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Knicks Notes: Jennings, Randle, Noah, Porzingis

October 9th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Brandon Jennings is taking advantage of his preseason opportunity to start for the Knicks, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. With Derrick Rose taking care of legal obligations, Jennings registered four points, five assists and four rebounds in 14 minutes Saturday as New York topped Brooklyn. Jennings, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal over the summer, has slimmed down to 175 pounds and hopes to get the Knicks playing at a faster tempo. He says he finally feels fully recovered from the Achilles tear he suffered in January of 2015. “I feel great. I feel faster. I hope I look faster,” he said. “… I just feel like myself again.”

There’s more this morning out of New York:

  • Chasson Randle continued his bid for a roster spot Saturday with 14 points, two assists and three steals in 21 minutes, Begley writes in the same story. The point guard out of Stanford signed with the Knicks this summer after spending a season in the Czech Republic. He faces an uphill battle to make a team that already has 15 guaranteed contracts, but he has a strong supporter in teammate Carmelo Anthony. “I love him. I just love his poise out there, the way he controls the game, controls the basketball,” Anthony said. “He can push the pace. He can slow it down. I think you guys would love him too the more that you see him play.”
  • The Knicks expect to be without Rose and Joakim Noah for another week, according to Howie Kussoy and Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Rose remains tied up with his civil trial in Los Angeles, while Noah is nursing a sore left hamstring. Coach Jeff Hornacek said the absence of the team’s most imporant offseason additions has made the preseason difficult, but he plans to be careful with Noah. “Sometimes, players like Jo, he’s like, ‘Man, I want to get out there,’” Hornacek said. “He was out there at shootaround, saying, ‘I want to play,’ but we’re just trying to be cautious with him. … When he feels 100 percent he’ll go to it. Since we don’t have a game after Monday for a while it’s more than likely he’ll probably miss that one, too.”
  • Kristaps Porzingis said a new shoe deal that could pay more than his NBA contract hasn’t been finalized, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Porzingis signed with Adidas for a reported $3MM to $6MM, although Nike, his current endorser, will get a chance to match the offer. It would be the biggest shoe contract in NBA history for a European player. “That doesn’t mean I’m a better player than Dirk Nowitzki, they just see me as somebody that’s good off the court, see me with kids and that kind of stuff,” Porzingis said. “And they see that potential in me that one day I can be that good. It’s in my hands now to prove that I am what they believe I can be.”
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Atlantic Notes: Bogdanovic, Allen, Knicks

August 9th, 2016 at 6:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Nets seeking to forge a new identity as the team rebuilds, the 2016/17 campaign will be Bojan Bogdanovic‘s best chance to solidify a place in the NBA for himself, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily writes. The team has let the 27-year-old know that he is in its plans this season, sending assistant coach Chris Fleming overseas to speak with the forward earlier this summer, Puccio notes.

“It’s important for me that Chris came to Zagreb, that Nets sent him there,” said Bogdanovic. “That’s proof for me that Nets have big plans for me in next season. We talked a lot what I should improve in my game. He said me how to be more consistent in spot up shooting coming from screens. Also, I should post up more, because I did that a lot in Europe, but not in NBA.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Knicks included partial guarantees of $100K in the contracts of Chasson Randle and J.P. Tokoto, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
  • By virtue of remaining on the Sixers roster, Robert Covington‘s salary for next season worth $1,015,696 is now partially guaranteed for $50K, Pincus notes (via Twitter). The remainder of the forward’s deal won’t be guaranteed until January 10th, 2017.
  • Ray Allen has reportedly has had discussions with a number of teams regarding a potential NBA comeback. But if the veteran shooting guard is serious about a potential reunion with the Celtics, some fences would need to be mended with team ownership first, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe Opines (Video link).
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Knicks Sign Chasson Randle

August 4th, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 4: The Knicks have officially signed Randle, the team announced today (via Twitter).

AUGUST 3: The Knicks are bringing another former undrafted free agent to training camp this fall, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, who reports (via Twitter) that point guard Chasson Randle has signed a contract with the team. The deal includes a partial guarantee, says Isola.

New York, having previously signed Marshall Plumlee to a three-year contract, also formally announced a deal with Ron Baker this week — those two players went undrafted this year, while Randle went undrafted in 2015. The Knicks also signed 2015 second-rounder J.P. Tokoto on Tuesday to compete for a regular-season roster spot.

[RELATED: Knicks’ free agent signings, via our Free Agent Tracker]

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported last month that the Knicks were one of three teams pursuing Randle, who made a favorable impression on the club’s brass while playing for New York’s Summer League squad. The Knicks have used their cap room and nearly all of their room exception, so it will be a minimum-salary deal for Randle.

In his final year at Stanford in 2014/15, Randle averaged 19.6 points per contest, chipping in 3.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 2.4 3PG.

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Atlantic Notes: Olynyk, Randle, Nets

August 3rd, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kelly Olynyk and the Celtics have until October 31st to agree to a contract extension, but the center isn’t stressing whether or not a deal is struck, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “I’m not really worried about that. If they want to do it, they do,” Olynyk said. “If not, you can’t worry about things you can’t control. That’s completely up to them, so we’ll see what happens. … There’s a lot of things that you can’t control in life. If you worry about them, you’re not going to enjoy life.”

The 25-year-old appeared in 69 games this past season and averaged 10.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.2 minutes per contest. Olynyk is set to earn $3,094,013 in 2016/17 and will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer provided no extension is worked out and Boston tenders him a qualifying offer worth $3,094,013.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Chasson Randle, who agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Knicks earlier today, has a good shot to stick as the team’s third point guard, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Despite New York being thin in the backcourt, the young guard isn’t taking this opportunity for granted, the scribe adds. “He’s still got to come in and earn it,” Randle’s agent, Kevin Bradbury, told Berman. “He feels this is the place where he can make the next step.”
  • The Knicks‘ offseason moves were geared about winning immediately, not with an eye on the future, Ian Begley of ESPN.com opines in his look back at the team’s summer. The scribe notes that the team has depth concerns and lacks the outside shooters necessary to maximize coach Jeff Hornacek‘s system, but adds that the squad’s defense and pace of play should be much improved over last season.
  • Bobby Marks of The Vertical weighed in on the offseason moves the Nets have made.
  • Want to see where the Atlantic Division teams stand roster-wise? Check out the complete breakdowns along with depth charts at Roster Resource for the Nets, Celtics, Knicks, Sixers and Raptors.
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Eastern Rumors: J.R. Smith, Sixers, Knicks

July 22nd, 2016 at 5:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Making J.R. Smith a competitive offer might not be a bad idea for the Celtics, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com argues. Boston could use another shooter and Smith made 40% of his 3-point attempts with the Cavaliers last season, Forsberg points out. The Celtics could renounce their rights to Tyler Zeller and craft a one-year deal somewhere in the ballpark of the $15MM that Smith is seeking. Smith opted out of the final year of his contract in June, though Cleveland still holds his Bird rights. The Celtics could weaken their chief Eastern Conference rival by signing Smith to a short-term contract while not sacrificing any of their future flexibility, Forsberg adds.
In other developments around the Eastern Conference:
  • Bryan Colangelo’s overt attempts to trade either Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor has backfired, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The Sixers’ GM should have taken a more low-key approach and now has undermined his ability to trade either big man, Sielski continues. Both young players know that Colangelo is shopping them, and while it makes sense to now keep them into the regular season to improve their trade value, that might lead to discord in the locker room, Sielski adds.
  • The Knicks are one of three teams pursuing point guard Chasson Randle, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Randle, who went undrafted in 2015, made a favorable impression on the Knicks’ brass while playing for their summer-league team. He could be New York’s No. 3 point guard behind Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings but the club is out of cap space and can only offer the rookie minimum of $565K, Berman adds.
  • Combo guard Tomas Satoransky expects to go through a significant adjustment period when he joins the Wizards this season, Gene Wang of the Washington Post reports. The 2012 draft-and-stash prospect officially joined Washington Thursday on a three-year, $9MM deal. “The game is quicker,” Satoransky told Wang and other media members during a conference call. “For sure, it’s better athleticism in the NBA than what I’m used to Europe, so I’ll have to adjust as soon as possible for that.” Satoransky could emerge as John Wall‘s primary backup at point guard, Wang adds.
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Free Agent Notes: Durant, Rockets, Clippers

June 4th, 2016 at 7:28pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant would give himself a better chance at winning a title if he were to leave the Thunder and join the Warriors or sign with an Eastern Conference team, Bill Simmons of The Ringer writes. Many believe that Durant will sign a two-year deal with OKC that contains a player option for year two, as was reported earlier this week.

Simmons offers an unconventional viewpoint on Durant’s impending decision. Two years ago, Durant signed a $300MM deal with Nike. At the time, he and LeBron James had the best selling sneakers among all NBA players, Simmons points out. The 2014 MVP then injured his foot and missed a significant amount of time during the 2014/15 campaign. Durant’s comeback 2015/16 season was overshadowed by Kobe Bryant‘s retirement and the Warriors’ historic 73-9 record. Now, the conversation is between Nike with James and the Jordan Brand and Under Armour with Stephen Curry, Simmons adds. Simmons argues that Durant, his representatives and Nike know they won’t be competing with the top brands unless Durant wins a ring or he leaves the Thunder and he speculates that if Nike had its way, Durant would sign elsewhere this summer.

The piece, which is must-read, is a reminder that the NBA is a business and there are several off the court factors that play into basketball decisions. Selling sneakers likely won’t be the primary force that drives Durant to stay or leave, but it’s an interesting perspective nonetheless.

Here’s more on the NBA’s upcoming free agency:

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Western Notes: Divac, Grizzlies, Pack

June 11th, 2015 at 7:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

One of the strangest aspects of the Kings‘ hiring of Vlade Divac as the team’s president of basketball and franchise operations is that no one but Divac and team owner Vivek Ranadive actually understood he’d be in a powerful basketball operations position until a few days after the announcement, Tom Ziller of SBNation writes. It was assumed that because Divac had extremely limited prior front office experience, he would be more of a figurehead than being actively involved in personnel decisions, Ziller notes. There were even members of Sacramento’s front office who didn’t realize that Divac had the power to make personnel moves until Divac and Randive relayed that information to the media, the SBNation scribe adds.

Here’s more out of the Western Conference:

  • The Grizzlies have workouts scheduled on Sunday for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona), Cady Lalanne (Massachusetts), Denzel Livingston (Incarnate Word), Norman Powell (UCLA), J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina), and Maurice Walker (Minnesota), the team announced via a press release.
  • The Nuggets are expected to work out Murray State point guard Cameron Payne, who is rocketing up draft boards, this Monday, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post tweets.
  • Robert Pack has signed on to be an assistant on the staff of new Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link).
  • Working out for the Suns today were Bryce Dejean-Jones (Iowa State), Mouhammadou Jaiteh (France), Derrick Marks (Boise State), Michael Qualls (Arkansas), Chasson Randle (Stanford), and TaShawn Thomas (Oklahoma), Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic notes (Twitter links). Qualls suffered an undisclosed injury during the workout, Coro relays, and was replaced by Polish guard Mateusz Ponitka.
  • The Kings have added John Welch and Chad Iske as assistants on George Karl‘s coaching staff, Spears reports (on Twitter). Both men were previously with Karl when he coached in Denver, Spears adds.
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Northwest Notes: Hunter, Bjelica, Aldridge, Jazz

June 7th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder could be the team to give Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter a chance to show he belongs in the NBA, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Hunter, best known for hitting a game-winning shot against Baylor in the NCAA Tournament, rejects any accusation that he got special treatment because he played for his father in college. “Every team asks about that,” Hunter said. “They ask me how I work. And I think it’s some correlation between work ethic and coaches’ sons because they think you’re given it all.” Mayberry contends that Hunter’s outside shooting prowess could make him attractive to the Thunder, who want to create more space for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Wolves will find plenty of suitors if they decide to trade power forward Nemanja Bjelica, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. He mentions the Mavericks, Spurs, Heat, Nets and Bulls as teams that would be interested and suggests there could be more. Minnesota acquired the rights to Bjelica on draft night in 2010 after Washington made him the 35th overall pick. He has a contract with Turkey’s Fenerbahce Ulker that runs out after next season, but an opt-out clause would allow him to join the NBA this summer.
  •  If LaMarcus Aldridge leaves Portland, it will be because of the franchise’s poor postseason record, according to John Canzano of The Oregonian. The Blazers have only advanced beyond the first round once in Aldridge’s nine years with the team. Aldridge will become an unrestricted free agent July 1 and is expected to be among the hottest names on the market.
  • The Jazz have six players scheduled for workouts Monday, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. On the list are Ryan Boatright, Dustin Hogue, Sir’Dominic Pointer, Norman Powell, Chasson Randle and Josh Richardson.
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Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Mavs, Grizzlies

June 2nd, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans and Celtics assistant coach Darren Erman have an agreement in principle for Erman to join Alvin Gentry‘s coaching staff in New Orleans, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported overnight that the Pelicans were aggressively pursuing Erman, a detail-oriented defensive whiz who complements Gentry’s offensive acumen. The Raptors also recently made a run at Erman, sources told Wojnarowski. New Orleans is poised to hire Thunder assistant coach Robert Pack for Gentry’s staff, too, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times hears (Twitter link). However, Wojnarowski, whose story appeared later, writes that the Pelicans and Pack are in talks but makes no mention of a deal. Regardless, new Thunder head coach Billy Donovan is unlikely to keep Pack on his staff, Wojnarowski adds. Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:

  • San Diego State small forward Dwayne Polee worked out for the Mavericks late last month, as he tells Zach Links of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). Michigan State’s Travis Trice, Stanford’s Chasson Randle, Dayton’s Jordan Sibert and Harvard point guard Wesley Saunders showed off for Dallas today, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.
  • Big men highlight the Grizzlies workout scheduled for Wednesday, with Kentucky center Dakari Johnson and French center Mouhammadou Jaiteh on the docket, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal in a subscription-only piece. Centers Youssou Ndoye from St. Bonaventure and Charles Jackson from Tennessee Tech, Connecticut point guard Ryan Boatright and Boise State shooting guard Derrick Marks are the others in the workout, as Tillery details.
  • Florida’s Michael Frazier is auditioning for the Spurs today, Scotto reports, and the team will also get a look at North Carolina’s J.P. Tokoto, according to Pincus (Twitter links).
  • Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders adds the Rockets to the list of teams working out N.C. State shooting guard Trevor Lacey (Twitter link).
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Draft Notes: Anderson, Brown, Randle

May 31st, 2015 at 7:15pm CST by Will Joseph

Virginia’s Justin Anderson worked out with the Lakers on Thursday and afterward said he expects to be selected in the middle or toward the end of the first round based on conversations with his agent and interviews during draft workouts and the NBA pre-draft combine, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. Anderson, who is ranked 23rd by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and is pegged at No. 28 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required), believes he can thrive in the league with his strength, defense and ability to knock down shots, Medina adds. Johnson has also worked out with the Bulls and Spurs and plans to work out with the Celtics, Medina notes.

“I’m just going to be a complete and smart defender as well as a knockdown shooter,” Anderson said. “I’ll use my physicality and strength and be as complete as I can be. Whatever system I land, I know I can adjust.”

Here’s more news on the draft:

  • Stanford’s Anthony Brown also worked out with the Lakers, and his shooting ability could be of use to the to the Lakers, who own the second, 27th and 34th picks, Medina writes in a separate story. Brown shot 44.1% from 3-point range in two seasons at Stanford, Medina notes. The Lakers received poor shooting seasons from several players, including Nick Young, who shot a career-low 37% from the field, as Medina points out. “I’m a great shooter,” Brown said. “That’s the number one thing I hang my hat on, shooting the basketball. I’m also going to defend you. I’m a three-deep player.”
  • Stanford guard Chasson Randle‘s next workout will be with the Sixers, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets. Randle has already worked out for the Thunder and Celtics, Washburn adds.
  • Jarvis Threatt has workouts with the Wizards, Suns and Rockets next week, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest tweets.
  • BYU’s Tyler Haws wants to hear his name called on draft night, but if he doesn’t, he will have opportunities to play overseas, Jeff Call of the Deseret News writes. “He’s got a couple of offers already overseas,” said BYU coach Dave Rose, who added he expects Haws to be drafted.
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