Eastern Notes: Sixers, Bynum, Knicks
The Bobcats, Magic and Sixers all entered the evening tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with 3-2 records. While we wait to see how long the two losingest teams from last season and the club widely considered to be this year’s worst can keep it up, here’s more from the East:
- Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young all have “sky high” trade value, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio opines on Twitter. NBA execs who spoke to ESPN’s Chris Broussard about the Sixers aren’t so sure about that, as we passed along earlier.
- About three-quarters of Hoops Rumors readers think Cavs center Andrew Bynum will retire early, but Turner was impressed with what he saw from a still-recovering Bynum in the big man’s lone practice with the Sixers last season, observes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer.
- Mike Woodson suggested to reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, that the primary reason the Knicks aren’t going to sign anyone for the frontcourt right now is because there just isn’t a talented enough big man available.
- Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News quotes a coach from another team who echoes Woodson’s sentiments about a lack of quality bigs, supporting the Daily News scribe’s claim that Woodson, not GM Steve Mills, is the Knicks‘ best talent evaluator.
- Paul Millsap is leading the Hawks in scoring so far this season, but the team signed him for his leadership as well as what he can contribute on the court, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution details in a subscription-only piece.
- Patrick Hayes of PistonPowered, writing for the Detroit Free Press, believes Greg Monroe will sign a max deal in restricted free agency next summer. Still, Hayes thinks the Pistons aren’t likely to receive a worthwhile trade offer for him this season.
Knicks To Stand Pat, Won’t Add Big Man
9:51am: Head coach Mike Woodson confirmed today to reporters, including Newsday’s Al Iannazzone (Twitter link), that the Knicks won’t sign or acquire anyone for now.
8:19am: A week and a half into the NBA season, the Knicks are the first team under pressure to make changes to their opening night roster. Following Tyson Chandler‘s right fibula injury, which will sideline the center for four to six weeks, the Knicks are thin in the frontcourt, but according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the club appears likely to stand pat, at least for the short term.
Berman reports that “if things become a disaster,” the Knicks will seriously consider signing Ike Diogu, who had an impressive showing in camp with the team last month. However, for now, the front office is content to see how the club fares with a shortened frontcourt rotation and a few more small-ball lineups.
We heard yesterday that the Knicks have spoken to Louis Amundson, and Berman cites a source who says the team has been in touch with Jason Collins‘ reps as well. Berman notes that Collins, a 12-year veteran, would qualify for a minimum salary of about $1.4MM and suggests James Dolan doesn’t want to spend the money.
It’s unclear if Berman is referring to spending specifically on Collins, but either way, mentioning his potential $1.4MM salary is a bit disingenuous. Any player who has two or more years of NBA experience would cost an equal amount to the Knicks on a one-year deal: A pro-rated portion of about $884K, with the league picking up the rest of the tab. That means most of New York’s likely targets, including Collins, Amundson, Diogu, and Jeremy Tyler, would have identical cap and tax hits for the club, though perhaps some of those players are more willing to sign non-guaranteed contracts than others.
Berman also reiterates that Chris Smith is the strongest candidate to be cut if the Knicks change their stance and sign a big man. Nonetheless, New York wants to keep J.R. Smith‘s younger brother as a practice player until the D-League starts, according to Berman. D-League camps are set to open today, while the regular season will get underway in two weeks.
Knicks Have Spoken With Amundson
There has been ample speculation about the Knicks looking to add some help in the front court after learning that center Tyson Chandler would be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. The latest comes from ESPN New York’s Ian Begley, who tweets that the front office has reportedly spoken with Louis Amundson.
The 6’9 forward participated in training camp with the Clippers this past fall but had been waived prior to the start of the regular season. During 2012/13, Amundson played a total of 39 games with New Orleans, Chicago, and Minnesota, averaging 1.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 9.5 MPG. Yesterday, our own Luke Adams discussed potential frontcourt options available on the free agent market for the Knicks, and Amundson was among those mentioned.
The Knicks currently have 15 players on their roster, so if they were to eventually decide on signing Amundson (or any other free agent big man), they’d have to waive someone first. It’s also worth mentioning that Mike Woodson told reporters yesterday that the team is still open to bringing Jeremy Tyler back on board at some point (Marc Berman of the New York Post).
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Nets, Sanders, Knicks
We rounded up a few items out of the Western Conference this morning. Now it’s time to head east and check in on the latest from the NBA’s only undefeated team and a few of their Eastern rivals….
- While they aren’t a taxpaying team, the fact that the Pacers are only a couple million dollars away from that threshold signals that owner Herb Simon is shoving his chips all-in, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. So far, so good for the 5-0 Pacers.
- The Nets became the second team in the NBA to assign players to the D-League this season, announcing in a press release that Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor are ticketed for the Springfield Armor.
- The Bucks had been hoping that after signing a lucrative long-term extension this offseason, Larry Sanders would come into the year feeling comfortable about his future, which would help his on-court performance. As Sean Deveney of the Sporting News details, that’s certainly not how the season has played out for Sanders so far, but there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
- In a piece for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com points to the Andrea Bargnani trade as one reason why the Knicks find themselves without a decent fill-in for Tyson Chandler. Deeks also notes that Kenyon Martin‘s contract will become non-guaranteed if K-Mart misses 15 or more games due to preexisting knee injuries.
Knicks Rumors: Collins, Diogu, Barron, Woodson
Plenty of last year’s playoff teams, including the Nuggets, Bulls, and Grizzlies, are off to slow starts in 2013/14, but few have as much cause for concern as the Knicks, who will be without Tyson Chandler for at least the next four weeks. That means we should expect to see a healthy dose of small-ball lineups from Mike Woodson tomorrow night in Charlotte. As we wait to see if the Knicks can avenge Tuesday’s loss to the Bobcats, let’s round up a few of the latest items out of the Big Apple….
- Woodson told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link), that he’d talk to GM Steve Mills today about the possibility of signing a free agent big man. Asked specifically about Jason Collins, Woodson replied, “It’s hard for me to even comment on Jason or any big right now until I talk with (the front office)” (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com).
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday suggests (via Twitter) that if the Knicks can’t acquire a frontcourt player via a trade, the team should strongly consider signing Ike Diogu or Earl Barron. Both names surfaced yesterday as potential options, since the club is already familiar with them.
- A source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that Woodson was “taken aback” by James Dolan’s expectation of a championship this season and privately questioned why the roster didn’t include more veterans with championship experience. While the Knicks’ roster is still fairly veteran-heavy, this year’s version includes players like Cole Aldrich, Toure Murry, and Chris Smith in place of guys like Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, and Kurt Thomas.
Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Brooks, Woodson, Raptors
Entering the 2013/14 NBA season, the Atlantic Division was generally predicted to contain at least two playoff teams: the Nets and Knicks. So far in the early goings of ’13/14, neither team looked overly dominant. The Nets saw an impressive win over Miami before a 21-point loss to Orlando in their next contest. The Knicks have lost three straight and center Tyson Chandler was just sidelined for at least four weeks. It’s been a rough start for the two teams projected to finish at the top of the division.
Here some notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- With so much attention being placed on the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets, Zach Braziller of the New York Post points out that Brook Lopez is too often left out of conversations related to the Nets. Lopez, the team’s only All-Star last season, is signed through the 2014/15 season and has a player option for ’15/16. Lopez leads the team in points, blocks, and FG%.
- Jessica Camerato of HoopsWorld notes in her piece on MarShon Brooks that Brad Stevens has been pleased with Brooks’ attitude throughout training camp and the early stages of the season. Stevens’ kind words didn’t stop the Celtics from declining Brooks’ option for the ’14/15 season.
- The Knicks have started out slowly after finishing 54-28 last season and winning the Atlantic Division. Still, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York reports that Mike Woodson is not worried about losing his job.
- LeBron James was asked by a Toronto reporter about the likelihood of joining the Raptors this offseason. “I’m not answering free agent questions,” replied James, grinning. While James almost certainly won’t be joining Toronto for the ’14/15 season, Eric Koreen of the National Post points out that the Raptors will need to stick to playing their best five players if they want to win now rather than enter another rebuilding situation.
Knicks Rumors: Barron, Woodson, Collins
It’s been an eventful day for Knicks content so far at Hoops Rumors. In addition to discussing the club in a pair of notes posts, I also explored possible solutions for the team’s depleted frontcourt. News of Tyson Chandler‘s injury has plenty more updates coming out of New York, so let’s round up the latest:
- The last update we heard on Earl Barron had him signing with a Chinese team in September, but Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York indicates that the big man has returned stateside and would be “excited” about any interest from the Knicks (Twitter links). New York’s coaching staff reportedly wanted the front office to sign Barron before he landed in China.
- In a long piece on the Knicks, Grantland’s Zach Lowe suggests that teams with expendable bigs will be making “predatory calls” to GM Steve Mills today. Lowe lists Jason Maxiell (Magic), Ekpe Udoh (Bucks), Kevin Seraphin (Wizards), Kendrick Perkins (Thunder), and Kris Humphries (Celtics) among his possible trade candidates, but notes that any deal would be difficult.
- Mike Woodson isn’t constantly looking over his shoulder or worrying about his job security, despite the team’s sluggish start, as he told ESPN Radio today (link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York).
- Harvey Araton of the New York Times suggests Jason Collins would be a good free agent fit for the Knicks, which is something I proposed earlier today.
Odds & Ends: Favors, Mavs, Knicks, Draft
Security and comfort were concerns for Derrick Favors when the Jazz began discussing an extension with his camp this offseason, but he didn’t get very involved in the negotiations himself, as he tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe.
“That’s more of an agent thing,” Favors said. “They talked all summer and had conversations. But that’s more for the agent and the front office. I didn’t have that much word in it. My agent really just asked me questions and stuff.”
As Favors and the 0-4 Jazz prepare to face the NBA’s other 0-4 team in Boston tonight, let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the league:
- The Mavericks‘ roster underwent plenty of turnover this past summer, but the team’s new additions have been meshing very well in the early going, writes Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York explores solutions for how the Knicks will cope without Tyson Chandler in their lineup for the next several weeks, a question I also tackled today.
- Several trade candidates on teams without much chance of winning the title could benefit clubs that are in the championship mix, as Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com examines in an Insider piece.
- In another piece for ESPN.com Insiders, draft guru Chad Ford takes an early look at 2014’s point guard class, which is highlighted by Dante Exum and Marcus Smart.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if first overall pick Anthony Bennett could be headed for a stint with the Cavaliers‘ D-League affiliate in Canton.
Potential Options For The Knicks’ Frontcourt
The Knicks announced today that former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler suffered a small non-displaced fracture of the right fibula during last night’s game against the Bobcats. Chandler won’t require surgery, but is expected to miss the next four to six weeks, according to the team (Twitter links). A six-week timetable would force Chandler out of action for about 20 games, and the Knicks’ frontcourt may not be built to ride out that stretch.
Andrea Bargnani has struggled mightily during his first few games with the team and isn’t a strong rebounder even when he’s playing well. Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin are playing under minute restrictions, and would have to be considered strong injury risks if they exceeded those limits, given their respective ages and health histories. New York is also carrying Cole Aldrich, but he has yet to play a single minute for the club, so leaning on him heavily probably isn’t realistic.
The Knicks acquired Jeremy Tyler‘s D-League rights yesterday, and it’s clear the team has a fondness for him. But according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Tyler, who is recovering from a knee injury, is probably another three or four weeks away from game action himself, so he’s not a short-term solution.
The predicament provides a pretty clear example of why the Knicks’ decision to keep Chris Smith on the roster over a player like Ike Diogu or Josh Powell was so widely questioned. Like Aldrich, Smith has yet to appear in a game for the Knicks, and it’s unlikely he’ll ever carve out a role in a crowded backcourt that will welcome back his older brother J.R. Smith this weekend. Nonetheless, Chris’ non-guaranteed contract became fully guaranteed when he made the team’s opening night roster, so it’s not clear if the team would cut him to sign a big man.
As Ian Begley of ESPN New York notes (via Twitter), coach Mike Woodson indicated today on ESPN Radio that he’ll rely more on small ball while Chandler is out. But Begley also suggests (via Twitter) that he expects the Knicks to sign a free agent, singling out Diogu as a player the club liked in the preseason. New York would have to release a player from its 15-man roster to clear a spot, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the younger Smith. Toure Murry, who also looked impressive in October, is on a non-guaranteed contract, so the team would only have to eat a small fraction of his salary if he were released now.
While the Knicks may prefer to sign a player they’re familiar with, like Diogu, a veteran free agent is also a possibility. Louis Amundson recently hit the open market after being cut by the Clippers, while July amnesty victims like Tyrus Thomas and Drew Gooden are also available. The most interesting name on the free agent market might be Jason Collins, who reportedly drew some interest from the Knicks in the offseason and is said to be in excellent shape. Collins is the type of experienced veteran who could immediately contribute and wouldn’t expect or require major minutes when Chandler returns.
The Knicks are off to a slow start this season, sitting with a 1-3 record despite playing three of their first four games at Madison Square Garden. You can make the case that, outside of Carmelo Anthony, no player is more indispensable to New York than Chandler, so the next several weeks will be pivotal. If the Knicks can tread water without their starting center, a top-five seed in the East is still within their sights. If not, the team could find itself fighting for a playoff spot in the second half.
Atlantic Rumors: Lowry, Wallace, Stoudemire
Kyle Lowry is in the last year of his contract with the Raptors, meaning he’ll likely be the subject of a few trade rumors this season. And whether or not he’s dealt, he’s poised to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career next summer. As he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld though, he’s not letting his contract status become a distraction.
“It’s one of those things where it’s like when you’re in college and they say that you could be a draft pick,” Lowry said. “If you start thinking about it too much, you’ll play bad. So right now, I’m in a mode where I can’t think about the future. I have to think about the present and what’s happening right now.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The Celtics have tried to discuss Gerald Wallace in trades, but given the three years and $30MM+ remaining on his deal, the team’s options are limited, says Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. In the meantime, Wallace continues to try to adjust to a new situation and establish a role in Boston.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News thinks the Knicks will try to convince Amar’e Stoudemire to end his career before his inflated contract expires in 2015, but he can’t see Stoudemire agreeing to call it quits (Twitter link).
- With Tyson Chandler‘s status uncertain and Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin both considered ongoing injury risks, the Knicks‘ need to re-sign Jeremy Tyler has “grown mightily,” writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Erie BayHawks acquired Tyler earlier this week, allowing the big man to rehab with the Knicks’ D-League affiliate.
- Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com is certain that Brad Stevens made the right call to take the Celtics job, since at worst he’ll have the $22MM from his six-year contract and the chance to either take another NBA job or a head coaching position at a college with a higher profile than Butler.
- The Sixers will hire Rod Baker to coach their D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Baker, who had been working as an assistant for the Bakersfield Jam, has extensive coaching experience in the PBL, ABA, and NCAA.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.