New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Lopez, Young, Gasol

May 3rd, 2015 at 7:59pm CST by Will Joseph

The Nets have made it clear to Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young — both can opt out of their current deals — that they would like them to return, Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Young said he first would want to see what Lopez plans to do before making a decision. “I definitely wanna see what the big fella’s gonna do also, but we’ve already been told that they expect us back next year and they want us back next year — no matter if we pick up our options or opt out,” Young said. “But for me, like I said, I’m just gonna factor in everything possible across the board and just try to make the right decision.” In what Mazzeo describes as an uncertain offseason for the Nets, Alan Anderson said he plans to opt out of his current deal, while Mirza Teletovic can become an unrestricted free agent if the Nets don’t submit a qualifying offer.

Here’s more from the Big Apple:

In the same piece, Mazzeo writes that Nets coach Lionel Hollins believes Lopez has the potential to be a franchise player — if the big man’s low-post game gets better.“I think when you look at Brook, I think that you can think about him that way,” Hollins said. “He has some limitations. When I say limitations, I think that if he developed his post-game, he could be a franchise player. But I don’t want to put that pressure on him, to say that if he doesn’t do that, he isn’t. I’m just saying that potentially with size and athleticism and the whole nine yards, from an offensive perspective. But there’s a lot more that goes into a franchise player than just skill, so I don’t even want to go there.” There’s a strong belief around the league, according to previous reports, that Lopez will opt out but re-sign with the Nets on a max deal this summer.
Lopez said his mind isn’t made up on what to do, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “You know, I don’t know,” Lopez said. “There’s lots of different stuff. I haven’t thought about it at all. The season just ended, so I haven’t given it any thought.”
Anderson, on the other hand, is very sure about opting out, Bontemps adds in the same piece. “I’m free,” Anderson said. “I mean, I would love to stay in Brooklyn, but I am a free agent. So I will be free.” The Nets, as Bontemps notes, will have Anderson’s Early Bird rights, giving them some additional flexibility to re-sign him, after he spent the past two years with the team.
Former Knicks player Beno Udrih, who is now on the Grizzlies, said New York doesn’t have much of a shot at landing Memphis’ Marc Gasol, who will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, tweets Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. “They’re not going to get him. He’s a laid-back guy and doesn’t like drama,” Udrih told Zwerling.

Atlantic Notes: Towns, Sixers, Nets, Sullinger

May 3rd, 2015 at 8:53am CST by Arthur Hill

Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns said Knicks president Phil Jackson has the “presence” he’s looking for in his NBA experience, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. “He knows how to win,” Towns said. “At the end of the day, what every player wants to do is win. If I have the opportunity to ever play for the Knicks, that’s what I would love to do.’’ Towns, who is expected to be the first or second player taken in next month’s draft, declined to say if he is rooting for the Knicks — or any other team — to land the top pick. Berman notes that Jackson has said repeatedly that he wants a defensive-oriented center, indicating a preference for Towns over Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.

There’s more this morning from the Atlantic Division:

Towns would be a better fit than Okafor with the Sixers, contends Tom Moore of Calkins Media. He argues that Towns’ shooting range and perimeter defense make him an intriguing frontcourt partner for Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid.
Count Joe Johnson among the many Nets who expect major changes this offseason, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. “I’m sure something is going to happen,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what, but I don’t see us coming back with the same team. This is my third year here and I could see if each year we’ve gotten better, but it’s kind of been the opposite.” Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young and Alan Anderson can all opt out of their current deals. Anderson has already said he plans to test the market, while Lopez and Young haven’t committed. Mirza Teletovic can become an unrestricted free agent if the Nets don’t submit a qualifying offer.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Jared Sullinger needs to improve his conditioning if he wants to prosper in the NBA, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “I’m a big fan of Jared’s, and I think he has a very, very bright future,” Ainge said. “But I think he’s hurting the longevity of his career and his play now by not being in as good of shape as he can be in.” Sullinger is still on his rookie contract and is under Boston’s control through the 2016/17 season.

Latest On LaMarcus Aldridge

May 1st, 2015 at 12:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

LaMarcus Aldridge is indeed thinking of signing with the Spurs or Mavericks, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears, advancing his report from last week that those two teams believe they have a shot to lure him back to his native Texas. San Antonio is “near or at” the top of the Arn Tellem client‘s list, Stein writes, though he suggests the Cavaliers would come into the picture if Kevin Love were to somehow depart and the Cavs found a way to sign-and-trade for Aldridge. Stein reiterates that the Knicks and Lakers plan to go after Aldridge as well. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSSNE.com named the Blazers power forward as one of many marquee free agents the Celtics are expected to pursue this summer.

Aldridge spoke of an “amazing” nine years in Portland and said he’s “not trying to have that end” in a season-ending media session Thursday. It nonetheless seems as if more executives around the league believe that the former No. 2 overall pick will leave Portland in free agency this summer than think he’ll re-sign as he pledged to do last summer, according to Stein. Aldridge, who turns 30 this summer, said “we’ll see” when ESPN’s Chris Broussard asked him recently if the Blazers remained the front-runners for him, Stein notes. Aldridge first seemed to hint at dissatisfaction when he reflected to Michael Lee of The Washington Post on a time when he felt the Blazers didn’t support him, and he told Lee that he wondered how easily the team could move on without him.

Some Blazers observers think Damian Lillard‘s growing stature on the team bothers Aldridge, according to Stein. Still, Lillard, who’s reportedly insisting on a max extension this summer, has said he believes Aldridge will be back. Some Blazers are worried that Aldridge will leave, as The Oregonian’s Jason Quick reported, and one of them told Quick a few weeks ago that he thought it was a 50-50 proposition whether the All-Star power forward would re-sign.

Atlantic Notes: Turner, Prigioni, Draft

April 30th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Evan Turner said this year, his first with the Celtics on a two-year deal, has been his most satisfying in the NBA so far, as he tells Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, and he’s sold on Boston as an attractive place for free agents to go. “Regardless, Boston is always a destination team,” Turner said. “Somebody will always come, whether we make the playoffs or not. It’s the energy and emotion. I’ve talked to some friends who have come here and played: They see that the crowd is crazy, the fan base is crazy, even when we weren’t in the playoff race at the time. People still show up. It’s about basketball, not other gimmicks. There’s certain organizations. The people who work here are classy people. The city is like that. There aren’t many people walking around parading other sports teams. It’s all Boston, compared to some of the places I’ve played in. It’s been fun.”

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Pablo Prigioni admitted that he had requested that the Knicks trade him prior to February’s deadline, and he is grateful to have ended up in Houston, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “When I saw how things were going, it was so clear they were looking more to next season, the summer,’’ Prigioni said. “I felt myself at 38, I have no future on the team. I talked to Derek [Fisher] and told him my desire to send me somewhere so I can enjoy probably my last year in the league. At the deadline it was good for me and the team because they’re looking for young guys to build for the next five years.’’
The veteran point guard indicated that he may play professionally for one more season, though it would most likely be in Europe if he does, Berman notes. Prigioni also said that he wants to try his hand at coaching once his playing career ends, the Post scribe adds.
According to ESPN’s Chad Ford (hat tip to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com), if the Knicks end up with the No. 1 overall pick this June, the franchise would use it to select Karl-Anthony Towns. Following Towns, New York’s top five ranked players in descending order are Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, D’Angelo Russell, and Justise Winslow, Ford notes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Thunder, Warriors, Bargnani

April 29th, 2015 at 10:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Thunder will be over the league’s luxury tax line this season for the first time in team history, and will likely do so again next season if the team wishes to retain restricted free agent Enes Kanter, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes. If OKC decides it wants to avoid the extra cost associated with paying the luxury tax, the Sixers could end up being the beneficiaries, Moore opines. Philadelphia will have enough cap room to add three OKC players who have fallen out of the team’s rotation — forwards Steve Novak and Perry Jones III, and guard Jeremy Lamb, which would in turn lower OKC’s 2015/16 payroll by approximately $8.82MM, though it would likely cost GM Sam Presti the team’s 2015 first-rounder to get the Sixers to bite on such a trade, Moore adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

Stiff opposition has arisen against the Warriors‘ plan to construct a new arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay area, Phil Matier and Andy Ross of The San Francisco Chronicle write. “This arena is going to essentially ruin decades of good work and planning in Mission Bay and make it impossible for people to access the hospital there,” said public relations expert Sam Singer, who has been hired by the group opposing the project, the scribes relay. This opposition comes just a month before the final environmental impact report for the proposed arena is due to be released, which could suggest that the effort is largely aimed at trying to force the team to scale back its ambitious plan for developing 12 acres next to the University of California, San Francisco, the Chronicle duo adds.
Knicks unrestricted free agent Andrea Bargnani spoke with La Gazzetta dello Sport about his future (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando), and indicated he intends to remain in the NBA next season, and favors a return to New York. “I am happy with the Knicks. I love the city and the organization. There is an important project here,” Bargnani told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I will consider all the offers I receive from July. I want to remain in the NBA. And I will. I am at the peak of my basketball career and I want to win in the NBA.” The Knicks are reportedly open to re-signing Bargnani to a minimum salary deal.

Draft Notes: Okafor, Harrison, Tokoto

April 29th, 2015 at 4:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Duke freshman center Jahlil Okafor has signed with agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management, Darren Heitner of the Sports Agent Blog reports (Twitter link). Okafor, 19, is a projected top three pick in June’s draft. Both Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress rank the big man as the No. 2 overall prospect behind Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns.

Here’s more news regarding June’s NBA Draft:

Duffy has also signed on to represent Kansas freshman Kelly Oubre, Cameron Chung of the Sports Agent Blog reports. Oubre is the No. 12 overall prospect according to both Ford and Givony. You can check out our full prospect profile for Oubre here.
Senior shooting guard D’Angelo Harrison has signed with agent Bernie Lee of Lee Basketball Services, Lee announced via Twitter. The 21-year-old out of St. John’s University isn’t projected to be taken in June, with ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) ranking him as the No. 104 overall prospect.
Projected second-rounder J.P. Tokoto has signed with agent Steve McCaskill of Relativity Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). DraftExpress ranks the junior out of North Carolina as the No. 42 overall prospect, while ESPN.com slots him at No. 47.
In a chat with readers, Ford shares his thoughts on whom the Wolves, Knicks, Lakers and Magic rank as their top five draft prospects.

Atlantic Notes: Love, Celtics, Brand, Raptors

April 28th, 2015 at 3:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

People around the Celtics were intrigued to hear of what had been Kevin Love‘s growing fondness for the team, and while the C’s plan to pursue him, they believe he’ll back with the Cavs for next season, a league source told Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. That was before Cavs GM David Griffin announced that Love will likely miss the rest of the playoffs and that surgery on his injured shoulder is a possibility. It’s unclear whether the Celtics will land Love or another star, but an active summer is surely ahead, as I wrote today in examining the Celtics offseason, and Murphy has more clues about what’s ahead for Boston amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko are among the Celtics who want to re-sign with the team, Murphy notes in the same piece as he looks at the status of every player on the team’s roster. The Celtics are interested in keeping Crowder but haven’t decided on Jerebko or Brandon Bass, whose desire to remain in Boston is well–documented, as Murphy details.
The Knicks expressed their interest in Elton Brand to the big man immediately after free agency began last July, and he’d consider signing with them if they pursue him again this summer, the 36-year-old New York native tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Brand, who’s also pondering retirement, passed on a minimum-salary offer from the Knicks last year to sign a one-year, $2MM deal with the Hawks, as Berman details. Knicks team president Phil Jackson might have had more than Brand in mind last summer, since Brand’s agent, David Falk, also represents Greg Monroe, a rumored Knicks target, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Sportsnet’s Michael Grange views Kyle Lowry‘s comments about coach Dwane Casey on Monday as a rather tepid endorsement, though those who know the point guard tell Grange there wasn’t any hidden meaning and that there’s no tension between player and coach. GM Masai Ujiri offered praise for Lowry today but wouldn’t commit to bringing Casey back. Grange argues that Casey couldn’t have been expected to take the Raptors much farther.

Atlantic Notes: Casey, Knicks, Lopez

April 27th, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dwane Casey will probably return as Raptors head coach next season even though the team got swept by the underdog Wizards in the playoffs, Eric Koreen of The National Post opines. Casey has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract and Koreen anticipates the team’s management will give him another chance unless a proven coach that GM Masai Ujiri likes, such as the Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau, becomes available. The Raptors will likely cut ties with all of their unrestricted free agents, a list that includes Landry Fields, Amir Johnson, Greg Stiemsma, Tyler Hansbrough, Chuck Hayes and Lou Williams, according to Koreen. The Raptors need to upgrade at the forward spots and improve defensively to become a serious contender, which is why no one on the roster is a lock to return next season, Koreen concludes.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks need more veteran leaders in their locker room even if Carmelo Anthony becomes more of a vocal leader next season, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York. The Knicks had several of those players, including Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby, in 2013/14 when they won 54 games, Begley points out. David West might fit that description if the Pacers forward declines his $12.6MM player option for next season, Begley adds.
Brook Lopez‘s strong finish makes his decision on whether to exercise his $16.7MM player option for next season a difficult one, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.com reports. It might be wise for the Nets center to opt out and seek long-term security this summer, given his rising stock and injury history, Scotto continues. On the flip side, Lopez might be competing for offers with a number of other high-profile centers who will enter the market this summer, including Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, Tyson Chandler and Omer Asik, Scotto adds. One GM who thinks Lopez would put himself at too much risk for injury if he opts in tells Scotto that he believes the center would merit salaries around $16MM on the open market, essentially mirroring the value of his option.
Luigi Datome made a point of praising the Celtics on his Facebook page Monday, Braden Campbell of Boston.com reports, a strong indicator he hopes Boston will re-sign him. Datome, who will be unrestricted free agent this summer, was dealt to the Celtics by the Pistons at the trade deadline. Datome, who praised everyone from the team’s management to arena workers, added in the Facebook post that he would value every proposal that comes his way this summer. He probably won’t get one from Boston, since Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has already expressed doubt that the team would have a roster spot available for Datome next season.

Atlantic Notes: Hardaway, Knicks, Sixers, Nets

April 26th, 2015 at 11:47am CST by ChrisCrouse

Tim Hardaway Jr. showed promise this season and Marc Berman of the New York Post believes the Michigan product has significant trade value. Berman believes Hardaway could net a late first-rounder or an early second-rounder in a trade. The Knicks reportedly were shopping the guard, among other players, at this year’s trade deadline, but his improvement down the stretch has impressed the team. “Tim Hardaway has been both good and average at certain times, but he has a bright future,’’ Team President Phil Jackson said. “He’s a solidifying guard who can move to small forward or guard.’’

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

If the Knicks win the draft lottery, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) believes Karl-Anthony Towns is the no-brainer selection, as he writes in a collaborate piece with Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com. Ford notes that Okafor would be an option for New York, but he is a gamble the team is not in a position to make.
The Sixers already spent three first-round picks on frontcourt players over the last two drafts and Pelton wonders if the team will draft either Towns or Jahlik Okafor if it lands one of the top two draft picks, as he writes in the same piece. Philadelphia is reportedly hoping to land D’Angelo Russell in the draft.
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post wonders if changes will be made to the Nets‘ roster this offseason. If Brook Lopez opts to become a free agent, Brooklyn has to decide whether the retaining the core of Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams is worth paying the luxury tax. The Nets already have slightly under $58.7 in guaranteed salary for the 2015/16 season as our Salary Commitment page shows.

Atlantic Notes: Russell, Brown, Jack, Knicks

April 25th, 2015 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are hoping to land Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell in June’s draft, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “That’s the word around the league,” according to an unidentified NBA executive. “You know the Sixers. They won’t come out and say it. But he’s the guy they want.” The source adds that Philly might have to land the first or second pick in the May 19th lottery to be assured of getting Russell. They finished the season with the league’s third-worst record. Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor have been widely considered the top two choices, but the Sixers have a wealth of young big men and are in need of backcourt help.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

If the Sixers want to keep coach Brett Brown beyond his current contract, they should start extension talks this summer, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Brown is currently in the middle of a four-year deal that stretches through the 2016/17 season. His record through two years is 37-127, but that’s with a collection of young players and castoffs as Philadelphia has emphasized collecting assets ahead of winning, Moore notes.
Jarrett Jack is turning out to be a valuable pickup for the Nets, contends Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. Jack was acquired from Cleveland last summer in a three-team trade when the Cavaliers were trying to clear enough cap room to sign LeBron James. Mazzeo said Jack has been the Nets’ best point guard in their playoff series with Atlanta. He sparked an 18-0 surge that helped Brooklyn pull out today’s Game 3. Jack is signed through the 2016/17 season, making $6.3MM per year.
Knicks president Phil Jackson said this week that the team needs “a player that wants to go to the basket,” reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. If New York doesn’t fill that need through the draft, it could use approximately $25MM to chase free agent guards like Goran Dragic, Rajon Rondo and Reggie Jackson this summer.