Kris Humphries

Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Humphries, Landry, Knicks

The Celtics make their third appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in the last five years when they open up against the Heat tonight. Here's the latest from other teams in the division hoping to build toward that kind of consistent success.

  • If the Sixers decide to use the amnesty clause to wipe the $18.16MM due Elton Brand next year off their cap, Nets power forward Kris Humphries will be their No. 1 target to replace him via free agency, writes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Carl Landry is also the kind of power forward the Sixers like, Mitchell says.
  • Mitchell, in the same piece, says he doesn't put too much stock in Lou Williams' comments suggesting he'll be back with the Sixers, and hears that the 25-year-old combo guard will seek "a nice, long-term deal" after turning down his $5.35MM option for next season.
  • Giorgos Printezis, a 6'9" forward who hit the game-winning shot for Olympiacos of Greece in the Euroleague championship earlier this month, told Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops he would entertain offers this summer from the Knicks, who hold his NBA rights (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
  • Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes the Knicks, who officially removed the interim tag from coach Mike Woodson's title Friday, were the only "real option" for luring Phil Jackson out of retirement (Twitter link).
  • Luke Adams looked at the summer ahead for the Sixers earlier today in the latest installment of our Offseason Outlook feature.

Billy King Talks Nets’ Offseason

Nets GM Billy King took a look ahead to the offseason today, discussing the next steps for his team with a number of beat reporters. Here are the highlights, courtesy of Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, and Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger (all links via Twitter):

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Humphries

With Tyson Chandler battling the flu, the Knicks may be without their star center in Game 1 against the Heat when playoff action gets underway on Saturday in Miami. The Knicks would turn to Jared Jeffries to man the paint if the team's defensive star in unable to play. Let's take a look around the rest of the Atlantic Division to see what else is making news and headlines.

  • The Celtics' continued success this season amidst injuries and setbacks can be traced to the team's tightly-knit roster, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Head coach Doc Rivers maintained a sense of calm and confidence in his squad even when the team's early season record had pundits convinced that the Celtics would struggle to make the playoffs. "I like our spirit," Rivers said. "We're showing resolve. You can see the camaraderie; it's just a good group, a good group to coach. And the future will say how good we are as a basketball team. But they're a good group to coach, and I'm a coach, so that's good." 
  • Newsday's Al Iannazzone says the Knicks need to see significant production out of offseason signings Baron Davis and Mike Bibby if the team hopes to be competitive against the Heat. The two veteran point guards have stepped up their play considerably in the wake of Jeremy Lin's season-ending injury, but need to continue to do so on a nightly basis heading into the playoffs. For Bibby, being a contributing factor means hitting open three-pointers, a likely scenario given the Heat's struggles defending beyond the arc, while Davis simply needs to keep himself healthy.
  • The Nets are excited about the opportunity to move to Brooklyn and play in a new arena, especially unrestricted free agent Kris Humphries, who hopes to re-sign with the team, reports Nets.com's Ben Couch"I've been to Brooklyn a lot," Humphries said. "We did a ton of stuff in the community there, and our community involvement staff and the PR team, everyone did a great job, getting us familiar with Brooklyn, helping connect us in the community, so I think we'll be able to hit the ground running, if I'm here, and for the guys who are here next year."

Odds & Ends: Humphries, Carmelo, Woodson, Paul

Tonight's Clippers/Hawks game will affect playoff seeding, and the Hornets/Warriors contest has lottery implications. But the one to circle on tonight's schedule is Suns vs. Jazz in Utah, a game Al Jefferson calls the biggest of his life (via Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune). A Utah win clinches the Jazz a playoff spot, while a Suns win would mean the two teams are tied for the eighth seed with one game remaining. Before the two teams get underway, let's check in on some other notes from around the NBA….

Odds & Ends: Boykins, Sixers, Frank, Heat

Let's catch up on the latest news and happenings from around the league as Sunday's afternoon action gets underway…

Free Agent Stock Watch: Kris Humphries

A little over two years ago, the Nets traded Eduardo Najera – who never quite found his groove in New Jersey thanks to various injuries – to the Mavericks for Kris Humphries and Shawne Williams.  While the trade was more about moving the final two-and-a-half years of Najera's contract than making a significant acquisition, Humphries proved to be a pleasant surprise for New Jersey. 

Hump gave the Nets the edge they sorely needed on the glass in 2010/11 as Brook Lopez shied away from the paint and this summer he was handsomely rewarded with a one-year, $8MM deal.  However, the former 14th overall pick didn't get to put pen-to-paper until just four days prior to the start of the NBA season as the Nets wanted flexibility to be able to pull off a trade with Orlando involving Dwight Howard.  Unfortunately for Humphries, he could experience flashbacks to that once again this summer.  While he is having another strong season, it seems likely that the Nets will put him on the back-burner once again as they explore a deal for Howard or another mega-star that will make Deron Williams want to join the club in Brooklyn.

Despite the extra attention that he has gotten this year, both on- and off-the-court, Humphries has delivered once again this season, putting up 13.4 PPG and 10.9 RPG.   It's not exactly clear who is representing the 27-year-old at the moment but whoever his agent is will likely look to get Humphries a long-term deal.  Will the Nets, who are anxious to satiate their star point guard with another "max level" player, commit upwards of $8MM to the big man over three or four years?  Maybe not, but it's also possible that the club will be looking at a Deron-less future in July.  Hump's blue collar style may not sell out the state-of-the-art Barclays Center, but it would help keep the club competitive during yet another rebuilding phase. 

While the Nets may not be ready to prioritize Humphries, there are plenty of clubs that will.  The Celtics might be in the market for a power forward if they part ways with Kevin Garnett.  Teams such as the Cavaliers, Suns, and Bobcats have money to spend and could all be in the mix depending on what their short- and long-term goals are.  Humphries has dominated the front pages of tabloids so far in 2012 but he could transition back over to making headlines in sports sections with a lucrative new contract this summer.

Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Smith, Celtics, Humphries

Here's the latest out of the Atlantic, where the 76ers' Sunday win extended their division lead to three games:

  • Carmelo Anthony wasn't on board with the Knicks' signing of J.R. Smith, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. While Anthony's public comments indicated he was behind the move, Carmelo "was not gung-ho and was 'hurt' Knicks upper management tossed his advice out the window," according to Berman.
  • WEEI.com's Paul Flannery examines how the Celtics might fill the void in the middle, following Jermaine O'Neal's wrist injury and Chris Wilcox's heart condition.
  • Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes that Kris Humphries was cryptic when asked if he'd waive his no-trade clause for the right deal: "Would you jump off a bridge? It depends how high it is. It depends on if there’s a drowning baby in the water…. Cause if you jump in the summer, the water was warm enough, you know it’s deep underneath." Humphries' point, I believe, is that his decision would vary depending on where the Nets intended to send him.
  • The Nets' MarShon Brooks isn't worried about the trade deadline, as he tells Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Green, Elson, Humphries

No Atlantic teams are in action tonight, but we have a few links from out of the division to round up….

  • The Celtics are very active in trade discussions, and HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy's sources expect the club to make a deal in the next couple weeks (Twitter link).
  • Currently playing on a 10-day contract, Gerald Green has a decent chance to stick with the Nets for the remainder of the season, says Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. I provided an update on this season's 10-day deals earlier today.
  • While it wasn't reported at the time, Francisco Elson appears to have signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the 76ers, according to the team's game notes (PDF link). HoopsHype reported today that the team has waived Elson, but I believe it's just a matter of his second 10-day deal, signed on February 21st, expiring.
  • Tom Ziller of SB Nation explores whether or not the Celtics should trade Rajon Rondo in the next two weeks.
  • Reports of Kris Humphries having returned to agent Dan Fegan are premature, says Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Nets forward is leaning toward Fegan, but is currently without representation.

Atlantic Notes: Humphries, Celtics, Rondo, Knicks

It appears his marriage to Kim Kardashian wasn't the only recent relationship that ended prematurely for Kris Humphries. Darren Heitner at Sports Agent Blog writes that, less than a year after firing agent Dan Fegan in favor of Pinnacle Managment's Marc Cornstein, the Nets forward has parted ways with Cornstein and returned to Fegan. The Lagardere Unlimited representative will be tasked with negotiating a new contract for Humphries when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer.

Here are a few more Tuesday updates out of the Atlantic division….

  • "[Celtics GM] Danny [Ainge] is always going to look for trades," Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "You know who Danny is. But having said that, I don't think Danny is going to do anything crazy."
  • The Celtics' coach also tells Blakely that he would prefer to let his injured players get healthy rather than shake up the roster at this point.
  • Gerry Callahan of the Boston Herald wonders if now may be the best time for the Celtics to trade Rajon Rondo.
  • The Knicks had interest in recent Cavs signee Manny Harris and may have been considering signing him to replace Jeremy Lin before Lin broke out, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Though he appears to be healthy, the Knicks' Baron Davis isn't a threat to take too much of Lin's playing time away, says Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Smith, Humphries, Raptors

With Jeremy Lin stealing most of the Atlantic's headlines, let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on:

  • Nets center Brook Lopez will make his season debut on Sunday against the Bucks at home after breaking his right foot during a preseason game in December, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal. The Nets had hopes at the beginning of the season of using Lopez, 23, as a trade chip to acquire Magic center Dwight Howard before Lopez suffered the injury.
  • Jeremy Wagner of The New York Times holds out hope that the newest addition to the Knicks bench can prove doubters wrong with strong play on the court and proper decision-making off the court. J.R. Smith, 26, shared MVP honors of the 2004 McDonald's All-American game with Howard, and according to Wagner, was anxious to prove himself that night thanks to the presence of Carmelo Anthony, who was sitting courtside. 
  • One of the worst teams in the league knocked off one of the best teams on Saturday when the Nets shutdown the Bulls 97-85 in Chicago. In a performance that's bound to get other teams on the phone with the Nets to start trade talk, Kris Humphries lit up the scoreboard with 24 points and 18 rebounds in 45 minutes of play. After two consecutive 20-point and 10-rebound games, Humphries is currently averaging 13.2 PPG and 10.2 RPG on the season. 
  • The Raptors are struggling to construct an identity on both offense and defense, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. They aren't considering trades to shake up the roster at this point, but rather are looking at extra practice time to help the 9-23 squad make adjustments heading into All-Star Weekend.