Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Seek Backcourt Help

December 18th, 2015 at 10:51am CST by Chuck Myron

Some within the Knicks front office recently said they’re interested in adding a young scorer or a shooter to the backcourt, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Still, New York isn’t near any significant move and don’t intend to bring in anyone who would significantly impinge upon their future cap flexibility, Begley also hears.

Knicks team president Phil Jackson apparently likes Jimmer Fredette, Begley writes, but the former 10th overall pick who’s playing for New York’s D-League team said in the days following his initial arrival to the Westchester Knicks roster that he hadn’t heard from Jackson or coach Derek Fisher. Ticket sales, and not strictly Fredette’s on-court ability, fueled the team’s decision to select Fredette in the D-League draft, as Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote at the time.

Few Knicks players are thought of as all that valuable on the trade market, a group that includes only Kristaps Porzingis, Jerian Grant, Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez, Begley writes. Carmelo Anthony is presumably part of that group, too, but the Knicks have given no indication that they’ve thought about trading him, according to Begley. Anthony has a no-trade clause.

New York reportedly expressed interest in Jamal Crawford this summer, and the Clippers have apparently surveyed interest in him around the league in recent weeks. The Timberwolves have apparently made Kevin Martin available in trade discussions, though it’s unclear if the Knicks are eyeing him, and he has a player option worth nearly $7.378MM for next season, a number that could cut into cap flexibility. Brandon Jennings is on an expiring contract, but he’s only now returning from a torn Achilles tendon and Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said a few days ago that he’d yet to have a single trade conversation about him with other teams.

The Knicks have more than $55MM in guaranteed salary for next season. The team also has an open roster spot, giving them a measure of flexibility most of the league doesn’t have.

Who do you think the Knicks should target? Comment to share your ideas.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Brown, Joseph

December 10th, 2015 at 7:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers coach Brett Brown has already developed a solid relationship with new team executive Jerry Colangelo, who was officially hired on Monday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. When asked how often he communicates with Colangelo, Brown responded, “All the time. I think for me to be able to call upon somebody like him and say, what do you think of that, is a priceless sounding board for me. I love it. I respect his history. When answers come out you immediately respect the history of which that opinion was formed. It’s amazing.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is frustrated by the team’s struggles this season and isn’t hiding his displeasure, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com notes. “Losing is frustrating,” Anthony said. “I don’t want this to be an ongoing situation or an ongoing feeling where we have to come into the locker room and explain why we’re losing basketball games.” Anthony is also upset with New York’s pace of play, and wants the team to increase its tempo, a team source tells Begley. “He [Anthony] felt like they were stuck in the half court too much,” the source told the ESPN scribe.
The Raptors are hoping to imitate the long-term success of the Spurs as an organization, which is one reason why Toronto signed Cory Joseph this past offseason, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “You can’t go through a program like that, I don’t care what program you are with in college or the pros, if you’re from a successful program some of those habits come away with you,” said coach Dwane Casey of Joseph. “That’s why bringing a guy in like that from a winning program, that’s won a championship, knows what it takes to win. Those qualities have rubbed off on him.“
The Celtics have once again assigned power forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Mickey’s sixth trek to Maine this season, as our tracker shows.

Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, Nets, Sixers

December 2nd, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Will Joseph

Kobe Bryant was the one who wanted the Lakers to acquire Carmelo Anthony five years ago before the former Nuggets player was traded to the Knicks, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News details. Some players in the past have been outspoken about not wanting to play with Bryant, but, as Isola writes, Anthony was attracted to the idea.

“He did. Kobe did. He wanted it to happen,” Anthony said, per Isola. “I don’t know who was going to be part of that deal. There was a lot of talk of Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Nene. There was a lot of talk during that time. For some reason I was always connected with the Lakers … Maybe it was just Kobe behind closed doors.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

Anthony’s strained relationship with Tyson Chandler played a significant role in the center’s trade to the Mavs in June 2014, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report relays on Twitter.
Shane Larkin, who is one of the few bright spots for the Nets this season, said he passed up more money to sign with Brooklyn over the summer after the Knicks declined the third-year team option on his rookie contract because of the diversity in New York, Steven Simineri of NetsDaily relays. “I grew up in Orlando, Florida, with a lot of different ethnicities, a lot of different cultures and being up here is kind of the same thing,” Larkin, who is averaging 7.2 points per game, told Simineri.
The Sixers‘ losing culture, often referred to as “tanking,” or the idea of racking up losses to obtain high picks, proves that the league’s draft lottery system is flawed, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report argues. The Sixers entered action Wednesday night with a 1-18 record. While the Sixers are off to one of the worst starts in NBA history, they get rewarded via the lottery and get the Lakers’ first-round pick as long as the Lakers win enough to stay out of the top three in the draft lottery, Ding writes.

Atlantic Notes: Afflalo, ‘Melo, Okafor, Porzingis

December 1st, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks knew Kristaps Porzingis would perform well, but they had no idea he would burst out of the gates so spectacularly, GM Steve Mills told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The pick is a potential game-changer for New York, as Lowe examines. Mills said to Lowe that agents have remarked of how players “feel really good” about the Knicks but want to see the team start to win, a sentiment that Arron Afflalo understands. The shooting guard with an $8MM player option for next season contends “the city isn’t enough for people,” but is convinced for himself that the Knicks are for real, as he explained to Lowe.

“I want to finish my career here,” Afflalo said. “Having a good young player and a winning team should help us get other guys.”

Afflalo has been sold on the Knicks for a while, as he and Mills said to Lowe that the Knicks and Nuggets had trade talks last season that would have fulfilled Afflalo’s desire to go to New York even amid last season’s 17-win debacle. See more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics went after the Hornets’ pick at No. 9 with the idea of flipping it to the Knicks, along with another first-rounder, for the No. 4 overall pick, which Boston would have used to take Justise Winslow, sources told Lowe for the same piece. Boston offered Charlotte four first-rounders for the ninth pick, as Lowe reported earlier, but the Hornets refused, putting the kibosh on the scenario in which Boston would have vaulted to No. 4. The Knicks listened to the idea, Mills admits, but a deal was never close, he told Lowe.
The Knicks have “never” thought about trading Carmelo Anthony, Mills insists to Lowe, who nonetheless hears skepticism from other teams that the subject hasn’t at least been the topic of internal discussion.
Knicks president Phil Jackson would have drafted Jahlil Okafor over Porzingis if he had the chance, a source said to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Okafor’s off-court troubles are likely a shock to the Sixers, given the meticulous background checking they did before the draft on the center from Duke, a league executive told Berman for the same piece.
Porzingis decided against working out for the Sixers but wouldn’t have been opposed to playing for them, seeing it as an opportunity to perform in a low-pressure environment and viewing Nerlens Noel as a strong frontcourt complement to his game, a source close to Porzingis said to Berman.

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Scola, Brown

November 25th, 2015 at 5:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony is surprised by how quickly he and rookie Kristaps Porzingis have meshed together, with the No. 4 overall pick’s ability to stretch defenses blending perfectly with Melo’s preferred style of play, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “This early we didn’t think that this kind of the jelling and the chemistry we have so far would be there. We all thought this would take some time to kind of figure out,” Anthony told Bondy. “But anytime you can play with a stretch-four, it makes the game a little bit easier. And it’s easier to figure that out. When you have a stretch-four guy who can play the wing, and he’s 7’3″, you know where he’s at, you know what he can do. So that makes the game easier. It makes the chemistry process that much easier.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Porzingis has turned draft night boos from Knicks fans into game night raves with his solid play thus far, and he credits some advice that he received from Wolves veteran Kevin Garnett for helping him cope with the now-forgotten negativity he was garnering, Bondy relays in a separate piece. “He [Garnett] was like, ‘You use that as motivation, you let that drive you every day when you step onto the floor,’” Porzingis said. “And that’s what I’m trying to do. I don’t really focus on it, that’s not the only thing that drives me, but it still sits inside me on the floor. That was huge. That was a really cool moment.”
The Sixers are off to a winless start to the season, but coach Brett Brown still needs to weigh the value of player development over chasing wins, a task that the team’s near-constant roster shuffling doesn’t make easier, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I have to coach basketball,” Brown said. “I have to do it where you walk the most incredible concoction. There’s a recipe you are always trying to figure out. I never coached more moving parts in my life.“
The Raptors signed Luis Scola to a one-year, $2.9MM deal this offseason to provide depth, but the veteran is proving to be one of the team’s most important additions, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. “When you play well, you play more and when you play bad, you play less and that’s the way it should be,” Scola said of his new starting role. “It’s been pretty much what I expected. I knew if I showed up in good shape and did good things I’d have more opportunities and if I didn’t, I’d have less, and that’s what happened. The situation changes, I adapt, I prepare mentally for it and I just play.”

Western Notes: Harden, Knight, Dekker

November 20th, 2015 at 7:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony believes that Kevin Durant will re-sign with the Thunder next summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, citing Durant’s ties to the Oklahoma Cty community, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “C’mon, man, he just got into the [Oklahoma] Hall of Fame,’’ Anthony said. “He brought this team here [from Seattle]. He didn’t bring this team here, but he’s a big part of Oklahoma as a whole, not just from a basketball standpoint but from an economic and business standpoint. He’s a major part of what goes on here.’’

Anthony also noted that Durant doesn’t need to play in a larger city in order to maximize his earning potential, Berman adds. “Nowadays with the way social media is, I don’t think you have to be in a major market to get those opportunities,’’ Anthony said. “The way our TV deal is, you’re seen all the over the world now. Not just in big markets.’’

Here’s more from out West:

Durant and Russell Westbrook “weren’t big fans” of James Harden during their time together with the Thunder, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Smith, writing in his mailbag column, takes Harden to task for what he sees as an individualistic playing style. The Rockets will presumably be one of the many suitors for Durant when he hits free agency this summer, and Harden is under contract with Houston through the 2017/18 season.
Brandon Knight understands the business side of the game, but that didn’t prevent him from being deeply disappointed when the Bucks dealt him to the Suns last season, Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports writes. “I wouldn’t say it hurt,” Knight told Lee. “It was more about the brotherhood we had built. Being on the worst team in the league and being able to turn that around. And for them to try to step on that, based on whatever the case may be – money or whatever it is – what’s the point in that?” Knight also noted that he doesn’t harbor any bad feelings toward the Bucks or Pistons, who also traded him, Lee relays. “In the long run, I know the type of player I am, can be, or that I will be,” Knight said. “I’m not out to prove this guy wrong, or that guy wrong, because then, you get caught up in failure. I’m just focused on myself, making sure I’m not cheating myself. In turn, I know that I’ll prove the people wrong that doubt me.”
Rockets rookie combo forward Sam Dekker underwent successful surgery today to repair damage to his back, the team announced. Houston did not provide a timetable for Dekker’s return, though Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reported that the rookie would miss approximately three months of action.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Knicks Rumors: Bryant, Anthony, Vujacic, Calderon

November 8th, 2015 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony thinks Kobe Bryant should retire as a Laker, regardless of rumors ignited by Knicks president Phil Jackson, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I don’t see why he would at this late stage of his career — go all these years with the Lakers to spend one year with another team,” Anthony said. “I think it’s a bigger picture when it comes down to your legacy and things like that. At this stage, that’s what matters — how you carry out your legacy.” Jackson speculated in September that Bryant may go elsewhere as a free agent next season, but Bryant denied that on Friday, proclaiming himself to be “a Laker for life.”

There’s more out of New York:

Offseason addition Sasha Vujacic is already in danger of losing his place in the starting lineup, Berman writes in a separate story. The 31-year-old, who had played just two NBA games over the past three seasons before making the Knicks’ roster, has been stuck in a shooting slump, connecting on just 30.4% from the floor and 18.2% from three-point range. “You go through ups and downs in the season and mine came very soon,” Vujacic said. “I’m going through a slump. It’s not a secret anymore. They’re not going in.” Berman reports starting point guard Jose Calderon is also in danger of being replaced, with Langston Galloway, Jerian Grant and Derrick Williams all candidates to join the starting lineup. Arron Afflalo is expected to return from injury this week.
A change in the backcourt is needed, contends Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. He notes that Calderon ranks 65th out of 66 point guards in John Hollinger’s NBA Player Rankings, and Vujacic is 46th out of 66 at shooting guard.
The Knicks are off to a 2-4 start, but Anthony told Ian Begley of ESPN.com he is willing to be patient with the rebuilding process. New York overhauled its roster during the offseason, and Anthony thinks the changes will be beneficial because of the new players’ work ethic. “If you’re out there by yourself fighting and competing and just trying to do everything by yourself and you feel like nobody else is with you, then that’s a dagger right there,” Anthony said. “… But when you know you have guys out there working with you, that are willing to get better, willing to put the work in, actually putting the work in to get better — individually and as a team — it makes that process easy.”

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, ‘Melo, Ndour, Nets

October 27th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors made a concerted effort to upgrade their defense during the offseason, though the offense is now showing holes, as Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun details. In any case, new free agent arrival DeMarre Carroll believes the Raptors can indeed show the sort of defensive improvement this season that the franchise was going for, as Ganter relays.

“A lot of guys aren’t capable of playing defense,” Carroll said. “Sometimes you’re a guy that just can’t play defense. They just don’t have the effort to play defence. All of these guys are capable of playing defense. Kyle Lowry, I think he’s a great defender. He’s underrated. Just bringing me in and bringing more guys in like Bismack [Biyombo] and Cory [Joseph], we can kind of help guys. We can kind of feed off them, and they can feed off us.”

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Carmelo Anthony admits in no uncertain terms that living in New York comes with some degree of frustration, as a Vice Sports video makes clear (objectionable language warning), but ‘Melo isn’t backing away from his enthusiasm about the Knicks, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks aren’t expected to reunite with summer-leaguer Maurice Ndour, even though they have an open roster spot and Ndour is on waivers from the Mavs, Berman writes in the same story. New York reportedly tried to convince Ndour to break his deal with Dallas this summer. In any case, New York is ineligible to claim Ndour off waivers, since his Mavs deal was for three years and the Knicks can’t claim anyone on more than a two-year contract.
The YES Network and the Nets reached a new local television rights deal, the team announced. The agreement, which will kick in for the 2017/18 season, will give the team “substantially more” than $40MM a year and repair a revenue stream that lagged far behind local TV deals for other large-market teams, reports NetsDaily. The deal carries well into the 2020s, NetsDaily adds.
The Nets allowed a trade exception worth $1,120,920 to expire when they failed to use it by the end of Saturday, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It was a vestige of the deal that sent Marquis Teague to the Sixers.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Robinson, Holmes, Wood

October 14th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony issued a challenge to the team’s coaching staff to hold him accountable for any mistakes he makes on the court, and he hopes that this tactic will help make him a better player, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Call it out in the film session so everybody can see that and hear that. By them doing that, it kind of forces me to be at the top level of my game on both ends of the court,” Anthony said. “Call it out in the film session so everybody can see that and hear that. By them doing that, it kind of forces me to be at the top level of my game on both ends of the court.”

The veteran scorer also noted that the team is taking more of a group approach to coaching this season, which is a change from last season when coach Derek Fisher was the only one calling players out for their errors, Begley adds. “It’s more of a collective unit,” Anthony continued. “… We’re just sitting down with [members of the coaching staff and video department] and sitting down with players on the team kind of going through different scenarios, different situations and just kind of wanting to be held accountable out there.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Thomas Robinson is hoping to shed the journeyman label that he has acquired and to resurrect his career with the Nets, writes Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. The combo forward also relayed that signing with Brooklyn this offseason was an easy decision for him to make, Bontemps adds. “Because they showed interest from Day One,” Robinson said. “Even at the draft, they showed heavy interest, and then the pick got swapped out. Over the years, I’ve just liked it was a new organization, and they were building something, and it’s New York. … I wanted to be here in New York. I’m glad I’m here a few years down the road, after the stuff I’ve been through. I’m more mature now than I was when I probably wanted to come here. [I want to] take advantage of all of my opportunities. I feel like I’m right back where I was getting drafted again … now it’s just time.”
Sixers rookies Richaun Holmes and Christian Wood were afterthoughts when the team began training camp, and now both have become key figures for Philly heading into the season thanks to a run of frontcourt injuries, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News writes.

Atlantic Notes: Bennett, Zeller, Williams, Grant

October 13th, 2015 at 10:02am CST by Chuck Myron

People who know Anthony Bennett speak well of his character, and it appears his mission with the Raptors is to restore his self-confidence, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. So far, he’s made a positive impression on coach Dwane Casey, as Lewenberg relays.

“One thing that has impressed me is his defense,” Casey said. “His defense is ahead of his offense. That was a surprise. I didn’t know he was as good a defender as he’s showed since we’ve had him, which has been very impressive. And that’s helped get ingratiated with his teammates and the staff. He’s done a good job. The main thing for him is just to relax and play, enjoy the game, get that No. 1 pick necklace off his neck and just play basketball, have fun.”

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Tyler Zeller is glad to work with Celtics coach Brad Stevens and would like an extension before his eligibility window closes on November 2nd, but he’s OK with the prospect of not signing an extension if that’s how it plays out, as he explains to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Derrick Williams, confident that the triangle will be the right long-term fit for him, made up his mind to join the Knicks 10 minutes after meeting with the team, and he decided not to speak to Kings coach George Karl about re-signing with Sacramento, as Williams told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “Nope, I didn’t really care,” Williams said. “I knew where I wanted to go.”
Knicks team president Phil Jackson coached Horace Grant on the Bulls, and the Zen Master admits that connection gives him greater confidence in Knicks rookie Jerian Grant, Horace’s nephew, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Carmelo Anthony, who was reportedly upset to see Tim Hardaway Jr. go out in the trade that brought in Grant, has been impressed with the poise and ability to control the tempo that this year’s No. 19 overall pick has demonstrated, Berman notes.