Kristaps Porzingis

New York Notes: Lee, Porzingis, RHJ, Kurucs

October 15th, 2018 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

While Courtney Lee would prefer to have the Knicks enter the season with serious playoff – or championship – aspirations, he’s willing to play the role of the veteran mentor on a young, rebuilding club, as Howie Kussoy of The New York Post details.

“When I first came in, I had guys like Mickael Pietrus, Keith Bogans, J.J. Redick, they did what I’m doing right now, they helped me a lot, they passed the torch to me, and it’s only right for me to do the same thing,” Lee said. “If that’s what’s asked of me, I gotta do that. Would I want to win right now? Of course. Everybody wants to win, but you gotta go through something to get to something, and that’s where we’re at right now.”

Lee also acknowledged that, at 33 years old, he’s not really a part of the Knicks’ young core and won’t have a guaranteed role if the team focuses on developing its young players. However, he believes he can still make an impact by being a “vocal leader” and a “player’s coach on the court.”

Here’s more on the two New York clubs:

Echoing what we heard in September, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets that the Knicks are not expected to reach a rookie scale extension agreement with Kristaps Porzingis in advance of today’s 5:00pm CT deadline. Assuming that doesn’t change at the 11th hour, Porzingis will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
Although the Nets didn’t gain traction in Jimmy Butler talks with Minnesota, they’ve already been “active in their pursuits of trades” this fall, as Shams Charania of Stadium details (link via NetsDaily).
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson‘s status for the Nets‘ first game of the season on Wednesday has been up in the air, but the forward is “trending in the right direction,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Sunday, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post. “I’ll definitely listen to the medical team and the performance team,” Atkinson said. “We can’t play him 40 minutes that first night, obviously.”
In a separate piece for The New York Post, Joyce takes a closer look at Nets second-rounder Rodions Kurucs, who is making a case for regular minutes to start his rookie season.

Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Mudiay, Fizdale

September 29th, 2018 at 9:31am CST by marksuleymanov

Kristaps Porzingis has been part of the Knicks training camp despite the fact that he continues rehabbing from a torn ACL he suffered last February. Despite his physical limitations, Porzingis remains an involved presence for New York, Steve Popper of Newsday writes.

“He’s on our staff now,” head coach David Fizdale said jokingly. “He’s helping put stuff in. I mean the guy is so engaged and helping the big guys. He gets it. He sees exactly what I’m trying to do. He’s doing a good job of grabbing Mitchell [Robinson], grabbing Luke [Kornet], our young bigs: ‘Hey, look at it this way.’ ‘Do this way.’ And when he’s not doing that, he’s passing for somebody. If he’s not doing that, he’s shooting or ballhandling or doing something on his own, where he can still be working on his skill set. But he’s staying very active and engaged.”

Porzingis, 23, was in the midst of his best season to date in 2017/18, averaging 22.7 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 48 games before the injury. While there’s no timetable for his return this season — and missing the entire campaign is a distinct possibility — Porzingis is making the effort to get acclimated to a new system in New York.

Check out more Knicks notes below:

The Knicks are encouraged by point guard Emmanuel Mudiay‘s recent weight loss and improved ball handling, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “I’m going out there and being aggressive and I know you have to take care of the ball,” Mudiay said. “He’s already said if you make a turnover, it’s on to the next play. Don’t really dwell on it.”
David Fizdale is entering his first season as Knicks coach and he’s already emphasizing a faster approach to the game, Berman writes in a separate story. Fizdale’s system is a stark contrast to the triangle system implemented by former team president Phil Jackson. “I really do think we can put a fast team on the floor,’’ Fizdale said. “We’re really athletic, just looking at the roster. We just have a very athletic team. We plan to play fast, but we’re going to share the game. There’s not going to be anybody that dominates the ball for us.’’
In a recent edition of Knicks notes, we relayed Porzingis’ ACL recovery, Allonzo Trier‘s impressive start to camp and more.

Knicks Notes: Trier, Porzingis, Hezonja, Kyrie

September 28th, 2018 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are currently carrying rookie guard Allonzo Trier using one of their two-way contract slots, but promoting him to the 15-man regular season squad isn’t out of the question, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Trier has made a good early impression on head coach David Fizdale, who called the former Arizona standout a “good player” and praised his effort on defense.

Berman suggests that the Knicks will have 15 guaranteed contracts on their books once they buy out Joakim Noah. By our count, only 13 of those would be fully guaranteed — Trey Burke and Noah Vonleh have modest partial guarantees. While Burke almost certainly isn’t going anywhere, it’s not clear whether Vonleh is a lock for the regular season roster.

If New York wants to keep both Burke and Vonleh and promote Trier to the 15-man squad, Ron Baker and his $4.54MM guaranteed salary could be the odd man out. For now though, it doesn’t appear that there’s any urgency to get Trier signed to a standard contract — the Knicks could do so later in the season, when he’s nearing his 45-day NBA limit.

Here’s more out of New York:

When asked about his ACL recovery earlier this week, Kristaps Porzingis suggested that his rehab protocol has been a little unusual, since there are few – if any – precedents for a 7’3″ player returning from the injury. However, two medical experts who spoke to Berman of The New York Post say that they don’t think Porzingis’ height should have any substantial impact on his recovery process.
Despite three up-and-down seasons in Orlando, new Knicks forward Mario Hezonja is confident in his ability to be a difference-making player going forward. “There is no ceiling for me. And you know that,” Hezonja told Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News with a smile. “I know that but I’m not going to be rushing, I’m not going to be skipping steps. I’m not going to be thinking about it. It’s going to come. I just have to go step-by-step. Practice-by-practice, game-by-game.”
Kyrie Irving‘s comments on Media Day about being able to envision a long-term future in Boston won’t halt speculation about him moving to New York as a free agent in 2019, but they were still a blow for the Knicks, says Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post.

Injury Updates: Porzingis, Booker, Cousins, Neto

September 24th, 2018 at 2:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis offered an update on his condition at the Knicks‘ Media Day, but there’s still no timetable for him to start playing again, relays the Associated Press.

Porzingis has been doing some light running, but not sprinting, as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he suffered in February. The Knicks are being cautious with the rehab process and don’t want him to return to action until they are sure he is fully ready.

Porzingis adds that he isn’t concerned about getting a contract extension done quickly. He will have to wait until next summer for an extension if a deal isn’t reached before the start of the season.

There’s more injury news to pass along:

Devin Booker got sutures removed from his right hand last week and is using a splint during workouts, Suns GM Ryan McDonough said today, per Gina Mizell of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team is still hoping Booker can be ready for opening night.
The Warriors plan to re-evaluate free agent addition DeMarcus Cousins again in four weeks, tweets Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. Team president Bob Myers is happy with the progress Cousins has made, saying, “We won’t rush him. But we also won’t hold him back.”
Jazz guard Raul Neto has been diagnosed with a right hamstring injury and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to a tweet from the team.
Hawks guard Justin Anderson is still recovering from surgery in late June to address recurring tibial stress syndrome in his left leg and won’t be ready for the start of training camp, the team announced on its website. Dewayne Dedmon will also be held out as he recovers from an avulsion fracture in his left ankle. He is in his second week of weight-bearing rehab work. Daniel Hamilton is taking a non-surgical approach to a torn rotator cuff and his progress will be reviewed in a week. Jeremy Lin has recovered from the ruptured patella tendon that caused him to miss nearly all of last season and will start camp with limited restrictions. Rookie Omari Spellman has soft tissue inflammation in his left shin and will be held out for the next seven to 10 days.

Knicks Unlikely To Extend Kristaps Porzingis This Year

September 21st, 2018 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have until October 15 to sign Kristaps Porzingis to a long-term extension, but the team isn’t planning to complete a deal at this point, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. While the Knicks feel good about how Porzingis’ rehab from his ACL tear is progressing, the club’s hope is to re-sign him when he reaches restricted free agency in 2019, rather than extending him now, Berman notes.

Waiting until next offseason would allow New York to carry about $10MM in extra cap room into the summer, which could come in handy as the team explores the free agent market. The club will have the right of first refusal on Porzingis as an RFA, so he won’t be able to walk unless New York lets him go.

If the Knicks wait until next year to lock up Porzingis, they could still offer him the same contract – up to five years and an estimated $158MM – and would avoid making him a designated rookie scale player, further maximizing their roster flexibility. Still, the approach isn’t without its risks.

Porzingis hasn’t always seen eye to eye with Knicks decision-makers, and while the tension between him and the organization occurred when Phil Jackson and Jeff Hornacek were running the show, the current management group won’t want to risk alienating its potential franchise player.

Additionally, if Porzingis reaches restricted free agency, there’s nothing stopping him from turning down a long-term offer from the Knicks. He could theoretically sign a shorter-term offer sheet with another team or accept his qualifying offer — he’d still end up a Knick in either of those scenarios, but he’d be on track to become an unrestricted free agent sooner.

Still, the Knicks sound confident that the risks involved in waiting on a Porzingis deal should be worth the reward, given their relationship with the young big man.

“Our philosophy is that we’re going to stay connected with [the Porzingis camp],” GM Scott Perry said this week. “It’s a long-term thing. Obviously you mentioned the point of the cap space in July. But we just feel like we’re in a real good space with him, as well as he is with us. And we’re going to do the right thing by him and this organization.”

“He’ll never feel like he’s not a cornerstone part of what we’re trying to do here,” president of basketball operations Steve Mills added. “He understands that. We make that crystal clear to him and his representation.”

Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Fizdale, Butler, Noah

September 20th, 2018 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

During a meeting with the media today, Knicks GM Scott Perry declined to comment on his strategy for negotiating an extension with Kristaps Porzingis , tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Porzingis is eligible for a five-year, $157MM extension now, but New York could save about $10MM in cap space by waiting to get the deal done next summer. That money could prove to be important for a team that plans to be a major player in the 2019 free agent market.

Team president Steve Mills told the media that Porzingis knows he’s a cornerstone of the franchise, regardless of when extension talks are held, Begley notes. Porzingis, who suffered a torn ACL in February, is meeting with team doctors this week to discuss a realistic timetable for his return.

There’s more today out of New York:

Despite the injury to Porzingis and a lackluster summer of free agency, the Knicks plan to remain as competitive as possible this year, coach David Fizdale added (Twitter link). He said the first thing Perry and Mills told him in his interview is that they would never intentionally tank a season.
When asked about a possible trade for Jimmy Butler, Mills reiterated his commitment to not skipping steps in the development process (Twitter link). That means the Knicks aren’t likely to pull the trigger on a big deal now when they have the cap room to offer a max contract next summer. Butler included the Knicks on the list of preferred locations he gave to the Timberwolves.
Perry said the front office is hoping to reach a “resolution” soon with veteran center Joakim Noah, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post. The team is talking to Noah’s representatives in hopes of working out a deal to part ways. The Knicks reportedly plan to use the stretch provision on the final year of Noah’s contract if trade or buyout talks prove unsuccessful.

Latest On Kristaps Porzingis

September 18th, 2018 at 5:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kristaps Porzingis spent much of the summer in Spain rehabbing as he recovers from a torn ACL, but he has remained in close contact with the Knicks.

“KP is engaged — we’re in a good place with him,” team president Steve Mills said of the former No. 4 overall pick during a recent “town hall” forum with season-ticket holders (via Marc Berman of The New York Post).

Mills was asked if having Porzingis sit out for the entire season was the best course of action for the team to take with its top player.

“Our goal is not to do anything that jeopardizes KP’s future as being one of the foundational pieces of this team,” Mills said. “…. We’ll have some medical evaluations of him this week, and we’ll start to develop [what] the right plan is for him, his plan to come back. But we’re not going to do anything that jeopardizes the future of this franchise. We’re going to be consistent and stay true to that.”

The Knicks can offer Porzingis an extension worth approximately $158MM over five years prior to the start of the 2018/19 season. It’s unlikely he’ll receive such as offer, as the team plans to preserve its cap space in hopes of luring at least one max player. Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and Kemba Walker are among the players who will be unrestricted free agents after the season.

New York will be able to go over the cap to sign Porzingis to a new deal next summer.

Extension Candidate: Kristaps Porzingis

August 29th, 2018 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Twenty-three players became eligible for rookie scale extensions when the 2018/19 NBA league year began in July. One of those 23, Devin Booker, quickly finalized a new deal with the Suns, leaving 22 other players who could sign rookie scale extensions before the October 15 deadline. In the weeks leading up to that deadline, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the strongest candidates for new contracts.

Our examination of this year’s candidates for rookie scale extensions continues today with Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis. Let’s dive in…

Why the Knicks should give him an extension:

Porzingis’ unique skill-set, which helped earn him his Unicorn nickname, is also his strongest argument in favor of a lucrative long-term deal. There simply aren’t any other NBA players – now or in the history of the league – who stand 7’3″ but still possess the athleticism and outside shooting ability (.395 3PT%) of Porzingis.

In his first three NBA seasons, Porzingis just kept getting better, increasing his PPG from 14.3 to 18.1 to 22.7. He has also developed into one of the league’s best shot-blockers, establishing a new career high with 2.4 BPG in 2017/18.

While his play has yet to translate to much team success for the Knicks, Porzingis’ on/off-court numbers reveal his value to the team — New York was noticeably better both offensively and defensively when the Latvian big man was on the court (+0.1 net rating) in 2017/18 than when he sat (-7.0 net rating).

Porzingis is still just 23 years old and there’s a sense that he still has plenty of potential yet to be unlocked. New head coach David Fizdale could be the man for the job — reportedly, he and Porzingis have hit it off already, which is a positive sign for the franchise after the young star didn’t always see eye-to-eye with former head coach Jeff Hornacek.

Why the Knicks should avoid an extension:

The 2017/18 season was Porzingis’ best as a pro, but it was also his briefest — a torn ACL ended his year after just 48 games, and he’s not expected to be ready to play at the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

While it’s probably unfair to say Porzingis is injury-prone, he has never played more than 72 games in a season, and many players who stand 7’3″ or taller have battled leg injuries throughout their NBA careers. ACL tears are no joke, so even if New York expects Porzingis to make a full recovery, the team should be wary of making a massive investment in him while he’s still rehabbing the injury.

In terms of non-health-related concerns, Porzingis’ modest rebounding numbers (6.6 RPG in 2017/18) are somewhat surprising, but he has typically played alongside prolific rebounders like Enes Kanter and Joakim Noah in the frontcourt, and probably could grab a few more boards if he was counted on to do so.

The Knicks also may want to avoid an extension this year if they have aspirations of making a big splash during the 2019 free agent period. Porzingis’ cap hold as a restricted free agent would cost less than the cap charge on a new contract, so if the Knicks hold off on re-signing him until next July, the team could maximize its cap flexibility, as we detail below.

Points of comparison:

Porzingis’ best and simplest point of comparison is another player who is a “unicorn” in his own right: Sixers center Joel Embiid. Last fall, Embiid signed a five-year, maximum salary contract with the Sixers that included some injury protection for the club.

While the Knicks could explore including similar injury-protection language in an offer for Porzingis, it seems unlikely that his camp would go for that — Embiid had only appeared in 31 NBA games over three seasons when he signed his deal, whereas the Knicks’ star has logged 186 contests. The 76ers’ durability concerns with Embiid were arguably more pressing and more justified than the Knicks’ with Porzingis, despite his ACL tear.

Cap outlook:

Assuming they stretch Noah’s contract at some point after September 1, the Knicks could enter the summer of 2019 with only about $48.14MM in guaranteed salary on their books. That figure doesn’t include any non-guaranteed salaries or cap holds.

If Porzingis is a restricted free agent at that point, his cap hold would be worth $17,091,162, increasing the Knicks’ total commitments to about $65.23MM. After taking into account a handful of cap holds for empty roster spots, New York would still have upwards of $38MM in cap room in that scenario, allowing the team to pursue a star free agent before eventually going over the cap to re-sign Porzingis.

If Porzingis signs an extension this year, his cap charge for 2019/20 would increase to a projected $27.25MM, cutting into the Knicks’ projected cap room by approximately $10MM and compromising the team’s ability to afford a maximum-salary free agent without making additional cost-cutting moves.

That wouldn’t be the end of the world — there’s no guarantee that the Knicks will be able to land a star in 2019 free agency anyway, and if they did get a commitment from someone after having extended Porzingis, it shouldn’t be too hard to trade a player like Courtney Lee in a deal that clears a little extra cap space. Plus, allowing Porzingis to reach restricted free agency would open up the door for another team to sign him a shorter-term offer sheet (ie. four years with a player option) that would let him reach unrestricted free agency earlier.

Still, if the Knicks want to maximize their 2019 flexibility, it probably makes sense to hold off on a Porzingis extension for now.

Conclusion:

Like fellow star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, Porzingis is a lock to get a massive new deal at some point — it’s just a matter of when. If it happens this year, it probably won’t happen until very close to the October 15 deadline, to give the Knicks as much time as possible to evaluate the 23-year-old’s ACL recovery process.

Given Porzingis’ rocky relationships with Hornacek and Phil Jackson in past years, the Knicks won’t want to risk upsetting their potential franchise player again. So if it’s important to Porzingis that he gets his new deal this year, I think the Knicks will be ready to comply.

On the other hand, it’s not out of the question that the Knicks are able to convince Porzingis it’s best for the team’s long-term interests to wait until next summer to finalize his new deal — that would allow New York to maximize its cap flexibility and potentially add a star free agent to play alongside the big man a year from now.

That approach wouldn’t be without its risks for Porzingis. If he doesn’t look great after returning from his ACL injury, or if he re-injures his leg, the Knicks would gain some additional leverage in contract talks next summer. Porzingis has more upside than either Zach LaVine or Jabari Parker, but it’s still worth looking at how their respective free agent values took a hit after they returned from their own ACL injuries. Even if it would hamstring the Knicks’ spending power a little next summer, it might be in Porzingis’ best interests to push for an extension sooner rather than later.

Will Porzingis get extended by October 15?
Our prediction: Yes, unless he’s willing to wait.
Our estimate: Four or five years, maximum salary (or very close to it).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Rumors: Fizdale, Leonard, Dukan, Kurucs

August 23rd, 2018 at 11:01am CST by Dana Gauruder

New Knicks coach David Fizdale has told Kristaps Porzingis to set lofty goals for himself and the franchise player appreciates getting pushed. In a WNBC TV interview that was relayed by Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, Fizdale said that he wants Porzingis, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL, to embrace the status that comes with being the team’s star. “He likes the challenge of me saying ‘I want him to be the MVP’ and ‘I want him to be the Defensive Player of the Year.’ That’s real competitors they want that and I’m going right at it with him. I want him to look at himself that way,” Fizdale said.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics made the right decision by holding onto Jayson Tatum rather than dealing him to the Spurs to Kawhi Leonard, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston opines. Boston would likely have needed to give up Tatum to land Leonard with no assurances that Leonard would stay beyond the upcoming season, Blakely continues. With Leonard’s questionable health and the Celtics already considered the Eastern Conference favorite, it didn’t make sense for Boston to roll the dice, Blakely adds.
New York’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, has acquired former Kings forward Duje Dukan, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets. Dukan was chosen by the Wizards’ new G League team, the Capital City Go-Go, in the expansion draft on Wednesday. Dukan has also played for the G League affiliates of the Kings, Bulls and Pacers.
Buyout issues caused Nets forward Rodions Kurucs to slide in the draft, according to a NetsDaily.com post. Kurucs’ Euro team, FC Barcelona, reportedly priced his buyout at $5MM until late last season and NBA teams can’t pay more than $700K toward an international player’s buyout. Buyout talks also prevented Kurucs from playing in the summer league. Kurucs, the 40th overall pick, signed a four-year, $7MM contract with Brooklyn.

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Porzingis, Atkinson, Crawford

August 11th, 2018 at 9:34am CST by marksuleymanov

As we relayed earlier this week, the Knicks are expected to part ways with oft-injured center Joakim Noah before the start of training camp. If the Knicks fail to find a trading partner, the team is expected to use the stretch provision after September 1. Noah, 33, still has two years and $37.8MM left on his deal.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News examined both the good and bad sides of the Knicks parting ways with Noah this offseason. It would likely avoid a major headache and possible players’ union issue if the Knicks refuse to play Noah. Bondy reiterates that the deadline to solve the Noah issue is not September 1 but rather next summer when New York intends to pursue top free agents.

The Nets dealing Timofey Mozgov‘s lucrative multiyear contract for an expiring deal is one example of a team leveraging an albatross deal into future cap space. The Knicks’ best choice would be to hold onto Noah and look for trades instead of stretching his contract, Bondy writes.

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

In the same story, Bondy looked at the pros and cons of the Knicks extending Kristaps Porzingis this offseason. On one hand, New York should lock up its best player since Patrick Ewing amid an unstable environment, with Porzingis set to play for the fourth coach of his career in 2018/19. Conversely, the Knicks plan to make use of their cap room in 2019, and extending the Latvian now would eat into that space — the team could simply let him hit restricted free agency and then negotiate or match any offer.
Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson denied the franchise has contemplated tanking in order to secure more favorable draft positioning, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Instead, Atkinson says the goal is to play as well as possible so Brooklyn becomes a desirable free agency destination. “We talk about internal improvement, we talk about player development, we talk about culture,” Atkinson said. “Tanking is not a word we use. It’s just not in our [vocabulary]. I don’t think the fans in New York want to see that.”
Following an injury to rookie Zhaire Smith, the Sixers may be in the market for wing depth, and veteran sharpshooter Jamal Crawford could fit the bill. In a recent appearance on Brandon Robinson’s Scoop B Podcast, Crawford spoke glowingly of Philadelphia and what playing there would mean to him (via Amico Hoops). “I like their city. I like how into it they are about basketball. I like their knowledge of basketball, how passionate they are. I’ve always loved coach Brett Brown,” Crawford said.

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