Tim Hardaway Jr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Anthony, Williams, Hardaway Jr.

February 14th, 2014 at 11:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It was reported earlier that Carmelo Anthony might be willing to take a pay cut to remain with the Knicks if it would help the team contend for a championship. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines what that would mean for the team going forward. According to Begley, it would be of no help to the team in 2014/2015 no matter how much money Anthony left on the table. If Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani remain on the roster by exercising their player options, the Knicks’ payroll would be over the projected salary-cap line of $62.9MM even without ‘Melo on the team. It is during the 2015/2016 season where the team could reap the benefits. If Anthony signs a max deal, his salary that season will be $24,142,789, and the team would have five players under contract at a total of $39,492,533. This is barring any high-priced additions between now and then with contracts that run through 2015/2016. If Anthony takes a pay cut, it would leave the Knicks enough room to pursue Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo, and would allow the team to add more depth to the roster, a necessary element to contend for a title.

Knicks Target Lowry, Raptors Reluctant To Deal

February 12th, 2014 at 4:09pm CST by Ryan Raroque

4:09pm: Sources close to Lowry also tell Wojnarowski that the Raptors are unlikely to deal the point guard, as the Yahoo! scribe notes in his full story. Wojnarowski pegs the kind of deal Lowry could receive in free agency this summer at four years, $45MM.

3:21pm: A rival executive says the Raptors have told him they won’t deal Lowry away, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 2:29pm: The Raptors have shown “significant reluctance” to part with Lowry, preferring instead to keep him for a postseason run, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That’s in contrast to what Chad Ford of ESPN.com is hearing, as he wrote today that Toronto continues to be aggressive in pursuit of a Lowry deal.

MONDAY, 5:42pm: The Knicks are once again interested in Kyle Lowry after opting not to trade for the Raptors point guard two months ago, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The deal that had reportedly been vetoed by Knicks owner James Dolan initially involved Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first round pick in exchange for Lowry.

With Toronto leading the Atlantic Division, Isola (via Twitter) doesn’t think it’d make sense for them to trade their best player right now. However, as we noted yesterday from TNT’s David Aldridge, the Raptors aren’t currently willing to pay top dollar this summer to retain Lowry for the long-term once he hits free agency. It certainly doesn’t guarantee that they would look to trade him before the February 20 deadline, and Aldridge acknowledged a scenario in which Toronto keeps Lowry for the rest of the season and opts to part ways during the summer. By the same token, Aldridge adds that if Toronto would be overwhelmed with an offer, they’d most assuredly listen.

When talks had been heating up in December, other names reportedly tied to discussions included Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., who were said to have been sought out by the Raptors if the Knicks were ultimately unwilling to give up a first round pick. In another report, it was said that Toronto eventually requested Hardaway Jr. and a 2018 first round pick along with Felton in exchange for Lowry. Though talks essentially fell through, it’s definitely worth wondering if the Knicks’ renewed interest is coupled with a willingness to part with a previously untouchable asset.

Kyle Lowry Rumors: Friday

December 13th, 2013 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

An overnight report suggested that Knicks owner James Dolan had blocked a potential acquisition of Kyle Lowry, but Marc Berman of the New York Post provides another possible explanation for talks between the Knicks and Raptors breaking down. We have more details on that below, along with the rest of the day’s Lowry-related updates:

The Nets have “zero intention of surrendering Bogdanovic or a first-rounder for Lowry, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who can’t envision Brooklyn landing the point guard, given Toronto’s insistence on a first-round pick and a young asset. The Nets are enamored with Bogdanovic and don’t have many first-rounders to trade (All Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Sam Amick of USA Today hears from two people with knowledge of the Nets‘ dealings that the team won’t acquire Lowry if the Raptors insist on getting a 2020 first-rounder from Brooklyn. As for the Warriors, Amick says that as of late Friday, they view the asking price for Lowry as too high and appear to be moving on.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was in Turkey yesterday and saw Bogdanovic in action, according to Halil Can Pelister SuperBasket.org (Twitter link). Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes (via Twitter) that the trip had been prearranged, so it’s not necessarily a signal that the Raps are serious about a deal with the Nets.
Wojnarowski’s latest update on the Lowry talks is consistent with Frank Isola’s report, indicating that Dolan bailed on a deal that would have sent Felton, World Peace, and a 2018 first-rounder to Toronto. The Knicks‘ front office would like to re-enter negotiations, and is working to convince Dolan to ignore public criticism, but it’s unclear if the Knicks would put that same offer on the table or whether they’d need to upgrade it.
The Nets and Raptors have exchanged ideas on packages that include Mirza Teletovic, Tyshawn Taylor, and Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Wojnarowski. Jason Terry has also been discussed for salary-matching purposes, but the Nets so far seem unwilling to include Mason Plumlee or a future first-round pick.
The Warriors have also remained involved in Lowry talks, says Wojnarowski.
Lowry told reporters, including Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun, that he anticipates being moved at some point, but has never asked the Raptors for a trade.
According to Berman, after the Knicks thought they had a deal in place, Toronto’s asking price went up. Rather than accepting Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first-round pick, Toronto wants to include Tim Hardaway Jr. in place of World Peace, says Berman.
Within Berman’s piece, he notes that Felton isn’t giving too much thought to the latest reports. “I laughed at that trade stuff,’’ Felton said. “I don’t talk about. I’ve been in the league for nine years. That stuff is going to happen when you have a good season. I have nothing to do with it. I don’t deal with it. That’s why we have general managers.”
As the Knicks‘ front office works with Dolan to regroup on the Lowry front, the Nets are gaining traction as a possible destination for the Raptors‘ point guard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Wojnarowski adds in a second tweet that Toronto continues to talk to several teams about Lowry, so nothing is imminent.

Latest On Kyle Lowry

December 12th, 2013 at 8:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:36pm: According to Wojnarowski, Knicks owner James Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that GM Masai Ujiri “bamboozled” him in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and the chance of getting criticized for giving up too much in a deal for Lowry has become a hurdle in these talks. Toronto is said to be discussing deals for Lowry with an ever-growing list of teams.

Wojnarwoski adds that New York doesn’t want to include either Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. in discussions (they reportedly refused a proposal involving the former along with Felton), and without Shumpert or a draft pick going to Toronto, there isn’t any traction to a deal. Also, the Knicks are believed to still be hesitant about trading a future first round draft choice to the Raptors, and there seems to be doubt over how long they’ll keep that option on the table.

As for the Nets’ interest, Wojnarowski says the team isn’t willing to include either a 2020 first-round pick or one of its young players – including Mason Plumlee – in a trade package.

4:03pm: Toronto is insisting on a first-rounder from the Knicks in part because taking on Felton would leave the Raptors with more long-term money, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Felton’s deal runs through 2015/16, which is a player option year, while Lowry is on an expiring contract. The Knicks would like to save Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. for another deal, Stein adds (Twitter links). The Raptors are seeking two out of three assets from the Knicks: Shumpert, Hardaway, or a first-rounder, Stein tweets.

3:46pm: The Knicks are refusing to give up a first-round pick, and that’s gumming up the talks between the two teams, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

3:24pm: The Nets represent the strongest competition to the Knicks for Kyle Lowry among an “ever-growing list of teams” going after the Raptors point guard, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. New York’s latest offer includes Metta World Peace and a 2018 first-round draft pick to go with Raymond Felton, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that the Knicks are wavering on their willingness to include the pick.

The Raptors are reportedly asking for a quality young player or a first-round pick, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who says the price could be too high for Brooklyn’s tastes (Twitter link). Still, Brooklyn’s interest is legitimate, Mannix writes, and Wojnarowski hears the Raptors are investigating Bojan Bogdanovic, a former second-round pick whose rights the Nets hold.

Lowry is apparently interested in heading to New York, and Wojnarowski says he’s spent most of the season hoping for a trade out of Toronto. The Warriors are another team with interest in Lowry, but the odds that the Warriors land him are “very very slim,” according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, who doesn’t think Golden State has much to offer the Raptors (Twitter links). Lowry has fans in the Timberwolves front office, but the team doesn’t have enough assets or financial flexibility, and isn’t in the mix for the point guard, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter).

The Knicks can’t trade World Peace until Sunday, since he signed a contract this past offseason. The Raptors would probably buy him out of his two-year, approximately $3.5MM deal if they traded for him, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Raptors, Knicks Working On Kyle Lowry Trade

December 12th, 2013 at 2:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:47pm: The Raptors are sticking to their asking price of a quality young player or a first-round pick in return for Lowry, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com, tweeting that negotiations could take a while. Lowry has plenty of interest in playing for the Knicks, but Felton’s injury doesn’t help the chances of the Knicks landing Toronto’s point guard, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post, who says several teams including the Raptors have inquired about Hardaway.

1:56pm: The chances that Shumpert is part the deal are slim, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who says the Raptors aren’t high on him and the Knicks prefer to keep him for now (on Twitter).

1:39pm: Shumpert’s name has come up in discussions between the Raptors and Knicks, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. In his piece on rumors around the league, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report wrote that Shumpert, along with Felton, would “most likely” be part of a deal for Lowry.

1:04pm: Isola can’t envision Hardaway being part of the deal, citing owner James Dolan’s affection for the rookie (Twitter link).

12:53pm: The Nets and Warriors are also interested in Lowry, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, while Stein says the Knicks may be forced to put Tim Hardaway Jr. into the deal (Twitter links).

12:47pm: The Raptors are trying to elicit more offers for Lowry, and that’s why they’re leaking the news of their talks with the Knicks, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

12:38pm: Kyle Lowry has been mentioned prominently among Raptors who could be on the move as GM Masai Ujiri aggressively reshapes the team, and he’s at the center of trade talks between Toronto and the Knicks, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The trade would likely feature Raymond Felton and at least one other Knick heading north of the border unless a third team jumps in, Stein also notes (on Twitter).

The Knicks had interest in trading with the Nuggets for Andre Miller, but they’ve shifted their focus to Lowry, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Raptors are looking for a first-round pick in the deal, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck notes (via Twitter), but the earliest first-rounder the Knicks can deal away is their 2018 pick.

Lowry is among nine Raptors with an expiring contract, as I examined earlier today, and his $6.21MM salary might make him an attractive target for teams looking for a starting point guard. The Knicks will miss Felton for the next two to three weeks as he recovers from a strained hamstring, as Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. While that’s certainly not a long-term absence, New York may feel as though a quick fix is necessary to avoid falling further behind in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are 6-15, but that’s just two and a half games out of a playoff spot, given the struggles of so many Eastern teams this year.

The teams hooked up on the Andrea Bargnani trade over the summer, though that happened while former Knicks GM Glen Grunwald was still in charge in New York. New Knicks GM Steve Mills has yet to make a major move since taking over shortly before the season.

A one-for-one swap of Lowry and Felton, who’s making about $3.6MM, wouldn’t work under salary-matching rules. The Knicks would have to include about $1.5MM more in outgoing salary. They could accomplish that by throwing Iman Shumpert into the deal, and while Shumpert has been at the centerpiece of most of the trade chatter involving the Knicks this year, it’s not clear whether he’s a part of these talks.

East Notes: Bargnani, Cavs, Heat, Antetokounmpo

October 10th, 2013 at 8:59pm CST by Alex Lee

Let’s round up all of the links coming out of the Eastern Conference on Thursday night:

In Canada for tomorrow night’s matchup with the Raptors, the Knicks, at this point in training camp, seem thrilled Toronto gave up on Andrea Bargnani this offseason, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, who tabs head coach Mike Woodson as one of Bargnani’s biggest fans in the early going.
Woodson also said on Thursday that rookie and No. 24 pick Tim Hardaway Jr. has “put himself in a nice position” to get minutes in the Knicks rotation, writes Al Iannazzone of the Long Island Newsday.
Despite going undrafted in June, it sounds like Matthew Dellavedova is on track to make the Cavaliers‘ final roster as the third point guard, writes Bob Finnan of the Cleveland News-Herald. The Cavs signed the Saint Mary’s product to a two-year deal with a small guarantee about a month ago.
Despite a shaky preseason debut on Tuesday, No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett says he is simply trying to find his groove after offseason shoulder surgery, writes Jodie Valade of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who adds that the highly-touted rookie is currently concentrated on improving his conditioning.
Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report breaks down the five candidates in Miami with a chance to crack Erik Spoelstra’s nine-man, championship rotation: Michael Beasley, Rashard Lewis, Roger Mason Jr., James Jones and Joel Anthony. Skolnick also mentions Greg Oden, who may be a factor for the Heat in 2014.
Greek import Giannis Antetokounmpo, who the Bucks took in June at No. 15, has flashed big-time talent two preseason games into his NBA career, tweets Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, who says some scouts adamantly labeled the “Greek Freak” a bust without giving him a sufficient look (Twitter links here).

Knicks Notes: Udrih, Brown, Hardaway Jr.

August 7th, 2013 at 7:24pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes on the Knicks, a team still in pursuit of more players and finding roles for those already under contract.

ESPNNY.com's Jared Zwerling tweets that Bobby Brown's workout with the team went well, but no offer has been made, and free agent point guard Beno Udrih is still a priority.
The New York Post's Marc Berman reiterates Zwerling's report, tweeting the "Knicks may get their man," with regards to Udrih.
Berman also tweeted that Andrea Bargnani's preference of socializing with European/foreign players could have an impact on the team's decision to sign Udrih.
Rookie guard Tim Hardaway Jr. says he will be completely healthy in time for the start of training camp, reports ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley. Hardaway Jr. also believes he can fill in for the injured reigning Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith.

Knicks Sign Tim Hardaway Jr., C.J. Leslie

July 10th, 2013 at 6:47pm CST by Luke Adams

6:47pm: Deeks corrects his earlier report, and confirms that Leslie's deal isn't fully guaranteed (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 6:01pm: Leslie's two-year deal is fully guaranteed for both seasons, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports, contradicting earlier word that the pact only included a partial guarantee.

MONDAY, 2:37pm: The Knicks have officially announced Hardaway's signing and also formally announced the signing of undrafted free agent C.J. Leslie (Twitter links). We had initially heard a day after the draft that the Knicks had agreed to sign Leslie, who will be in line for the rookie minimum. He'll also have a partial guarantee on his deal, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday.

2:05pm: The Knicks have reached a contract agreement with first-round pick Tim Hardaway Jr., agent Mark Bartelstein tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).

Hardaway was the 24th overall pick in last month's draft, meaning he was the first of this year's draftees with a rookie-scale amount below $1MM. Still, as our chart of rookie salaries shows, Hardaway will earn 120% of that $997,300 cap hold, good for a first-year salary worth close to $1.2MM.

Southwest Notes: Spurs, Pelicans, Draft, Burke

June 27th, 2013 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest draft rumors out of the Southwest Division..

Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter) hears that point guard Trey Burke was very close to a promise from the Pelicans at No. 6. Hoops Rumors' most recent mock draft has the Michigan product going No. 8 to the Pistons.
Among the players believed to have piqued the Spurs' interest are Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan, Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr., North Carolina small forward Reggie Bullock, and Louisville center Gorgui Dieng, notes Jeff McDonald of the Express News.
Virginia Tech's Erick Green made a second trip into San Antonio to workout recently for the Spurs, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Wojnarowski notes that Green, a 6'4" guard, is one of the draft's better scorers.

Atlantic Rumors: Pierce, Raptors, Knicks, Draft

June 23rd, 2013 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics have been embroiled in negotiations with the Clippers over Doc Rivers in a stop-and-start drama that was the league's primary storyline this week, outside of the Finals. With the draft and free agency approaching, plenty of other headlines figure to emerge, and we've got the latest on potential moves involving a few Atlantic Division clubs here:

Teams around the league have better than average interest in trading for Paul Pierce, according to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. Pierce's $15.3MM contract for next season is only guaranteed for $5MM if he's waived on or before next Sunday.
The Raptors are trying to acquire a pick in this year's draft, but they don't have much cash available to use in a trade for one. The Raptors sent $3MM to the Grizzlies as part of the Rudy Gay trade, and that leaves them just $100K under the NBA's annual limit for sending out cash as part of swaps, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter links). GM Masai Ujiri and company could get creative and prearrange a deal for a pick involving cash that wouldn't become official until July, when the league calendar flips over and teams have another $3.2MM to spend in trades, Deeks notes.
The Knicks feel they need another scorer on the perimeter, preferably one who can play small forward, and they'll target that need in the draft and go after a big man in free agency, as Marc Berman of the New York Post hears. They're considering swingmen Tim Hardaway Jr., Allen Crabbe, Reggie Bullock and Tony Snell with the 24th overall pick.
If the Knicks take a point guard with the pick, they'll look for a playmaker rather than a scorer, and they have interest in Nate Wolters, according to Berman.