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Carmelo Anthony

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Deadline, Frazier

February 16th, 2014 at 8:25am CST by Eddie Scarito

Carmelo Anthony fully intends to opt out of his contract at the end of the year, but he might just be stuck in New York, writes Mitch Lawrence of The New York Daily News. The Lakers are shooting for Kevin Love when he is a free agent in the summer of 2015 and maybe another star in 2016. The Clippers are seeing Blake Griffin evolve into a complete player and probably wouldn’t be willing to trade him, even for a player of Anthony’s caliber. Los Angeles is one of very few markets outside New York where ‘Melo would be willing to take his considerable scoring prowess, opines Lawrence, and neither L.A. team seems like a fit. The Bulls don’t seem to have their eyes on Anthony either, according to the article, so there isn’t another major market in the NBA for Anthony to go to, so that leaves him “stuck” at the Garden.

More on Anthony:

  • ‘Melo has very low expectations for what the Knicks will be able to do before the trade deadline, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Anthony stated, “I don’t know man, I don’t know who’s tradeable, who’s on the block. Not many people that I think can come right now in February and change our whole season around. This is a difficult time.”
  • Anthony takes losing extremely hard, and Al Iannazzone of Newsday wonders if the team can do enough by the trade deadline to give him a reason to re-sign. Whatever the Knicks do will likely be to help a playoff run this season and put them in position to make future moves. But if the team can’t unload the big salaries of Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Andrea Bargnani, who are all signed through 2014/2015, then it won’t matter if ‘Melo takes a pay cut next season. They would have to hope he would be willing to hang in until 2015, when Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge can become free agents.
  • Knicks great Walt Frazier thinks Anthony will stay with the Knicks, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Frazier stated, “Why would Melo leave New York? Where would he go? Where would he go to reach the same fame and acclaim that he’s reached here?” Frazier also mentioned that Anthony was a good businessman, and since the Knicks can pay him the most, it makes sense for ‘Melo to stay in New York.
  • If ‘Melo wants to take less money, then he should do it for a team that knows what it is doing, writes Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News. Lupica believes that if Anthony is serious about winning, he should take a pay cut to go to a team with a more competent front office.
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Atlantic Rumors: ‘Melo, Woodson, Knicks, Sixers

February 15th, 2014 at 2:20pm CST by Charlie Adams

Carmelo Anthony assured reporters that both he and Mike Woodson would be present at the Knicks’ Monday morning’s practice after the All-Star break, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Woodson has been on the hot seat seemingly all season, and trade rumors involving Anthony have started circulating in recent months. For the time being, it looks like both Woodson and Anthony will remain in New York. Here’s more on the Knicks and the Atlantic Divsion:

  • The Knicks roster looks to be set for now, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter) that no trades appear imminent in New York.
  • By contrast, the Sixers are looking for potential deals, passes along Kyler (via Twitter). We heard last Tuesday that Philly was set to be “super active” in the days leading up to the trade deadline.
  • Strong seasons by Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk prove that the Celtics are able to make the most out of their drafts, regardless of the position they’re picking from, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Sullinger was taken with the 21st pick in 2012, and Olynyk was taken 13th overall last summer.
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Odds & Ends: Anthony, Williams, Hardaway Jr.

February 14th, 2014 at 11:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It was reported earlier that Carmelo Anthony might be willing to take a pay cut to remain with the Knicks if it would help the team contend for a championship. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines what that would mean for the team going forward. According to Begley, it would be of no help to the team in 2014/2015 no matter how much money Anthony left on the table. If Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani remain on the roster by exercising their player options, the Knicks’ payroll would be over the projected salary-cap line of $62.9MM even without ‘Melo on the team. It is during the 2015/2016 season where the team could reap the benefits. If Anthony signs a max deal, his salary that season will be $24,142,789, and the team would have five players under contract at a total of $39,492,533. This is barring any high-priced additions between now and then with contracts that run through 2015/2016. If Anthony takes a pay cut, it would leave the Knicks enough room to pursue Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo, and would allow the team to add more depth to the roster, a necessary element to contend for a title.

More from around the league:

  • LaMarcus Aldridge implored his team to make upgrades over the summer, but he doesn’t think the Blazers need to pull off a deadline move to make up for the loss of injured Joel Freeland, observes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). Aldridge believes that Meyers Leonard can fill the void.
  • The Lakers may re-sign Shawne Williams to a second 10-day contract, but may wait until their next game to do so, or even until after the trade deadline passes, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
  • Despite the pressure to appease ‘Melo by swinging a deadline deal, one of the Knicks few desirable trade assets, Tim Hardaway Jr.has been deemed “virtually untouchable”, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post. This was prior to Hardaway Jr. dropping 36 points in the Rising Stars game.
  • The Cavs took a four game winning streak into the All-Star break. Kyrie Irving believes the team meeting the players held after GM Chris Grant was fired is a big reason the Cavs are playing looser and enjoying the game again, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Irving stated, “We had a great team meeting and got a lot off our chest, things that needed to be said. I think it started a little bit of a change in our locker room.”
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Eastern Notes: Gilbert, Wyatt, Bobcats

February 14th, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavs are still trying to pick up the pieces in the wake of the firing of GM Chris Grant. Team owner Dan Gilbert is determined to learn from past mistakes, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The team is 3 1/2 seasons removed from LeBron James‘ departure for Miami and have only Kyrie Irving to show for their troubles. Gilbert is ferocious in his determination not to lose Irving the way he lost LeBron, writes Begrer, and Gilbert says the lessons learned from James’ decision to go to Miami in 2010 will be the guiding force behind his search for an executive to lead the franchise forward.

More from around the East:

  • Also from the Berger article, he writes that the Bobcats will be aggressive buyers at the deadline, and their interest in the Sixers Evan Turner is real. Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie wants a first-round pick for Turner (and the same for Spencer Hawes). The Bobcats can offer their Detroit pick (top eight protected) if they’re serious about making a push, opines Berger. The Bobcats could potentially have two other first-round picks, Portland‘s (top 12 protected), and their own, but that goes to the Bulls if it falls out of the top 10.
  • Sixers camp invitee Khalif Wyatt, who signed with the D-League earlier this week, will play for the the Springfield Armor, the affiliate of the Nets, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reports. Wyatt entered the NBA D-League player pool after playing in China for Guangdong Southern. In 27 games, he averaged 15.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 4.9 APG.
  • With all the talk about whether or not Carmelo Anthony wants to remain with the Knicks, he seems to be sending mixed messages, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
  • Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.com (via twitter), asked the Raptors DeMar DeRozan if the team has campaigned to keep their core together, and DeRozan said no, but also that he “didn’t think they had to.“
  • Larry Brown thinks that Knicks owner James Dolan likes Mike Woodson and will “do the right thing by him“, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Speaking further about the Dolan-Woodson relationship, Brown also stated, “I think he has a great relationship with him. Woody’s a strong human being, man. He just focuses on what he can do to make things better. He doesn’t look at the bad stuff.” Despite Brown’s feelings, Zagoria opines that even if Woodson remains as coach through this season, if the Knicks fail to make the postseason, it’s entirely possible he could lose his job over the summer.
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Carmelo Anthony Wants To Stay With Knicks

February 14th, 2014 at 5:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

5:15pm: Supporting the possibility that was tweeted earlier today about Anthony being willing to sign for less money if it would help the Knicks be more competitive, comes this piece from Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Anthony stated, “Any opportunity I have to build that up in New York, I’d do it. I told people all the time, always say, if it takes me taking a pay cut, I’ll be the first one on (Knicks owner) Mr. [James] Dolan’s steps saying: ‘Take my money and let’s build something strong over here.”’ The problem for the team is that even if ‘Melo agreed to a $1 contract for 2014/2015, the team would still be over the cap primarily because of the salaries of Amar’e Stoudemire ($23.4MM), Andrea Bargnani ($11.5MM), and Tyson Chandler ($14.6MM), writes Begley. That is working under the assumption that both Stoudemire and Bargnani trigger their options, which it seems most likely they will.

3:53pm: Carmelo intends to sit down with Knicks executives after the season, and Anthony’s impression of the team’s plan to become a contender will be critical as he makes his final decision, Berman writes.

1:51pm: Carmelo Anthony told reporters covering All-Star weekend today that his first priority is to stay with the Knicks, and that he’d like to remain with the organization for the rest of his career, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. ‘Melo also dispelled any speculation the Knicks will trade him before the deadline.

“I know for a fact I’m not being traded,” Anthony said, as Ben Golliver of SI.com observes (Twitter link).

Scores of reports over the past several weeks have cast the idea of an Anthony trade as unlikely after the Knicks and Clippers dismissed rumors they were considering an Anthony-for-Blake Griffin swap. Anthony also says he’d take less on his next contract if it would help the Knicks retain flexibility, as Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets.

Anthony reiterated his desire to opt out of his contract and become a free agent at season’s end in an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter today (video link), though his other comments today suggest he’s strongly leaning toward re-signing with the Knicks. Anthony says the Knicks should do whatever is necessary to become a title contender, notes Al Iannazzone of Newsday (Twitter link).

‘Melo also says there’s no doubt coach Mike Woodson will lead the team in practice on Monday, quelling speculation about the embattled coach for at least a few more days, Berman tweets. The Knicks have reportedly considered firing Woodson before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Anthony could re-sign with the Knicks for more than $129MM over five years if he takes a max deal. Just how much less he’ll accept remains to be seen, but New York is set to have about $66.5MM on its payroll for next season if Anthony opts out and Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and Metta World Peace opt into their deals, which seems the most likely scenario. That would put the Knicks over the projected salary cap and unable to sign any outside free agents to more than the mid-level exception.

While Anthony apparently hasn’t made a definitive statement about whether he’ll re-sign, today’s comments should allow the club, which has remained confident about Anthony’s desire to stay, to focus on building around Anthony, rather than fretting about his decision. The team’s payroll doesn’t allow for much flexibility this summer, but the team has only about $10.35MM committed for 2015/16 in the form of player options for J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton. Anthony could help the team recruit marquee free agents in 2015, when Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love and perhaps LeBron James could all hit the market.

The Bulls, Clippers and Lakers have at various times appeared to be possible alternative destinations for Anthony, though just about any team with cap space this summer likely will make some sort of run at last year’s scoring champ to see if his mind can be changed. The Leon Rose client would appear to be the second most desirable player with a chance to hit free agency this summer, behind only James, as our list of 2014 free agents shows.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

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Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, DeRozan, Ross, MCW

February 13th, 2014 at 7:46pm CST by Charlie Adams

Carmelo Anthony will likely be a free agent next summer, and Justin Terranova of the New York Post reveals that Grant Hill thinks the Knicks’ unimpressive season might dissuade Melo from re-signing in the Big Apple:

“I think it could. He’s getting older and you want to be in a situation where you are going to win. And he came to New York, he got in the playoffs and now it’s almost like they are regressing. To go through a potential season with no playoff opportunity, it could play a role.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

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Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Faried, Shumpert

February 12th, 2014 at 12:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks are once more eyeing Kenneth Faried and Kyle Lowry, dredging up trade chatter from earlier this season. New York seems to be ramping up efforts to make a move with the deadline just eight days away and a summer of uncertainty ahead. Here’s more from Madison Square Garden:

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Kyler’s Latest: Carmelo, Magic, W’s, Kings

February 12th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Lottery picks will be hard to come by at the deadline, which means there’s a strong chance that clubs, like the Sixers, with hopes of trading for one will have to settle for less, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler has a lot more from around the league in his latest NBA AM piece, as we detail:

  • Knicks executives have had a “very open and candid dialogue” about the notion that Carmelo Anthony could leave as a free agent this summer, but they remain confident enough in re-signing him that they’re not looking to trade him at the deadline, Kyler writes. New York appears intent on adding to its roster rather than selling off assets, Kyler observes, though the Knicks are still reluctant to include a draft pick in a deal for either Kenneth Faried or Kyle Lowry.
  • The Magic are open to moving Glen Davis, but there’s essentially no market for him because of concerns about his attitude and his contract, which pays him $6.6MM next season, Kyler writes. Orlando is listening to offers for Jameer Nelson, too, but the Magic’s unwillingness to take back long-term money makes it a long shot he’ll be dealt. Nelson’s deal, which gives him $8.6MM this season, is an impediment to a deal, too, according to Kyler, even though it’s partially guaranteed for just $2MM next year. Orlando also continues to rebuff offers for Arron Afflalo.
  • The Warriors are interested in acquiring players who are either on expiring contracts or relatively short-term deals, and in spite of last month’s trade for Jordan Crawford, they continue to look around for point guard help, according to Kyler. They’re also looking to acquire draft picks, Kyler adds.
  • The Kings remain the front runners for Andre Miller, Kyler says, though Miller’s lack of value on the market is making Denver hesitate. The Basketball Insiders scribe also reiterates that Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette are prime trade candidates for Sacramento and adds Aaron Gray to that list.
  • Executives from the Magic, Wizards, Pacers and Grizzlies are downplaying their willingness to make deadline trades, but all of those teams are nonetheless on the lookout for some kind of deal between now and next Thursday.
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Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Turner, Celtics

February 11th, 2014 at 11:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said before tonight’s game against the Mavericks that the chances of Charlotte making a deal soon depends on who’s available and what makes sense. GM Rod Higgins couldn’t put a percentage on the likelihood that something gets done, but went so far as to say “…the thing you should know is we’re definitely shaking the tree (and hope) a trade pans out” (Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer).

You can find several links worth sharing tonight out of Eastern Conference below, including more from the above piece:

  • Sorensen hears that the Bobcats are interested in 76ers guard Evan Turner and presumes that Ben Gordon and a first round pick are on the table (whether it’s the one owed to them by the Trail Blazers or Pistons is unclear).
  • Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears says that in addition to Turner, Thaddeus Young is another starter who could be moved soon.
  • Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW shared some of what he’s heard from around the Eastern Conference: Turner and Spencer Hawes are the most likely to be traded from Philadelphia; the Celtics are reportedly bound and determined to make moves before the deadline; the Cavaliers think pretty highly enough of their key pieces and aren’t likely to deal them for anything less for a “king’s ransom.”
  • Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that tales of stars trying to make recruiting pitches during the All-Star break are blown out of proportion by the media and says it “never happens.”
  • Earlier tonight, we relayed a piece from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports about the Cavs’ recent misfortune over the last few years. Another interesting thing to note is about how Anthony Bennett – who aside from his double-double performance tonight has otherwise failed to impress this season – would likely have fallen into the back end of the top 10 picks or further on draft night if Cleveland didn’t select him first overall.
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Odds & Ends: David Griffin, Deng, Mbah a Moute

February 11th, 2014 at 9:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Since drafting Kyrie Irving in 2011, ex-Cavaliers GM Chris Grant made one draft mistake after another in the following years and spent his final months in Cleveland offering overvalued young players in lopsided proposals for LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Eventually, Wojnarowski says, few NBA executives had the inclination to listen to Grant’s one-sided offers.

Now that the Cavs have elevated David Griffin into the role of interim GM, the team may have a chance to make some improvements through trades based on Griffin’s superior standing with other executives from around the league. Wojnarowski reports that until the deadline, Griffin will be working the phones with a mandate to keep pushing for the playoffs.

You can find tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below, including more from the above piece:

  • Though one Eastern Conference executive views Griffin’s current situation as an opportunity to impress Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, Wojnarowski writes that Gilbert’s plan nevertheless is to search the NBA landscape for Grant’s replacement.
  • Wojnarowski says that in order to keep Luol Deng in Cleveland after this season, the Cavs would likely have to exceed his market value; letting him walk would be too embarrassing after paying such a steep price to acquire him, the Yahoo! scribe adds.
  • Timberwolves forward Luc Mbah a Moute could be the most likely to be dealt from Minnesota right now, says Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
  • Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said on ESPN 98.7 FM’s “The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show” that if New York makes a deal between now and the trade deadline, he expects to be involved in the discussion: “I would like to think that if something goes down, I’m sure they will include me…It’s been that way since I’ve been here and I don’t see that changing. We just have to let it play out and see what happens” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York). Woodson’s job security has been a hot topic as of late on Hoops Rumors, and multiple reports over the last week suggest that his days in New York could be numbered.
  • Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders outlines several potential trading partners and scenarios for the Knicks if they were to trade Carmelo Anthony.
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