Willy Hernangomez Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Begley’s Latest: Walker, Knicks, Warriors, Capela

January 23rd, 2018 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

The latest article from Ian Begley of ESPN.com ostensibly focuses on the Knicks as they consider their approach to the trade deadline. However, in the process of exploring potential trade partners for New York, Begley also slips in a couple tidbits of interest related to other teams around the NBA. Let’s dive in and round up a few highlights from the piece…

If the Hornets move Kemba Walker at the deadline, there’s an expectation that they’ll also look to move other players on long-term contracts, according to Begley, who identifies Jeremy Lamb as one such trade candidate.
Speaking of Walker, while the Knicks are viewed as a possible trade partner for the Hornets, Begley says opposing executives have gotten the impression that New York doesn’t want to trade draft picks or take on long-term salary unless it means acquiring a “transformative” player. It’s not clear if Walker qualifies.
Opposing execs think the Knicks will deal at least one of their four centers at the deadline. Enes Kanter, Willy Hernangomez, and Kyle O’Quinn have all received interest, with the Warriors among the teams inquiring on O’Quinn, sources tell Begley. League execs believe O’Quinn will turn down his player option for 2018/19 this summer, which may impact his trade value.
Members of the Clippers and Rockets discussed the possibility of a DeAndre Jordan deal. However, those talks went nowhere after Clint Capela‘s name came up, since Houston doesn’t want to move Capela, writes Begley.
Knicks forwards Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas continue to draw trade interest , but opposing execs have come away with the impression that New York would only move Lee if it results in a “significant” return. According to Begley, Lee has been a strong presence in the Knicks’ locker room, and the club views that sort of veteran as important for building a winning culture.

Latest On Willy Hernangomez

January 22nd, 2018 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

A report earlier in January suggested that several teams had contacted the Knicks about Willy Hernangomez, and it appears the trade interest in the second-year center hasn’t waned. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, Hernangomez is the Knick who has received the most trade interest from rival teams.

While clubs are interested in Hernangomez, Bondy notes that any discussions centered on the young big man often involve a follow-up question: Why isn’t he playing? After averaging 8.2 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 72 contests (18.4 MPG) in a promising rookie season a year ago, Hernangomez has posted just 4.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 20 games (9.3 MPG) in 2017/18.

The arrival of Enes Kanter in New York has played a big part in the reduction of Hernangomez’s role, though he’s not the only veteran center vying for minutes — Kyle O’Quinn and Joakim Noah are also in the mix. Speaking to a Spanish outlet (translation via Sportando), Hernangomez admitted that he’s hoping – and expecting – things will change in the near future.

“I think there is going to be a change,” Hernangomez said. “I hope for [the] better. I would like to continue here, but I don’t close to the doors to anything. I just want to play. There are still [two and a half] weeks left before the market closes and I want to play. I love New York, the fans, the teammates, but I am 23. I am very ambitious, I’m hungry and I want to play. I don’t care where. I am ready for everything and I am working to change the situation and play now.”

While it sounds as if Hernangomez would welcome the opportunity to simply play more minutes in New York, he also doesn’t sound opposed to the idea of being traded, if that’s what it takes for him to see more action. The Knicks will have until February 8 to see if they can move Hernangomez or another center in order to clear their logjam up front.

New York Notes: Hernangomez, Carroll, Okafor

January 9th, 2018 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

Willy Hernangomez got back on the court for the Knicks in Sunday’s win over Dallas, with Jeff Hornacek opting to get all three of his active centers into the game. However, Hernangomez still only played six minutes. As Marc Berman of The New York Post details, the young big man was happy to get back into the rotation, but also told The Post for the second time in two weeks that he wouldn’t mind being traded if it means he’d get to play more.

“I feel great to know other teams are interested about me, right?,” Hernangomez said, referring to a weekend report that he’s receiving trade interest. “My situation is like this right now, not playing much. But I’m ready. I like to be with my teammates. I like to be a part of this team. But I don’t want to [sound] selfish, but I want to play. I’m ready for everything.”

According to Berman, the Knicks still hope to make a deal to clear their center logjam before next month’s trade deadline, but would prefer to move Kyle O’Quinn rather than Hernangomez. Sources tell Berman that a couple “playoff-bound teams” have inquired about O’Quinn as a rental.

Here’s more from out of New York:

The signing of Jarrett Jack, who will have his 2017/18 salary become guaranteed tomorrow, has been one of the big wins of Scott Perry‘s tenure with the Knicks so far, Berman writes in a separate story for The New York Post.
DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe both went down with injuries this week, but the Nets received good news on both fronts, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Carroll is day-to-day with a knee sprain and Crabbe was able to get back into last night’s game against Toronto after initially exiting. Within the same piece, Lewis confirms a report from ESPN, writing that Carroll has received some interest around the NBA as a possible trade piece.
In an interesting piece for The Players’ Tribune, Jahlil Okafor opens up about the trade that sent him to the Nets, his desire to be a “franchise cornerstone,” and his favorite movie as a kid (Air Bud).

Knicks’ Willy Hernangomez Attracting Trade Interest

January 7th, 2018 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Several teams have contacted the Knicks about backup center Willy Hernangomez, according to Ian Begley on ESPN Now.

Playing time has been an issue all season for Hernangomez as Enes Kanter took over as the starting center after being acquired from Oklahoma City, leaving Kyle O’Quinn, Joakim Noah and Hernangomez to compete for the remaining minutes.

Hernangomez has only played in three of the Knicks’ last 16 games and has appeared in just 17 all season. He is averaging 9.7 minutes per night, roughly half of his playing time as a rookie last year. The teams reaching out to the Knicks believe Hernangomez still has potential based on his performance last season, when he averaged 8.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

The Knicks don’t want to part with Hernangomez unless they receive a “prime talent” in return, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. He adds that no concrete offers have been received, but the teams making inquiries have a history of pursuing European players. New York would prefer to deal O’Quinn, who is expected to opt out this summer, but has only received “mild interest” from contenders about him.

A deal has been considered likely for some time as New York tries to solve its overabundance of centers. Hernangomez has the easiest contract to absorb, making $1,544,951 this season with a non-guaranteed $1,676,735 for 2018/19. O’Quinn is earning a little more than $4MM this year with a $4,256,250 player option for next season, while Noah is virtually untradable with two years and nearly $38MM left on his deal.

Knicks Notes: Kanter, Hernangomez, Ntilikina, Holiday

December 28th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Enes Kanter isn’t sure if he will opt in for the final year of his contract, as he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. It was generally assumed that Kanter would not leave $18.4MM on the table but he’s having such a strong season, it’s no longer a given. “It’s always on your mind,” Kanter told Bondy. “But the season is going really well right now. It’s just a contract. I think people worry about it too much and it gets into their head.” If he opts in, the Knicks will head into next summer with virtually no cap space, Bondy notes. If he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Knicks will try to re-sign him or pursue an athletic wing defender, Bondy adds.

In other developments concerning the Knicks:

Backup center Willy Hernangomez has not played in 10 of the last 11 games and he anticipates that something will be done about the logjam at the position, as he relayed to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I want to play,” he said. “I really want to be here. I love New York. KP (Kristaps Porzingis) is here. But I want to play.” League sources informed Berman that Hernangomez still has trade value but the situation could sort itself out in a different way. Berman speculates that the club will ramp up its efforts to deal Kyle O’Quinn if it nosedives in January.
The team’s matchup against the Spurs on Thursday will have special meaning to rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, Berman writes in a separate piece. He idolizes longtime San Antonio point guard Tony Parker. “I’m playing against the best French player in history,’’ Ntilikina revealed to the media. “It will be a challenge playing against him. I never met him but talked to him a bit [after the draft] about the transition and defense in the NBA, a little bit about everything.’’
Bulls swingman Justin Holiday believes the Knicks would have taken him back if he had waited longer in free agency last summer, according to another Bondy story. Holiday’s former agent pushed hard for a substantial offer from the Knicks and even tried to make it a package deal with his brother, Jrue Holiday, a source told Bondy. New York wound up signing Tim Hardaway Jr. “It’s not like I hate the Knicks now,” Justin told Bondy. “I mean, I honestly believe if I waited something would’ve happened. But at the same time you never know.”

Knicks Notes: Noah, Porzingis, Jack, Hernangomez

November 25th, 2017 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

For the second straight night, illness prevented Joakim Noah from making his season debut, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter were both held out of tonight’s game in Houston because of back spasms, leaving the Knicks short-handed in the frontcourt. Noah, who was suspended for the first 12 games of the season and hasn’t been used since returning because of a logjam at center, didn’t travel with the team because he has the flu. The Knicks thought about flying him to the game, but he wasn’t well enough to make the trip.

There’s more tonight from New York:

The Knicks appear to be shielding Porzingis from playing in back-to-back games, Berman writes in the same piece. The NBA no longer allows teams to hold star players out of games for rest, but this is the second time Porzingis hasn’t played in that situation because of an injury. He claims his back tightened up after Friday’s contest in Atlanta. “After the game, once I cooled down, that’s when I really was feeling tightness in my back and knew it wasn’t getting better but worse,” Porzingis said. “[After] the flight, I woke up this morning, sleeping in a different bed, it didn’t help. It just got tighter.”
The loss to the Hawks displayed some of New York’s glaring weaknesses, Berman notes in a separate story. Jarrett Jack, who signed with the Knicks shortly before the start of camp, had 14 assists Friday but couldn’t control Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroder, who finished with 26 points. Jack wasn’t aggressive on pick-and-roll defense, according to Berman, and backup Frank Ntilikina was a non-factor. Interior defense was also a problem, Berman observes, as Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn were slow on rotations.
Hernangomez, who has been limited mostly to “garbage time” this season, said he wasn’t familiar with that phrase before the year began, Berman relays in another story. Playing time remains an issue for the second-year center, who has appeared in just 10 games and is averaging nine minutes per night. “If I get those minutes, I will use it,’’ Hernangomez said. “I think I can play more minutes than garbage minutes. Every time I go on the court, whether starting or the last two minutes, I enjoy playing basketball.’’

Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Hernangomez, Noah

November 14th, 2017 at 6:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks were expected to be among the worst teams in the league this year and they began the season with three straight losses. Since then, New York has won seven of ten contests and the team’s up-and-coming talent is confident in the long-term future of the franchise.

“We can build something great here and I’m sure we’re going to,” Frank Ntilikina said (via Ian Begley of ESPN.com).

Ntilikina believes squad has tremendous chemistry, as evidenced by Enes Kanter coming to the 19-year-old’s defense during a slight skirmish against the Cavs on Monday night.

“We’ll fight together in all our games,” Ntilikina said. “It was good to have them right here and they know I’ll be here for them. That’s just how we are.”

Here’s more from New York:

LeBron James took an indirect shot at Ntilikina early this week, telling reporters that No.9 overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. should be a Knick. Ntilikina, who went one spot ahead of the Mavs’ point guard, took the comments personally, as Begley relays in the same piece. “For somebody to go in the media and say something about him — or say it wasn’t about him — I mean, he took it personally. And that’s what all competitors do,” teammate Courtney Lee said.
Willy Hernangomez hasn’t seen much action this season, appearing in a total of seven games, and he admits that the lack of playing time has impacted his confidence, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News relays. “I just need a couple of games playing and my feeling will come back. I know the things I can do well. It’s been harder for me, but I just have to be patient. Things change fast,” the center said.
Joakim Noah was inactive in his first game back from his 12-game suspension, though he remains involved with the Knicks as the team’s “defensive captain,” Bondy adds in the same piece.“The guys have voted for some players to kind of step up and speak,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He’s behind the bench now so he can continue the talk defensively with the guys. I talked to him about doing that and make sure he’s not just sitting back there but he’s involved. He’s not the only [captain]. There are several guys in different roles. That’s just Jo’s role, on the defensive side.”

Knicks Rumors: Jack, Porzingis, McDermott

November 6th, 2017 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks starting point guard Jarrett Jack feels pressure to remain productive because he doesn’t have a guaranteed contract, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports. New York has won five of its last six, coinciding with Jack replacing Ramon Sessions in the lineup. Jack’s $2.33MM contract doesn’t become guaranteed until January 10th, so he can’t become complacent, as he told Bondy. “It keeps you on your toes, forces you to stay sharp – knowing you can’t take any day or any situation for granted,” Jack said. “I know a lot of the owners would love to have it that way in the collective bargaining agreement.” The Knicks will have to make a roster move when Joakim Noah‘s PED suspension ends on November 13th in order to retain Jack in the short run. Trading Kyle O’Quinn or Willy Hernangomez is a possibility, according to Bondy. They could also eat a guaranteed contract, with Sessions, Michael Beasley and Mindaugas Kuzminskas as the likely candidates in that scenario, Bondy adds.

In other news concerning the Knicks:

Kristaps Porzingis admits that former team president Phil Jackson’s comments about his readiness to be a franchise player motivates him, as he told ESPN’s Ian Begley and other media members. Jackson said in his postseason press conference last spring that Porzingis wasn’t ready for that role or to be the featured player on offense. Porzingis is currently the league’s second-leading scorer at 30.2 PPG. “The challenge is never too big for me,” Porzingis said. “I always accept the challenge and that’s why I knew coming into this season [if Carmelo Anthony] was not going to be here, then I’m going to have to be that guy and that’s why I was just [spending] 24 hours in the gym. I was preparing for this, preparing myself physically, and I’m just happy that I’m capable of playing at this level right now.”
Doug McDermott anticipated he would fit into coach Jeff Hornacek’s up-tempo offense when the team acquired him from the Thunder in the Anthony trade, Alex Squadron of the New York Post writes. McDermott has settled into his role as an offensive sparkplug, averaging 7.0 PPG and 1.6 APG in 20.0 MPG while shooting 49% from the field. “I’m just accepting it right now, coming off the bench,” McDermott told Squadron. “Playing that 20 minutes per game. Just coming in, being aggressive. They want me to be aggressive scoring the ball.”

Atlantic Rumors: Beasley, Hayward, Crabbe, Embiid

October 30th, 2017 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A pair of free-agent acquisitions, forward Michael Beasley and point guard Ramon Sessions, are among the players who have fallen out of the Knicks’ rotation, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Beasley didn’t play for the first time this season in the Knicks’ win over the Cavaliers on Sunday while Sessions, who started the first three games, didn’t play for the second straight game. Beasley signed a one-year, $2.1MM deal with New York and Sessions inked a one-year, $2.3MM contract this summer. Big man Willy Hernangomez has also fallen out of coach Jeff Hornacek’s current rotation and combo guard Ron Baker was inactive for the second straight game, Berman adds.

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics are gradually adjusting to the loss of Gordon Hayward, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Hayward’s horrific leg injury in the season opener left the team reeling but it has perked up over the past week, winning four straight heading into Monday’s game against the Spurs. “I think we’re getting used to that reality to what we have in front of us,” power forward Al Horford told Bulpett. “It’s a hard blow, but then as the days go on you kind of realize that this is our reality, this is what we have, and we need to make the most of it with what’s here right now.”
The Nets traded for shooting guard Allen Crabbe‘s huge contract but he hasn’t taken a lot of shots in the early going, Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.com notes. Crabbe, who is the second year of a four-year, $74.8MM deal, was acquired from the Trail Blazers in July. Thus far, he’s averaging 10.6 PPG and taking an average of 9.4 shots per game. However, coach Kenny Atkinson told Puccio and other media members that he’s not worried about getting Crabbe more involved. “We’re not a ‘let’s give it to Allen and clear out and let him go one-on-one,’” Atkinson said. “It’s a team concept. That means everything has to be in sync, we have to run to our spots, screen better, cut better.”
Joel Embiid, who signed a max extension with the Sixers earlier this month, wants to play in Philadelphia the remainder of this career, Molly Sullivan of NBCSPhilly.com tweets. “I want to be Kobe Bryant. I want to be Tim Duncan. I want to be Dirk Nowitzki,” Embiid told Sullivan.

Mills: Knicks Won’t Trade Ntilikina Or Hernangomez

October 29th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks consider Frank Ntilikina and Willy Hernangomez part of their future and don’t plan to include either in a trade for Suns guard Eric Bledsoe, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Team president Steve Mills conveyed those sentiments today in a meeting with reporters in Cleveland, effectively quashing speculation that the Knicks might be involved in the chase for Bledsoe.

Ntilikina has been limited by injuries and Hernangomez has seen his playing time cut because of a logjam at center, but Mills said both are considered valuable components going forward. He added that coach Jeff Hornacek approached this season the right way by making Hernangomez work for his playing time. “This is part of Willy’s development,’’ Mills said. “He’s a guy who’s going to be with us [at least] the next three years and we have a lot of time to work with him, and he’s going to be part of who we are.”

There’s more from Mills’ session with the media:

Even though the Knicks are off to a 1-3 start following a winless preseason, no thought has been given to a coaching change. Mills pledged that “Jeff, [GM] Scott [Perry] and I are in this together,” although he stopped short of guaranteeing that Hornacek will be safe for the entire season. “We told him to focus on getting the team better and finding ways to reduce the turnovers and make sure we’re improving defensively,” Mills said of a recent meeting with Hornacek. “That’s what our goal was. We didn’t focus on the record. Our focus is how we’re improving over the course of the season. If we do all the things from a defensive standpoint, wins will come out of that. I do believe it’s getting better.”
The organization is stressing stability in the wake of the chaotic reign of former team president Phil Jackson, who was fired over the offseason. Mills doesn’t believe it would be healthy to make another significant move so soon. “We need to make sure we’re doing as a team and doing the things we said we were going to do over the summer,” he said. “As long as we’re doing those things, we’ll continue to build this group. Stability is important for this group. We haven’t had a lot of it here.”
Despite the injuries, the organization has been impressed by Ntilikina, the eighth selection in this year’s draft. “He’s not a flashy player but does the right things, plays solid defensively, willing to challenge guys right from the start,” Mills said. “The way he played, with the style he played, was what we saw when we scouted him. … “We’re committed to him and his development. What we’re trying to do with this team, it centers around guys like Frank, KP, draft picks moving forward.”
The Knicks will have to make a roster move next month when Joakim Noah‘s suspension expires. They signed two veteran point guards over the offseason in Ramon Sessions and Jarrett Jack, and Mills said the team would like to keep both. “We always knew we needed veterans to help support Frank,’’ he explained. “Was that going to be Ramon as starter? Jarrett as starter? They both bring different things to the table. Jarrett did a great job of calming things down. Ramon brings different things to the table. They both mentor Frank in different ways. We feel we need guys like that to bring Frank along.’’