New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Inquiries For Porzingis After Skipped Exit Meeting

May 5th, 2017 at 8:13pm CST by Austin Kent

Multiple teams reached out to the Knicks about possible Kristaps Porzingis trades after it was reported that the Latvian big man skipped his exit meeting with the franchise, Ian Begley of ESPN reports. The 21-year-old has been displeased with New York’s inability to field a winner during his first two years in the league.

Though there’s no indication that any specific deals surfaced as a result of the conversations, the fact that teams could be attempting to establish parameters with the Knicks is a sign of the sophomore’s value around the league and how serious his expression of frustration was interpreted to be.

Through two years with the underachieving club, Porzingis has shown a unique combination of skill and length. This year, the sharp-shooting 7’3″ forward improved upon an impressive rookie season with averages of 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. In Year 3, Porzingis is slotted to make $4.5MM before a fourth and final year with a team option worth $5.7MM.

Begley reports that Porzingis hasn’t been in touch with the franchise since his decision to forego the meeting, quickly leaving for Latvia with plans to play for their national team in the European Championship over the summer.

Per Begley, Porzingis has said on multiple occasions that he would prefer to remain in New York, but sources say that the forward has grown frustrated with the drama and dysfunction surrounding the team.

Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Trade Scenarios, Ntilikina

May 5th, 2017 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have been frequently cited as a potential destination for Carmelo Anthony, assuming the Knicks forward is willing to waive his no-trade clause. But after another early playoff exit, Doc Rivers‘ club will have some major decisions to face even before determining whether an Anthony trade is possible.

As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, the belief around the NBA right now is that the Clippers will make every effort to lock up Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to new deals, but may not push quite as hard to retain veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick. If that’s the case, Berman writes, then several NBA executives believe there’s only one trade scenario involving Carmelo and the Clippers that would make sense — signing-and-trading Redick along with Austin Rivers and perhaps Wesley Johnson in exchange for Anthony and maybe one of the Knicks’ two second-round picks.

The math for that hypothetical swap would work, depending on Redick’s new contract, and one NBA executive suggests to Berman that “it’s really the only thing that makes sense.” Another exec believes it would be a good trade for the Knicks, who would get a reliable shooter in Redick and a good sixth man in Rivers. Whether the Clippers, Knicks, and Carmelo could all get on the same page on such a deal remains to be seen, however.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Tommy Beer runs through a number of possible trade scenarios involving Anthony, including theoretical proposals for long-shot suitors like the Trail Blazers, Bucks, and Pistons.
We heard earlier this week that GM Steve Mills was overseas scouting French point guard Frank Ntilikina, and international basketball reporter David Pick reiterates (via Twitter) that the Knicks are fond of the 18-year-old prospect. Knicks scout Makhtar N’Diaye, in particular, likes Ntilikina, according to Pick.
While Ntilikina should still be on the board if New York picks seventh overall, the Knicks would likely be eyeing different prospects if they get some lottery luck and move into the top three. MSG Network analyst and former NBA forward Wally Szczerbiak spoke to Berman (link via New York Post) about some of the top players on draft boards who have a chance to land with the Knicks.

Draft Updates: Pinson, Knicks, Ntilikina, Jeanne

May 3rd, 2017 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

UNC forward Theo Pinson, who had been testing the draft waters, will return to North Carolina for his senior season, the school announced today in a press release.

“It was a dream of mine to play college basketball at the best school and in the best league in the country, and it is a dream of mine to play in the NBA as well,” Pinson said in a statement. “The best path for me to reach the league and have a long career there is to have a great senior season and I am so excited to have that opportunity to play another year for Coach Williams and finish my degree as well.”

Here are a few more draft-related odds and ends, including more news on players withdrawing their names:

The Knicks are currently projected to pick seventh overall, meaning top point guards like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Dennis Smith Jr., and De’Aaron Fox may be off the board. However, the Knicks like French point guard Frank Ntilikina and would consider him at No. 7, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports that GM Steve Mills is overseas scouting the 18-year-old this week. Berman also notes that Ntilikina is among the many top prospects who will miss this year’s draft combine.
Jonathan Jeanne, a 7’2″ center from France, has been invited to the NBA’s draft combine and has tentatively accepted, despite his season not being over, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. Jeanne, who is the No. 36 prospect on DraftExpress’ big board, is an international early entrant, so he’d have the option of withdrawing his name if he doesn’t get great feedback at the combine in Chicago.
Randy Onwuasor, a Southern Utah shooting guard, has elected to take his name out of the draft and will return to school for his senior year, coach Todd Simon tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Valparaiso junior Tevonn Walker will also be heading back to school for another year, according to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports, who reports that Walker is withdrawing his name after testing the draft waters. The 6’2″ guard wasn’t expected to be selected if he’d stayed in the draft.

NBPA Head: Jackson Trying To ‘Shame’ Carmelo Out Of New York

May 3rd, 2017 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after Knicks president Phil Jackson suggested in his season-ending press conference that Carmelo Anthony would be “better off somewhere else,” National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts issued a statement objecting to Jackson’s comments, calling them “inappropriate” and voicing her concern to the NBA. With no sign that the league is planning to discipline Jackson for his comments, Roberts explained further to Harvey Araton of The Vertical why she’s unhappy with the situation.

“I think Phil was deliberately trying to shame ‘Melo out of the city,” Roberts said, adding that after she first heard Jackson’s comments, she would have “bet [her] pay check” on the Knicks president being sanctioned by the NBA. Now, she has all but given up on waiting for that to happen.

As Araton explains, Roberts pointed to a September 2015 incident for which Markieff Morris was fined $10K by the league after he tweeted, “My future is not in Phoenix.” The NBA called that tweet a “public statement detrimental to the NBA,” and Roberts feels that label should be applied to Jackson’s comments as well, particularly since they could send a dangerous precedent.

As Roberts puts it, there’s concern that it could become a larger issue down the road if “another GM gets it in his head that it’s OK to treat a player this way because Phil got away with it.”

“The comments do damage to the game because they devalue the player and makes the fans who buy tickets question the value of the investment,” Roberts said. “Our players understand that they can privately complain about how a team is managed but they cannot do it publicly without being subject to sanction. But it has to work both ways. If Phil tells ‘Melo in private that being in New York is not a good fit for him, that’s his right. But these comments were made in public, and it’s very disturbing because Phil gave him the no-trade clause and he has to respect it. He’s got to allow a player to make a decision for any reason – to win a ring, for money, home life, whatever.”

Although Roberts hasn’t spoken to Anthony directly about the issue, she tells Araton that there are NBA players who are “unhappy” that the NBA hasn’t responded to the situation. As for Carmelo, Roberts says she’ll give him space to handle the issue however he decides.

“I feel for ‘Melo, this is a tough time for him and I can only imagine how he’s feeling,” Roberts said. “I know he has been talking to some other people so I’ll let him sort it all out.”

Knicks May Lack Funds To Lure Max Free Agent

May 2nd, 2017 at 8:13pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks are focused on trading Carmelo Anthony and becoming a younger team, but scarce financial resources may prevent the team from landing a max free agent, ESPN’s Ian Begley writes. Free agents Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague are potential targets for New York, league sources tell Begley. However, with eight players on guaranteed contracts for next season, team president Phil Jackson said during a recent a press conference that the current team has “a dozen players that we’re very confident can support and be a part of a team. So we feel pretty good about that.”

Upgrading via free agency may be contingent on the Knicks trading Anthony, whom Jackson indicated “would be better off elsewhere” during the aforementioned presser. Begley notes that a hypothetical Melo trade could clear about $5MM in cap room, giving the Knicks $24MM — the team’s current cap space calls for $19MM available for the Knicks to spend.

However, a lot of Begley’s hypothetical offseason spending includes the Knicks not re-signing any of their young players. So if the Knicks intend on upgrading, players such as Jrue’s older brother Justin Holiday, Ron Baker, Maurice Ndour, and Chasson Randle may suit up elsewhere in 2017/18.

Should The Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony?

May 1st, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks are expected to re-open trade talks with the Clippers, though with different terms than the last time the two sides discussed a Carmelo Anthony deal. Instead of an Austin Rivers-centered proposal, which was reportedly on the table during the middle of the season, the Knicks would receive J.J. Redick via sign-and-trade.

While Redick is a great starter, that kind of package doesn’t seem to provide New York with the kind of return teams normally receive when trading away a star. Yet, it may be the franchise’s best option on the trade market. The Knicks will be hard-pressed to find a typical star trade offer —one laced with young prospects and favorable draft picks—because Anthony isn’t your typical star on the market. The small forward’s no-trade clause, contract, and age (he’ll turn 33 later this month) suppress his value in trade negotiations, as I discussed in his Trade Candidate piece. On top of all those factors, Phil Jackson further decreased Anthony’s trade value by declaring that star would be better off in a different uniform.

Rival teams will low-ball the Knicks this summer and if a deal materializes, the return will likely be underwhelming. However, New York should remember that it has the option of keeping Melo on the team, as Dan Favale of NBA Math writes. Favale notes that the 10-time All-Star has the support of Kristaps Porzingis and the duo plays well together on the court. Porzingis made 44.1% of his shots from behind the arc and 50.5% of them overall off of Anthony’s passes this season.

Favale also points out that Anthony plays well off the ball. Melo hit 41.8% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities behind the arc, a figure that ranks eighth in the league among players with at least 175 such attempts.

As Anthony glides further away from his prime, he’s going to have to play off the ball more for whichever team he’s on. If the Knicks keep him this summer and put him in that kind of role to begin the 2017/18 campaign, perhaps they can moderately rehabilitate his trade value (or even less likely: create a peace treaty between Anthony and Jackson that would allow Melo to stick around through the end of his deal).

The team will need to eventually rebuild around Porzingis and the haul it receives for Anthony will likely dictate the timeline on becoming a playoff contender again. Simply cutting bait with the soon to be 33-year-old by taking the best trade offer this offseason is the likeliest option for the Knicks. Is it the best option? Perhaps, but it’s not the only one and the Knicks are in no position to be closed-minded.

What should New York do with Anthony this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Five Possible Destinations For Blake Griffin

May 1st, 2017 at 12:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers’ latest playoff flameout — and Blake Griffin‘s latest playoff injury — have raised the chances of a major offseason shakeup in Los Angeles. Griffin and Chris Paul are both expected to opt out this summer and seek maximum deals, and the organization would face major luxury tax payments if both are re-signed.

While Paul is believed to be likely to stay in L.A., the Clippers may not be as committed to retaining Griffin, despite owner Steve Ballmer’s pledge to spend whatever it takes to keep the current team together. Mitch Lawrence of Forbes examines five possible landing spots for the Clippers forward.

Knicks — Carmelo Anthony may be ready to leave New York and join his friend Paul in Los Angeles, where he already owns a home. Knicks president Phil Jackson could be interested in adding Griffin through a sign-and-trade deal for Anthony if both players are willing to consent to the move.
Thunder — Griffin played college ball at Oklahoma, and the franchise needs a second star to pair with Russell Westbrook. The Thunder are nearly $12MM over the cap for next season, so they would have to be creative in opening space. Lawrence suggests letting Andre Roberson leave in free agency and finding a team willing to trade for Enes Kanter, who still has two years and about $36.5MM left on his contract.
Nuggets — Cap room won’t be a problem in Denver, which will have about $40MM available if Danilo Gallinari opts out as he has indicated. The Nuggets have made trade offers for Griffin in the past, Lawrence writes, but never enough to tempt the Clippers. If a sign-and-trade is in play, Lawrence states that Denver would be willing to part with anyone except Nikola Jokic to make it work.
Celtics — Boston has the cap space to make a max offer to Griffin and the assets to swing a deal. The Celtics have a wealth of future draft choices, including the potential No.1 pick this year and the Nets’ unprotected first-rounder next season. Even though Boston was the top seed in the East, the front office is searching for star players to build around.
Pacers — Paul George‘s desire to play in L.A. has become an open secret around the league, and this could be the Clippers’ chance to land him before the Lakers do. George, who turns 27 this week, would be a new young star for the Clippers, while the Pacers could build around a formidable front line featuring Griffin and Myles Turner.

Knicks, Clippers Expected To Re-Open Trade Talks

May 1st, 2017 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Another early playoff exit for the Clippers may reignite trade talks with the Knicks involving Carmelo Anthony, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The teams had extensive discussions before the February deadline, but New York’s front office turned down several L.A. proposals. The difference this time might be shooting guard J.J. Redick, whom the Clippers were not willing to include before, but may be available now in a sign-and-trade.

Like many observers, Berman expects a shakeup in Los Angeles this summer. Chris Paul is almost certain to opt out and re-sign, and he would love to see the team acquire Anthony, a long-time friend. An offer centered around Redick and Austin Rivers might be enough to make it happen.

The 32-year-old Redick would replace Jamal Crawford in the package that the Clippers were offering in February. An 11-year veteran, he averaged 15.0 points per game this season and shot .429 from 3-point range. One of the top long-distance shooters in the league throughout his career, Redick would fill an obvious need in New York.

Rivers, 25, would fill another need with his defensive prowess and his flexibility to play three positions. He re-signed with the Clippers last summer and is under contract through next season, with a $12.65MM player option for 2018/19.

Berman estimates a new deal for Redick starting at $11MM, which would combine with Rivers’ $11.8MM salary to get the Clippers close to Anthony’s $28MM price (including a 15% trade kicker). Another Knick who might be included in the deal is Courtney Lee (more than $11.7MM next year), whom the Clippers asked about in February, so the trade could become much larger. L.A. doesn’t have a first-round pick to offer until 2021.

With a no-trade clause in hand, Anthony will have final approval on any deal. While the thought of joining Paul, DeAndre Jordan and possibly Blake Griffin on a contending team might appeal to him, Berman notes that personal matters could affect his decision. Anthony recently separated from his wife, LaLa, and may not want to move far away from his son.

While that will play out over the summer, it’s clear that the playoffs have changed the dynamics of the deal, just as Knicks president Phil Jackson predicted at his press conference last month.

“You lose in the first round, it didn’t work out, we gotta change some people on our team,’’ Jackson said. “So there may be some quick outs may change some people’s minds as to what they’re going to do.”

Knicks Notes: Noah, Porzingis, Kobe, Livingston

April 27th, 2017 at 11:55am CST by ChrisCrouse

Joakim Noah, who signed a four-year, $72MM deal last offseason, underwent rotator cuff surgery on Wednesday, Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays. Noah was suspended by the league for taking a banned substance at the end of this season. He was able to serve eight of his 20 games since he was deemed healthy enough to play toward the end of the 2016/17 campaign. He’ll serve the remaining 12 games of the suspension once he’s recovered from his left shoulder surgery and ruled healthy enough to play. The Knicks didn’t give a timetable for his return, but coach Jeff Hornacek previously said the rehab process should take approximately five months.

Team president Phil Jackson remains hopeful that Noah can return from his injury and live up to his current contract. “We talked a lot about, ‘Can you get yourself back into this condition? Hamstrings, hamstrings, hamstrings,” Jackson said earlier this month. “‘Eventually it ended up being the knee that was creating ultimately other problems. So we hope going forward – he expresses great dedication in getting back to what he was and who he is as a basketball player. So I have to trust him in that.”

Here’s more from the city that never sleeps:

Kristaps Porzingis may be frustrated with the Knicks‘ organization, but that doesn’t extend to assistant coach Joshua Longstaff, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Longstaff will join Porzingis in Latvia this summer and Bondy hears that the big man wants Longstaff to be an assistant coach for the Latvian National Team. New York previously offered to approve Porzingis’ participation in the European Championships if the Latvian team allowed the assistant to be on its staff.
Can Jackson and Carmelo Anthony coexist in New York after a season of turmoil? Kobe Bryant believes there’s a chance the two parties can, as Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. “Michael [Jordan] had his rough times with him as well. The history is you get through rough times after you win a good amount of championships. We certainly had our rocky times, but we still stuck to it, we figured out our way through it and came out better because of it. I think the most important thing is sticking to it, being patient. Sometimes things work out. Sometimes they don’t,” Bryant said.
Shaun Livingston, who will be a free agent this offseason, is a longtime favorite of Phil Jackson and could be a reasonable target for the Knicks to go after this summer, Keith P. Smith of RealGM writes. Smith argues that Livingston would be a good fit in the triangle offense.

Knicks Sending Assistant To Latvian National Team

April 26th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have worked out a compromise with Kristaps Porzingis regarding his desire to represent Latvia in the European Championships, according to international basketball writer David Pick (Twitter links).

New York’s front office offered to approve Porzingis’ participation provided that assistant coach Joshua Longstaff is permitted to join the national team to work with the second-year big man. Longstaff, who has been with the Knicks since 2014, will remain in Latvia throughout the tournament, which runs from August 31st to September 17th.

Porzingis doesn’t need approval from the Knicks to participate in international play, so the move is largely symbolic. Still it’s a change in philosophy from the organization, which previously advised him to skip the competition. Injuries are the main concern as Porzingis missed 16 games this season with a left Achilles issue and back problems.

The Knicks were originally surprised to learn that Porzingis was planning to be part of Eurobasket. He skipped his exit interview with team president Phil Jackson in a protest over the ongoing chaos surrounding the team and has had little contact with the organization since the season ended.