Knicks Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Biyombo, D-League

March 10th, 2016 at 7:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis denies that his struggles of late are because he hit the “rookie wall” and is worn down by the long NBA season, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “It happens. Bad games happen. Two or three games later I have a great game,” Porzingis said after scoring just six points against the Nuggets on Tuesday. “It’s just ups and downs, especially my rookie season. It’s all a learning experience, especially some games you don’t feel as well, some games you feel better. But I try to find that consistency where I can play at the same level. I’m not there yet.”

Interim coach Kurt Rambis critiqued Porzingis’ shot selection, expressing a desire for the rookie to operate in the post area more, but Rambis still believes big things are ahead for the young Latvian, Bondy notes. “I’m not concerned at all. He’s still 20 years old. He’s got a lot to learn and my mindset is not going to change about him,” Rambis said. “He’s going to be great. There’s no doubt in my mind. But if we thought it was all going to happen this season, and he was going to be perfect and not make mistakes and going to do everything right, and he was going to solve all the mysteries of basketball this year, it just wasn’t going to happen.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Bismack Biyombo says he’s extremely happy with the Raptors and would love to remain in Toronto, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports relays (Twitter links). It’s unclear if Biyombo’s remarks indicate he intends to exercise his player option worth $2,940,630 for 2016/17 or if he is referring to opting out and seeking a long-term pact. The TSN scribe notes that Biyombo will likely have to sacrifice financially if he wishes to remain with the Raptors, with Toronto already committed to almost $70MM in guaranteed salary for next season.
The Celtics have assigned Coty Clarke, James Young and Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Clarke’s first official D-League assignment on the year, though he was a member of the Red Claws prior to signing his 10-day deal with Boston. Neither Young nor Mickey is a stranger to Maine, with this being Young’s 10th and Mickey’s 11th trip there this season.
The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueira and Delon Wright from their D-League affiliate, the team announced.

And-Ones: Suns, Fisher, Satoransky, Bennett

March 10th, 2016 at 1:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

Suns owner Robert Sarver said he’s committed to keeping GM Ryan McDonough for next season and optimistic about the team’s position for the future, in an extensive interview with Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Sarver referred to rookie Devin Booker as a potential face of the franchise and also expressed belief in fellow recent first-round picks Alex Len, T.J. Warren and Archie Goodwin. The owner maintains faith in disappointing offseason signee Tyson Chandler, believing that he’ll perform better next season, when he’ll be 34. Still, Sarver insisted that he’ll leave matters of player personnel to McDonough and company, even as he feels a responsibility to set the tone.

“My biggest regret is that, as a manager of people, I feel I let the organization down in terms of the culture,” Sarver said to Coro. “I didn’t put my hand print on that culture and maybe didn’t hold people as accountable as I should and really make sure we’re putting that together. But I’m starting to see some of that.”

Sarver also stumped for public funding of a new arena and pointed to a clause in the team’s lease at Talking Stick Resort Arena, its existing home, that would allow the Suns to leave in 2021, as Coro relays. See more from around the NBA, which has seen the last of referee Joey Crawford, as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com reports:

Derek Fisher insists he didn’t lose his job as Knicks coach over character or integrity issues, as he writes in an essay for The Cauldron blog on SI.com. Fisher addressed his preseason encounter with Matt Barnes at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife, writing that he didn’t retaliate against Barnes during the incident and that he never had issues or much of a relationship with Barnes before that. Still, Fisher failed to address why he was in California and away from the Knicks when the episode took place, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
It’s still possible for the Wizards to sign draft-and-stash prospect Tomas Satoransky this summer even in the wake of the four-year extension he signed with Barcelona of Spain, which doesn’t include an NBA out until 2017, a source tells Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The Wizards could buy out Satoransky’s contract before the extension kicks in, Castillo hears, adding that Washington would likely sign him to a two-year deal with a team option on the second season if the team brings him stateside.
Luis Scola‘s professionalism is well-known around the league, and Anthony Bennett, cognizant his NBA career was teetering on the brink, sought out his advice not long before the Raptors waived the former No. 1 overall pick last week, team sources tell Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. The release of Bennett was an eye-opener, rookie Delon Wright said, as Smith also notes in his look at the roles of nonstars in the NBA.

Financial Impact Of Deadline, Buyouts: Atlantic

March 10th, 2016 at 11:41am CST by Chuck Myron

The effects of the trade deadline and buyout season are still being felt around the NBA as teams negotiate with new free agents and fill open roster spots. Hoops Rumors is taking a team-by-team look at the financial ramifications of all the movement. We examined the Southwest, Pacific, Central and Northwest divisions earlier, and we’ll continue with the Atlantic Division:

Boston Celtics

It became clear that the Celtics had no use for David Lee, and he didn’t want to spend another season lost on the bench, particularly with his free agency coming this summer. So, the sides engineered what’s been perhaps the most mutually beneficial divorce, at least in financial terms, of buyout season. Lee is averaging 19.6 minutes per game for the Mavericks on a deal that gives him $2,085,671, the prorated remainder of his new team’s room exception. It’s about five times more lucrative than what he could have earned on the standard prorated minimum deal that most players sign for this time of year.

Its size is helpful for the Celtics, too. Teams and players typically agree to waive the right of set off in buyout arrangements, but Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports indicates that didn’t take place here. So, according to the league’s formula for set off, the Celtics get to subtract half the difference between Lee’s new salary and the one-year veteran’s minimum from their remaining obligation to Lee. That’s $2,085,671 minus $845,059 divided by two, or $620,306. That, put together with the $458,575 Lee gave up in the buyout itself, means the Celtics reaped a $1,078,881 benefit from offloading a player who’d only appeared in three games since Christmas.

Boston used some of that savings on a 10-day contract for D-Leaguer Coty Clarke, but it only costs $30,888. They could re-sign him for the rest of the season and it would cost only $86,486, provided he’d take the rookie minimum, which would be expected.

Brooklyn Nets

It was no surprise to see the Nets fail to make a trade last month, since they hired a new GM just hours before the deadline in a strangely timed front office move reminiscent of when the Trail Blazers fired GM Kevin Pritchard just before the 2010 draft. New GM Sean Marks didn’t pull off a quick trade, but he swiftly struck a buyout with Andrea Bargnani and did the same with Joe Johnson shortly thereafter. The Bargnani negotiation was tricky because he had a player option for next season. He wound up forfeiting $323,599 of what had been a $1,362,897 salary for this season and $1,228,060 of his $1,551,659 player option. The combined total of what he gave up was equivalent to the original value of his option, meaning, in essence, he declined it. It’s not entirely clear why the sides didn’t simply arrange for Bargnani to have his full-season salary this year and wipe out the option year, a move that would have helped the Nets clear cap space for this summer’s free agents.

Regardless, Brooklyn added to its savings when Joe Johnson gave up an even $3MM, allowing the Nets to pocket $4,551,659, a savings that, added to the $16MM they reaped in their summer buyout with Deron Williams, underscored the sober financial decision-making of the Nets in the wake of their failed high-dollar ventures of years past. They spent a $99,418 pittance of that savings on two 10-day contracts for Sean Kilpatrick.

New York Knicks

The Knicks didn’t pull off a trade or buyout, but that didn’t stop them from making noise on the market the past couple of weeks. They invited all sorts of attention with their 10-day contract for Jimmer Fredette, but the former BYU’s enduring popularity from his college days does a much better job of explaining the hubbub than does the $55,722 the Knicks spent on his contract.

More interesting and impactful from a financial standpoint is the pending two-year deal with Tony Wroten. He’s been adamant about not signing a 10-day contract, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), which helps to explain his absence from the NBA since the Sixers waived him on Christmas Eve. So, too, do apparent concerns about his injury that make it highly unlikely he’d actually play in a game for the Knicks this season even if he does indeed sign. Thus, New York seems to be poised to spend the prorated minimum of about $200K simply for the privilege of an up-close look at him to help them decide whether to keep him for next season, when the deal reportedly wouldn’t include a fully guaranteed salary. It’s by no means a staggering outlay, but it’s nonetheless one more way a large-market team like the Knicks can throw its financial weight around.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers irked other teams with some of their moves during their unconventional rebuilding project, so it’s worth wondering if a degree of schadenfreude existed in front offices around the league when Philly essentially became an innocent victim in the voided Donatas Motiejunas trade. The deal caused them to lose JaKarr Sampson for nothing when they waived him to accommodate the arrival of Joel Anthony via trade. Sampson signed with the Nuggets while the trade remained in limbo, a period when the Sixers couldn’t waive Anthony to reopen the roster spot that had been Sampson’s because it wasn’t clear whether they’d be getting Anthony in the first place.

They weren’t going to keep Anthony anyway, but losing the ability to take on his $2.5MM cap hit and draw closer to the salary floor left the Sixers at the mercy of the buyout market. The presence of Anthony’s salary wouldn’t have taken the Sixers all the way to the $63MM floor, but it would have brought them to just $130,651 short, an amount the team easily could have made up with a prorated minimum contract for a free agent who’d go into Anthony’s roster spot, preferably Sampson.

The Sixers took a pass when Beno Udrih and his $2,170,465 salary were on waivers, as that would have left them $460,186 shy of the floor, a gap larger than they could make up with a prorated minimum-salary deal for someone else. Phoenix’s decision to waive Sonny Weems was a stroke of luck for the Sixers, who pounced with a claim on him and his $2.814MM salary. That put the Sixers over the salary floor. They’re obligated to pay Weems only a fraction of his $2.814MM, since the Suns already gave him the majority of his paychecks, even though his entire salary counts toward the floor.

The timing wasn’t perfect, since the Sixers had just signed Christian Wood to a 10-day contract worth $30,888 three days prior to the claim. So they had to waive a rookie they’re clearly fond of for a second time this season and eat the entire 10-day salary. Still, they avoided shelling out $2,599,763, which was the amount of the team’s shortfall beneath the cap before Weems claim, at the cost of just $660K, which is the amount of Weems’ salary that the Sixers will pay, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors entered the deadline and buyout season on a roll, so it’s no surprise they were relatively inactive. The release of Anthony Bennett had more of a historical impact than a financial one given his status as the No. 1 overall pick less than three years ago. Bennett remains unsigned and seems unlikely to make more than a prorated minimum salary if he does join another NBA team, so his $947,276 salary remains glued to Toronto’s books with little hope of a set off. The Raptors added the prorated minimum of $245,177 for Jason Thompson, who’ll receive an additional $83,778 from the league because he is a seven-year veteran, but they’re still more than $2MM shy of the tax line. The team owes neither Thompson nor Bennett any money beyond the end of the season, so the Raptors haven’t meddled with their long-term flexibility.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Atlantic Notes: Wroten, Okafor, Rondo, Powell

March 10th, 2016 at 9:29am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks apparently held reservations in the recent past about Tony Wroten‘s gambling style of defense, but sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post they see him as a good defender who’s aggressive in the passing lanes. Wroten, who remains unsigned, is reportedly unlikely to see action for the Knicks this season even if he and the team do finalize a reported two-year agreement, but interim coach Kurt Rambis sees merit in adding him, as Berman relays.

“If he’s not healthy to play, we can evaluate him over summer,” Rambis said. “We see potential in him. Now we have his rights. He’s a penetrating guard. He was somebody who can really break down defenses and attack the basket, but I haven’t seen him play in a while. [There are] a lot of management reasons to do something like that, that still holds value to the team, even if he’s not actively playing the rest of the year. It’s a management and medical decision right now.”

See more on the Knicks and other teams from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers coach Brett Brown didn’t rule out the idea that Jahlil Okafor will miss the rest of the season because of lingering soreness in his right knee, though he strongly cautioned that no such decision has been made, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. The No. 3 overall pick from last year’s draft underwent a CAT scan Tuesday and hasn’t played since February 28th.
Carmelo Anthony sees soon-to-be free agent Rajon Rondo as an ideal fit for the triangle offense, but Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News argues that Rondo would be a poor free agent choice for the Knicks, citing his lack of shooting, questions about whether he’s truly an elite player and frequent involvement in controversy.
Norman Powell has proven a steal at the No. 46 pick last year, contends Mike Ganter of The National Post. Minutes have been inconsistent for the Raptors small forward, but he’s nonetheless getting some significant playing time and making a contribution to the Eastern Conference’s second-place team, as Ganter details.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/8/16

March 9th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Friends of Rockets center Dwight Howard have indicated that the big man would have interest in joining the Knicks this offseason if he, as expected, turns down his player option in search of a more lucrative max deal. It’s unclear whether or not the Knicks have mutual interest in Howard, and it also remains to be seen just how highly he regards the franchise compared to other potential free agent destinations. Bucks broadcaster Gus Johnson relayed that Howard told him he likes Milwaukee and wanted to join the Bucks at the trade deadline. Discussions between Milwaukee and Houston reportedly hit an impasse because Howard wouldn’t agree to opt in for 2016/17.

The Knicks have approximately $55MM in guaranteed salary committed for next season against a salary cap projected to be set between $90MM and $95MM, though that amount doesn’t include player options for Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams. New York wouldn’t have the needed cap space to pay Howard his max of some $30MM for next season if both Afflalo and Williams opt in. Also complicating matters on the Howard front for the Knicks is the presence of Robin Lopez, who inked a four year, $54MM pact with the team this past offseason. Lopez set to earn $13,219,250 in 2016/17, and that would be a cap-crippling amount for the Knicks if they were unable to find a taker for him on the trade market. Howard and Lopez wouldn’t mesh very well on offense, and playing them alongside one another in a “twin towers” lineup would likely prove disastrous.

There’s little doubt that Howard is the superior player of the pair based on the statistical track records of both big men, but it is highly debatable that Howard is worth close to $30MM a season at this stage of his career. For the record, I say he absolutely does not warrant that sum annually, even if the cap does jump to almost $95MM. Even at his peak, I would have hesitated to pony up that amount, but with Howard’s advancing age, balky knee and back, doing so would be a huge gamble that would likely end in disappointment for the Knicks franchise and its fans. Pairing Howard with Carmelo Anthony would create an interesting tandem, but unless the Knicks add a competent point guard to the mix, the team would be unlikely to contend for a title, regardless of whether or not Anthony and Howard remain healthy.

This brings me to the topic of the day and the part where I turn this debate over to you, the readers. Today’s question is, Should the Knicks look to sign Dwight Howard this offseason?

New York has had difficulties luring star players in recent years, so there is no guarantee that Howard would jump at the chance to play in Madison Square Garden. The big man has also reportedly had issues with his diminished role on offense with the Rockets, as well as with teammate James Harden. While Anthony doesn’t dominate the ball nearly as much as Harden does, he is still a volume shooter and Howard may not want to share the spotlight alongside ‘Melo or Kristaps Porzingis, who might end up being the team’s starting center in the near future. One thing potentially working in the Knicks’ favor is that there may not be many suitors willing to sign Howard to a max deal, so New York could become an appealing option if it were to bid on him.

But what say you? Should the Knicks make a push to ink Howard no matter the cost, or are his age, injury concerns and potential cap hit deal-breakers for you? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Kilpatrick, Thompson

March 9th, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony holds the real power in the organization thanks to the no-trade clause the team included in his contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical on Yahoo Sports notes (video link). The no-trade clause is also why Anthony is likely to outlast team president Phil Jackson in New York, Wojnarowski believes, with the scribe also opining that the executive has failed to elevate the franchise far more than the small forward. Jackson’s biggest missteps as an executive are not ridding the organization of personnel who are negative influences on the overall culture and his steadfast insistence on the team running the triangle offense, according to Wojnarowski. Anthony’s comments about being a free agent recruiter this offseason indicate he doesn’t intend to waive his no-trade clause anytime soon, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be easy to deal the veteran because he would not accept a trade to a small-market team, severely limiting the Knicks’ options, Wojnarowski contends.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, whom the Nets signed today to a second 10-day contract, shows the promise necessary to become GM Sean Marks‘ first success as an executive, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. Marks previously expressed his desire to find players for next season via 10-day contracts, and Kilpatrick has delivered in his brief run with the team, averaging 9.4 points and shooting 41% from the field while connecting on 50% of his 3-pointers.
Jason Thompson is finding his comfort zone with the Raptors, and the power forward praised his new teammates for helping make his midseason transition to a new organization a smooth one, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca relays. “It was good to just be back on the court, man. I appreciate these guys bringing me in with open arms, knowing that I’m not coming in here and trying to do too much. I’m just trying to fit in,” Thompson said. “Ever since I landed, teammates have been there to try and help me out and ease my way into the situation. It’s been really good so far.”
Former Nets power forward Andrea Bargnani, whom the team waived as part of a buyout arrangement, has been turning down overseas offers, a hint that he’ll wait until next season to sign with a new team, NetsDaily relays (Twitter link). Bargnani reportedly received contract offers from the Italian club Olimpia Milano and Turkey’s Galatasaray, among others.
The Celtics have recalled James Young from their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced.

Atlantic Notes: Clarke, Kilpatrick, Marks, ‘Melo

March 9th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Celtics 10-day signee Coty Clarke sought a meeting with D-League coach Scott Morrison earlier this season while he was playing a reserve role for the Boston affiliate, and after the two spoke about Clarke’s role and what the team needed from him, Morrison put him in the starting lineup and Clarke helped the team thrive, as Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor chronicles. The Maine Red Claws went 11-2 before the Celtics called up the combo forward on his 10-day deal this week, a signing that Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines.

“First and foremost, as I told our team [Monday], he was by no means given a 10-day. He was rewarded [for] his great play [in Maine],” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, according to Forsberg. “He really has played great. Our front office has been thrilled about him and thrilled about his play in Maine the whole year. We obviously have a familiarity with him from being here in the fall and so we thought it was a great opportunity to bring a guy on board while we have some practice time to really get a chance to evaluate him within our system, with our team, as the season has progressed.”

See more from the Atlantic Division:

More Nets moves are to come soon as new GM Sean Marks operates quickly on multiple fronts, NetsDaily hears in the wake of the team’s hiring of Trajan Langdon as assistant GM Tuesday (Twitter link). Brooklyn has a decision to make regarding Sean Kilpatrick, whose 10-day contract expired overnight.
Marks has superb people skills, Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer observed, and Chris Paul called him one of the best teammates he’s ever had as both displayed confidence in the new Nets GM, The Record’s Andy Vasquez details. “I’ve never been a GM or anything like that,” Paul said. “But I know his work ethic and what makes him who he is. … I’m biased. Sean’s a friend of mine. I’m rooting for him. I want to see him succeed and, like I said, with his drive and work ethic, I’m sure he won’t sleep until he turns it around.”
Interim Knicks coach Kurt Rambis has been clearer in communicating what he wants the Knicks to do on offense, while former coach Derek Fisher placed more of an emphasis on player development, as Carmelo Anthony observed this week, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Davis, Jackson, Young

March 8th, 2016 at 7:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers have shown an increased willingness to add veterans to their roster since Jerry Colangelo was hired for a front office role, but the team isn’t currently thinking about signing Baron Davis, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. Davis recently joined the Sixers’ D-League affiliate in Delaware, but Philadelphia wants to observe his play over a period of time prior to making a decision, Aldridge adds. “I have great respect for what he used to do,” coach Brett Brown said regarding Davis. “I don’t ever remember rushing home to watch a playoff series like I did to watch that Dallas-Golden State series [in 2007]. And I get flashbacks of that every time I hear his name. But we have not talked much about that, if at all.”

“I’d characterize it as, it’s an 87ers’ move, not a 76ers’ move, but consistent with our strategy,” said Delaware GM Brandon Williams of signing Davis. “I was told we want to identify, develop, and give opportunity to talent. For the first couple of years, we’ve kind of been devouring the market for young prospects, that maybe people have passed over. We took a chance with Earl Clark, a guy that people know. But there’s still some game there. Is there enough? Is he still thirsty enough, is he still hungry enough, can he help a team? Then we take a chance with Baron. He says, ‘the last time I left a court, it was on a stretcher.’”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks team president Phil Jackson didn’t land center DeAndre Jordan when he was an unrestricted free agent last summer, but the big man says he came away impressed with the executive after their meeting, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. Jordan noted his time with Jackson included a discussion of off-court topics, the executive’s vision for the team and a pitch regarding the triangle offense, Begley adds. “They showed me some things, how I’d fit in in that offense and what I would do to excel as a player and what we’d do to excel as a team,” Jordan said. “The message [from Jackson] was just for me to be an all-around player and improve my game as much as I could. Phil was great; it was one of my best meetings. He’s such a smart man, such a deep thinker, that you want to be a part of that. He’s won, he proven it. … He made it tough to say no.“
The Celtics have assigned swingman James Young to their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This will be Young’s ninth stint of the season with the Red Claws.

Dwight Howard Interested In Knicks?

March 8th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Some friends of Dwight Howard indicated recently that he would have interest in signing to play in New York if he opts out from the Rockets this summer, league sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Begley shares the tidbit within a larger piece about Phil Jackson‘s approach in free agent pitch meetings, so presumably it’s in reference to the Knicks and not the Nets. It’s unclear whether the Knicks have mutual interest, according to Begley, and it also remains to be seen just how highly the former All-Star center regards the Knicks compared to other free agent destinations that appeal to him. Bucks broadcaster Gus Johnson said Howard told him he likes Milwaukee and wanted to join the Bucks at the trade deadline.

Talks between the Bucks and Rockets reportedly fell apart because Howard wouldn’t agree to opt in, and Howard is expected to turn down his player option in search of a more lucrative max deal. Just what happens when he hits free agency is much more difficult to predict, and not just because of the big man’s history of back-and-forth decision-making. Howard recently fired agent Dan Fegan and has yet to name a replacement. The Rockets were apparently in touch with the Mavericks, Bulls, Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Heat, Bucks and Raptors about Howard as they engaged teams in trade talks about Howard but found the market for the 30-year-old underwhelming.

The nature of Howard’s relationship with the Rockets is also tough to discern. He’s widely expected to leave in free agency, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote last month, but he’s denied that he asked to be traded and said he wants to be successful in Houston. Howard has downplayed rumors of discord between him and James Harden.

The Knicks have only about $55MM in guaranteed salary for next season against a salary cap projected to come in between $90MM and $95MM, though that doesn’t include player options for Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams. New York wouldn’t have the cap flexibility necessary to pay Howard his max of some $30MM for next season if Afflalo and Williams opt in.

Eastern Notes: Anthony, Lawson, Carter-Williams

March 7th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Carmelo Anthony vows to recruit high-profile free agents to New York this summer and believes Kings point guard Rajon Rondo would make an ideal fit for the Knicks’ triangle offense, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Anthony was kept out of meetings regarding free agents last summer but the All-Star small forward wants to play an integral role in getting better pieces around him, Berman continues. “I don’t have a choice but to go out there and do my job and try to get people to come here, so they can see it from my perspective rather than everybody else’s perspective,” Anthony told Berman and other members of the New York media. Rondo has expressed skepticism about his ability to run the triangle, according to Berman, but Anthony will try to convince him otherwise. “I think he’d be perfect in a system like this,” Anthony said. “A system like this fits a guy like that. To have the ball in their hands and be able to run the offense, I think it fits well. I don’t know who’s telling him he don’t fit.” Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, the biggest free agent on this year’s market, does not consider the Knicks as a destination, a source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

In other developments around the Eastern Conference:

Ty Lawson‘s relationships with Pacers star forward Paul George and point guard George Hill, along with the team’s uptempo style, convinced him to sign with Indiana following his buyout agreement with the Rockets, according to Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. Pacers coach Frank Vogel views the remainder of the regular season as an audition for the veteran point guard, both for this season and his impending free agency, Taylor adds in a tweet. Vogel spoke with Lawson’s former Nuggets coach and ex-Pacers assistant Brian Shaw before the signing and that helped sway Vogel that Lawson deserved a clean slate, Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star reports (Twitter links here).
Bucks point guard Michael Carter-Williams tried to play through his hip injury but it reached the point where it needed to be addressed, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press tweets. A source told Krawczynski that Carter-Williams felt discomfort since late December and doctors finally determined that season-ending surgery was required, he added in a separate tweet.
The Celtics recalled rookie shooting guard R.J. Hunter from the D-League’s Maine Red Claws, the team tweets. The late first-round pick has appeared in 28 games with Boston this season.

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