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Odds & Ends: Wizards, Pelicans, Nash

By | at November 12, 2013 11:22 pm

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has said he expects his club to be a “playoff-caliber team” this year, but today he backtracked from the notion that the Wizards face an ultimatum of making the postseason, observes Joseph White of The Associated Press.

“Playoffs or bust, what does that mean?” Leonsis said in an interview that also touched on his ownership of the NHL’s Capitals. “Shut the team down if we don’t make the playoffs for the Wizards? We would certainly, if we don’t make the playoffs, for both teams we would do our due diligence in a more hypersensitive manner, right? Because we didn’t meet our expectations. But the team’s not going bust. The fan base isn’t going bust. It would just heighten the scrutiny that we have to do.”

The Wizards, with GM Ernie Grunfeld and coach Randy Wittman on expiring contracts, fell to 2-5 with tonight’s loss to the Mavericks. Here’s more from around the NBA:

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Odds & Ends: Marshall, Warriors, Knicks

By | at November 12, 2013 4:50 pm

The Bulls aren’t in action today, but it’s a big basketball night in Chicago nonetheless, as Kentucky plays Michigan State and Duke plays Kansas in the NCAA’s Champions Classic. In the eyes of ESPN.com’s Chad Ford (Insider link), those four teams have 13 projected first-rounders for the 2014 draft, including an incredible eight projected lottery picks. As GMs and scouts look forward to an eventful night of college basketball, let’s check out what’s going on around the NBA….

  • Kendall Marshall, traded last month by the Suns and then released by the Wizards, is drawing some NBA interest, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Marshall had been considered by the Jazz, and remains on other teams’ radars.
  • Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle talks extensively to Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob about the challenges he’s faced since taking over the team, and the direction in which the franchise is headed. Lacob provides a number of interesting quotes on the acquisition of Andre Iguodala, the plans for a new arena, and increasing expectations for the Warriors.
  • In his latest mailbag for SI.com, Ian Thomsen examines the Knicks and discusses a hypothetical trade between the Rockets and Trail Blazers.
  • D.J. Foster of Bleacher Report explores the possibility of the Knicks trading Iman Shumpert.
1 comment 2014 NBA Draft Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets New York Knicks Portland Trail Blazers

Knicks Rumors: Love, Carmelo, Chris Smith

By | at November 12, 2013 8:49 am

The Knicks are the latest team to be featured in our Offseason in Review series, with Zach Links recapping the club’s summer moves last night. So far though, New York’s offseason additions haven’t been paying dividends, as the Knicks have struggled out of the gate, losing four of their first six games. They’ll have a chance to climb closer to .500 tomorrow night in Atlanta, in a game James Dolan guaranteed his team would win. As the Knicks prepare for that contest, let’s round up a few interesting tidbits on the club from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

  • The Knicks are already looking ahead and planning their strategy for the summer of 2015, when big contracts for Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and Andrea Bargnani all come off the books. According to Wojnarowski, the club is eyeing Kevin Love, and has already begun to devise a strategy to lure him to New York when the time comes.
  • Of course, it’s possible Carmelo Anthony will no longer be a Knick by that point. However, the Lakers are considered the most credible threat for Carmelo, and one source rhetorically asks Wojnarowski: “Do you think ‘Melo wants to be known for not winning titles in New York and L.A.?”
  • Referring to the signings of J.R. Smith and younger brother Chris Smith as a package deal, Wojnarowski cites a source who says former GM Glen Grunwald “never wanted” to sign Chris, and that the call came down from above him.
  • Wojnarowski writes that some Knicks coaches don’t believe Chris Smith is a D-League player, let alone an NBA player. One GM called the younger Smith “maybe the worst player in the history of the Summer League,” according to Wojnarowski.
3 comments Los Angeles Lakers Minnesota Timberwolves New York Knicks

Eastern Notes: Sanders, Woodson, Hawks, Nets

By | at November 11, 2013 8:14 pm

The Bucks announced that center Larry Sanders will be out six weeks after he underwent surgery this afternoon to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.  Sanders suffered the injury in an apparent nightclub skirmish.  That’s more bad news for a 2-3 Milwaukee team as Ersan Ilyasova is sidelined and Zaza Pachulia still isn’t 100%.  One has to imagine that the Bucks will at least explore a deal for some frontcourt help. Here’s a look at the latest out of the Eastern Conference..

  • If the Knicks continue to struggle, coach Mike Woodson could be the one to pay for the club falling short of expectations, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.  
  • Meanwhile, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony came to the defense of Woodson in the face of criticism from fans and the media, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.  “It’s New York,” Anthony said. “It happens. Woody’s not out there playing. We’re out there playing. You can’t blame Woody. We’re not, as a team, giving him the effort that he’s looking for and we’ve got to change that.”
  • The Hawks announced earlier today that have assigned Jared Cunningham to the D-League’s Bakersfield Jam.  While with the Mavericks last season, Cunningham played in 15 D-League games for the Texas Legends, and averaged 15.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 34.5 minutes.
  • Kennedy also caught up with Nets rookie Mason Plumlee, who says that he has already learned a great deal from veteran forward Kevin Garnett.  Plumlee says that there isn’t much external pressure on him, but he does feel some internal pressure to play well since the expectations are so high in Brooklyn this year.
1 comment Atlanta Hawks Brooklyn Nets Milwaukee Bucks New York Knicks

Offseason In Review: New York Knicks

By | at November 11, 2013 5:47 pm

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Trades

Draft Picks

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

The Knicks won the Atlantic Division by a healthy margin last season, but they’ll have a tougher road to guaranteed home-court advantage this time around.  That’s exactly why the Knicks didn’t stand pat while their cross-borough rivals overhauled their roster.  This year, the Knicks are rolling out a different squad but one that is still chock full of familiar faces and veteran players.

The Knicks’ biggest acquisition of the summer came in late June when they agreed to send Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, a 2014 second-round draft pick, a 2016 first-round draft pick, and a 2017 second-round draft pick north of the border for Andrea Bargnani.  The former No. 1 overall pick has struggled to stay healthy and give consistent production over the course of his career in Toronto and the Raptors’ new regime, led by GM Masai Ujiri, was very willing to cut bait with him.  The Raptors’ loss might be the Knicks’ gain as the big man looks pretty comfortable so far in blue-and-orange.  The biggest knock on Bargnani over the last seven years has been his aggressiveness and toughness and only time will tell if he can turn over a new (non-maple) leaf with his new club.  However, the offensive acumen has always been there with Bargnani and he’ll be given opportunities to score in bunches as he did on Friday night against the Bobcats (25 points off of 11-of-25 shooting).

The other headline grabbing out-of-house move to come out of MSG was the Knicks’ signing of Metta World Peace in July.  The tenacious rebounder formerly known as Ron Artest was amnestied by the Lakers over the summer, not necessarily because he’s finished, but because he’s no longer worth the $7.73MM cap hit he would have put on Los Angeles.  However, for a piece of the mini mid-level exception, World Peace is absolutely a worthwhile pickup for the Knicks.  While the forward has a reputation around the league for being a little, um, uneven, he has leveled off in recent years and Lakers star Kobe Bryant says that he’ll miss having the veteran in L.A.  World Peace more-or-less handpicked the Knicks after discouraging clubs from claiming him off of amnesty waivers (MWP’s camp told anyone that would listen that he was headed to China in 2013/14) so there’s every reason to believe that he’s on board with making this union work.  Players can sometimes get in trouble when they return to their hometown and are surrounded by the friends they grew up with, but World Peace, who celebrates his 34th birthday on Wednesday, should be able to keep any distractions at bay.

J.R. Smith returning to New York was hardly a surprise, but the mini-circus that led up to it certainly was.  Shortly after it was reported that Smith agreed to a three-year, $17.95MM deal (player option on year three) with the Knicks, the club announced that the guard would require patellar tendon surgery and an arthroscopy for a tear in the lateral meniscus of his left knee.  Conveniently, the announcement was made just as the Knicks PR staff was packing up for summer vacation.  Most Knicks fans were on board with having the reigning Sixth Man of the Year back in NYC at the time of the signing, but after the news, opinions were split on whether the deal was a good call for the club.  The strangest part of it all is that agent Leon Rose claims that the two sides originally agreed to a four-year pact before Rose had it amended to a three-year deal with a player option for the final season.  After learning that Smith would need to go under the knife, one would imagine that the Knicks would be the party looking to shorten the deal and minimize their risk.  It also doesn’t help matters that Smith was slapped with a five game suspension for a positive marijuana test.  The guard has long had a reputation for partying hard and after spending equal time on the New York Post’s backpage and Page Six thanks to his dalliances with Rihanna, the Knicks couldn’t have been thrilled about that piece of news.

Think the Smith saga was weird?  Knicks owner James Dolan, a man with a penchant for raising the ire of sports radio callers, saved his strangest move for the very end of the offseason.  After putting the finishing touches on the Knicks’ roster for 2013/14, General Manager Glen Grunwald was shown the door in favor of former MSG exec Steve Mills.  Six weeks later, the move is still a head-scratcher.  If you feel bad for Grunwald, you should save some empathy for Mills as well.  When the Knicks were trailing in the third game of the season (at home vs. Minnesota), Dolan reportedly left his seat after the first quarter to give his new GM a verbal lashing over the team’s effort.  Of course, Mills isn’t the man responsible for the Knicks’ roster as currently constructed, that would be Grunwald.

In addition to re-signing Smith, the Knicks also re-upped point guard Pablo Prigioni and forward Kenyon Martin.  Martin was out of a job for quite a while thanks in part to a perception that he wasn’t a model teammate, but he has been nothing but a positive for the Knicks since coming aboard.  The aging Prigioni earned his contract after a solid 2012/13 campaign and he’ll be helped by the tremendous addition of Beno Udrih.  The 31-year-old has taken a step back since his days in Sacramento, but he was a very solid pickup for the Knicks at the low, low price of $1.27MM.

The Knicks also rounded out the end of their roster with Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry, and Chris Smith – a signing that has absolutely nothing to do with the new contract given to older brother J.R.  Coach Mike Woodson & Co. haven’t stopped praising rookie shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. since drafting him in June and he figures to see significant minutes throughout the year.

Ultimately, the Knicks’ success will depend largely on another banner year from star Carmelo Anthony and their overall defensive effort.  A team featuring the likes of Melo, Smith, and Bargnani should have no trouble filling a statsheet, but getting it done on the other end will be another story, especially with Tyson Chandler sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks.  How the season plays out is anyone’s guess, but it’s probably safe to assume that the Knicks won’t finish the year in the cellar of the Atlantic alongside the Nets while the Sixers occupy the No. 1 spot.

2 comments New York Knicks Offseason In Review

New York Notes: Woodson, Carmelo, D-League

By | at November 11, 2013 12:15 pm

The Nets and Knicks are both coming off home losses, and even though those losses came to a couple of the best teams in the NBA (the Pacers won in Brooklyn, while the Spurs beat the Knicks), New Yorkers are still getting uneasy about their teams’ slow starts. Here’s the latest on the pair of 2-4 clubs:

  • According to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, Mike Woodson‘s seat in New York is starting to heat up after the Knicks’ 31-point loss to San Antonio. However, Marc Berman of the New York Post argues that the team’s slow start should be attributed to a combination of the front office, the players, and the medical staff.
  • In his Morning Tip column at NBA.com, TNT’s David Aldridge focuses on the Nets, a team still trying to adjust to a new roster and a new coach.
  • Jim Cavan of Bleacher Report explores what the Knicks’ future could look like if Carmelo Anthony signs somewhere else in free agency next summer.
  • The Nets have recalled Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor from the D-League, the team announced this morning in a press release. Shengelia has already been assigned to the Springfield Armor twice, while Taylor was on his first assignment, so it looks like both players will be shuttled back and forth frequently throughout the season.
1 comment Brooklyn Nets NBA G League New York Knicks

Odds & Ends: Expansion, Wizards, Turner

By | at November 10, 2013 10:12 pm

Even though the NBA has 30 franchises, there are still plenty of North American markets that are deserving of teams.  Of course, Seattle is at the top of anyone’s list as the rabid Sonics fan base is starved for a new team.  Kansas City has also made a strong case for an NBA club in years past and they already have a ~19K seat NBA-ready arena in the Sprint Center.  However, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) says that the league is not going to expand under the current labor agreement.  That might change under the new TV deal though, which is currently being worked on.  Here’s more from around the Association..

  • Speaking of expansion, commissioner David Stern told Chris Mannix of NBC Sports Radio (Twitter link) that the NFL will likely have a team in Europe before the NBA because “it’s relatively easy for a team to play eight home games there.”  Stern has said in the past that he is optimistic that there will be a team in Europe in the not-too-distant future.
  • Nene and new Wizards center Marcin Gortat have formed a bond in the front court, writes MIchael Lee of the Washington Post.  “It’s one thing to have two skilled big men in the block. It’s another thing for those big men to play off each other, and that’s big,” forward Martell Webster said. “When you have big guys down there that have a relationship and a chemistry, it makes it a little bit easier to occupy.”
  • Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reflects on the four-team deal that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Magic last year.  At the time, it seemed like the Lakers (Dwight Howard) or the Sixers (Andrew Bynum) would be the big winners, but it turns out that Orlando got the best haul of anyone.
  • The price of winning in the NBA varies, writes Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.  The 7-0 Pacers are doling out less than $853K per victory while the 2-4 Nets are paying $7MM for each win.
  • In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer if the Cavs should give up on the Dion Waiters experiment and trade him.  Even though the guard appears to have taken a step back from last season, Cleveland isn’t as down on him as some fans might be.
  • While many thought that Sixers GM Sam Hinkie would either deal Evan Turner at the trade deadline or allow his $6.7MM salary to come off the cap next summer, the former No. 2 overall pick is making a case to stay, writes Thomas Moore of the Courier Times.  Turner has been a model of consistency, scoring at least 20 points in six of the 4-3 Sixers’ first seven games.  Earlier tonight, Sam Amico of FOX Sports suggested that the Mavericks, Thunder, and T’Wolves could be among the teams with interest if the Sixers decide to shop Turner.
  • If the Knicks continue to lose, there’s no telling how owner James Dolan might react, writes Howard Beck of Bleacher Report.
  • Magic rookie Victor Oladipo is embracing the challenge of handling the basketball, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
  • Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak doesn’t expect Kobe Bryant to return in the next two weeks, writes Pincus for the Los Angeles Times.  Kupchak also touches on the ill-fated Chris Paul trade and says that he still hasn’t forgiven Stern for the way things played out.
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Poll: Should The Knicks Make A Move?

By | at November 9, 2013 8:41 pm

Earlier this week, Tyson Chandler went down with a right fibula injury that will sideline him for four to six weeks. For the time being, power forward Andrea Bargnani has been filling in for Chandler but with only him and Cole Aldrich available at center, the Knicks may be forced to make a move in the coming weeks.

Additionally, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported earlier today that Iman Shumpert‘s trade value seems high, and much higher than how the Knicks currently value him. Isola suggested Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets as a possible trade candidate who would interest the Knicks.

As our roster counts show, New York is currently at the 15 player max. This means signing any free agent would subsequently force the Knicks to release a current player on their roster. Available free agent big men the Knicks have been rumored to be interested in include Jason Collins and Louis Amundson.

Should the Knicks trade for a big man, sign a free agent, or stay put?

Should The Knicks Make A Move?

  • Trade 57% (339)
  • Sign a Free Agent 24% (140)
  • Do Nothing 19% (113)

Total votes: 592

2 comments Hoops Rumors Polls New York Knicks

Eastern Rumors: Shumpert, Rondo, Heat, Pacers

By | at November 9, 2013 3:44 pm

Six Eastern Conference teams have 2-3 records, and all of them had playoff aspirations coming into the season. The Bulls, Nets and Knicks had even loftier expectations, but they’re among the clubs that find themselves below .500 five games into the season. It might not seem like it’s time for a drastic move yet, but tell that to Mike Brown, whom the Lakers fired five games into last season. Our look across the East has the latest on a team that could make a change soon:

2 comments Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Denver Nuggets Indiana Pacers Miami Heat NBA G League New York Knicks

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Dolan, Raptors

By | at November 9, 2013 9:24 am

Could this really be the same team that downed Miami on Opening Night in Brooklyn?  The Nets are now 2-3 after a lackluster effort against the Wizards last night that ended in a 112-108 loss.  “This is our issue right now,” Kevin Garnett said, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. “We’re trying to figure it out.“It’s not so simple to hit a button or say, ‘This is it.’ We played a decent team that’s in a decent rhythm, [and] we came up short.”  Here’s more from the Atlantic Division..

  • Knicks coach Mike Woodson has said that the club won’t add a center because of the scarcity of quality big men, but Marc Berman of the New York Post hears from a source that the Knicks won’t take the plunge because of luxury tax concerns.  Because New York is already over the threshold, they’ll be taxed at a 2-to-1 ratio on any new deal.
  • For what it’s worth, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter links) doesn’t buy into the notion that Knicks owner James Dolan is too cheap to add a center.
  • In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Doug Smith of the Toronto Star if new General Manager Masai Ujiri will push coach Dwane Casey to give big man Jonas Valanciunas serious minutes even though the smaller lineup appears to be doing better.  Smith says that Ujiri has been extremely hands-off in that regard and believes that he won’t interfere with Casey’s decisions.
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