Knicks GM, Phil Jackson Met About Coaching Job
12:36pm: Jackson had wanted to meet with Knicks owner James Dolan instead of Mills, as Broussard noted in his report, but Jackson would be leery of working for Dolan, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman also hears that Jackson needs another knee replacement surgery and raises the specter that he could serve the team as a consultant on its coaching search, as he did with the Pistons last summer.
12:05pm: The Knicks would consider offering Jackson a front office position, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
10:35am: Knicks GM Steve Mills and Phil Jackson had a meeting about two weeks ago about the possibility of the Zen Master taking over as Knicks coach, reports Stephen A. Smith of ESPN.com. Jackson told Mills he wasn’t interested, Smith hears. Jackson recently issued yet another denial of the notion that he’ll ever come back to coach in an interview with Sam Amick of USA Today. The Knicks are reportedly planning to keep coach Mike Woodson until the end of the season and make an offseason search for a marquee coach part of its pitch to Carmelo Anthony, who can opt out of his contract and leave as a free agent this summer.
Jackson, 68, has repeatedly downplayed the idea that he would return to coaching, leaving a degree of wiggle room in those statements but making it clear that he prefers a front office role. The Knicks have Mills and assistant GM Allan Houston, whom they’re reportedly grooming as a future GM, already in the front office, so it’s unlikely there’d be room for Jackson to have much of a say in the team’s personnel decisions.
The team is reportedly eyeing Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy and Stan Van Gundy, too, though Thibodeau will still be under contract with the Bulls this summer, and it doesn’t appear as though he’s going to force his way out of that deal. Stan Van Gundy won’t rule out coaching next season if there’s an overwhelming opportunity, but he’s unlikely to come back to the sidelines. Jeff Van Gundy would probably be interested in returning to his old job, but if he insists on having any control over personnel matters, that could complicate the team’s pursuit.
Latest On Carmelo Anthony, Mike Woodson
Carmelo Anthony is looking for reasons to stay in New York, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who hears from people close to the superstar that he doesn’t want to make it seem as though he’s tacitly admitting that he needs to find a better team to win. Knicks owner James Dolan is planning to try to convince Anthony that one reason to stay is the notion that the team’s disaster of a season is Mike Woodson‘s fault, Stein hears.
Sources tell Stein that Dolan is only keeping Woodson around this year so that Knicks brass can make the case to Anthony that the team’s problems are almost entirely because of Woodson. Making a coaching change now would give the Knicks a chance to fail without Woodson, opening up the potential for Anthony to conclude that his teammates are the main issue. The Knicks are 22-40, in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and five and a half games out of the playoffs.
In addition to pinning the blame on Woodson, Dolan plans to sell Anthony on his financial incentive to re-sign with the Knicks, promise to bring in another superstar no later than 2015, and vow that he’ll hire a marquee coach this summer, Stein hears. Anthony is reportedly more interested in what the Knicks can tell him about the reinforcements they can bring in this year rather than 2015, which lends credence to the significance of a coaching change. There’s been some sentiment within the organization since Christmas that Woodson should be fired, but the team isn’t hesitating to make a move now just because it doesn’t feel it has a qualified assistant coach ready to take over, Stein writes.
Magic Re-Sign Dewayne Dedmon To 10-Day Deal
FRIDAY, 8:34am: The signing is official, according to a press release from the team.
TUESDAY, 12:24pm: The team will indeed sign Dedmon to a second 10-day deal, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). His first contract will expire at the end of Thursday.
MONDAY, 7:55am: The Magic are expected to re-sign center Dewayne Dedmon to a second 10-day deal, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports amid his weekly power rankings. The undrafted rookie has played in just one game for a total of three minutes so far for Orlando after inking with the team nearly a week ago, but it appears the Magic are confident they can find more time for him. It’s unclear if the Magic have similar plans with Adonis Thomas, who signed a 10-day contract with the team at the same time Dedmon did.
The 24-year-old former USC Trojan is already on his third NBA team after stints with the Warriors and Sixers earlier this season. A second 10-day contract would be Dedmon’s fourth overall this year, as our 10-Day Tracker shows. He’s averaged 2.6 points in 9.9 minutes over 16 NBA appearances in 2013/14. The 7-footer has been impressive so far on the boards, notching 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes.
Dedmon, a client of Michael Silverman, has also spent 15 games in the D-League this year, posting averages of 15.2 PPG and 13.6 RPG in 33.7 MPG. The Magic have just 12 guaranteed contracts, affording them plenty of flexibility to keep him for the season if they choose to do so once Dedmon’s second 10-day pact runs out.
Magic Re-Sign Adonis Thomas To 10-Day Pact
FRIDAY, 8:32am: The team has officially announced the deal, via press release.
TUESDAY, 12:26pm: The Magic will re-sign Adonis Thomas to a second 10-day contract, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (on Twitter). The first 10-day pact Thomas signed with the team expires at the end of Thursday. The team brought Thomas and Dewayne Dedmon aboard shortly after waiving Glen Davis.
The 20-year-old small forward has played a total of just 13 minutes over two games in his stint with the Magic so far, but it appears he did enough in the D-League this season to convince Orlando to hold on to him for a while longer. The former Memphis Tiger took 3.1 three-pointers per game and made 46.9% of them in 26 contests with the Springfield Armor, the affiliate of the Nets. Brooklyn retained his D-League rights after he spent a brief time with the big club in the preseason, but Thomas was free to sign with any NBA team after the Nets cut him from their NBA roster before opening night.
Dedmon is set to receive a second 10-day pact, too. Orlando is only carrying 12 guaranteed contracts, so unless the team wants to continue cycling through players on 10-day deals, either Dedmon or Thomas, and maybe both, are in line to receive contracts for the rest of the season once their second 10 days are up.
Eastern Notes: LeBron, George, Billups, Thornton
As tonight’s NBA action begins to wind down, let’s take a look at a few tidbits from around the Eastern Conference..
- The Heat and Pacers might be fighting for the top seed in the East, but LeBron James is still open to the idea of mentoring Paul George in the offseason, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. George had expressed interest in the possibility of learning anything he could from James this summer to Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders.
- The Pistons are no strangers to losing this season, and Chauncey Billups doesn’t think some of his teammates are bothered by their poor play, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. “The thing I hate, to be honest with you, is that losing don’t really hurt to a lot of our guys,” Billups said. “People don’t take it personal, and if you don’t, people will beat you every night. Because everybody needs a win, no matter if you’re on a winning streak or losing streak.”
- Sacramento was looking to move Marcus Thornton all season long, and the Nets are happy to have acquired him. Thornton has averaged 13.4 points in just 23 minutes per contest over five games. Brian Lewis of the New York Post breaks down Thornton’s game and explores the value he’s brought to Brooklyn so far.
- With Derrick Rose sidelined, the Bulls have had to rely on more production from Joakim Noah. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times thinks Rose’s absence has forced all of the players on the team to improve.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh didn’t command as much star power as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade when the trio grouped together in the summer of 2010, but he’s played a huge part in the Heat’s three consecutive finals appearances and might have surpassed Wade as the second most productive member of the Big Three. In fact, the first installment of Hoops Rumors’ 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings has Bosh ranked as the third biggest name set to test the market this summer behind only LBJ and Carmelo Anthony. Bosh’s contract will afford him the option to remain a member of the Heat if he so chooses, but a report has indicated the big man will likely choose to exercise the early-termination option on his contract and enter free agency to seek a max deal.
After being selected fourth overall in the 2003 NBA draft, Bosh quickly made a name for himself in Toronto. The club saw him as its cornerstone to build around after Vince Carter was shipped off to the Nets in 2004, and he lived up to the expectations, to be sure. He holds the Raptors franchise records for points, rebounds, blocks, and minutes played. He helped lead the Raptors to their first division title and quickly found himself as a fan favorite north of the border. However, after seven seasons in Toronto, Bosh’s desire to win a championship led him to decide to sign in Miami so he could play with LeBron and D-Wade.
A report earlier today indicated that Bosh would like to play until he’s 36 years old, and that desire might factor into his decision to opt of his contract early. Although still a very efficient player, Bosh’s best years might be behind him. He turns 30 years old this month and is likely interested in locking up a long-term deal. If he chooses to stay in a Heat uniform with his current contract, he’ll have next season guaranteed at $20.6MM and a player option for the 2015/16 campaign worth $22.1MM. It’s tough to turn down a guaranteed $42MM, but opting out would give a team the chance to offer Bosh a four- or a five-year contract on which the big man could stand to make even more money over a longer period of time.
Waiting until his pact with the Heat is up means risking serious injury or a production drop-off, which would hurt his ability to secure a lucrative deal down the road. It’d certainly be possible for Bosh to exercise his early-termination option only to land another long-term deal with Miami. However, although the Heat could technically offer Bosh more money in free agency than any other squad since they own his Bird Rights, doing so would greatly limit their flexibility in signing other players in years to come, so they might be hesitant to do so. Bosh took a discount to play with James and Wade in Miami in 2010, and reports have indicated he won’t be interested in giving up guaranteed money this time around.
Bosh has said he’d like to remain in Miami for the remainder of his career, but we know that such statements don’t always hold true. Rumors have circulated suggesting that he’s actually the most likely of the Big Three to leave Miami this summer, due in large part to the temptation of taking on more of a leading role for another squad. The Heat haven’t utilized Bosh in the same way the Raptors did. His usage rate dropped from 28.7% during his last year in Toronto to 23.5% in his first year in Miami, and his value has often been overshadowed by the success of James and Wade. Bosh has made it known that his main priority is playing for a winning team, but it’s tough to imagine that a chance to play in a leading role isn’t one of his top wishes as well.
The Mavericks are one team said to have interest in Bosh, and a move to Dallas would make a lot of sense for the Creative Artists Agency client. Bosh was born and raised in the Lone Star State, and the Mavs will likely have the flexibility to retain Dirk Nowitzki and target another big name since we’ve heard that Nowitzki won’t be asking for an outrageous contract this summer. Bosh mostly played the four earlier in his career, but he’s recently been more of a center, and a frontcourt pairing of Dirk and Bosh would have the potential to be a headache for opposing defenses.
Nothing is written in stone, and Bosh might very well end up deciding to remain a member of the Heat for at least one more season by choosing not to exercise his early-termination option. His value isn’t the same at age 30 as it was at age 26, but he’s shooting an impressive 52.7% from the floor and a solid 36.6% from beyond the arc. With efficiency numbers just a smidgen below his career marks, Bosh will likely be able to garner a sizable level of interest from teams around the league this offseason, and he’ll be able to make his money whatever he decides to do. It’s just a question of whether he feels like staying in Miami or taking his talents elsewhere.
Draft Notes: Minimum Age, Smith, McDermott
Mark Cuban thinks the NBA would be wise to raise the minimum age for NBA players, but Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW opines it would be hard to justify to NCAA athletes that they need to wait to make their millions while athletes in other sports like golf can enter the pro circuit upon turning 18. Here’s the latest on a pair of senior prospects who have waited four years to enter the NBA draft by choice, not by rule:
- Russ Smith’s draft stock is rising, but he still has a long way to go, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. One Western Conference executive is wary of Smith because he doesn’t think Smith is the type of guard who makes his teammates better.
- Another executive told Mannix that any comparisons of Smith to Nate Robinson are inaccurate since Robinson is much more athletic. “The guys that are small combo guards that make it work… are few and far between,” said the executive. “It takes a really special guy to be a small spark plug off the bench, and I don’t see it in [Smith].“
- Creighton’s Doug McDermott is another player with a rising draft stock. The 6’8″ forward is one of the most efficient college scorers in recent memory, but his questionable defense is leaving some executives unsure about his potential to succeed at the next level. Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com have the details in the latest Insider piece,
- Pelton and Ford see the Grizzlies as the best landing spot for McDermott. They suggest that should Zach Randolph leave, the defensive-minded duo of Marc Gasol and Kosta Koufos would be able to lock down the paint on defense while McDermott stretches the floor with his shooting. Pelton notes the Magic had a similar setup in Orlando with Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard.
Knicks Rumors: ‘Melo, Tampering, Bulls, Felton
Mike Woodson wasn’t happy when he heard that Joakim Noah was trying to recruit Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “Legally, nobody can recruit anyone,” said Woodson to ESPN New York. “You can’t do that at this point. ‘Melo is still wearing a Knicks uniform. Whatever was said, that’s on them (the Bulls).” Lawrence thinks Knicks owner James Dolan is likely to press for the league to investigate the matter, but there’s no word that New York has made any move to do so just yet. Here’s more out of the Big Apple:
- The Knicks won’t have any kind of a case for tampering, opines Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter links). Beck cites a statement David Stern made in 2010 in which Stern said there’s nothing wrong with players talking about the possibility of playing together one day.
- Tampering talk aside, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders thinks it would make sense for Anthony to sign with Chicago this offseason. Koutroupis observes that Dwight Howard found himself in a similar set of circumstances last summer, and the center’s departure from L.A. wound up working in his favor.
- Raymond Felton is one year removed from posting productive numbers for a division-champion Knicks team, but his performance this year has been less-than-stellar. Woodson acknowledged that Felton’s struggles have hurt the team this season on a radio interview on ESPN New York’s Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the full story.
Teams That Have Yet To Issue 10-Day Deals
NBA teams have been able to hand out 10-day contracts for two months already this season, and on the whole, they’ve certainly made the most of the opportunities. There have been 45 total 10-day contracts issued so far this season, and the Hawks have given out five, more than any other team, as our 10-Day Tracker shows. The Magic broke a string of nearly nine years without giving out a 10-day contract when they did short-term deals with Dewayne Dedmon and Adonis Thomas late last month.
The tracker displays a wealth of information dating back to the 2006/07 season, but it doesn’t make the teams that still haven’t signed anyone to a 10-day contract readily apparent. That’s where this post comes in. A third of the league has held out of the 10-day market, and it’s a mix of playoff hopefuls and lottery-bound clubs, as we detail below.
- Raptors
- Pacers
- Pistons
- Trail Blazers
- Timberwolves
- Nuggets
- Jazz
- Rockets
- Mavericks
- Pelicans
Don’t expect any of those teams to bring anyone in on a 10-day deal this season. While not all of them have carried 15 guaranteed contracts through the duration of the 10-day signing period, none of them have any available roster space now. It would be possible for one of these clubs to waive a player on a guaranteed deal and bring in someone for 10 days, but that would be highly unlikely. So, every team in the NBA either has a full roster or has tried out a player on a 10-day contract at some point during the season.
And-Ones: Bosh, Korver, Jones, Lakers
The NBA is always in flux, and Hoops Rumors isn’t afraid of change, either. Our roundups of news from around the league have been called Odds & Ends since our inception, but from now on, you’ll see the name “And-Ones” attached to these posts. It falls in line with “Quick Hits” on MLB Trade Rumors and “Extra Points” on Pro Football Rumors, our sister sites. While the name may have changed, our commitment to bringing you news from around the NBA hasn’t. Here’s our latest glance at the Association:
- Chris Bosh, who turns 30 later this month, says he’ll play until he’s 36, observes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Bosh, who occupies the third spot in our 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, could re-sign with the Heat this summer on a five-year deal that would leave him less than a year shy of his 36th birthday, though he has plenty of time to change his retirement plans.
- Kyle Korver‘s NBA record streak of 127 consecutive games with at least one made three-pointer ended Wednesday, but the accomplishment highlights the wisdom of his decision to re-sign with the Hawks last year, opines Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Former Cavs power forward Kevin Jones is leaving Cleveland’s D-League affiliate to sign a deal with the San Miguel Beerman of the Philippines that covers the rest of the season, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Jones played 32 games in the NBA with the Cavs last season, but he wasn’t with any NBA club for training camp.
- The Lakers have just three players on guaranteed contracts for next season, plus Nick Young, who has a player option. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News examines the upsides and drawbacks of having so many others in their walk years.