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Kyle Lowry Rumors: Friday

December 13th, 2013 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

An overnight report suggested that Knicks owner James Dolan had blocked a potential acquisition of Kyle Lowry, but Marc Berman of the New York Post provides another possible explanation for talks between the Knicks and Raptors breaking down. We have more details on that below, along with the rest of the day’s Lowry-related updates:

  • The Nets have “zero intention of surrendering Bogdanovic or a first-rounder for Lowry, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who can’t envision Brooklyn landing the point guard, given Toronto’s insistence on a first-round pick and a young asset. The Nets are enamored with Bogdanovic and don’t have many first-rounders to trade (All Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

  • Sam Amick of USA Today hears from two people with knowledge of the Nets‘ dealings that the team won’t acquire Lowry if the Raptors insist on getting a 2020 first-rounder from Brooklyn. As for the Warriors, Amick says that as of late Friday, they view the asking price for Lowry as too high and appear to be moving on.
  • Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was in Turkey yesterday and saw Bogdanovic in action, according to Halil Can Pelister SuperBasket.org (Twitter link). Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes (via Twitter) that the trip had been prearranged, so it’s not necessarily a signal that the Raps are serious about a deal with the Nets.
  • Wojnarowski’s latest update on the Lowry talks is consistent with Frank Isola’s report, indicating that Dolan bailed on a deal that would have sent Felton, World Peace, and a 2018 first-rounder to Toronto. The Knicks‘ front office would like to re-enter negotiations, and is working to convince Dolan to ignore public criticism, but it’s unclear if the Knicks would put that same offer on the table or whether they’d need to upgrade it.
  • The Nets and Raptors have exchanged ideas on packages that include Mirza Teletovic, Tyshawn Taylor, and Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Wojnarowski. Jason Terry has also been discussed for salary-matching purposes, but the Nets so far seem unwilling to include Mason Plumlee or a future first-round pick.
  • The Warriors have also remained involved in Lowry talks, says Wojnarowski.
  • Lowry told reporters, including Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun, that he anticipates being moved at some point, but has never asked the Raptors for a trade.
  • According to Berman, after the Knicks thought they had a deal in place, Toronto’s asking price went up. Rather than accepting Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first-round pick, Toronto wants to include Tim Hardaway Jr. in place of World Peace, says Berman.
  • Within Berman’s piece, he notes that Felton isn’t giving too much thought to the latest reports. “I laughed at that trade stuff,’’ Felton said. “I don’t talk about. I’ve been in the league for nine years. That stuff is going to happen when you have a good season. I have nothing to do with it. I don’t deal with it. That’s why we have general managers.”
  • As the Knicks‘ front office works with Dolan to regroup on the Lowry front, the Nets are gaining traction as a possible destination for the Raptors‘ point guard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Wojnarowski adds in a second tweet that Toronto continues to talk to several teams about Lowry, so nothing is imminent.
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Latest On Kyle Lowry

December 12th, 2013 at 8:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:36pm: According to Wojnarowski, Knicks owner James Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that GM Masai Ujiri “bamboozled” him in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and the chance of getting criticized for giving up too much in a deal for Lowry has become a hurdle in these talks. Toronto is said to be discussing deals for Lowry with an ever-growing list of teams.

Wojnarwoski adds that New York doesn’t want to include either Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. in discussions (they reportedly refused a proposal involving the former along with Felton), and without Shumpert or a draft pick going to Toronto, there isn’t any traction to a deal. Also, the Knicks are believed to still be hesitant about trading a future first round draft choice to the Raptors, and there seems to be doubt over how long they’ll keep that option on the table.

As for the Nets’ interest, Wojnarowski says the team isn’t willing to include either a 2020 first-round pick or one of its young players – including Mason Plumlee – in a trade package.

4:03pm: Toronto is insisting on a first-rounder from the Knicks in part because taking on Felton would leave the Raptors with more long-term money, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Felton’s deal runs through 2015/16, which is a player option year, while Lowry is on an expiring contract. The Knicks would like to save Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. for another deal, Stein adds (Twitter links). The Raptors are seeking two out of three assets from the Knicks: Shumpert, Hardaway, or a first-rounder, Stein tweets.

3:46pm: The Knicks are refusing to give up a first-round pick, and that’s gumming up the talks between the two teams, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

3:24pm: The Nets represent the strongest competition to the Knicks for Kyle Lowry among an “ever-growing list of teams” going after the Raptors point guard, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. New York’s latest offer includes Metta World Peace and a 2018 first-round draft pick to go with Raymond Felton, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that the Knicks are wavering on their willingness to include the pick.

The Raptors are reportedly asking for a quality young player or a first-round pick, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who says the price could be too high for Brooklyn’s tastes (Twitter link). Still, Brooklyn’s interest is legitimate, Mannix writes, and Wojnarowski hears the Raptors are investigating Bojan Bogdanovic, a former second-round pick whose rights the Nets hold.

Lowry is apparently interested in heading to New York, and Wojnarowski says he’s spent most of the season hoping for a trade out of Toronto. The Warriors are another team with interest in Lowry, but the odds that the Warriors land him are “very very slim,” according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, who doesn’t think Golden State has much to offer the Raptors (Twitter links). Lowry has fans in the Timberwolves front office, but the team doesn’t have enough assets or financial flexibility, and isn’t in the mix for the point guard, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter).

The Knicks can’t trade World Peace until Sunday, since he signed a contract this past offseason. The Raptors would probably buy him out of his two-year, approximately $3.5MM deal if they traded for him, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

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New York Rumors: Tyler, Aldrich, Bogdanovic

October 7th, 2013 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest news out of NYC..

  • Knicks coach Mike Woodson reminded reporters, including Adam Zagoria of SNY (on Twitter), that injured forward Jeremy Tyler isn’t guaranteed a roster spot just because he has a partial contract guarantee.  “Ain’t nothing guaranteed on our team,” the coach explained.
  • Tyler’s injury could be good news for former lottery pick Cole Aldrich, who is fighting for a roster spot, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post.  Aldrich, who was the final acquisition of Glen Grunwald before he was replaced as GM, has a fan in Woodson, though the coach noted that he is “awkward” offensively.
  • Bojan Bogdanovic denied media reports that he turned down a contract extension offer from Fenerbahce to join the Nets this season, according to TrendBasket (via Sportando).  “Fenerbahce did not offer me a new contract. It is not correct what the media reported about me refusing a new deal. Now I am focused on the current season. At the end of the year I will decide my future,” said the Croatian star.
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Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Toronto, C’s, Bogdanovic

September 30th, 2013 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

According to 76ers owner Josh Harris, a full-scale implosion of the roster was always the plan in Philadelphia, but it was delayed in part due to the club's success in 2011/12 (link via Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News).

"When I first bought the team, there were elements of the decision-making that I noticed weren't how I would have done it," Harris said. "But at the same time we did so well that first season ('11/12) that I chose to stick with the plan. The second season was a big disappointment and that made me feel empowered that it was the right time to make a bunch of changes. I've always had the same vision, but I took it a little more slowly given the success of the first season."

As the new-look Sixers prepare to get their training camp underway, let's take a look around the rest of the Atlantic Division….

  • In a press conference in Toronto, the NBA and the Raptors officially announced that the city will be hosting the 2016 All-Star Game. The Toronto Sun first reported the story last week.
  • There are no quick fixes on the way for the Celtics, but the importance of this developmental stage for the team shouldn't be undersold, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
  • Danny Ainge's phone remains "active," but the Celtics GM is looking forward to seeing which of the club's current players stand out, as he tells Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. "I wouldn’t say this is a perfect mesh of players, but I would like to see how they play together, and win jobs and opportunities, and just how players fit our system and Brad [Stevens]’ style of play," Ainge said. "I like the competitiveness in camp, and I also like the team because there are so many questions to be answered, so many unknowns."
  • NetsDaily passes along a report out of Turkey indicating that Bojan Bogdanovic has rejected a contract extension offer from Fenerbahce. If Bogdanovic doesn't ink a new deal, he'd be a free agent next summer, meaning there's a decent chance the Nets' 2011 second-rounder could come stateside.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks exercised Mike Woodson's 2014/15 contract option and that the Nets have signed Marko Jaric to a camp deal.

Read more

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International Notes: Turkoglu, Bogdanovic

July 28th, 2013 at 2:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Could James White be taking off for a trip to China?  Yesterday, we learned that the well-traveled 30-year-old could be headed back overseas as he mulls over all of his options.  The small forward has career averages of 2.7 PPG and 1.0 RPG, but his real hoops legacy comes in the form of highlight reel dunks.  Let’s take a trip around the globe for today’s international news..

  • Hedo Turkoglu wants to record 1,000 games played before his NBA career ends, and then he intends to play for either Fenerbahce Ulker or Anadolu Efes in his native Turkey, as he tells Ajansspor.com (translation via HoopsHype). Turkoglu is entering the final season of his contract with the Magic. He’s played 895 regular season games, which would mean he’ll need to play beyond 2013/14 if he wants to hit 1,000, unless he’s counting the 93 playoff games in which he’s taken part.
  • Bojan Bogdanovic tells Gol.hr that even though his deal with the Nets fell apart this summer, he still intends to play for Brooklyn at some point. His contract with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey is set to expire next summer (translation via NetsDaily).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Nets Won’t Sign Bojan Bogdanovic

July 10th, 2013 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports last Friday surfaced suggesting that the Nets had reached an agreement to bring 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic stateside, but it now appears that won't be happening. NetsDaily.com reported (via Twitter) that the team is "moving on without Bojan," while Howard Beck of the New York Times hears from a source that Bogdanovic is "not coming" (Twitter link).

As Beck notes, the Nets will retain Bogdanovic's rights and could attempt to bring him over again next summer. In the interim, GM Billy King indicated earlier today that Brooklyn has a Plan B. As he expressed some concern about bringing Bogdanovic over, King suggested there's another player who would be worth the mini MLE, though he didn't name the player (Twitter links via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News).

Based on those early reports on Bogdanovic's agreement with the team and King's comments today, it appears the two sides had agreed to terms on a contract, but were unable to finalize a buyout with Bogdanovic's team overseas. Beck confirms (via Twitter) that the buyout was the sticking point.

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Nets To Sign Bojan Bogdanovic?

July 6th, 2013 at 1:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 1:51pm: Bogdanovic pegged his chances of joining the Nets at only 50% or slightly higher when speaking to a Croatian radio station today, as noted on the website Sportnet (translation via Nets Daily). Bogdanovic denied that a deal had been signed, though no deal can be officially signed until the July Moratorium is up on Wednesday, anyway.

FRIDAY, 8:23pm: Bogdanovic will get a three-year deal with a starting salary of about $2.4MM, tweets Howard Beck of The New York Times. That would leave close to $800K on the mini mid-level for the Nets to sign someone else. That wouldn't be enough room to bring on a player for as much as the two-year veteran's minimum salary, but as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News points out on Twitter, the Nets may prefer to let that money go unspent so they can save on their already-hefty luxury tax bill.

8:03pm: The Nets have reached agreement on a deal that will bring 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic to the team for the coming season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The team acquired the draft rights to the Bosnia and Herzegovina native shortly after he was taken 31st overall by the Heat two years ago.

When it appeared the Nets would use their mini mid-level to sign Kyle Korver, it looked like Bogdanovic would not be coming stateside this season, since the rookie minimum salary would have been all Brooklyn would have had left to give him. With Korver heading back to the Hawks instead, that frees up as much as $3.183MM to give to Bogdanovic as a starting salary.

The 6'8" small forward maintained interest in playing for the Nets even as it appeared he wouldn't get the chance to do so right away. He averaged 14.3 points per game and shot 38.7% from three-point range this past season for Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey. 

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Odds & Ends: Kings, Lee, Martin, Cavs, Bulls

July 1st, 2013 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyreke Evans is being courted by the Pelicans and Andre Iguodala is reportedly drawing interest from several teams, but the Kings are expected to make a pitch to both players today. Bryan May of News10 in Sacramento reports (via Twitter) that Sacramento brass is scheduled to meet with Evans and Iguodala in Los Angeles today.

Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:

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Kyle Korver To Nets ‘In The Bag’?

July 1st, 2013 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

8:20am: An agreement between Korver and the Nets is "all but done," as Josh Newman of SNY.tv hears. Korver would sign via the taxpayer mid-level for three years and about $10MM. Nets Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, Mirza Teletovic and Tyshawn Taylor are all represented by Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, who's also Korver's agent. A deal with Korver would throw the team's pursuit of Bojan Bogdanovic into doubt, Newman writes, since that would leave only the minimum salary on the table for him.  

12:58am: Kyle Korver is one of the top sharpshooters on the open market, and figures to draw interest from a number of teams in need of three-point help. But it sounds as if the 32-year-old isn't necessarily targeting the most lucrative offer available. A rival general manager tells ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link) that he's hearing Korver to the Nets is "in the bag."

Since their team salary is well into the tax, the Nets will only have the $3.18MM taxpayer mid-level exception to offer outside free agents. Korver could likely earn more than that with other teams, but would be a solid fit on a veteran Brooklyn squad in need of an outside shooter. Korver reportedly became a target for the Nets after they shook hands with Boston on the blockbuster deal to bring Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to Brooklyn.

Deron Williams appears to be getting in on the recruiting effort, replying earlier tonight to a tweet from Korver's brother, Kaleb, seemingly encouraging Korver to sign with the Nets or implying that an agreement is already in place.

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Eastern Notes: Prigioni, Nets, Bobcats, Redick

May 10th, 2013 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending 17 years playing professional basketball in Europe, Pablo Prigioni has enjoyed his first taste of the NBA this season with the Knicks. Prigioni will be a free agent at season's end, but George Bass, who represents Prigioni, tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks.

"Pablo really enjoyed himself here, and he has interest in playing again next year," Bass said. "He's fallen in love with New York, there's no doubt. The Knicks are just a first-class organization, so it's been good all the way around."

Here are a few more updates from around the Eastern Conference:

  • With Bojan Bogdanovic expected to sign with the Nets this summer, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post examines what ramifications such a move would have for Brooklyn.
  • There's no timetable for the Bobcats' coaching search, which figures to be lengthy and include plenty of candidates, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Before he makes a decision in free agency in July, J.J. Redick plans to consult with Mike Krzyzewski, his former coach at Duke, as Andrew Gruman of FOX Sports Wisconsin writes.
  • A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com identifies a few possible offseason targets for the Celtics.
  • Over at Bulls.com, Sam Smith's latest mailbag focuses primarily on the current Bulls/Heat series, but also looks ahead to the summer. Asked about Nate Robinson's value on the open market, Smith predicts Robinson will be looking at an annual salary in the $3MM neighborhood.
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