Knicks assistant Kenny Payne went through several tearful goodbyes before leaving the team to become the head coach at Louisville, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Payne had close relationships with many players and front office members, and it wasn’t easy to let go.
“Over the last few days, (Knicks executive VP) William Wesley and (team president) Leon Rose and myself cried six, seven times a day for me to get out of there to come here,” Payne said Friday at his introductory news conference at Louisville. “So, this was not an easy deal for me to just walk in here.”
Payne was an assistant at Kentucky before joining Tom Thibodeau’s staff in 2020 and recruited Julius Randle to play for the Wildcats. Immanuel Quickley also played for Payne at Kentucky and calls him “Pops” because he’s like a second father.
“It’s bigger than basketball when it comes to K.P., and that’s why he’s so special,” Randle said. “And that’s why he has so many great relationships around the league with so many players because he’s gonna push you on the court, but everything he does is out of love.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Thibodeau has lost two of his top two assistants in two seasons, with Mike Woodson leaving last year to become head coach at Indiana University, Katz adds. Thibodeau didn’t indicate whether he plans to fill Payne’s position before the end of the season, but he did wish him well. “You’re always trying to work on developing (young coaches) knowing that there’s going to be opportunities for other guys to get head coaching jobs and that sort of thing,” Thibodeau said. “So if you hire good people you anticipate that those things will happen.”
- Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will play his only game of the season at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but many fans — and some front office members — are hoping he’ll eventually wear a Knicks jersey, per Steve Popper of Newsday. A source told Popper last month that Wesley would like to build the team around Mitchell, but acquiring him would be difficult even if Utah does eventually put him on the market. Mitchell still has three years and about $98MM left on his contract, and the Knicks don’t have a lot of tempting trade assets.
- Quickley has adjusted to this season’s rule changes and has been getting to the foul line as often as he did as a rookie, Popper states in the same piece. Quickley was 9-for-9 on free throws Friday after going 7-for-8 Wednesday. “I’m watching a lot more film and just seeing how everybody else is getting calls,” he said. “You know, I had to adjust just like everybody else. I am not consciously trying, but if I see somebody out of position, I feel like I can get them, and then I’ll try and do that.”
So let me get this right ???? Me just and ordinary guy. The FO of the most valued Franchise in the NBA.
Is going to build their TEAM around another teams player. Is that cause all NY players want to play for NY. Or cause Knicks will trade for everyone. I mean this should make all the geniuses on here. Feel like a genius.
And in reality time. It’s yr2 of the Rebuild. And it’s looking like a lottery pick. If we had Real leadership. It would be a top 8 pick.
Hypothetically, we would absolutely build around Mitchell. That would also be true for like 30 other guys in the league that would instantly be the best player on the team. Not to mention we’d have to send out some of our top talent to make it happen in the first place. That said, tabloid beat writers gotta speculate about something at the end of a lost season. I wouldn’t overthink it.
Yes …. let’s remember Mello at this moment. Who we could of had as a FA. And build a nice team around him. But Dolan forced DAntoni to trade for him. Gave up half the team. And then had no one left to build around him. It’s why I keep saying. See the Rebuild thru !!!!!!
No question, that’s a prime example. But it was Donnie Walsh that Dolan forced that on, and it was a primary reason why he bounced the next season. D’Antoni didn’t want that either for sure – he knew Gallo’s dad and surely knew that Melo was the opposite of the type of player he wanted for his style of play. Trading for stars when you’re not giving up another star in return is very often a stupid move, especially when the cupboard is otherwise bare.
That’s what I’ve been saying. It has felt like NY tabloids making up stuff or over exaggerating the Gobert and Mitchell dynamic. They want Mitchell in NY so they’ll say whatever to grease the wheels to help make it happen. Lol
I think Mitchell to NY is a sure thing. It might be Brooklyn instead of the Knicks though.
Can’t believe the Knicks are the only team interested in all these star players, wild stuff
Payne: I’m going to the store to get some milk.
Knicks players: Ok, love you.
Randle (24M) & Fournier (19M) for Westbrook (47M) at LAL’s 27 & 29 picks.
For NY: Fournier is a negative value at his rate, so this nets to (2) future firsts for Randle, which is a decent return given the season he’s just had. Get him out while you can and let RJ put up stats as the man next year. Buy out RWB or let him come off the pine.
Ideally, you have a season where Barrett puts up like 25-5-5, get another lottery pick, then go into 23-24 with cap space to lure a star to sign next to RJ.
For LAL: Randle and Fournier, for all their flaws, will be significant upgrades for LAL, and leagues better than competing offers to RWB (if there are any). Randle basically wants to play like a poor man’s LeBron, so let him do his imitation next to the genuine article.
Assuming they can juice out one more premium LeBron season and AD can stay on the floor, a lineup of LBJ, AD, Randle, Fournier, and … THT/Monk (or whoever they can get on the min market) would at least be in the conversation in the West.
NYK kills that trade
Not saying its crazy tho as LAL are prolly going to be bent over ready to take it from some team this summer….NYK might as well jump in and be that benefactor
Knicks have always been most logical match on paper, so many ways to get there
I personally (as hard as it would be to LBJ) just run out the clock on RW. (This essentially makes it another bust year) Trade Tht for Kcp (back) straight up sals match) then have everything expire for the 24 season and be major players in free agency. Throw in LBJ signng lower than avg ext salary (Brady) they could have a really good team in 24
That Randle Fourn team is still a non top 6 team to me
It’s definitely a desperation move … on both sides really. Honestly, I think the Knicks (crazy as that is) would probably balk first because I don’t think they realize how desperate they really are at this point. LA, to their credit I think, at least gets it.
I’m down on Randle as anyone, but *maybe* if you put him in situation where he’s a defined third option he’ll bounce back to being a legit borderline All Star? It’s probably a better bet than Russ doing so (albeit with a longer-termed contract attached).
IDK, a part of me thinks a Julius Randle who isn’t taking 18 fadeaway contested long 2s a game can be a really, really good player. He just needs to be reigned in.
There’s no way you’re getting two firsts in that scenario. That’s laughable.
Interesting. Didn’t LeBron want them to flip Russ and a 1st for ***John Wall*** like less than a month ago?
But no you’re right. Two firsts for two players that are significantly better than Wall is laughable lol.
Wall and Russ are the two worst contracts in the league. That’s literally the only swap that would have made sense. Nobody is taking Brody other aside from that and certainly not for two firsts. Randle’s skill set might net you a first somewhere. But he’s a mental midget, so good look selling that.
No one is taking Brody but LA wouldn’t attach 2 firsts to dump him?
The former may be true but the latter is dubious—LA is unequivocally going to do anything they can to get off Russ this summer. If they need to attach 27 and 29 then I think it’s plausible that they will.
I’ve been a critic of Randle all year—yet he would still be a major upgrade on Russ (esp defensively).
Wesley is making Perry look good. That’s hard. Really hard.
Let’s see ….. he had a great first yr. Then drafted Grimes, McBride, Sims. And his second yr had a step back. Injuries did play a role. I’d say in two yrs he’s done more in the FO. And better than the last 15 yrs of FO. And considering we got a lottery pick coming. And Two 2nd rd picks in 2022. Plus two 1st rd picks and Four 2nd rd picks inn2023. And plenty of Cap space. I’d say he’s in good shape.
You must be under the impression Knicks were suppose to win a championship by now. Yeah ……. you got sense.
NONSENSE …….
WWW is a relationship guy. If he has any skills beyond self-marketing, they’re in the areas of below the radar reconnaissance, marketing and facilitation. He’s not really a (professional) talent evaluator, and isn’t primary in personnel decisions, including draft decisions.
If WWW can get DM (or any other star) to force a trade here, then GREAT. It’s the method by which most star players are likely to change teams going forward. Beyond that, WWW isn’t building anything around anyone.
Well for a guy who isn’t building ……
RJ – 22 yrs old
Mitch – 22 yrs old
McBride – 20 yrs old
Grimes – 21 yrs old
Quickley – 21 yrs old
Toppin – 23 yrs old
Sims – 22 yrs old
3 (#1 picks) and 6 (2nd rd picks) in next two yrs. Plus plenty of cap space in 2023.
What makes you think any of those were WWW’s decisions? Barrett and Robinson were drafted under the prior regime.
Of the guys drafted under this regime, Rose made the final call. WWW, along with the rest of the Kentucky mafia in the Knick FO, pushed for Quickley, but so did Thibs. The guy pushing hardest for Grimes and McBride (particularly McBride) was Thibs (not WWW). I’m sure WWW pushed for Reddish. Still, though, Rose’s call. Not Perry, not Thibs and certainly not WWW.
Don’t introduce facts. The guys can’t even tie his own shoes.
He’s the leader of this regime. It’s all under his watch. His crew doing it. It all falls on the boss. It’s that simple. I think we all need to remember. This was a Dolan move. Not brought on to him or the best choice out there. He made this based on the fact to keep out of basketball operations. And bring in someone who can get this rebuild done.
Dolan has never done that. This is a guy whose expertise is players and young talent. So it’s all about the FO leading the way to a rebuild. And I’m all for it. And I can’t stand Dolan.
Yeah like you in the room with them lol. You can’t really believe the noise you serve.
This is a rebuild. It takes all to be in on it. It’s called team work. It’s about being on the same page.
Reddish has got be the easiest call to make. Only haters and uneducated about ball can’t see this. He is a 22 yr old who plays SF. And has upside to be a starter. Why wouldn’t a rebuilding team take a chance on that. Especially if you have scouted him since his HS days. Rebuilding doesn’t need explaining. It just needs results. And those will take a little time.