The Knicks organization and CAA Sports have a well-publicized relationship which has led to a pipeline of sorts from the agency to the team. As the Hoops Rumors Agency Database shows, CAA represents Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Andrea Bargnani, as well as Chris Smith, who, as Brandon Jennings will tell you, probably found his way on to the roster thanks to his older brother and agent Leon Rose. CAA also represents assistant GM Allan Houston, player personnel director Mark Warkentien, and coach Mike Woodson, but there could be another CAA client set to take Woodson’s place on the sidelines. More on that and other items out of the lowly Atlantic Division..
- Ousting Woodson and calling Kentucky head coach John Calipari could be the next step for the Knicks, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Some league executives agree with Berger’s thinking with one noting that the club will have to sell Anthony and free agents on hope, or the illusion of it, which can be accomplished by hiring Coach Cal. It won’t come cheap though – one exec says the bidding could start at $8MM per year.
- The Sixers shook things up yesterday by waiving veteran Kwame Brown and guard Darius Morris and signing free agent guards Elliot Williams and Lorenzo Brown. GM Sam Hinkie says talent evaluation is an ongoing process. “This is the stage we’re in,” Hinkie said, according to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “We’ll continue to evaluate players and find ones that can help us move forward and find others on our radar that we can add to our group.”
- No one should be surprised that Bargnani is giving the Knicks good defense down low since that has always been his strength, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. His weakness, however, is poor help defense.
- Rudy Gay‘s passing performance last night helps his trade value, and Raptors GM Masai Ujiri certainly wants to see more of that, Wolstat tweets.