Knicks Notes: Jackson, Carmelo, MWP
Will Phil Jackson succeed at the helm of the Knicks’ front office? Bulls executive vice president John Paxson seems to think so, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “Phil is a really smart basketball guy and I have no doubt, given time, he’ll do very well,” said Paxson, who played for Jackson and worked on his staff one season. “I’ve always felt he has a sixth sense about people and it’s one of the reasons he’s been able to blend different personalities into a cohesive unit.”
- Carmelo Anthony told reporters, including Al Iannazzone of Newsday (on Twitter) that the Knicks are looking more attractive now for free agents thanks to the addition of Jackson. Of course, the Knicks are hoping that includes Anthony himself, who will hit the open market this summer.
- Fellow Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown told ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike that he hopes to see Jackson keep Mike Woodson on the Knicks’ bench, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY. Brown went on to say that next year will be a struggle for New York but they’ll have opportunities after that thanks to cap flexibility (link).
- Metta World Peace was willing to cooperate when Woodson pulled him from the rotation, but he wasn’t OK with being told to tone down his leadership role in the locker room, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “I didn’t mind playing any role, but I didn’t see myself having a role, not even a leadership role,’’ MWP said. “I was fine with being on the bench, but at times I wanted to help lead. But at times I tried to lead, it was met with resistance. I backed off a little and tried to blend in with the team. I tried to find where I could complement the players but I couldn’t find any room to complement.’’ Meanwhile, the veteran says that he won’t rule out returning to New York.
- Earlier today, Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that Jackson is a fan of Iman Shumpert and it appears that he’ll be in the club’s future plans.
Iman Shumpert Remains In Knicks Plans
Iman Shumpert was one of the most popular names on Hoops Rumors from the start of the season until the trade deadline. While he wasn’t dealt, it was clear that the Knicks’ front office would have preferred to move Shumpert elsewhere. Now, however, Shumpert appears to have a legitimate future with Phil Jackson’s Knicks, a league source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.
It’s believed that Shumpert could shine in the triangle offense and it helps that he is a defensive-minded player who sacrifices his game and doesn’t need to score a lot to have an impact. For his part, the 23-year-old has been enthusiastic about the arrival of the Zen Master.
If not for Jackson, Shumpert very well could have been on the move this summer seeing as how he was an inch away from being dealt in the winter. Knicks brass had plans to sit Shumpert on the eve of the trade deadline in February in New Orleans against the Pelicans, Berman learned, so that they could follow through on an agreed deal with the Clippers. The Knicks, needing a win, nixed that plan, and after Shumpert sprained his left MCL, the deal sending him out west for Darren Collison and Matt Barnes was called off.
The Knicks still could have moved Shumpert to the Thunder for their 2014 first-round selection, but New York declined the offer since they weren’t getting back a piece that could help them in the short term.
Sixers Waive Eric Maynor
MONDAY, 10:31am: The Sixers announced that Maynor has been waived.
SUNDAY, 4:38pm: The Sixers have waived guard Eric Maynor, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). The move will make room for the incoming James Nunnally, who was just signed to a 10-day earlier today.
The Sixers acquired the former VCU hero from the Wizards in a three-team deal on February 20th. In that deal, which shipped Andre Miller to the Wizards and Jan Vesely to the Nuggets, Philly received the Nuggets’ 2016 second-round pick and the Pelicans’ 2015 second-round selection in exchange for absorbing Maynor’s contract. The Sixers will still owe Maynor $2.1MM on his player option for 2014/15 after severing ties.
In eight games for the Sixers this season, Maynor averaged 3.8 PPG in 14 minutes per contest.
Sixers Sign James Nunnally
MONDAY, 10:31am: The Sixers announced that they have signed Nunnally, making the deal official.
SUNDAY, 4:05pm:The Sixers are set to sign D-League forward James Nunnally to a 10-day contract today, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter). Nunnally previously had a pair of 10-day deals with the Hawks.
Nunnally, 24, auditioned for the Sixers at the same time as Darius Johnson-Odom, who also got a 10-day deal with the club. He’s done most of his work this season with the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League, averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
In four games with the Hawks (his only time in the NBA), Nunnally averaged 4.5 points on .333 shooting and 2 rebounds per game in 13.5 minutes. Before the Hawks gave him a look, the Cavs, Bulls, and Thunder all showed some interest in the 23-year-old. Nunnally spent time in the Suns’ training camp over the summer before being waived.
Nets Re-Sign Jorge Gutierrez
8:50am: The Nets announced the deal via press release.
8:27am: It sounds like Jorge Gutierrez will be getting a second 10-day contract from the Nets, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (on Twitter). The former Cal star saw his first 10-day deal expire Saturday night.
Gutierrez, 25, has played in just one game for the Nets, logging five minutes versus the Kings last Sunday. The guard was with the Nets during the preseason and even though he saw limited action in exhibition games, his performance during camp was key in the team’s decision to bring him back.
Gutierrez has spent time the past two seasons with the D-League affiliate of the Cavs, and he’s averaged 13.9 points and 6.9 assists in 32.7 minutes per game so far this year. The 6’3″ Gutierrez went undrafted in 2012 out of Cal, where he received Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. He’s seen short minutes in summer league with the Nuggets and Kings the past two offseasons.
And-Ones: Ilyasova, Embiid, Jackson
Bucks big man Ersan Ilyasova admits that he was frustrated by being involved in trade talk around the deadline but he says that he still sees himself with Milwaukee in the long run, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. “When you go through a season like this and your name comes up [in rumors] it is a little frustrating,” Ilyasova said. “But I still feel myself as part of this franchise. I’m hopeful we can find the right pieces for the team so we can play much better because we really need it. I want to be part of a playoff team and that’s what I’m looking forward to, [the franchise] building a better team – a playoff team.”
- One NBA scout told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) that Kansas’ Joel Embiid is the “only potential franchise player” in the 2014 draft. Meanwhile, Spears believes that Duke’s Jabari Parker will prove to be one as well.
- If Phil Jackson hopes to emulate Pat Riley‘s success with the Heat, he must be an active and visible face of the Knicks organization, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
- There’s a long list of coaches who have moved on to the front office and they’ve had mixed results, write USA Today Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick. Of course, Jackson hopes to follow the path of Riley, Danny Ainge, and Red Auerbach rather than the likes of Isiah Thomas.
West Notes: D’Antoni, Jackson, Blazers, Spurs
There are a lot of different takes on coach Mike D’Antoni within the Lakers organization, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. One league source says the Lakers have not offered any indication D’Antoni’s job has become in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the Lakers don’t plan to evaluate him until after this season ends on April 16th and they may not decide definitely then, either. More out of the West..
- The Knicks’ hire of Phil Jackson puts pressure on Blazers owner Paul Allen and GM Neil Olshey, writes John Canzano of The Oregonian. If Jackson can pull the Knicks out of their mediocre spin and make a deep run in the playoffs before the Blazers do, it’s going to confirm what many have said all along – that Allen would be better off simply hiring good basketball people and getting out of the way.
- The Blazers announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled guard Allen Crabbe from the Idaho Stampede of the D-League. During Crabbe’s three-game stint in Idaho he averaged 16.7 points and 5.3 rebounds and shot 42.6 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from three-point range.
- The Spurs announced that they have recalled forward Austin Daye from the Austin Toros of the D-League. In Saturday night’s contest against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Daye recorded 27 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots in 40 total minutes. The California native has appeared in two games for the Spurs’ varsity squad, averaging 3.0 points in 1.5 minutes per contest.
Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Brown, Green
Earlier today, the Sixers dropped guard Eric Maynor in order to sign forward James Nunnally to a 10-day deal. More from the Atlantic..
- Phil Jackson knows what it takes to win, but Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal wonders if he should be credited with building the teams that he has previously coached. Carmelo Anthony recently praised the Hall Of Famer as rumors swirled that he was Knicks-bound, but Schlosser wonders if he can do enough to live up to those expectations.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com, that a true rebuild takes time. “That is the en vogue angle,” Brown said. “I think if you ask Kevin Durant about the 20-win season he had, he seems to be doing just fine. I think when you look at those teams that have had a chance to rebuild, losing is a long-gone memory. To truly rebuild and grow something is going to take three to five years. That is just the way it goes. It is too talented a league and too well-coached. The experiences we are going through now will be distant memories when these guys start getting older. They will find positives in this season and Michael Carter-Williams will be better for it.”
- In today’s column, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe catches up with Gerald Green, who seems to have found a home with the Suns. “When you go places in life that you think you’ll never go, you change a little bit,” the former Celtics draft pick said. “You mature a lot faster. I knew something had to change. It either was going to be me or I wasn’t going to be back in the league. That made it an easy decision for me to change. Two years ago, I was nowhere to be found. Now I’m older, more mature, understand that this is not a hobby, this is a job.”
Hoops Rumors Originals
A look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff..
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Thunder Sign Mustafa Shakur
The Thunder have signed guard Mustafa Shakur to a 10-day contract, tweets Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Shakur was previously with the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League.
Shakur, 29, has averaged 18.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 20 games with the 66ers this season. The 6’3″ point guard should add backcourt depth for the upcoming back-to-backs since Russell Westbrook will not play in games on consecutive days, Mayberry tweets. The one-guard is also familiar with the Thunder’s system through his time with their D-League affiliate and had some time in OKC during the 2009-10 season.
Oklahoma City already has a spot available for Shakur after allowing Reggie Williams‘ 10-day contract to expire.