Knicks’ Talks For Kyle Lowry Dead
Attempts to revive discussions on a trade that would have sent Kyle Lowry to the Knicks died a few days ago, says Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). According to Beck, despite injuries to multiple point guards, the Knicks were unwilling to offer a first-round pick for Lowry. It’s not clear which side was more interested in revisiting negotiations, but either way, it looks like no deal is coming.
Trade talks involving Lowry appeared to be heating up earlier in the month, but Knicks owner James Dolan is believed to have vetoed a swap that would have sent Lowry to New York in exchange for Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first-round pick. While the Nets were also linked to Lowry, they were reportedly equally unwilling to include a future first-rounder in their offer.
Felton is expected to be a game-time decision for tonight’s contest, and Prigioni could return in time for the new year, so the Knicks shouldn’t be shorthanded at the point for much longer. While an upgrade at the position could help New York make a playoff push, it seems for now that the team is unwilling to mortgage more of its future for a short-term gain.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Pierce, Celtics, Brooks
Earlier today, Nets GM Billy King confirmed that the Nets will apply for the Disabled Player Exception in a bid to replace injured big man Brook Lopez with outside help. Meanwhile, the Nets have also reportedly discussed Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin with the Rockets. Here’s a look at the Atlantic as the Nets look to salvage their season..
- Howard Beck of Bleacher Report wonders aloud if the Nets should consider dealing Paul Pierce before the February deadline. PIerce can leave as a free agent at the end of the season and if they feel that they can’t regroup in time to make a title run this year, it would make sense to shop the veteran as a short-term rental.
- There is a constant evaluation process happening with the Celtics and no one should be surprised if they make a move that feels like one step forward, or even two steps back, writes SBNation’s Paul Flannery. Meanwhile, Flannery says that it’s telling that the C’s didn’t up their offer of Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee, and a protected future first-round pick for Asik. Boston was only interested in Asik if they could secure him for two contracts that extend beyond this season and once rebuffed, they were okay with walking away.
- Celtics guard MarShon Brooks is anxiously awaiting an opportunity to prove himself in Boston, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The Celtics turned down their fourth-year option on Brooks, making him a free agent at the end of this season.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tries to read between the lines of Carmelo Anthony‘s recent assertion on NBA TV that LeBron James and Chris Bosh were “smart” to join Dwyane Wade with the Heat in free agency three years ago. Of course, the Knicks star is headed for free agency after this season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Knicks Rumors: Chris Smith, Woodson, Amar’e
The Knicks have a noon tipoff Saturday against the Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden, so coach Mike Woodson has holed his team up in a New York hotel, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com passes along. The players have a 10:00pm curfew, according to Carmelo Anthony, but asking anyone in a league known for night games and red-eye plane trips to fall asleep before midnight is a tall order. While the Knicks count sheep, here’s the day’s news from MSG:
- There’s plenty of instability surrounding the Knicks, but Chris Smith believes his spot on the roster is safe, as he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Smith, whose minimum-salary contract is fully guaranteed for this season, has won the support of his teammates with his training habits, Charania notes.
- Owner James Dolan fired Scott Layden from his post as Knicks president three days before Christmas in 2010, so there’s no reason for Woodson to think his job is safe through the holiday, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola wonders if the pressure of fighting for his job has begun to negatively affect Woodson’s performance.
- Amar’e Stoudemire says he’ll play Saturday, a further contradiction to Woodson’s statement earlier this week that the team’s highest-paid player would be out “a while.” Stoudemire immediately tweeted a denial of his coach’s assessment, but he says that he and Woodson have “cleared it up and everything is great,” notes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
Eastern Notes: Lowry, Bobcats, Cavs, Woodson
The Bulls are the only team from the East that will see any action on the hardwood tonight, but that doesn’t mean other clubs from around the conference aren’t making some noise off of the court. Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the Eastern Conference..
- The Raptors aren’t urgently trying to move Kyle Lowry, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports (via Twitter). This report comes as a bit of a surprise since we heard yesterday that the club was working hard to move the veteran guard. It seems likely that Lowry will be moved before the trade deadline, but how soon remains unclear.
- Nate Duncan of HoopsWorld examines the rosters of the Bobcats and Cavaliers and reveals who he thinks could be franchise players for each club.
- The Knicks have won five out of their last ten games, but Marc Stein of ESPNNewYork.com reports that Mike Woodson is still on the hot seat and being evaluated on a “game-by-game basis” by upper management. Stein notes that if the Knicks had lost to the Bucks last night, it might have marked the end of Woodson’s tenure in New York.
- Chauncey Billups has no desire to coach after his playing days, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes in his latest piece. He wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a front office gig, however.
- The Bucks will not attempt to deal for Omer Asik, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. It’s not completely clear, but Woelfel might be talking about a trade in the long term since we’ve heard that Asik will remain in a Rockets uniform for the time being.
- Danny Granger is returning to the Pacers’ lineup, but it’s a much different squad than the one he left, notes Candace Buckner of USA Today Sports. Buckner still sees Granger as a valuable asset to the team but suggests he will have a different role than the one he had before his injury.
Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Knicks, Young
The allure of running a front office and coaching a team at the same time made the Clippers more attractive to Doc Rivers, but Brad Stevens is glad he isn’t overseeing personnel decisions the way his Celtics predecessor is, as Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald notes. Stevens is content to let GM Danny Ainge handle the team’s pursuit of Omer Asik and its situation with Rajon Rondo. It’s a busy time in Boston and around the Atlantic Division, as we detail:
- ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith hears Knicks management has “had it” with the team’s assistant coaches, and while he suggests assistant Herb Williams might be the replacement if the team fires Mike Woodson, Smith argues that Woodson should keep his job. Assistant GM Allan Houston is strongly denying reports that he’s next in line to coach, Smith adds.
- Thaddeus Young, who’s been in trade rumors all season, is growing weary of dealing with the inexperience of his Sixers teammates, observes Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “Some of the young guys on the team just don’t know,” Young said. “When you’re dealing with them, the frustration level does get it up there because you’re not used to it. I’m used to guys who are four- and five-year veterans in this league and that can play. And then you have one- and two-year guys that come in fresh and they’re trying to make a name for themselves.”
- Amir Johnson tells Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that he wants to play with the Raptors for the rest of his career, and Smith suggests keeping Johnson might not be the worst idea for the team amid trade rumors involving the power forward.
World Peace Wants To Play Five More Seasons
Metta World Peace at 34 years old might not be the player he used to be, but the Knicks forward has no intention of retiring soon, telling Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that he wants his career to continue for five seasons after this one (Twitter link). World Peace is in his 15th year in the league, so he’d make it an even 20 if he sticks for as long as he hopes.
The former Ron Artest is known for his outlandish statements and sense of humor, so it’s hard to take him at his word. Still, he remains a believer in his worth to NBA teams, recently suggesting that if he were traded to the Raptors, as had been rumored, he’d inject the rebuilding Toronto club with a “championship mentality.” World Peace also said he’d signed his two-year deal with the Knicks in hopes of winning a title in his native New York, and he said in September that the Thunder and Clippers were among the teams interested in him before he committed to the Knicks.
The Lakers amnestied World Peace in spite of a 2012/13 season that had been something of a renaissance for him, as he averaged 12.4 points and 5.0 rebounds with a 40.3% field-goal percentage, his best marks in three years. He’s nowhere near those figures this season, and the Knicks are giving him just 15.7 minutes per game, by far the least amount of playing time he’s seen in his career. World Peace has a player option worth about $1.66MM for next season, and it would appear as though he’s likely to exercise it, given his level of play and intention of remaining in the league, though that’s just my speculation.
Poll: Will Woodson Be First Coach Replaced?
In a Tuesday article, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein examined the possibility of coaching changes around the NBA, noting that each and every one of the last 20 NBA seasons has seen at least one in-season change, often before Christmas. A league-record 13 new coaches were hired over the offseason, so teams may be more reluctant than usual to make any quick changes this season, since many of those new coaches are still getting their bearings.
Still, in Stein’s view, at least one NBA coach is in a tenuous position: Mike Woodson. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes a home loss to the Bucks tonight could be the last straw for Woodson in New York, and as Stein notes in his piece, betting site Bovada.lv believes Woodson is the NBA coach most likely to be fired next, giving him 5/4 odds as of Monday morning (Jason Kidd was second at 5/2).
On the other hand, Stein’s colleague at ESPNNewYork.com, Ian Begley, hears from a source that the Knicks plan to give Woodson a chance to turn the team around now that Tyson Chandler is set to return to action. And Woodson himself isn’t worried about being replaced, telling Marc Berman of the New York Post that he has the support of GM Steve Mills.
As we’ve seen in the past, the situation in New York could quickly head in one direction or the other. Another disastrous loss or two might push Woodson out the door, while a three- or four-game winning streak would likely cool off his hot seat considerably.
Where do you see the Knicks’ situation heading? Will Woodson be the first NBA coach replaced this season, or will another team make a change first?
Which NBA coach will be replaced first?
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Mike Woodson 68% (377)
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Another coach 32% (178)
Total votes: 555
Omer Asik Rumors: Wednesday Morning
The Rockets‘ self-imposed deadline for an Omer Asik deal is right around the corner, which means we should expect to hear plenty of rumors about the big man today. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld even suggested last night that a trade could be agreed upon today, though nothing is imminent quite yet. Here’s the latest on Asik, who appears almost certain to be on the move by week’s end:
- The Celtics are “increasingly active” in Asik talks and are viewed as the Sixers‘ strongest rivals for the center’s services, according to Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The ESPN duo reports that neither Boston nor Philadelphia is scared off by the $15MM balloon payment owed to Asik in 2014/15.
- According to Stein and Windhorst, many league sources believe one reason Rockets GM Daryl Morey imposed the December 19th deadline in the first place was a belief that he could get a deal done by then with Sixers GM (and former Rockets assistant GM) Sam Hinkie. The Rockets would want to do a deal involving Spencer Hawes and at least one first-round pick.
- The Cavaliers are more likely to act as a third-team facilitator than to acquire Asik directly, according to the ESPN.com report. Stein and Windhorst detail one scenario in which the Celtics would land Asik and send Jeff Green to the Cavs, though Chris Mannix of SI.com hears there’s “no way” Boston will include Green in an Asik deal (Twitter link).
- Although Green and Thaddeus Young have frequently been cited as potential targets for Houston, Stein and Windhorst say the Rockets would be reluctant to take on the long-term contract of either player, since it would negatively impact the team’s ability to lock up Chandler Parsons.
- Stein and Windhorst, as well as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, report that while the Rockets would love to acquire Paul Millsap, the Hawks‘ interest in Asik is “lukewarm” at best.
- Within Berger’s piece, the CBSSports.com scribe writes that multiple league executives have told him the Rockets are open to packaging Jeremy Lin with Asik. However, considering Lin also has a big salary bump coming next season, sending the two players to the same team is unlikely.
- One scenario that has emerged is the possibility of a three-team deal involving the Celtics and Sixers, with Asik going to Boston, says Berger. However, one league source called it a long shot, describing it as a “weird deal.”
- The Knicks attempted to get involved in the Asik sweepstakes, discussing a potential deal with the Rockets and a third team, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Despite their efforts though, the Knicks are on the outside looking in, and are very unlikely to land the seven-footer.
- We heard last night from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that the Hawks, Celtics, Cavs, and Sixers are squarely in the mix for Asik, with a “wild card” team in play as well.
Eastern Links: Knicks, Woodson, Waiters, Sixers
Tonight’s NBA schedule is heavy on Western Conference action, but two Eastern teams in the playoff hunt will host Western opponents tonight, as the Cavs play the Blazers and the Bobcats face the Kings. Cleveland and Charlotte are just 9-14 and 10-14 respectively, but would each rank among the conference’s top eight teams with wins tonight. Here’s more from around the East:
- In the wake of injuries to Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni, the Knicks have recalled Chris Smith from the D-League, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- Mike Woodson‘s mismanagement at the end of last night’s loss to the Wizards gave the Knicks a credible reason to fire him, opines Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- While Woodson may be on the hot seat, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein says there aren’t really any other head coaches whose jobs are in jeopardy. Eastern coaches like Jason Kidd (Nets), Randy Wittman (Wizards), Mike Brown (Cavaliers), and Dwane Casey (Raptors) rank among the most likely to be fired next, according to Bovada.lv, but none are in any danger for now, Stein writes.
- Within his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler writes that the Cavaliers aren’t eager to trade Dion Waiters, but would listen if the right offer came along. Kyler also explores the possibility of an Omer Asik trade involving the Sixers, eventually concluding that a deal with Philadelphia may be one of the Rockets’ less desirable options.
- Eric Griffin, who played for the Heat in summer league action and in camp, has reached an agreement to sign with a team in Puerto Rico, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
Celtics Rumors: Asik, Rondo, Wallace, Crawford
The early returns on this morning’s Omer Asik poll suggest that Hoops Rumors readers believe Boston is the most likely landing spot for the Rockets center. If the Celtics to get involved in the eventual Asik deal, either as the club that acquires him or as a facilitator in a three-team trade, it’s worth keeping an eye on their salary situation, says ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. As Stein points out, Boston is barely below the luxury-tax threshold right now, which will factor into any move the team makes (Twitter links).
Here are a few more Tuesday morning updates on the C’s:
- Multiple league sources tell A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that even if the Celtics are open to moving Rajon Rondo, the club won’t receive any “legitimate” offers until the All-Star point guard returns to game action.
- Unsurprisingly, the Celtics haven’t found much interest in Gerald Wallace, says Blakely.
- According to Blakely, when engaging in trade talks, the C’s figure to target a player on his rookie contract whose potential is greater than his present value. The CSNNE scribe hears from a source that Austin Rivers is a name worth keeping in mind, despite the fact that his father is now coaching in Los Angeles rather than Boston.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes that Jordan Crawford is available, and notes that the Heat have been mentioned as a possible suitor. However, Miami isn’t the only potential destination for Crawford, according to Amico, who hears from an NBA exec that the Kings, Raptors, and Knicks could be in the mix as well.