Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Knicks Rumors

And-Ones: G League Trade, Brissett, Future Power Rankings, Lowe

September 27th, 2024 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ and Pacers‘ G League affiliates have completed a trade involving a former No. 3 overall NBA draft pick, per a press release from the Valley Suns. Phoenix’s new affiliate acquired the returning rights to guard David Stockton from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to forward Garrison Brooks and former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor.

Brooks and Okafor were among the Suns’ picks in June’s expansion draft, but it’s unclear if either one intends to play in the G League at all in 2024/25 — they both competed overseas last season.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Free agent swingman Oshae Brissett is believed to be drawing interest from a EuroLeague team, according to a report from Sportske.net. As Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays, the Serbian outlet says that the Belgrade-based club Crvena Zvezda has its eye on Brissett as a potential target. The five-year NBA veteran, who won a title last season with the Celtics, has been on the lookout for a new home since he turned down his player option with Boston in June.
  • ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link) have published the latest installment of their annual “future power rankings,” which are based on each team’s projected on-court success for the next three seasons. The Thunder top this year’s version of the list, while the Celtics drop from No. 1 to No. 2 despite their 2024 championship, since their salary cap situation may get untenable in the near future. The Knicks (third) Sixers (fourth), Mavericks (fifth), Rockets (seventh), Timberwolves (eighth), and Spurs (10th) each rose five or more spots to claim a place in ESPN’s top 10.
  • Howard Beck of The Ringer sorts the NBA’s 30 teams into six separate tiers based on how clear their plans are going forward. The Nets and Wizards, in full-on rebuilds, are among the teams in the “ever-clear” top tier along with championship hopefuls like the Mavericks and Sixers, while clubs with less obvious goals, like the Hawks, Bulls, and Raptors, find themselves in the lowest “fun-house mirror” tier.
  • ESPN has laid off senior writer Zach Lowe, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Lowe is the second noteworthy NBA reporter to depart the network in recent weeks, joining Adrian Wojnarowski, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from the news industry last week.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Derrick Rose Announces Retirement

September 26th, 2024 at 6:16am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose has announced his retirement as a basketball player.

Rose confirmed the decision in a post on Instagram and, according to Malika Andrews and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, by taking out full-page ads in local newspapers of the six NBA cities he played in: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis.

“Knowing that I gave my all to the game, I feel confident in my decision,” Rose told ESPN. “Basketball was just the beginning for me. Now, it’s important that I give my all to my family — they deserve that.”

Rose added in a statement to Shams Charania of The Athletic: “The next chapter is about chasing my dreams and sharing my growth. I believe true success comes from becoming who you were created to be, and I want to show the world who I am beyond basketball.”

Rose, who will turn 36 next Friday, was selected first overall in the 2008 NBA draft by his hometown Bulls. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 and was named an All-Star in each of his next three seasons, winning the MVP award in 2011. Over the course of that season, his third in the NBA at age 22, he averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game across 81 starts, leading the Bulls to a league-best 62-20 record.

The fact that Rose won the MVP award while still on his rookie scale contract resulted in an NBA rule being unofficially named after him. As we’ve outlined in a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry, the “Derrick Rose rule” allows players coming off their rookie deals to sign maximum-salary contracts worth up to 30% of the salary cap instead of the typical 25% if they’ve earned a major award such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA.

However, Rose’s career hit a snag following his first four seasons in Chicago, as he missed the entire 2012/13 season due to an ACL tear and only played in 10 games in ’13/14 as he continued to recover from that injury.

The 6’3″ guard ultimately made it back to the court on a more regular basis in ’14/15, but he only appeared in more than 51 games in a season twice in his final 10 NBA seasons as he continued to be affected by health issues that sapped him of the speed and explosiveness he displayed in his first few years.

Rose was still an effective role player when healthy, earning Sixth Man of the Year votes in 2019, 2020, and 2021 for the Timberwolves, Pistons, and Knicks, but his injury woes prevented him from fully delivering on the potential to be a longtime NBA star that he showed early in his career.

Rose will call it a career with averages of 17.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG in 723 career regular season games (30.5 MPG). He also made 52 postseason appearances and put up 21.9 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.3 RPG in those outings. He made the Eastern Conference Finals with the Bulls during his MVP year in 2011, though he never played in the NBA Finals. In addition to suiting up for the Bulls, Timberwolves, Pistons, and Knicks, he spent time with the Cavaliers and Grizzlies.

Rose had been under contract with Memphis for the 2024/25 season, but requested his release and gave up his full $3.3MM guaranteed salary for the year as part of that agreement.

As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network tweets, there are no immediate plans for Rose to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Bulls, but the organization will almost certainly honor its former star at some point this season.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: WBD Lawsuit, Top Storylines, G League Trade, More

September 25th, 2024 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The legal battle between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery took another step forward in recent days. Responding to the NBA’s motion to dismiss their lawsuit, TBS and WBD filed a 33-page memorandum last Friday attempting to convince New York Judge Joel M. Cohen to deny that motion, per Michael McCann of Sportico.

The parent company of TNT Sports, filed a lawsuit against the NBA in July, alleging that the league was in breach of contract after it refused to recognize TNT’s right to match Amazon’s new broadcast deal with the NBA.

The latest filing from TBS/WBD insists that the league acted in bad faith to “circumvent” the network’s matching rights by including certain terms in its deal with Amazon that it knew TBS/WBD couldn’t specifically match. For instance, one clause in the NBA/Amazon agreement requires NBA games to be aired on a platform that also broadcasts NFL games. Amazon has a deal with the NFL, whereas TBS/WBD does not.

If the case continues to advance through the legal system, court records suggest a trial would be held sometime in April 2025, according to McCann.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Paul George‘s impact in Philadelphia and the Knicks’ potential hole at center are among the key storylines to monitor in the Eastern Conference this season, in the view of Fred Katz and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Katz and Amick also took a look at the top storylines to watch in the West, including whether Victor Wembanyama is ready to take the leap to superstardom, Ja Morant‘s potential redemption tour, and which second-tier team could move into the top group of contenders.
  • The South Bay Lakers, College Park Skyhawks (Hawks), and Texas Legends (Mavericks) have completed a three-team trade, with South Bay acquiring the returning rights to forward Chris Silva and center Jake Stephens in the deal, per a press release. The Skyhawks received Joirdon Nicholas‘ rights, while the Legends received multiple G League draft picks from the Lakers’ affiliate.
  • Responding to a pair of U.S. senators who criticized the NBA for partnering with Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum wrote in a letter that the league has followed “the lead of the U.S. government as to where it’s appropriate to engage in business around the world,” according to Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN. “If American policies were to change regarding business activities in and relating to Rwanda or any other BAL (Basketball Africa League) market, our actions would of course change accordingly,” Tatum said, adding that the NBA has promoted multiple social impact initiatives in Rwanda.
  • Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, and Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman are among the individuals across the NBA who are facing the most pressure entering the 2024/25 season, according to Michael Pina of The Ringer, whose top five is rounded out by Knicks forward Julius Randle and Heat wing Jimmy Butler.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Knicks Notes: Sims, Hypothetical Trades, Bridges

September 24th, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Mitchell Robinson sidelined for the start of the regular season, Jericho Sims will likely be in the Knicks’ rotation unless they make a trade. Sims is taking steps to earn Tom Thibodeau‘s trust and another NBA contract, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Sims has been at the Knicks training facility since mid-August under the tutelage of assistant coach Mark Bryant, who specializes in developing frontcourt talent, Bondy writes.

Sims, who will be a free agent after the season, had a healthy and productive offseason after rehabbing the last two summers from surgeries to his thumb and shoulder. The 2021 second-round pick appeared in 45 games, including 11 starts, last season.

We have more on the Knicks:

  • After naming Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart as a potential trade target to fortify the middle. James Edwards III of The Athletic explores three hypothetical trades the Knicks could make, including one that sees the Knicks acquire Stewart and two future second-round picks from Detroit for Robinson, Miles McBride, and the 2025 first-round pick the Pistons already owe them. Edwards also considers what potential trade packages for Utah’s Walker Kessler and Charlotte’s Nick Richards might look like.
  • Mikal Bridges is surprised he’s been part of two blockbuster deals in the last two years. “I would’ve thought I was the last person to be traded all the time,” Bridges told Spencer Davies of RG.org. “It kinda started when I was in Phoenix. I thought I probably never was gonna leave Phoenix. Being the type of player I am, I feel like I’m kinda in a glue role usually a team would trade for or would trade to give up [a lot]. But once that starts, once you get traded once, now it’s like it’s gonna be continuous. But hopefully, things go great [in New York] and I don’t gotta keep moving teams.”
  • What does the Knicks’ roster look like heading into camp? Get the details here.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Stewart, Pistons, Krauskopf, Heat Arena

September 23rd, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Mitchell Robinson now targeting December or January for his return to action from ankle surgery, the Knicks are seeking more depth in the middle, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.

New York has spent a good portion of the last few months scouring the league for another frontcourt player, Edwards reports. One of those potential targets is the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart.

Stewart’s four-year, $60MM extension kicks in this season and includes a club option. He’s expected to fight for playing time at both power forward and center for the revamped Pistons.

The Pistons received numerous inquiries on Stewart before he signed the extension. Injuries limited him to 46 games last season.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Speaking of the Pistons and Stewart, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required) examines three position battles heading into Detroit’s camp. That includes Stewart and Jalen Duren squaring off for the starting center job. There will also be camp battles for backup point minutes behind Cade Cunningham, as well as numerous candidates elbowing for playing time at the forward spots.
  • Kelly Krauskopf is leaving her post as the Pacers’ assistant GM to become the president of basketball and business operations for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star relays via a press release from Pacers Sports and Entertainment. Krauskopf was the Fever’s president and GM from the team’s inception in 2000 until 2018. She was then hired by the Pacers and became the first woman in league history to hold an executive basketball management role. “I want to thank (Pacers president) Kevin Pritchard for asking me to join his management staff six years ago. There’s no doubt that experience will serve me well as I enter this next chapter,” she said.
  • Kaseya Center, the current name of the Heat‘s home arena, has undergone a series of multimillion-dollar facility upgrades, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. The arena upgrades include a new scoreboard, new lighting and audio systems and a new retractable seating system in the lower bowl. The upgrades were made this summer.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson Won’t Be Ready For Start Of Season

September 23rd, 2024 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson won’t be available at the start of the regular season, according to reports from Yaron Weitzman of FOX Sports (Twitter link) and Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Robinson underwent surgery on his left ankle in May to address a stress injury after having undergone a procedure on the same ankle last December. His recovery is ongoing, and both Weitzman and Begley suggest that the Knicks and Robinson are targeting a return in December or January.

Weitzman’s and Begley’s sources say that New York is proceeding cautiously with Robinson’s recovery process, given the troubles that ankle has given him in the last year, and that the team is confident in the “depth and versatility” of its frontcourt, which will have to get by without the Knicks’ starting center for the first couple months of the season.

The Knicks’ depth at center has already been a source of some concern entering the 2024/25 season, given that the club lost Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency and didn’t add a replacement for the big man. Further complicating matters is the fact that Julius Randle is recovering from a surgery of his own (on his shoulder) and isn’t guaranteed to be available for opening night, though his recovery process is believed to be further along than Robinson’s.

When Randle underwent his shoulder procedure in early April, the team announced that he’d be reevaluated in five months, which would be early September. However, the team hasn’t provided any formal update on the three-time All-Star — that update will likely come on Media Day next week.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau has spoken about the possibility of Randle playing some small-ball center this season, but even if Randle is available by opening night, the team will have to lean more heavily on big men like Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa until Robinson is ready to return. It’s also worth noting that Robinson’s unavailability this fall could help give power forward Marcus Morris a leg up on guard Landry Shamet in the battle for the 15th and final spot on the Knicks’ standard roster.

Robinson is an athletic rim-runner and rim protector who holds career averages of 8.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game across 320 career outings (196 starts). He has been impacted by injuries in recent years though, as he has missed 125 of 318 total regular season games and 12 of 29 playoff contests since the start of the 2020/21 season.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, Bucks

September 21st, 2024 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela will almost certainly make up two-thirds of the Hawks‘ starting frontcourt, the other starting forward spot remains up for grabs, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who looks at six possible candidates for that role.

De’Andre Hunter looks like the best bet among the contenders for the job, but he was more effective off the bench than in the starting five last season, Williams notes, having made 49.1% of his shots and 42.0% of his three-pointers in 20 games as a reserve.

No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and newly acquired guard Dyson Daniels are among the other options Williams examines. Daniels figures to spend most of his playing time in the backcourt, but could make sense at small forward if Atlanta starts Bogdan Bogdanovic alongside Trae Young in the backcourt and wants to complement them with an elite wing defender.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Sports Betting, NBA Offseason, Injury Returns

September 21st, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA is in favor of federal regulations for sports betting, the league doesn’t unequivocally support the bill introduced last week in Congress, which is considered to have both positives and negatives, per David Purdum of ESPN.

The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act, also known as the “SAFE Bet Act,” would prohibit sportsbook advertising from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (and during live sports broadcasts) and would ban in-game betting. The proposal to eliminate live wagering is one aspect of the bill likely to be opposed by the NBA and other sports leagues, given the increasing popularity of that form of betting, notes Purdum.

A league source tells Purdum that the NBA is keeping an eye on the legislation and views it as a “starting point to a very lengthy process.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Atlantic Notes: DeRozan, Raptors, Ujiri, Simmons, Dolan

September 20th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked this week during a radio appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan in Toronto whether he’s interested in eventually returning to the Raptors to finish his NBA career, DeMar DeRozan expressed interest in the idea, though he made it clear that he doesn’t want to spend his final season as a benchwarmer in Toronto.

“You always want a poetic ending (in) that way,” DeRozan said. “Granted, most people don’t get to write their own ending. But what a better ending than being able to end where you start. Not just end, by just putting on the jersey. It has to be in a sense of me still being myself. I wouldn’t want to come back and be (Hakeem) Olajuwon (who spent an underwhelming final season in Toronto after 17 years in Houston). It has to just make sense. You kind of want to go out like you came in. That’s what people kind of remember you as.”

DeRozan, who was drafted ninth overall by the Raptors in 2009, spent his first nine seasons with the club before being sent to San Antonio in 2018’s Kawhi Leonard blockbuster trade. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in points (13,296) and games played (675), among other statistical categories.

DeRozan is under contract with the Kings for the next three seasons after joining the team via sign-and-trade this offseason.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • What does it mean for Masai Ujiri‘s future in Toronto that Rogers has bought out Bell’s stake in the Raptors and gained majority ownership control? Eric Koreen of The Athletic explores that question, noting that Rogers chairman Edward Rogers III and Ujiri, the team’s longtime president of basketball operations, have had a “strained relationship” in the past. Rogers reportedly opposed the terms of the contract extension that Ujiri signed with the club in 2021, which has two years left on it.
  • Nets guard Ben Simmons, who underwent back surgery in March, is on track to fully participate in training camp next month, agent Bernie Lee tells veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes (Twitter link). “Ben is fully cleared and is a full participant for the start of camp,” Lee said. “He is excited to get started.”
  • A U.S. District Court judge in California has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman who accused Knicks team owner James Dolan of sexual assault, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The suit, which was filed in January, referenced incidents that took place in 2013 and 2014 allegedly involving Dolan and former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein. A Dolan spokesperson referred to the suit as “a malicious attempt to assert horrific allegations by an attorney who subverts the legal system for personal gain,” while the accuser’s attorneys said they’ll be appealing the court’s decision and will continue to pursue their client’s sexual battery claims against Dolan and Weinstein.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Atlantic Division

September 19th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the next week, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re beginning our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Atlantic Division. Let’s dive in…

Boston Celtics

The Celtics are at their 21-man limit, so this could be the roster they take into training camp during the first week of October. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if the 14 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals are the ones who are on Boston’s opening night roster.

Outside of the usual shuffling in and out of Exhibit 10 players, there are two minor storylines to keep an eye on here. One, will Walker – who has 322 NBA regular season games under his belt – make the team as a 15th man? And two, what are the Celtics’ plans for Jay Scrubb?

Scrubb was set to start the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with the Celtics before he tore his ACL, resulting in his release just ahead of opening night. A report this offseason indicated the team plans to bring him back on an Exhibit 10 contract once he’s fully recovered from his ACL surgery. If he shows he’s back to 100% health, could he be in the mix for a two-way spot?

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets have several Exhibit 10 agreements to finalize and a pair of two-way slots to fill. It’s possible the club will leave those two-way spots open during the preseason and allow their camp invitees to compete for them (of the presumed Exhibit 10 signees, only Hayes is ineligible for a two-way). They may also keep their eye out for intriguing targets cut by other teams ahead of opening night.

Johnson ($250K) and Wilson ($75K) each have modest partial guarantees for now, but those guarantees will increase to $700K and $325K, respectively, if they make the opening night roster. While Wilson is the safer bet of the two to survive the preseason cuts, it’s possible both players will open the season with the club.

New York Knicks

The Knicks are well above the luxury tax line and may not feel compelled to carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season, but Morris and Shamet are quality NBA veterans who deserve a look. I’d be a little surprised if both are waived at the end of the preseason.

While more minor moves could happen before camp tips off, the Knicks would be at their 21-man preseason roster limit if they simply finalize their reported deal with O’Connell.

Philadelphia 76ers

There shouldn’t be any surprises in Philadelphia ahead of training camp, though the team still has some breathing room below the second tax apron to add a 15th man to its projected standard roster, if it so chooses.

If the Sixers intend to carry a 14-man roster into the season, filling out the preseason roster will likely just be a matter of signing two more camp invitees to Exhibit 10 contracts to get to 21 players.

Toronto Raptors

As is the case with the Knicks and O’Connell, the Raptors could finalize their training camp roster by simply signing Guerrier to his reported Exhibit 10 contract, though that doesn’t necessarily have to happen before camp begins. If the goal is simply to secure Guerrier’s G League rights, he could be signed-and-waived at any time before opening night.

Shuttling Exhibit 10 players on and off the roster could allow the Raptors to bring in another veteran free agent to compete with Fernando for the final spot on the standard 15-man roster, though there have been no reports so far suggesting that’s the plan.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts