Pablo Prigioni Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Likely To Re-Sign Prigioni, Not Copeland

July 4th, 2013 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

Holding only non-Bird rights on a pair of restricted free agents this summer, the Knicks aren't expected to be able to re-sign both Chris Copeland and Pablo Prigioni unless both players are willing to accept discounts. With Copeland drawing plenty of interest from rival teams, it appears he's on the verge of signing an offer sheet that would end his time as a Knick, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Berman hears from sources that Copeland has three offer sheets to choose from. The Pacers, Lakers, and an unknown team, perhaps the Cavs, are the clubs believed to have offers on the table for Copeland. The Lakers, like the Knicks, have limited cap flexibility, so New York could potentially match an L.A. offer sheet. However, the Pacers intend to use a portion of their $5.15MM mid-level exception, while the Cavs have a chunk of cap space available. Both teams could offer Copeland a starting salary that exceeds $3.18MM, which is the maximum the Knicks could match with their own mini MLE.

Although the Knicks may be preparing to lose Copeland, the team appears to be a good bet to re-sign Prigioni. According to Berman, New York has made the point guard a two-year offer worth about $2.3MM. Since such a deal would exceed the minimum salary, the club would have to use a portion of its mid-level on the offer, leaving a little more than $2MM to try to bring back Copeland or sign an outside free agent.

Speaking of outside free agents, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Knicks continue to pursue Sebastian Telfair, reaching out to the player himself rather than just his agents. It's not clear whether the Knicks are interested in signing both Prigioni and Telfair, or whether Telfair is viewed as a Plan B. But having lost Jason Kidd to retirement, the Knicks figure to be in the market for a third point guard.

Knicks Rumors: Prigioni, Smith, Blair, Brand

July 3rd, 2013 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

With a limited amount of flexibility available to bring back J.R. Smith, and only the mini mid-level exception to offer Chris Copeland and/or Pablo Prigioni, it will be tricky for the Knicks to bring back all their free agents this summer. Here's the latest out of New York on the team's continuted attempts to improve the roster:

With an international report suggesting that the Knicks have extended a two-year contract offer to Prigioni, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets that Prigioni told a friend today that he hopes to reach an agreement with the club "real soon."
There's a growing feeling among insiders that Smith will sign with a team besides the Knicks, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Based on the money available from rival suitors, one agent tells Zwerling that Smith "has to" leave New York, though we did see him take a discount to re-sign with the Knicks last year.
In a separate tweet, Zwerling passes along a couple more notes, reporting that DeJuan Blair will be too pricey for the Knicks, and that Kenyon Martin may field other offers this week.
Marc Berman of the New York Post examines the Knicks' pursuit of Elton Brand, noting that the team may have to use part of its mini mid-level exception to lure the veteran big man to New York.

Knicks Extend Qualifying Offer To Pablo Prigioni

June 26th, 2013 at 5:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have formally extended a qualifying offer to Pablo Prigioni, ensuring that he'll be a restricted free agent next month, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The offer, which comes a day after the team extended a QO to Chris Copeland, is worth the same as Copeland's one-year offer: $988,872.

By making the qualifying offer, the Knicks will have the opportunity to match any rival offers for Prigioni up to $3.18MM, the taxpayer's mid-level exception. The Knicks reportedly would like to bring both Prigioni and Copeland back, but will only have that $3.18MM available for both players. Using that MLE on one or both of them would also rule out the possibility of using it on an outside free agent, so the Knicks will have some decisions ahead of them in the coming weeks.

In his first year in the NBA, the 36-year-old Prigioni averaged 3.5 PPG and 3.0 APG in 78 contests for the Knicks (16.2 MPG)

Odds & Ends: Shaw, Kings, Curry, Raptors, Allen

June 5th, 2013 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

You could make a convincing argument that no head coaching candidate has a higher stock than Brian Shaw right now. The Pacers assistant has been linked in one way or another to all four teams currently without a head coach, and his agent Jerome Stanley tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link) that several teams have contacted Indiana about interviewing his client. While no interviews have been formally scheduled yet, Shaw intends to explore all the opportunities available to him, according to his agent (Twitter links).

Let's round up a few more odds and ends from around the Association….

According to veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey (via Twitter), Larry Bird is meeting with Kings ownership today. Bird has been mentioned as a possible Sacramento target for the position of head of basketball operations.
Stephen Curry tells Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer that he can't picture himself playing for any team besides the Warriors.
New Raptors head of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is making a "hard push" to bring Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman to Toronto as part of his team in the front office, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
Ray Allen remains undecided on his $3.23MM player option for next season, but will address it after the Finals, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Manu Ginobili hopes to see fellow Argentine Pablo Prigioni continue to play in the NBA next season, rather than returning overseas, as he tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I think the last time he talked to the media (on Argentine radio) he was intending to get back in the (NBA)," Ginobili said. "If he wants to, he’ll be here."

Eastern Rumors: Prigioni, Mirotic, Nets, Sixers

May 24th, 2013 at 7:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Eastern Conference Finals resume tonight after a stirring overtime contest in Game One. The Pacers will have to find a way to come up with a win in Miami after squandering a chance in the opener. If they don't, it will soon be open season for teams going after Indiana GM Kevin Pritchard and assistant coach Brian Shaw. While we wait to see how the postseason turns out, here's the latest on what will happen for a few Eastern teams and players in the future:

In an interview with Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, Pablo Prigioni expounds on his desire to return to the Knicks while acknowledging that there could be other options for him this summer. The point guard hints that his wife's desire to return to Europe wasn't as much of a factor in his decision as had been reported. "The most important things for me to decide where I want to play is I feel that I can play and help the team, to feel that the team really wants me," Prigioni said. "On this professional level, the place where you go is always nice, and the people always take care of you and your family."
Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com looks to the summer ahead for the Bulls, as well as what could be a key negotiation in 2014 with former first-round pick Nikola Mirotic. The power forward from Montenegro appears to have the most leverage, Friedell writes, making it uncertain whether the Bulls will be able to sign him anytime soon.
While the Nets appear to have interest in Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, they have yet to ask Memphis for permission to speak with him, USA Today's Sam Amick reports via Twitter.
Tyler Tynes of the Philadelphia Inquirer tries his hand at a mock draft, predicting that the Sixers will come away with Cody Zeller at No. 11. Tynes adds that he wouldn't be surprised to see the team trade down instead.

Pablo Prigioni Wants To Stay In NBA

May 22nd, 2013 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

MAY 22nd: Prigioni would rather stay with the Knicks rather than returning to the Spanish League, tweets Julian Mozo of En Ole (via Twitter). "If I can choose, I prefer to play in United States and stay in the NBA," said the guard.

MAY 20th: Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni may leave the NBA to return to Spain, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. The veteran purposely signed a one-year deal with the Knicks last offseason to feel out how his young family liked being in New York and it would appear that his wife would like to return to Europe after a test drive in the states. It sounds as though we may not hear a decision from Prigioni anytime soon, however.

“I think it’s not the moment to talk about [my NBA future] now,’’ Prigioni said after Saturday's loss. “It’s painful to lose. It’s painful to start the vacation now. This is about the team. Now I stay quiet.”

The 35-year-old has spoken openly about the idea of returning to the Spanish League but his agent recently said that his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks. Prigioni earned just $473K in his first NBA season. In 16.2 minutes per contest, the veteran averaged 3.5 PPG with 3.0 APG and 1.8 RPG.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Watson, Sund, Knicks, White

May 21st, 2013 at 9:07pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are some notes from the only division in the East with no team left standing:

While the timing is unclear, C.J. Watson's former agent, Jared Karnes, confirmed that Watson is now represented by Excel Sports, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Watson, who played 19 minutes per game for the Nets this year, owns a player option for the league minimum next season and told Bondy last month he'd love to return to Brooklyn.
Besides Masai Ujiri and Kevin Pritchard – names that we've already heard – the Raptors are also considering Rick Sund for their newly available general manager position, report Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today.
In the wake of the Knicks playoff exit this weekend, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News offers his thoughts, via Twitter, on what Glen Grunwald and company must do in the offseason to improve. While they are hindered by cap issues, Isola tweets that the Knicks should try to find a way to add unrestricted free agent Kyle Korver, and then draft a point guard or a big man in June. Isola also tweets that he believes Jason Kidd's time in New York is over, despite what Grunfeld said, but hopes the team persuades Pablo Prigioni to stay.
According to his agent, James White is unlikely to return to the Knicks next season if they don't pick up his option, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. William McCandless, White's agent, is confident that his client will garner NBA interest this offseason but because White values playing time, he has no problem going back overseas to continue his career.

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 Rumors: Amare, Prigioni, Jackson, Rondo

May 19th, 2013 at 11:45am CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith might have cost himself millions with his poor showing following his suspension in the playoffs this season, but that could make a return to the financially hamstrung Knicks a stronger possibility. He reiterated his desire to retire as a Knick after last night's elimination at the hands of the Pacers, though he still figures to opt out of his $2.9MM contract for next season. With the final Atlantic Division team done for 2012/13, it's time to look ahead to the summer, and that's the focus as we round up the latest from the Atlantic:

Amare Stoudemire didn't start any games this season, but he thinks a lineup featuring him alongside Carmelo Anthony could work, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post. "We didn’t give it a chance," Stoudemire said. "We need to understand exactly what my style of play is and what I bring to the table. It’s something I have to sit down with Coach Woody (Mike Woodson) and express to him."
Pablo Prigioni hasn't made up his mind about whether he wants to return to the NBA next season, tweets Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal. Prigioni has spoken about going back to the Spanish league, but agent George Bass recently said his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks.
Newsday's Al Iannazzone identifies five offseason questions for the Knicks, pointing to a post threat, youth and athleticism as pressing needs.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com also chimes in on the summer ahead for the Knicks, whom he believes must "hit a home run" with the 24th overall pick this June (Insider only).
The notion that Phil Jackson could wind up overseeing the Raptors front office is "total bunk," according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
One NBA general manager tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he isn't hearing Rajon Rondo's name discussed as heavily on the trade market as it has been in the past.
Danny Ainge is open to trading the 16th pick in the draft, and there is "major speculation" that the Celtics will indeed do so, either to move up or move down in the draft order. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details amid his roundup of NBA news.

Eastern Notes: Prigioni, Nets, Bobcats, Redick

May 10th, 2013 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending 17 years playing professional basketball in Europe, Pablo Prigioni has enjoyed his first taste of the NBA this season with the Knicks. Prigioni will be a free agent at season's end, but George Bass, who represents Prigioni, tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks.

"Pablo really enjoyed himself here, and he has interest in playing again next year," Bass said. "He's fallen in love with New York, there's no doubt. The Knicks are just a first-class organization, so it's been good all the way around."

Here are a few more updates from around the Eastern Conference:

With Bojan Bogdanovic expected to sign with the Nets this summer, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post examines what ramifications such a move would have for Brooklyn.
There's no timetable for the Bobcats' coaching search, which figures to be lengthy and include plenty of candidates, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Before he makes a decision in free agency in July, J.J. Redick plans to consult with Mike Krzyzewski, his former coach at Duke, as Andrew Gruman of FOX Sports Wisconsin writes.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com identifies a few possible offseason targets for the Celtics.
Over at Bulls.com, Sam Smith's latest mailbag focuses primarily on the current Bulls/Heat series, but also looks ahead to the summer. Asked about Nate Robinson's value on the open market, Smith predicts Robinson will be looking at an annual salary in the $3MM neighborhood.