Carmelo Anthony To Miss Rest Of Season
2:11pm: Anthony is indeed out for the season, the Knicks announced (Twitter links). Team president Phil Jackson told reporters that he estimates it’ll be four to six months until Anthony is ready for action again, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
10:48am: The Knicks are set to declare Carmelo Anthony out for the rest of the season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). He’ll be having surgery soon on his troublesome left knee, Stein adds. The news is no surprise, particularly since Anthony acknowledged last week that it was “very likely” he’d stop playing after the All-Star break, hinting that the All-Star Game would be his final action in 2014/15. Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote recently that the “prevailing theory” has been that the All-Star Game would be his season finale.
Two sources close to the veteran forward have confirmed that Anthony has elected to have surgery on his knee, Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today report. The procedure is a knee debridement, which will remove scar tissue and calcification and other debris that is causing pain and discomfort, Amick and Zillgitt note. With the Knicks’ season a lost cause, having Anthony out for the remainder of the season should increase New York’s chances of securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. The Knicks further improved their lottery odds when the team agreed to a buyout arrangement with forward Amar’e Stoudemire earlier this week.
Anthony is in the first year of a five-year, $124MM contract that he signed last July. In 40 appearances this season, ‘Melo has averaged 24.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 35.7 minutes per contest. His career numbers are 25.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 3.1 APG. His career slash line is .455/.345/.811.
Suns Intend To Trade Goran Dragic
WEDNESDAY, 7:55am: The Celtics are jumping into the Dragic sweepstakes, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who indicates that they have an outside shot at this point (All four Twitter links). They have attractive assets and, like the Rockets and Kings, are willing to trade for Dragic without assurances he’d re-sign this summer, Stein adds. Part of the reason all three are on board with doing so is their belief that the chance to offer him a five-year deal this summer instead of one that covers only four seasons is a crucial edge, according to Stein. Only teams with a player’s Bird rights may offer a player a five-year deal, as Stein points out, and any club that trades for Dragic at the deadline inherits his Bird rights.
11:51pm: The Kings want Dragic “bad,” a source told Spears (Twitter link). Sacramento could conceivably deal Jason Thompson and Nik Stauskas to clear enough cap space to make Dragic a max contract offer this summer, the Yahoo! scribe adds.
11:45pm: The Rockets have an interest in acquiring Dragic, but he has privately expressed the fear that Houston would later deal him if he signed with the franchise long-term, Wojnarowski relays.
10:17pm: The Pacers are also a possible destination for Dragic, Wojnarowski reports.
9:50pm: There are a total of seven teams listed that Dragic would prefer to play for, Amick tweets.
9:34pm: Dragic’s preferred teams also include the Knicks and the Heat, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).
9:30pm: The Rockets, despite their interest in Dragic, are not one of the teams likely to secure a long-term commitment from the guard, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
9:26pm: Dragic’s agent Bill Duffy provided the Suns with a list of teams that Dragic would prefer to be traded to, which included the Lakers, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports adds.
9:21pm: When asked if there was any scenario in which Dragic would stay in Phoenix, a source close to him told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), “Don’t think so.”
9:17pm: The Suns have informed Dragic that the team will accept his request for a trade and will work to move him before the deadline, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). Dragic’s agent had informed the team that his client would not re-sign with the Suns this summer, Sam Amick of USA Today reports.
2:03pm: Dragic’s discontent with the crowded Phoenix backcourt is growing, and several league sources tell Wojnarowski they believe that the Suns have to move Thomas before July to have a chance at re-signing Dragic. Still, there’s a “strong belief” that Dragic will re-sign with Phoenix if he once more finds the comfort he used to have there, Wojnarowski writes, citing Dragic’s strong relationship with coach Jeff Hornacek and GM Ryan McDonough as well as his enjoyment of playing with his brother, Zoran. It’s not out of the realm of possibility the Suns will trade Dragic before Thursday’s deadline, but it’s extremely unlikely, according to Wojnarowski.
TUESDAY, 11:20am: An opposing team would have to give up a young player with All-Star potential and a draft pick for the Suns to even consider trading Dragic, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter links). It’s far more likely the Suns would deal Thomas or Gerald Green, Wojnarowski hears. Phoenix is making Green available, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote earlier this morning when he identified the Knicks as a team with interest in Dragic.
3:37pm: Dragic’s agent has plans to meet with the Suns on Tuesday, but Phoenix remains determined to re-sign the guard this summer, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
2:52pm: The “sense” is that the Suns are ready to deal Dragic rather than see him walk in free agency this year, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck tweets.
MONDAY, 1:18pm: Phoenix is inclined to keep Dragic, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes in his weekly power rankings column.
SATURDAY, 7:50am: The Suns are more apt to try and trade Isaiah Thomas than to deal Dragic prior to the deadline to restore their roster balance, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
1:49pm: The latest version of Stein’s story backs off the assertion that the Lakers plan a max offer to Dragic, saying only that the team intends to propose a four-year deal that would be worth as much as $80MM if it approaches max territory. In any case, Stein also passes along comments Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby made to Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic indicating that Phoenix will be proactive at the trade deadline.
“I would take the fifth, generally, on any of these specific trade rumors,” Babby said. “What I would say is I expect us to be active. And what I mean by that is we’re not going to just sit here and wait for the phone to ring. We’ll be initiating calls to every team, and taking the temperature of what’s out there and what’s available. And it wouldn’t surprise me at all if we do something between now and next Thursday.”
FRIDAY, 11:08am: The Heat are the latest team rumored to have interest in Goran Dragic, but the Rockets and Lakers, who’ve been eyeing him for months, appear poised to take another go at him before Thursday’s trade deadline, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Houston hopes to talk seriously with Phoenix about a deal in the coming days, sources tell Stein, while the Lakers presumably would like the same as they plan a max offer for him in free agency this summer, Stein also hears. Phoenix has been turning away suitors for Dragic of late, but sources tell Stein that the Suns have been trying to get a read all season on whether the reigning Most Improved Player will re-sign when them this summer. Dragic plans to turn down a $7.5MM player option for next season and hasn’t ruled out leaving Phoenix.
The 28-year-old acknowledged this month that he’s felt frustration with Phoenix’s crowded backcourt, according to Stein. His numbers, including minutes and shot attempts, are down this season after a career year in 2013/14. GM Ryan McDonough acknowledged fault this week for overloading the team’s backcourt, which also includes Eric Bledsoe and Thomas, both of whom the Suns signed to long-term deals this summer, and 2014 first-round pick Tyler Ennis.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey and company would still like to make another significant addition this season after adding Corey Brewer and Josh Smith, Stein writes. Dragic, whom the Rockets have already tried to trade for this season, as Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today wrote last month, would be the biggest boost of the season for Houston, which is without Dwight Howard for at least another three weeks. The Rockets no longer have a trade exception of $1MM or more to use, but they have a better store of trade chips than the Lakers do, as I wrote when I examined Dragic’s trade candidacy.
The Suns are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in return for Dragic. They already have the Lakers’ first-rounder this year unless it falls within the top five selections. The Rockets will send the Lakers their first-round pick if they make the playoffs this year, but Houston has a protected first-rounder coming from the Pelicans.
Knicks, Lakers Interested In Miles Plumlee
The Knicks and Lakers are eyeing Miles Plumlee as the trade deadline approaches, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter links). Amick suggests that Plumlee would welcome a trade from the Suns, which seems in line with the notion that agent Mark Bartelstein has been working with the team to try to find a trade partner, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last month. The Suns have also sought a first-round pick for the center, Stein also heard, a return they’ve seemed highly unlikely to obtain. It’s unclear whether the Knicks and Lakers are willing to pay that price.
Neither New York nor Los Angeles wants to compromise cap flexibility for the future, but Plumlee is due to make only about $2.109MM next season in the final year of his rookie scale contract, as Amick points out. He’ll nonetheless be extension-eligible this fall, meaning he could command a significant raise for 2015/16 depending upon his performance.
Phoenix recently took the starting center job away from Plumlee to give it instead to former No. 5 overall pick Alex Len after Plumlee started 78 times last season. He’s seeing just 18.6 minutes per game this season.
Kyler’s Latest: Dragic, Deng, Garnett, Lawson
The Knicks have engaged the Suns in talks as they keep an eye on Goran Dragic, just as the Lakers have done, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in his NBA AM piece. The Knicks and Lakers would be on board with trading for a player whom they could otherwise just wait to sign outright in free agency this summer, like Dragic, but it doesn’t seem that either would give up major assets in any such swap. Kyler has plenty more new information with the trade deadline just two days off, and we’ll hit the highlights here:
- Miami is open to trading Luol Deng, according to Kyler, who suggests that the veteran small forward isn’t garnering the sort of interest it would take for him to be traded. Kyler also lists Norris Cole, Chris Andersen and Danny Granger as players the Heat are making available, which jibes with earlier reports on all three.
- Golden State is “more than” interested in Kevin Garnett, Kyler hears, which advances a suggestion from Grantland’s Zach Lowe on Monday that the Warriors would like to try to convince Garnett to waive his no-trade clause. The 20th-year veteran reportedly has no plans to seek a buyout.
- The Bucks are “being linked” to Ty Lawson, Kyler writes, though it’s unclear just what sort of interest is there.
- The Bulls would think about trading Tony Snell for a veteran shooting guard who fits what they’re looking for, Kyler writes. Still, while Chicago is speaking generally about doing some deals before the deadline, the team doesn’t appear to be willing to give up what it would take, according to Kyler.
- The Suns are making Gerald Green available, according to Kyler.
- Charlotte has interest in Wilson Chandler, but the Hornets would prefer to trade for Arron Afflalo, as Kyler hears. That’s the reverse of the Blazers‘ apparent preference. The Bulls are “sniffing at” both players, too, Kyler adds, nonetheless casting doubt once more on whether Chicago is willing to give up the assets necessary to swing a deal.
- Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas have come up in trade rumors, but it’s more likely that the Raptors deal someone on an expiring contract, according to Kyler, naming Landry Fields, Tyler Hansbrough and Amir Johnson as examples.
- Sources close to the Pacers tell Kyler that David West is likely to opt in with the Pacers for next season, when his contract calls for him to make $12.6MM.
- There is “a sense” that the Magic are making Ben Gordon and Luke Ridnour available, Kyler says.
Atlantic Notes: Wallace, Celtics, ‘Melo, Carlesimo
A Western Conference team has been inquiring with the Celtics about Gerald Wallace, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The veteran forward makes nearly $10.106MM this season and the same salary next year, making him Boston’s highest-paid player and difficult to trade. The proposals the Celtics have received for him and others are “lowball” offers, Bulpett says, though in Wallace’s case, that’s certainly not surprising, given the albatross his contract has represented ever since Boston acquired him in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade of 2013. There’s more from Bulpett’s piece on the Celtics amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics reportedly have interest in Ty Lawson and Enes Kanter, but it’s unlikely either winds up in Boston come the trade deadline, as Bulpett writes in the same piece. Kanter’s public trade request is concerning to potential suitors, several league sources tell the Herald scribe.
- Some within the Knicks have for weeks wanted Carmelo Anthony to stop playing this season so he can tend to his injured left knee, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The summer ahead will show whether the Knicks under Phil Jackson can truly commit to a long-range plan or fall prey to the sort of quick-fix moves that have hurt the team in recent years, opines Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal.
- P.J. Carlesimo admits he’d like to coach in the NBA again and thought his productive, albeit brief tenure with the Nets two years ago might help boost his stock around the league. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News has the details via Twitlonger.
- Jerryd Bayless spoke glowingly about the time he spent with the Celtics and even admitted he would’ve liked to have re-signed with Boston when he was a free agent last summer, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe relays. Still, the seventh-year guard was quick to express a fondness for the Bucks, with whom he signed a two-year contract in July.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Horford, Williams
It’s doubtful that the Knicks will be able to trade Jose Calderon or Andrea Bargnani, but a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that a smaller deal could happen. Calderon, who Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors examined as a trade candidate, is making slightly less than $7.1MM this season and is owed more than $15.1MM over the remaining two years of his deal. Bargnani, whom Eddie believes is unlikely to be traded, is set to make $11.5 this season, which is the last year of his current contract.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Al Horford said that he doesn’t know whether the Hawks should reinstate GM Danny Ferry from his indefinite absence, and Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald takes it as a signal that Horford isn’t warm to the idea of Ferry returning.
- Mo Williams had a trade kicker in his deal, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), so he went from making $3.75MM to just under $3.97MM. The Timberwolves paid the difference, though the new number counts on Charlotte’s cap.
- Tim Frazier, whose 10-day contract with the Sixers has expired, will return to the Maine Red Claws, the D-League affiliate of the Celtics, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The point guard appeared in three games with Philadelphia, averaging five points, 4.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game.
- Kyle Lowry has blossomed into a star in Toronto but the point guard was skeptical at first when he was acquired by the Raptors, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “Well no, honestly I didn’t think [this is where everything would work out],” Lowry said of Toronto. “But with all the hard work I put in and the commitment they made to me, everything just kind of came into fruition and it worked out.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post
Fallout From Stoudemire’s Knicks Departure
The Mavs remain the front-runners for Amar’e Stoudemire, who clears waivers Wednesday, in part because of the strong relationships that owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle have with the big man’s agents at Relativity Sports, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The presence of Dirk Nowitzki helps, too, as a source indicates to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Clippers and others hope to speak with Stoudemire today, but most executives monitoring him believe he’s destined for the Mavs, Wojnarowski hears. Here’s more on the former All-Star in the wake of New York’s parting with its marquee addition from the much-anticipated summer of 2010:
- Berger hears the Grizzlies are interested in Stoudemire (Twitter link), which conflicts with an earlier report that Memphis wasn’t pushing to sign him. In any case, Berger reiterates that the Mavs are in front.
- Stoudemire relinquished close to $2MM of this season’s nearly salary $23.411MM salary in the buyout from the Knicks, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). That means the Knicks also stand to reap nearly another $3MM in tax savings on Stoudemire’s giveback.
- Carmelo Anthony lamented losing Stoudemire, “one of the main reasons why I’m a New York Knick today” as a teammate, but ‘Melo also said he supports the big man’s endeavor to chase a championship elsewhere, as Nick Powell of NJ.com details.
- Knicks owner James Dolan has reason to be bitter after Stoudemire failed to live up to their nearly $99.744MM deal, but the owner instead remains close to the big man and believes Stoudemire restored credibility to the franchise, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Knicks Poised To Sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo?
4:53pm: The Knicks appear unsure of whether to sign Antetokounmpo this season, as his European agent, Tim Lotsis, tells Berman for a full story. Knicks team president Phil Jackson told Antetokounmpo before he agreed to join New York’s D-League club that there was an outside chance he’d be on the NBA roster before this season was through, Berman writes.
“We had a discussion with [GM] Steve Mills [within] the past week,” Lotsis said. There was no clear indication about whether he’ll be there for the remainder of the season or if they are thinking next season. He said he’s thinking seriously about Thanasis for the team’s future. I don’t think it’s clear how the season finishes.’’
2:40pm: The Knicks are sticking to their plan to sign Antetokounmpo next season, as Shams Charania of RealGM hears (Twitter links), which seemingly conflicts with the report that the Knicks are prepared to sign him sooner.
1:28pm: Antetokounmpo’s European agent told Marc Berman of the New York Post that the Knicks are “thinking seriously” about his client for the team’s future, but the agent added that he hadn’t heard from the Knicks today (Twitter link).
9:03am: The Knicks are “ready” to sign second-round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo, a source tells Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv. New York’s buyout agreement with Amar’e Stoudemire will open a spot on the roster, and it appears the Knicks intend to fill it with Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Bucks phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 51st overall pick this past summer.
The Antetokounmpo set to join the Knicks has spent the season with New York’s D-League affiliate. His numbers haven’t been eye-popping, with 13.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game, with the exception of his 1.5 blocks per contest, which he’s achieved despite standing only 6’7″. It’s the second straight season in the D-League for Antetokounmpo, who spent last season with the Sixers affiliate but was ineligible to sign an NBA contract because he had not yet gone through the NBA draft.
It’s not clear whether New York plans to sign him to a 10-day contract or a longer arrangement. New York would risk losing his rights if the team only signed him for 10 days, since he’d be a free agent at the end of the deal, so I’d expect a contract that carries through next season, though that’s just my speculation. The Knicks are limited to paying him no more than the minimum salary and giving him a deal that stretches no longer than the end of next season.
Knicks Waive Amar’e Stoudemire In Buyout Deal
12:33pm: The Knicks have waived Stoudemire, the team announced via press release, making the buyout deal official. It’s still unknown just how much Stoudemire gave back.
“Amar’e’s period as a Knickerbocker has come to pass, at his request. His time here should be marked by recognizing his effort – it was 100%,” Knicks team president Phil Jackson said in the statement. “As we move forward in structuring this team, we will look for players that exhibit his desire to win.”
The Knicks are left with 14 players on their roster. GM Steve Mills said in the team’s release that he and Stoudemire had developed a “long-term friendship” that would remain in place as they parted ways, and Stoudemire, in his quote as part of the statement, expressed gratitude to the organization, saying, “Once a Knick, always a Knick.”
MONDAY, 7:35am: The Blazers aren’t in the mix, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears (Twitter link).
SUNDAY, 11:15pm: The Clippers, Blazers, Suns, and Raptors are expected to pursue Stoudemire, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
11:04pm: Stein (link) adds the Cavs to the list of teams that are not actively pursuing the veteran.
11:00pm: The Grizzlies and Warriors are not pushing to sign Stoudemire, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
10:40pm: The Clippers and Mavericks have strong interest in Stoudemire but the Spurs are a dark horse “with [a] level of intrigue,” according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
10:12pm: The Knicks and Amar’e Stoudemire reached a buyout agreement on Sunday night, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). The big man’s camp has been discussing a buyout with the club for quite some time.
Stoudemire, 32, is in the final year of a massive five-year contract worth nearly $99.744MM that pays him almost $23.411MM this season. The veteran has averaged 12.0 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 36 games (14 starts) for the blue and orange this season. Stoudemire has a rather respectable 19.7 PER on the year and his 6.8 boards per game is a good improvement over his averages from the previous two campaigns.
Even though he has not found individual success with the Knicks, STAT was said to be conflicted about the idea of a buyout. Still, Stoudemire’s reps were pushing for a deal and the Knicks had no intention of re-signing him this summer as they look to push their resources towards younger talent.
“All possibilities at this point are still open,” Stoudemire said of his own buyout possibility. “The door is still open for that. But at the same time, I am with the Knicks now. I got to stay optimistic about things and what we are doing here. I can’t really focus on the future because it’s not here. We still have a couple weeks left before it’s all said and done. It’s a decision I have to make with my family to figure out the best scenario for the near future.”
The Mavs are reportedly the favorites to sign Stoudemire should he buy his way off the Knicks and clear waivers. Of course, with a $23MM+ salary, Stoudemire would be a mortal lock to pass through waivers unclaimed. Besides Dallas, the Clippers and Warriors are said to be interested as well. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently wrote that it’s “quite possible” that Stoudemire would return to the Suns this summer and speculated that the Magic would have interest in the central Florida native this summer, though it’s not clear what the interest level would be from either team if Stoudemire were to reach free agency mid-season.
And-Ones: Knight, Lopez, OKC, Clippers
Impending restricted free agent Brandon Knight says he’s in a “great situation” with the Bucks, but that’s no guarantee that he’ll want to stay put, Susan Bible of Basketball Insiders writes. “Well, speaking for myself, I would want to go into a situation where I can win,” Knight said regarding what factors he’ll consider in free agency. “I think that’s the biggest thing. Winning has to be a priority. I’m pretty sure if you ask any top free agent, winning is going to be the main thing.” Here’s more from around the Association..
- An executive told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links) that the Thunder and Nets are the most aggressive teams in trade talks. The two teams want to make a move and they may wind up trading with each other. He adds that OKC’s interest in center Brook Lopez is real and he wouldn’t be surprised to see a deal involving him go down.
- The Clippers have been trying very hard to make a trade, but they don’t have the assets to swing a worthwhile deal, so they’ll instead try and sign bought out players to bolster their roster, Kennedy tweets.
- When asked whether the frigid weather would scare him off from signing in New York, Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge responded, “It’s cold everywhere,” Sean Deveney of the Sporting News tweets.
- Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders gathered quotes from Aldridge, Knight, and other prospective Knicks free agent targets regarding their thoughts on the team and the city.
- Any deal the Suns make would be made in the name of building an elite team down the line, not a fringe playoff team now, as Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. Meanwhile, both Isaiah Thomas and Goran Dragic have been mentioned in recent trade rumors.