Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Rondo, Shumpert

December 7th, 2013 at 10:34am CST by Zachary Links

Derrick Rose refuses to recruit, but Carmelo Anthony (reportedly) might be willing to woo stars to New York. Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smtih told USA Today’s Jason Jordan that Anthony is trying to convince Rondo to sign with the Knicks in the summer of 2015 when he is a free agent. Here’s more on that and other news out of the Atlantic Division..

Anthony refused to discuss the report, writes ESPNNewYork.com’s Ian Begley. “C’mon, man. In my book, that’s tampering,” he said. If the report is true, however, that’s a promising sign for Knicks fans if the pending free agent is working to get stars to join him at MSG.
Iman Shumpert is clearly uncomfortable with all of the trade talk surrounding him and Knicks teammate J.R. Smith empathizes. “Nobody wants to be traded,” Smith said, according to Begley. “To be in the situation he’s in with a hell of a team and the teammates that we have, it’s tough to go through that.” Shump took his anger out on the Magic last night, scoring 10 points in 25 minutes in the Knicks’ 38-point win.
Despite uneven playing time in Boston, Gerald Wallace says that Celtics teammate Kris Humphries won’t be requesting a trade. “That’s not his personality,” Wallace said, according to the Boston Herald. “I think a lot of people are trying to push him to that edge, but knowing Kris, that’s not his personality. He’s not going to demand a trade. He’s not going to blow up and go all off in the media. The thing he’s going to do is keep working hard every day and continue to get better as a player and wait for his opportunity.”

Knicks Won’t Trade Carmelo Anthony

December 7th, 2013 at 8:55am CST by Zachary Links

Even with some serious struggling to open the 2013/14 season and their star player calling them the “laughingstock” of the NBA, the Knicks have zero intention of trading Carmelo Anthony, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Aside from the fact that owner Jim Dolan personally sealed the deal to bring Anthony to New York, the front office realizes it won’t be able to get fair value in return for one of the most talented players in the league.

Even with the Knicks’ losing this season, they still have a major chip in negotiations this summer as they can give Melo roughly $33MM more than any other club over the course of a five-year deal. Anthony, as Jonathan Nehring of Hoops Rumors touched on last night, has a history of going with the green.

Besides, rebuilding isn’t Dolan’s style. The Knicks have never made rebuilding trades and Windhorst reasons that they’re not going to start with the biggest star they’ve had since Patrick Ewing.

Carmelo’s Future Is Predictable

December 6th, 2013 at 8:56pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

All eyes appear to be on Carmelo Anthony of late as he grows to be one of the hottest commodities this upcoming offseason.

While Carmelo is under contract with the Knicks through next season, next year’s salary is an early termination option which Carmelo has already expressed he plans to exercise this summer. In February, the Knicks could negotiate to extend Carmelo’s contract but Carmelo asked the Knicks on the first day of training camp to not discuss an extension. In November, Carmelo backed down from his previous statements and said he hopes to retire with the Knicks. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith contradicted that statement this week reporting Anthony had already decided to leave New York. Carmelo adamantly denied that report.

Contradicting reports leave Anthony’s future uncertain but ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst says Carmelo’s past actions show he is in New York to stay. Windhorst points out that Carmelo has approached his NBA career with the mindset to look out for himself first and capture as much money as he can during his short career.

In 2006, Anthony refused to gamble $20MM in guaranteed money and took a five-year max salary deal instead of the three year extension LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh took. Before that contract expired, Carmelo demanded a trade to the team he wanted to play for the following year as a free agent. Being traded to the Knicks allowed Anthony to sign a more favorable extension than he would have received in free agency. And again, at the beginning of this season, Carmelo said he will exercise his early termination option to become a free agent. Another move that will bring Anthony more money.

This favors the Knicks as they will be able to re-sign Carmelo for an extra year and $30MM more than any other team in the league. If Anthony continues to make his decisions based on money – New York is where he will retire.

That is, unless he demands to be traded this season or to be signed and traded next offseason. Sam Smith of Bulls.com thinks Knicks fans shouldn’t worry about these options.

Smith says the Knicks are very unlikely to trade him this season because they know how much Carmelo values the extra year and $30MM. Carmelo will be 34 at the end of his next contract so he and the Knicks realize this is likely his last chance to capture a max deal. The Knicks think this motivation will force Carmelo to re-sign with them this offseason.

The Knicks are also unlikely to complete a sign-and-trade since Carmelo’s bargaining power appears weak. Carmelo can’t threaten to sign with another team in free agency for less money when his track record shows otherwise and another contract beyond this one doesn’t appear imminent. Windhorst also points out that the Knicks dug quite a deep hole to obtain Anthony and no fair value will be available for the Knicks to get in return via trade.

Carmelo Anthony Recruiting Rajon Rondo?

December 6th, 2013 at 9:35am CST by Chuck Myron

Rajon Rondo can’t become a free agent until the summer of 2015 and remains sidelined after an ACL tear, but his high school coach claims the recruitment process has already begun. Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith tells USA Today’s Jason Jordan that Carmelo Anthony is trying to woo Rondo to New York. Anthony also played under Smith at Oak Hill, but the Knicks star seems intent on opting out of his contract this summer, making his interest in recruiting a class of 2015 free agent to New York a potential sign that he wants to re-sign with the Knicks.

New York reportedly tried to trade for Rondo earlier this season in a deal involving Iman Shumpert, only to meet with refusal from Celtics GM Danny Ainge, who denies that any talk of a Rondo swap took place. It could be that the high school coach is making reference to these talks rather than free agency, insinuating that Anthony is lobbying the Knicks front office to pursue trading for Rondo and that the two stars have had their own private discussions about it. That’s just my speculation, of course.

Rondo is set to become one of the most sought-after free agents in 2015, assuming he returns to form after the injury and doesn’t sign an extension with the Celtics. The Knicks are set up to shed most of their bloated payroll after the 2014/15 season, making a Rondo signing a possibility.

New York Notes: Knicks, Nets, JVG, Carmelo

December 5th, 2013 at 5:44pm CST by Ryan Raroque

We’re less than an hour before tip-off between the Atlantic Division’s cellar dwelling Knicks and Nets, and despite both teams’ struggles to start the season, one of the two will be able to avoid sinking further for now with a win tonight. Here’s some of the latest out of Manhattan and Brooklyn:

SB Nation’s Tom Ziller goes into detail about what’s ailing the Knicks and Nets, how both teams should fare over the course of the season, and what may be in store if things continue to go poorly.
To those who doubt that Knicks owner James Dolan would be willing to work with Jeff Van Gundy again after the latter’s abrupt in-season exit over a decade ago, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reminds us that in April 2008, Van Gundy had been considered for the the head coaching job by then-team executive Donnie Walsh. Isola also states that Dolan approved of the team’s interest in Van Gundy back then as well, although the former head coach would later tell Walsh that he wasn’t interested (Twitter links).
Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld ponders what the current trade market for Carmelo Anthony is, and, considering that the Knicks star has the option to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and/or won’t necessarily have to commit long-term elsewhere if traded, argues that the team will have no other choice but to explore low-ball offers at this point.
Following last season’s team exit interview, Mike Woodson was under the impression that Jason Kidd would be returning for another season with the Knicks, and was caught off-guard by the 40-year-old point guard’s retirement: “Absolutely I thought he was coming back…I did. I was surprised. Jason spent a long time in this league. He has the right to retire and move on. Obviously he had something else going and wound up here as a head coach. We would’ve loved to have him back. It wasn’t the case” (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Sulia).

Carmelo Denies Already Deciding On His Future

December 5th, 2013 at 10:52am CST by Zachary Links

Everyone is wondering what Carmelo Anthony will do when he hits the open market in the summer of 2014, and that apparently includes Anthony himself. In response to boisterous ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith reporting that sources have told him the Knicks star has decided to skip town, Anthony issued a flat denial, tweets Rod Boone of Newsday.

Anthony went on to say that he doesn’t talk to those close to him about his future plans (link). “Anybody in my crew, anybody on my team, family, nobody.” He also asserted that if a story doesn’t come from him then it’s “not true” (link).

Anthony, who is coming up on his three-year anniversary of being traded to New York, has been vocal about his frustration over the club’s putrid start. For those who believe LeBron James is staying put in Miami, Anthony appears to be the top prize in a loaded free agent class this summer.

Knicks Rumors: Love, Carmelo, Chris Smith

November 12th, 2013 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are the latest team to be featured in our Offseason in Review series, with Zach Links recapping the club’s summer moves last night. So far though, New York’s offseason additions haven’t been paying dividends, as the Knicks have struggled out of the gate, losing four of their first six games. They’ll have a chance to climb closer to .500 tomorrow night in Atlanta, in a game James Dolan guaranteed his team would win. As the Knicks prepare for that contest, let’s round up a few interesting tidbits on the club from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

The Knicks are already looking ahead and planning their strategy for the summer of 2015, when big contracts for Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and Andrea Bargnani all come off the books. According to Wojnarowski, the club is eyeing Kevin Love, and has already begun to devise a strategy to lure him to New York when the time comes.
Of course, it’s possible Carmelo Anthony will no longer be a Knick by that point. However, the Lakers are considered the most credible threat for Carmelo, and one source rhetorically asks Wojnarowski: “Do you think ‘Melo wants to be known for not winning titles in New York and L.A.?”
Referring to the signings of J.R. Smith and younger brother Chris Smith as a package deal, Wojnarowski cites a source who says former GM Glen Grunwald “never wanted” to sign Chris, and that the call came down from above him.
Wojnarowski writes that some Knicks coaches don’t believe Chris Smith is a D-League player, let alone an NBA player. One GM called the younger Smith “maybe the worst player in the history of the Summer League,” according to Wojnarowski.

Eastern Notes: Davis, Douby, Carmelo

November 3rd, 2013 at 6:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Though NBA veteran Ricky Davis was drafted by the Erie Bayhawks (which serves as the Knicks’ D-League affiliate) during this week’s NBDL draft, it doesn’t appear that Davis is part of any larger plan after head coach Mike Woodson didn’t seem to be aware of the move (SNY.tv’s Adam Zagoria via Twitter). New York brass had auditioned the 34-year-old swingman in mid-September but did not ultimately extend a training camp invite.

With more than half of the Eastern Conference set to compete tonight, here are some links to pass along from that side of the NBA:

Recently drafted by the NBDL’s Sioux Falls Skyforce (a direct affiliate of the Heat), Quincy Douby tells Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld about how he’s matured after playing internationally for the last several years and that demonstrating how much he’s grown will hopefully lead to another opportunity in the NBA.
With regard to some of New York’s struggles offensively so far, Carmelo Anthony -who insists that he feels good and is just trying to get back into rhythm himself – thinks that his team needs to be more willing to shoot more three-point shots when the opportunities present itself: “I think we’re showing a different dynamic part our team. Last year we took a lot more 3-pointers than we took (now). We got to get guys to used to being in those spots and wanting to shoot those. (We) got guys like Bargnani not used to playing a position like that outside the line taking 3s.’’ (Marc Berman of the Post provides a Sulia link)
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune touches upon the Bulls’ uncharacteristic struggles on the defensive end (subscribers only).
John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com writes about Maurice Harkless‘ improved mindset as a second-year player.

Knicks Notes: Leslie, Davis, D-League

November 2nd, 2013 at 7:00pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

After falling to the Bulls on a last second Carmelo Anthony miss, the Knicks look to avoid moving below .500 tomorrow when they face the Timberwolves in New York. As we look forward to Sunday night’s game, a few other newsworthy notes around the Knicks organization.

The Knicks began to fill out the roster of their D-League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks by adding among others, forwards C.J. Leslie and Justin Brownlee. The Knicks continue to show interest in Leslie who was a member of the Knicks training camp until they released him last week. The NBA allows for teams to retain the D-League rights of up to three camp invitees which is how the Knicks were able to add Leslie and Brownlee to the Erie roster.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York reports that another member of the BayHawks’ roster, a former NBA first-round pick and Erie’s sixth-round pick in Friday’s D-League draft, Ricky Davis had a “strong showing on defense” in a workout with the Knicks this summer. Davis will be trying to make his way back on to an NBA roster since the 2009/10 NBA season when he was a member of the Clippers.
Charles Barkley, who previously faulted Carmelo Anthony for starting the conversation about his pending free agency next summer, has now blamed the media for distracting the team.

Carmelo Anthony Wants To Retire With Knicks

November 1st, 2013 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Carmelo Anthony won’t have the opportunity to hit the free agent market for another eight months, but if the last few weeks have been any indication, there will be rumors and speculation swirling around the Knicks star all season long. Last night, Anthony attempted to dispel the notion that he wants to leave New York, telling TNT that he’s hoping for a long-term stay with the Knicks.

“I want to retire in New York, I mean, let’s just be quite frank,” Anthony said, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I think a lot of people jumped the gun when I said I wanted to be a free agent. And yeah, I want people to come play in New York. I want them to want to play in New York. I want New York to be that place where guys want to come play.”

Anthony’s comments echoed ones he made earlier in the week, when he responded to criticism from Charles Barkley by pointing out that he has a “big rolodex,” which he intends to use to recruit players to New York. As I outlined when I broke down Carmelo’s maximum contract scenarios for next summer, he can secure the most long-term guaranteed money by re-signing with the Knicks in free agency, so it’s no surprise that he’d choose that route over signing an extension, even if he doesn’t plan to go anywhere.