New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

‘Melo Turned Away Interest From Celtics?

February 26th, 2016 at 7:35am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 7:35am: The Celtics went to Anthony’s “advisers” to gauge his willingness to waive his no-trade clause rather than the Knicks, and no trade talks took place between Boston and New York, sources told Marc Berman of the New York Post. Indications are that the Creative Artists Agency, which represents Anthony, wants him to keep an open mind about his future, Berman writes.

4:35pm: Anthony denies that he turned down any such trade proposal, saying the Knicks never approached him about waiving his no-trade clause, according to Frank Isola and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. One of the first-rounders the Nets owe the Celtics as well as an additional pick, David Lee‘s since bought-out contract and a second player would have gone to New York in the proposed deal, Isola and Bondy write.

THURSDAY, 7:58am: The Celtics expressed interest before the trade deadline in obtaining Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks, but they were told that Anthony didn’t want to waive his no-trade clause to play for Boston, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. It’s unclear how far talks between the Celtics and Knicks went, Begley notes. The teams were reportedly part of a preliminary three-way discussion with the Cavaliers that involved the idea of sending Anthony to Cleveland, but Begley’s report indicates that Boston and New York also had a chat on the side, however brief.

It’s no shock to see the Celtics having gone after a star, though the apparent interest in Anthony demonstrates how far president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would go to acquire a marquee name. Anthony turns 32 in May and is in the midst of a third straight season of declines in scoring average since leading the NBA in points per game with 28.7 in 2012/13. He’s under contract for a combined $78,731,280 over the three seasons following this one, including a player option for 2018/19, and the deal includes a 15% trade kicker. His no-trade clause would carry with him wherever he goes if he allows the Knicks to deal him away. Multiple disadvantages would come with trading for Anthony, to be sure, but the Celtics apparently remained of the belief that doing so could help their team.

Ainge said the Celtics came close to pulling off a significant trade before the deadline, had the other team not pulled out of the talks, but it appears that conversation was about Jahlil Okafor, not Anthony. The C’s were also linked to Dwight Howard, Al Horford and others.

Anthony has been steadfast in saying that he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause and doesn’t want to leave New York to play anywhere else, though he’d reportedly give strong consideration to a trade that would send him to the Clippers. Several teams apparently think that if the Knicks don’t make significant progress in their rebuilding project by mid-July, Anthony would be willing to approve a trade.

Do you think Anthony will finish his contract on the Knicks, or will he eventually approve a trade? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Eastern Notes: Stevens, Anthony, Splitter

February 25th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics coach Brad Stevens declined to comment about whether the team had any interest in pursuing Joe Johnson, who was waived by the Nets earlier today as part of a buyout arrangement, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes (ESPN Now link). The coach did specify what type of player Boston would be looking for to fill its open roster spot, saying, “I think versatility is huge. Certainly shooting’s a big deal. All those things come into play. Obviously, with Kelly [Olynyk] out, interior help is something that you’d have to consider, but hopefully he’s not out too long and I think the versatility stands out more than anything else.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t want to lose Carmelo Anthony as a teammate and looks at the veteran scorer as a role model, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. Several teams apparently think that if the Knicks don’t make significant progress in their rebuilding project by mid-July, Anthony would be willing to approve a trade. “Oh well, obviously I wouldn’t want to lose him,” Porzingis said regarding ‘Melo. “He is who he is on our team. He’s special and we need him to do big things in the future, especially for me. I love playing alongside him so that would obviously not be something that I want.“
Hawks center Tiago Splitter underwent successful surgery today to repair damage to his right hip, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. Splitter will miss the remainder of the season as a result of the injury and subsequent surgery.
Bucks big man Greg Monroe has been coming off the bench lately for the team, which isn’t necessarily what he had in mind when he inked a maximum salary deal with the team this past summer, Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times writes. When asked if he regretted signing with Milwaukee, Monroe said, “It’s not something they had planned when I was coming here. So, no, I can’t answer that question because it wasn’t something that was planned all along.’’ The big man also admitted that he heard the trade chatter involving him but wasn’t fazed, Woelfel adds. “I didn’t get bothered by it. I’ve been in the league awhile; I’ve been in free agency and reports came out then and I know they were totally false. And these situations are basically the same, so I was sure it was all speculation.’’
The Celtics have assigned swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Young’s eighth jaunt of the season to Maine.

Atlantic Notes: Marks, Dolan, Casey, Hinkie

February 25th, 2016 at 9:28am CST by Chuck Myron

New Nets GM Sean Marks took the job on the condition that he have the authority to make moves as he sees fit, writes USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, who nonetheless wonders how much autonomy Marks will have to rebuild at a pace he sees appropriate. People around the league believe the Nets are anxious to go after a marquee free agent to hasten the team’s climb up the standings, Zillgitt notes. While we wait to find out if owner Mikhail Prokhorov displays more patience than he has to date, see more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks owner James Dolan was agitated after Monday’s loss, a source told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, and the frustration is evident throughout the organization, as Isola details. New York dropped another game Wednesday against the Pacers. “We’re all frustrated. We can’t accept this,” said interim head coach Kurt Rambis after Monday’s game. “For the organization, for our team, ourselves as individuals, the coaching staff. We can’t accept losing. I want players to be angry. I want players to be frustrated. That’s the right attitude to have.”
Toronto’s offseason defensive upgrades were “huge,” as coach Dwane Casey puts it, but they won’t matter if the Raptors can’t break through and win a playoff series, which the franchise hasn’t done in more than a decade, opines Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie might have lost power to new chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo this season, but Hinkie remains philosophically tied to the idea of his aggressive rebuilding campaign, observes Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine.

Eastern Notes: Anthony, Beasley, Varejao

February 23rd, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony, who has been through four coaches and three general managers since being acquired from Denver five years ago, admits that he is growing frustrated with the franchise’s continued struggles, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. “It’s been tough. It’s challenging,” Anthony said. “It’s challenging to kind of stay strong and positive through all this. You can’t control that. When you look at it, how many different coaches? Four different coaches. [A lot of] different players. I mean, that’s a lot to go through.” Several teams reportedly believe that if New York doesn’t make much progress in their rebuilding by the middle of July, Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a better chance at competing for an NBA title with another franchise.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis isn’t upset with Anthony publicly voicing his displeasure, believing that the veteran has the proper attitude regarding the team’s losing ways, Barbara Barker of Newsday writes. “I want the players to be angry. I want the players to be frustrated,” Rambis said. “That’s the right attitude to have. If guys aren’t playing, they should be frustrated that they are not playing. We’re not winning right now, so they have to be believing in their hearts and minds that [they] could be doing a better job out there on the court. Those are the kind of players you want on your team. You don’t want guys that just roll over and accept this losing.”
Anderson Varejao signing with the Warriors sets up a potential NBA Finals matchup against the Cavaliers, something his former teammates don’t hold against him, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “It’s a business,” Tristan Thompson said regarding Varejao. “He wants to keep playing ball, so whatever is the best fit for him and whatever he’s looking for, you have to be happy for him. Andy was more than just a teammate; he was a friend, a big brother, and so wherever he can go to keep playing, I’m happy for him, even with him being with the Warriors.“
The Heat are not among the teams reportedly thinking about signing former NBA player Michael Beasley, whose season in the Chinese Basketball Association recently ended, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays (Twitter link). Beasley has spent four of his seven NBA seasons as a member of the Heat, including 24 appearances for the franchise last season.

Atlantic Notes: Stevens, Brown, Smith, Fredette

February 23rd, 2016 at 9:29am CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics haven’t had any discussions about filling their open roster spot, coach Brad Stevens said Monday night, according to MassLive’s Jay King. Boston is in no rush to sign anyone to fill the vacancy created when team worked a buyout with David Lee, the coach added, but Stevens nonetheless has an idea of what he’d want in a 15th man.

“I think that we’ll continue to look for versatility,” Stevens said. “And we’ll continue to look for shooting if the right people become available, if we feel like it’s a great fit for our team or if we need them based on injuries or whatever the case may be.”

Boston is reportedly eyeing Reggie Evans, though that appears to be a long shot, at best, and he wouldn’t fit the criteria Stevens laid out, as King notes. See more from the Atlantic Division:

Tony Brown knows he’s not going to win much as Nets interim coach, but he thinks that if he can make strides in developing the team’s young players, an effort he believes he can achieve in part through a faster tempo, it’ll help his case for his next job, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays. It’s unclear whether Brown has a legitimate chance at staying in the Nets head coaching gig beyond this season. “This is not just an audition for [new Nets GM] Sean [Marks]. A lot of teams are looking to see how I’m doing in this position. It’s a résumé-type deal here,” Brown said.
Evaluating whether soon-to-be free agent Ish Smith is worth keeping as the starting point guard is one of the key tasks the Sixers face down the stretch of the season, argues Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, who heard from one rival executive who doubts Smith is any sort of game-changing force.
Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis doesn’t seem enthusiastic about the team’s addition of Jimmer Fredette on a 10-day contract, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Eastern Rumors: Frye, Evans, Fredette

February 22nd, 2016 at 10:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Channing Frye realizes he may not get much playing time with the Cavaliers, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports. The power forward was acquired in a deadline deal and made his Cleveland debut Monday night, playing nine minutes. “I don’t think they need anything,” Frye told reporters prior to the game. “I think I’m just another option. I like to space the floor and I think I can give guys an opportunity not to get double-teamed. … I know there are All-Stars playing ahead of me so I’m going to have to earn my minutes whenever possible and just be ready.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Veteran power forward Reggie Evans will not be joining the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opines (Video link here). The Celtics were reportedly one of the teams interested in signing Evans, who has not played in the league this season. Blakely said that Celtics won’t be filling their open roster spot, created by the release of power forward David Lee, with the 35-year-old Evans. “If you’re thinking you’re going to get that guy, not going to happen,” Blakely said during the team’s pregame broadcast on Monday.
Point guard Brandon Jennings admits he’s still not all the way back from the Achilles tendon tear that he suffered last January, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Jennings, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, was traded to the Magic last week along with power forward Ersan Ilyasova while forward Tobias Harris was shipped to the Pistons. “My goal was to get back to that level again — and it still is,” Jennings told Robbins. “So, it’s been a challenging year. Coming off the bench, of course, has been challenging for me. It’s the first time I’ve done it in my career. But I took on the challenge. I’ve accepted it.” The Magic brought in the duo to provide some veteran help to a young nucleus as part of a playoff push, Robbins adds.
Interim Knicks coach Kurt Rambis said shooting guard Jimmer Fredette will have to outplay someone over the next 10 days to stay on the roster, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York tweets. Fredette signed a 10-day contract on Monday and played two minutes in the Knicks’ loss to the Raptors on Monday night.

And-Ones: Morris Twins, Gerald Green, Hardaway

February 22nd, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris thought their close relationship with Suns owner Robert Sarver, which included invitations to Sarver’s home to work out on his basketball court, would ensure advance warning of the trade that sent Marcus to the Pistons, the twins told Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. It’s not simply a matter of the trade having separated them, Marcus insists, saying to Bucher that he also would have pulled off the deal that sent him to the Pistons if he thought, as the Suns did, that it would give them a better shot at LaMarcus Aldridge.

“Everybody thinking that we’re upset because we don’t get to play with each other,” Marcus said. “Kieff can’t deal with adversity? We’re from north Philadelphia. This isn’t adversity. This is betrayal.”

The Magic offered Channing Frye for Markieff shortly after the deal that sent Marcus to the Pistons this summer, a league source told Bucher, and the Cavaliers and Bulls were interested in Markieff, too, Bucher hears, also confirming an earlier report that the Pistons held interest in reuniting the brothers. Bucher indicates that the twins were closer with former Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby than with Suns GM Ryan McDonough, suggesting that that the reduction in Babby’s role played a part in the end of the run for the Morrises in Phoenix. See more from around the NBA:

Gerald Green said to Bucher for the same piece that the Suns told him they would re-sign him this past summer but never called his agent back. The Kenton Edelin client instead signed with the Heat, telling Bucher that he holds the Heat organization in a much higher regard than the Suns.
Some Knicks players thought the offseason trade that sent away Tim Hardaway Jr. came about because the organization wanted to avoid an odd dynamic in the locker room between Hardaway and then-coach Derek Fisher, who are rumored to have been involved with the same woman, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Shelvin Mack recorded season highs in minutes, points and assists Sunday in his debut for the Jazz, notes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Quin Snyder‘s familiarity with and endorsement of the point guard and a rave review from former Hawks GM Danny Ferry helped convince the Jazz to trade for Mack on Thursday, as Genessy details in a separate piece.

Eastern Notes: Morris, Teague, Middleton, ‘Melo

February 22nd, 2016 at 12:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ex-Suns coach Jeff Hornacek gave one of the most positive reviews about Markieff Morris that the Wizards encountered when they asked around the league about Markieff Morris prior to last week’s trade, sources told TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip for NBA.com. Wizards coach Randy Wittman said he only heard “rave reviews,” while Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley, former teammates of Morris who are now on the Wizards, told the front office that Morris wouldn’t be a problem, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post details. See more from the Eastern Conference as the ramifications of the trade deadline continue:

The Bucks reportedly had at least passing interest in Jeff Teague, but they weren’t willing to part with Khris Middleton to get a deal done, league sources told Aldridge for the same piece. Milwaukee reportedly held tight to Middleton in talks about Ricky Rubio, too. The Hawks were trying to score both a starter and a first-round pick in would-be trades involving Teague, sources told USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt last week (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, the Pelicans were the team that clung to one of their players in their talks with the Bucks, as the conversation between those teams involving Greg Monroe fell apart when New Orleans refused to give up Jrue Holiday, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Several teams think that if the Knicks don’t make much progress in their rebuilding by the middle of July, Carmelo Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause, Deveney writes in the same piece. The Knicks spoke with the Rockets about Ty Lawson before the trade deadline, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The retention of Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside this summer would almost assuredly mean the end to Luol Deng‘s time with the Heat, observes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who writes in his mailbag column. Front office executives around the league were led to believe that Deng was available on the trade market before last week’s deadline, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt noted (on Twitter).

Knicks Sign Jimmer Fredette To 10-Day Deal

February 22nd, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 9:59am: The signing is official, the Knicks announced (on Twitter). The contract will cover five games, against the Raptors, Pacers, Magic, Heat and Trail Blazers.

SUNDAY 9:04am: Fredette confirmed that he will likely be signing a 10-day contract with Knicks as soon as Monday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports relays (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 1:48pm: The Knicks plan to sign Jimmer Fredette, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). It’ll be a 10-day contract, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (on Twitter). The former 10th overall pick has spent much of the season with New York’s D-League affiliate, and this past weekend he won the MVP award in the D-League All-Star Game. The Knicks have an open roster spot, so they don’t have to make a corresponding move.

Fredette is averaging 22.3 points in 36.2 minutes per game across 28 regular season D-League appearances this season. He’s regained his vaunted outside shooting touch, nailing 40.4% of his 3-pointers. That’s much better than the 9 for 49 clip he’s produced at the NBA level in his limited playing time over the past two seasons. Still, his most profound struggles have come on defense, and his shortcomings on that end reportedly played a key role in New York’s decision to sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo instead of Fredette earlier this season.

The Pelicans had Fredette on their roster for a brief time in November, when he reprised the role of little-used reserve that he played last year with New Orleans. He was with the Spurs in the preseason this past fall on a partially guaranteed deal, but he didn’t make the opening night roster, a signal of how mightily the former BYU star has struggled to translate his college success to the pro level.

Fredette, who turns 27 this coming Thursday, will make close to $60K on the 10-day deal, an amount that exceeds his D-League salary for the entire season. New York will pay close to $56K, the equivalent of the cost of a prorated minimum-salary 10-day contract for a two-year veteran. The NBA picks up the rest.

Atlantic Notes: Okafor, Knicks, Nets

February 21st, 2016 at 5:37pm CST by Will Joseph

The Sixers assured Jahlil Okafor prior to the deadline that the center was a significant part of their future even though his name was attached to trade rumors, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. The Sixers listened to offers involving Okafor, according to reports, but needed an overwhelming deal to move him. The Celtics were rumored to be interested in Okafor, but league sources told Pompey that a deal was never in place.

“Rumors have been coming out about me all year,” Okafor said. “It’s just rumors. People here, I talked to them [beforehand]. We are all good where we are at right now. The rumors keep coming out. I know what’s going on here.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

Nets interim coach Tony Brown believes the decision to part ways with Andrea Bargnani in what is believed to be a buyout deal was best for both parties, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
The Knicks, who did not improve their point guard situation before Thursday’s deadline, hope rookie Jerian Grant, who has been inconsistent, can improve his play, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. Grant is averaging 4.7 points and 2.4 assists per game.
With Kelly Olynyk dealing with a right shoulder injury and David Lee gone, there is a decent chance Celtics rookie Jordan Mickey will receive some playing time sooner rather than later, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com details. Mickey has spent the majority of this season in the D-League.
The vibe around the Nets is a lot more positive recently after Brooklyn hired Sean Marks as its new GM and moved into a new training facility, Lewis writes. “Definitely. It’s almost like it’s a new situation,” Joe Johnson said. “We have this great practice facility. We’ve got everything pretty much at our disposal. Guys come back with a great attitude since the break. You just want to try to finish strong and try to develop some type of chemistry with players that we have here. Just keep improving as a team, individually and see what happens.’’ Marks will spend the second half of the season evaluating the entire organization, per Lewis, and it will be interesting to see what becomes of Brown if Brooklyn continues its positive trend.