New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Porzingis, Hernangomez

February 3rd, 2017 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony may have more trade value during the summer than he does now, states Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In an interview with Chris Mannix, the former NBA executive suggests that teams that get eliminated in the later rounds of this year’s playoffs might see Anthony as the missing piece and would be willing to offer more than the Knicks could get now. Marks adds that deals involving star players are difficult to pull off at the deadline and said he believes Anthony will remain in New York for the rest of the season.

There’s more today out of New York:

ESPN broadcaster and former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy thinks Anthony could prosper in a sixth-man role with the Clippers, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. L.A. is reportedly one of the teams that has had trade discussions with the Knicks, offering Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and possibly Wesley Johnson in return. “Great players can adjust to anything,’’ Van Gundy said. “… It’s not that he’s not one of their five best players. It’s trying to fit into the rotation that keeps enough firepower on the court.”
Count Kristaps Porzingis among those wanting Anthony to stay with the Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The second-year big man, who led New York to a comeback win over the Nets with Anthony on the sidelines Wednesday, says having another star on the roster helps his game. “I think it would make life harder for me on the court [if Anthony was traded],” Porzingis told the Daily News. “He makes stuff easier for me.”
Rookie center Willy Hernangomez, who was acquired along with Porzingis in the 2015 draft, is getting an expanded role, according to Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Hernangomez posted back-to-back double-doubles this week, getting 16 points and 16 rebounds in Wednesday’s game. “We always said as he goes on through this year he’s going to get better and better once he sees guys a second and a third time,” said Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek. “He’s improving every day.”

John Jenkins To Play In D-League

February 1st, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Suns last month, veteran shooting guard John Jenkins has reportedly signed a D-League contract. According to Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter link), the Westchester Knicks, New York’s NBADL affiliate, have claimed Jenkins off waivers.

When an intriguing player become available in the D-League, a team with a high waiver priority will sometimes claim that player with the intention of flipping him to another club for an asset, so it’s not clear if Jenkins will remain with Westchester. So far, the club has not officially confirmed the move, so we’ll have to wait and see whether he remains a D-League Knick.

Wherever he ends up, it appears Jenkins will get an opportunity for more playing time than he ever received in the NBA. A first-round pick in 2012, Jenkins spent three seasons with the Hawks before splitting time between Dallas and Phoenix over the last couple years. In 145 career NBA games (12.8 MPG), the former Vanderbilt standout averaged 5.1 PPG on .448/.364/.849 shooting. He was cut by the Suns this season before his full 2016/17 salary became guaranteed.

Jenkins, who will turn 26 next month, received more minutes and put up better numbers during brief D-League stints with the Bakersfield Jam, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and Idaho Stampede throughout his career — in 17 D-League games, he averaged 19.7 PPG and 4.3 RPG.

Knicks Haven’t Given Up Pursuit Of Kevin Love

February 1st, 2017 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the Cavaliers’ unwillingness to move Kevin Love in a deal involving Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks continue to pursue Love, league sources tell Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Shelburne and Stein first reported last week that Cleveland had rebuffed New York’s efforts to work out a swap involving Love and Anthony.

According to the ESPN duo, the Cavaliers do have some interest in Anthony, but would only be interested in such a deal if it didn’t mean surrendering Love. Without any of the Cavs’ Big Three in a trade, the team would likely have to include at least two players out of a group that includes Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Channing Frye in order to make the salaries work. That’s my speculation though — there’s no indication the two sides have specifically discussed those players.

As Stein and Shelburne report, the Knicks have been focused on engaging the Cavaliers, Clippers, and Celtics in trade talks, believing that Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to accept a move to one of those teams.

However, Cleveland and Los Angeles are both in tax territory, with the Cavs reluctant to add much more salary and the Clippers up against a hard cap, which will make it difficult to complete a deal with either team. Anthony’s 15% trade kicker further complicates trade discussions, as it would add approximately $9.6MM to his remaining salary.

Per ESPN’s report, many of New York’s recent discussions with the Clippers and Cavs have had to include a theoretical third or fourth team to create a plausible trade scenario. As for Boston, the Celtics don’t appear to have substantial interest in Anthony, and any talks with the Knicks so far are believed to be exploratory in nature.

Anthony, who has a formal no-trade clause in his contract and has maintained that he prefers to stay with the Knicks, has conceded that he’d be willing to consider approving a deal if New York wants to rebuild. Still, he told reporters on Tuesday that he hasn’t given the Knicks any list of teams he’d approve. Anthony added that his family will be an important consideration if he’s presented with a possible trade opportunity, since he’s not eager to uproot his wife and son.

Hornacek Fires Back At Fisher

January 31st, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks have struggled this season but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Derek Fisher was the better head coach. The former New York bench boss recently slammed current Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek in a Lakers broadcast where he now serves as an analyst. “There’s enough analysts and reporters who like to talk about: coulda, shoulda [in] what they did,” Hornacek told Marc Berman of the New York Post. “We don’t pay much attention to it. I think he’s also trying to push himself in a light that maybe someone else will give him a job.”

New York Notes: Carmelo, Knicks, Fisher, Nets

January 31st, 2017 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

After a weekend report suggested that Carmelo Anthony may be willing to waive his no-trade clause and approve a deal to the Celtics, New York media has engaged in renewed speculation about a possible trade with Boston.

However, on Monday night, Anthony evaded the question of whether the C’s would interest him, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. ‘Melo then told reporters today that he hasn’t provided the Knicks any sort of list of which teams he’d approve, and he’s still not thinking about waiving his NTC and leaving New York (link via Frank Isola of The New York Daily News). If Anthony does consider approving a deal, his family will be his first priority, he said today.

Of course, the discussion of a move to Boston may be moot, since there’s no indication that the Celtics have real interest in adding Anthony to their roster. In fact, a report last week suggested that the C’s have informed the Knicks they’re not interested. Perhaps that stance will change in the coming weeks, but for now it appears the Knicks will have to look elsewhere for a trade partner.

Here’s more from out of New York and Brooklyn:

After signing a four-year, $48MM deal with the Knicks in the offseason, Courtney Lee is showing lately why the club was willing to make that sort of investment in him, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Derek Fisher, who was fired by Phil Jackson last season, had led the Knicks to a similar record at this time in 2015/16 when he was given his walking papers. As he explains to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, Fisher believes he was able to get more out of a roster that’s less talented than the current version.
It’s time for the Knicks to shift their focus to the future, which means trading Anthony and buying out Derrick Rose, argues Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
The backcourt duo that helped lead the Heat over the Nets on Monday was a reminder of what might have been for Brooklyn, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who points out that the Nets pursued both Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson last summer.
When I highlighted the six NBA teams below the salary floor on Monday, no team was further below that mark than the Nets. However, after signing Quincy Acy, Brooklyn has moved closer to the floor than the Sixers and Nuggets. Check out our Nets’ Salary Cap Snapshot for details.

Hornacek Knows Anthony In Charge Of Future

January 29th, 2017 at 9:24pm CST by Austin Kent

Considering the headlines that have come out of New York this month, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is well aware of the fact that Carmelo Anthony is in charge of his own fate. “He has control,” Hornacek told Marc Berman of the New York Post. “[…] At the end, he has the final say. He’s going to keep playing for us, and guys have to put all that stuff aside and keep playing.”

Rose In Walking Boot, Return Uncertain

January 29th, 2017 at 5:53pm CST by Austin Kent

After a healthy first few months of the season, Derrick Rose has come up limping. The point guard sprained his ankle Friday night and has been wearing a protective walking boot. According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is doubtful he’ll see the guard return before Tuesday.

Clippers Notes: Carmelo, Rivers, Speights

January 29th, 2017 at 3:15pm CST by Will Joseph

The Clippers are in championship or bust mode this season, coach and executive Doc Rivers conceded, and the team may need to add Carmelo Anthony to have a better shot at topping the Warriors in the playoffs, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register writes. At this point, the Clippers must be debating the urgency for a roster overhaul, Woike adds, considering this group still has yet to make an appearance in the conference finals. One name that continues to pop up in trade talks, especially with the Knicks in regard to Anthony, is Austin Rivers, who said he hasn’t spoken to anyone in the Clippers front office or with his agent, Andy Miller, about the possibility of being traded, Woike relays.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Doc Rivers said he would trade his son, if that was the best thing for the team, and if the Clippers want to trade with the Knicks, that may be the only way a deal gets done, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The Knicks met with Austin Rivers over the summer, but were outbid, Berman notes, so New York has had interest in the guard. The Knicks would need a third team to work out a deal involving Jamal Crawford or J.J. Redick because of their contracts, while league rules prevent Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose from being on the same team, Berman adds.
The same reasons why Marreese Speights was a good fit for the Warriors, which included having a veteran presence on the court and fun spirit off it, are making him a good addition for the Clippers, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com writes. Speights signed a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

New York Notes: Atkinson, Acy, Rivalry, Lee

January 29th, 2017 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson hinted lineup changes might be coming after Saturday’s loss in Minnesota, according to NetsDaily.com. Atkinson was particularly upset with the team’ defensive effort as the Timberwolves put up 129 points. “We’ve got to find the guys that want to defend and distribute the minutes proportionately, appropriately,” he said. “I think that’s where we are. I think we’ve had a streak here where we’re not defending. That’s not acceptable. That’s not the type of program we’re trying to run.” In recent games, Atkinson has been using a starting lineup of Spencer Dinwiddie, Randy Foye, Trevor Booker, Bojan Bogdanovic and Brook Lopez, with reserves getting plenty of playing time.

There’s more news out of New York:

The Nets have to decide by Monday whether to sign forward Quincy Acy for the rest of the season, tweets NetsDaily. Acy, whose second 10-day contract expires tomorrow, has appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn, averaging 7.0 points and 2.7 rebounds.
The rivalry with the Knicks that began with so much promise after the Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012 has fallen apart, writes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. With the Nets at a league-worst 9-38 and the Knicks sliding out of the playoff race at 21-27, it’s hard to get excited about this week’s matchup, Vaccaro states.
Courtney Lee is taking coach Jeff Hornacek’s advice to shoot more, relays Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Lee, who joined the Knicks on a four-year, $50MM contract over the summer, is starting to make an impact after an uneven start in New York. “I’m just trying to be more aggressive and take those shots,” he said. “Coach has shown me film and the shots I’ve passed up, areas where I could be more aggressive.”

Latest On Carmelo Anthony

January 29th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Although the Celtics have stated that they’re not interested in dealing for Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks haven’t given up on them as a trade partner, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. New York had a scout at Saturday’s Celtics game and the organization is “intrigued” by several of Boston’s players.

A source told Washburn that Knicks president Phil Jackson has issued orders to move Anthony, who has indicated that the Celtics are one of the teams he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join. Another source says Brad Stevens would love to coach Anthony, but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has rejected the Knicks’ overtures. Washburn adds that Boston could serve as a third team to help send Anthony to the Clippers.

There’s more this morning on the Anthony trade front:

The Celtics present the only realistic trade destination for Anthony, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. In a video posted on CSNNE, Mannix says Ainge is in a “great position” to present the Knicks with a lowball offer and dare them to keep Anthony past the February 23rd deadline. Mannix speculates that any deal wouldn’t involve the Nets’ first-rounders that Boston owns for the next two seasons, but may include other Celtics draft picks. He also dismissed recent rumors of a Knicks-Clippers deal, saying it won’t happen unless New York is willing to accept a “garbage package” involving Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and others.
Anthony admits the trade rumors can be a distraction, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “You’ve got to deal with that, even though I try not to read it,” he told reporters. “And everywhere you go, even if you don’t hear about it, somebody is telling you about it, somebody is saying something. It can be mentally draining, mentally fatiguing.”
If the Knicks trade Anthony, they should also get rid of Derrick Rose and some of the other veterans they added over the offseason, suggests Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. Rose is a defensive liability and has already deserted the team once, Iannazzone notes, adding that he doesn’t appear to be part of the team’s “long-term solution.” He also writes that free agent additions Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings didn’t come to New York to play for a team without Anthony, and believes the organization should commit to rebuilding if Anthony is traded.