Latest On Carmelo Anthony
Knicks president Phil Jackson didn’t mince words when addressing his long-simmering dispute with Carmelo Anthony in a press conference Friday. Making his intentions clear to end their relationship, Jackson said, “I think the direction with our team, he’ll be better off somewhere else.”
The problem is that there’s no easy way for a break-up to occur. Anthony is under contract for $26,243,760 next season and $27,928,140 in 2018/19 with an early termination option. There is also a 15% trade kicker that must be paid by whatever team acquires him, along with a no-trade clause that Anthony can use to block any deal he doesn’t like.
With that in mind, several NBA writers have taken a look at where Anthony might wind up:
- Anthony has three options for the offseason, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation. He can waive the no-trade clause and accept a deal, although Ziller says he shouldn’t feel obligated to do so just because Jackson wants him gone. He can submit a list of teams that he would agree to be traded to, which would presumably include joining friends LeBron James with the Cavaliers, Chris Paul with the Clippers or Dwyane Wade with the Bulls. Or he can make a stand and tell the Knicks that he won’t leave until his contract expires. Ziller favors the last option, noting that Anthony likes being in New York and has earned the power he obtained through the no-trade clause.
- The Cavaliers, Clippers and Celtics, whom the Knicks reportedly contacted about moving Anthony before the February deadline, are listed as possible destinations by The New York Post, along with the Heat and Wizards.
- Miami may have interest in Anthony, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel, who notes that team president Pat Riley pursued the Knicks star in free agency three years ago. With more than $25MM expected to be freed in cap space once the Chris Bosh situation is resolved, Miami could add Anthony with a simple trade, and Winderman suggests Justise Winslow as a possibility. However, that would leave the team unable to re-sign James Johnson and Dion Waiters.
- The Bulls “will steer completely clear of whatever Carmelo does,” predicts Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. In a video posted on CSNChicago.com, Friedell suggests that if Anthony had come to Chicago three seasons ago, Tom Thibideau probably would have been kept as coach and current Knicks Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah would still be with the Bulls.
Kristaps Porzingis Reportedly Skipped Exit Meetings
The Knicks‘ season may be over, but the team’s PR struggles continued with Phil Jackson‘s press conference this afternoon. Following an unusual presser, in which Jackson asserted Carmelo Anthony would “be better off somewhere else,” Ian Begley of ESPN reported frustration from Kristaps Porzingis. Per Begley, Porzingis skipped exit meetings with the Knicks following this season, citing what he perceived to be “dysfunction and drama surrounding the organization.”
“Porzingis, according to team sources, is frustrated with the Knicks’ lack of direction,” Begley reports. Jackson’s remarks at Friday’s press conference involved Porzingis as well as Anthony; claiming the 21-year-old is not ready ot become the face of the franchise (Twitter link).
In the past, Porzingis hasn’t shied away from criticizing team management. At the end of March, Porzingis told Fred Kerber of the New York Post that his team didn’t do it from the beginning the right way…We didn’t have real fundamentals as a team.”
For what it’s worth, Jackson acknowledged the volatile reputation the Knicks have gathered in recent years.
“I think there’s disconnect sometimes with this team and I think there was some rebelliousness with this team that created some of the discord during the year. And I think has to stop and that will stop,” Jackson said.
Community Shootaround: Upsets In The First Round?
As is the case in any NBA postseason, there are several teams with uphill battles in their first round match-ups. It’s difficult to envision the Trail Blazers getting past the Warriors, just as it’s hard to see the Pacers handing Cleveland an early exit. As opposed to the NCAA Tournament, the NBA’s best-of-seven format in each round of the playoffs makes significant upsets a rarity.
…With that said, we’re interested in hearing your thoughts on teams being overlooked this postseason. Over the last decade, we’ve seen the No. 8 seed Warriors top the Mavericks in 2007, the Grizzlies defeat San Antonio in 2011, and Philadelphia upset the Bulls in 2012.
Dieter Kurtenbach of Fox Sports is among the national writers calling for an upset; dubbing the Celtics “the worst No. 1 seed in history.” Bill Reiter of CBS Sports tabbed the sixth-seed Thunder to top Houston, and Danny Chau of The Ringer predicted the Bulls to defeat Boston.
So what do you think: Do any No. 8 seed teams have what it takes to pull off a major upset? Do you see any fifth, sixth, or seventh seeded teams moving past the first round? Let us know in the comments section!
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 4/14/17
Here are Friday’s assignments/recalls from around the league…
- The Raptors assigned Bruno Caboclo and Pascal Siakam to Raptors 905, the team announced via Twitter (link). Caboclo and Siakam should pick up steady minutes for Raptors 905, as they take on the Maine Red Claws in the D-League Eastern Conference finals.
- The Rockets recalled Chinanu Onuaku, Isaiah Taylor, and Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced via Twitter (link). All three players received 35+ minutes in Rio Grande’s Game 1 loss to the Blue on Thursday.
- The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Huestis scored 11 points over 29 minutes with the Blue in the D-League playoffs last night.
Jusuf Nurkic Remains “Uncertain” For First Round
While the Trail Blazers are set to kick off their best-of-seven series against Golden State on Sunday, the team remains uncertain of Jusuf Nurkic‘s ability to play. While Nurkic has been seen shooting warm-ups in the games leading up to the playoffs, the “Bosnian Beast” will likely be a game-time decision on Sunday.
“I feel better and I’ve made good progress, but we still haven’t decided if I’m going to play,” Nurkic told the Associated Press. “If it doesn’t hurt I’m going to be back. It’s not a question- I’m going to do my part, work every day like I do, and try to be back. If it was up to me, I’d play right now.”
Nurkic’s presence in the first round would be crucial for the Blazers’ ability to compete with Golden State. The 21-year-old Nurkic was revitalized by a trade deadline move to Portland, averaging 15.2 points with 10.4 rebounds over 20 games. After suffering a fracture in his right fibula on March 30, Nurkic would be looking at a recovery period of just under three weeks.
Coach Terry Stotts talked up Nurkic’s recovery while speaking with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, but provided no concrete answers regarding his timeframe.
“He’s improved, his leg is better, he’s made good progress,” Stotts said. “His status for Game 1 is undetermined.”
Details Surrounding Larry Sanders’ Release
When the Cavs released Larry Sanders on April 11, the transaction plainly appeared to be a basketball decision. In his return to the league, Sanders had been unable to crack Tyronn Lue‘s rotation; instead receiving minutes with the Canton Charge. Additionally, Sanders’ replacement- Edy Tavares– had an excellent year in the D-League, averaging 10.6 points with 7.7 rebounds over 48 games with Raptors 905.
An article by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic shed further light on the move, however; implying Sanders’ lack of punctuality may have played a role in his release.
“Sanders is gone again after he struggled keeping up with responsibilities on and off the court,” Lloyd writes. “He missed the team bus from the hotel to the airport Tuesday in Miami, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic, the final blow to his time here after Sanders had previously struggled with punctuality.”
While he didn’t miss out on playing time due to lateness, Sanders’ demeanor appeared to indicate he was “far from being NBA ready.”
Dave McMenamin of ESPN spoke with GM David Griffin about the decision to cut Sanders. Griffin denied any incident being the culprit behind Sanders’ release, instead citing his lack of on-court progress.
“He [Sanders] didn’t have any kind of a setback relative to any of the demons he had or any of those things. He’s an NBA player. He’s kind of flaky. So sometimes you’re late. You’re this. You’re that. None of those things were incidents,” Griffin said.
“I have to take you in totality as a player, and if I know you’re not going to play, then what I’m going to get is everything else. And if I didn’t even feel confident that he’d be a benefit to the group in practice, then it was hard to me to tell coaches, like, ‘This is a guy you got to keep.’ So they had the conversation on the plane [back from Miami]; what else can we do? And we talked about it and we landed, and we talked to all the rest of our staff and made a decision.”
Mavs Notes: Curry, Noel, Hammons, Harris, Cuban
On the heels of a 33-49 season, the Mavericks will focus on improving their roster via free agency and the draft. Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News suggested two veteran FAs to provide an immediate boost: Serge Ibaka and J.J. Redick. Sefko explains that Ibaka is a “big-time rebounder” who is still relatively young, while Redick would help shore up the team’s mediocre shooting.
Sefko cautions against hoping for a point guard improvement through the draft. Unless the Mavs “get lucky” and secure one of the top two picks, they’re unlikely to obtain a top-shelf guard. In the event Dallas winds up with the 8, 9, or 10 pick, Sefko cites Jonathan Isaac, Miles Bridges, and Lauri Markkanen as potential fits.
More from Dallas…
- Seth Curry, who missed the season’s final seven games due to a left shoulder injury, hopes to avoid undergoing surgery over the offseason. “It’s still a possibility, but I don’t think it’s necessary at this point,” Curry told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
- Former Purdue Boilermaker A.J. Hammons got his feet wet in the NBA this past season, scoring 43 points with 36 rebounds over 22 games. While Hammons’ contract is guaranteed over the next two seasons, Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News is skeptical of his role on the team in 2017/18. “I like the big guy, but I haven’t seen a passion for wanting to improve,” Sefko writes. “He loves to sit out there and launch jump shots. But I think his calling in this league has to be as a strong rebounder and rim protector. My bottom line: doubtful that he is here next season.”
- While he appears set to enter the market as a restricted free agent, Nerlens Noel‘s recent remarks to Brad Townsend of Dallas Morning News imply he’d like another season in Dallas. “I love Dallas,” Noel said. “In my short time here, I’ve really enjoyed it. With the pieces that we have, and the opportunities we’ll be seeing in the near-future, I think there’s a lot to be excited for.”
- While Devin Harris isn’t a lock to start next season with Dallas, one thing is certain: the 34-year-old isn’t retiring. “Definitely not retiring,” Harris told Adam Grosbard of Dallas Morning News. The Mavs are unsure whether they will exercise Harris’ $4.4MM option for 2017/18. Harris averaged 16/7 minutes in 2016/17; the lowest total since his rookie season. “Ball’s in their court. I just let the chips fall where they may and try to make the best decision possible with the information that I have.”
- In a 109-91 loss to the Nuggets- the Mavs’ penultimate game of the season- coach Rick Carlisle gave six players 25-years-old or younger significant playing time. Mark Cuban spoke to Adam Grosbard of Dallas Morning News, explaining the strategy of giving younger players minutes down the stretch. “When we were playing for it, we obviously had some bad games but it’s obvious our young guys are getting better. And that’s all you can ask for,” Cuban said. Dirk Nowtizki seconded Cuban’s remarks, adding “It’s been fun to watch these kids.”
Northwest Rumors: Thunder, Wolves, Rubio, Blazers
In the wake of a historic regular-season performance that could earn Russell Westbrook an MVP award, Lee Jenkins of SI.com and Royce Young of ESPN.com took deep dives this week into Oklahoma City’s year, providing several interesting tidbits in their pieces. Jenkins, for instance, reports that several high-ranking executives in the Thunder‘s front office rejected job offers from rival teams within the last year, as those clubs anticipated a “post-Durant exodus” that never materialized.
Meanwhile, Young writes that after Durant left for Golden State last July, the Thunder did their due diligence by fielding trade calls on Westbrook from a number of teams, but “never remotely considered” trading their star point guard. If Westbrook had turned down the opportunity to sign an extension with OKC, the Thunder’s stance may have shifted, but the team preferred to lock up Westbrook for multiple years rather than to consider moving him.
Here are a few more notes and rumors from across the Northwest division:
- Timberwolves head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau held his end-of-season press conference today, expressing a desire to bring back potential RFA Shabazz Muhammad, and suggesting that his club’s most pressing offseason needs are defense (specifically on the wing), shot-blocking, and shooting (link via 5 Eyewitness News).
- Asked earlier this week if he wants to remain in Minnesota and win with the Timberwolves, Ricky Rubio said he wants to win, but was noncommittal about whether it will happen with the Wolves, noting that that decision is ultimately up to the team (link via Marca.com; translation via HoopsHype).
- The Trail Blazers will avoid the luxury tax by the slimmest of margins after Maurice Harkless earned a $500K bonus for shooting over 35% on three-pointers. According to Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link), Portland will finish $4,462 below the tax line. By comparison, the one-day minimum salary for a rookie this season was worth $3,197.
- After being relied on as a top scoring threat for years, Joe Johnson has thrived this year in a reduced role and as a veteran mentor for the Jazz, writes Kareem Copeland of The Associated Press. Johnson remains under contract for one more year.
Atlantic Notes: Raps, Celtics, Rodriguez, Covington
Earlier today, we passed along Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s comments to reporters, including his assertion that Carmelo Anthony might be “better off somewhere else.” We also rounded up a few end-of-season items on the Sixers. We’ve still got a handful of Atlantic notes to relay, so let’s dive right in…
- With the Raptors preparing to face the Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes about how Toronto president Masai Ujiri “desperately” tried to trade into the 2013 NBA draft to nab Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of course, those efforts came up short, as Milwaukee selected Antetokounmpo with the No. 15 pick.
- Appearing this week on WEEI, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck was asked about Al Horford‘s impact in Boston this season and said he’d make the Horford signing “in one second” if he had the chance to do it over again. John Tomase of WEEI.com has the quotes and the details.
- Veteran point guard Sergio Rodriguez is facing free agency and may not be back with the Sixers next season, but he said on Thursday that he’d like to “try to stay in the NBA and play a few more years here,” tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Rodriguez spent the previous six seasons with Real Madrid before signing with Philadelphia last summer.
- Sixers forward Robert Covington is undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Covington’s recovery isn’t expected to take more than four to six weeks, so he should be good to go well before training camp.
New Clippers Contract For Chris Paul ‘All Done’?
There have been rumors that the Clippers might break up their core if they don’t make a long playoff run, but that apparently won’t apply to Chris Paul, writes Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. Paul is in line for a five-year extension this summer worth more than $200MM, and an unidentified source tells Lawrence, “It’s all done, with a wink and a nod.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard a report along these lines. Back in February, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote that Paul and the Clippers had a “verbal agreement” in place for a new long-term contract. As we noted at the time, a verbal agreement isn’t binding, so even if such an arrangement is in place, the Clippers and CP3 are free to change course in the coming months. Paul won’t be able to officially sign a new five-year deal until July 6.
Paul, 31, is expected to turn down a player option for next season worth $24.27MM and seek a long-term contract that could be his last in the NBA. The nine-time All-Star led the Clippers to the No. 4 spot in the West with another stellar season, averaging 18.1 points and 9.2 assists over 61 games. Paul has been with the Clippers for the past six seasons.
L.A. is facing an offseason in which Paul and Blake Griffin are each expected to opt out, joining fellow starter J.J. Redick on the free agent market. There have been concerns about whether the Clippers can afford to bring all of them back, particularly if the season ends with another playoff disappointment.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.