Kristaps Porzingis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Rumors: Porzingis, Carmelo, Z. Collins

June 22nd, 2017 at 12:33am CST by Luke Adams

Players and agents around the NBA have taken notice of the way the Knicks have treated their star players under Phil Jackson, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. While the appeal of playing in New York has been on the decline somewhat in recent years thanks to the team’s poor performance, this year’s Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis situations have made the club even more toxic.

“There are 30 teams, and you don’t want to write off anybody, because there’s only so many rotation spots around the league,” one agent tells Deveney. “But of course you’d have to be worried about sending a guy to New York with this front office, especially an upper-level guy. Because he might be doing what he can to help and you might have the team president there ripping him in the media like it’s his fault or putting him in trade rumors. … No one wants that. You have to be concerned about that.”

Deveney’s piece was published early in the day on Wednesday, before Phil Jackson confirmed publicly in an interview on MSG that he’s listening to inquiries on Porzingis.

Here’s more out of New York:

According to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, multiple people familiar with the Knicks’ thinking believe that the Porzingis drama is a result of members of the front office scrambling to save face and protect their jobs. “The front office is in full survivor mode,” a team source tells Isola. “The place is a mess, so now they want to make it seem like the kid is the problem. Suddenly he’s uncoachable. He won’t listen. They’re trying to put it all on him.”
For his part, Porzingis has his own thoughts and opinions on the Knicks and the triangle, as Marc Berman of The New York Post details. Wednesday’s other Porzingis rumors can be found right here.
Jackson’s MSG interview also included a segment on Carmelo Anthony, with the Knicks president suggesting that he still thinks Anthony would be better off elsewhere, though he acknowledged that Carmelo may prefer to stay in New York. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes, Jackson hasn’t given up hope on a trade, but Anthony does have a no-trade clause that he can use if he wants to.
The Knicks had dinner with Gonzaga big man Zach Collins on Tuesday night, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Collins is viewed as a potential top-10 pick, though it would be a surprise if he lands with New York, considering the team’s apparent preference for a guard or wing. Jackson indicated today, in fact, that there’s a “good chance” the Knicks will use their No. 8 pick on a guard (Twitter link via Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders).

Pacific Rumors: Chriss, Bender, Clips, Bogdanovic

June 21st, 2017 at 11:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have been one of the teams to engage the Knicks in talks regarding a possible Kristaps Porzingis trade, as we heard earlier tonight. Although a Tuesday report indicated Phoenix balked at New York’s initial asking price of Devin Booker and the No. 4 pick, the two sides appear to have continued discussions.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, some iterations of potential trades involving Porzingis in recent discussions between the Suns and Knicks have involved Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender. The two bigs were Phoenix’s lottery picks from 2016, and are among the best trade chips the club has to offer if Booker is off the table.

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

The Clippers have been calling teams that have picks in the middle of the second round in an effort to get back into the draft, according to NBA executive who spoke to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles has $3.27MM left to spend in the 2016/17 league year if the club wants to buy a pick.
Bill Oram of The Orange County Register has more details on the Clippers‘ plan to be active on draft night, despite the fact that the team doesn’t currently hold any picks.
Kings draft-and-stash prospect Bogdan Bogdanovic is leaning toward making the leap to the NBA for the 2017/18 season, but has not yet informed Fenerbahce – his team in Turkey – what his plans are, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Latest On Kristaps Porzingis, Knicks

June 21st, 2017 at 10:19pm CST by Luke Adams

10:19pm: The Knicks have talked with each team in the top five of Thursday’s draft about Porzingis, in an effort to extract a pick and a young potential star, sources tell Ian Begley and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. According to the ESPN report, the Knicks have had “substantive” talks with two teams, plus the Suns.

Sources tell ESPN that the Knicks have also spoken Oklahoma City about a possible Porzingis trade, but one source says the Thunder “don’t have enough” to be a viable trade partner.

8:40pm: Asked about what it would take to trade Porzingis, Jackson suggested the Knicks may be seeking two starters and a draft pick (Twitter link via Al Iannazzone of Newsday).

8:27pm: In an interview tonight on MSG, team president Phil Jackson confirmed that the Knicks are listening to calls on Porzingis. “As much as we love this guy, we have to do what’s best for the club,” Jackson said of the big man (Twitter links via Ian Begley of ESPN.com).

Jackson also suggested that he was somewhat bothered by Porzingis skipping his exit meeting. Still, he cautioned that the Knicks aren’t yet “intrigued” enough by what’s out there to make a move (Twitter links via Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders).

8:15pm: After a flurry of Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors surfaced on Tuesday, a follow-up report suggested that the trade talk was somewhat overblown, and that the Knicks were simply listening to calls rather than actively shopping the big man.

However, on The Vertical’s Facebook Live show on Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski said that the Knicks aren’t simply listening to inquiries, reporting that they’ve also been making outgoing calls about Porzingis. While Wojnarwoski acknowledges that New York’s asking price is high, and that a deal won’t necessarily happen, he notes that the Knicks appeared to be legitimately exploring the possibility, and haven’t told Porzingis he’s not going anywhere.

Here’s more on Porzingis:

According to Wojnarowski, the Knicks would be seeking a top-four draft pick and a starting guard in exchange for Porzingis. Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link) reports something similar, having heard that New York would want a top-four pick plus a “strong” asset for Porzingis.
We heard on Tuesday that the Knicks asked the Suns for Devin Booker and the No. 4 selection, so that sounds like the sort of package Wojnarowski and Berman are talking about. Besides Phoenix, the Celtics would seem to be the most logical trade partner for the Knicks.
If they were able to land a top-four pick in a deal for Porzingis, the Knicks would likely aim to draft Josh Jackson, says Wojnarowski.
Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link) follows up on an item he reported on Tuesday, clarifying that members of the Knicks organization have been in touch with Porzingis since the end of the season, though that contact has been “very minimal.”

Latest On Kristaps Porzingis

June 20th, 2017 at 4:48pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been another eventful day in the NBA, as a new name has entered the rumor mill as a possible trade candidate: Kristaps Porzingis. Reports have suggested there is a “frenzy of interest” in Porzingis, and the Knicks haven’t shot down potential suitors, though their asking price is said to be very high. The Celtics are reportedly among the teams with interest.

As we wait to see how serious the Knicks are about moving Porzingis, here are a few more noteworthy updates on his possible availability:

4:48pm:

A plugged-in source who spoke to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) says to “disregard” the Porzingis buzz, telling Beck that the Knicks are taking calls but aren’t shopping the Latvian.

3:42pm:

The Sixers and Spurs were among the teams to call the Knicks about Porzingis, a team source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.

2:38pm:

According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix (Twitter link), the Knicks asked the Suns for the No. 4 pick and Devin Booker in exchange for Porzingis. Gambadoro is as plugged in as anyone on Suns news, and asking for Booker makes sense for a team seeking a “front-line guard,” which we heard earlier. So this is perhaps an indication of New York’s asking price for Porzingis.
One general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link) that the Porzingis rumor feels more like a “message” than something the Knicks are seriously considering. Deveney doesn’t speculate about the specifics of that message, but presumably it’s one aimed at Porzingis’ camp.
League sources tell Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post (Twitter link) that Phil Jackson would like to dump Joakim Noah‘s contract in a Porzingis deal, though it’s not clear if that’s a deal-breaker. While getting Noah off the cap would certainly be huge for the Knicks, attaching him to Porzingis would risk significantly reducing the latter’s trade value.

Phil Jackson Not Ruling Out Kristaps Porzingis Trade

June 20th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

12:38pm: There’s growing skepticism among some executives who have been in touch with the Knicks about whether the club is serious about moving Porzingis, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical. Mannix tweets that New York’s asking price is “extremely high.”

11:01am: Within his full report on Porzingis, Wojnarowski writes that the big man “remains determined” to stick with the Knicks and help turn the team around. However, Jackson has become “increasingly intrigued” by the possibility of testing the market for Porzingis. If the Knicks get serious about engaging teams and pursuing a deal, they’d want to acquire a front-line guard, says Wojnarowski.

Janis Porzingis, Kristaps’ brother and an employee at his agency, tells Begley that his brother wants to remain in New York “despite how the Knicks are treating their players.”

10:20am: Knicks president Phil Jackson has not ruled out the possibility of trading Kristaps Porzingis, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that a “frenzy of interest” is growing as teams become aware that Porzingis isn’t considered untouchable.

The Knicks have received several calls about Porzingis from teams in recent days, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com, who confirms (via Twitter) that New York hasn’t dismissed the possibility of a trade. Meanwhile, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that Jackson recently met with stretch-four prospect Lauri Markkanen, who would receive consideration with the No. 8 pick in the draft if New York were to move Porzingis.

Porzingis, who will turn 22 in August, is coming off a second NBA season in which he averaged 18.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.0 BPG, while making 35.7% of his three-pointers. His ability to protect the rim on defense and stretch the floor on offense makes Porzingis one of the most desirable young players in the league, so it’s no surprise that teams would be calling the Knicks if there’s a chance he’s available.

While I wouldn’t expect Jackson to move Porzingis, there have been some concerning signs on that front this year. Apparently displeased with the treatment of Carmelo Anthony and the dysfunction surrounding the team, Porzingis skipped his exit meeting with the Knicks at the end of the season. He then opted to spend his offseason in his home country of Latvia, where the Knicks have had a harder time staying in touch with him — according to Begley, no one from the team has been in contact with Porzingis since he skipped his exit meeting.

I’d still be shocked if Porzingis was on the move anytime soon, but this will obviously be a story we keep a close eye on going forward.

Celtics Interested In Kristaps Porzingis

June 20th, 2017 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are being “flooded with interest” in young big man Kristaps Porzingis, and the Celtics are among the teams interested, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Multiple reports this morning indicated that Phil Jackson hasn’t ruled out the possibility of moving Porzingis.

If Porzingis is truly available, no team makes more sense as a potential suitor than the Celtics, who could offer NBA rotation players, young prospects, and/or future picks. Boston has also been seeking an impact frontcourt player to pair with Al Horford, who isn’t exactly an elite rim protector. Porzingis, who is capable of protecting the rim on defense and stretching the floor on offense, would be an ideal fit for the C’s.

Still, the Knicks’ asking price for Porzingis has been “very aggressive,” according to one executive who has been in touch with the team (Twitter link via Sam Amick of USA Today). One report from earlier today suggested that the Knicks’ asking price would start with a front-line guard, though I imagine the team would want several pieces. Porzingis is still only entering the third year of his rookie contract, which makes him extremely valuable and puts no pressure on the Knicks to move him anytime soon.

Another person with knowledge of the Porzingis talks characterized the situation as one of “job preservation” for the Knicks’ front office, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). That’s an interesting way of putting it, since trading Porzingis and failing to extract proper value for him would likely spell the end of Jackson’s tenure in New York.

New York Notes: Rose, Workouts, Porzingis

June 15th, 2017 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

Although Derrick Rose‘s first season with the Knicks can’t be viewed as a true success, given the team’s record, the veteran point guard doesn’t necessarily want it to be his only season in New York. Agent B.J. Armstrong tells Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report that his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks in free agency this summer.

“Derrick loves New York and wants to be there,” Armstrong said. “We’ve expressed that to them and been very consistent about it. Whether it happens is on them; all we can do is be clear.”

As we wait to see if Rose’s interest in the Knicks is reciprocated, let’s round up a few more notes on the two New York teams…

In addition to featuring Armstrong’s comments on Rose, Weitzman’s Bleacher Report piece on the Knicks (linked above) explores possible directions the club could go with its roster this offseason, and is worth checking out in full.
Nevada’s Cameron Oliver worked out for the Nets (Wednesday) and Knicks (Thursday) this week, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The 6’8″ power forward comes off the board at No. 50 in DraftExpress’ latest mock draft.
Dallas Moore, J.J. Frazier, Malcolm Hill, Isaiah Hicks, and Moses Kingsley are among the other prospects to work out for the Nets this week, per NetsDaily (Twitter link).
As Marc Berman of The New York Post details, Kristaps Porzingis will be the subject of an E-60 documentary that will air on ESPN later this month. Berman adds that the documentary will address Porzingis’ “cold war” with the Knicks, with the last scene having been filmed in April after the big man skipped his exit meeting with the club.

Knicks Part Ways With Assistant Coach Josh Longstaff

May 21st, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

Despite the fact that the Knicks’ relationship with Kristaps Porzingis is already tenuous, the organization chose not to renew the contract of an assistant coach that he’s particularly close with, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes.

The second-year big man had bonded with Josh Longstaff through his first two years in the league, the pair even training overseas together last summer.

The Knicks didn’t specify why they decided to part ways with the 34-year-old player development specialist, one of several holdovers from Derek Fisher‘s coaching staff prior to the 2016/17 campaign, but the decision is curious. Per Bondy, the Knicks are said to be moving forward with a heavy focus on the triangle all throughout the organization.

Knicks fans have already seen their front office clash with the 7’2″ budding star this offseason. Porzingis ditched his exit meeting with the team last month to head back to his native Latvia. Just this week, team president Phil Jackson and Porzingis’ brother supposedly connected to discuss the apparently strained relationship but the sit down isn’t said to have been very effective.

All told, the move is the latest questionable one out of a front office that has spent the better part of the past year denigrating Carmelo Anthony, though a top-down effort to more seriously implement the triangle may put things in perspective.

Rumored to be a candidate to fill the vacancy is former Knick Pablo Prigioni. The 40-year-old played in Europe this season but served with the Knicks for three seasons ending in 2014/15.

Phil Jackson Recently Met With Kristaps Porzingis’ Camp

May 20th, 2017 at 8:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Team president Phil Jackson recently met with Kristaps Porzingis‘ brother and the two sides discussed the the power forward’s issues with the club, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reports. A Knicks‘ source tells Bondy that the sit down didn’t accomplish very much as Phil Jackson remained “steadfast” in his ways.

Jackson remains focused on installing and running the triangle. He’s aimed to tailor the teams’ workouts and training sessions around the offense, sources tell Bondy.

What specifics the two sides discussed is not clear, but Porzingis’ camp has previously called for New York to “create an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win.”

Porzingis has two years remaining on his deal and in the summer of 2019, he can become a restricted free agent. At that point, the team will be able to match any offer. If Porzingis badly wants out, the quickest route to secure a place on a new franchise without a trade is playing out the final two years of his deal, then signing a qualifying offer during the 2019 offseason. That would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020.

Porzingis has said he wants to remain in New York, but with the aforementioned conditions. The team has some time to repair the relationship and build a winning team, though as we’ve seen with the Carmelo Anthony saga, ongoing Knicks’ turmoil isn’t guaranteed to get better with time.

Jackson only has two seasons remaining on his deal. I’d speculate that he’ll make it through his current agreement, but he won’t see another deal in the 2019 offseason unless Kristaps Porzingis is happy with the state of the franchise. By that time, we’ll likely have more data on the triangle offense in our current pace-and-space culture and it should be clear whether or not the system has a place in the league.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Crowder, Simmons

May 12th, 2017 at 10:52pm CST by Austin Kent

Speaking with reporters at the NBA Draft Combine, Knicks president Phil Jackson reiterated that he thinks Carmelo Anthony should waive his no-trade clause and accept the reality of playing elsewhere, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“He has a no-trade contract. I think I expressed what I felt [in April]. I can’t express it any better,” Jackson said of the Knicks forward.

Jackson did note that he’s been in touch with Anthony through text messages, referencing the news reports that the Knicks star and his wife may be headed toward divorce.

In 74 games for the Knicks this season, Anthony averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game but the club won just 31 contests in a year marred by off-court melodrama.

There’s more from the Atlantic:

Don’t expect 2016 first overall pick Ben Simmons to suit up for the Sixers in the summer league this offseason, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets. Fans curious to see the forward in action, however, can always check his Instagram for a recent video of him practicing.
A league executive has praised Celtics general manager Danny Ainge for the trade that yielded Jae Crowder back in 2014, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England writes. Crowder appeared to be little more than a throw-in in the Rajon Rondo deal but has evolved into a premier defender.
In an attempt to stop things in their tracks, Knicks president Phil Jackson opted not to address the situation unfolding with a beleaguered Kristaps Porzingis, an ESPN report mentions. The second-year man has voiced his displeasure with the organization but has also declared that he’d like to remain with the franchise.