MM partial guarantee instead of his full $30.8MM salary for 2023/24. However, Paul’s outgoing salary for matching purposes in a trade would be equivalent to his guarantee for ’23/24, not his full cap hit, so the Suns may need to increase that guarantee in order to adhere to the NBA’s trade rules.

Here’s more from Stein:

While it remains to be seen whether the Pelicans will seriously consider moving Zion Williamson this offseason, Stein hears that they “quietly” held some exploratory talks a year ago before signing him to a five-year, maximum-salary contract extension. Stein also reiterates a point he made previously, writing that the “rising level of exasperation” within the organization about Williamson’s availability and approach will have to be addressed if Zion remains in New Orleans.
Star guard James Harden is believed to be giving “renewed consideration” to the idea of remaining with the Sixers rather than leaving for the Rockets in free agency, Stein reports.
More than one rival team expects the Knicks to make Gersson Rosas their new general manager under president of basketball operations Leon Rose following Scott Perry‘s exit from the franchise, Stein writes. Rosas is currently a senior basketball advisor for the Knicks.
Before hiring Adrian Griffin as their new head coach, the Bucks expressed “strong” interest in University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, along with Monty Williams, according to Stein, who notes that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted a former NBA player to get the job.

Wolves’ Naz Reid In Search Of “Best Fit” As Free Agent

June 16th, 2023 at 7:22pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, who just completed his fourth NBA season, recently spoke to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune about his priorities ahead of unrestricted free agency. Financial considerations will play an important factor, but the 23-year-old says it’s not the end-all-be-all.

“I just want to be put in the best fit,” Reid said. “Obviously money plays a part, but I definitely want to be able to develop in a situation where I’m used to the best of my abilities. A place where I’m able to do things that I could do.”

Hine followed up by asking if Reid thought the Wolves could optimize his abilities, and he said they could. As Hine writes, Reid has been working out in Minnesota the past few weeks after having the cast removed from his left wrist. Reid’s season was cut short in late March following the wrist fracture, so he was unavailable for the postseason.

In April, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly expressed hope that the Wolves would be able to reach a long-term agreement with Reid, who is extension-eligible, and the two sides have had regular discussions about a new deal, with Hine referring to those conversations as “productive and amicable.” Still, Reid intends to test his value on the open market, and says the opportunity to land a starting job — which Minnesota can’t currently provide with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert on the roster — will be a priority.

“I really value that as a person, as a player, because I feel like I worked to that potential,” Reid said. “But with my unique situation, it can go great either way, coming off the bench or starting. Whatever situation is presented. But for sure, I would prioritize that.”

Reid averaged career highs in multiple categories in 2022/23, including points (11.5), rebounds (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.7%) in 68 games (18.4 minutes per night). However, he was out of the rotation at times to start the season before Towns suffered a major calf injury. Reid ended the season on a strong note, with a larger offensive role off the bench with Towns and Gobert healthy. Would that type of role appeal to him?

“I wouldn’t mind it,” Reid told Hine. “Whatever we can do for me to be back in Minnesota would be lovely, but I also feel like I’ve grown to a higher role or situation than I was in, in the beginning of the year.

“I’m pretty sure everybody else would agree as well. As the time goes on, the years go by, you look for a higher role, better situations than you were in if you’ve obviously outgrown them. So, I would love to stay back in Minnesota, but it’s just like we got to find a position for it.”

It’s an interesting interview from Hine, with Reid also talking about growing “closer and closer” with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, two young franchise cornerstones who have been trying to sell Reid on returning. Both Edwards and McDaniels are eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer.

New York doesn’t currently need a center, with Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims all under contract next season. However, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports that Reid has a “significant amount of fans” within the Knicks organization, and says he’s worth monitoring in the event they decide to trade Robinson or Hartenstein.

Latest On Wizards, Bradley Beal

June 15th, 2023 at 3:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Although new Wizards president Michael Winger has publicly said he’s still undecided on whether or not he’s going to reshape the roster this offseason and recent reports have echoed that same sentiment, rival teams believe it’s practically a foregone conclusion that Bradley Beal will eventually be traded, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article.

The primary obstacle in a potential deal is Beal’s full no-trade clause — he’s the only active player in the league with that provision in his contract. Not only would Beal have to approve a trade, but the no-trade clause — and the nearly $208MM he’s owed over the next four seasons — would carry over to his new team as well, which complicates matters for both the Wizards and any interested suitors. He has also been limited by injuries the past two seasons, appearing in 90 of a possible 164 games.

Both Stein and Fred Katz of The Athletic have heard that the Heat would be at the top of Beal’s list of preferred landing spots. Stein says Miami is “widely regarded” as the frontrunner to acquire the three-time All-Star.

Sources tell Katz that the Warriors and Knicks, to varying degrees, are teams that have been interested Beal in the past. According to Katz, the Knicks have made it known they would reciprocate that interest if Beal were made available.

The Kings have discussed a Beal trade with the Wizards, and he’s believed to be open to joining Sacramento, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, as of now, nothing seems imminent on that front.

Here’s more on the Wizards and Beal:

The Wizards are believed to be prioritizing financial relief and draft capital in a return package for Beal, according to Stein, but that doesn’t mean that will come to fruition. As Stein observes, since Beal can reject any trade proposal, he has a significant amount of power to impact the terms of a deal.
Washington’s previous front office regime unsuccessfully tried to reacquire the 2024 protected first-round pick it owes New York, sources tell Katz. That pick would hold more value to the Wizards in the event of a rebuild, Katz observes, which may work to the Knicks’ advantage if they pursue Beal.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms previous reports that the Celtics and Sixers do not plan to pursue Beal, despite being linked to the veteran guard in the past. The Sixers also aren’t expected to go after Fred VanVleet if James Harden walks in free agency, Fischer adds.
In what figures to be an eventual offseason for the Wizards, both Stein and Fischer have heard that big man Kristaps Porzingis is still contemplating whether or not to exercise his $36MM player option for 2023/24. The 27-year-old would become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t pick up the option, with his decision deadline set for June 21.

Projecting An Immanuel Quickley Extension

June 15th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

With Immanuel Quickley becoming eligible next month for a rookie scale extension, Fred Katz of The Athletic polled 15 front office members around the NBA to get a sense of what a “fair” extension for the Knicks guard would look like. Of those 15 participants, 11 projected an annual salary between $16-20MM, with five specifically suggesting $72MM over four years.

Knicks Have Many Options To Match Salary In A Karl-Anthony Towns Trade

June 14th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the Celtics hoping to trim salary this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive suggests potential deals involving Malcolm Brogdon. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year had a productive first season in Boston, but he’s owed $22.5MM in each of the next two years and that money may be needed elsewhere. Robb proposes trades involving the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and 76ers.
The Knicks would have numerous ways to match Karl-Anthony Towns‘ salary in a trade if the Timberwolves make him available, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Because Towns’ extension doesn’t start until 2024/25, he will make $36MM next season. Sending out Julius Randle ($25.6MM) or Mitchell Robinson ($15.6MM), either of whom might be redundant on the same team with Towns, gives New York plenty of remaining options to reach a matching figure, Begley notes.