Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Sixers, Raptors

May 18th, 2017 at 9:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks president Phil Jackson has made it clear that his preference is to move Carmelo Anthony to another team this offseason, but if it were up to Lance Thomas, Anthony would be staying in New York. As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, Thomas called Carmelo one of his “best friends” and a great teammate.

“I love him here,” Thomas said. “I love him as a teammate, love him as a competitor, love him as a person. Everything else is out of my control, but his approach has always been great. He’s an amazing professional. I’m not going to comment on what’s happening with him and the [Knicks] and trade rumors. I just know I love him as a teammate. I want it to work out.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

Although the Sixers head into this summer with plenty of cap flexibility, they shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that they’ll need to account for big raises for their young players on rookie contracts in the not-too-distant future, writes David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News. Joel Embiid will be the first youngster in line for a big payday, as he becomes extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.
Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka will see their contracts expire this summer, but they’re not the only Raptors with uncertain futures, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post outlines. In his end-of-season post-mortem on the Raps, Bontemps wonders if players like Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll will be on the move in trades anytime soon.
UCLA’s T.J. Leaf and GW’s Tyler Cavanaugh worked out for the Raptors on Thursday, according to Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic (Twitter link). Leaf is considered this year’s 26th-best prospect by DraftExpress, meaning he could be on the board when Toronto picks at No. 23.

Pacific Notes: George, Bogdanovic, Pachulia, Woodson

May 16th, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel tried to serve as a Lakers recruiter with guest Paul George Monday night, relays Scott Horner of The Indianapolis Star. George can opt out of his contract next summer and is rumored to have strong interest in playing in his hometown of Los Angeles. “We would really like him to become a Laker,” Kimmel said in his introduction, then asked George several questions about joining the team. George talked about his plans to work out with Kobe Bryant this summer and said the former Lakers star is “the biggest person in my house. Not even me.” He made sure to tell Kimmel, “I love Indy, though,” leaving some doubt about how his free agency might play out next year.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

Serbian star Bogdan Bogdanovic turned aside the latest question about whether he will join the Kings next season, according to Noel Harris of The Sacramento Bee. The inquiry came in an interview Monday with Turkish television. “I don’t like to talk about that during the season,” he said. “I have my goals here.” Bogdanovic has led his Fenerbahce Istanbul team to the Euroleague Final Four, earning all-league honors in the process. The Kings acquired his draft rights from the Suns in a trade last summer. “My interest is not only money,” he added. “I want to prove that I can play in the NBA. I don’t want to go there to sit on a bench.”
After being blasted by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for his role in injuring Kawhi Leonard, Warriors center Zaza Pachulia received some support from a former employer, writes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban came to Pachulia’s defense, saying, “That’s not how Zaza plays.”
Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, who coached Carmelo Anthony with the Knicks, would be in favor of acquiring him this summer, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I love Carmelo Anthony, that’s all I’m gonna say,” Woodson said in an interview with TMZ. “… He was great for me.” Woodson took over the Knicks midway through the 2011/12 season and served as head coach through 2013/14.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Hornacek, Fox

May 13th, 2017 at 8:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Team president Phil Jackson hasn’t changed his mind about Carmelo Anthony leaving the Knicks, but coach Jeff Hornacek sounds less certain, relays Jeff Arnold of The New York Times. Hornacek appears to be leaving the door open for a return by Anthony, who has two seasons left on his current contract and a no-trade clause to block any deal he doesn’t like. “Carmelo is a great player — he did a lot of great things for us,” Hornacek said. “He won us games. He hit some big shots for us; he was a guy that we could go to. If he’s back, he’ll be a guy that we go to again. If he’s not, then that’s when other guys are going to have to become the guy that maybe you can go to or give us big buckets.”

There’s more tonight out of New York:

Despite their differences, Jackson recently sent a text message to Anthony expressing support regarding his separation from his wife, La La, Arnold writes in the same story. Jackson notes that it’s a “tough time” for Anthony as his personal life has become the topic of tabloid headlines.
Jackson realizes the Knicks’ immediate future isn’t bright, which is part of the reason he wants Anthony to leave, writes Adi Joseph of USA Today. Addressing reporters at the draft combine, Jackson noted that Anthony hopes to compete for a title and New York can’t give him that opportunity. “We’d just like him to have success somewhere,” Jackson said. “We’re not going to be there. Hopefully we’ll be maybe a playoff team next year. It would be tough to consider us possible champions.” The Knicks are coming off a 31-51 season and haven’t had a winning team since 2012/13.
Jackson recently met with commissioner Adam Silver to discuss the state of the franchise, according to a post from Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Jackson indicated that Silver believes the Knicks are headed in the right direction. “You guys seem to want to knock us around a little bit, then make us look like we don’t know what we’re doing,” Jackson said to reporters, “but [Silver is] comfortable that we do. …. To have a positive base to work from is really important. And our fan core is positive and we’d like to give them hope because they’ve been disappointed.”
Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox interviewed with the Knicks during the combine and said he would love to play in New York, relays Adam Zagoria of Fanrag Sports. Fox is projected as a top five pick, so the Knicks might need some lottery luck to acquire him. “I don’t know too much about the triangle,” he said. “Everyone says it’s hard to learn, but if I go in there I’ll have to learn quickly. And [Kristaps] Porzingis, he’s amazing, watching the NBA this year. I really paid attention to the NBA this year knowing I’m about to go into this business; I had to stop watching it as a casual fan and start thinking of it as a business aspect. He’s great and if I get to play with him, I feel like we can do something special.”

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Crowder, Simmons

May 12th, 2017 at 10:52pm CST by Austin Kent

Speaking with reporters at the NBA Draft Combine, Knicks president Phil Jackson reiterated that he thinks Carmelo Anthony should waive his no-trade clause and accept the reality of playing elsewhere, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“He has a no-trade contract. I think I expressed what I felt [in April]. I can’t express it any better,” Jackson said of the Knicks forward.

Jackson did note that he’s been in touch with Anthony through text messages, referencing the news reports that the Knicks star and his wife may be headed toward divorce.

In 74 games for the Knicks this season, Anthony averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game but the club won just 31 contests in a year marred by off-court melodrama.

There’s more from the Atlantic:

Don’t expect 2016 first overall pick Ben Simmons to suit up for the Sixers in the summer league this offseason, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets. Fans curious to see the forward in action, however, can always check his Instagram for a recent video of him practicing.
A league executive has praised Celtics general manager Danny Ainge for the trade that yielded Jae Crowder back in 2014, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England writes. Crowder appeared to be little more than a throw-in in the Rajon Rondo deal but has evolved into a premier defender.
In an attempt to stop things in their tracks, Knicks president Phil Jackson opted not to address the situation unfolding with a beleaguered Kristaps Porzingis, an ESPN report mentions. The second-year man has voiced his displeasure with the organization but has also declared that he’d like to remain with the franchise.

Heat Notes: Ellington, Carmelo, Gay, Draft

May 9th, 2017 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

While a few of his Heat teammates – including Dion Waiters and Josh McRoberts – hold player options for the coming season, Wayne Ellington doesn’t have the same sort of control over his future with the team. Ellington’s $6.27MM salary for 2017/18 is non-guaranteed, so he’ll have to count on Miami keeping him on its roster. And as he tells Tom D’Angelo of The Palm Beach Post, Ellington is hoping to stick around.

“This is the place that I want to be,” Ellington said. “This is the place that feels like home to me; that feels really good to me. I feel like the things that we accomplished on the court show that. So we’ll see what happens, man, but I have a good feeling.”

Ellington scored a career-high 10.5 PPG off the bench for the Heat this season, making 2.4 three-pointers per game at a 37.8% rate. As D’Angelo notes, the club would like to clear as much cap room as it can this summer to pursue outside help and retain its own free agents, but Ellington looks like a solid bargain at $6MM+, so it would be a surprise to see him go anywhere.

Here’s more from out of Miami:

One person in touch with the Heat tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that he doesn’t expect the Heat to pursue Carmelo Anthony as a trade target this offseason. As Jackson explains, Anthony’s onerous salary and trade kicker make him an unappealing option for the club.
Rudy Gay may be a more realistic target for the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. However, Winderman doesn’t think Miami would be in on Gay if he’s hoping to match or exceed the $14MM+ salary he’s turning down for 2017/18. Miami’s plans for Justise Winslow and the club’s ability to bring back James Johnson would also be complicating factors.
Since the Heat often trade first-round picks and rarely finish in the lottery, the team’s scouting department doesn’t have many chances to target top prospects in the draft. So with an opportunity to pick in the lottery this season, Miami can’t afford to swing and miss, Winderman writes in a separate Sun Sentinel piece. “We probably don’t draft a guy who’s really a project and feel like he’s two or three years away,” said Chet Kammerer, the Heat’s VP of player personnel. “We are not going to gamble quite as much as some other organization because they have two picks in the first round every year. So they look at it a little bit different.”

Southwest Notes: Roberson, Parker, Randolph

May 5th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Austin Kent

Unable to come to terms with the Thunder on a rookie extension last fall, Andre Roberson will look to test the market this offseason, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman writes.

It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what the defensive-minded two-guard is worth, and the extra year of research didn’t help as much as the two parties may have hoped when the Thunder decided to let the 25-year-old become a restricted free agent.

Roberson is among the league’s best perimeter defender but his offensive shortcomings are hard to ignore. That, of course, muddies the waters when it comes to figuring out what the Thunder will (or should) pay to retain him.

“I don’t think anybody takes for granted a defensive specialist. All the GMs, the coaches, I think they see the work, so I’m not worried about free agency. I guess you could say I’m letting it take care of itself,” the Thunder guard said.

The ruptured quadriceps tendon that immobilized Spurs guard Tony Parker on Wednesday has Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post wondering if hoops fans may have witnessed the end of an era. The scribe is rather ambiguous, neglecting to mention anything about Parker still being under contract through the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Though he considers Memphis home, Zach Randolph will be a free agent this season and will look at options other than simply remaining with the Grizzlies. Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes that the veteran could serve as a specialist on a contender.
In an official press release, the NBA has announced that Rockets center Nene Hilario has been fined $15K for pushing Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon.
After catching on with the Mavs through a pair of 10-day contract, Jarrod Uthoff is eager to remain with the club next season, Earl Sneed of the team’s official website writes.
The Mavs have worked hard to field a roster of young players who work hard and put the team first, Carmelo Anthony doesn’t suit either, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News writes, suggesting that the veteran star isn’t worth the trouble of trying to acquire him.

Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Trade Scenarios, Ntilikina

May 5th, 2017 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have been frequently cited as a potential destination for Carmelo Anthony, assuming the Knicks forward is willing to waive his no-trade clause. But after another early playoff exit, Doc Rivers‘ club will have some major decisions to face even before determining whether an Anthony trade is possible.

As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, the belief around the NBA right now is that the Clippers will make every effort to lock up Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to new deals, but may not push quite as hard to retain veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick. If that’s the case, Berman writes, then several NBA executives believe there’s only one trade scenario involving Carmelo and the Clippers that would make sense — signing-and-trading Redick along with Austin Rivers and perhaps Wesley Johnson in exchange for Anthony and maybe one of the Knicks’ two second-round picks.

The math for that hypothetical swap would work, depending on Redick’s new contract, and one NBA executive suggests to Berman that “it’s really the only thing that makes sense.” Another exec believes it would be a good trade for the Knicks, who would get a reliable shooter in Redick and a good sixth man in Rivers. Whether the Clippers, Knicks, and Carmelo could all get on the same page on such a deal remains to be seen, however.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Tommy Beer runs through a number of possible trade scenarios involving Anthony, including theoretical proposals for long-shot suitors like the Trail Blazers, Bucks, and Pistons.
We heard earlier this week that GM Steve Mills was overseas scouting French point guard Frank Ntilikina, and international basketball reporter David Pick reiterates (via Twitter) that the Knicks are fond of the 18-year-old prospect. Knicks scout Makhtar N’Diaye, in particular, likes Ntilikina, according to Pick.
While Ntilikina should still be on the board if New York picks seventh overall, the Knicks would likely be eyeing different prospects if they get some lottery luck and move into the top three. MSG Network analyst and former NBA forward Wally Szczerbiak spoke to Berman (link via New York Post) about some of the top players on draft boards who have a chance to land with the Knicks.

NBPA Head: Jackson Trying To ‘Shame’ Carmelo Out Of New York

May 3rd, 2017 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after Knicks president Phil Jackson suggested in his season-ending press conference that Carmelo Anthony would be “better off somewhere else,” National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts issued a statement objecting to Jackson’s comments, calling them “inappropriate” and voicing her concern to the NBA. With no sign that the league is planning to discipline Jackson for his comments, Roberts explained further to Harvey Araton of The Vertical why she’s unhappy with the situation.

“I think Phil was deliberately trying to shame ‘Melo out of the city,” Roberts said, adding that after she first heard Jackson’s comments, she would have “bet [her] pay check” on the Knicks president being sanctioned by the NBA. Now, she has all but given up on waiting for that to happen.

As Araton explains, Roberts pointed to a September 2015 incident for which Markieff Morris was fined $10K by the league after he tweeted, “My future is not in Phoenix.” The NBA called that tweet a “public statement detrimental to the NBA,” and Roberts feels that label should be applied to Jackson’s comments as well, particularly since they could send a dangerous precedent.

As Roberts puts it, there’s concern that it could become a larger issue down the road if “another GM gets it in his head that it’s OK to treat a player this way because Phil got away with it.”

“The comments do damage to the game because they devalue the player and makes the fans who buy tickets question the value of the investment,” Roberts said. “Our players understand that they can privately complain about how a team is managed but they cannot do it publicly without being subject to sanction. But it has to work both ways. If Phil tells ‘Melo in private that being in New York is not a good fit for him, that’s his right. But these comments were made in public, and it’s very disturbing because Phil gave him the no-trade clause and he has to respect it. He’s got to allow a player to make a decision for any reason – to win a ring, for money, home life, whatever.”

Although Roberts hasn’t spoken to Anthony directly about the issue, she tells Araton that there are NBA players who are “unhappy” that the NBA hasn’t responded to the situation. As for Carmelo, Roberts says she’ll give him space to handle the issue however he decides.

“I feel for ‘Melo, this is a tough time for him and I can only imagine how he’s feeling,” Roberts said. “I know he has been talking to some other people so I’ll let him sort it all out.”

Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Jackson, Raptors, Johnson

May 2nd, 2017 at 8:13pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks are focused on trading Carmelo Anthony and becoming a younger team, but scarce financial resources may prevent the team from landing a max free agent, ESPN’s Ian Begley writes. Free agents Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague are potential targets for New York, league sources tell Begley. However, with eight players on guaranteed contracts for next season, team president Phil Jackson said during a recent a press conference that the current team has “a dozen players that we’re very confident can support and be a part of a team. So we feel pretty good about that.”

Upgrading via free agency may be contingent on the Knicks trading Anthony, whom Jackson indicated “would be better off elsewhere” during the aforementioned presser. Begley notes that a hypothetical Melo trade could clear about $5MM in cap room, giving the Knicks $24MM — the team’s current cap space calls for $19MM available for the Knicks to spend.

However, a lot of Begley’s hypothetical offseason spending includes the Knicks not re-signing any of their young players. So if the Knicks intend on upgrading, players such as Jrue’s older brother Justin Holiday, Ron Baker, Maurice Ndour, and Chasson Randle may suit up elsewhere in 2017/18.

In other news around the Atlantic division.

The Nets maintain interest in Euroleague guard Edwin Jackson, according to Nets Daily. An earlier report indicated the club’s interest in the 27-year-old guard, who is averaging 21.8 points in 30 games for Movistar Estudiantes of the Liga ACB in Spain. The 6’1″ French guard has never suited up for an NBA team but he was in Nets camp three years ago, per Nets Daily. Jackson has indicated he would come stateside for a guaranteed NBA deal or seek a lucrative offer in Europe.
Nets Daily compiled a list of potential European targets for Brooklyn in addition to Jackson. Milos Teodosic, 30, Nicolo Melli, 26, and 2011 second-round NBA draft pick Tyler Honeycutt, 26, — who revived his career in Turkey — are listed as potential free agent options; Latvian-born Rodions Kurucs, 19, and Anzejus Pasecniks, 21, are both listed as possible draft targets.
In an attempt to contain the Cavaliers’ offense, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey may start Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll on the bench, SportsNet’s Michael Grange writes. Both men — who were major signings by team president Masai Ujiri — have underperformed this postseason and Casey is “desperate” to jumpstart his team. Norman Powell and rookie Jakob Poeltl are likely to see significant playing time if Casey goes in that direction.
As he heads for free agency, Amir Johnson remains positive despite dwindling playing time for the Celtics, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe relays. While Johnson got the start for Boston tonight in Game 2, he has been a liability on both sides of the court for most of the postseason. Johnson led the Celtics in games (80) and starts (77) in the regular season and maintains he’s trying to work out of his slump. “If things aren’t working out for you, you know you’ve got to do the next thing,” Johnson said.

Should The Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony?

May 1st, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks are expected to re-open trade talks with the Clippers, though with different terms than the last time the two sides discussed a Carmelo Anthony deal. Instead of an Austin Rivers-centered proposal, which was reportedly on the table during the middle of the season, the Knicks would receive J.J. Redick via sign-and-trade.

While Redick is a great starter, that kind of package doesn’t seem to provide New York with the kind of return teams normally receive when trading away a star. Yet, it may be the franchise’s best option on the trade market. The Knicks will be hard-pressed to find a typical star trade offer —one laced with young prospects and favorable draft picks—because Anthony isn’t your typical star on the market. The small forward’s no-trade clause, contract, and age (he’ll turn 33 later this month) suppress his value in trade negotiations, as I discussed in his Trade Candidate piece. On top of all those factors, Phil Jackson further decreased Anthony’s trade value by declaring that star would be better off in a different uniform.

Rival teams will low-ball the Knicks this summer and if a deal materializes, the return will likely be underwhelming. However, New York should remember that it has the option of keeping Melo on the team, as Dan Favale of NBA Math writes. Favale notes that the 10-time All-Star has the support of Kristaps Porzingis and the duo plays well together on the court. Porzingis made 44.1% of his shots from behind the arc and 50.5% of them overall off of Anthony’s passes this season.

Favale also points out that Anthony plays well off the ball. Melo hit 41.8% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities behind the arc, a figure that ranks eighth in the league among players with at least 175 such attempts.

As Anthony glides further away from his prime, he’s going to have to play off the ball more for whichever team he’s on. If the Knicks keep him this summer and put him in that kind of role to begin the 2017/18 campaign, perhaps they can moderately rehabilitate his trade value (or even less likely: create a peace treaty between Anthony and Jackson that would allow Melo to stick around through the end of his deal).

The team will need to eventually rebuild around Porzingis and the haul it receives for Anthony will likely dictate the timeline on becoming a playoff contender again. Simply cutting bait with the soon to be 33-year-old by taking the best trade offer this offseason is the likeliest option for the Knicks. Is it the best option? Perhaps, but it’s not the only one and the Knicks are in no position to be closed-minded.

What should New York do with Anthony this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!