Willy Hernangomez Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Pleiss, Seraphin, Stackhouse, Green

September 11th, 2016 at 11:31am CST by Arthur Hill

German center Tibor Pleiss received an invitation to work out for the Nets, but seems likely to sign overseas, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. Pleiss is finalizing a deal with the Galatasaray team in Turkey. He will take the place of former NBA player Nenad Krstic, who has a lingering knee injury and is expected to retire (Twitter link). Pleiss was waived by the Sixers last week after being acquired in a trade with the Jazz. The 7’3″ center appeared in 12 games for Utah last season, but spent most of the year in the D-League.

There’s more news out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks were outbid in their attempt to re-sign reserve center Kevin Seraphin, according to Mark Berman of the New York Post. Seraphin agreed to join the Pacers last week and signed a two-year, $3.6MM contract on Thursday, with the second year as a team option. The deal starts at $2MM for next season, which topped the Knicks’ offer of $1.2MM, the minimum for a player who has been in the league for six years. It will still be a pay cut for Seraphin, who signed for the $2.8MM cap exception last season. The Knicks were hoping to keep Seraphin, who averaged 3.9 points in 48 games in 2015/16, as a backup to Joakim Noah. Berman expects Kyle O’Quinn to get a larger role with Seraphin’s departure, with Willy Hernangomez, Marshall Plumlee and Maurice Ndour as other options.
Jerry Stackhouse sees his new job as coach of Toronto’s D-League affiliate as the next step toward becoming an NBA head coach, writes Chris O’Leary of The Toronto Star. Stackhouse was named to the position Friday after spending last season as an assistant with the Raptors. With 18 years as an NBA player, Stackhouse hopes to use that experience to help some of the players with Raptors 905. “I spent just about as much of my life on the struggle that you’re watching some of these [D-League players] … making whatever they make, 25, 30 grand, but it’s a destination,” he said. “It’s where you want to get, it’s the sacrifices you have to make. I’m excited about it, I really am.”
The return of Gerald Green will give the Celtics a prolific scorer off the bench, writes Taylor C. Snow of NBA.com. In a look at Boston’s wing players, Snow notes that Green, who left the Heat for the Celtics this summer, can score the ball in a variety of ways.

New York Notes: Wroten, Hernangomez, Bennett

August 19th, 2016 at 12:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks had long-term plans for point guard Tony Wroten when they signed him in mid-March, Charley Rosen of Today’s Fastbreak reveals in the latest installment of “The Phil Jackson Chronicles.” Wroten, who was waived in June after New York traded for Derrick Rose, was originally set to get an extended audition this offseason. Jackson, the team president, said the Knicks signed Wroten during the season rather than waiting for free agency because it wanted to have him available for summer league play.

“Signing Tony now also gives us more time to evaluate him,” Jackson said in March about Wroten, who was recovering from surgery on a partially torn ACL in his right knee. “Can he make it all the way back? Can he grasp our philosophy? Tony is only 22 and, if everything does work out, he certainly fits the description of the type of point guard that we’re looking for. It’s a futuristic move for us. A move that gives us another choice. And it’s one of the things we have to do to find suitable talent.” Wroten never appeared in a game for the Knicks. The Grizzlies claimed him off waivers, then released and later re-signed him.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

Willy Hernangomez, a Spanish center who will face Team USA at the Olympics today, has a chance to be part of the Knicks‘ rotation next season, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. That’s the opinion of ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla, who is considered an expert on international basketball. “He does not have ‘starter’ or ‘stardom’ written all over him yet, but he has a chance because of his youth, mobility and size to develop into a good player in time,” Fraschilla said. “If you could find a 6-11 second-round pick who’s only 22 years old and is beginning to prove himself both at the Olympics and in the second-best league in the world in Spain, you’d say it is a bonus for the Knicks.”
Former overall No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett says he likes the “brand new vibe” in Brooklyn as he tries to resurrect his career with the Nets, relays NetsDaily.com. “For the most part, [I’m] going in here with an open mind, no pressure, just going out there and playing,” Bennett says in a new video posted on YouTube. Bennett signed a two-year deal that will pay him a guaranteed $1,015,696 this season and $1,087,745 if he’s on the roster for opening night in 2017.

And-Ones: Stackhouse, Labor, Olympics, Garnett

August 1st, 2016 at 10:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors are expected to name former All-Star Jerry Stackhouse as head coach of their D-League affiliate, Raptors 905, sources told Chris Reichert of UpsideMotor.com. Stackhouse, who played for eight teams during a career that lasted from 1995-2013, spent last season on Dwane Casey’s staff. He would replace Jesse Mermuys, who is now an assistant to new Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton. Stackhouse coached the Raptors’ Summer League team in Las Vegas last month. Raptors 905 was an expansion team last season and had several players that also saw action in the NBA, including Anthony Bennett, Bruno Caboclo, Delon Wright and Lucas Nogueira, Reichert adds.

In other news around the league:

NBPA executive director Michele Roberts is optimistic a new labor agreement will be reached before a potential lockout, she told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “Our teams have been in discussions for some months now and we have made progress and we’re inclined to continue along those lines,” she said. “We have meetings this summer and we’re meeting next week and [consistently] after that. We’re trying to get a deal as quickly as we can, ideally before the start of the season.” Roberts added that if an agreement isn’t reached by the Dec. 15th deadline, the union would likely opt out, triggering the possible lockout following the season.
American fans will get their first look at a lot of foreign players during the Summer Olympics, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. There will be many players whose names are familiar because teams hold their draft rights, such as Croatian star Dario Saric, who recently signed to play for the Sixers next season. Other prominent names include Lithuania’s Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Spain’s Willy Hernangomez, who will both be part of the Knicks; Nigeria’s Michael Gbinije, a second-round pick of the Pistons; China’s Zhou Qi, a Rockets’ second-rounder; Spain’s Sergio Llull, who the Rockets have been trying to convince to come to the NBA, Lithuania’s Domantas Sabonis, who was traded to the Thunder on draft night; and Spain’s Alex Abrines, who recently signed with the Thunder.
Kevin Garnett met with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor but no final decision materialized regarding Garnett’s future, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. The 40-year-old Garnett, who appeared in 38 games last season, has one year and $8MM remaining on his contract.
CAA Sports signed NBA free agent guards Sergio Rodriguez and Ish Smith and negotiated deals with their new clubs, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal tweets. The Sixers signed the 30-year-old Rodriguez to a one-year, $8MM contract. Smith received a three-year, $18MM deal from the Pistons.

Eastern Notes: Teague, Pistons, Rondo

July 11th, 2016 at 1:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In an interview with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, point guard Jeff Teague said that he is extremely excited to join the Pacers and he bears no ill-will toward the Hawks for trading him. “Me and the Hawks talked a bit and we agreed to be open with each other and try to help each other facilitate a nice deal. So I knew it was coming [eventually], but I didn’t know when. When I got the news, Coach Bud [Mike Budenholzer] let me know that he would be trading me home. It was bittersweet, but I’m excited about a new start and a new opportunity.”

Discussing what he’ll remember best about his time in Atlanta, Teague told Kennedy, “I’ll remember all of the fun times and all of the great teammates and coaches I had. In Atlanta, I learned so much, especially from Mike Bibby and those guys early on. Those guys had a huge influence on my career, teaching me how to work and how to be a pro. When Coach Bud came in, he gave me an opportunity to play, and it meant a lot that he trusted me and believed in me. I have a lot of great memories from Atlanta – the 60-win season, having the opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference Finals, some of the playoff atmospheres when we played against teams like the Cavs. My time in Atlanta was special and I enjoyed it, but I’m looking forward to doing bigger and better things in Indiana.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy acknowledged that it is easier for the franchise to be successful at attracting free agents now that the team has established itself as being on the rise, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. “Guys look at us probably a little differently,” Van Gundy said. “Young team, on the rise. I think both Jon Leuer and Ish Smith liked the idea that they were playing with guys in their own age group and even younger in most cases – that this roster has a chance to grow throughout the length of their contracts.”
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is looking forward to working with Rajon Rondo and believes that he and the point guard will have a solid relationship, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “The big thing with Rondo is I anticipate having a very good relationship with Rajon,” Hoiberg said. “He’s going to be a guy that’s going to be another extension of me and a coach on the floor. And again, I think he’s a guy who can survey the floor and read the situation and get us into our offense in a very efficient manner. He’s a guy who can get to the hole, he’s obviously an excellent passer, has great vision. I think he’ll fit very well with what we’re trying to do.”
The Knicks deal with Spanish center Willy Hernangomez is for four years and will see him earn $1.4MM in 2016/17 and $5.9MM in total, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The first three years are fully guaranteed, Pincus adds.

Knicks Sign Willy Hernangomez

July 5th, 2016 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 11:07am: The Knicks have formally announced Hernangomez’s signing, making it official (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 3:45pm: According to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News (via Twitter), Hernangomez’s deal will be for at least three years, which means the Knicks are using cap space to complete it.

3:00pm: After spending the first few days of July securing NBA free agents, the Knicks have shifted their focus to overseas players today. Having agreed to terms with Lithuanian forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas earlier this afternoon, New York has also struck a multiyear deal with a 2015 draftee, Spanish center Willy Hernangomez, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). The contract will be fully guaranteed, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com.

Hernangomez, the 35th overall pick in last year’s draft, didn’t see much action during Euroleague play for Real Madrid this past season, posting averages of 4.3 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 10.6 minutes per Euroleague contest (10.6 games). However, the 22-year-old did shoot an impressive 64.3% from the field in his limited action.

There have been multiple reports indicating throughout the spring and summer that Hernangomez planned on joining the Knicks this offseason. A May report suggested that the 6’11” center had rejected two offers from Real Madrid, and that it would take a significant shift in momentum for him not to wind up with New York next season.

That same report in May indicated that a four-year offer would be on the way for Hernangomez, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will be the case. Contracts signed using the minimum-salary exception can’t be longer than two years, but if the Knicks use cap room to sign Hernangomez to a minimum-salary deal, which they should be able to do, it could be for up to four years.

Knicks Rumors: Hernangomez, Thomas, Galloway

June 23rd, 2016 at 5:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Spanish center Willy Hernangomez, selected 35th overall in last year’s draft, intends to sign a multiyear contract with the Knicks this offseason, agent Andy Miller tells Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. “It is my intent to reach an agreement with the Knicks and have Willy come to New York for next season and beyond,” Miller said.

As Wojnarowski writes, Hernangomez, whose draft rights are held by the Knicks, was a teammate of Kristaps Porzingis in Spain during the 2014/15 season. GM Steve Mills said earlier this month that the team hoped to bring the 22-year-old stateside, though he indicated at the time that nothing could be finalized until July.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Knicks president Phil Jackson said today that he expects the team to re-sign free agents Lance Thomas and Langston Galloway this summer, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Galloway is eligible for restricted free agent, while Thomas will be unrestricted.
The acquisition of Derrick Rose, which involved sending Robin Lopez to the Bulls as part of the outgoing package, means New York will be in the market for a big man this offseason, Jackson said today (Twitter link via Begley). Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol have been mentioned as possible targets for the club, though Jackson didn’t specifically comment on any players.
Rose is entering the final year of his contract, and the Knicks would like to keep him for the long term, according to Jackson. However, he added that’s not a conversation for today (Twitter link via Begley).

Knicks Rumors: Afflalo, Clarkson, Hernangomez

June 9th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

On Wednesday, we learned that the Knicks are in negotiations to retain Kurt Rambis as an assistant on new head coach Jeff Hornacek‘s staff, and we passed along the names of several free agent targets viewed as “realistic” for the team, including a handful of veterans who are working out at a Knicks mini-camp. We’ve got a few more items out of New York to round up today, all courtesy of Ian Begley of ESPN.com, whose latest piece is chock-full of interesting tidbits. Let’s dive right in…

Asked which position the Knicks will prioritize this offseason, general manager Steve Mills provided an unsurprising reply. “It’s clear we need a lead guard, someone that can really carry the load, day in and day out,” Mills said during an MSG Network program. “That’s something that I think is one of our biggest needs.”
According to Begley, Arron Afflalo has yet to make a decision on his $8MM player option for 2016/17, but the expectation is that the veteran guard will opt out, potentially leaving the Knicks even more short-handed in the backcourt.
Begley hears that Jordan Clarkson has fans within the Knicks organization, but Clarkson will be a restricted free agent this summer, and appears likely to stay with the Lakers.
Mills indicated that New York hopes to sign 2015 second-round pick Willy Hernangomez this offseason. “We won’t be able to do anything until July 1 but we’re in conversations about that,” the GM said.
We’ve heard previously that the Knicks plan to acquire a draft pick, and Begley notes that the team has been working out prospects, emphasizing the triangle offense in those sessions.
Mills, on the possibility of getting involved in the draft: “Teams have multiple picks, so some of those teams are going to be interested in moving their picks. A lot is going to depend on who is there in the draft that we really like. We have a feel for if there are any players that we really like that we think can impact this team and then we’ll go out and aggressively get a pick if we think something’s there. But we also have to balance the number of young guys on the roster versus veterans that we may be able to bring in through free agency or trade. So that’s a balance that we’re constantly looking at.”
Mills added the Knicks expect to have “a pool of 30 or 40 players” that they’ll look at in free agency, with the intention of adding at least a couple free agents from that group. “The most important thing is to understand who the guys are that you have a really good chance of getting so that you’re not chasing the guys that you really don’t have a chance,” Mills said.

Knicks Notes: Hernangomez, Draft, Jackson

May 15th, 2016 at 2:01pm CST by Will Joseph

Knicks draft-and-stash prospect Guillermo “Willy” Hernangomez was an ideal long-term buy because of size (he is 6-foot-11 and 255 pounds) and because he is regarded as strong, agile and a solid rebounder, Brian Lewis of The New York Post details in an analysis piece. The Knicks have a reported four-year, $4.5MM offer in the works for Hernangomez, who turns 22 on May 27th. Kristaps Porzingis is expected to visit with Hernangomez during his offseason European trip, Lewis writes. The two players are former teammates overseas. It would require the mid-level exception or cap space to ink Hernangomez for a deal for more than two years, as Lewis notes.

Here’s more out of New York:

The Knicks are trying to obtain a late first round pick or an early second round pick in next month’s draft,    Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports.  , citing sources. That makes sense, considering the Knicks have interviewed a Syracuse shooting guard Malachi Richardson, Syracuse point guard Michael Gbinije, Seton Hall point guard Isaiah Whitehead, Villanova small forward Josh Hart, Maryland point guard Melo Trimble and Florida forward Dorian Finney-Smith among others, who are all projected to be late first-rounders, according to Zagoria.
Phil Jackson was not in attendance at the combine and if that was because he was interviewing coaching candidates, that’s understandable, but if not, then he missed an important chance to help the Knicks, Ian Begley of ESPN. com relays (ESPN Now link). In addition to missing out on speaking with draft prospects, Jackson also missed an opportunity to speak informally with agents and executives about the free agent market, Begley adds.

Atlantic Notes: Ainge, Colangelo, Draft

May 13th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics would at least debate the idea of trading the pick Brooklyn owes them even if it winds up No. 1 after the lottery, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in an appearance on ESPN2 Thursday, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Still, Ainge knows he can’t over-reach and burn the team’s assets, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald relays. “I understand that,” Ainge said. “Look, we just want to spend our capital wisely. That’s all I’m saying. And we’ll try to do that. But sometimes you have to wait and you can’t do it when you want to do it. But we wanted to do it last [offseason]. We wanted to do it at the trade deadline. And now this summer, we want to do it. And I feel like the summer’s a better time than [the] trade deadline to do it, so I’m optimistic and I’m hopeful.”

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo expressed a willingness to consider trading a top-five pick if the team ends up with two, as Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com observes following his conversation with the new team exec. Philadelphia, which has a 26.9% chance of landing the No. 1 pick, also gets the Lakers pick if it falls out of the top three. “I think you should always be a little proactive, just in determining what your best course of action is,” Colangelo said. “You don’t want to leave anything on the table. If there was an opportunity to do something and you didn’t know that or realize it because you didn’t make a phone call, then that’s your fault. But I think we’ll explore everything in every regard, and that’s the good news about having the kind of flexibility and the number of assets that we have.”
Maryland small forward Jake Layman and Louisville center Chinanu Onuaku will work out for the Celtics, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).
The Sixers interviewed Syracuse’s Malachi Richardson and Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis, and Ulis plans to work out for Philadelphia, too, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com relays (Twitter links). Oregon State’s Gary Payton II is also on the Sixers interview list, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Regardless of whether a reported four-year, $4.5MM offer is in the works, the Knicks want draft-and-stash prospect Guillermo Hernangomez on their roster next season, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Agent Andy Miller dismissed the report of the offer, though New York can’t formally present a contract to Hernangomez until July.

Knicks Prepare Four-Year Offer For Hernangomez?

May 12th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:39pm: Miller says New York has made no offer to his client, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Of course, this could simply be a matter of semantics, as the Knicks can’t formally make an offer until July, as we noted below.

1:02pm: The Knicks have a four-year, $4.5MM offer in the works for draft-and-stash prospect Guillermo “Willy” Hernangomez, reports Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via HoopsHype and Joe Flynn of SB Nation’s Posting and Toasting). The 6’11” center has rejected two offers from Real Madrid, his Spanish team, and it would take a significant shift in momentum for him not to wind up with New York next season, according to Maestro.

Still, the latest news is a change from this past fall, when Hernangomez said he wanted to stay with Madrid for many years to come, despite an earlier report that the Knicks were planning to sign him before the 2016/17 season. He’d like to play for the Spanish national team this year, which would keep him from taking part in Knicks summer league action, among the obstacles agent Andy Miller discussed a few months ago with Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The Knicks won’t be able to formally present Hernangomez with a contract until July 7th, when the July moratorium is over, and they’ll need to use cap space or the mid-level exception, since the deal would cover more than two years. Still, New York has his NBA rights exclusively, having acquired them in a draft-night deal last June with the Sixers, who picked him 35th overall. Hernangomez, who turns 22 later this month, has posted averages of 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game for Real Madrid this season.