New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Bradley Beal Rumors: Bucks, Sixers, Knicks, Heat

June 14th, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Having already reported that the Heat will be among Bradley Beal‘s suitors if the Wizards decide to move forward with a trade of the star guard, Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link) said he has been told the Bucks are “looming” as another team to watch for Beal.

Milwaukee would be a somewhat surprising inclusion in the Beal sweepstakes. Charania doesn’t provide any details on what the Bucks might offer, but we can safely assume Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t going anywhere. In order to match Beal’s maximum-salary cap hit, the Bucks would have to build a package around either Khris Middleton or Jrue Holiday, both of whom were key members of the team that won a title in 2021.

Here’s more on Beal in the wake of a report that he and the Wizards are discussing possible trade scenarios as the team debates whether or not to reset its roster:

Sources who spoke to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com insisted that the Sixers don’t intend to pursue Beal via trade and aren’t interested in him as a long-term cornerstone. As Neubeck explains, Beal’s contract plays a large part in that stance — he’s owed nearly $208MM over the next four seasons, which will be a tricky contract to accommodate under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement for a player who isn’t his team’s first option.
The Knicks had internal discussions during the season about the possibility of pursuing Beal this summer, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. It’s unclear what came of those conversations and how enthusiastic the team might be about the idea.
The Heat have conveyed interest in Beal multiple times over the years, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson also hears from a source close to Beal that Miami would appeal to the three-time All-Star — that’s an important factor, given Beal’s full no-trade clause. Jackson suggests that a Miami offer for Beal would likely start with Tyler Herro and either Duncan Robinson or Kyle Lowry for salary-matching purposes. Miami has three tradable future first-rounders, including this year’s No. 18 overall pick.

Paul Would Be Bad Fit With Knicks

June 13th, 2023 at 7:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Acquiring Chris Paul doesn’t make sense for the Knicks, Steve Popper of Newsday argues. Paul, who has a partially guaranteed contract, is expected to be traded or waived within the next couple weeks.

While the Knicks are in the market for another star player, a backcourt of Paul and Jalen Brunson would be undersized and create other issues, Popper writes. Ideally, Paul could be a sixth man, but the much younger Immanuel Quickley holds that distinction and just finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year balloting.

Rockets Rumors: Harden, FA Targets, Thompson, Martin, Splitter

June 13th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there have been several reports in recent weeks and months linking free agent guard James Harden to Houston, there have also been rumblings that the Rockets aren’t interested in giving the former MVP a maximum-salary contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on the HoopsHype podcast.

Scotto’s guest on the podcast, Kelly Iko of The Athletic, agrees with that statement, noting that Houston would like to add three or four veterans this offseason and doesn’t want to be using $45MM of its $60MM in cap room on a single player.

According to Iko, people within the Rockets’ organization – including players – and people close to Harden are fairly split on whether or not the 10-time All-Star will return to Houston, with some confident about the odds of a reunion and others skeptical. Skepticism is the dominant view among rival executives who have spoken to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com — many of those execs expressed confusion about the fit, though some did suggest that a short-term deal might make some sense.

If the Rockets don’t land Harden and look elsewhere on the free agent market for a point guard, Iko views Fred VanVleet as a more likely target than Kyrie Irving. Both Iko and Scotto have also heard that Austin Reaves is a player Houston likes, though Reaves will be a restricted free agent and the Lakers are considered likely to match any offer sheets he signs.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Iko views Brook Lopez as a bit of a “pipe dream” for Houston, since the veteran center seems likely to remain with the Bucks. Iko names Clint Capela, Kristaps Porzingis, Myles Turner, Josh Hart, Dillon Brooks, as Kelly Oubre as possible targets for the Rockets in free agency or via trades, though he again acknowledges that some of those options are more viable than others. Hart, for instance, is considered a strong bet to remain with the Knicks, as Scotto points out.
New head coach Ime Udoka will have “a huge say in who he coaches,” according to Iko, which could be an important factor as the Rockets consider which players to pursue most aggressively this offseason.
Iko believes Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson will be the top prospect on Houston’s board if there are no surprises in the top three picks in the draft. Iko has heard the Rockets believe the gap between Thompson and Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson isn’t as big as the consensus suggests.
Coming off a strong season, Kenyon Martin Jr. would “prefer to get paid now,” either as a restricted free agent or on an extension, says Iko. However, it remains to be seen whether Martin is in the Rockets’ long-term plans or if he might end up back on the trade block in the coming weeks. It’s possible Houston could postpone its decision on Martin, simply exercising his minimum-salary team option and determining during the season whether to try to extend or trade him.
According to Iko, Tiago Splitter, who worked with Udoka in Brooklyn and played with him in San Antonio, may be a candidate to join the Rockets’ coaching staff — especially if the team’s pursuit of Aaron Miles doesn’t pan out.

New CBA Provides Incentive To Retain Rose

June 11th, 2023 at 8:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have more incentive under the upcoming CBA rules to exercise their option on Derrick Rose, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Since more taxpaying teams may be looking to dump salary ahead of the 2024/25 season, the Knicks could use Rose’s $15.6MM expiring deal, plus Evan Fournier‘s $18.86MM salary (the team holds a ’24/25 option) to help acquire a high-level impact player with more than one year remaining on his deal.

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Poole, Kuminga, Draft, DiVincenzo

June 10th, 2023 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Steve Kerr’s praise for the Heat‘s role players during an appearance on Draymond Green‘s podcast could be interpreted as a message to some of the Warriors, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic writes in a mailbag column. Golden State’s head coach talked about how Miami’s players were able to embrace their roles and adapt from game to game without complaining about playing time.

There were rumors throughout the season that several Warriors — Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga in particular — were unhappy about not having steady minutes. Kawakami notes that Kerr’s comments to Green were similar to what he has been saying all season and an echo of a speech that Stephen Curry delivered to the team before Game 7 of its first-round series against the Kings.

Kawakami adds that Green is in full agreement with Kerr’s stance and wouldn’t be concerned about offending anyone by pointing it out publicly. The message they hoped to deliver is that the team needs more commitment from its young players, similar to what the Heat have been displaying.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Management doesn’t appear inclined to overhaul the roster before next season, Kawakami adds. He states that the front office might listen to offers if they get calls about Poole, but the core of the team will probably remain together for at least another year, with Curry and Klay Thompson under contract and Green considered likely to re-sign.
According to Kawakami, Kerr’s future as head coach shouldn’t be affected by the hiring of a new general manager, and it seems to be more connected with Curry’s playing career. Kawakami believes Kerr can continue coaching the team for as long as he wants if Curry remains productive.
Golden State may consider Iowa forward Kris Murray with the 19th pick in the draft, former Warrior Festus Ezeli of NBC Sports Bay Area said on the “Dubs Talk” podcast. “There is an importance to the NBA draft,” Ezeli said. “… I’ve seen some rumblings about (Kings forward) Keegan Murray‘s brother, who’s also a shooter. Different pieces like that.”
Knicks guard Josh Hart has talked to fellow Villanova alum Donte DiVincenzo about coming to New York in free agency (Twitter link from New York Basketball). DiVincenzo has a $4.725MM player option on the two-year deal he signed with the Warriors last summer.