Derrick Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Kuzminskas, Lin, Sullinger

July 10th, 2016 at 3:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are hoping Lithuanian small forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas can help fill the void left by losing Derrick Williams to Miami, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Kuzminskas signed with New York Saturday, choosing the Knicks over the Lakers and Hawks. The 6’9″ small forward played in the Spanish League this season and has been compared with Danilo Gallinari. “We felt like we needed an agile, mobile 3 that had some ability to shoot distance and spread the court,’’ said team president Phil Jackson. “It may take him an adjustment to NBA play — we understand. It gives us another opportunity to play smaller, quicker with a wide extension of spacing.” The Knicks gave Kuzminskas a two-year deal, using almost all of their $2.9MM room exception for 2016/17. A source told Berman that Jackson hopes to add shooting guard Sasha Vujacic to the roster, along with a “cheap” veteran big man.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Reuniting with former mentor and current Nets coach Kenny Atkinson and getting a chance to be the leader of a rebuilding franchise led Jeremy Lin to Brooklyn, Brian Lewis of the New York Post details.
Sergio Rodriguez will miss Tuesday’s game with his Spanish team to finalize a deal with the Sixers, according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. He agreed to a one-year, $8MM contract with Philadelphia last week.
Considering the Celtics added Al Horford, it’s best for Jared Sullinger that the power forward is now an unrestricted free agent because of an expected lack of playing time in Boston, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sullinger land a one or two-year deal worth $6MM per season, Blakely adds.

Knicks Notes: Williams, Noah, Vujacic

July 8th, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks officially renounced their rights to free agents Derrick Williams, Kevin Seraphin, Lou Amundson and Cleanthony Early, and as a result, the quartet no longer count against the team’s salary cap figure, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). The team can still re-sign any of the players using cap space, save Williams, who agreed to a one-year pact with the Heat earlier this evening.

Here’s more from the Big Apple:

Joining the Knicks was a dream of Joakim Noah‘s for a long time, who relishes the challenge of playing in New York, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I’m not taking this opportunity for granted,’’ said Noah. “This has been a dream of mine since I was 5 years old. We’re proud to be from New York. My parents are divorced, but my father is a proud New Yorker. We all are. Fortunately, his son is playing for the New York Knicks now. This means everything to me. I’m going to do everything to make this special.”
With Langston Galloway on his way to the Pelicans, the Knicks may turn to a familiar face to bolster their backcourt — Sasha Vujacic, Berman relays in a separate piece. New York can offer little more than the veteran’s minimum to the 32-year-old, who may be able to find more lucrative offers overseas, the scribe adds. Vujacic made 61 appearances for the Knicks in 2015/16 and averaged 4.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 14.9 minutes per contest.
You can view the Knicks’ current roster and depth chart here.

Heat To Sign Derrick Williams

July 8th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat have agreed to a contract with free agent forward Derrick Williams, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). The arrangement is for one year and will pay Williams $5MM, the scribe adds. Ian Begley of ESPN.com first reported Miami’s interest in Williams.

The Knicks had expressed their desire to bring Williams back to New York for next season, but the team lacked the cap flexibility to re-sign him, though, the forward “only” landing a salary of $5MM in the current free agent market is a bit surprising. Williams isn’t necessarily a starting caliber player, but he can certainly be a valuable contributor off the bench. The 25-year-old opted out of his contract with the Knicks in June and was slated to earn $4.598MM for 2016/17, so he secured himself a small raise for his troubles.

Williams appeared in 80 games for the Knicks this past season, including nine tip-offs as a starter. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 17.9 minutes per outing. Williams’ slash line on the year was .450/.293/.758.

Heat, Udonis Haslem Negotiating New Deal

July 8th, 2016 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

One longtime member of the Heat left for Chicago this week, but it sounds like another won’t be going anywhere. According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sentinel, the Heat are in negotiations with free agent big man Udonis Haslem, and are working toward a new agreement with him. Unlike Miami’s earlier discussions with Dwyane Wade, talks with Haslem are amicable, and are expected to result in a deal above the veteran’s minimum, says Winderman.

Haslem, 36, joined the Heat at the same time Wade did back in 2003, and has been with the franchise since then. The Florida native doesn’t play as many minutes or contribute as much as he once did, having averaged a career-low 7.0 minutes per contest in 2015/16. Still, he provides a veteran leadership that Miami values.

Although the Heat did secure an agreement with Hassan Whiteside, the team is seeking additional frontcourt depth, with Luol Deng headed to Los Angeles, Amar’e Stoudemire unsigned, and Chris Bosh‘s health still a question mark. Re-signing Haslem would be a start, but the Heat have also expressed interest in Derrick Williams, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Winderman adds within his report that point guard Beno Udrih – who was bought out by the Heat earlier this year – is working out at AmericanAirlines Arena. It’s not clear if Miami intends to re-sign Udrih, but the veteran free agent is eligible to return to the Heat at any time, as Winderman notes.

And-Ones: Gasol, Ginobili, Barnes

July 3rd, 2016 at 2:40pm CST by Will Joseph

The market for Pau Gasol appears to be around $18-22MM per year with the Raptors, Bulls, Blazers, Wolves and Spurs among the teams talking with him, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). Of those teams, the Wolves have made an “aggressive” two-year offer to reunite Gasol with his former coach Tom Thibodeau, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports. It is unclear whether or not Gasol will wait for Kevin Durant to make a decision before pulling the trigger on his own move, Shelburne adds. The Blazers may have a two-year deal worth $40MM out there for Gasol, per Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Here’s more news from around the league:

Manu Ginobili, who announced he intends to play this season, plans to re-sign with the Spurs, but the two sides have yet to begin negotiations, Ginobili’s agent Herb Rudoy told Jeff McDonald of of the San Antonio Express-News. Rudoy has fielded calls from multiple teams gauging interest in his client since Ginobili’s announcement, McDonald reports. However, most teams strongly believe the veteran will reach a deal with the Spurs, McDonald adds.
Matt Barnes has received interest from the Clippers, Kings, Mavs and Warriors, Shelburne reports.
Derrick Williams‘ future with the Knicks is uncertain because New York could have only about $5MM in available cap space and Williams would likely be able to fetch a larger sum elsewhere, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays.

Eastern Rumors: Magic, Wizards, Noah, Knicks

June 22nd, 2016 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic were prepared to make Chauncey Billups one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the NBA, offering him a spot as the lead assistant on Frank Vogel‘s new staff in Orlando, but Billups has turned down the team’s offer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. According to Wojnarowski, the former NBA Finals MVP gave serious consideration to joining the Magic before deciding to remain in his current role as a television analyst. However, Billups does have interest in transitioning into a front-office role in the future.

Meanwhile, the Magic are in advanced talks with Timberwolves assistant David Adelman for a post on Vogel’s staff in Orlando, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Here’s more from across the Eastern Conference:

Add the Wizards to the list of teams with interest in Joakim Noah, says Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Noah, who may leave the Bulls and has said he’s looking forward to free agency, is also expected to receive interest from the Timberwolves.
Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams are opting out of their contracts with the Knicks, and while Afflalo is likely a goner, Phil Jackson is fond of Williams, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
Stan Van Gundy is confident that the Pistons will get a solid long-term piece at No. 18, but he isn’t counting on that player to contribute immediately, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details. In other words, if Detroit drafts a point guard with that first-round pick, that won’t stop the team from potentially pursuing a point guard in free agency. Van Gundy added that if the Pistons get trade inquiries on their pick, they have a good idea of “what would make us listen and what wouldn’t.”
If the right opportunities don’t arise this summer, the Celtics shouldn’t be in any rush to burn all their assets and cap room, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, making the case that “wait until next year” might not be a bad Plan B for Boston. Bulpett adds (in a tweet) that the C’s are “trying very hard” to make major deals, and are well prepared with quick counters when different scenarios are raised in trade talks.

Arron Afflalo, Derrick Williams To Opt Out

June 21st, 2016 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Arron Afflalo will turn down his player option with the Knicks for the 2016/17 season, opting to explore the free agent market in July, reports Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops and The Associated Press (Twitter link). Afflalo’s decision on his player option had been due this Wednesday.

By opting out, Afflalo will forfeit an $8MM salary for the coming season, under the assumption that he’ll be able to land a bigger deal on the open market. While there’s a possibility he’ll return to New York, plenty of teams around the NBA will have cap room and could target the veteran shooting guard as a more affordable alternative to the players who will earn max deals.

Afflalo, 30, signed with the Knicks last summer as a free agent, and averaged 33.4 minutes in 71 regular season contests for the team. Most of his averages for the 2016/17 season, including 12.8 PPG, a .443 FG%, and a .382 3PT%, were very similar to his career marks.

Even before Afflalo made his decision, the Knicks had been prioritizing backcourt additions this offseason. The club had been preparing for Afflalo to test the market, with new head coach Jeff Hornacek suggesting earlier this month that he expected the former UCLA standout to “see what’s out there.”

Meanwhile, Derrick Williams, who has a $4.598MM player option for 2016/17 and whose decision was also due by tomorrow, will also opt out of his contract, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The former second overall pick had arguably his best NBA season in 2015/16, setting career highs in points per 36 minutes (18.7), field goal percentage (.450), and a few other categories, as a part-time contributor for the Knicks.

With Afflalo and Williams no longer on the books for next season, the Knicks now have $56MM+ committed to seven players, not taking into account qualifying offers or cap holds for pending free agents. The salary cap is projected to land in the $94MM range.

Rockets Notes: Free Agency, Beasley, D’Antoni

May 28th, 2016 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets should concentrate on shooters in free agency if their primary targets don’t work out, recommends Kevin P. Smith of Real GM. Houston is hoping to meet with Kevin Durant and Al Horford, two of the top names in the free agent class, but if neither player comes to Houston, Smith believes 3-point marksmen should be the priority in new coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense. The writer mentions Brandon Jennings and Jerryd Bayless as possible backups to Patrick Beverley, and suggests Ryan Anderson and Mirza Teletovic as potential front court prospects. Smith also says the Rockets could have interest in Marvin Williams, Jeff Green, Derrick Williams, Marreese Speights and Al Jefferson.

Two late-season additions, Michael Beasley and Andrew Goudelock, are likely to stay in Houston for another season, Smith says in the same piece. Beasley, who played most of last season in China, averaged 12.8 points per night in 20 games after joining the Rockets. Houston has a $1.4MM team option on Beasley for 2016/17. Goudelock only made it into eight games after signing with the Rockets in March, but a $1,015,696 team option gives him a chance to stick around.
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander chose the “big, splashy name” when he hired D’Antoni this week, charges Brian T. Smith of The Houston Chronicle. Smith writes that the Rockets should have hired Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, and that D’Antoni is the wrong choice to bring the discipline and emphasis on defense that the Rockets need to improve on a 41-41 season.
Free agents will be more likely to consider Houston because of D’Antoni’s history of helping his players land big contracts, writes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com. Adande lists Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Amar’e Stoudemire and Jodie Meeks as players who struck it big in free agency after playing in D’Antoni’s up-tempo system.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Rambis, Anthony, Dolan

April 14th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson will consider other coaching candidates beyond Kurt Rambis, but only if he knows them well and they believe in the triangle offense, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Jackson said the coaching search could stretch through July, presumably to see if Golden State assistant Luke Walton would be interested. Jackson admitted the Knicks “came apart at the end of the season,’’ finishing 9-19 after Rambis took over, but he added that the interim coach will get an interview. Berman lists Brian Shaw, Bill Cartwright, Rick Fox and Scott Brooks as others likely to be interviewed. Jackson may also take the recommendation of GM Steve Mills and talk to former Cavaliers coach David Blatt.

Ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau may be left off that list, as Jackson is devoted to the triangle and lashed out at critics of the approach. “That’s what I was brought here for — to install a system,’’ he said. “That’s all part of the package. Who are these people? Do they have 11 championships to talk about?”

There’s more postseason news from New York:

Jackson would like to bring free agents Langston Galloway and Lance Thomas back next season, Berman tweets. That also applies to Derrick Williams if he doesn’t decide to opt out of his $4.598MM deal.
There has been speculation about Carmelo Anthony forcing his way out of New York if the Knicks don’t have a productive summer in free agency, and the veteran forward said again today that his greatest desire is to win, tweets Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal. “I’ve thought about [playing somewhere else],” said Anthony, who could waive his no-trade clause and demand to be dealt elsewhere. “Only thing I think about is winning more, whether it’s here or somewhere else.” (Twitter link).
The coaching decision will be vital to Anthony and owner James Dolan, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Isola calls on Dolan to order a meeting with Anthony and Jackson where they can discuss their vision of the next coach. The columnist also urges Jackson to give up on the triangle and adjust to “the modern NBA,” which includes interviewing Thibodeau, Blatt, Brooks, Mark Jackson and Patrick Ewing.

Knicks Notes: Seraphin, Galloway, Williams

April 12th, 2016 at 6:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

As the Knicks’ 2015/16 season winds down, the focus turns to the offseason and a number of roster decisions that the team will need to make. Kevin Seraphin, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, Derrick Williams, who has a player option for next season valued at $4.598MM, and Langston Galloway, who can become a restricted free agent, all hope to return to the Knicks next season, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders relays. When asked about his intentions regarding his option, Williams said, “I haven’t really thought about it. I love playing here. It’s amazing. It might not have ended the way we wanted it to, but you can tell that city is starving for victories and a winning team. I love it here. I really don’t want to say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ There is always the option of, even if I opt out, to come back and re-sign. There [are] plenty of different options and I’m excited and looking forward to it.”

Seraphin, 26, noted that it took him some time to adapt to his new team, but added that he loves the bond he has formed with his teammates, Beer adds. “We will see what’s going on, because it still is a business,” Seraphin said about a potential return to the Knicks in 2016/17. “I don’t like to address that stuff too much because we never know what’s going to happen.”

Here’s more from New York:

Galloway, who needs to play just two minutes in tonight’s game to trigger starter criteria, says his clear preference is to re-sign with the Knicks, Beer relays in the same piece. “I definitely want to come back,” Galloway said. “I’m just hoping they want me to come back. Hopefully I’ll be back and see you guys next year. It’s been a great experience being here. I’m definitely excited to see what happens the rest of the summer. I think I’ve showcased what I can do, and I think the Knicks have seen what I can do. I’m just going to try and improve my game.”
The Knicks are still talking about implementing the triangle offense two years after Phil Jackson was hired as team president, which illustrates that the experiment with the system has failed and it’s time to move on, writes Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News.
It doesn’t appear that New York plans on scrapping the triangle offense anytime soon, as the team intends to target players who fit the system this offseason, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays. “It shouldn’t be a balance [between finding players to fit a system and building a system around the players]. It’s whatever decision you want to make,” interim coach Kurt Rambis said. “The decision with management is to get players who fit into the system. Neither way is wrong. It’s about your mindset and what you want to do. And I think the whole process has been to get players who we feel will fit into the system. No team stays pat except the exceptional teams. Everybody is trying to improve and find ways to get better. Naturally, we’ll be one of those teams.”