New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Conley, Bogdanovic, Jazz Arena

June 14th, 2016 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

There is growing concern in the Grizzlies‘ front office that point guard Mike Conley might leave the team in free agency this summer, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. The 28-year-old will be the top point guard on the market after spending nine years in Memphis. Begley says Grizzlies part-owner Justin Timberlake will appear in a video presentation trying to convince Conley to remain with the team. Begley presents the item as possible good news for the Knicks, but it’s equally positive for all the teams planning to pursue Conley, and very negative for Memphis, which is hoping to keep the core of its perennial playoff team together. The Grizzlies still have the advantage of being able to offer Conley a five-year contract worth about $124MM, while other teams are limited to four years in the neighborhood of $92MM.

There’s more news from the Western Conference:

The Suns will negotiate with 2014 first-round pick Bogdan Bogdanovic now that his Turkish League season is over, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. This is the last season that Bogdanovic would be required to sign a rookie contract that would give him a salary of about $5.7MM over four years. If he waits until next offseason, Bogdanovic is free to negotiate any amount, starting with his draft year’s rookie salary scale.
A request for $22.7MM in public funding for renovations to Utah’s Vivant Arena was approved today by the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City, writes Jasen Lee of The Deseret News. The money, which will be awarded though tax increment financing over the next 25 years, makes up 18% of the total cost of the proposed $125MM project. It will include safety and security improvements, heating and air conditioning upgrades, a new solar panel system and plaza, concession, seating and premium suite improvements.
The Mavericks are planning a free agent camp June 22nd with Arnett Moultrie, Bobby Brown, Dominic McGuire and Nick Minnerath among the players invited, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who played two games for the Knicks this season, also received an invitation but has not confirmed that he will attend the camp (Twitter link).
The Spurs will hold a free agent camp Wednesday, Kennedy tweets, with Chris Copeland, Adonis Thomas, Victor Rudd, Scott Suggs, J.J. O’Brien and Darius Adams among those expected to attend.
The Timberwolves have had workouts for several veteran free agents, including Jimmer Fredette, Phil Pressey, Marquis Teague, Ryan Boatright, Mike James, Ra’shad James, Mark Lyons and Aaron Craft, tweets international journalist David Pick.

Ognjen Kuzmic To Play For Knicks' Summer League Team

June 14th, 2016 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Ognjen Kuzmic, a former Warriors second-round pick who played 37 games with the club from 2013 to 2015, has agreed to play for the Knicks at the Orlando Summer League, his agent tells international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link).

Hornacek: Carmelo Anthony Is Still In His Prime

June 12th, 2016 at 12:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek believes Carmelo Anthony still has the ability to carry the team, though he needs some help, Hornacek stated on the Boomer and Carton radio show via Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “I think [Anthony] just turned 32, so he’s right at that prime time for him,” Hornacek said. “He’s going to help to carry this team but we can’t put it all on him. The other guys have to step up and if he’s having a tough night the other guys are able to fill in.”
Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell displayed a good shooting touch in workouts with the Nets and Knicks last week and may have boosted his draft stock, sources told ESPN.com’s Ian Begley. The Knicks don’t have a draft pick but are hoping to acquire one, according to Begley. The Knicks have worked out several prospects in recent days with an emphasis on the triangle offense, Begley adds. Ferrell is currently ranked No. 80 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board and No. 63 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony.

Hornacek Talks Afflalo Option, Free Agency

June 10th, 2016 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek was asked about Arron Afflalo‘s player option decision during an appearance on WFAN, and while Hornacek said the team hasn’t been informed yet of Afflalo’s decision, he expects the veteran guard to opt out “to see what’s out there” (link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com).
Asked during the same interview about the chances of the Knicks signing a max player in free agency, Hornacek said that’s “absolutely” in play (Twitter link via Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv).

Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Conley, Whiteside

June 9th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest piece for Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler examines a few of this year’s top free-agents-to-be, taking stock of their situations and passing along the latest notes and rumors he’s heard on each player. Here’s a round-up of some of the key info from Kyler’s piece:

Even though Kevin Durant is considered most likely to return to the Thunder, he’s expected to take meetings, and Kyler hears that the Warriors and Spurs are “planning big pitches.” The belief around the NBA is that Durant will return to OKC on a deal that allows him to opt out in a year so that his free agency will line up with Russell Westbrook‘s and Serge Ibaka‘s in 2017.
Sources close to Mike Conley‘s camp have suggested recently that Conley is “more open to new situations” than the Grizzlies would like. According to Kyler, those sources believe that the point guard wants to see signs that Memphis is serious about fortifying its roster with other pieces before committing to the team for the long term. Kyler identifies the “dark horse” in the Conley sweepstakes as the Spurs, who are believed to be willing to make some changes to their core if it means landing another high-level player.
Hassan Whiteside is expected to land a maximum-salary contract, with the Lakers and Celtics among the teams believed to be interested. The Heat remain the favorites for the big man, but if they “try to play games,” Whiteside will shop around for other offers, according to Kyler.
The Raptors and Knicks are among the clubs with interest in Nicolas Batum, but Batum will likely be in line for a max contract or something close to it, and the Hornets are viewed as the team most likely to accommodate such a deal.
DeMar DeRozan is viewed as a near-lock to return to the Raptors on a max deal.
Assuming they don’t land Durant, the Warriors sound prepared to keep their current roster intact, even if that means matching a “crazy offer sheet” for Harrison Barnes, writes Kyler.
The odds of RFA-to-be Jordan Clarkson ending up with any team besides the Lakers are slim, but it’s possible his camp will seek out an offer sheet from another club if necessary, in order to get more favorable terms.

Knicks Rumors: Afflalo, Clarkson, Hernangomez

June 9th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

On Wednesday, we learned that the Knicks are in negotiations to retain Kurt Rambis as an assistant on new head coach Jeff Hornacek‘s staff, and we passed along the names of several free agent targets viewed as “realistic” for the team, including a handful of veterans who are working out at a Knicks mini-camp. We’ve got a few more items out of New York to round up today, all courtesy of Ian Begley of ESPN.com, whose latest piece is chock-full of interesting tidbits. Let’s dive right in…

Asked which position the Knicks will prioritize this offseason, general manager Steve Mills provided an unsurprising reply. “It’s clear we need a lead guard, someone that can really carry the load, day in and day out,” Mills said during an MSG Network program. “That’s something that I think is one of our biggest needs.”
According to Begley, Arron Afflalo has yet to make a decision on his $8MM player option for 2016/17, but the expectation is that the veteran guard will opt out, potentially leaving the Knicks even more short-handed in the backcourt.
Begley hears that Jordan Clarkson has fans within the Knicks organization, but Clarkson will be a restricted free agent this summer, and appears likely to stay with the Lakers.
Mills indicated that New York hopes to sign 2015 second-round pick Willy Hernangomez this offseason. “We won’t be able to do anything until July 1 but we’re in conversations about that,” the GM said.
We’ve heard previously that the Knicks plan to acquire a draft pick, and Begley notes that the team has been working out prospects, emphasizing the triangle offense in those sessions.
Mills, on the possibility of getting involved in the draft: “Teams have multiple picks, so some of those teams are going to be interested in moving their picks. A lot is going to depend on who is there in the draft that we really like. We have a feel for if there are any players that we really like that we think can impact this team and then we’ll go out and aggressively get a pick if we think something’s there. But we also have to balance the number of young guys on the roster versus veterans that we may be able to bring in through free agency or trade. So that’s a balance that we’re constantly looking at.”
Mills added the Knicks expect to have “a pool of 30 or 40 players” that they’ll look at in free agency, with the intention of adding at least a couple free agents from that group. “The most important thing is to understand who the guys are that you have a really good chance of getting so that you’re not chasing the guys that you really don’t have a chance,” Mills said.

Knicks Expected To Retain Kurt Rambis As Assistant

June 8th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are currently in negotiations with Kurt Rambis on a new contract that would give the former interim head coach a spot on Jeff Hornacek‘s staff in New York, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The deal hasn’t been finalized yet, but it sounds as if both sides are comfortable moving forward with Rambis as a Knicks assistant.

Rambis, who was considered for the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy, ultimately lost out on the position to Hornacek, raising some doubts about his future with the franchise. However, sources tells Begley that Hornacek has signed off on making Rambis a part of his staff. Rambis had one year remaining on his previous contract with New York, but the two sides have decided to work out a new agreement.

While Phil Jackson, who publicly endorsed Rambis’ inclusion on the Knicks’ coaching staff earlier this week, was believed to be pushing for his former Lakers assistant to stick around, Hornacek was given the authority to make the final calls on his assistants, and is on board with the plan. “Nothing is being forced down Jeff’s neck,” one source tells Begley.

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, Hornacek and Rambis, who were teammates as players with the Suns, have a long-standing friendship, with each coach having considered the other for a spot on his staff in the past — Rambis offered Hornacek a job with the Timberwolves, while Hornacek discussed bringing Rambis onto his staff in Phoenix.

Hornacek is also expected to add former Suns assistant Jerry Sichting to his staff in New York, says Begley.

Knicks Hosting Vet Mini-Camp, Targeting Realistic FAs

June 8th, 2016 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks aren’t going to land a marquee free agent like Kevin Durant this offseason, but there are plenty of more realistic targets that the team could pursue in July. Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders singles out a few of those potential free agent targets for the Knicks, writing that Brandon Jennings, Eric Gordon, Evan Fournier, Courtney Lee, Ty Lawson, and a handful of others would make sense for the club.

Speaking of attainable free agent targets, the Knicks are taking a look at a few available veterans this week at a mini-camp, with former first-round picks Anthony Bennett, Royce White, and Arnett Moultrie among the participants, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Moultrie, a 2012 first-rounder, has hired Travis King of Relativity Sports for representation, according to HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Phil Jackson Praises Rambis, Discusses Acquiring Pick

June 7th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

New Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek has said he’ll have final say on his assistant coaches, but it certainly sounds as if Phil Jackson expects to see former interim coach Kurt Rambis on Hornacek’s staff, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News details.

“Kurt fits, he fits in a number of ways,” Jackson told SNY.tv during a Knicks event in Chelsea. “He was a teammate of Jeff’s in Phoenix at one point in their careers. He’s also a team guy. He has a great idea of what we’re trying to get accomplished and I think he can help Jeff feel his way through this club and find a best way for them to play.”

In addition to speaking positively about Rambis, Jackson noted that while his Knicks don’t currently have a draft pick, “we think subsequently we might” (link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). That comes as no surprise, considering multiple reports have indicated New York is pushing hard to land a pick in a trade.

Latest Workout News

June 7th, 2016 at 10:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks, Wizards and Suns have worked out former UConn guard Sterling Gibbs, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter).