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Derrick Rose's Civil Trial Gets Underway

October 4th, 2016 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

The federal civil trial involving Knicks point guard Derrick Rose gets underway today, and Adrienne Lawrence of ESPN’s Outside The Lines has the details on what to expect from the case. As Lawrence writes, the trial is expected to take about eight to 10 business days, which would put it on track to be finished before the NBA’s regular season, though it could be delayed or shortened for various reasons.

Rose is currently with the Knicks as they prepare to play a preseason game against Houston, but he’ll head to Los Angeles for the trial tomorrow, per Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter links). The veteran guard said today that he may have to miss a practice or two, and he doesn’t anticipate reaching a settlement with his accuser, according to Berman.

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Players Who Can Veto Trades

October 4th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, and they became even rarer this offseason, when several players with those clauses in their contracts either called it a career or signed new deals. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, who all opted for retirement, had no-trade clauses last season, and so did Dwyane Wade, who doesn’t have the same protection on his new contract with the Bulls.

Nonethless, while the list of players with explicit no-trade clauses may be dwindling, there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year contract with an option clause – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals, though no restricted free agents signed their QOs this year.

Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2016/17 league year:

No-trade clauses

Players whose offer sheets were matched

Players accepting qualifying offers

  • None

Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)

Information from Basketball Insiders and Yahoo! Sports was used in the creation of this post.

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Noah Dealing With Minor Hamstring Injury

October 3rd, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito
  • Knicks center Joakim Noah is nursing a minor hamstring injury and is likely to sit out Tuesday’s preseason opener against the Celtics as a precautionary measure, Ebenezer Samuel of The New York Daily News relays. The big man did not practice today as a result of the malady, the scribe adds.
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Rose Will Skip First Day Of Trial

October 1st, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • Derrick Rose‘s $21.5MM civil sex assault trial begins Tuesday, but he plans to be with the Knicks for a preseason game in Houston, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’ll figure out anything a little bit later when I get into the city, but for right now they are allowing me to just be with the team,” Rose said. “I haven’t heard anything legal-wise.” In his first year with the Knicks after a summer trade, Rose said he had his best camp ever.
  • Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek has been impressed by Spanish center Willy Hernangomez, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Hornacek said the 22-year-old Hernangomez, who signed with the team in July, “looks like he’s a 10-year vet out there in terms of his calmness when he’s playing.”
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Rose Still Trying To Learn Triangle Offense

September 30th, 2016 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito
  • Not only is Derrick Rose getting used to a new city and new teammates, he’s also attempting to acclimate to the Knicks‘ triangle offense, which isn’t an easy task, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. “It’s complicated a little bit right now because it’s new to us. It’s foreign. But I think the more we work on it and the way the coaches are putting it into the offense, it’s [going to get] little bit easier,” Rose said after Thursday’s practice. “[There’s] like 40 to 50 options on one side of the floor. It’s like giving you your space for creativity. It’s like if you’re doing it the right way, you could do everything you want, you could freelance but you just got to know where you’re going.”
  • The Knicks are pleased with the outside shooting of rookie Mindaugas Kuzminskas, who may end up being Carmelo Anthony‘s primary backup at small forward, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “He’s a guy that with his size, got agility, you can look at him at the 2 or 3,’’ coach Jeff Hornacek said. “There could be times we use his length at the 2 spot. He’s a guy who cuts — cutters open everything up. The stat’s not in the paper. You don’t get glory from it but it’s a huge part.’’
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Offseason In Review: New York Knicks

September 30th, 2016 at 2:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Over the next several weeks, Hoops Rumors will be breaking down the 2016 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2016/17 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the New York Knicks.

Free agent signings:

Draft-and-stash signings:

Camp invitees:

  • Ron Baker: One year, minimum salary ($75K guaranteed)
  • Chasson Randle: One year, minimum salary ($100K guaranteed)
  • J.P. Tokoto: One year, minimum salary ($100K guaranteed)

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • None

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Check out our salary cap snapshot for the New York Knicks right here.

The Knicks entered the offseason as a franchise at a crossroads, needing to choose between hitting the reset button and building around Kristaps Porzingis, or attempting to maximize Carmelo Anthony‘s few remaining productive seasons by adding veterans who could step in and contribute immediately.Derrick Rose vertical

Team president Phil Jackson chose the latter, adding a number of talented players who have the potential to help New York return to the postseason, but carry with them significant injury concerns. Are the Knicks a better team on paper than a season ago? Absolutely. But just how many games the team can expect to get out of the trio of Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings and Joakim Noah remains to be seen.

New York made its biggest strides as a team this summer by improving on its woeful backcourt of a season ago. The addition of Rose is a gamble that could pay off significantly for the team if the 27-year-old can remain healthy. This is obviously not a given, considering he has averaged just 33 games per season over the last five campaigns. Given his track record, not to mention the grind of back-to-back games that take a terrible toll on players, it isn’t realistic by any means to expect Rose to play in 82 contests. But if he can be a semblance of his former self for 60 to 65 games, which I believe is a realistic target, then Jackson’s gambit of acquiring him in a contract year may end up working in the short term.

With Rose as the starter, the Knicks will need depth at the point — not just in the event that disaster strikes, but to allow him to sit out the occasional game to rest. This is where things get a bit frightening for fans of the team. While I love the addition of Jennings, especially at the bargain price of $5MM for one year, he’s coming off of a ruptured Achilles tendon and is no sure bet to avoid sitting behind the bench in street clothes for stretches of the campaign. The only other point guard currently on the roster is undrafted rookie Chasson Randle, who is probably better suited to log minutes in Westchester for the team’s D-League affiliate this season than in Madison Square Garden. If the franchise is serious about making a playoff push this season, it should seriously consider signing Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole, the two top remaining free agents at the position. If Sasha Vujacic ends up becoming the fallback option as playmaker, ‘Melo may end up regretting not pushing for a trade this summer.

For the second summer in a row, Jackson added a shooting guard via free agency. Last year’s signing of Arron Afflalo failed miserably, with the team essentially pushing him out of MSG, shutting the doors, changing the locks and turning off lights once he opted out of his deal. Courtney Lee should be a much better fit for New York than Afflalo was, especially if new coach Jeff Hornacek is given free reign with the offense and not forced to stick with the triangle as his predecessors, Derek Fisher and Kurt Rambis, were. Lee’s solid defense and three-point shooting will be a boon to the team, though inking the 30-year-old to a four-year, $48MM+ deal is a bit of a gamble given his career scoring average of 9.6 PPG.

Speaking of risks, the signing of Noah to a four-year, $72MM+ pact is perhaps the biggest roll of the dice this offseason for Jackson. There’s no denying that Noah, when healthy, can impact the game on both ends of the court. The 31-year-old is almost assuredly going to become a fan favorite in New York, but he has only averaged 63.5 games per season during his nine-year NBA career, and big men don’t generally grow more durable once they reach their 30s. This contract not only has the potential to become an albatross around the Knicks’ necks; it could negatively impact the development of Porzingis, whose best position may ultimately be at center. Anything that could have an adverse effect on the second-year player and potential superstar is a bad thing for the franchise.

It’s in no way a given, but if the majority of their players can remain healthy this season, the Knicks should improve upon the 32 wins they notched in 2015/16. Still, I’d be wary of expecting too drastic an improvement, as the eight seed and 40-42 wins seems like a favorable scenario for New York this year.

With Rose and Jennings each only signed for one year, it’s possible the franchise will find itself rebuilding and/or retooling in 2017. If that’s the case, Jackson needs to look in the mirror and ask himself if making the Knicks a borderline playoff contender this season was worth not tearing down the team and starting anew.

Of course, the Zen Master could be gone next summer, since he has the ability to opt out, leaving the cleanup to someone else. By that time, Anthony will be a another year past his prime and will hold less trade value than he did the past two seasons. It’s been 43 years since the Knicks won an NBA title, and it may be a few more years before fans have another legitimate shot at cheering for a champion.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Knicks Notes: Triangle Offense, Anthony, Noah

September 29th, 2016 at 9:25am CST by Dana Gauruder
New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek has the freedom to make alterations to the triangle offense, Ian Begley of the ESPN.com reports. Team president Phil Jackson told Hornacek that he didn’t need to go strictly by the book when it came to teaching and executing his beloved offensive scheme, Begley continues. “I think maybe the previous teams here were trying to learn it, trying to do it right,” Hornacek told Begley and other beat reporters. “Phil always stresses to me that you got to let these guys be creative. … It’s putting a little bit on them, little bit more to not go crazy and not make bad shots. But we’re giving them the ability to do different things out of it. As long as they stay in that spacing.” Hornacek’s tweaks are designed to push the pace and that was on display in training camp on Wednesday, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Jackson watched silently as the Knicks raced down the court on every possession, Berman adds. “If you get six easy buckets pushing the ball, it’s a big advantage,’’ Hornacek told Berman.
In other developments regarding the Knicks:
  • Carmelo Anthony believes that free agent acquisition Joakim Noah will make the Knicks a more focused team, according to Jonah Ballow of NBA.com. Noah bolted the Bulls, who didn’t make a serious attempt to re-sign him, and inked a four-year, $72MM contract. “He pushes you to go out there and compete every play, every time,” Anthony told Ballow. “If not, you’re going to hear about it. I think that’s something we’ve been missing, this team needed, this organization needed and I like it. We like it.”
  • Noah acknowledges that a comment by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who said he was no longer a frontline player, irritated him, Adam Zagoria of SNY.TV reports in his blog. “It’s alright, he’s entitled to his opinion, you know?” Noah said to Zagoria. “I feel like I have no regrets about my time in Chicago. I gave it everything I had. To me, that’s all that matters. I know I did everything I could for that organization. I thought it was a little bit of a low blow, but at the end of the day I have nothing but respect for that organization and I’m just excited for that new chapter in my career.”
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Knicks Hope Summer Additions Take Pressure Off 'Melo

September 26th, 2016 at 5:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks are hoping that the roster changes they made this offseason will alleviate some of the pressure off of Carmelo Anthony and don’t want the forward feeling like he needs to “do everything” in order to be successful, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “A lot of times he has a penchant to take the ball himself up the court and slow the play down, the development down, by pushing the ball up the court himself or taking the inbound pass,” team president Phil Jackson told the media. “Those are some of the small things that we asked to look at and maybe we could change. With the outstanding guard corps that we have — Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings, guys who can really push the ball at a certain level — I think he’s going to be much more comfortable allowing them to do what they’re best at.”

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Derrick Rose Remains Under Investigation By LAPD

September 26th, 2016 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

While Derrick Rose‘s civil trail stemming from a sexual assault lawsuit is set to begin on October 4, the new Knicks point guard also hasn’t yet been cleared from facing criminal charges. According to a letter from the Los Angeles Police Department, published by TheWhiteBronco.com, the LAPD has an open criminal investigation into Rose, and continues to look into the complaint filed against him by his “Jane Doe” accuser.

The judge in Rose’s civil case ruled that the identity of his accuser must be revealed during the trial. Her lawyer has urged the judge to reconsider that ruling, and as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes, the LAPD’s letter will be used to make that case — Detective Nadine Hernandez said in the letter that the accuser’s identity will remain confidential throughout the LAPD’s investigation.

“The ability to offer anonymity to victims of sex crimes is an invaluable investigative aid to investigators as well as a great comfort to victims of crimes of such a sensitive nature,” Hernandez wrote in the letter.

It remains to be seen how Rose’s civil trial will play out or whether the LAPD’s criminal investigation will result in any charges. Still, while Knicks president Phil Jackson recently downplayed the impact the case(s) will have on Rose and the team, the point guard will likely have to miss portions of New York’s camp and preseason due to the trial, raising questions about the lack of homework the Knicks did on the case prior to acquiring Rose in June.

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Knicks Notes: Jackson, Porzingis, Lee

September 25th, 2016 at 2:21pm CST by Will Joseph

Knicks president Phil Jackson considered the idea of building slowly around Kristaps Porzingis and discussed the thought inside the organization, but ultimately decided for a swifter approach, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports. The Knicks reeled in Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings, who all have injury concerns, but Jackson beleives the health issues are worth the risk, Begley relays.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • There will likely be some speculation about Jackson’s future in New York because he has an opt-out clause in his contract that he could exercise after this season, Begley writes in the same piece. “I’ve just been going straight ahead. That really hasn’t been an item for me to think about,” Jackson said. “The fact that I had a clause put in the contract, that in case there was a lockout, that it might be a way to step away from the team or a job that doesn’t have any work action going on for a period of time. So that was one clause. That hasn’t affected what I’m doing now.”
  • The most intriguing addition to the Knicks is Courtney Lee,  who turned down a larger offer from the Sixers to come to New York, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Lee seems like a good fit, especially after former Knicks guard Arron Afflalo‘s presence didn’t work so well in the team’s triangle offense, Berman adds.
  • Only Carmelo Anthony remains from the team that Jackson inherited in March 2014, and despite the turnover rate, Jackson said he has been fiscally responsible, Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays.
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