Kristaps Porzingis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Porzingis, Randle, World Peace

December 13th, 2016 at 11:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Outdated thinking may have caused the Lakers to pass on Kristaps Porzingis in the 2015 draft, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The 7’3″ Latvian prospect held a private workout for L.A. shortly after an impressive showcase in Las Vegas. But instead of focusing on his multi-dimensional skills, the Lakers tested Porzingis to see if he could handle physical play as a power forward. They were disappointed with the results and opted for Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell instead with the No. 2 pick. Porzingis was a unanimous selection to the all-rookie team and has blossomed into a star in his second season, averaging 20.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

There’s more this morning out of Los Angeles:

The Knicks’ visit to the Staples Center on Sunday should remind the Lakers of the dangers of trading young talent to get a star, notes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. He compares the current Lakers team to the Knicks of five years ago before they sent a package of players to Denver for Carmelo Anthony. The results have been mixed at best, with only one playoff series victory since the deal and three straight losing seasons. L.A. will face a similar choice soon with a talented young core but no obvious star to build around.
Part of that young core, power forward Julius Randle, wants to become more of a vocal leader, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. The 22-year-old impressed coach Luke Walton with the way he stood up to Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins Monday night. “I told him when he plays with that kind of confidence, it’s good for our team,” Walton said. “You need some toughness out there. You need somebody who is going to stand up, not back down and have your back. Julius has the physical ability to be that for us. I love when he gets into it.”
Veteran forward Metta World Peace wants to become an actor and a coach when he retires, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The 37-year-old recently co-wrote and appeared in an episode of “The 5th Quarter,” a fictional sports series that is available on go90.com. “It’s an easy decision to want to be an actor,” he said. “Any child’s dream is to be on TV. Now that I’m older, it’s something that still interests me. … I’ll do any role. It doesn’t really matter. As long as the production is good and the writing is good, I’m in.”

Knicks Notes: Noah, Porzingis, Hornacek, Rose

December 1st, 2016 at 9:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Joakim Noah could quickly go down as another Knicks free agent bust if he doesn’t pick up his play soon, Mike Coppinger of USA Today writes. Noah was brought in to be the defensive anchor but the Knicks are tied for seventh-most points allowed per game (106.5), Coppinger notes. Noah, who was signed to a four-year, $72MM contract, has seen limited minutes during crunch time, Coppinger adds. “I want to play better, obviously,” Noah told Coppinger and other reporters. “I know personally I have to play better for this team to get to where we want to get to.”

In other developments regarding the Knicks:

The debate over whether the Knicks are now Kristaps Porzingis‘ team or still Carmelo Anthony‘s team is meaningless to Porzingis, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “That’s not something I’m worried about,” Porzingis told Begley and other media members. “I read social media and Twitter and all that. But a lot of that is just in and out. And I don’t really pay attention to it. It doesn’t really matter.”
The Porzingis-Anthony controversy is a moot point because the Knicks are really Jeff Hornacek’s team right now, Harvey Araton of the New York Times argues. Owner James Dolan was forced to eat most of previous coach Derek Fisher’s $25MM contract and logically, team president Phil Jackson won’t be allowed another coaching change, giving Hornacek plenty of leverage, Araton opines. Hornacek should feel free to run his preferred offensive scheme, pick the rotation he wants and enforce his rules, Araton adds.
Derrick Rose turned aside questions about being benched in favor of defensive-minded Justin Holiday during crunch time against the Timberwolves on Wednesday, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Rose is eligible to sign a three-year, $75MM extension as of December 22, and wants to be a closer, Berman adds. Hornacek left in backup point Brandon Jennings, who is also playing for a new contract, and that could prove to be a tough dilemma for Hornacek if Jennings is playing well. “That’s something you’ll have to ask [Hornacek],’’ Rose said to Berman of the late-game benching. “I’m just doing whatever Coach asks me to do, go in whenever he tells me.”

Knicks Notes: Lineup, Carmelo, Porzingis

November 19th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Like team president Phil Jackson, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is reluctant to lean too heavily on a small-ball lineup, despite indications that his team plays best with Kristaps Porzingis at center and Carmelo Anthony at power forward, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“It’s always a game of chicken,” Hornacek said. “I thought earlier in the season we went small and it didn’t pay off. We ended up losing the game. It’s one of those feels if it works, you ride it. If not then you need to get out of it quicker.”

Of course, even if the Knicks’ small-ball lineup plays well, Hornacek will have to choose his words carefully when he discusses it. That five-man unit leaves Joakim Noah on the bench, and Noah is only a dozen games into the four-year, $72MM contract he received from Jackson and the Knicks this summer. That deal will only look worse if the Knicks play their best ball without Noah on the floor.

Here’s more from out of New York:

The Knicks have a handful of veterans on their roster who have battled injuries over the course of their careers, but if the team wants to be a contender this season, it must decide whether to prioritize protecting those players or going all-out, argues Steve Popper of the USA Today Network. “We definitely need to be more desperate,” said veteran guard Brandon Jennings.
Anthony remains the face of the franchise for the Knicks, but that may not last much longer, as Popper writes in a separate piece examining the continued development of Porzingis. Still, Anthony hopes that teams continue to focus their defensive attention on him to give the second-year big man a chance to thrive. “Teams, regardless of what’s happening out there, they will always load up and double-team and take me out of the game. And he benefits from that,” Anthony said. “So I want to keep doing that and what he has to do.”
For even more Knicks news, notes, and rumors, be sure to check our team page for the club.

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Jackson, Noah

November 15th, 2016 at 8:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Carmelo Anthony said he would be offended if Phil Jackson referred to his entourage as a “posse,” but added that he believes Jackson may have meant no harm by his word choice, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays.

“Do I think he meant it in any kind of way? I really don’t know. I don’t think he did.” Anthony said. “I would hope he didn’t. Sometimes Phil just says things, the first thing that comes to mind. He’s probably in his office now regretting it. When it comes to, Phil, you never know what’s going to be said.”

Here’s more from New York:

Anthony also added that he can’t understand why LeBron James is the topic of Jackson’s conversation, as Berman passes along in the same piece. “I don’t think we play them anytime soon,” Anthony said. “It’s a whole month away. I just don’t understand Phil talking about LeBron right now. In November. I don’t understand that.”
Jackson’s insecurities about running a franchise are prompting him to take shots at his successful counterparts, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical argues in a video essay (Twitter link). The scribe details all of Jackson’s failed moves, including his decision to trade J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cavs for practically nothing in return.
The Knicks signed Joakim Noah to a four-year, $72MM contract during the offseason, but the team’s best lineup doesn’t included the big man, as Stefan Bondy of the Daily News details. In Monday’s win over the Mavericks, Kristaps Porzingis was moved to the center position and the team enjoyed great success, including a 30-10 run. Noah admitted that he has to find his offensive game and said he would be looking at the film to “figure it out.”

Atlantic Notes: Ilyasova, Horford, Harris

November 7th, 2016 at 8:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers‘ swap with the Thunder that sent Jerami Grant to OKC in exchange for Ersan Ilyasova and a protected first-round draft pick signals a change in the organization’s philosophy from previous years, Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine writes. The team appears to no longer be comfortable with hoping to strike gold with castoffs and role-players, and the franchise is looking to make itself more attractive to potential free agents by maximizing its on court potential rather than looking ahead to the draft for a sense of hope, Bodner notes.

The scribe also ran down the benefits of Philly making the trade, noting that Ilyasova’s outside shooting is a boon to the team, considering the lack of deep threats on the team’s roster. Bodner also notes that Grant didn’t have a long-term future with the Sixers given his lack of offensive improvement and the wealth of forwards on the roster. While Bodner takes a generally favorable view of the trade, he does add that it remains to be seen how it will affect Dario Saric, whose playing time is likely to decrease, and how much Ilyasova will play once Ben Simmons is healthy enough to return to action. Saric is averaging a rookie-high 26.4 minutes per game through the Sixers’ first five contests, notching 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds to go along with a shooting line of .358/.400/.571.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Kristaps Porzingis represents a major part of the Knicks‘ future, but coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t want to place added pressure on the young big man and prefers not to make him the focal point of the team’s offense, Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays. “You don’t want to put that on a — what did he, just turn 21; second year in the league — when you have players like Carmelo Anthony and now Derrick Rose, guys who have proven it in this league for years,” Hornacek said. “We try not to make [Porzingis] the focal point, but we’re trying not to make Carmelo necessarily the focal point or Derrick the focal point. We want everybody to be involved.”
Celtics center Al Horford, who has missed three games after suffering a concussion in practice last week, has not shown much improvement and his return date still remains in question, Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7 FM writes. “He has not advanced in the protocol, based on what I’ve been told,” coach Brad Stevens said. “I have not gotten anything deeper than that but he did not do anything with our team today.”
Joe Harris has been a pleasant surprise for the Nets thus far this season and he credit the team’s coaching staff for giving him the room to develop, something that he was afforded during his time with the Cavs, Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily relays. “Looking back at my time in Cleveland, it was really valuable in a lot of ways,” Harris said. “Just being around some really high level players, guys that have had a lot of success, I’ve learned a lot from them just by watching. [Cleveland’s] emphasis wasn’t necessarily on letting guys learn through mistakes. It was more so, ‘you come in, and you help impact the game’ because they’re trying to win championships. I feel like the vibe here is a little bit more, ‘if you make a mistake, so be it, you’ve got to learn through it.’ It’s different to be a guy like where I was in Cleveland chasing after spots with guys in front of me like Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Richard Jefferson.”

Atlantic Rumors: Lopez, Knicks, Sixers, Siakam

October 27th, 2016 at 9:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets center Brook Lopez doesn’t seem to fit into new coach Kenny Atkinson’s motion offense, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Lopez played just 21 minutes, fewer than eight of his teammates, in Brooklyn’s opener on Wednesday against the Celtics. He scored only one basket, an odd sight for a player who averaged 20.6 PPG last season. Lopez is making $21.16MM this season and $22.6MM in the final year of his contract in 2017/18. “It’s a learning process. It’s both of us: It’s him learning a totally new system and us integrating him into a new system,’’ Atkinson told Lewis. “But I have complete confidence that as the season goes on, you’re going to see a better Brook. He’s going to understand it more.”

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

Developing Kristaps Porzingis should be Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek’s top priority this season but it will difficult with two ball-dominant players like Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony in the lineup, Chris Mannix of The Vertical opines. Hornacek is intent on improving Porzingis’ post moves in order to punish teams using smaller defenders on him, Mannix notes. But rival coaches are skeptical that Hornacek’s hybrid triangle offense will allow him to take advantage of mismatches, Mannix continues. Those coaches also believe Porzingis is better suited at center but the signing of Joakim Noah limits that possibility, Mannix adds.
Hornacek isn’t surprised that Rose struggled to run the offense in the season-opening loss to the Cavaliers, Barbara Barker of Newsday reports. Rose had just one assist in the Knicks’ opening-night loss to the Cavaliers and later expressed frustration over the offensive scheme. Hornacek said it was a product of Rose missing a good portion of the preseason because of his sexual assault civil trial in Los Angeles, Barker continues. “If we expected anything different, we’d be crazy,” Hornacek told Barker and other beat reporters. “He hasn’t seen a lot of this stuff.”
Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor didn’t play together in the Sixers’ opening-night loss to the Thunder because both were on minutes limits, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Coach Brett Brown wants to play them together in certain situations but Embiid is being brought along slowly after missing two seasons with foot issues, while Okafor just returned from knee soreness, Pompey adds. “It’s not intelligent to play them together now when you only have X amount of minutes with both of them,” Brown said to Pompey.
Rookie Pascal Siakam started ahead of Patrick Patterson at power forward for the Raptors in their opener to keep Patterson in his normal role, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Siakam grabbed nine rebounds in 22 minutes.

Knicks Pick Up Kristaps Porzingis’ 2017/18 Option

October 19th, 2016 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have taken care of some 2017/18 business, officially exercising their team option on the third year of Kristaps Porzingis‘ rookie contract, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets. The move guarantees Porzingis a salary of $4,503,600 for the ’17/18 season.

Most third-year options around the NBA are picked up even for players who didn’t excel in their rookie seasons, since teams don’t want to give up on first-round draft picks too soon. In Porzingis’ case though, the decision was even easier than usual.

While Karl-Anthony Towns took home the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2015/16, Porzingis finished second in voting, and generated plenty of buzz and excitement in New York after being selected with the fourth overall pick. The Latvian big man averaged 14.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.9 BPG in 72 contests (all starts) during his rookie season.

Porzingis joins Justise Winslow (Heat), Myles Turner (Pacers), and Justin Anderson (Mavericks) as 2015 first-rounders who have had their third-year options for 2017/18 exercised so far this week. Teams must make their final decisions on third- and fourth-year options by October 31. You can check out our tracker for those decisions right here.

Knicks Notes: Jennings, Randle, Noah, Porzingis

October 9th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Brandon Jennings is taking advantage of his preseason opportunity to start for the Knicks, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. With Derrick Rose taking care of legal obligations, Jennings registered four points, five assists and four rebounds in 14 minutes Saturday as New York topped Brooklyn. Jennings, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal over the summer, has slimmed down to 175 pounds and hopes to get the Knicks playing at a faster tempo. He says he finally feels fully recovered from the Achilles tear he suffered in January of 2015. “I feel great. I feel faster. I hope I look faster,” he said. “… I just feel like myself again.”

There’s more this morning out of New York:

Chasson Randle continued his bid for a roster spot Saturday with 14 points, two assists and three steals in 21 minutes, Begley writes in the same story. The point guard out of Stanford signed with the Knicks this summer after spending a season in the Czech Republic. He faces an uphill battle to make a team that already has 15 guaranteed contracts, but he has a strong supporter in teammate Carmelo Anthony. “I love him. I just love his poise out there, the way he controls the game, controls the basketball,” Anthony said. “He can push the pace. He can slow it down. I think you guys would love him too the more that you see him play.”
The Knicks expect to be without Rose and Joakim Noah for another week, according to Howie Kussoy and Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Rose remains tied up with his civil trial in Los Angeles, while Noah is nursing a sore left hamstring. Coach Jeff Hornacek said the absence of the team’s most imporant offseason additions has made the preseason difficult, but he plans to be careful with Noah. “Sometimes, players like Jo, he’s like, ‘Man, I want to get out there,’” Hornacek said. “He was out there at shootaround, saying, ‘I want to play,’ but we’re just trying to be cautious with him. … When he feels 100 percent he’ll go to it. Since we don’t have a game after Monday for a while it’s more than likely he’ll probably miss that one, too.”
Kristaps Porzingis said a new shoe deal that could pay more than his NBA contract hasn’t been finalized, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Porzingis signed with Adidas for a reported $3MM to $6MM, although Nike, his current endorser, will get a chance to match the offer. It would be the biggest shoe contract in NBA history for a European player. “That doesn’t mean I’m a better player than Dirk Nowitzki, they just see me as somebody that’s good off the court, see me with kids and that kind of stuff,” Porzingis said. “And they see that potential in me that one day I can be that good. It’s in my hands now to prove that I am what they believe I can be.”

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Porzingis, Rose, Embiid

September 17th, 2016 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joakim Noah‘s intensity has already made an impression on at least one of his new teammates, relays Ian Begley of ESPN.com. At a youth camp today in Westchester, N.Y., Kristaps Porzingis told the story of his first meeting with Noah and the Knicks‘ new center’s dedication to the upcoming season. “That’s the type of guy that we want on our team,” Porzingis said. “He brings that good energy. He brings that spirit, you know? So from the first opportunity that we got to talk, I fell in love with [his intensity].” The addition of Noah should also limit the amount of time that Porzingis spends playing center, which many people believe will eventually become his primary position. Noah, who signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the Knicks in July, is hoping for a bounce-back year after being limited to 29 games last season because of an injured shoulder.

There’s more tonight from the Atlantic Division:

Porzingis also addressed Derrick Rose‘s “super team” comment from earlier this summer, writes Barbara Barker of Newsday. Porzingis says the statement was just a sign of confidence and he agrees with Rose that the Knicks have the talent to be very good. He added that Rose has looked impressive in pickup games. “He’s still got it. He’s still Derrick Rose,” Porzingis said. “I’m excited to play with him. He draws so much attention. When he’s driving, he’s so dangerous. I’m going to be wide open, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
The Sixers‘ crowded frontcourt means players are going to have to earn their minutes more than ever, and the way to do that is to adapt to coach Brett Brown’s new up-tempo approach, according to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Brown is calling on players to get in “career-best shape” before reporting to training camp and said their roles will be determined by their ability to do that.
Joel Embiid may be cleared to play, but the Sixers will rely heavily on their medical staff to determine when and how often he takes the court, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid is expected to start the season with restricted minutes and probably won’t play on back-to-back nights.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Griffin, Rubio, Towns

August 19th, 2016 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

New Orleans has been selected to replace Charlotte as the host for the 2017 All-Star Game, reports Brett Martel of The Associated Press. An official announcement from the league is expected later today, tweets Brett Dawson of the New Orleans Advocate. The NBA announced last month that it was pulling the game from Charlotte in protest of a controversial new North Carolina law regarding protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people. The league offered to give Charlotte the 2019 game if changes are made to the statute. New Orleans also hosted the event in 2008 and 2014. The game is scheduled for February 19th, which coincides with the start of Mardi Gras parades.

There’s more NBA-related news this morning:

Eric Griffin, a former D-League All-Star whose quest for the NBA was halted by an attempted murder charge, has agreed to a contract in Israel, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The state of Florida dropped the charges against Griffin in June, clearing him to resume his basketball career. He will join the Galil Gilboa club, says his agent, Tod Seidel. Griffin had been charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and spent a week in jail in May. The Florida state attorney’s office investigated the case and determined that Griffin had an alibi and did not match the victim’s description. Seidel says the incident cost Griffin the chance to play in the NBA’s summer league and in the Philippines.
The death of Ricky Rubio‘s mother made him consider skipping the Summer Olympics, writes Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press. The Spanish point guard talked regularly to his mother through video chats after Timberwolves games last season and was distraught over her battle with lung cancer. “Sometimes at night during the season I was going through hell,” he said. “Waking up in, who knows, Sacramento, in L.A., in the middle of the night alone in a hotel and thinking, ‘Why am I here? Is it really worth it?'”
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns tops the list of the best NBA sophomores heading into 2016/17, according to Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. Both have the reigning Rookie of the Year listed at No. 1. Ford has Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis ranked second, while Pelton opts for Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.