Knicks Officially Name Leon Rose President Of Basketball Operations
Nearly a month after reaching an agreement to make him as their new president of basketball operations, the Knicks issued a press release today officially announcing the hiring of Leon Rose.
“We are pleased to welcome Leon to the New York Knicks as team president, and believe he is the right leader to build a winning organization for our fans,” Knicks owner James Dolan said in a statement. “Leon is one of the most respective executives in professional basketball, with decades of experience working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game. We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of the franchise.”
Rose is the replacement for former president of basketball operations Steve Mills, who was removed from his role by New York just two days before last month’s trade deadline. General manager Scott Perry has run the front office since Mills’ dismissal, but his future with the franchise is uncertain. Rose, who will “oversee all basketball operations and personnel” for the Knicks, figures to have the final say on whether Perry will remain in the front office.
Rose has been one of the NBA’s top agents for years and had a star-studded list of clients that includes Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Karl-Anthony Towns. It has taken him a few weeks to tie up loose ends with those clients as he transitioned from his role as a player rep to a team executive.
The Knicks were linked repeatedly to Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri following Mills’ departure, but reports at the time suggested they were reluctant to aggressively pursue Ujiri with more than a year left on his contract. With the hiring of Rose, the organization will attempt to emulate a model that has been successful for the Lakers and Warriors, who are run by former agents Rob Pelinka and Bob Myers, respectively.
Although the Knicks have now made Rose’s hiring official, they haven’t scheduled a news conference to introduce him to the media, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Woj, Rose’s plan is to remain behind the scenes for now, observing and listening and avoiding making any “big public proclamations.”
J.R. Smith To Work Out For Lakers This Week
In addition to auditioning Dion Waiters this week, the Lakers will also bring in another veteran free agent guard, J.R. Smith, for a workout, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
There were reports back in late January and early February indicating that the Lakers were expected to work out Smith. That plan got delayed following Kobe Bryant‘s death and the trade deadline, but it sounds like it will finally happen in the coming days.
Smith, 34, hasn’t been on an NBA roster since last July and hasn’t actually played in a game since November of 2018. In 2017/18, his last full season, he was a solid role player for the Cavaliers, averaging 8.3 PPG and 2.9 RPG with a .375 3PT% in 80 games (28.1 MPG).
The Lakers have an open spot on their 15-man roster after waiving Troy Daniels on Sunday and are expected to be patient as they consider several options to fill that opening.
Both Smith and Waiters have the advantage of having been teammates with Lakers star LeBron James in Cleveland, but the Lakers figure to extensively vet both players, who have occasionally made waves off the court or in the locker room throughout their NBA careers.
Dion Waiters To Work Out For Lakers On Monday
MARCH 1: In addition to meeting with Waiters, the Lakers will also work him out on Monday in Los Angeles, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The Lakers, who waived Daniels on Sunday, now have an open 15-man roster spot, but the team won’t be in a rush to fill it, according to ESPN. Although Woj and McMenamin suggest that Waiters will be one candidate for that roster opening, the ESPN duo notes that the Lakers will go through a “significant vetting process” with the veteran guard after his turbulent year in Miami.
FEBRUARY 26: The Lakers have a meeting scheduled with free agent guard Dion Waiters for March 2, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (relayed by Marc Stein of The New York Times on Twitter).
After being traded by the Heat and then waived by the Grizzlies earlier this month, Waiters has been on the open market, free to sign with any team except Miami. In the wake of his release, a report indicated that Waiters was expected to have “exploratory” discussions with the Lakers.
As we noted on Monday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested earlier this week that Waiters and the Lakers had already met, but that may have been more of a touching-base conversation then a full-fledged meeting. Windhorst added that the team would likely want to bring the 28-year-old in for a workout to “see what kind of condition he’s in.”
Waiters, who averaged 14.0 PPG and 3.6 APG in 120 games (28.7 MPG) during his first three seasons in Miami, barely played for the Heat this season, appearing in just three games. He fell out of favor with the club, serving three separate suspensions for violating team rules before being traded to Memphis.
Still, the Lakers are said to be in the market for a play-making perimeter scorer and Waiters could fit that bill. Of course, it’s worth noting fact that their meeting is set for March 2. Since March 1 represents the deadline for players to be waived and retain their postseason eligibility, the Lakers will know by next Monday whether there are other players on the buyout market who would be more favorable options than Waiters.
If the Lakers sign Waiters or another free agent, they’ll have to release someone from their 15-man roster. Troy Daniels and Quinn Cook would probably be the club’s most likely release candidates.
Northwest Notes: Russell, Johnson, SGA, MPJ
The Timberwolves were hit with a $25K fine by the NBA on Thursday for violating the league’s resting policy when they sat D’Angelo Russell a week ago despite D-Lo being considered a healthy player. Following that decision, the Wolves faced accusations of tanking, but president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas insists that’s not the case, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes.
“I wouldn’t say it gets under my skin, but it’s just disappointing when you don’t have all the facts,” Rosas said of claims that the Timberwolves are tanking. “The reality is if individuals knew what was going on behind the scenes, how hard our coaches are working, our players are working — that’s the disappointing part because I think it’s disrespectful to them and what they’re putting in.
“… The side effects (of the Timberwolves’ midseason roster overhaul) unfortunately for Coach (Ryan Saunders) and his staff is you have nine players from three different programs, three different philosophies that are coming here and learning on the fly what we’re trying to do,” Rosas continued. “When you’re playing good teams like we’re playing, you get exposed. That’s the stage we’re at. But to say we’re not focused day in, day out on winning? That’s false and inaccurate.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- While he was hardly the biggest name of the players acquired by the Timberwolves at the deadline, James Johnson has quickly emerged as a team leader in Minnesota, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “If James told me to jump off a cliff I would do it yesterday,” Josh Okogie said of his new teammate. “He’s been great for us, and we’ve been following his lead.”
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s breakout year and budding stardom is giving the Thunder plenty to think about as they contemplate a potential rebuild, writes ESPN’s Royce Young. If Gilgeous-Alexander has All-NBA upside, it likely reduces the odds of the team fully bottoming out in the next couple seasons.
- Nick Kosmider of The Athletic attempts to make sense of Michael Porter Jr.‘s reduced playing time for the Nuggets, arguing that it’s time to let the second-year forward reclaim a more impactful role.
Suns Intend To Claim Jordan McRae
The Suns intend to put a waiver claim on guard Jordan McRae, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
McRae and the Nuggets reached a buyout agreement on Sunday, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reporting that Phoenix would likely be his destination.
McRae, 28, started the season with Washington and was traded to Denver last month. He averaged 12.8 points in 29 games with the Wizards, shooting 42% from the floor and 38% from 3-point range.
The Suns have lost three straight games and currently own the third-worst record in the Western Conference at 24-37. McRae previously spent time with Phoenix back in 2016, signing two 10-day contracts with the organization.
Because McRae is on a minimum-salary contract, the Suns can use the minimum salary exception to place a claim on him. Doing so will give the team his Early Bird rights at season’s end, and won’t cost any extra money, since Phoenix will only have to pay the prorated salary left on his deal. The Nuggets, meanwhile, will get to remove McRae’s cap hit from their books entirely, giving them some extra flexibility below the tax line.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/1/20
Here are Sunday’s assignments and recalls from across the NBA G League:
- The Pelicans have recalled Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the Erie BayHawks, announcing the news on social media. Alexander-Walker, a Virginia Tech product, was drafted with the No. 17 pick last June.
- The Thunder have recalled Deonte Burton from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Burton has averaged 14.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 11 G League games this season.
- The Nuggets assigned Keita Bates-Diop to the Windy City Bulls, announcing the news on social media. Bates-Diop was drafted No. 48 overall in 2018 after spending four seasons at Ohio State.
- The Pacers have assigned Goga Bitadze and Alize Johnson to their G League affiliate in Fort Wayne, the team announced. Both players logged double-doubles in a loss to Canton on Sunday night.
- The Warriors recalled forward Alen Smailagic from their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced in a release. Smailagic has averaged 15.2 points per game in 19 contests with Santa Cruz.
Jakob Poeltl Suffers Right MCL Sprain
Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed a right MCL sprain, the team announced in a press release. The injury will likely force Poeltl to miss multiple weeks of action.
No concrete timetable was issued by the team, but Poeltl wrote on social media that he expects to miss roughly two-to-four weeks.
“As today’s examination showed, I suffered a grade 2 MCL strain of the right knee,” he wrote. “I will presumably miss the next two to four weeks. Since knee injuries can be very severe, I’m happy that I didn’t sustain a more serious injury.
“Nevertheless, this is an annoying situation. We’re in the midst of a very important phase, which is why every missed game hurts twice as much. I hope to be back on the floor as soon as possible.”
Poeltl, 24, exited the team’s game on Saturday with a bruised right knee after playing just four minutes. He’s averaged 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 16.6 minutes in 58 games this season, starting in 10 of those contests.
The Spurs originally acquired Poeltl as part of the trade that landed Kawhi Leonard in Toronto and DeMar DeRozan in San Antonio back in 2018. The team is already playing without LaMarcus Aldridge, who is currently listed as day-to-day with a shoulder injury.
Poeltl was the No. 9 pick in 2016, showing capable talent on both ends of the floor at 7’1″. San Antonio is 3-7 in its last ten games and will host Indiana on Monday.
Lakers Waive Troy Daniels
5:58pm: The Lakers have officially waived Daniels, the team announced in a press release.
5:35pm: The Lakers are releasing veteran guard Troy Daniels, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski, the two sides had been working on an agreement that would give Daniels a chance to find an opportunity with a new team, with the Lakers opening up a spot on their 15-man roster. Head coach Frank Vogel, confirming the move, said that releasing Daniels was a “very, very tough decision” for the Lakers, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).
“(Lakers executives) Rob (Pelinka) and Kurt (Rambis) were fantastic in giving Troy optionality based upon all the scenarios that could play out in the coming weeks,” Bartelstein told Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Daniels signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Los Angeles last summer and played a modest role for the club this season, averaging 4.2 PPG and 1.1 RPG on .392/.357/.625 shooting in 41 games (11.1 MPG). The 28-year-old was considered a strong locker-room presence, but wasn’t part of the Lakers’ rotation as of late, having logged just 10 minutes in the team’s last six games, including four DNP-CDs.
March 1 is the last day that a player can be waived and retain his postseason eligibility. Since he’s being released today, Daniels can still participate in the playoffs if he signs with a new team between the time he clears waivers and the end of the regular season.
As for the Lakers, Vogel said today that they don’t have any specific player lined up for their newly-opened roster spot, per Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Having an opening on the 15-man roster will give the team some options going forward though. Our look at the 2020 buyout market includes a few names that may be of interest to the Lakers.
Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that L.A. still intends to meet with Dion Waiters this week, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the one replacing Daniels on the roster. Woj suggests Pelinka will be patient, since the Lakers may want to retain their roster flexibility in case an injury occurs down the stretch.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Injury Notes: Doncic, Isaac, Holmes, Bowman
While Mavericks guard Luka Doncic seems to be over the ankle issues that bothered him earlier in the season, he’s missing Sunday’s game vs. Minnesota with a new injury — a left thumb sprain. Doncic played through the injury on Friday, but struggled to work around it, per an ESPN report.
“I didn’t know how important the thumb was to hold the ball,” Doncic said on Friday. “It was tough. … I wasn’t myself today. Just have to learn from that and move on.”
Head coach Rick Carlisle said that he’s not sure about Doncic’s status for Monday’s game against Chicago.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Although Jonathan Isaac has started doing some rehab work with the Magic, there’s only an outside chance of him playing this spring, according to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com, who says that Isaac’s knee injury is still expected to keep him on the sidelines for the rest of the season.
- Kings center Richaun Holmes, who hasn’t played since January 6 due to a shoulder injury, is getting closer to being able to take full contact, and hopes to resume practicing with the team this week, the team announced today in a press release.
- Warriors guard Ky Bowman, who is currently on the shelf with a sprained right ankle, will be monitored for the next few days before the team provides another update, per a press release.
- It’s not an injury, but Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein is missing his fourth consecutive game for personal reasons today. According to Dwain Price of Mavs.com (Twitter link), Rick Carlisle expects the big man to return to Dallas’ active roster on Monday. “We’ll try to get him prepared to play some minutes if needed tomorrow,” the Mavs’ head coach said of Cauley-Stein.
J.J. Redick Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain
After leaving Friday’s game with a leg injury, Pelicans guard J.J. Redick has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Pelicans, Redick will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Redick, 35, has been a key contributor in his first season in New Orleans, averaging 14.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 54 games (26.4 MPG). The veteran sharpshooter has been his usual effective self from beyond the arc, knocking down 2.9 three-pointers per game at a 45.2% rate.
The Pelicans lost one of their top outside threats, Darius Miller, to a season-ending Achilles tear before the regular season began, but have still been one of the league’s most dangerous three-point-shooting teams in 2019/20. They currently rank third in both threes per game (14.1) and 3PT% (.375). However, Redick is the team leader in both categories and New Orleans will miss his floor spacing.
In Redick’s absence, E’Twaun Moore figures to take on a larger role, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker has a chance to earn some rotation minutes again. Jrue Holiday and Josh Hart will likely be leaned on heavily by the Pelicans too as the club continues its push for a playoff spot.