New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Extension Rumors: Leonard, Thompson, Cole

October 17th, 2014 at 11:24am CST by Chuck Myron

The deadline for teams to sign rookie scale extensions with their eligible players is two weeks from today, and while only six players came to deals last time around, that number has the potential to be much larger this year, notes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein has more on many of those extension hopefuls that adds to the storylines we’ve been following throughout the offseason:

Kawhi Leonard, Tristan Thompson, and Norris Cole are among the players who are in active negotiations with their respective teams about rookie scale extensions, Stein reports. Klay Thompson, Ricky Rubio, Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler, Reggie Jackson, Brandon Knight, Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks are also in active extension talks, according to Stein, who advances earlier reports that all of them had engaged in talks.
Iman Shumpert and the Knicks are also discussing an extension, Stein writes, countering a report from a few weeks ago that indicated that the sides hadn’t engaged in talks and that New York was content to let the swingman hit restricted free agency next summer.
Klay Thompson’s camp is considering the idea of going after an offer sheet similar to the one the Mavs gave Chandler Parsons if Thompson and the Warriors don’t come to an extension this month, Stein hears. Parsons’ near-max deal runs three years and includes a player option and a 15% trade kicker. Rival GMs have expressed admiration for its structure and Rockets GM Daryl Morey pointed to the difficulty that trading such a contract would entail shortly after he decided against matching it. The player option would allow Thompson to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2017, which is when Stephen Curry‘s deal is set to end, as Stein points out.
The Lakers have attempted to trade for Thompson in the past, Stein notes, though he doesn’t make any suggestion that they’re planning an aggressive push for the shooting guard if he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.

Eastern Notes: Allen, Heat, Cavs

October 16th, 2014 at 9:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Many around the NBA believe Ray Allen will become a member of the Cavs this season and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is among the Cleveland optimists. “My gut tells me he’ll join the Cavs,” Amico said. Cleveland is among the many teams with interest in bringing the shooting guard aboard. Amico also notes that he believes Allen has already decided on whether or not he’ll play this season, and where.

Here’s more from Eastern Conference:

After he struggled last postseason there were doubts the Heat would re-sign Mario Chalmers, but head coach Eric Spoelstra is a firm believer in the point guard, writes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. “He’s one of the all-time clutch players in this game,” Spoelstra said. “How many times does he have to prove himself?”
In a separate piece, Richardson documents how the environment around the Heat is changing post-LeBron James. Dwyane Wade couldn’t be happier about the changes. “It’s more relaxed, more chill, an opportunity we can get some work in,” Wade said. “We can actually make some mistakes and not do things as great and not really be talked about as much. We’re a team that needs time individually to get comfortable with whatever roles we’re going to be in. It’s good it’s quiet.”
Although Kevin Love‘s neck injury isn’t believed to be too serious, Jeff Caplan of NBA.com wonders if LeBron’s new teammates can stay healthy. Caplan points out the injury history of Love and Kyrie Irving and notes how crucial it is that the new big three get as much time on the court together as possible
There are Atlantic Division teams that have young players with the potential to improve such as Terrence Ross of the Raptors and Tyler Zeller of the Celtics, writes Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com. Mason Plumlee of the Nets, Iman Shumpert of the Knicks and Michael Carter-Williams of the Sixers are also among the players Tjarks lists as internal improvement candidates for the coming season.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Celtics, Cavs

October 15th, 2014 at 9:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

One of the major storylines in New York this season will be how well the Knicks adapt to the triangle offense. Shaquille O’Neal, who played in the triangle during his time with the Lakers, told Mitch Lawrence of NBCNewYork.com, “For the triangle to work, you need to have two superstars. It’s been proven over time. Look at what Phil [Jackson] needed to win his championships in Chicago. Then look what he had in L.A., with me and Kobe. You have to have two superstars playing in the triangle to win championships.’’ Jackson hopes to add that second superstar during next summer’s free agent signing period when Andrea Bargnani‘s and Amar’e Stoudemire‘s contracts come off the books.

Here’s more from the east:

With the Celtics carrying 16 fully guaranteed contracts on their preseason roster, at least one of those players will need to be traded or waived prior to the beginning of the regular season. Brian Robb of Boston.com looks at the reasons why Boston shouldn’t waive Vitor Faverani despite his injury concerns.
Ben Rohrbach of WEEI 93.7 FM breaks down the numbers on Evan Turner and what the swingman brings to the Celtics franchise.
When asked what led him to sign with the Cavs, Shawn Marion said that LeBron James wasn’t enough to sway him, but LeBron and Kevin Love combined were, Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes. “LeBron coming here wasn’t enough. It was more so finalizing the deal with Love. That sold it,” Marion said. “That made it more realistic, like we do have a shot to win the championship this year.”

Atlantic Notes: Stiemsma, Sixers, Calderon

October 14th, 2014 at 12:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s rare that a Sunday afternoon preseason game draws much attention, but this Sunday’s Celtics–Nets game will be an exception. They’ll play 44 minutes instead of the standard 48 as the NBA experiments with a shorter game time, the league announced. Coaches around the league and the NBA’s competition committee expressed support for the idea, as NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Boston and Brooklyn volunteered to try it out, Zillgitt adds. Still, Jared Dudley took to Twitter to express concern about the way a shorter game would affect playing time and contract value for bench players. The league has no plans at this point to have another 44-minute game, and the experiment also includes fewer timeouts, and thus fewer advertising opportunities, so I’m skeptical that all parties will agree to 44-minute games in the future. Still, it’ll be interesting to see how it goes. Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

Greg Stiemsma‘s contract with the Raptors is partially guaranteed for $25K, Hoops Rumors has learned. That puts him on equal financial footing with teammates Jordan Hamilton and Will Cherry, who have partial guarantees for the same amount. The three appear to be jockeying for a single opening-night roster spot, since Toronto has 13 full guarantees and a $5MM partial guarantee with Amir Johnson.
The history of teams that win 20 games or fewer shows that they almost always bounce back into the playoffs within a few years, and that helps explain the Sixers‘ confidence in their radical rebuilding plan, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News examines.
Dwane Casey continues to be fond of Knicks point guard Jose Calderon, whom he coached on the Raptors, and the feeling is mutual, observes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Calderon, Williams, Nets, Jack

October 13th, 2014 at 10:28pm CST by Charlie Adams

Over 50% of Hoops Rumors readers think that Raptors have the best shot at winning the Atlantic Division this season, and Toronto certainly looked impressive tonight as they bested the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. We’ll round up the latest on the Knicks, Raptors, and Nets below in tonight’s look at the Atlantic..

Jose Calderon spent his first seven-and-a-half seasons in the NBA as a member of the Raptors, but after a spending a year in Dallas, he’s happy to return to the Atlantic Division and kick off his tenure with the Knicks. “It’s been great,” Calderon told Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, “(Derek Fisher projects the) confidence that he’s been coaching for years now, I like that, I think everybody’s comfortable with him, but now it’s going to be about timing. New (Triangle) system, new game, new players, new coaching staff, so you need some time, but we’re on the right path we’ve got to keep going.”
David Aldridge of TNT complies a list of 10 under-the-radar players who might be poised for breakout seasons. Among those on the list is recently acquired Raptors guard Lou Williams. The 27-year-old is looking for a bounce back year after struggling to recover from a torn ACL in Atlanta last season.
Joe Johnson is excited about the Nets’ offseason acquisition of Jarrett Jack, as Robert Windrem of Nets Daily transcribes. “I think Jarrett’s probably going to be one of the biggest X-factors for this team,” said Johnson. “I think he’s very underrated, a guy that can do multiple things, as far as catch and shoot, shooting off the dribble, create, defending, another ball handler who can break down the defense. So I think it’s only a plus for us, man. I was excited when we got him.“

And-Ones: Jackson, Knicks, Draft, Towns

October 12th, 2014 at 9:38pm CST by Zachary Links

At a public event earlier today in New York, Knicks president Phil Jackson reiterated that he’ll be the one making the basketball decisions and said he’ll only consult owner James Dolan on spending matters, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Things have been different in the past, of course, but Jackson said that Dolan only got overly involved in the past because he felt he was forced to (link). As evidence that Dolan is now hands-off, Jackson noted that he was told he didn’t have to re-sign Carmelo Anthony this summer if he didn’t think it was the right move (link). Here’s more from around the Association..

With the first Kentucky Combine in the books (yes, you read that right), Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress looks at how the Wildcats’ NBA prospects fared. UK’s Karl Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, and Alex Poythress are all possible first-round picks in the 2015 draft.
An NBA scout at the combine told Adam Zagoria of SNY (on Twitter) that Towns is their best prospect “and it’s not even close.” The big man is currently slated to go No. 3 in DraftExpress’ 2015 mock.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has high hopes for what offseason addition Pau Gasol can do on the defensive end, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. “He could do better,” Thibodeau said. “He’s done well, but I think he could be great. That’s what I want him to be. He’s got great length, he’s got great timing. He’s smart. He can anticipate. He’s still not communicating as well as he’s capable of, but he’s done well thus far.”

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Knicks, Blatt

October 12th, 2014 at 12:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

While some may chide the Sixers for their rebuilding through the draft lottery strategy, the team could most certainly get the last laugh, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. In comparing the Sixers and the Celtics, Bulpett favors the Sixers situation because they have more actual NBA prospects on the roster, rather than having to gamble solely on future first-round picks working out favorably.

Here’s more from the east:

The Knicks were one of the teams that attended Kentucky’s weekend scouting combine, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). New York possesses a first-rounder in next year’s NBA Draft, a rare occurrence for the franchise in recent years, and the Wildcats are expected to field a number of lottery prospects this season.
New Cavs head coach David Blatt is transitioning from Europe to the NBA, and Jordan Brenner of ESPN.com chronicles his journey. Brenner traces Blatt’s steps back the the U.S., and opines that establishing a rapport with the game’s best and most powerful player, LeBron James, will be his most crucial task.
New Knicks point guard Jose Calderon is destined to become a fan favorite, mainly because Calderon is replacing the departed Raymond Felton, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News writes. “Well, I want to be better,” Calderon said of replacing Felton. “I don’t know if it’s going to be because of me. I’m going to try to do my best for this team to do the best we can do, go as far as we can go. It’s not only one thing. I think we are a team, too many things to say only one position, one weakness. Last year, I don’t know how many wins they had — 30-something — don’t think it’s only one guy.”

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Steve Kerr On Warriors, Knicks, Jackson

October 11th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Eddie Scarito

Steve Kerr is stepping out from behind the microphone as an announcer and venturing into new territory as an NBA rookie head coach with the Warriors this season. Golden State wasn’t his only suitor this summer, and Kerr was the heavy favorite to land the Knicks coaching position before deciding to pick up the clipboard in Oakland. Kerr sat down with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com for an interview, and here are some of the highlights…

On why he doesn’t want to return to a front office role:

“I like being on the court. I enjoyed the job, but you’re never on the court as a GM. You’re always upstairs and talking to agents. It’s a more-corporate position. I’d rather dress like this (T-shirt, shorts) every day to practice, to be honest with you. I like working with players and I like the game itself.”

On what the Knicks-Warriors decision came down to for him:

“New York was very intriguing, especially my relationship with Phil [Jackson] and the opportunity he was presenting me, and the Knicks, the franchise itself and the history. But it would have been a really, really difficult situation in terms of the family and being all the way across the country. I just felt better suited to work with these guys here, this younger roster with a more established core. It just felt more comfortable.”

On the differences between Golden State’s and New York’s rosters:

“The fact that the Knicks were in the East and were a year away from cap room was really intriguing. I think the Knicks are a playoff team right now and I think they’re going to get better and I think a year from now they’ll have a chance to make a real splash in free agency. The basketball situation, particularly being aligned with Phil, was very intriguing actually. It much more came down to lifestyle and family and the established roster here. On the flip side, we’re in the West. (He laughs) That was a negative. But can’t do much about that.”

On how close he was to coaching the Knicks:

“I came close. It was very difficult to turn down. Agonizing. I actually at one point told Phil I was going to come, without knowing anything about contracts and without really talking in detail about certain circumstances. At one point I told him, “I’m coming,” but the caveat that we need to hash the rest of this out. And that’s when the Golden State job opened up and that’s when they were able to contact me and I was able to explore it. The timing was weird.”

On if Phil Jackson was disappointed in Kerr heading to the Warriors:

“He [Jackson] understood. In fact, he said, ‘If you had come here and regretted it, it would have been the worst thing for both of us.’ That’s why Phil’s Phil. He understands people. In hindsight, it probably would have been best not committing, not saying anything, just saying, Look, I need to talk to Golden State. But the timing was an issue on both ends. It was very tricky. Anyway, it all worked out. I think the Knicks ended up with a great coach and Derek (Fisher) and Phil will do well together and I’m happy to be here with (general manager) Bob (Myers) and the team.”

Eastern Notes: Anthony, Nets Sale, Heat

October 10th, 2014 at 10:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Carmelo Anthony said that the players and the league should prepare themselves for another lockout in 2017, and if it indeed comes to that, he doesn’t think the owners can complain about losing money this time around, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “I think we have to prepare for a work stoppage,” Anthony said. “And that’s the worst-case scenario at this point in time. So I think guys should start preparing for that now. I don’t think you really have to focus and think about it at this stage. But just keep in the back of your mind that it is a [possibility].”

Here’s more from the east:

The Nets are currently reviewing “multiple” proposals from the Guggenheim Group despite the reports that the potential sale of the franchise was in jeopardy, Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News reports. A source with knowledge of the negotiations told Abramson, “Negotiations are taking a cooling off period since they’ve been played out in the media but there have been proposals to the Nets and they’re still being considered. Because of the amount of media attention, there’s a calming off period that’s going on but interest still remains by both parties and yes there was a proposal – multiple proposals – that were given to the Nets that are still being considered.”
With the 2014 draft class having been hyped as one of the best in years, the focus will now be on how the rookies perform under the spotlight of the NBA regular season. Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders runs down five “under-the-radar” rookies to watch for, including Nikola Mirotic (Bulls); Cleanthony Early (Knicks); and K.J. McDaniels (Sixers).
When the Heat face off with LeBron James and the Cavs in Rio tomorrow, the main focus for Miami will be on speeding up the rebuilding process, not on James being in a different uniform, Tales Azzoni of The Associated Press writes. “We are trying to understand that we are behind the eight ball because we’ve got 13 new guys,” Dwyane Wade said. “We’ve only been together for 10 days on the basketball floor. We’ve got to all understand that we’ve got to have patience, because the last two years just happened, we had the same team and it just happened. But now this is not that kind of team, so we all have to have patience and understand that it’s a process.”

And-Ones: Butler, Caven, Jefferson, Macklin

October 9th, 2014 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jimmy Butler is focusing on basketball rather than becoming a restricted free agent next summer, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Friedell adds that Butler may seek more than the $9.7MM annual salary that former Bulls teammate Luol Deng received this offseason from the Heat. When the topic of the new TV deal was broached, Butler deflected the question, saying, “I don’t know nothing about a TV deal. I just know that it’s my contract year, and I got to play well and I want to help us win. That’s all that I know.” Butler will be one of the first players to sign a deal in the new cap era, Friedell notes.

Here’s more from around the league:

The contracts of D.J. Mbenga (Knicks), Jason Kapono (Warriors), and Yuki Togashi (Mavs) are all non-guaranteed, minimum salary camp deals, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Kapono’s deal is for one season, Pincus notes on Golden State’s salary page.
One of Europe’s top prospects, Joonas Caven, a 6’11” big man from Finland, will enter the NBA D-League Draft this year, according to his agent K.C. Callero, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reports (Twitter link). Caven is targeting the 2015 NBA Draft and the D-League will act as a showcase for his talents, notes Carchia.
The Pelicans waived Vernon Macklin so that he could pursue an opportunity to play in Europe, John Reid of The Times-Picayune reports (Twitter link).
One of the newest members of the Mavs, Richard Jefferson, accepted a veteran’s minimum deal this offseason, but that doesn’t mean he is willing to settle for a minimal role, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. MacMahon adds that Jefferson understands that he won’t be a starter but he is determined to find his niche on the team. “I like to believe myself to be an everyday contributor,” said Jefferson. “Whether it works out that way remains to be seen, but my job is just to stay ready.“

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.