Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Aldrich, Murry, Tyler
The Knicks earned a measure of revenge Tuesday night for their 41-point loss to the Celtics earlier this season, turning the tables in a 26-point victory. Still, the Knicks are a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and mystery surrounds the matter of where Carmelo Anthony will play next season. There’s more on that amid the latest from Madison Square Garden.
- Anthony brushed off inquiries on Tuesday about a weekend report suggesting he’d like to join the Bulls, cutting off a reporter in the middle of a question that seemingly was to be about whether he’d ever considered playing in Chicago. Anthony did allow for a full question about whether he had a relationship with Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, but last year’s scoring champ replied that he didn’t, as Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times observes.
- The Knicks have assigned Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and Jeremy Tyler to the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. All three will practice today with the Erie BayHawks, who are spending the next few days at the Knicks training facility. The Knicks plan to recall them tomorrow, the team also tweets.
- The BayHawks also spent a break in their schedule last season working at the facility, and that’s when New York assigned Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Copeland and James White to join the BayHawks as they practiced, notes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Schlosser didn’t count on the Knicks making similar assignments this year, but New York doesn’t play again until Thursday night, so it doesn’t sound like Aldrich, Murry or Tyler will miss any time for the big club.
Knicks Maintain Interest In Rajon Rondo
The Knicks have the strongest interest among teams eyeing Rajon Rondo as the trade deadline draws near, a source tells Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. Still, the Celtics don’t believe the Knicks have any assets worth acquiring in a such a deal, and while they haven’t guaranteed Rondo that they won’t trade him, they’ve made it clear it would take a substantial offer for them to move the All-Star point guard. That’s in line with GM Danny Ainge‘s insistence that Rondo isn’t on the block. A report a month ago indicated the Knicks hoped to convince Ainge to deal Rondo to them sometime between now and the summer of 2015, when the point guard’s contract expires.
Ainge claims he’s spoken to just a single team about trading Rondo, but he says the conversation didn’t get far. The high school coach for both Rondo and Carmelo Anthony has said that ‘Melo is attempting to recruit the point guard to New York, but both players have denied any such talk. Rondo and the Celtics have engaged in discussion about an extension, and Rondo has said he can envision remaining with Boston for the rest of his career.
The Suns, Rockets and Mavericks have also been linked to Rondo of late, but it seems like the chances of Boston trading the point guard before the deadline are slim at best.
Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Melo, Lakers
The questions about Carmelo Anthony‘s pending free agency (assuming he opts out this offseason, as expected) continue to circulate. Anthony told reporters his wife said “nothing wrong” when claiming he would “definitely” stay with the Knicks while promoting her new book, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “That’s my wife, I support her.” He also addressed recent Bulls rumors, saying he has no relationship with Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau and hasn’t thought about Chicago as a destination.
- Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune wouldn’t be surprised if Rick Adelman retires after this season, when he and the Timberwolves have a mutual option on his contract. Eggers would also be “shocked” if Kevin Love is still in Minnesota after next year’s trade deadline.
- The Lakers are another team that gets brought up as a potential suitor for Anthony, but Larry Coon of Basketball Insiders says (via Twitter) that he hears Los Angeles doesn’t value the forward enough to offer a competitive contract.
- While speaking of her disappointment in the Lakers‘ season to Janis Carr of the Orange County Register, team president for business operations Jeanie Buss maintained hope for an improved team. Despite her displeasure with oft-criticized coach Mike D’Antoni‘s hiring over Phil Jackson (her boyfriend) last year, Buss voiced support for D’Antoni. “You saw our general manager come out and give a vote of confidence to the coach,” she said. “And if he feels confident, then I have to feel confident.”
- Jason Collins, who remains a free agent, was First Lady Michelle Obama’s guest at tonight’s State of the Union address. Collins tells ESPN.com he’s still training in pursuit of another NBA job, and that he’s unsure if coming out as a homosexual in the offseason has been a barrier to his continued career. “I have no idea. For me, again, it goes back to what I can control, and that’s my training.” Collins believes he can still contribute: “I know that I’m in great shape and that if I get an opportunity … if an owner, coach, GM calls my agent … I’ll be ready to play.”
- Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders explains why Dante Exum is projecting as a top draft choice next year. “As far as point guard prospects go, Exum is on par with some of the best to come across in recent years, including Michael Carter-Williams, Trey Burke and even Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard.”
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Wizards, Pistons
There’s been some ugly basketball tonight in the East, with the Cavs losing to the Pelicans, and blowouts coming in the Knicks/Celtics and Pistons/Magic games. Here are some of today’s rumblings from the East:
- Glen Rice Jr. has been recalled from the D-League by the Wizards, per a release on NBA.com. Rice was playing with Washington affiliate Iowa Energy on a rehabilitation stint.
- Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News believes there’s a 75% chance of the Pistons making a trade between now and the deadline, identifying Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva, Jonas Jerebko and Greg Monroe as the team’s top trade candidates.
- In a series of tweets, New York Daily News’ Frank Isola noted some peculiar in-arena behavior from Knicks owner James Dolan and other New York brass during the Knicks/Celtics game. Isola speculates that the apparent in-game meetings could have something to do with either Beno Udrih (who has requested a trade) or Iman Shumpert, who hurt his shoulder and hasn’t returned to action.
Odds & Ends: Dragic, Jefferson, Carmelo
The summer of 2010 shows why teams would be unwise to make compromising moves at next month’s trade deadline just to clear cap space for the coming offseason, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller writes. Few clubs land true superstars in free agency, but many more have success with cheaper additions, as Ziller explains. While we wait to see how teams position themselves for the summer ahead, here’s the latest from around the NBA:
- Goran Dragic has a realistic chance to earn a spot in next month’s All-Star Game, and if he does, he’ll receive a $1MM bonus, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Al Jefferson thought Kemba Walker was joking this summer when he suggested the big man should join the Bobcats, but agent Jeff Schwartz persuaded Jefferson to travel to Charlotte, where Steve Clifford helped convince the 6’10” free agent to sign. Steve Aschburner of NBA.com has more from one of 2013’s most surprising moves.
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times hears Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t mind joining Chris Paul and Blake Griffin (Twitter link). Rumors have linked Anthony to the Clippers, but most such reports suggest Griffin would go to the Knicks in return for Anthony.
- The Sixers have again sent Lorenzo Brown to the D-League, the team announced. Philly sent Brown to the Delaware 87ers early Monday so he could play in their day game and recalled the point guard in time for him to appear in the big club’s loss to the Suns at night.
- Jimmer Fredette may not be long for the Kings, but he isn’t destined to become the sort of star he was in college no matter where he ends up in the NBA, opines Brad Rock of the Deseret News. Rock hears the Jazz would have passed on him in the 2011 draft even if he had slipped to them at the No. 12 pick.
- The United States Olympic Committee and the NCAA’s Big East Conference have shown interest in hiring incoming NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt.
Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Sixers, Casey
Will Carmelo Anthony stay in New York? We’ve heard lots of opinions on the matter and earlier today, his wife La La Anthony weighed in. “I definitely think he will stay [in New York]. I know that he wants to stay and I support him wherever he wants to go,” La La said in an interview with Bravo TV, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “Listen, I used to live in Denver with him. If I can live in Denver, I can live anywhere. I just want him to be happy.” The latest from the Atlantic Division..
- Anthony badly wants to win a championship, writes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. “(Winning a championship is) the only thing I care about. Anything else is irrelevant to me as far as when it comes to basketball,” Anthony said. “A championship is the only thing that’s on my mind, is the only thing I want to accomplish, I want to achieve and I’m going to do what I got to do to get that.” As Knicks fans are well familiar with, the Larry O’Brien trophy hasn’t come to New York since 1973.
- The Sixers have recalled Lorenzo Brown from the Delaware 87ers of the D-League just hours after assigning him, tweets Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. Brown, as our running list shows, was sent down for a single day in his previous two trips and set a new personal record today with a stint that lasted just a few hours.
- There have been, “no really significant discussions,” on extending Raptors coach Dwane Casey‘s contract, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Instead, it appears that the Raptors will finish out what has been strange year so far and re-evaluate. That’s perfectly fine with Casey, who would have no problem returning to his home in Seattle and getting back to another passion of his. “I never worried about having a job,” Casey said. “I say that with all sincerity. I never worried about losing a job, getting a job. Because I learned a long time ago how to fish.”
Odds & Ends: Millsap, Monroe, Lakers
Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Paul Millsap is outplaying his two-year, $19MM contract, which is no surprise. Still, he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that he’s content with the Hawks.
“I hope to stay here, but we haven’t discussed [it],” Millsap said. “Now where I’m at, I feel comfortable and, hopefully, it can turn into a long-term thing. Right now, we’re focused on these two years, seeing what we can do. I felt this was the right move for me.”
Here’s more on other teams and players determined to make the right move for themselves:
- The Pistons are “aggressively” sending out signals that they’re not going to trade Greg Monroe to the Wizards, who are reportedly interested in the big man, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in chat with readers. Kyler cautions that Detroit’s stance could change before the deadline.
- Kyler also hears that the Lakers have canvassed the entire league in search of young players and picks, but there’s little interest in what the purple-and-gold have to offer.
- DeMar DeRozan is under contract through 2016/17, but with trade rumors surrounding the Raptors, he made it clear that he prefers to stay in Toronto for the long haul, as part of an interview with BALLnROLL.com (hat tip to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News).
- With J.J. Redick returning to Milwaukee as a member of the Clippers for tonight’s game, Doc Rivers explained to reporters how Redick’s shot-making ability persuaded him to pursue the sharpshooter in free agency this past summer. Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel has the details, including input from Redick on what went wrong with the Bucks last year.
- The personal trainer for Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith has left the Knicks over differences with the coaching staff, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The hiring of Idan Ravin was widely viewed as a favor to Anthony and Smith, and it’s unclear what role, if any, the split will play in Anthony’s decision regarding free agency this summer, Begley writes.
- Michigan shooting guard Nik Stauskas has been impressing NBA teams of late, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The sophomore is No. 16 on the DraftExpress rankings and No. 19 on the ESPN Insider board.
Several Midseason Signees On Multiyear Deals
This time of year, most of the contracts that NBA teams hand out are of the 10-day variety. None of this season’s 10-day signees have deals for the rest of the season yet, though some of them likely will after the expiration of their second 10-day contracts with their respective teams.
Still, there are several midseason signees on non-10-day deals who remain under contract, and the majority of of their teams included extra, non-guaranteed seasons on their deals when they were signed. Many of those contract details weren’t reported at the time, but thanks to Basketball Insiders, ShamSports, and Storytellers Contracts, we know which teams have given themselves an extra bit of leverage and which haven’t, as explained below. All are making the minimum salary:
- Diante Garrett, Jazz (signed November 13th): Garrett is on the fringe of the rotation at 14.4 minutes per game, and Utah tacked a pair of non-guaranteed seasons onto his contract, which runs through 2015/16.
- Elliot Williams, Sixers (signed November 20th): Like Garrett, he’s on the periphery as a contributor, notching 13.8 MPG, and the Sixers, as is their wont, gave him a four-year non-guaranteed contract.
- Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bobcats (signed December 11th): The fifth-year veteran is only signed for this season, but he figures to be a mainstay this year with Jeff Taylor out for the season, even though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has returned from his injury.
- D.J. Augustin, Bulls (signed December 13th): The injury-ridded Bulls are giving Augustin 30.4 MPG, and without much room under the salary cap, they probably couldn’t afford to let him and his guaranteed contract go and sign another player. His deal runs only through this season.
- James Johnson, Grizzlies (signed December 16th): The former 16th overall pick has been a revelation for Memphis, which is giving him 22.9 MPG as he solidifies the team’s bench. The Grizzlies may regret only signing him for this season.
- Kendall Marshall, Lakers (signed December 20th): Since moving into the starting lineup for his fifth game with the Lakers, the 2012 lottery pick is averaging 12.1 points and a whopping 11.4 assists in 38.7 MPG, resurrecting his career. It seems a strong bet the team will keep him next year, since his contract includes a non-guaranteed season for 2014/15.
- Alexis Ajinca, Pelicans (signed December 20th): The center’s contract is fully guaranteed for next season, so he’ll be around New Orleans for a while. He’s started seven times despite seeing just 13.9 MPG as the Pelicans reportedly shop for another big man.
- Jeremy Tyler, Knicks (signed December 31st): The player the Knicks cut J.R. Smith‘s brother to accommodate has barely seen the floor more than Smith did in his time with New York, notching just 7.0 MPG. His contract includes a non-guaranteed season for 2014/15.
- Hedo Turkoglu, Clippers (signed January 16th): Freed from Orlando, Turkoglu is averaging 11.2 MPG in L.A. as he attempts to knock the rust off, having played in just 17 games over the past two seasons. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end, since the Clips only signed him for this year.
Honorable mention: Malcolm Thomas, Spurs/Jazz (signed December 3rd) — An injury to Kawhi Leonard forced Thomas off the Spurs roster, but the contract he signed with San Antonio is still valid, since the Jazz claimed him off waivers this weekend. The deal includes a non-guaranteed season for 2014/15.
Lakers Rumors: Carmelo, D’Antoni, Free Agents
The Lakers stood at .500 on December 20th, but since then, they’ve won only three of their last 19 games, leaving them without a realistic chance of making the playoffs this season. That doesn’t happen often in Lakerland, but even with a high draft pick coming, the team is focused on solving its woes via free agency. That’s the focus of the chatter around the Lakers today, less than 24 hours after could-be target Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points to help send the purple-and-gold to their latest loss. Here’s the talk:
- Marc Berman of the New York Post detects an icy edge to the relationship between Anthony and Mike D’Antoni, his former coach. Berman figures the hard feelings make it unlikely that Anthony would sign with the Lakers this summer.
- If Anthony does sign with the Lakers, it would be an ominous sign for D’Antoni’s job security, opines Harvey Araton of The New York Times.
- Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding lays out seven reasons why Anthony won’t sign with the Lakers, suggesting that ‘Melo’s ball-stopping, defensive shortcomings, and character flaws are already giving the Lakers pause.
- Within the same piece, Ding notes that Lakers brass is pleased with the job D’Antoni has done this season.
- As a free agent destination, the Lakers “might be less desirable than at any point in their history,” writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who points to changing economics and increased leaguewide television exposure as reasons why.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com answers reader questions in a Laker-themed mailbag column. Markazi can envision the Lakers and Pau Gasol agreeing on a much cheaper deal for the big man this summer.
Atlantic Rumors: Rondo, Carmelo, Raptors
While NBA writers are handing out report cards around the season’s midway point, it’s not fair to grade Sixers coach Brett Brown yet, writes Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. Here’s this afternoon’s look at the Atlantic Division..
- Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders continues to hear speculation from league officials that Celtics guard Rajon Rondo could wind up with the Rockets. Jeremy Lin hasn’t shown that he can run the Houston offense at a championship level and has lost his gig to journeyman Patrick Beverley. Assuming the Celtics are looking to move Rondo, however, it’s still difficult to see him landing in Houston given their lack of trade assets.
- Kobe Bryant told reporters today that he won’t actively push Carmelo Anthony to come join him in L.A., but he did explain one key difference between where he makes his home and New York, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “Well, everybody wants to play in Los Angeles,” Bryant said before his Lakers got underway against the Knicks. “I mean New York is a beautiful place, don’t get me wrong, but it is colder than [expletive] out here. You know, palm trees and beaches obviously are a little more appealing.” As an NYC resident, I can assure you that Kobe’s assessment is accurate.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Doug Smith of the Toronto Star if the success of Rudy Gay and others after leaving Toronto is a sign that the Raptors are doing something wrong.