New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Landry Fields On Carmelo Anthony Trade

April 21st, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former Knicks swingman Landry Fields noted that New York could have evolved into an Eastern Conference power if it had waited to sign Carmelo Anthony when he hit free agency rather than gutting the team to acquire him from the Nuggets, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “It would have been a major, major play for New York if we had kind of the young talent of [Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler] and Raymond Felton and Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo. It would have been a team that just would have been so impactful throughout the league and one that probably could have created a dynasty,” Fields said. “But I don’t want to speak too much to that because you don’t want to get [into] all of this, ‘Rah rah, what could have been’ because that’s not what happened. There were possibilities there for such an incredible team to be assembled but at the same time, we can’t harp on what never happened.”

Jeremy Lin, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, had all positives to say about new Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, who was an assistant with the Knicks when “Linsanity” broke out during the 2011/12 season, NetsDaily relays. “I’ve kind of been saying it was just a matter of time for him because I know how good he is, I know how much he was there for me in New York,” Lin said. “When you’re around him, you kind of understand there’s something different about him: his energy, his passion, the juice he approaches his work with. He doesn’t leave any stone unturned. He’s always the first one in, and I’m saying first one in by, like, hours.“

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Blatt, Rambis, ‘Melo

April 21st, 2016 at 10:05am CST by Chuck Myron

Kristaps Porzingis was largely unknown to Knicks fans a year ago, but his strong rookie year quickly made him a sensation in New York, where a four-minute film called “Porzingod” that takes a playful approach with the hopes and dreams attached to the 20-year-old 7-footer will debut today at the Tribeca Film Festival, as Marc Berman of the New York Post details. Such optimism is unlikely to emerge from the draft this year for the Knicks, who have a pick in neither the first nor the second round. See the latest on the blue-and-orange:

The Knicks didn’t reach out to former assistant Tom Thibodeau this spring before he took the Timberwolves job on Wednesday, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Knicks president Phil Jackson has spoken with Luke Walton, casually or otherwise, but for now, interim coach Kurt Rambis and David Blatt are the only candidates New York is seriously considering for its coaching vacancy, Begley hears.
Blatt’s adaptability is part of what makes him appealing to the Knicks, Berman writes in a separate piece. Jackson, who’s expected to interview the former Cavs coach, has respect for the Princeton offense Blatt has sometimes employed, as Berman previously reported, though one NBA personnel director who’s spoken to the Cavs said Blatt would certainly be willing to run the triangle for the Knicks, according to Berman. Still, Blatt isn’t the favorite, Berman cautions. Berman heard from one scout who suggested that hiring Blatt would torpedo any longshot hope at landing LeBron James, but the same was said about James returning to the Cavs when they hired Blatt two years ago.
Carmelo Anthony was among the Knicks in attendance as the Knicks’ triangle seminar began this week, and Jackson played the role of coach for a day as he took the lead in imparting lessons about the offensive system, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Rambis was also involved, which supports the belief that he’ll ultimately have his interim tag removed, Bondy observes. That Jackson organized the event further signals his willingness to stick around for the long haul in the wake of his Thursday declaration that he intends to stay for his whole five-year contract, Berman writes.

Knicks Need To Expand Coaching Search

April 19th, 2016 at 6:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Knicks cannot move forward as a franchise until the right head coach is hired, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders writes. The scribe also opines that team president Phil Jackson needs to broaden his search for a new coach beyond his comfort zone and not remain fixated on hiring someone based on the triangle offense. The organization could also benefit by hiring someone whose views don’t line up with Jackson’s 100%, since some level of conflict is healthy when making decisions, Beer adds.

Phil Jackson Can't See Walton Leaving Warriors

April 19th, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Chuck Myron

Team president Phil Jackson, after speaking recently with Walton, told members of the Knicks organization that he doesn’t think Walton will leave his job as lead assistant for the Warriors, a source told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays. One report referred to the conversation between Jackson and Walton as an interview for the Knicks head coaching position, but Walton, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and others dispute that idea. The one head coaching job that Walton would be likely to take would be the Lakers gig, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, but Byron Scott is still in that position and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is reportedly in favor Scott remaining.

Latest On Luke Walton, Knicks

April 19th, 2016 at 9:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Luke Walton says his recent chat with Knicks team president Phil Jackson wasn’t a job interview, as the Warriors assistant coach tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Conflicting reports emerged in the past few days about whether it was an interview, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said it couldn’t have been, since Golden State has yet to give Walton permission to interview elsewhere, notes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Kerr told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that no team has even asked for permission (Twitter link). That throws into question the idea that Walton interviewed for the since-filled Nets job, as had also been reported.

“I talked to Phil, but I always talk to Phil. He’s a mentor of mine,” Walton said to Kawakami. “There was no job interview whatsoever. It was just a conversation which is not that rare for Phil and I to have.”

Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests that the Knicks are likely to interview David Blatt, citing Jackson’s respect for the Princeton offense Blatt’s teams have used on occasion. Berman also says the team will likely interview Brian Shaw, a triangle devotee. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com earlier reported New York’s interest in Blatt, a longtime friend of Knicks GM Steve Mills.

Still, interim coach Kurt Rambis remains a central figure and a candidate to be formally named Knicks head coach. He’s involved in two practices that Jackson has organized for this week that amount to a seminar of sorts on the triangle offense, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Kristaps Porzingis, Jerian Grant, Jose Calderon, Tony Wroten and soon-to-be free agent Langston Galloway are expected to attend, Isola hears.

Latest On Talks Between Knicks, Luke Walton

April 18th, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks team president Phil Jackson took to Twitter this morning to address reports regarding Luke Walton and the Knicks coaching job, writing, “Press accounts of coaching actions are untrue. Nobody has been asked nobody said no.” Marc Berman of the New York Post reported Sunday that the Knicks had interviewed Walton, and while Frank Isola of the New York Daily News confirmed that Jackson and Walton spoke by phone, it would be a stretch to call it an interview, Isola said (Twitter links). Walton told Jackson that he isn’t interested in the job as of now, according to a league source who talked to Isola (Twitter link), but Berman hears the Warriors assistant hasn’t completely ruled out the idea of taking the New York gig. Still, Berman calls Walton “a big long shot” to take the job.

Carmelo Anthony is concerned that the Knicks front office and ownership are more focused on simply making the playoffs rather than building a championship-caliber squad, Berman writes in a separate piece. “What’s successful for us?’’ Anthony said. “That’s the question you have to ask ourselves as a whole organization. Not just winning another 15 games like we did this year and playing for the eighth seed. Is that success? Or is being a top seed in the Eastern Conference, a top team in the NBA? Winning a championship is always the ultimate success. We have to put things in perspective. What’s success mean to this organization? A championship for me is always the ultimate success — not us slotting in and barely getting into the eighth seed. That’s not success for me. Having prominence in the postseason. That’s success.’’

Walton Inverviewed For Knicks Job

April 17th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors assistant Luke Walton has already interviewed for head coaching positions with the Knicks and Nets, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. Walton pulled his name out of consideration with Brooklyn, which announced the hiring of Kenny Atkinson earlier today. Golden State is reportedly allowing Walton to talk to other franchises as long as there’s no conflict with its playoff schedule. A source told Berman that Walton may decide to remain with the Warriors for another season.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Rambis

April 17th, 2016 at 10:03am CST by ChrisCrouse

Team president Phil Jackson expects free agents to be more open to signing with the Knicks this summer than last offseason because of the team’s increase in wins and the presence of Kristaps Porzingis, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “We’re talking about a team in the making,” Jackson said. “We’ve had so many people come up to us and say they really want to play [with] a guy like KP. … So we feel we have an attractive product here.”

Here’s more out of New York:

Carmelo Anthony has mixed feelings on the triangle and he believes most players just want to be comfortable in a system, Berman adds in the same piece. Anthony, who has repeatedly expressed his interest in being a part of the Knicks‘ free agent process, believes adding players who fit the system will be a delicate issue this offseason. “I think it’s a fine line going after guys who can fit into the system and going after guys who can just play basketball and can bring a winning attitude to this,” Anthony said.
Veteran players on the Knicks lobbied for Jerian Grant and the other younger members of the team to get more playing time earlier in the season, but coach Kurt Rambis and Jackson scoffed at the idea, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Jackson believed that Grant couldn’t contribute to the team’s win total.
Rambis finished the season 9-19 since taking over for Derek Fisher and would like an opportunity to build on his time with the Knicks, Bondy writes in a separate piece. “I want to be the head coach here,” Rambis said. “I think we can continue to get better as a ballclub and we can continue to improve, but that’s a decision that’s out of my hands.”

Warriors Won't Stand In Way of Walton Coaching Interviews

April 16th, 2016 at 11:35am CST by Eddie Scarito

If the Knicks want to interview Warriors assistant Luke Walton during the NBA playoffs, Golden State won’t stand in the way, Marc Berman of The New York Post relays. The Warriors’ official policy is that an assistant can interview for a head-coaching position “as long as it does not interfere with the team’s preparation during the playoffs,’’ Berman adds. New Orleans interviewed Alvin Gentry during Golden State’s playoff run last year.

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Thomas, Jackson

April 15th, 2016 at 7:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Small forward Carmelo Anthony made it clear to the team in his exit interview that it needs to take advantage of the “window that he has” when making personnel moves this offseason, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. Anthony, who met with team president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills on Thursday and said that the trio had a “very honest” conversation about the future of the franchise, Begley notes. “I think that’s the main question,” Anthony said. “How can we take advantage of this window? How can we take advantage of this situation that we have in front of us?”

“What is successful for us as the New York Knicks?” Anthony continued. “I think that is kind of the question that we have to ask ourselves as a whole organization. … Getting back and being in the postseason, that’s success for me. And not just sliding in and barely getting into the eighth seed. That is not success for me. Being in there, having some type of prominence, having a chance to compete to the next round and move further, that is success for me.”

Here’s more from New York:

Jackson noted that he would interview interim coach Kurt Rambis for the team’s head coaching slot, but added that he also intends to speak with other candidates with whom he has a relationship, the ESPN scribe relays in the same piece. “People I probably know will be in the interview process,” Jackson said. “I will reach out to make connections to some people. But I’ve been in this position, in the NBA, over 50 years. And I’ve seen a lot of situations where coaches end up coming in without [being] simpatico with the general manager, and those things don’t work well. So someone who has compatibility with what I do as a leader would have to be in sync with what we do.“
Anthony, who has intimated that he wants to be involved in the team’s offseason decisions, noted that he wants a wide-ranging search for the next coach, Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal relays (Twitter links). The small forward added that no discussion has taken place about him waiving his no-trade clause this summer so the team can deal him.
Jackson scoffed at the notion the Knicks would abandon the triangle offense and mentioned his past success with the system, saying, “Who are these people? [who criticize the offense] Do they have 11 championships?,” Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays (Twitter links). For his part, Anthony said that team management should consider all coaches in its search, not just those who are familiar with the triangle, Al Iannazzone of Newsday tweets.
Power forward Kristaps Porzingis isn’t pleased with how his rookie season went, but referred to it as a good learning experience, writes George Willis of The New York Post. “We didn’t do as good as we could have,” Porzingis said. “Our team was talented enough to make the playoffs, and we didn’t do that. There were a lot of things we could have done much better. It’s going to be a good learning experience for me. Now I know what to expect going into my second season.”
The Knicks hope to re-sign Lance Thomas this offseason, but the combo forward is in line for a raise from the $1,636,842 he earned in 2015/16, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. League sources tell the Post scribe that Thomas could warrant a mid-level contract starting in the range of $4.5MM per season.