Shane Larkin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Nets, Lee

July 27th, 2015 at 6:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shane Larkin admits he had trouble fitting into the Knicks’ triangle offense and feels he’s a much better fit with the Nets, Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News reports. In Part 5 of a series of Q&As between Knicks president Phil Jackson and author Charley Rosen posted on ESPN’s website, Jackson said in February that Larkin had “failed to show any growth since the start of the season.” Larkin responded in a tweet on Monday. “Couldn’t grow in an offense I wasn’t comfortable in. … Glad I’m across the river now.” The Nets emphasize a faster pace with a pick-and-roll heavy attack, Abramson adds. A free agent after the season, Larkin signed a two-year, $3MM deal with the Nets with a player option on the second season.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

In the same Q&A with Rosen, Jackson spelled out his reasons for trading J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cavaliers. “J.R. was more interested in hunting for his own shots than in buying into the triangle. Plus, he has a player’s option for next season that would limit our flexibility. As for Shumpert, mainly because of injuries, he’d take one step forward and two steps backward. And because of a salary ‘hold’ on his rookie contract, a CBA format that limits available money in free agency.” Jackson was presumably referring to Shumpert’s cap hold, which would have taken up more than $6.542MM on New York’s cap this summer.
David Lee nearly signed with the Celtics the last time he was a free agent, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com tweets. Lee signed a six-year contract with the Knicks and then was shipped to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade in 2010. The Celtics completed a long-rumored trade for Lee on Monday. Lee was immediately interested in joining the Celtics when they showed interest in acquiring him, according to Jay King of MassLive.com (Twitter link).
The Nets used their $2,339,131 Kevin Garnett trade exception to acquire Steve Blake from the Trail Blazers last month, as NetsDaily indicates. It was one of three exceptions Brooklyn could have used to accommodate the deal. Blake’s salary, since moved to the Pistons in the Quincy Miller trade, left a virtually unusable $262,131 remaining on the Garnett exception.

Eastern Notes: Larkin, Stuckey, Copeland

July 24th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets believe that the right system can bring out the potential that made Shane Larkin a first round pick back in 2013, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “I talked to [GM] Billy [King] and Lionel [Hollins] as soon as free agency started, and they told me they wanted me to come in and just play my game,” Larkin said. “I’m more of a pick-and-roll guy, up and down. “And that’s the thing they told me they wanted me to come in and do. For them to tell me they wanted me to come in push the tempo, bring some energy to the team, that was everything I wanted to hear.”

Larkin admits to having been uncomfortable playing in the Knicks‘ triangle offense last season, Youngmisuk adds. “I mean the triangle is a good offense if you have the type of players that fit within that offense,” Larkin said. “And I don’t feel like it was the best offense for me. I’m not talking bad about it. It’s a great offense. I wish them nothing but the best.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The presence of former teammate Jason Kidd as coach was a major factor for Chris Copeland‘s decision to sign with the Bucks, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes. “The biggest hook for me was Jason Kidd, by far,” Copeland said. “Obviously, he was a friend of mine before all this. He was a great mentor for me in New York and someone I continue to grow under. An incredible mind on and off the floor.”
The final season of Jordan Mickey‘s four-year pact with the Celtics is a non-guaranteed team option, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Brazilian big man Cristiano Felicio‘s contract with the Bulls is a two-year deal, and he will earn $525,093 in 2015/16 and $874,636 the following season, with both years non-guaranteed, Pincus relays (Twitter link).
Rodney Stuckey‘s three-year contract with the Pacers will see him earn $7MM each season, and includes a player option for the final year, Pincus relays (on Twitter).

Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Celtics, Blake

July 10th, 2015 at 6:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Shane Larkin, who recently inked a two-year, $3MM deal with the Nets, believes his career was stalled by the Knicks‘ triangle offense during the 2014/15 season, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “[The triangle] just wasn’t the best fit for me,” Larkin said. “It’s a good system but I’m a pick-and-roll point guard. That’s how I got in the NBA, playing pick-and-roll in college. That’s how I got here and now being back in a system where I can play the pick-and-roll and just getting in the lane, create for others, shoot my floater, and do a bunch of other things.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets still haven’t made a decision regarding whether the team will attempt to negotiate a buyout with point guard Steve Blake or keep him on the roster, Bondy adds. “I know we have a lot of guys at the point guard position. That’ll be resolved hopefully in the next month, eliminate, so hopefully we won’t have as many going to camp,” GM Billy King said.
The Knicks signed Derrick Williams for less than initially thought, as he’ll get $8.8MM over two years, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Thaddeus Young has a 15% trade kicker in his deal with the Nets, Pincus relays (on Twitter).
DeMarre Carroll‘s four-year deal with the Raptors comes to $58MM total, notes Pincus (Twitter link).
The Celtics have officially renounced their rights to Shaquille O’Neal, Stephon Marbury, Michael Olowokandi, Michael Finley, Carlos Arroyo, Nenad Krstic, P.J. Brown, and Scot Pollard, which in turn removes their cap holds, Pincus notes (Twitter links). These moves drop Boston below the salary cap line for the first time in nearly 20 years, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. Boston also loses any form of Bird Rights to these players, though that is a mere formality since it is highly unlikely any of them would be suiting up for the team in the future.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Hackett, Nets

July 9th, 2015 at 9:07pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics‘ primary goal this season will be to make he franchise as attractive as possible to free agents hitting the market during next Summer, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. With the team expected to have approximately $40MM to spend on free agents in 2016, the team has to develop its young core enough to convince big names like Kevin Durant that they can win in Beantown, Blakely adds.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Euro guard Daniel Hackett will work out for the Knicks in Las Vegas, David Pick of Eurobasket relays (Twitter links). Hackett, who is also on the radar of the Mavs and Rockets, was offered a contract by the Greek club Olympiacos, but the 27-year-old wants to explore his NBA opportunities before heading back overseas, Pick adds.
Nets GM Billy King‘s first two calls when the free agent signing period began were to Shane Larkin and Thomas Robinson, Rod Boone of Newsday tweets. Both players officially signed with Brooklyn today.
When King was asked if he expected Deron Williams and Joe Johnson to remain on the Nets‘ roster, he responded, “at this point, yes,” Boone tweets. King also indicated that the reports of the team trying to deal Johnson have been exaggerated, Boone adds.
The Knicks are still in contact with the representatives for Alexey Shved, Cole Aldrich and Louis Amundson, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tweets.
The Nets will still look to add another big man to the roster, King indicated, but the team wants to get as close to, if not under, the luxury tax line as it can, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).

Nets Sign Shane Larkin

July 9th, 2015 at 12:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 9TH, 12:26pm: The deal is official, the Nets announced via press release.

JULY 2ND, 1:59pm: The Nets and Shane Larkin have agreed to a two-year, $3MM deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). It’ll include a player option on the second season, Wojnarowski writes in a full story. Brooklyn will use part of its $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception on the guard who played this past season with the crosstown Knicks.

Larkin confirmed the deal to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The guard wasn’t expected to return to the Knicks, as Newsday’s Al Iannazzone notes (on Twitter). New York declined its team option for 2015/16 on Larkin’s rookie scale contract this past fall, so the most the Knicks could have paid him next season on a new deal was the value of that option, slightly more than $1.675MM. Other teams were free to pay him more, but the Nets don’t appear to have exceeded that amount.

The Relativity Sports client was the 18th overall pick just two years ago, but he saw little playing time for as a rookie for the Mavs, who traded him to New York in the Tyson Chandler deal. Larkin started 22 games for the Knicks last year, but nonetheless moves on. He passed up more money from one of the three of four teams with interest, but goes into a Brooklyn backcourt already well-stocked with point guards, as Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com writes on Twitter.

Free Agency Rumors: Boozer, Williams, Heat

June 30th, 2015 at 6:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent news..

The Nets, Mavs, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, and Spurs are in on veteran big man Carlos Boozer, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com tweets.
In addition to the incumbent Kings (whose interest was previously reported), the Wizards, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, Suns, and Knicks are expected to show interest in forward Derrick Williams, Broussard tweets. Williams can become a restricted free agent this summer if the Kings tender him a qualifying offer worth $4,045,894. The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 8.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 74 games last season.
The general sense among teams around the league is that Kyle O’Quinn will be able to draw $4-5MM salaries on his next deal and Shane Larkin $2-3MM on his, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in his NBA AM piece. Sources tell Kyler that Gerald Green could be had for around $5MM a year, or slightly less on a deal that runs three or four years.
The Mavs, Pacers, Grizzlies, Clippers, and incumbent Suns are the teams showing the most interest in high-flying big man Brandan Wright, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets.
Jamario Moon is looking to make an NBA comeback and has signed with Hazan Sports Management, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Knicks Notes: Free Agency, Jackson, Larkin

March 13th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks have the league’s worst record this season, and even with a high lottery pick and plenty of cap flexibility on their way this summer, coach Derek Fisher isn’t under any illusions that the team will jump into title contention in 2015/16, as Marc Berman of the New York Post relays.

“I don’t think we can somehow look to next season and say we’re supposed to win a championship,’’ Fisher said, according to Berman. “We’re at the very bottom or below the ground level for the type of work we have to do to turn this around. We have to continue evaluate everything we do.’’

There’s more on the team’s rebuilding project amid the latest from Madison Square Garden:

Phil Jackson indicated Thursday that he believes the triangle offense will help sell free agents on the Knicks, but the triple post has plenty of critics, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com details. Fisher offered a vague hint that the Knicks will move away from the triangle next season, Berman observes in the same piece linked above, but he also defended the system, as Berman also notes.
The Tyson Chandler/Jose Calderon trade was a mistake for the Knicks, and Jackson failed to convince Carmelo Anthony to take a discount of much significance, as Begley opines in a separate piece in which he examines Jackson’s first year as Knicks team president.
Jackson and the Knicks probably won’t re-sign Shane Larkin this summer, Begley surmises in the same piece.
Fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ohm Youngmisuk takes a Knicks-focused look at the implications of the union’s rejection of gradual increases in the salary cap in favor of an immediate spike for 2016/17.

Knicks Notes: Draft, Jackson, Shved, Larkin

February 27th, 2015 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks team president Phil Jackson called Ohio State combo guard D’Angelo Russell a “great prospect” when he spoke to Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com upon his visit to Ohio State amid a scouting trip, and while it’s no surprise he would say that, the comment sparked trouble nonetheless. The NBA doesn’t allow team officials to talk about college underclassmen, so the league has begun an investigation into Jackson’s comments and is likely to fine him for the remarks about Russell, a freshman, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Knicks top the Reverse Standings, and Russell is No. 3 in Eddie Scarito’s Hoops Rumors Prospect Power Rankings. Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Knicks indeed made another push to deal for Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. They were reportedly likely to make a renewed effort after coming up short in an attempt to trade for him last month. New York lacked the assets for the future to snag Jackson at the deadline, Berman writes, but the team is reportedly planning to target him again when he hits restricted free agency this summer. The Knicks have the potential recruiting advantage of employing coach Derek Fisher, a former Jackson teammate, as Berman examines.
The Knicks took on salary to trade for Alexey Shved because they view him as a fit for the triangle, Berman observes in the same story. “We definitely see the potential and his ability to play with our team and operate well within our format,’’ Fisher said. “He’s a good ballhandler and good passer and he can get to the rim and he’s pretty capable shooting.”
Shane Larkin would rather re-sign with the Knicks than play elsewhere in the NBA next season, Berman notes in a separate piece. However, the point guard can seek better offers than the $1,675,320 that New York is limited to paying him next season since the team declined his option for that same amount. “The league is watching at all times,’’ Larkin said. “If I go out there and play well the last 25 games, the Knicks could want me or someone else could want me. It’s not that I’m set on one team. They didn’t pick up my option. I can go wherever, but of course I want to stay in New York.’’

Western Notes: Cooley, Garnett, Jazz

February 19th, 2015 at 11:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jack Cooley is a candidate to be signed to a 10-day deal by the Jazz, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune reports (Twitter link). Utah is in need of frontcourt depth in the wake of the Enes Kanter trade. Cooley currently plays for the Idaho Stampede, the Jazz‘s D-League affiliate. In 15 D-League games, Cooley is averaging 15.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 28.5 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jazz re-sign swingman Chris Johnson, whom the team had on a 10-day contract a few weeks ago, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
The Clippers met with D-Leaguer Eric Griffin in New York over the weekend and discussed a 10-day deal, but no move is expected, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter). Griffin hooked on with the Texas Legends after being waived by the Mavs in October.
The Clippers have two roster openings and Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that they plan to fill both. They’ll likely go with two bought out players but they could sign one buyout guy and one player to a 10-day deal.
The Jazz like Alex Abrines, one of the Thunder’s draft-and-stash prospects, Genessy notes (Twitter link). Abrines, a 21-year-old shooting guard, is under contract with Barcelona of Spain until 2016, as our draft rights held players database shows.
The Jazz showed interest in Shane Larkin before the deadline, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
Just as the Timberwolves would reportedly like to sign Kevin Garnett for two more years, Garnett fully intends to play at least one more season, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).

Chuck Myron and Zach Links contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Raptors, Sixers

February 18th, 2015 at 9:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks are aggressively pursuing trades for players they covet in free agency in order to secure their Bird rights and attempt to lower their cap holds, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The Knicks are one of the teams chasing Suns point guard Goran Dragic, while the Magic’s Tobias Harris is interested in coming to New York. Kyler explains that Dragic’s cap hold of $11.25MM would allow the Knicks to preserve an extra $4.25MM or so in cap space to sign other players this summer. Harris has a cap hold of $5.91MM. Shane Larkin, Jose Calderon, Tim Hardaway Jr., Cole Aldrich and Andrea Bargnani are among the players whom the Knicks are shopping, Kyler adds.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Carmelo Anthony says the Knicks should only be focused on the future as the team heads toward the trade deadline, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. Anthony has been shut down for the remainder of the season because of his balky knee. “The only thing that matters at this point is about where we’re headed as a team, as an organization for the future,” Anthony said to reporters after Sunday’s All-Star Game.
Knicks president Phil Jackson said that New York is “in the mix” at the trade deadline, and that the franchise is hoping to make at least one move, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Jackson also relayed that there isn’t much interest from other teams in Bargnani and Calderon, Berman notes. The Zen Master also said that the Knicks might not waive Bargnani, since the coaching staff feels he may be needed in the wake of Anthony being lost for the season and Amar’e Stoudemire‘s buyout arrangement.
The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team has announced. This will be Caboclo’s second trip to the D-League this season.
The Sixers would listen to any offers for Henry Sims, Luc Mbah a Moute, Jakarr Sampson, and Hollis Thompson, John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com writes. Gonzalez adds that he doubts any of those players would bring Philly a significant return.
It’s unlikely the Celtics make any moves at the deadline, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com speculates. While Boston president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has expressed a willingness to be active, Forsberg points out that the Celtics have made only one deadline trade in the past three seasons.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.