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Knicks Links: Dolan, Carmelo, Jackson

March 18th, 2014 at 6:31pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Knicks owner James Dolan joined Michael Kay and Don La Greca on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York 98.7 FM earlier today, and when asked about the team’s 2013/14 season, the Knicks owner responded that he’s been “horrified” (Neil Best of Newsday relays via Twitter). New York hopes that Phil Jackson‘s stewardship as president of basketball operations will bring a significant step towards success, as Dolan likened hiring Jackson to “…bringing in Albert Einstein to do your math homework.”

Later on during his radio appearance, the Knicks owner also reiterated that Jackson has full power over basketball decisions. The most important decision arguably involves Carmelo Anthony‘s future, and interestingly enough, Dolan added that if Jackson were to allow Carmelo to leave this summer, he’d give his blessing: “It’s (Phil’s) decision, that’s my agreement with him” (Twitter links via ESPN New York’s Ian Begley).

Here’s the latest out of the Big Apple, including more from Begley:

When he had been tied to the potential GM opening in Seattle last year, Jackson previously convinced Steve Kerr to become the team’s head coach; those plans fell through once the purchase agreement of the Kings fell apart, reports Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo Sports.
Dolan attempted to dispel speculation that Jackson would eventually coach the Knicks, telling Kay: “At the moment, it’s not in the cards.”
Based on his early assessment of the roster, Jackson reportedly likes Carmelo, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, and Cole Aldrich, a source tells Begley. Jackson also likes the youth of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Toure’ Murry.
Jackson also dropped in on The Michael Kay Show later on, saying that there’s “hope and strong reason” that Carmelo would re-sign with the Knicks.
Per source, Jackson is strongly committed to implementing the triangle offense and will shape the roster with that in mind, adds Begley.
Steve Mills sat silently for more than 45 minutes during Jackson’s introductory press conference, notes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. Per Botte, NBA sources initially expected Jackson to consider bringing in another general manager to handle day-to-day work with Mills, specifically involving trade calls and talks with agents.
Dolan told Michael Kay that his relationship with former Knicks GM Isiah Thomas doesn’t involve discussions about basketball, relays Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

D-League Moves: Gaines, Wizards, Knicks

January 30th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sundiata Gaines is headed to the D-League, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. The three-year NBA veteran has appeared in 11 games with Besiktas Milangaz in Turkey this year and was in camp with the Pacers in the fall of 2012. The 6’1″ guard’s most memorable contribution to the NBA was a buzzer-beater for the Jazz in 2010, though his best season was in 2011/12, when he started 12 games for the Nets. Here are more comings and goings from the D-League:

The lack of a one-to-one relationship with their affiliate might be one reason why the Wizards are unlikely to send Otto Porter to the D-League, even though coach Randy Wittman says an assignment is possible, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
The Knicks followed through with their plan to recall Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and Jeremy Tyler from the D-League today, the team announced (Twitter link). New York sent the trio down on Wednesday merely to practice with the team’s affiliate, which is stationed at the Knicks training facility this week.
The Rockets have recalled Isaiah Canaan from the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Canaan is undergoing rehab for a strained hamstring, as Jason Friedman of Rockets.com notes, so it doesn’t sound like he’ll see action for the big club (Twitter link).
Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks says the team will send Tony Mitchell and Peyton Siva to the D-League to play this weekend, tweets Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, confirming a report from Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel.

Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Aldrich, Murry, Tyler

January 29th, 2014 at 12:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks earned a measure of revenge Tuesday night for their 41-point loss to the Celtics earlier this season, turning the tables in a 26-point victory. Still, the Knicks are a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and mystery surrounds the matter of where Carmelo Anthony will play next season. There’s more on that amid the latest from Madison Square Garden.

Anthony brushed off inquiries on Tuesday about a weekend report suggesting he’d like to join the Bulls, cutting off a reporter in the middle of a question that seemingly was to be about whether he’d ever considered playing in Chicago. Anthony did allow for a full question about whether he had a relationship with Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, but last year’s scoring champ replied that he didn’t, as Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times observes.
The Knicks have assigned Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and Jeremy Tyler to the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. All three will practice today with the Erie BayHawks, who are spending the next few days at the Knicks training facility. The Knicks plan to recall them tomorrow, the team also tweets.
The BayHawks also spent a break in their schedule last season working at the facility, and that’s when New York assigned Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Copeland and James White to join the BayHawks as they practiced, notes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Schlosser didn’t count on the Knicks making similar assignments this year, but New York doesn’t play again until Thursday night, so it doesn’t sound like Aldrich, Murry or Tyler will miss any time for the big club.

Knicks May Cut Chris Smith

December 30th, 2013 at 8:25am CST by Zachary Links

MONDAY, 8:25am: Smith is the player expected to be released if and when the Knicks sign Tyler, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, who says the Knicks could announce the roster moves as soon as today.

SUNDAY, 2:29pm: The benefits of nepotism can only get you so far sometimes. If the Knicks go ahead and sign Jeremy Tyler, as they’ve been discussing, they are seriously considering cutting Chris Smith to free up a roster spot rather than center Cole Aldrich, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.

Aldrich is on a non-guaranteed deal while Smith’s pact is fully guaranteed for the rookie minimum salary. The guard has seen just two minutes of total court time and while Aldrich hasn’t gotten that much more burn, it doesn’t make sense for the team to shed a big man when frontcourt depth is their issue.

The signing of Smith, the younger brother of J.R. Smith, was a controversial move for the Knicks over the offseason. Despite Chris’ assertion that he earned his place on the roster, many speculated that the Knicks added him as a sweetener to get J.R. to re-sign over the summer.

Knicks Rumors: Chris Smith, Murry, Tyler

October 25th, 2013 at 8:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Smith wasn’t among the five players whom the Knicks waived today, so he’s set to remain with the team as it begins the regular season. Coach Mike Woodson has acknowledged that the presence of J.R. Smith, Smith’s brother, would help Chris make the opening-night roster, and while Smith agrees, he feels he would be on the roster regardless of whether his brother were there.

“Did it help me? Of course,” Chris said to reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, about the family connection (Twitter link). Still, he added that, “I feel like I earned my position on the team.”

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports doesn’t buy the notion that Chris would have made the team on his own merits, arguing (on Twitter) that the deal was sealed when J.R. re-signed with the team this summer. Here’s more on the blue-and-orange, via Begley’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Woodson said Smith and Toure Murry will spend time on assignment to the Erie BayHawks, the D-League affiliate of the Knicks.
Woodson said the team waived Jeremy Tyler because of a need for healthy bodies. Tyler is out as he recovers from foot surgery, though Woodson added that the team will continue to keep tabs on him. The Knicks likely won’t be able to use their D-League affiliate to do so, however. The Santa Cruz Warriors own Tyler’s D-League rights since that was the last D-League team he played for, as Marc Berman of the New York Post points out on Sulia.
The Knicks kept Cole Aldrich instead of Ike Diogu because Aldrich is younger, bigger and a true center, Woodson also said.

Knicks Waive Five Players

October 25th, 2013 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

12:50pm: The Knicks have officially released C.J. Leslie, Josh Powell, and Ike Diogu, as well as Chris Douglas-Roberts and Jeremy Tyler, according to the team (Twitter link). So Chris Smith, Toure Murry, and Cole Aldrich have snagged the three open roster spots.

Tyler’s deal reportedly included a $100K guarantee, so the Knicks will owe both him and Leslie some money.

12:22pm: The Knicks have also cut Leslie, according to Zwerling (via Twitter). While the move had been telegraphed over the last few days, it’s still somewhat surprising, since nearly half of the rookie’s first-year salary was guaranteed.

Zwerling adds that Aldrich appears to have locked up a roster spot, meaning Smith, Tyler, and Murry are likely vying for the final two openings.

11:16am: The Knicks have begun to trim their roster down from the 20-man preseason maximum, according to Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report, who tweets that the club has released Josh Powell and Ike Diogu. The pair of cuts leaves New York with 18 players under contract, so three more will need to be released by Monday.

Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork, Al Iannazzone of Newsday, and Zwerling all hear that the Knicks are going young with their last few open roster spots. According to both Begley and Iannazzone (Twitter links), Toure Murry, Chris Smith, and Jeremy Tyler are likely to make the regular season roster. Presumably, that would mean that the Knicks would waive Cole Aldrich, C.J. Leslie, and Chris Douglas-Roberts, though Begley adds (via Twitter) that it’s not clear if the club will be making all its moves today.

As for Powell and Diogu, neither player appeared in an regular season NBA game in 2012/13, but they earned camp invites from the Knicks after working out for the team this fall. New York won’t be on the hook for any salary for either player, since they were on non-guaranteed contracts.

Eastern Notes: Aldrich, Anderson, Crawford

October 13th, 2013 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Five of the seven teams that are at the offseason roster limit of 20 players reside in the Eastern Conference, so the Sixers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat and Knicks will be making plenty of moves between now and October 26th, the deadline for teams to place their camp cuts on waivers. Here’s the latest from the East as cut-down day approaches:

Cole Aldrich chose to sign with the Knicks over the Bulls, Kings and Pistons, and though coach Mike Woodson has criticized his play and the team appears to be looking for other backup centers, Aldrich is still favored to make the club, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Former first-round pick James Anderson is resurrecting his career and taking full advantage of the opportunity his non-guaranteed contract with the Sixers presents, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
Celtics teammates and coach Brad Stevens insist Jordan Crawford‘s reputation as a brash ball-hog is off-base, and they’re confident he has the passing ability to thrive as a combo guard as he enters the final year of his rookie scale contract, observes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Grantland’s Zach Lowe notes the high level of optimism surrounding the ex-Wizard (Twitter link).
Bucks owner Herb Kohl is walking a fine line as he tries to secure public funding for a new arena in Milwaukee, and he and GM John Hammond are being careful to keep the team competitive while still overhauling the roster, as Michael Hunt of the Journal Sentinel examines.
Quincy Acy is about to start the last guaranteed season of his contract with the Raptors, and Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun chronicles the 2012 second-round pick’s efforts to crack the rotation before time runs out.

Atlantic Links: Sixers, ‘Melo, Green, Lopez

October 12th, 2013 at 10:17pm CST by Spencer Lund

Through his first three preseason games, Sixers rookie Michael Carter Williams has 16 assists and just 1 turnover. In Orlando, during summer league action, MCW averaged 4.8 turnovers a game, which was the highest in Orlando.

But Sixers coach Brett Brown wants Carter-Williams to play faster and even more uptempo, he tells the Intelligencer’s Tom Moore: “I actually think we can play faster and he can play faster,” Brown said. “I think we can get it out of the net on makes better. I really feel that’s where we want to place a lot of our focus.”

The risk is MCW’s turnover issues from the summer return if he plays out of control trying to match the uptempo pace Brown is favoring with his young team.

Here are some more links from around the Atlantic division on this Saturday night:

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he took a “huge risk” this season by not having surgery on his left shoulder.
Anthony actually had a torn rotator cuff to go along with a partially torn labrum, but elected not to have the surgery because doctors told him it would be a 4-5 month recovery because of the severity of the tear and he would have missed the beginning of the season.
But now, ‘Melo says he “feels nothing,” as the twin tears healed themselves.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson says he needs to see more toughness from Cole Aldrich, and that he needs to do the “dirty work,” tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
Jeff Green has shot just 28.6% from the field (8-for-28) through the Celtics‘ first three preseason games, but coach Brad Stevens says it’s too small a sample size to accurately judge, reports the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy.
Stevens thinks Green needs more paint points for the C’s, and tells Murphy, “Getting an and-one, an offensive rebound – something that’s a more difficult thing to do but with an easier finish. That can open the floodgates.”
Brook Lopez came to camp this year at 290 pounds, tweets Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. That’s 15 pounds heavier than last year’s playing weight for the Nets center, and Langlois says Lopez “looks massive now.”

Knicks Sign Cole Aldrich

September 24th, 2013 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have officially signed free agent center Cole Aldrich to a contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). Al Iannazzone of Newsday tweets that Aldrich's deal will be non-guaranteed.

Aldrich has underwhelmed in limited minutes during three NBA seasons with the Thunder, Rockets, and Kings, averaging 2.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 89 contests (7.9 MPG). However, given his size (6'11") and his pedigree (11th overall pick in 2010), there's still a chance the 24-year-old could contribute to an NBA team as the last big man off the bench.

We heard just yesterday that the Knicks intended to bring Aldrich back for a second workout, so it seems the team liked what it saw from the former lottery pick. Aldrich worked out for the Kings and other NBA clubs earlier in the summer, before landing with the Knicks.

With Aldrich on board, New York is set to bring at least 19 players to camp, including seven on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. With only 12 players seemingly assured of roster spots, there should be some competition in the next several weeks for the team's last two or three openings.

Knicks Working Out Aldrich, Wing Players

September 23rd, 2013 at 5:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks are looking to fill out their roster for the upcoming season and they would like to use their final spot(s) to reinforce some positions of need. Center Cole Aldrich will be brought back for a second workout this week after looking strong in his last audition, according to Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the club is also eyeing some athletic wing players (link) as they will be without J.R. Smith for at least the early part of the season.

A source told Zwerling that the Knicks "are definitely taking a long look at the Kansas product." Aldrich could wind up filling a major role for the Knicks this season as they have no true backup at center. Other notable names that have been linked to the job include DeSagana Diop, Ike Diogu, and Hassan Whiteside.

Meanwhile, the Knicks will comb the open market for athletic wings because they have some questions about undrafted rookie C.J. Leslie in the long-term.