Knicks Notes: D. Williams, Carmelo, P. Jackson
Last June, Derrick Williams turned down a player option with the Knicks and then was surprised when the team didn’t re-engage with him on talks about a new contract. The former No. 2 overall pick ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Heat for the exact amount he would’ve earned in New York, but finds himself without an NBA home again this week after being cut by Miami to make room for Okaro White.
Although the Knicks don’t currently have an open spot on their roster, they would have some interest in re-adding Williams if he clears waivers, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com. There’s no guarantee of a reunion between Williams and the Knicks, but the veteran forward does still have “some fans” within the organization, per Begley.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Joakim Noah has become close with Carmelo Anthony this season, and would like to see Anthony remain in New York through this year’s trade deadline, as Marc Berman of The New York Post details. Noah is also hoping that team management won’t give up on this season to focus on the long-term future. “We’re not there,” Noah said. “We’re a team that we have to stay in the moment and stay focused. I know what this jersey means to everybody in this locker room.”
- In the wake of an ugly home loss to the Lakers, Knicks president Phil Jackson remains silent, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. As things continue to go south for the team, Jackson has allowed the situation to “spiral out of control, adopting the organizational attitude of passing off responsibility,” in Bondy’s view.
- Berman hears from a source that Jackson is “miserable” with the Knicks’ losing record, but the New York Post scribe says that’s no excuse for Jackson’s behavior. According to Berman, Anthony has every right to exercise his no-trade clause if that’s what he wants to do, and Jackson should stop trying to run the star forward out of town.
Mavericks Sign Yogi Ferrell To Two-Year Deal
FEBRUARY 7, 11:46am: The Mavs have officially signed Ferrell to a new two-year deal, the team announced today in a press release.
FEBRUARY 4, 9:28am: Bobby Marks of The Vertical sheds further light on Ferrell’s two-year deal, noting Ferrell would earn the prorated minimum of $208K this season, followed by $1.3MM in 2017/18. The Mavericks have already used their room exception and are now over the cap, limiting the team to minimum salary deals.
9:12am: Yogi Ferrell and the Mavericks will bypass a second 10-day contract, instead opting for a two-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports. Ferrell’s deal comes on the heels of a breakout 32-point performance against Portland on Friday. The deal is expected to be finalized Tuesday, when Ferrell’s 10-day contract expires.
Ferrell, who went undrafted in 2016, received his first NBA experience in Brooklyn this season, scoring 54 points over 10 games. Jeremy Lin was due to return from injury (or so the Nets thought), however, making Ferrell expendable — he was waived by the Nets in early December.
After scoring 18.7 PPG in the D-League, Ferrell signed a 10-day contract with Dallas and has run with the opportunity. Averaging 37.8 MPG through four games with the Mavs, it now appears Ferrell will be a mainstay in Rick Carlisle‘s rotation. The 23-year-old had the best game of his young career on Friday, racking up 32 points and nine three-pointers in a win over the Blazers.
The Mavs’ roster will feature 15 players on guaranteed contracts once Ferrell’s new deal is finalized.
Pelicans Seeking Center, Dangling 2018 Pick
The Pelicans were at the center of an interesting trade rumor on Monday night, having been linked to the Sixers in a possible Jahlil Okafor deal. However, those Okafor discussions weren’t the only talks New Orleans has engaged in recently, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. According to Wojnarowski (all Twitter links), the Pelicans have been active on various fronts in their efforts to add a center, dangling multiple assets, including their 2018 first-round pick.
In addition to the Okafor discussions, New Orleans’ search for a center has resulted in a pursuit of Nets big man Brook Lopez, according to Wojnarowski, who reports that the Pelicans have been exploring larger deals in the hopes of unloading Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca. Asik and Ajinca, who will earn a combined $15.56MM next season, are under contract for multiple years and aren’t a part of the team’s rotation.
The Pelicans still own their 2017 first-round pick, but the team is reluctant to move that selection. This year’s draft class is expected to be one of the deepest and most talented in the last decade, and New Orleans is on track to have a lottery pick — our reverse standings show that the Pelicans are currently tied with the Kings for the NBA’s seventh-worst record.
While the Sixers are said to have some interest in a deal with the Pelicans, it’s not clear if a reported offer of Ajinca and New Orleans’ 2018 first-rounder will be enough for Philadelphia. Sam Amick of USA Today tweets that the protection on the 2018 pick is a sticking point for the Sixers, who may be looking for more value anyway. Meanwhile, various reports have suggested that Philadelphia would like to find a way to include Jrue Holiday in any deal.
As for the Nets and Lopez, multiple outlets have reported in recent weeks that Brooklyn wants to secure two first-round picks in any deal for its standout center. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote this morning that Brooklyn is seeking a 2017 lottery pick – plus an additional first-rounder – in any package for Lopez, so the Nets would presumably be interested if the Pelicans wanted to discuss this year’s pick.
I’d be surprised if New Orleans is willing to meet the Nets’ asking price, and it remains to be seen what sort of deal the Sixers would accept. Still, the Pelicans are actively scouring the trade market, and appear to be a good bet to make a deal in the coming weeks.
Kyler’s Latest: Cavs, Sixers, Lopez, Kings, Magic
The Cavaliers have been “aggressively” exploring ways to clear the contract of Chris Andersen from their books, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Andersen, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, is on a minimum salary deal, but moving him would allow Cleveland to open up a roster spot and create additional savings on the team’s projected tax bill.
Although the Cavaliers have been mentioned in some intriguing trade rumors involving star players like Carmelo Anthony, Cleveland is more focused on bolstering its bench. According to Kyler, the Cavs are prioritizing adding a point guard and a big man for depth purposes.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the NBA, via Kyler’s report:
- On Monday night, several reports indicated that the Sixers and Pelicans were discussing a possible swap of Jahlil Okafor for Alexis Ajinca and a 2018 first-round pick. However, a source tells Kyler that Philadelphia may not be on board with that specific framework, preferring to put Jrue Holiday in the deal rather than the future first-rounder. The two teams continue to talk, but both sides are exploring other options as well, writes Kyler.
- We’ve heard in the past that the Nets are seeking two first-round picks in any Brook Lopez deal. Kyler says that the team is specifically seeking a lottery pick in 2017, plus an additional future first-rounder. It seems unlikely that any team will meet that asking price, but Brooklyn appears content to wait until at least the offseason to get serious about moving Lopez.
- There’s a “growing sense” that the Kings might move Darren Collison, as well as Kosta Koufos, by the trade deadline, per Kyler.
- Kyler identifies Nikola Vucevic, Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green, and C.J. Watson as Magic players that may be on the move this month, though he notes that Orlando’s asking prices remain high. Kyler’s sources suggest that Toronto would be a favorable long-term situation for Ibaka, but there’s no indication that the big man would be willing to sign with the Raptors long-term, or that the Raps would give up “meaningful assets” for Ibaka.
LeBron, Love, Lue Respond To Latest Trade Rumors
While teams and players often avoid directly responding to individual trade rumors and reports, members of the Cavaliers wasted no time in shooting down a Monday rumor involving Kevin Love. After The New York Daily News reported that LeBron James was pushing the Cavs to acquire Carmelo Anthony, even if it meant giving up Love, team and league sources told other outlets that it wasn’t true, and the Cavs publicly pushed back after their dramatic win over the Wizards.
“It’s trash,” James said of the report, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “And the guy who wrote it is trash too, for writing that, especially during the game like that. So it’s always about outside noise and that’s just outside noise for us. We got to focus on what needs to be done and that’s to continue to compete for a championship. And we got who we got. Our GM (David Griffin) will do a great job of figuring out if we need something else, but right now we’re in a good place.”
Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue suggested that Love should be flattered that other teams want him, but said the big man isn’t going anywhere, and the latest rumors are “not coming from our end.” As for Love, after perhaps his best game of the season, in which he racked up 39 points and 12 rebounds, he was happy to laugh off Monday’s report.
“What do they say?” Love said. “‘A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put his pants on.’ So, it’s a lie. … It’s almost laughable. I’m on this team. I’m going to be on this team. And we want to win with the guys that we have.”
Love indicated last week that he expected to remain with the Cavs for “a long time,” and even though reports at the time suggested that he wasn’t entirely untouchable, a trade is viewed as highly unlikely. The Cavs reportedly have some interest in Anthony, but aren’t actively looking to trade for the Knicks forward, despite New York’s continued pursuit of Love.
While Monday’s story from the Daily News was roundly denied both privately and publicly by Cavs sources, it’s worth noting that Frank Isola wasn’t the only reporter with the scoop. Keith Smith of RealGM.com (Twitter link) also heard from league sources that LeBron has pushed Cleveland to acquire Anthony “at any cost” — Chris Paul has taken a similar approach with the Clippers, per Smith.
The Cavs’ strong and aggressive denial of the report suggests that Love almost certainly isn’t going anywhere, particularly in a deal for Anthony. But the fact that multiple reporters heard from reliable sources that LeBron might be pushing for such a trade means that info is coming from somewhere. It will be interesting to see what moves – if any – Griffin and the Cavs ultimately make in the coming weeks.
Trade Candidate: Jahlil Okafor
As the February 23 trade deadline nears, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations, and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.
Jahlil Okafor, C
Philadelphia 76ers
2016/17 salary: $4,788,840
Team holds an option for the 2018/19 season; eligible for restricted free agency in 2020
Trade restrictions: None
Jahlil Okafor knows he’s in a unique situation. He’s heard his name in trade rumors since he was drafted by the Sixers with the No. 3 overall pick. He’s seen his role on the team fluctuate and he’s handled it all like a professional should.
“I know I’m not the type of player that’s DNP,” Okafor said earlier in the month about a game in which he was a healthy but didn’t see the court. “But that’s what it is right now. Coach Brown has been phenomenal with communicating with me. I know in the long run, I’ll be fine.”
In the long-run, Okafor will likely be playing for another team. GM Bryan Colangelo has reportedly been in contact with eight other franchises regarding an Okafor trade and the strong play of both Joel Embiid and Dario Saric have increased the likelihood that the team deals either Okafor or Nerlens Noel, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
It appears that Okafor is more likely to be dealt than Nerlens Noel, as John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote last month. Two months ago, the opposite was true. Noel wasn’t seeing regular minutes and Philadelphia was investing time in the Okafor-Embiid pairing. The team didn’t like what it saw and it stopped using the combo together. Okafor has seen his role diminished since the team split up the centers, while Embiid has thrived, which led one anonymous league executive to claim that the Cameroon native could eventually become a top-3 player in the league.
Okafor will likely never reach that pinnacle, though that doesn’t mean he can’t have a great career. Over his first season and a half, he’s shown promise on the offensive end, aggressively taking the ball to the basket either by backing defenders down or driving at them from the elbow. It’s been inconsistent, but that’s expected; he’s a 21-year-old kid who has only appeared in 88 career games. Teams looking for a young big man certainly see what’s there. He isn’t a blank canvas on the offensive end.
Okafor’s defense remains a work-in-progress. He’s the league’s second-worst center on defense, per ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus. Karl-Anthony Towns is the league’s worst, according to that metric, so we should remember that it takes time and experience in this league to become a good defender in the post. Rim protectors need to learn how to properly position themselves during the offensive attack. Once a player learns that, simply being a massive near 7-footer is enough to be an adequate defender; just ask Nikola Vucevic. Magic coach Frank Vogel vowed to install his defensive principles and coach up Vucevic so that he can improve on his defense. This year, the Swiss behemoth has been defending opposing bigs at a top level. He’s the 15th most impactful defender this season, according to NBAMath, and there’s hope that Okafor can take similar strides with the right amount of experience and coaching.
That’s not to say coach Brett Brown isn’t doing a great job with Okafor and with this team. The issue is that there are only so many coaching hours available and Brown has so many young guys on the roster. Gregg Popovich was always able to get the best out of non-star players because his top players were experienced and didn’t need as much attention. Popovich could devote the time to the role players and coach them up to help them improve. Brett Brown has no such luxury. Examine the Sixers’ roster; How many players are self-sufficient and don’t need a considerable amount of coaching?
Okafor will get to an acceptable level on defense, but he’s not going to substantially improve without seeing more court time. He’s barely cracked 800 minutes so far this season (232 players have seen more minutes than Okafor this year, including Anthony Tolliver and Corey Brewer among others). He’s firmly behind Embiid on the depth chart and both Noel and Richaun Holmes have seen action ahead of him at times when everyone is healthy.
Philadelphia is being cautious with Embiid’s knee injury, which opened up an opportunity for Okafor to start (and audition for other teams) tonight against the Pistons. The game could end up being one of Okafor’s final contests with the Sixers, as the team was reportedly heavily engaged in talks with the Pelicans to send the Duke product to New Orleans. Philadelphia was set to receive a 2018 first-rounder in addition to center Alexis Ajinca and there was a 5:00 pm EST deadline today to complete a deal, presumably because Philadelphia played tonight and needed to know whether or not to have Okafor suit up. The teams didn’t consummate a deal before that cutoff, but the two sides remain engaged in talks, as Keith Smith of RealGM reports (Twitter link).
Anthony Davis would be an excellent frontcourt partner for any player in the league, but his skillset particularly suits Okafor. At this point in his career, Okafor doesn’t have much range. He can’t play outside the paint and that, coupled with his defensive issues, makes pairing him in the frontcourt a tough task. He needs to be aligned with someone who has an outside shot and is able to help cover up his defensive imperfections. The potential Davis-Okafor pairing is arguably the best-case scenario for any franchise looking to build around the 2015 ACC Player of the Year.
The Pelicans are shopping their 2018 first-round pick around the league with an eye on acquiring a center, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link), so they could ostensibly make another deal and miss out on acquiring Okafor.
“Obviously at this time of the year all the GMs are talking,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said earlier tonight. “In that situation right there it’s best that you guys ask [GM Dell Demps]. I don’t want to get misquoted or anything. Like I said, all the GMs are talking back and forth.”
I speculate that a deal will get done with New Orleans and the franchise is just looking to gain leverage during trade talks. However, if Demps decides to trade the team’s pick elsewhere, the Bulls could get back in the mix for Okafor, as they reached out to the Sixers late last week regarding the big man.
Philadelphia is reportedly looking for at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. He’s under team control for at least two more seasons after this one, so Philadelphia doesn’t necessarily have to deal him before the deadline. Still, regardless of whether it happens this season, this offseason or a year from now, an Okafor trade remains likely. Sam Hinkie’s final first-round selection has the potential to be a solid NBA player and he could even develop into an All-Star-caliber player down the road; it’s just not going to happen while he’s a member of the Sixers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Divac: Kings Won’t Trade DeMarcus Cousins
The Kings deny that any members of front office are advocates of dealing away DeMarcus Cousins and GM Vlade Divac told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that a trade is simply not going to happen.
“We’re not trading DeMarcus,” Divac said. “We hope he’s here for a long time.”
The team recently met face-to-face with Cousins and his representatives to make it clear that the big man would not be dealt and Divac encouraged them to ignore any media speculation leading up to the deadline, Stein adds.
It was previously reported that Sacramento is planning to make Cousins a maximum Designated Player extension offer this offseason once the new CBA becomes effective. Divac confirmed the report, telling Stein that the team is “going in that direction” in regards to offering Cousins the new contract. The extension is estimated to be worth roughly $209MM over five seasons, depending on where the salary cap is set for 2017/18.
Cousins has expressed his desire to stay in Sacramento long-term. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs in the six seasons since they drafted the Kentucky product with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft. Sacramento owns a record of 20-31 this year and it sits 2.5 games behind the Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Sixers, Pelicans Discussing Jahlil Okafor Trade
8:49 PM: League sources tell Jon Johnson of WIP (Twitter link) that the Sixers and Pelicans are searching for a third team to get involved in an Okafor deal.
4:50 PM: Keith Smith of RealGM reiterated a previous report that a trade won’t be completed today, as the two teams missed a 5 PM EST cutoff. What’s more, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today notes that the Sixers are in no rush to trade Okafor, as multiple teams around the league are interested in him.
4:21 PM: While the trade has not been completed, its structure appears to be Alexis Ajinca and a future first round draft pick for Jahlil Okafor, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. Keith Smith of RealGM adds that the deal likely won’t be completed today, as the Sixers want to re-engage on bringing Jrue Holiday back to Philadelphia. David Aldridge of NBA.com provided a sobering view of trade talks, noting that the deal is “not imminent.”
3:39 PM: The Sixers and Pelicans are “in talks” about a Jahlil Okafor trade, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. Philadelphia would push for a first round pick from New Orleans, Amick adds. The report has been corroborated by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Marc J. Spears of ESPN shed further light on the potential deal, noting that Alexis Ajinca and a future first round pick could be sent to Philadelphia. Draft pick compensation could be a factor holding up negotiations, according to Keith Smith of RealGM; if the Pelicans give up a protected first round pick, they’d reportedly expect Philadelphia to take on Ajinca or Omer Asik‘s contract. Jahlil Okafor could fit the mold of an “offensive-minded big man” to use alongside Anthony Davis, Marc Stein of ESPN notes.
Unloading Asik’s contract has been a priority for the Pelicans, Wojnarowski reports. The Sixers are hesitant to take on Asik, who is in the second year of a five-year, $57,977,525 deal. Interestingly, Wojnarowski reports the Pelicans have discussed Brook Lopez in their pursuit of a center.
In Amick’s full report for USA Today, Okafor’s “marginalized” role is noted to have been a motivating factor for GM Bryan Colangelo, who has engaged with eight teams on the former No. 3 overall pick.
Conflicting Reports On LBJ Pushing For Melo Trade
8:42 PM: Both David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link) and Sam Amico of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hear that the report of James pushing the Cavs to make the deal regardless of whether it includes Love is “not true.”
8:19 PM: LeBron James is pushing the Cavaliers front office to trade for Carmelo Anthony even if it means giving up Kevin Love in the deal, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports. The Knicks have targeted Love in an Anthony deal, but Cleveland is against trading the 28-year-old power forward.
It’s unclear whether James as enough influence to force the franchise to make the deal. He’s under contract for two more seasons after this one, though his contract contains a player option for the 2018/19 campaign, which means he could become a free agent in the summer of 2018.
James has been critical of the front office this season. He recently lobbied for the Cavs to add a playmaker and it was reported that he and the team were at odds over the team’s payroll. Last week, Cleveland held auditions for several players, including Mario Chalmers, but no signings were made.
Isola notes that last season, Anthony and James discussed teaming up on the Cavs, but at the time, Anthony said he wasn’t ready to leave New York. The Knicks are likely to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season and the team’s lack of success could persuade Anthony to waive his no-trade clause to go to a legitimate contender. In addition to the Cavs, the Knicks have also reached out to the Celtics and Clippers regarding an Anthony deal.
Reaction Roundup: Jahlil Okafor Trade Rumors
Tonight’s flurry of Jahlil Okafor trade rumors appears to have reached a (temporary) conclusion; according to a report from Keith Smith of RealGM, the Pelicans and Sixers missed a 5 PM EST cutoff to complete a trade. Nevertheless, Okafor’s trade availability is no longer in doubt- Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo has reportedly approached eight teams with trade proposals involving Okafor. While details are still emerging, we gathered some takes from around the league on a potential Pelicans/Sixers swap.
- Okafor would be a good fit on the Pelicans, Jessica Camerato writes for CSN Philly. Okafor has exhibited flaws on defense, Camerato notes, but the former #3 overall pick would not be tasked with those responsibilities in New Orleans, as Anthony Davis remains the team’s premier rebounder. “Okafor would start at the five, his true position. When he’s paired with Joel Embiid, he’s forced to play the four. A pairing of Davis and Okafor would help spread the floor for Davis and relieve pressure from defenders, who would have to focus on Okafor on the block,” Camerato argues.
- Adding Okafor may not prevent the Pelicans from declining, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports warns. “Trading a 2018 first-rounder becomes even more logical for New Orleans when you consider general manager Dell Demps’ seemingly shaky job security. Okafor could help the Pelicans become more respectable in the short term — and if the center doesn’t, Demps might be gone for the 2018 draft,” Feldman writes.
- John Reid of NOLA.com implored the Pelicans to “pull the trigger” is they can acquire Okafor for Alexis Ajinca and a 2018 first round pick. The Pelicans sit at 19-32 and have no reinforcements coming back from injury, Reid added.
- Pels coach Alvin Gentry had little to say of the trade rumors prior to Monday’s match-up against the Suns. ”Obviously I think at this time of the year all the GM’s are talking back and forth,” Gentry told reporters, including Justin Verrier of ESPN. ”I think with that situation right there, it’s best that you ask Dell. You ask Dell, I don’t want to be misquoted or anything. Probably take it up with him.”
- Ajinca found out he was mentioned in trade rumors from Twitter. Ajinca told Justin Verrier of ESPN “I need to play…if my time is up here then we’ll see.”