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New York Notes: Allen, Jordan, Quickley, DSJ

January 1st, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Jarrett Allen is one of the NBA’s top rebounders and he could force Nets coach Steve Nash to consider a change in his starting lineup, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Allen is only playing 22.6 minutes per night off the bench, but he’s leading the league in offensive rebounds, offensive rebound percentage, and total rebound percentage.

Nash has been using DeAndre Jordan as his starting center, but the 32-year-old hasn’t been impressive. Lewis notes that Jordan’s plus-minus rating has declined in each game this season, hitting minus-8 on Wednesday as he managed just five points and one rebound against the Hawks.

“That’s a good debate. It’s a small sample, one, and I’m not sure if plus-minus is the best barometer,” Nash said. “But that was a tough matchup for DJ. Those guys are good, dynamic rollers, (Clint) Capela, but even more so (John) Collins’ speed is exceptional getting out of the screen and it poses a unique problem.”

There’s more from New York City:

The Nets are still adjusting to life without Spencer Dinwiddie, who may be lost for the season with a partially torn ACL, Lewis adds in a separate story. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot replaced Dinwiddie in the starting lineup Wednesday, but that new unit had never practiced together. They wound up with a minus-10 in 13 minutes. “It’s a big loss because of (Dinwiddie’s) versatility, skill set, size, speed, defensive ability. We’ll miss him dearly,” Nash said. “We’re going to see a lot of different lineups, different combinations.”
The Knicks should be getting a couple of injured guards back soon, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Immanuel Quickley, who’s been dealing with a sore left hip, could return Saturday or Monday. Dennis Smith Jr., who has a left quad issue, will rejoin the team during its road trip but will have to work on conditioning before being cleared to practice.
Austin Rivers, who played his first game with the Knicks Thursday night, posted an Instagram message afterward asking fans to be patient, Begley tweets. “Trust us. We’re getting better,” Rivers wrote. “We have a new great coach, all new players, really young, learning to play with each other and get chemistry right still, and we still getting all the way healthy. It’s a process but I promise we getting there step by step.”

Atlantic Notes: Durant, Irving, Nets, DSJ, Celtics

December 28th, 2020 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Kevin Durant won’t be active on Monday night for the second game in the team’s first back-to-back set of the 2020/21 season, as Malika Andrews of ESPN writes. Durant had said over the weekend that he hoped to play in back-to-back games this season, despite coming off an Achilles tear, but he’s being held out tonight due to “injury recovery,” per the NBA’s official injury report.

“I definitely want to be able to play back-to-backs,” Durant said after Sunday’s game, per Andrews. “Get through ’em healthy and play my normal minutes, so we’ll see.”

While Durant may get a chance to play both halves of back-to-back sets later in the season, the Nets are clearly playing it safe with their top players to start the year. Kyrie Irving will also miss Monday’s game vs. Memphis for rest purposes, according to the club (Twitter link via Shams Charania of The Athletic).

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Alex Schiffer of The Athletic takes a look at how Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL injury will affect the Nets, noting that the team will have to change up its starting lineup and also may not have as many in-season trade options available without a healthy Dinwiddie to put on the table.
Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., who has appeared in just one of the team’s three games so far, will remain in New York to continue rehabbing his left quad contusion, per the club (Twitter link). The hope is that Smith rejoins the Knicks at some point during their four-game road trip, which begins on Tuesday in Cleveland and runs through next Monday in Atlanta.
The Celtics‘ bench – an Achilles heel for the team in 2019/20 – remains thin this season, especially with Kemba Walker unavailable, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn wonders whether the team would consider opening up a roster spot to create room for a veteran who can score, and suggests that Isaiah Thomas is one free agent who might be a fit.

New York Notes: Ntilikina, Point Guards, Stoudemire, Thibs

December 24th, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ahead of the first game of the 2020/21 Knicks season, point guard Frank Ntilikina stated that the sore left Achilles that had limited his preseason availability had fully recovered, according to Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link). Ntilikina, the No. 8 pick in the 2017 draft, also noted that he and the Knicks did not discuss a potential contract extension ahead of Monday’s deadline, as we previously detailed.

The future of Ntilikina, the final lottery pick of former Knicks team president Phil Jackson, remains unclear, as Steve Popper of Newsday details. He will be eligible to become a restricted free agent in the 2021 offseason.

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

Reserve point guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Ntilikina would not have made the cut for the club’s 10-man rotation in the Knicks’ season opener, a 121-107 loss to the Pacers, had rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley not gotten injured in the second quarter with a hip pointer, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Both guards are former top-10 2017 NBA draft picks. Head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to play shooting guard Alec Burks as his initial replacement before ultimately bringing in Ntilikina for five minutes of relatively ineffective play. “We wanted to keep as much shooting on the floor as we can to try to create the opportunities that we’re looking for factored into it,” Thibodeau explained.
New Nets player development assistant Amar’e Stoudemire was reticent to make the leap from player to coach this summer after another productive season with the Israeli Basketball Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv, per Marc Stein of the New York Times. A six-time All-Star with the Suns and Knicks, the 38-year-old Stoudemire is reuniting with former Phoenix running mate Steve Nash, now Brooklyn’s head coach, and former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, now another assistant on Nash’s bench. “We wanted him to come in and share all the things that he learned from his experiences — but also to learn about coaching, video analysis, analytics and the front office,” Nash said. “I get to learn from all departments,” Stoudemire said, “to see where I want my career to go.”
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is smartly prioritizing building good habits and player development rather than worrying about the club’s win-loss record, according to Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. “You either win,” Thibodeau said, “or you learn.”

New York Notes: Smith Jr., Perry, Irving, Chiozza

December 11th, 2020 at 7:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

This could be a make-or-break season for Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. and he has impressed coach Tom Thibodeau in the early days of camp, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post. Smith could be a restricted or unrestricted free agent next offseason, depending upon the Knicks’ desire to extend him a qualifying offer. He’s also been subjected to trade rumors.

“I think he’s come into camp and he’s been very aggressive,” Thibodeau said. “I think each day, he’s gotten better and better. That’s what we’re asking him to do — to run his team, keep us organized, take advantage of what your strengths are, your ability to get downhill to force people to collapse, and then make the right play.”

We have more on the New York City teams:

Nets veterans have been impressed with the work ethic of rookie big man Reggie Perry, Tom Dowd of the team’s website writes. Last season’s SEC’s Co-Player of the Year at Mississippi State is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, which could be converted to a two-way deal. “He’s a young kid who works very, very hard, who knows the game of basketball,” forward Jeff Green said.
Kyrie Irving and the Nets have been fined $25K apiece for failure to comply with media access rules, ESPN’s Malika Andrews relays. A defiant Irving called the media “pawns” unworthy of his attention on an Instagram post on Friday, according to NetsDaily.com. Irving has declined numerous requests to speak to reporters since the beginning of training camp on December 1.
Nets guard Chris Chiozza declared that he had some two-way offers from other teams, but preferred to stay with Brooklyn, seeking an opportunity to win a championship, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Chiozza played on a two-way contract with Brooklyn last season but rolled the dice prior to camp this month, signing a one-year non-guaranteed deal.

Knicks Notes: Payton, Smith Jr., Noel, Toppin

December 2nd, 2020 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though he became a free agent when the Knicks turned down his $8MM option, Elfrid Payton was confident he would be returning to New York, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Speaking to reporters today via a Zoom call, Payton indicated that he never seriously considered any other team.

“From the beginning we always had intentions of me coming back, so I wasn’t really I guess worried,’’ he said.

Payton was part of a maligned trio of point guards, along with Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr., who shared time at the position last season. After listening to offseason speculation that the team would find a replacement through the draft or free agency, Payton believes all three will approach the season with something to prove.

“I feel like we’ve been counted out,’’ he said. “So just go out there and compete and show what we can do. That’s definitely something we want to use as motivation, as if we didn’t already have enough. But that’s definitely something we’ve spoken about in the locker room, even in these short days that we’ve been together.”

There’s more Knicks news to pass along:

Smith is looking forward to a fresh start after a difficult 2019/20 season that began with the death of his stepmother, Berman adds in the same piece. Injuries and poor play limited him to just 34 games and a career-low 15.8 minutes per night. “I would say just understanding that nothing happens to you, it happens for you,’’ Smith said. “And I had to go through a lot of different things mentally — not even physically — mentally I had to go through a lot of different things to kind of understand that. But smooth waters never made (skilled) sailors, so I take it all in stride, and I’m going to keep getting better.’’
Mitchell Robinson may be the team’s center of the future, but he’ll have to compete with free agent addition Nerlens Noel for the starting spot, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Regardless of how playing time shakes out, Noel expects to adopt a teaching role. “I just want to mentor him any way possible,” he said. “Whatever position we play throughout the season will play itself out. I want to be a big brother to him and give him a lot of advice throughout the season.”
Lottery pick Obi Toppin is already impressing teammates with his athletic gifts, writes Ian Begley of SNY.TV. The rookie forward has been setting franchise records in agility, conditioning and athleticism drills.

Rockets Rumors: Westbrook, Harden, Luxury Tax, Tate

November 17th, 2020 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets and Knicks are the only teams with “verifiable” trade interest in Rockets star Russell Westbrook so far, Marc Stein of The New York Times writes in his weekly newsletter. And Stein cautions that both clubs’ interest is “conditional” rather than aggressive.

Some people around the NBA believe that Charlotte’s desire to acquire Westbrook will increase if the team doesn’t end up drafting LaMelo Ball on Wednesday night, per Stein. As for the Knicks, their stance is best described as “weighing, but resisting,” according to Stein, who says multiple people within the organization are hesitant to make a move for Westbrook and his pricey contract.

Stein suggests that the best offer the Rockets could expect from the Knicks for Westbrook at this point would include one future first-round pick from Dallas, along with players who aren’t part of the team’s long-term plans, such as perhaps Julius Randle and Dennis Smith Jr.. Even then, there’s no guarantee New York would want to take on the three years and $133MM left on Westbrook’s contract.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

While the Rockets remain reluctant to move James Harden and don’t feel pressure to make a move right away, the “overwhelming expectation” around the NBA is that he’ll eventually be dealt, whether it’s this week, next month, or sometime in 2021, according to David Aldridge and Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Past inquires of Harden have simply been turned aside by the Rockets, but there’s a sense that they’ll now come around if the package is strong enough.
Although Harden is reportedly focused on getting to the Nets, the Sixers‘ interest in him has grown in recent weeks, sources tell The Athletic’s duo. According to Aldridge and Iko, rapper Meek Mill – who is from Philadelphia – has been trying to convince Harden to come to the Sixers.
The Clippers aren’t currently pursuing Harden, per The Athletic’s report.
Sources tell Aldridge and Iko that Harden feels as if some of the Rockets’ decisions – including roster moves and hirings – have been made without substantial impact from him.
The Athletic’s sources maintain that Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is “hellbent” on keeping the team out of luxury tax territory for the foreseeable future.
Sydney Kings swingman Jae’Sean Tate, who went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2018, is expected to sign with the Rockets sometime after free agency opens later this week, Stein reports. John Hollinger of The Athletic recently referred to Tate – who made over 40% of his three-point attempts in Australia last season – as one of the most highly-regarded players outside of the U.S. Houston is also bringing Sydney’s head coach Will Weaver stateside as an assistant on Stephen Silas’ staff, as we relayed last week.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Knicks, Rondo, Hawks, Magic

November 16th, 2020 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers are adding Calbert Cheaney to Nate Bjorkgren‘s coaching staff as an assistant, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). An Indiana native who played his college ball for the Hoosiers, Cheaney spent 13 years in the NBA as a player. He has been an assistant for Atlanta’s G League affiliate for the last two seasons.

Cheaney is the latest addition to a new-look coaching staff that will also feature Kaleb Canales and Greg Foster, in addition to returning Pacers assistant Bill Bayno. Indiana recently issued a press release confirming that all three of those coaches will be part of Bjorkgren’s staff in 2021.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks will likely turn to the trade market or free agency to find their starting point guard for the coming season, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post. The team doesn’t view Frank Ntilikina as its starter of the future, may not retain Elfrid Payton, and is still considering the possibility of trading Dennis Smith Jr., according to Berman. New York could draft a point guard in the lottery, but wouldn’t want to rely on that player to become an immediate starter, given the quick turnaround between the draft and the preseason.
Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who is turning down his player option and will become a free agent, is expected to draw interest from the Hawks in addition to the two L.A. teams, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The Lakers, who reached a deal to acquire Dennis Schröder over the weekend, are bracing for the possibility of losing Rondo.
Josh Robbins of The Athletic considers whether or not it makes sense for the Magic to consider blowing up their roster.

Atlantic Notes: DSJ, Durant, Rivers, Antetokounmpo

October 9th, 2020 at 8:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. will be headed to free agency after next season and he’s trying to make a strong impression on new head coach Tom Thibodeau. He came to New York prior to the team’s mini-camp to work with the coaching staff, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Smith will make $5.7MM next season and the team can make him a restricted free agent next offseason if it extends a $7.7MM qualifying offer. Smith has only appeared in 87 games over the last two seasons.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

Kevin Durant can opt out after the third season of his four-year contract with the Nets. However, his current plan is to finish out his career with Brooklyn, Durant indicated in a message on The Player Tribune’s “Text Message Talk Show” (hat tip to Brian Lewis of the New York Post). “As of today, this second, yes…” Durant texted during the show.
If Tyronn Lue doesn’t get another head coaching job soon, he could wind up on Doc Rivers’ staff again, this time with the Sixers, Derek Bodner of The Athletic speculates. Several other Clippers assistants — Sam Cassell, Armond Hill and Rex Kalamian — are also potential candidates to join Rivers in Philadelphia.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo signs an extension with Milwaukee, the Raptors would be wise to pursue a major player on the trade market prior to next year’s free agency period, Blake Murphy of The Athletic opines. It would also make it more viable to extend OG Anunoby and increase their comfort level of paying Fred VanVleet his asking price to re-sign.

Knicks Notes: Melo, DSJ, Cole Anthony, Trade Scenarios

October 8th, 2020 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Were the Knicks to move forward Kevin Knox and additional pieces in a win-now move to acquire All-Star point guard Chris Paul from the Thunder, former Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony could be interested in a return to Madison Square Garden, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Both are former CAA clients of current Knicks president Leon Rose.

The 36-year-old Anthony, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, most recently served as an important starting forward for the Trail Blazers during an exciting run in the NBA restart this summer. He played with the Knicks for parts of seven seasons. Anthony enjoyed his most success with the club during the 2012/13 season, when he led a veteran-laden Knicks team to a 54-28 record and a conference semifinals appearance.

There’s more out of New York:

Knicks bench point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the No. 9 pick in 2017, still has ample backing within the front office, according to Ian Begley of SNY. Earlier this month, Smith attended the voluntary mini-camp team practices held by coach Tom Thibodeau and his staff. Smith missed 32 games this season due to various injuries and the death of a family member.
UNC point guard Cole Anthony, son of former Knick Greg Anthony, is apparently being given minimal consideration by the Knicks’ front office with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, according to the New York Post’s Marc Berman. The team would be open to taking Anthony, who missed part of his lone college season with a knee surgery, with the No. 27 pick if he falls that far, says Berman, but the guard isn’t expected to be an option for New York in the lottery even if the club trades back a few spots.
Mike Vorkunov and John Hollinger of The Athletic have written an epic piece unpacking potential Knicks trades the team could engage in during the 2020 offseason. Both agree that New York will actively look to improve its roster heading into the 2020/21 season, and that all Knicks not named RJ Barrett or Mitchell Robinson could be on the trading block.

Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Offseason Trade Options

October 6th, 2020 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

With only about $56MM in guaranteed salary on their books for next season, the Knicks have the flexibility necessary to create cap room and make a run at one or more top free agents. However, the team also feels as if it’s well-positioned to trade for an impact player, as an April report indicated.

This year’s free agent class isn’t particularly star-heavy, so it’s possible that greasing the wheels for a blockbuster trade may be a better use of the Knicks’ cap space. Plus, New York has accumulated seven first-round picks in the next four drafts and has a roster loaded with former lottery selections, so the team could put together an appealing package for the right player.

In a report this week, Marc Berman of The New York Post indicated that Pacers guard Victor Oladipo could be that player. Knicks general manager Scott Perry, who drafted Oladipo when he was a member of the Magic front office in 2013, “still is enamored” with him, according to Berman, and there have been rumblings that the All-Star may not be fully committed to Indiana for the long term.

Thunder guard Chris Paul, a former CAA client of new Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose, is another potential trade target for the franchise.

Writing today about that possibility in a separate story for The New York Post, Berman suggests that Oklahoma City would likely seek a first-round pick and a young prospect on his rookie contract in return for Paul. According to Berman, the Thunder would probably target Kevin Knox in a deal with New York, while the Knicks would rather give up Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr.

Oladipo and Paul aren’t the only potential trade candidates who could catch the Knicks’ eye this offseason, but they’re probably two of the only All-Stars who will realistically be available. Within his initial article on Oladipo, Berman names three more trade targets who would intrigue the Knicks, but it’s hard to imagine any of them (Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Paul George) actually changing teams this fall.

Of course, even if Embiid, Towns, George, or another superstar becomes available, the cost to acquire them in a trade would be extremely high. On the other hand, there are certain factors that should keep the price tags of Oladipo (health; expiring contract) and Paul (age; exorbitant salary) in check, which may appeal to the Knicks — making a trade for one of those two players could help New York move back toward playoff contention without emptying the team’s treasure chest of assets.

In today’s Community Shootaround, we want to get your input on the Knicks’ offseason options.

Does Oladipo look like an appealing trade target for New York? How about Paul? Should the team wait for a star with fewer question marks to become available before looking to trade future first-round picks? Or should the Knicks altogether avoid trading multiple assets for one impact player, focusing instead – for now at least – on using their cap room to sign free agents or to keep adding draft picks by taking on unwanted contracts?

Head to the comment section to share your thoughts on the Knicks’ offseason plan!