Knicks Notes: Jordan, Matthews, Zion, Davis
DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews may not be with the Knicks very long, but coach David Fizdale is preparing to use them, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Acquired in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas, both players are veterans with expiring contracts who will be buyout candidates if they aren’t traded by Thursday’s deadline.
“What I want to try to do with them is get them minutes where they can start helping our guys understand defense,” Fizdale said. “DeAndre is going to be a guy that really helps Mitchell (Robinson) and I think having him be able to do it with demonstration and not just words, I think, is going to be important.
“Because DeAndre, he’s a veteran version of what Mitchell is hoping to become. And the same with Wesley. I think Wes is really going to be able to help Dot (Damyean Dotson) and Zo (Allonzo Trier), especially when it comes to defending. So I want to be able to find him some minutes out there so that he can demonstrate it while he’s doing it.”
There’s more from New York City:
- Knicks fans aren’t the only ones dreaming about the possibility of having Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson in their lineup next season. The expected No. 1 pick told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv he has considered it as well. “It would be dope to play with KD and Kyrie, but like I said I’m enjoying college and whichever team drafts me I’m going to be ready to play hard and work,” Williamson said Saturday after Duke defeated St. John’s. The Knicks hold the top spot in our latest Reverse Standings.
- The prospect of bringing two elite free agents to New York suddenly seems feasible now that the Knicks project to have about $70MM in cap space, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Fans welcomed Irving to Madison Square Garden Friday night with a rousing ovation, followed by chants of “We want Kyrie.” However, if the Knicks don’t get their top targets, Vorkunov wonders if they will be content with another year of rebuilding or if they’ll throw that money at players such as Tobias Harris and Kemba Walker.
- The Knicks may have a path to team up Durant, Irving and Anthony Davis, tweets salary cap expert Albert Nahmad. He explains that New York could agree to a deal with the Pelicans before the draft involving its lottery pick, young players and future selections. The Knicks would then take whomever New Orleans wants, add Durant and Irving with cap space and finalize the Davis trade 30 days after the draftee signs his contract (Twitter link).
Walton, Lakers’ Veterans Clash After Loss
The Lakers are downplaying a “heated” exchange between coach Luke Walton and a pair of veteran players following Saturday’s loss to Golden State, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Walton singled out several players in the locker room, accusing them of having a selfish approach and making poor decisions late in games, McMenamin relays. Michael Beasley and JaVale McGee lashed back, expressing their frustration over Walton’s changing rotations.
Beasley, who also clashed with Walton last month, repeatedly referred to his coach as “bro,” which Walton took exception to. The confrontation was described as tense, but it died down quickly.
“It never got close to getting out of control, people are always emotional after a loss,” a source told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Another claimed to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk that it was “way overhyped.”
“Nothing crazy happened,” an unidentified Lakers player explained to The Undefeated’s Marc Spears. “Luke said some things. The players said some things back. No one was disrespected. Nothing crazy was said.”
Another veteran, Lance Stephenson, posted a message on his Instagram account denying any involvement in the dispute.“Media decided to add Lance Stephenson … I’m in a very happy place … Nothing but positive,” he wrote. “If u going to write a story get the real facts please.”
Caboclo Gets Second 10-Day Contract With Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have given Bruno Caboclo another 10-day contract, the team announced on Twitter.
The 23-year-old forward is averaging 6.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in five games with Memphis while playing 23 minutes per night. The Grizzlies needed to add wing depth because of injuries to Chandler Parsons, Dillon Brooks, and Kyle Anderson.
Caboclo had been with the Rockets’ G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley before receiving the 10-day contracts. Memphis will have to decide whether to waive him or sign him for the rest of the season when this deal expires on February 12.
For a complete list of this year’s 10-day contracts, including which deals remain active, check out our tracker.
Lakers, Pelicans To Resume Anthony Davis Trade Talks
The Lakers and Pelicans will have more discussions regarding Anthony Davis before Thursday’s trade deadline, according to Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
Updating the progress of negotiations, the Times writers state that the Lakers submitted five offers to New Orleans on Wednesday, but Pelicans officials have yet to hold internal discussions on them. Multiple sources told the Times that one of the offers would send Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac and a first-round pick to the Pelicans.
New Orleans is reportedly mulling over a counter-offer that would seek a pair of first-round picks and would send a Pelicans player to the Lakers. Besides Davis and Jrue Holiday, whom New Orleans intends to keep, the only significant contracts for next season belong to Solomon Hill ($12,758,781) and E’Twaun Moore ($8,664,928). Julius Randle has a player option worth a little more than $9MM.
Davis remains the focus of the Lakers’ trade efforts, but L.A. is also seeking shooters, presumably to replenish the team if it trades four players for Davis. Ganguli reported earlier tonight that the Lakers called the Pistons about Reggie Bullock, who is shooting 38.3% from downtown and ranks 14th in the league with 2.4 3-pointers per game.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/2/19
Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Wizards recalled Troy Brown Jr. and John Jenkins from their Capital City affiliate, the team announced on Twitter. Brown, Washington’s first-round pick in 2018, has appeared in 28 games for the Wizards, while Jenkins, who signed a 10-day contract on Thursday, hasn’t been in the NBA for more than two years.
- The Cavaliers recalled Kobi Simmons from the Canton Charge, the team posted on its website. Simmons, who is on his second 10-day contract with the Cavs, played in Canton’s game this afternoon against Windy City. His is averaging 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 32 G League games.
- The Spurs recalled Chimezie Metu from Austin in time for tonight’s game, the team announced in a press release. The rookie forward has played 21 games for San Antonio and 18 in the G League.
Five Key Stories: 1/26/19 – 2/2/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks in a move that unloaded two long-term contracts and opened up cap room for free agency this summer. New York sent Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke to Dallas in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and a pair of future first-round picks. The deal gives the Knicks a second chance at Smith, whom they passed over in 2017 to draft Frank Ntilikina.
Anthony Davis shook up the NBA early this week when he submitted a trade request to the Pelicans, telling them he won’t sign a long-term extension. The reaction was immense, with many teams expressing an interest in Davis, but he and his agent have reportedly made it clear that the Lakers are his first choice. If no deal can be reached by Thursday’s deadline, things should heat up even more this summer when the Celtics can get involved.
Boston got a jolt of its own on Friday when Kyrie Irving indicated that he might change his mind about a verbal commitment to re-sign with the Celtics. “Ask me July 1,” he said in response to a question about his future, adding that his career will come first in any decision. Irving is a friend of Davis and is believed to be necessary for Davis to consider a long-term future in Boston.
Carmelo Anthony continues his search for his next team, but he won’t be doing it as part of the Bulls’ roster. Chicago waived him on Friday in order to complete a trade with the Thunder for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
The All-Star reserves were announced this week ahead of Thursday’s draft that will determine who is on which team. Selected were Bradley Beal, Blake Griffin, Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons, Khris Middleton, Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo in the East and Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokic, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Karl-Anthony Towns in the West. D’Angelo Russell was chosen to replace Oladipo, who is out for the rest of the season.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the past week:
- Davis was fined $50K by the league because his desire to be traded was made public by his agent, Rich Paul. The fine is the largest the NBA can issue without a player being permitted to file a grievance.
- Rockets backup center Marquese Chriss also made a trade request this week, but it didn’t get much notice outside of Houston. Acquired from the Suns in the offseason, Chriss hasn’t seen much playing time, even with an injury to starting center Clint Capela.
- Two longtime veterans were given a chance to play in what could be the final All-Star Game for both. Dwyane Wade, who will retire at the end of the season, and Dirk Nowitzki, who may be in his final year, were added to the game as “special team roster additions.”
- The Porzingis trade was bad news for Ray Spalding, who was waived to enable the deal to be completed. Dallas sent out four players and only took back three, so it needed to open a roster spot.
- The Sixers will be without a key piece for the next two to three weeks as Wilson Chandler was sidelined with a right quadriceps strain.
- Grizzlies forward Omri Casspi will have surgery on his right knee to fix a meniscus tear.
- The Jazz reportedly have “very real” interest in trading for Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. Memphis may also move center Marc Gasol, but teams are waiting for the asking price to go down.
- The Sixers are looking at Atlanta’s Dwayne Dedmon in their search for a backup center.
- The Mavericks are targeting Magic center Nikola Vucevic as a possible free agent addition this summer.
- Isaiah Canaan is back in the NBA after suffering a severely dislocated ankle last season. He signed a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/26/19 – 2/2/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- We rated every team’s chances of landing Pelicans star Anthony Davis.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch continued with a look at the Central Division.
- We conducted our weekly Chat ahead of the trade deadline.
- Fantasy basketball expert Chris Crouse examined the impact of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
- Luke Adams broke down the financial and salary cap implications of the Porzingis blockbuster.
- In this week’s Community Shootaround post, we asked:
- Did the Knicks or Mavericks get the best of the Porzingis deal?
Lakers Called Pistons About Reggie Bullock
The Lakers are among several teams that have contacted the Pistons about swingman Reggie Bullock, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Detroit is listening to offers for Bullock, but hasn’t been tempted by anything it has heard so far, according to Ganguli.
The 27-year-old has a $2.5MM expiring contract, so he wouldn’t impact the Lakers’ cap situation for free agency this summer. Ganguli doesn’t specify what L.A. was offering in return.
Bullock is averaging a career-best 11.8 points per night through 41 games and would give the Lakers some much-needed outside shooting help. He is hitting at a 37.1% clip from 3-point range this season, which is slightly below his career average of 39.2%.
Pelicans Plan To Hold Onto Jrue Holiday
The Pelicans are turning down all offers for Jrue Holiday, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. There has been speculation that New Orleans might launch a full rebuilding project in the wake of Anthony Davis‘ trade request, but so far the front office hasn’t budged on its plan to keep Holiday.
The 10th-year guard is enjoying his best season since joining the Pelicans six years ago. He is posting career highs with 21.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and his 8.0 assists per night match his career best mark set with Philadelphia in 2012/13, which was his only All-Star season.
Holiday could serve as the cornerstone in New Orleans once Davis is gone. He is signed through the 2020/21 season, making $25,976,111 in each of the next two years, and has a $26.865MM player option for 2021/22. He is the only Pelicans player with a contract that runs past next season.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests there would be “a line of teams outside the Pelicans’ training facility” if Holiday ever became available in trade talks (Twitter link). Marks states Holiday’s combination of production and value put him on a level with Wizards guard Bradley Beal as a trade asset.
Lowe’s Latest: Rockets, Prince, Blazers, Heat
The Rockets and Cavaliers had discussions about sending Brandon Knight to Cleveland along with a first-round pick in exchange for Alec Burks. However, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com hears that those talks have ceased. Houston has also spoken with the Grizzlies about potential Knight deals.
Cleveland is selling Burks, Rodney Hood, and any other “indispensable asset” prior to the deadline, Lowe writes. The team is willing to take back future salary in exchange for picks.
Houston is expected to scour the market for deals leading up to the deadline with an eye on attaching a future first-rounder to Knight and Marquese Chriss. The Rockets would likely push for lottery protections on any picks that would convey past James Harden‘s prime.
Lowe’s latest piece contains trade nuggets from several teams in the league and we’ve already passed along news from the Grizzlies’ Mike Conley and Marc Gasol sweepstakes as well as the Magic’s pre-deadline plan. Here are the rest of the newsworthy notes from the ESPN piece:
- The Hawks have made Taurean Prince available in trade talks, sources tell Lowe. Atlanta hasn’t received a ton of traction on Prince deals because of its asking price. The organization wants a young prospect and a pick in exchange for the small forward.
- The Blazers have put their first-rounder on the table in trade talks, sources tell Lowe. Portland has reached out about Otto Porter Jr.‘s availability, though Wizards owner Ted Leonsis previously announced that the team would not be trading Porter before the deadline.
- Porter has drawn interest from several teams. In addition to the Blazers, the Mavericks and Jazz have kept an eye on the situation. Dallas was interested in swapping Harrison Barnes for Porter prior to the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
- Miami appears to be willing to move anyone but Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Bam Adebayo for cap relief. Lowe expects the Heat to try to get at least a second-round pick for Wayne Ellington.
- Lowe confirms a previous report that JaMychal Green, Justin Holiday, and Garrett Temple are all available. Holiday, who was acquired from the Bulls earlier this year, cost the Grizzlies two second-round picks.
- The Kings have approximately $11MM in cap space available and they want to use it to pick up an asset. Lowe writes that it could be a draft pick or a player who will help them win this season.
- Sacramento is willing to engage in trade talks about Willie Cauley-Stein, who will be a restricted free agent this summer. The Kings may simply let the center walk should he receive too high of an offer this offseason.
- The Bulls are expected to listen to offers for anyone but Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter. Lowe doesn’t expect Chicago to deal either Kris Dunn or Zach LaVine though, as the team’s asking price is anticipated to be too high.
- The Nuggets own a pair of trade exceptions and have slightly less than $7MM in breathing room under the tax. They are open to taking on a salary dump if another team calls and has to shed a player in that price range.