Derrick Rose

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Sharpe, Randle, Brunson, Rose

Celtics forward Grant Williams has been fined $20K for hitting the game ball into the spectator stands, the league’s communications department tweets. The incident, for which Williams was assessed a technical foul and ejected, occurred late in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 123-107 loss to the Warriors on Saturday.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Nets forward Day’Ron Sharpe may have earned more playing time with his performance on Saturday with many of the team’s regulars out, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Sharpe had a career-high-tying 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks as the Nets defeated Indiana. “He’s a young young dude, he’s still learning the speed and where to be. For us to throw different things at him and for him not to get flustered and have poise was great to see,” coach Jacque Vaughn said of the 2021 first-round pick.
  • Knicks forward Julius Randle got tossed during the third quarter against Sacramento on Sunday for picking up two technical fouls. Coach Tom Thibodeau believes the coaching staff needs to calm Randle down in those situation to keep him on the court, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “When he got the first [technical foul], we have to do a better job of helping him walk away,” Thibodeau said. “As a team, staff, all of us.”
  • Derrick Rose, who was recently removed from the Knicks‘ rotation, could get some playing time restored if Jalen Brunson needs to miss some games, Braziller writes in a separate story. Brunson left Sunday’s game with what the team’s PR department described as a sore right foot (Twitter link). The Knicks don’t play again until Wednesday.

Knicks Notes: McBride, Rose, Thibodeau, LaVine

As Miles McBride has taken Derrick Rose‘s spot in the Knicks‘ rotation, he has received plenty of advice from the veteran guard, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. McBride logged 16 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Cavaliers, while Rose never left the bench. It was the second night of a back-to-back, but it appears coach Tom Thibodeau plans to keep that arrangement in place.

“(Rose) handles it very well,” McBride said. “I don’t think he’s the type of guy to get down on himself. We’re all human and at the end of the day we compete. That’s why we’re in this business, in this league. You couldn’t ask for a better vet. He’s handled it well. He’s talked to me. He understands it. It’s the nature of the beast.”

McBride has been waiting for a shot at regular playing time since being selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. He averaged 9.3 minutes in 40 games as a rookie and was seeing just 6.8 minutes per night in 12 games before this current opportunity. McBride isn’t an offensive threat like Rose, but he has other qualities that fit his coach’s philosophy.

“He’s real long. You look at wingspan, that’s a huge asset for him,” Thibodeau said. “Toughness, anticipation, great feet, strength, all those things. Very, very competitive. High IQ in terms of reading the game. And he’s a multiple-effort guy. He’s going to give you more than one effort on every play.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • Rose and Cam Reddish have joined Evan Fournier in being removed from the rotation, but Thibodeau expects everyone to contribute, whether they’re seeing regular playing time or not, Popper adds in a separate story. Thibodeau explained that he made the latest moves to place a stronger emphasis on defense.
  • The Knicks need to find a star player and they have to be ready with an offer when the next one becomes available, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said tonight on the network’s pre-game show (video link). Woj mentions the BullsZach LaVine as a potential target by February’s trade deadline, but says he’s not available yet. LaVine signed a five-year extension with Chicago during the offseason.
  • In case you missed it, the Knicks are reportedly working with Reddish’s representatives to try to find a trade for the fourth-year forward.

Knicks Rumors: Rose, Reddish, Quickley, Fournier

The Knicks have been “active on trade calls” more than two months ahead of this season’s February 9 trade deadline, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who notes that the team has shown a tendency in recent years to complete its major moves well before the deadline arrives.

New York’s 2021 acquisition of Derrick Rose came approximately a month-and-a-half before the trade deadline, while last season’s Cam Reddish deal was finalized about four weeks ahead of the deadline.

Incidentally, Rose and Reddish are two of the players the Knicks are discussing most frequently with potential trade partners, along with Immanuel Quickley and Evan Fournier, league sources tell Katz.

Here’s where things stand with those four players, per Katz:

  • There’s not a ton of demand for Rose, whose production and playing time have both dropped off this season. According to Katz, teams are wary of giving up much for the 34-year-old, especially given his injury history.
  • The market for Reddish also isn’t particularly hot, with the Knicks considered very unlikely to recoup the sort of return they gave up for him last season (Kevin Knox‘s expiring contract and a protected first-round pick). Like Rose, Reddish has recently fallen out of Tom Thibodeau‘s rotation, which doesn’t help his trade value.
  • The Knicks have discussed various types of deals involving Quickley. In scenarios where he’s the only outgoing player, the club has sought a first-round pick, Katz writes. The thinking is that New York has an overcrowded depth chart and wants to free up playing time, so the team is exploring player-for-pick or two-for-one scenarios, Katz adds.
  • The Knicks’ front office has shown no interest in attaching draft assets to Fournier just to move him, since getting his contract off the books wouldn’t create much extra cap flexibility in 2023 (the club would still have $113MM+ in guaranteed money committed to eight other players). However, league sources tell Katz that New York has conveyed a willingness to attach Quickley or Reddish to Fournier when discussing potential trades.

Atlantic Notes: Rose, Raptors, Simmons, Watanabe

Derrick Rose has seen his playing time drop and he didn’t play at all on Sunday, Rose said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau decided to give second-year guard Miles McBride a closer look, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets. McBride played 16 scoreless minutes against Cleveland.

“(Thibodeau) said he wanted to give a Deuce a look. That’s all he told me. So I understood,” the veteran Knicks guard said.

Considering Rose’s $15,596,339 salary for next season includes a club option, the Knicks could look to move Rose to a team in need of a backup point guard.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Raptors need to solve their perimeter shooting woes in order to make a move up the standings, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Toronto is shooting just 33% from deep, with Fred VanVleet (34%), Gary Trent Jr. (33.6%) and Scottie Barnes (32.1%) among those underperforming. “We’re not really where we need to be,” VanVleet said. “It’s not a bad place to be, we’ve just got to make that jump if we want to be a great team.”
  • The Nets’ Ben Simmons is hopeful he can return to action against Atlanta on Friday, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. Simmons has been out since Nov. 28 due to knee soreness. He’s averaging 8.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game this season.
  • Another Nets player, Yuta Watanabe, is hopeful he can return to action on Friday or Saturday this week, Friedell adds in another tweet. Recovering from a hamstring injury, he recently got some 3-on-3 work in. Watanabe, who is a one-year minimum contract, hasn’t played since Nov. 20. He averaged 14.5 points during a four-game stretch prior to suffering the injury.

Knicks Notes: Mitchell, Grimes, Reddish, Rose

A potentially embarrassing night turned into a positive for the Knicks as Donovan Mitchell made his first appearance of the season at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, writes Steve Popper of Newsday.

Mitchell, a New York native who was nearly traded to the Knicks this summer, has raised his game since Cleveland swooped in with a better offer. Although he scored 23 points in Sunday’s contest, he was limited to 8-of-22 from the field and 2-of-11 from three-point range. Afterward, he wasn’t interested in speculating about what might have happened if New York’s front office had completed the trade.

“What’s done is done, and I’m happy as hell to be where I’m at,” Mitchell said. “At the end of the day, this decision was made and I don’t think I’ve been happier since I’ve been in the league. But I think for me it’s always going to be motivation to come back and play well in my hometown, but you could say that about anybody. But with what happened this summer, it’s over with, it happened and I’m happy to be with the Cavaliers.”

There’s more from New York:

  • Quentin Grimes, whom the Knicks were reluctant to include in a potential deal with Utah, was excited to get the assignment to guard Mitchell, Popper adds. Grimes set the tone in the first quarter as Mitchell hit just 1-of-6 shots, with his lone make coming on a switch. “I knew that was going to be a big matchup with everything that happened this summer,” Grimes said. “Come in focused. That’s one of the best players in the NBA. Had to stay locked in, and I feel like I did a good job on him today and we came out with a win.”
  • Cam Reddish didn’t play against Cleveland as coach Tom Thibodeau trimmed his rotation for the game, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Braziller notes that Reddish has been ineffective since returning from a groin injury and adjusting to a reserve role after spending time as a starter earlier in the fall.
  • Derrick Rose also wasn’t used Sunday, marking his first healthy scratch of the season, adds Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Thibodeau indicated that it may have been a one-game situation with Rose, resting the veteran guard because the team was on the second night of a back-to-back. “I wanted to get it to nine-man rotation,” Thibodeau told reporters. “It worked a lot better.”

Southwest Notes: Walker, Morant, Rose, Johnson, Daniels, Giddey

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hopes Kemba Walker can be a dynamic offensive presence for the team, as he told Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

We wanted to add some flexibility to our offense,” Cuban said. “Like last year at this point, we have great shot quality, particularly from the three, but we have struggled to make enough of them. Kemba will give (head coach Jason Kidd) more offensive flexibility.”

Townsend adds (via Twitter) that Walker’s contract, which hasn’t been officially signed yet, will be for the veteran’s minimum, as that’s all the Mavericks have to offer — they’re over the salary cap and used their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign JaVale McGee and give second-rounder Jaden Hardy a three-year deal.

Here’s more from the Southwest:

  • Grizzlies star Ja Morant views Derrick Rose as a trailblazer for athletic point guards, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant said after recording 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in Sunday’s victory over the Knicks. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”
  • Spurs forward Keldon Johnson had a mature approach to being benched last week, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I was letting myself down, my team down, my coaches down,” he said. “I just knew I had to play better.” Johnson signed a four-year, $74MM rookie scale extension in the offseason that begins in 2023/24. He’s averaging a career-high 20.4 points per night through 19 games.
  • Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels and Thunder guard Josh Giddey could make history on Monday. If they both play in their matchup, they would be the first NBA Global Academy teammates to play against each other in an NBA game, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The two Australian point guards have been friends for several years and competed together for the Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, Mussatto notes. Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin, another lottery pick, is the third Global Academy alumnus to make it to the NBA.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Rose, Barrett, Robinson

A right quad contusion may force Jalen Brunson to miss his first game since signing with the Knicks, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. Brunson suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday’s loss to Portland. He sat out today’s practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday when New York hosts the Grizzlies.

Brunson has been worth the $104MM investment that the Knicks made in free agency, leading the team with 21.8 points and 6.5 assists per game through the first quarter of the season. He has also become an on-court leader for a franchise that spent years searching for an answer at point guard.

“The leadership, I think point guard is a leadership position, and it helps you to manage and control the team,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think Jalen is so team-oriented, I think it makes your team play unselfishly. I think we’re scoring a lot of points, and he gives us an attack, a pace to the game, downhill, guys are playing off each other. And if you move and you’re open on a cut, he’s gonna hit you. He wants to get the ball up the floor fast and when we do that, I think it presents a lot of easy scoring opportunities for everybody.” 

There’s more from New York City:

  • Derrick Rose participated in most of today’s practice after missing the past two games with an injured toe, Botte adds. Thibodeau said Rose looked “better,” but he’s still questionable for Sunday. Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride figure to see additional playing time if Brunson and Rose are out.
  • RJ Barrett‘s extended shooting slump continued Friday, but he told reporters, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Barrett made 6-of-22 shots against the Trail Blazers and is now 36-of-114 in his last seven games. Thibodeau thought Barrett was too focused on trying to draw fouls rather than attacking the basket, and Barrett seemed to agree. “They were getting everything, I thought I would get some. Sheesh,” he said, referencing Portland’s 51 free throw attempts. “Second half I started going in more aggressively, trying to finish. I played a little better.”
  • Mitchell Robinson, who had to leave Monday’s game due to pain in his right knee, admitted that the knee still isn’t 100% but he’s trying to be available for the team, Braziller adds. Robinson played 23 minutes Friday with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Knicks Notes: Quickley, Robinson, McBride, Rose, Grimes

The Knicksreported willingness to trade Immanuel Quickley is related to their long-term goal of making a deal for a star, explains Fred Katz of The Athletic. New York is seeking a first-round pick for Quickley, according to Katz, who writes that New York’s front office may believe that a first-rounder from another team is more valuable in a potential trade than Quickley, who will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension next summer.

Quickley has been part of the team’s rotation since his rookie season, and his game has evolved over time. Katz notes that he was originally relied on for instant offense off the bench, but his efficiency has declined and he’s now shooting a career-worst 30.9% on three-pointers. However, Quickley’s defense has gotten better, he pushes the pace in transition and is relentless in pursuing loose balls. He has value to the organization, but management may not want to pay whatever he can get in an extension or in restricted free agency.

Katz points out that Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes will earn a combined $97MM in the 2024/25 season, which would be the first year of an extension for Quickley or Obi Toppin. If they both sign for roughly the mid-level exception, the Knicks will have about $120MM tied up for seven players. Assuming a salary cap of $140MM, the team would have limited resources to complete its roster, without considering new deals for Cam Reddish, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims.

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • Robinson was ruled out of Monday’s game in the fourth quarter because of pain in his right knee, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. It’s the same condition that recently caused him to miss eight games, but the team isn’t overly concerned. “Just a little soreness. To be expected,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I thought he gave us really good minutes in the first half. But it’ll be a work in progress each day. (Tuesday) will be a good day for recovery and rehab. But he’s coming along.” 
  • Derrick Rose‘s toe injury has created an opportunity for second-year guard Miles McBride, Botte adds. McBride got into just four of the team’s first 16 games, but he played 29 combined minutes in the last two. “Good energy, good ball pressure. It’s good to see him out there,” Thibodeau said. “He’s worked extremely hard. So I’m expecting good things from him.” Rose will be reexamined today as the team returns home after a five-game road trip.
  • Grimes made a statement in his return to the starting lineup on Sunday, Botte notes in a separate story. Grimes, who had been out of the rotation, handed out a career-high eight assists to go with 10 points and five rebounds. “I don’t think I ever thought I blew (my chance), he said. “I know who I am and the way Thibs feels about me, and the organization. I just had to wait for my opportunity, and it was gonna come. … You gotta be ready for the opportunity when it comes, and I feel like it came today and I made the most of it.”

Knicks Open To Discussing Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose

The Knicks have exhibited a willingness to discuss guards Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose in trade talks in the early part of the 2022/23 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says the team is considering ways to clear a logjam in its backcourt.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported last week that the Knicks had received some inquiries on Quickley, with teams around the NBA viewing New York’s crowded rotation as something the club will want to address sooner or later. Following up on The Athletic’s report today, Begley confirms that there have been some “cursory” trade conversations involving Rose as well (Twitter links).

Sources tell Begley that the Knicks have sought draft compensation as part of the return in some of their trade discussions involving the two guards.

Following Jalen Brunson‘s arrival, both Quickley and Rose are averaging fewer minutes per game than they did last season. Rose’s drop-off has been far more substantial — after averaging 25.8 minutes per game in his first 61 appearances with New York, he has logged just 13.5 MPG this season through 15 contests. Quickley is averaging 22.1 MPG, a slight dip from last season’s 23.1 MPG.

Besides having fewer minutes available for Quickley and Rose, the Knicks have also removed shooting guards Quentin Grimes and Evan Fournier from their rotation entirely within the last week.

Rose is on a de facto expiring contract, earning approximately $14.5MM this season with a $15.6MM team option for 2023/24. Quickley, meanwhile, is in the third season of his four-year rookie deal and has a modest cap hit of just $2.3MM. He’ll become extension-eligible in the 2023 offseason and will earn $4.2MM next season.

Knicks Notes: Grimes, Fournier, Rose

After feeling some foot soreness following the Knicks‘ 106-104 win over the Sixers last Friday, starting shooting guard Quentin Grimes was rested for the team’s subsequent two contests out of an abundance of caution, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Katz tweets, New York head coach Tom Thibodeau indicates that Grimes was a full participant in the club’s team practice on Thursday with no restrictions.

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reports (via Twitter) that Grimes had two MRIs on the sore foot — he’s not suffering from plantar fasciitis and doesn’t require surgery.

There’s more out of New York:

  • Knicks reserve shooting guard Evan Fournier has yet to play more than 14 minutes in a game since being moved to a bench role. Zach Brazilier of The New York Post suggests that Fournier may be in jeopardy of losing out on any rotation minutes due to his unproductive efforts as a backup. Thibodeau spoke diplomatically about Fournier, emphasizing his openness to the role reduction. “Some guys are on the outside of the rotation, but those things change really quickly,” Thibodeau said. “Whatever role you’re asked to play, star in that role. Embrace the role. Put the team first. I think we have a number of guys that have done that.”
  • Fournier is not the only Knicks veteran dealing with slashed run time. Injury-prone reserve combo guard Derrick Rose has also seen his on-court time reduced. Rose weighed in to the media recently on the shift, Bondy tweets. “I’m letting everybody be, man,” Rose said. “The last guy [Thibodeau] wants to hear from is the guy who has been in the league for 15 years going in and complaining and bitching.” Rose hasn’t played more than 18 minutes for New York all season. “I’m in the unknown,” Rose added about his current role with the club, per Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). Through 11 games, the 34-year-old is averaging career lows of 12.7 MPG and 6.0 PPG, with .382/.355/1.000 shooting splits.