Jason Kidd Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks GM Talks Cap, Prigioni, Copeland, Kidd

May 21st, 2013 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald spoke to the media today, reflecting on a Knicks season that ended with a second-round loss to the Pacers and looking ahead to the team's plans for the coming summer. A number of New York reporters, including Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Marc Berman of the New York Post, and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, passed along a few of Grunwald's more notable comments, so let's round them up:

The Knicks will focus on continuing to build and add to their core group, but won't be able to acquire anyone via sign-and-trade, says Grunwald (Twitter link). That rules out the pursuit of a top free agent like Chris Paul.
New York will have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception rather than the full $5.15MM MLE, and Grunwald says the club may have to dip into it to match offer sheets for restricted free agents Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland (Twitter link).
Despite the team's limited cap flexibility, Grunwald is confident the team can be "creative" when it comes to adding talent, noting that the Knicks "have some ideas" for what can be done (Twitter link).
After speaking to Jason Kidd, Grunwald is confident the veteran point guard will be back next season, as opposed to retiring (Twitter link).
Grunwald declined to comment on J.R. Smith's free agency, but added: "I don’t think you should read that one way or another" (Twitter link).
Although Grunwald was disappointed by the way the Knicks' season ended, he stressed that he likes the team and is excited about its future (Sulia link).

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Raps, Copeland, Knicks

May 21st, 2013 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have scheduled a pair of conference calls this morning, one with MLSE president/CEO Tim Leiweke and one with Bryan Colangelo, who appears to be taking on a new non-basketball role with the franchise. While we await word on Colangelo's official title, let's check in on a few other notes related to the Raptors' front office changes and related to one of Toronto's division rivals….

The Raptors' top target to replace Colangelo as the head of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, isn't going to talk to Leiweke before Wednesday, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Smith also suggests that if the Raptors miss out on Ujiri, they should try to convince current advisor Wayne Embry to become the team's new president.
Bruce Arthur and Eric Koreen of the National Post each provide retrospectives for Colangelo's tenure as the Raptors' general manager.
A few days after Chris Copeland's agent said that money would be an important factor in free agency this summer, Copeland stressed that he's "never chased the highest bidder," as Mark Hale of the New York Post details. "I love it here [with the Knicks]," Copeland said. "The finances play a part, but I have a lot of emotional ties here that it would be harder for me to break."
In his latest piece for the New York Post, Marc Berman touches on the contract situations for a number of Knicks players. The highlights: Tyson Chandler says he's not sure whether or not Jason Kidd will continue his playing career, while Carmelo Anthony expresses a desire to see J.R. Smith re-sign with the team.

Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Sampson, Howard, Kidd

May 16th, 2013 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up the latest out of the Atlantic, where the division's lone remaining team (the Knicks) will attempt to stave off elimination at Madison Square Garden tonight….

The Sixers have received permission to interview Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, according to John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sampson had already been on Philadelphia's list of candidates before former Rockets assistant GM Sam Hinkie was hired by the Sixers, but it will be interesting to see whether or not the Houston connection makes Sampson a stronger candidate for the opening.
Mitchell adds in the same piece that Hinkie is believed to be eyeing Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek as well.
Hinkie says he'll look at all options in building his team back up to contention, writes PhillyBurbs.com's Tom Moore.
In identifying Dwight Howard's five likeliest free agent destinations, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes that there's still mutual interest between Howard and the Nets. While Kennedy notes that, due to their cap situation, the Nets are a "long shot," I'd classify Brooklyn's odds of landing Howard as even more miniscule than that.
Mark Hale of the New York Post notes that Jason Kidd has said there's no guarantee he'll finish his current three-year contract, and wonders if Kidd's struggles during this postseason could influence a retirement decision.

Michael Pina contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: NBPA, James, Datome, Love

April 25th, 2013 at 9:01pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets that the U.S. Attorney's office has indicted Prim Capital for falsifying a document to defraud the NBPA of $3MM. Wojnarowski provided a link to the full press release earlier as well. Prim Capital, in which the son of former NBPA executive director Billy Hunter was vice president, previously had a consulting contract with the player's union that was later deemed fraudulent by the U.S. Attorney's office. Here are more of tonight's odds and ends:

Knicks guard Jason Kidd credits Kenyon Martin for "saving our season," writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. It is difficult to imagine where New York would have been without Martin's contributions, especially as the team has dealt with plenty of injuries in their frontcourt.
Eric Koreen of the National Post outlines the top ten legacies that are on the line during the NBA playoffs.
Jon Humbert of KOMO tweets that the Longshore Union filed an appeal over the land use challenge for the Seattle arena. Last month, a report from The Seattle Times (via the Associated press) said that the Longshoremen have been in staunch opposition of an arena being built near the Seattle waterfront, due to the congestion of the area that would be caused by athletic events.
Mike James proved to be a viable pickup for the Mavericks this season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 APG while helping the team finish 15-8 over their final 23 games. Although James said recently that he'd like to play two more seasons with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas discusses why the Amityville product doesn't figure to be in the team's long-term plans.
Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is expected to travel to Rome next week to scout Gigi Datome, according to Sportando.net (hat tip to Il Corriere dello Sport).
Following up on a hypothetical trade proposed by Grantland's Bill
Simmons, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com examines the possibility of
the Bulls trying to trade for Kevin Love, exploring whether a package of
Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and
Charlotte's first-round pick would be more than Chicago would be willing
to give up.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the evolution of Paul George into an All-Star and a leader in the Pacers locker room.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Martin, Sixers, Turner

March 24th, 2013 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

After struggling to find an NBA team for much of the season, Kenyon Martin has found a home with the Knicks. The veteran forward has proven to be a vital piece for New York down the stretch and K-Mart says that he wants to return next season. While one would have thought that he would have gotten a return invite from the Clippers last year, it’s hard to see the Knicks not making an effort to re-sign Martin if he keeps playing like this. Let’s head over to 7th Ave and work our way out to the rest of the Atlantic..

Knicks coach Mike Woodson sounds confident that Jason Kidd can play out the remaining two years on his contract, but the point guard isn’t quite as sure, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “We’re going to revisit [it],” he said. “We [would] love to make it to 42, but we have to be realistic. If the body and mind can’t compete at the same time, then I got to move to the side and watch these younger guys play. But I feel great.”
While the Sixers‘ biggest decision this summer may be in regards to Andrew Bynum, they’ll also have to figure out what their future will be with Evan Turner, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Turner doesn’t merit a deal like Jrue Holiday‘s four-year, $44MM contract and he probably won’t want to take something signficantly cheaper. Philly can trigger Turner’s $8.7MM qualifying offer for 2014/15 to give them the right to match anyone else’s deal.
With the Nets, Kidd and Martin used to get notoriously fired up to beat the crosstown rival Knicks. Martin never imagined that the two would be reunited in blue-and-orange, but he’s happy about it nonetheless, writes Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press.

Odds & Ends: Yi, McGrady, Turkoglu

March 23rd, 2013 at 5:47pm CST by Ryan Raroque

A handful of players have joined the NBA after finishing their season in China, and Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops wonders if Yi Jianlian could attract some attention after dominating in the CBA thus far. The former NBA lottery pick has averaged 24.9 PPG and 10.5 RPG while shooting 59.4% from the field and 40.7% from long distance for the Guangdong Southern Tigers this year, and is currently playing in the CBA Finals. We've got several more links to share with you this evening:

In that same piece, Sheridan says that former NBA superstar Tracy McGrady is mulling a return to the Qingdao Flying Eagles for another season.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says that it's "highly likely" the Magic will part ways with Hedo Turkoglu during the offseason. The 34-year-old forward doesn't appear to fit into the team's long-term plans, and only $6MM of his $12MM contract next year is fully guaranteed.
Dave McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles report that Lakers reserve Antawn Jamison will play through pain after suffering a slight tear in his shooting wrist during Friday night's loss to the Wizards.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson thinks that Jason Kidd could "absolutely" play two years after this one (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets).
Despite all the media attention converging onto Miami nowadays, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't think that the Heat approaching the NBA's all-time winning streak has created any unneeded pressure.
Marc D'Amico of Celtics.com examines Jeff Green's performance against the Heat last Monday, calling it a game indicative of a potential superstar.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Kidd, Wizards, Wall, Rose

March 22nd, 2013 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Heat signed Juwan Howard for the remainder of the season after the big man completed his second 10-day contract with the team. “He brings credible, veteran leadership [to the team],” coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). While a team in Miami’s position would typically be in cruise control at this stage of the season, there’s a winning streak to protect, so we may not see Howard on the hardwood anytime soon. Here’s more from the conference that people once dismissed as the JV portion of the league..

Several people close to Knicks guard Jason Kidd wouldn’t be surprised if he calls it a career after this season, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The future Hall of Famer, who says that he hasn’t made up his mind yet, will celebrate his 40th birthday tomorrow. Kidd’s deal with the Knicks runs through 2014/15.
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) asks how much Wizards guard John Wall is worth. Wall only has one more year on his rookie scale contract, meaning that Washington can work out an extension with him this summer. The Wizards could give him a five-year deal with the designated-player exception but they may instead decide to hold on to it for Bradley Beal.
In his latest mailbag, NBA.com’s Sam Smith writes that he doesn’t see Derrick Rose making the Bulls title contenders if he returns this season. The star guard would have to ease his way back into playing and likely couldn’t be as much of a factor in limited playing time.

New York Notes: Kidd, Stoudemire, Blatche

December 25th, 2012 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

This afternoon's game vs. the Celtics was the equivalent of a lump of coal in the Nets' stocking, as Brooklyn suffered a 17-point defeat on its home court. The Knicks are hoping for a better result in Los Angeles, currently engaged in a tight game with the Lakers in the second half. As we wait to see if one of the two New York teams can pull out a Christmas Day victory, here are a few links out of the Big Apple:

While some fans and pundits were skeptical when the Knicks signed Jason Kidd to a three-year contract this summer, the veteran point guard has been at the heart of the team's success, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Also at ESPNNewYork.com, Begley asks whether the Knicks should trade Amare Stoudemire. I think a better question would be whether the Knicks can trade Stoudemire.
Andray Blatche tells NBA.com's Jeff Caplan that after being amnestied by the Wizards in July, it was a while before he received any interest from NBA teams: "During the summer, I didn’t get no phone calls." Blatche ended up working out in Houston with former coach John Lucas, and Caplan notes that if Nets coach Avery Johnson didn't live just outside of Houston, allowing him to work out Blatche at his home, the ex-Wizard may not be playing in the NBA right now.
Earlier today, I examined Kris Humphries as a trade candidate.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Amare, Celtics, Garnett

December 21st, 2012 at 3:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Items out of the Atlantic Division..

Some have wondered how Amare Stoudemire will fit in with the Knicks' future, but a team source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that the club brought the Erie Bayhawks to New York specifically to work out with the forward. That gesture is a sign that the Knicks are committed to Stoudemire long term in the eyes of Berman. Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks were practically looking to give Stoudemire away for free over the summer.
Coach Mike Woodson doesn't seem to think that today's report will have an effect on Stoudemire, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. "Amare is a big piece of the New York Knicks and that's why he's still here," said the coach.
Jim Cavan of the New York Times writes that a lower turnover rate has been a key to the Knicks' success this season.
The Celtics need a big man who will help give Kevin Garnett and Chris Wilcox help down low, writes Rich Levine of CSNNE.com. Levine suggests that the C's can package Courtney Lee and Fab Melo for Jason Thompson of the Kings or the Blazers' J.J. Hickson.
If the Celtics don’t show improvement on the defensive end before the trade deadline, expect team president Danny Ainge to find better complementary pieces for Garnett, writes Dan Guttenplan of WEEI.com.
Louis Williams reflects on his years with the 76ers as he prepares to face his former team as a member of the Hawks.
Jason Kidd believes that Deron Williams is struggling with his shooting, which is to blame for his poor recent play, and not Nets coach Avery Johnson.

Atlantic Notes: Kidd, Amare, Bargnani, Raptors

December 12th, 2012 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After a tight intra-division game in Brooklyn last night between the Nets and Knicks, the Nets head to Toronto for a matchup with the Raptors tonight. The Air Canada Centre won't have the same energy the Barclays Center did, but at least one team will snap a long losing streak tonight — both Brooklyn and Toronto have dropped five straight games. Here are a few afternoon notes out of the Atlantic:

Tyson Chandler tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that he called former Mavericks teammate Jason Kidd a few times over the summer in an attempt to recruit him to the Knicks. "I told him, 'We have some other guys that we may get in free agency, so this could be a really deep roster and we need a guy like you.'" Chandler said. "I felt like he could be the key to put us over the hump."
Kidd also said on the radio that Amare Stoudemire could be back by the end of the month, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley (via Twitter).
Andrea Bargnani has been ruled out indefinitely with an elbow injury, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The injury will likely curb the Bargnani trade rumors and speculation at least temporarily.
There are some within the Raptors organization who say that Dwane Casey's job status has been discussed, but president Bryan Colangelo flatly denies it, says Bruce Arthur of the National Post.
Colangelo's tenures with the Suns and Raptors have been polar opposites, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com points out that even without Andrew Bynum, the Sixers have the most wins of the four teams involved in the Dwight Howard trade this summer, a point of pride for coach Doug Collins.
Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com tweets that Collins is no longer planning to send rookie Arnett Moultrie to the D-League.