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Latest On Carmelo Anthony

August 2nd, 2017 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today for the first time in months, Carmelo Anthony admitted that the last 12 months have been an “emotional roller coaster” for him, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Even though he’s not certain whether or not he’ll be traded by the Knicks before the 2017/18 season begins, Anthony said he’s at “peace” with his current situation.

As Begley details, Anthony was fairly noncommittal during his sitdown with the media today at The Basketball Tournament in Baltimore, declining to comment on his reported interest in joining the Rockets. He also didn’t have much to say about the Knicks’ decision to replace Phil Jackson earlier this summer, calling that a “business” move that owner James Dolan made in the course of running his organization.

Here’s more on Carmelo:

Anthony said today that he hasn’t spoken to the new Knicks regime, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. According to Bondy, new team president Steve Mills has tried to talk to Anthony about his options, but Carmelo isn’t interested in having that discussion. “For him, there’s nothing to talk about,” one source told The Daily News.
Despite his apparent lack of interest in meeting with the front office, Anthony acknowledged that he and Scott Perry have long been acquaintances on good terms. “I’m pretty sure I’ll talk to him when the time comes,” Anthony said of the Knicks‘ new GM, according to Bondy.
Sources reiterate to Bondy that Anthony thought he was on the verge of being sent to the Rockets before Mills halted trade discussions in mid-July.
After Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum made an effort to recruit Anthony to Portland last month, another Trail Blazers player made a pitch of his own, with Evan Turner suggesting that Carmelo would “love” playing in Portland. “If he waives [his no-trade clause] and wants to come, it would be great,” Turner said, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “He’ll lock in because he made the decision to come. He’s got all the power in a certain sense. It’s not a guarantee. The positive is if we did get him, that means he wanted to be there and accepted the trade and buckle into what we’re trying to do.”

And-Ones: Awards, Super Teams, Pelicans, Lawson

August 1st, 2017 at 9:52pm CST by marksuleymanov

After his superstar player, James Harden, fell short of capturing the NBA Most Valuable Player award, Daryl Morey feels the league could do away with awards, the Rockets general manager said to Ben Golliver of The Crossover.

“I don’t know if this is a good process,” Morey said. “The ones that are decided by players or executives or media, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I honestly don’t think there’s a good process. You could argue for eliminating the awards altogether. I don’t really see a good way to do it that doesn’t have major issues. I like clean answers. If there’s not going to be a set criteria and there’s going to be issues with how it’s structured, for me it might be better to not have it.”

Morey made frequent mention to the “criteria” used to select the NBA MVP. Whether it be personal success, a historically great season, or team performance, Morey believes it doesn’t lead to a uniform result. For instance, Stephen Curry won the MVP over Harden because the Warriors had a better record, and if the same guidelines were used, Harden should have won the award over Russell Westbrook this year.

In any case, Morey’s comments have been received negatively by most of the basketball world and players are still scheduled to be rewarded with hardware for having outstanding seasons.

Below you can find additional news from around the basketball world:

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN examines nine different NBA teams that could be future super teams in a lengthy piece that well worth the read. Haberstroh compares super teams from years’ past, including the 2008 Celtics, 2011 Heat, and the 2014 Warriors and explains how teams can follow their blueprints to success.
For ESPN Insider (subscription required and recommended), Kevin Pelton hands out grades to Western Conference teams for their transactions and transgressions this offseason.
While an expansion with new teams added to the NBA is unlikely, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes that relocation of current teams is more plausible. Kyler specifically mentions the Pelicans and how they could end up moving from New Orleans.
Free agent point guard Ty Lawson has signed with veteran agent Larry Fox, per Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Daily (via Twitter). Hoops Rumors previously noted that Fox was representing Lawson, who seemed bound for China at one point this offseason.

Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Irving, Sessions

August 1st, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Wielding a no-trade clause, Carmelo Anthony can dictate his future: He can play out the remainder of his contract with the Knicks or waive the NTC in a potential trade elsewhere. The Rockets, who have NBA MVP runner-up James Harden and free agent acquisition Chris Paul in the fold, remain Anthony’s preferred destination, with the Cavaliers no longer a real priority. As Marc Berman of the New York Post writes, Anthony’s preference is handcuffing the Knicks as a potential trade with the Rockets may have too many hurdles to accomplish a trade of Anthony and receiving quality assets in return.

Berman notes that Anthony has yet to publicly speak on the trade rumors, but since he’s scheduled to appear at Coppin State for The Basketball Tournament, Anthony will likely speak in some form soon. Until then, the multiple time All-Star’s mindset is anybody’s guess; the only thing known is the reports citing his desire to play in Houston with his close friends. Even playing for ex-Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, who Anthony feuded with in New York and now coaches the Rockets, would not be an issue. D’Antoni’s brother, Dan, a former Knicks assistant coach, spoke to the Post about his brother and the Knicks star joining forces again.

“There were a lot of things that went wrong, but Carmelo is a heckuva player,’’ D’Antoni said. “All I’m saying is Mike’s a good person. He understands people change, things change. Two things you can’t deny: Mike’s a helluva coach. Carmelo is a very good player. If those two see eye-to-eye, Mike and I are always optimistic things are meant to be. The next day is going to be better than the day before.”

It’s unclear when and if a trade is consummated this offseason but Anthony will remain a fixture in trade rumors.

Below you can read other news and notes around the Knicks:

In the same piece, Berman notes that the Knicks’ signing of veteran point guard Ramon Sessions last week was because he connects better with Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis better than Derrick Rose did. Sessions is expected to provide a veteran presence and mentor the team’s first round pick, Frank Ntilikina, during the season and be another veteran if Melo stays.
In a separate piece, Berman of the Post profiles Sessions’ career, revealing that the aforementioned Dan D’Antoni lobbied for the team to acquire him a decade ago. A decade into his career, Sessions will bring an unselfishness with the basketball that the team lacked with the score-first mentality of Rose last season.
While Kyrie Irving and his name value would generate excitement in New York City, the Knicks should avoid mortgaging their future to acquire him, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders and Dan Favale of Bleacher Report both write in separate articles. The sentiment from both scribes is similar: trading away future first round picks, this year’s first rounder, and current budding star like Willy Hernangomez will only handcuff the team forward. Also, as Beer mentions, Porzingis will likely not pass up a max deal in New York whereas Irving can hit the market in two years and is no sure bet remain with the Knicks if he gets there.

Beyoncé Interested In Buying Stake In Rockets?

August 1st, 2017 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Pop star Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is mulling the possibility of investing in the Rockets, reports Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg. The club announced just over two weeks ago that team owner Leslie Alexander was putting the franchise up for sale.

Beyoncé is a Houston native, making her connection to the Rockets a logical one. If she were to invest in the franchise, she wouldn’t be the first person in her family to have owned a portion of an NBA team. Her husband Jay-Z previously had a small stake in the Nets before selling his share of the team in order to launch his Roc Nation agency. Elsewhere in the NBA, Justin Timberlake owns a piece of his hometown Grizzlies.

As Sochnick details, Forbes placed Beyoncé second on its 2017 list of highest-paid celebrities and estimated her net worth at $350MM. While that’s a significant sum, it will fall well short of the Rockets’ eventual sale price, which should easily exceed $1 billion and could approach $2 billion. As such, if Beyoncé were to get involved in a bid for the team, it would have to be as a minority investor.

The Rockets have generated “a bevy of global interest” among potential buyers since Alexander made his decision to sell the team, per Soshnick. While a handful of would-be investors have expressed public interest in buying the franchise, it doesn’t appear there’s a frontrunner yet.

Checking In On Unsigned 2017 Draft Picks

July 31st, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

One month into the 2017/18 NBA league year, most of this year’s draftees know where they’ll be playing for the upcoming season. As our tracker for draft pick signings shows, we’re only waiting for resolution on a small group of players.

Twenty-nine of 30 first-round picks have signed their first NBA contracts, and the 30th – Sixers big man Anzejs Pasecniks – will remain overseas for at least one more year. Meanwhile, in the second round, about half of this year’s picks have signed NBA contracts, a handful of others have agreed to two-way deals, and some will continue to play international ball.

There’s no rush at this point for teams to finalize plans for the last few unsigned draft picks from this year’s class, but it’s still worth checking in to see where things stand for those players. Here are the 2017 draftees whose statuses for ’17/18 appear to be up in the air:

Ivan Rabb (Memphis Grizzlies, No. 35): The Grizzlies signed 45th overall pick Dillon Brooks, but have yet to lock up Rabb, who now finds himself in an interesting spot. Memphis already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, and that total doesn’t even include RFA JaMychal Green, who seems likely to return. Even though there’s no current opening for Rabb, he was probably too high a draft pick to accept a two-way contract, so perhaps the Grizzlies ultimately intend to trade or waive a player (or two) to make room. Otherwise, it’s not clear what the plan is for Rabb.
Isaiah Hartenstein (Houston Rockets, No. 43): International basketball reporter David Pick provided an update on Hartenstein today, tweeting that Houston will likely have him start with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League. So far, no player drafted earlier than No. 51 has signed a two-way contract, and typically only players selected at the very end of the draft accept straight G League contracts. If Hartenstein is willing to go to the G League, it would be a great value move for the Rockets.
Nigel Williams-Goss (Utah Jazz, No. 55): Two weeks ago, we heard that Williams-Goss was a candidate for Utah’s second two-way contract opening. The Jazz haven’t made a move to fill that slot since then, so I’d expect Williams-Goss remains the leading candidate.
Jabari Bird (Boston Celtics, No. 56): Like Williams-Goss in Utah, Bird appears to be the top candidate for the final two-way contract opening in Boston. Such a move would make a lot of sense. There isn’t enough room on the Celtics’ regular-season roster for Bird, and the four players selected with the picks from 51 through 54 in this year’s draft all got two-way deals — it’s logical that the 55th and 56th picks would too.

Rockets Deal Would Benefit Carmelo Anthony Financially

July 30th, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by Austin Kent

Although he isn’t a free agent, Carmelo Anthony holds his fate in his own hands. Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes about how it’s in his best interests, financially, to end up with the Rockets sooner than later.

Rockets Waive Jarrod Uthoff

July 30th, 2017 at 6:40pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets have waived forward Jarrod Uthoff, Ben DuBose of Locked On Rockets tweets. The club had previously acquired Uthoff from the Mavs amid a flurry of deals on June 29 prior to trading for Chris Paul.

Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has since corroborated the report.

Uthoff saw action in just nine games for the Mavs last season, averaging 4.4 points per game in just 12.8 minutes. A $200K portion of the undrafted big man’s would-be $1.3MM deal was scheduled to become guaranteed had he remained on the roster through today.

[RELATED: View our Salary Guarantee List for the Summer of 2017]

After making his NBA debut with the Mavs on a 10-day deal in March, Uthoff signed a second 10-day pact and eventually a multi-year deal with the squad. The big man, however, spent considerable time in the G League with both Dallas’ Texas Legends affiliate and other clubs.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Irving, Melo, Mavericks

July 28th, 2017 at 5:50pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Pelicans will enter the 2017/18 season with a rising superstar in Anthony Davis, prized acquisition DeMarcus Cousins, long-term investment Jrue Holiday, veteran Rajon Rondo and others ready to compete. Davis, in particular, is focused on turning the franchise’s fortunes around and proclaimed the team is “tired of losing,” per the Associated Press.

Davis, still just 24 years old, wants to lead New Orleans out of the Western Conference cellar into the playoff picture, which could prove difficult if the rest of the conference plays to its potential. However, Davis explained that the team is making efforts to improve and the talented roster must perform.

“We’re doing everything, whether it’s signing players, trading players … whatever it is to just try to make sure that we try to be a winning organization,” Davis said. “We have the tools right now to be successful. … Right now, I think we look good on paper. So we’ve just got to figure it out.”

Below are additional notes around the Southwest Division:

As the Carmelo Anthony-to-the-Rockets rumors persist, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News examined Anthony’s play on Team USA during the Olympics. While Anthony is often viewed a “selfish” player focused on scoring, Deveney writes that his Olympic exploits show he’s a versatile player who can be effective as a number two or three option. If Anthony does end up in Houston, alongside James Harden and Chris Paul, that side of Anthony could prove to be effective.
Newy Scruggs of Dallas Sports Day answered several fan questions, one of which involved Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving. Scruggs believes Irving is not ideal for the Mavericks, given the presence of Dennis Smith Jr. and Irving’s reported desire to be a No. 1 option.
While 2017/18 may be Dirk Nowitzki‘s final season, Kevin Sherrington of Dallas Sports Day believes that “tanking” may not be the right word for the Mavericks‘ approach to the year. Sherrington writes that tanking is the fault of an organizational mindset and not the players; the team can be competitive with its current core, he adds.

Free Agency Notes: Novak, Motiejunas, Vesely

July 28th, 2017 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran sharpshooter Steve Novak, who has spent the last two years with the Thunder and Bucks, has only played 66 total minutes since the start of the 2015/16 season, but he’s not ready to call it a career quite yet. Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times that Novak wants to play another season. Bartelstein added that he’s spoken to multiple teams about Novak, but he didn’t get any more specific than that.

Here are a few more notes related to NBA free agents and free agency:

A year after his restricted free agency became one of the NBA’s most bizarre offseason storylines, Donatas Motiejunas may be on the verge of heading overseas to continue his career. Stavros Barbarousis of Eurohoops suggests that China appears to be the most likely landing spot for Motiejunas, though the big man has received interest from European clubs, including Zalgiris Kaunas in his home country of Lithuania.
Former sixth overall pick Jan Vesely reportedly drew some NBA interest this offseason, and his contract gave him the opportunity to explore NBA opportunities. However, Vesely – who has played internationally since 2014 – won’t be returning stateside. His agent has confirmed that Vesely will remain in Turkey, having opted into his deal with Fenerbahce (Twitter link).
Jeremias Engelmann of ESPN.com (Insider link) makes his picks for the six best free agent deals of the summer, identifying multiple Warriors (Zaza Pachulia, David West) and Rockets (Nene, Luc Mbah a Moute) as some of the most team-friendly signings of the offseason.

Mikhail Prokhorov May Consider Selling Nets

July 26th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has “warmed recently to the possibility” of selling controlling interest in the team, according to Josh Kosman and Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Prokhorov’s original plan was to sell a minority stake in the franchise — up to 49% — while remaining the majority owner. However, the tepid response to that offer, combined with the potential sale price of the Houston Rockets that may go as high as $2 billion, has Prokhorov rethinking his decision.

Sources tell the authors that Nets officials believe some of the prospective buyers of the Rockets may be interested in Brooklyn if a majority share becomes available.

The two teams are among the most popular NBA franchises in China, given Houston’s connection to Yao Ming and the Nets having Jeremy Lin in their backcourt. Mike Zavodsky, the Nets’ executive VP of global partnerships, is touring China this week and has 20 meetings arranged with potential buyers.

“Our brand in China is growing, in merchandise sales and commercially,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of the Nets and Barclays Center.

The team lost roughly $150MM three years ago, but its finances have improved dramatically since then, with much of the windfall coming through a deal with the YES Network that pays the Nets $50MM a year. Reducing salary has also played a role as the team may turn a profit for the first time since coming to Brooklyn in 2012.

The NBA Finance Committee recently approved Prokhorov’s plan to split corporate ownership of the team and Barclays Center.