New York Notes: King, Draft, Bullock, Nets, Knicks
With the Draft taking place tonight at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, let’s look at the latest Draft news out of New York City..
- Knicks guard Chris Copeland won’t just be a hot commodity for NBA clubs this summer, he’ll also get some big money offers overseas, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- With an established roster led by Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson, the Nets are looking for a role player in the draft, writes Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record. General Manager Billy King says that he’s hoping to add shooting and athleticism to the roster. He also openly discussed the possibility of purchasing a pick with the maximum $3MM of cash considerations that are allowed under CBA rules.
- King could be wheeling and dealing tonight, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. In addition to having $3MM at their disposal to buy another pick, the Nets may also dangle MarShon Brooks, as we’ve heard discussed over the last week.
- Knicks guard Ray Felton is a big fan of UNC guard Reggie Bullock, writes Zwerling. Whether the Tarheel is in the mix for New York remains to be seen.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post looked back at the Knicks‘ first round picks over the last ten years. Many of the notable players on the list such as Danilo Gallinari and David Lee are no longer in orange-and-blue.
- The Nets are close to bringing Eric Hughes aboard as an assistant coach to Jason Kidd, sources tell Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Hughes worked as an assistant at Cal when Kidd played there.
Odds & Ends: Marbury, Shaw, J.R. Smith, Calathes
Stephon Marbury hasn't played in the NBA since the 2008/09 season, and he's not interested in making a comeback, telling reporters Tuesday in China that he prefers to continue playing in the Chinese league. Jonas Terrado of Tempo has the details. With the draft now just hours away, there's plenty of news on guys who are and will be a part of the NBA, and here's the latest:
- New Nuggets coach Brian Shaw has a three-year deal with an option for a fourth, and his annual salary will be around $2MM, reports Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. It's not clear whether the option belongs to the Nuggets or to Shaw, though usually options in coaching contracts belong to the team.
- The top priority for the Knicks this summer is retaining J.R. Smith, a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who passes along the note in an updated version of his story on the team's decision to extend a qualifying offer to Pablo Prigioni.
- The Mavs own the rights to former second-round pick Nick Calathes, and there's mutual interest in bringing him to the NBA next season, reports Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Other NBA teams are interested, too, and the Mavs are willing to trade him if they can't fit him on their roster, McMahon writes.
- While noting that Luol Deng's camp is dismissing the idea that there's an extension in the works with the Bulls, as we heard yesterday, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Bulls are calling around to see what they can get for Richard Hamilton.
- Pacers assistant Jim Boylen has an agreement in place with the Spurs to join Gregg Popovich's coaching staff in San Antonio, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Boylen is not to be confused with former Bucks coach Jim Boylan, whom the Cavs hired as an assistant coach earlier today.
- Sixers insiders expect minority owner Dave Heller to take over Adam Aron's role as liaison between the team's basketball operations and principal owner Josh Harris, writes Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Several Teams Eyeing J.R. Smith, Chris Copeland
8:51pm: Zwerling and ESPN colleague Chris Broussard add the Suns to the list of teams interested in Smith, while the Mavs, Pacers, Lakers, Thunder, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards are in the market for Copeland, according to their report.
7:36pm: The Bucks have strong interest in J.R. Smith, and they're also interested in fellow Knicks free agent Chris Copeland, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Milwaukee will have plenty of cap space, presuming the team doesn't re-sign many of its own free agents, so Milwaukee can outbid New York.
Fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ian Begley noted Milwaukee's interest in Smith last night, pointing to the Pistons as another team eyeing the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. It's unclear whether the interest from either Smith or Copeland is mutual. Both have spoken about their desire to remain in New York, though John Spencer, Copeland's agent, said in May that money would be a key for his client this summer.
The taxpaying Knicks have Early Bird rights on Smith, but that limits them to a four year deal with a starting salary at either 175% of his previous salary, which would be $5,132,298, or 104.5% of the league average salary, whichever is greater. We won't know the league's official average salary calculation until July, but it's expected to be around that same amount.
While Smith is an unrestricted free agent, Copeland is on the restricted market, meaning the Knicks have the right to match offers after having extended him a qualifying offer today, worth $988,872 for one year. Copeland is a Non-Bird free agent, and the best the Knicks could do for him would be a four-year deal starting at $3.183MM via the taxpayer's mid-level exception. If the Knicks somehow find a way to dip below the tax apron, which appears unlikely, New York could get help via the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which limits other teams to offers with a starting salary of no more than the non-taxpayer's mid-level. The Pelicans are another team that's shown interest in the forward who's coming off a surprisingly impressive rookie year.
Knicks Extend Qualifying Offer To Pablo Prigioni
The Knicks have formally extended a qualifying offer to Pablo Prigioni, ensuring that he'll be a restricted free agent next month, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The offer, which comes a day after the team extended a QO to Chris Copeland, is worth the same as Copeland's one-year offer: $988,872.
By making the qualifying offer, the Knicks will have the opportunity to match any rival offers for Prigioni up to $3.18MM, the taxpayer's mid-level exception. The Knicks reportedly would like to bring both Prigioni and Copeland back, but will only have that $3.18MM available for both players. Using that MLE on one or both of them would also rule out the possibility of using it on an outside free agent, so the Knicks will have some decisions ahead of them in the coming weeks.
In his first year in the NBA, the 36-year-old Prigioni averaged 3.5 PPG and 3.0 APG in 78 contests for the Knicks (16.2 MPG)
Pelicans To Pursue Chris Copeland
3:00pm: Speaking to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, agent John Spencer confirmed that the Pelicans have interest in his client and said he expects other teams to show interest as well. But that doesn't necessarily mean Copeland will leave the Knicks, according to Spencer.
"He turned down a lot of money to play in New York last year," Spencer said. "It would not surprise me if Chris turned down a lot of money to stay in New York. It’s really about circumstances and situations."
The Knicks extended a qualifying offer to Copeland earlier today, officially making him a restricted free agent.
8:22am: Having only signed a one-year deal with the Knicks last summer, Chris Copeland will become a free agent this summer, less than a year after making his NBA debut. And according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, at least one team is planning to make a "strong bid" for Copeland. Berman reports that the Pelicans are expected to pursue Copeland in July.
Because Copeland has just been in the NBA for a year, the Knicks will have the opportunity to extend a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent. However, because New York is in the tax, the team is expected to only have the mini mid-level exception (starting at about $3.18MM) available to match any rival offer sheets for the 29-year-old.
Armed with plenty of cap space, the Pelicans would be able to make Copeland an offer the Knicks are unable to match. Berman reported last month that Copeland would likely be seeking "Steve Novak money," or about $4MM per year on a long-term deal. If New Orleans was to meet that reported asking price, the Knicks wouldn't have the means to match the Pelicans' offer.
According to Berman, Pacers president Donnie Walsh also has interest in Copeland. The Pacers don't figure to have as much financial flexibility as the Pelicans, but they could have the full $5.15MM mid-level exception available, so they'd also be able to outbid the Knicks.
Even if Copeland receives an offer sheet for a starting salary that the Knicks could match (ie. $2-3MM), it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team let him walk. By not committing their MLE to Copeland, the Knicks would be able to use it on Pablo Prigioni or an outside free agent.
Knicks Extend Qualifying Offer To Chris Copeland
The Knicks have formally extended a qualifying offer to Chris Copeland, making him a restricted free agent, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The offer is for a one-year deal worth $988,872.
Copeland's is the first of many qualifying offers we're likely to see this week. As we explain in our Hoops Rumors glossary, QOs are one-year deals that a player has the option to accept. The offers, which vary in value based on a player's service time and previous contract status, also give the team the right to match offer sheets for the player in free agency.
As I noted this morning, however, because the Knicks are in the tax, they may not have the opportunity to match on Copeland if a rival suitor, such as the Pelicans or Pacers, offers a starting salary worth more than the taxpayer mid-level exception (approximately $3.18MM). The reported interest in Copeland also makes it unlikely that he'd accept the $988,872 offer from the Knicks, since he figures to receive larger bids on the open market.
Knicks, Blazers Discussing Kostas Papanikolaou
Last July, the Knicks sent the rights to Kostas Papanikolaou to Portland as part of the sign-and-trade deal that netted them Raymond Felton. Almost a year later, New York is trying to find a way to get Papanikolaou back. Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that the Knicks have offered second-round picks and cash to the Trail Blazers in an attempt to reacquire Papanikolaou's rights.
Considering how many future second-rounders the Knicks have traded away, there aren't many left to offer in a deal with the Blazers. New York's own 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 second-round picks are ticketed for Washington, Houston, Houston again, and Portland, respectively. The Knicks do have 2014 second-rounders from the Kings and Thunder, but Sacramento's pick is heavily protected and is unlikely to change hands. So New York could probably only offer Oklahoma City's 2014 second-rounder (likely to be near the very end of the draft) or picks in 2017 and beyond.
In any case, Portland doesn't appear willing to give up Papanikolaou's rights for the second-rounders the Knicks are offering. According to Berman, the Blazers countered by asking for the Knicks' 24th overall pick this week, with New York receiving Portland's No. 39 pick along with Papanikolaou in the proposed swap. However, Knicks GM Glen Grunwald is reluctant to give up New York's first-round pick.
Papanikolaou's Greek representative, George Sfairopoulos, indicated last month that he expected the Blazers to trade his client, since there didn't seem to be room at small forward on the team's roster to bring him stateside anytime soon. According to Berman, the Blazers are shopping Papanikolaou at the request of his U.S. agent, Marc Cornstein, and the team may have received offers from other clubs picking in the late-20s. GM Neil Olshey and the Blazers figure to wait until draft night to determine exactly who is available toward the end of the first round, says Berman.
Atlantic Notes: Brown, Shaw, Celtics, Knicks
After a strong interview with the Nuggets, Spurs assistant Brett Brown has drawn the interest of the Sixers and led them to ask for – and receive permission – to interview him, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Brown met with Nuggets officials on Sunday and emerged as a significant candidate in the search process, according to league sources, making him a hot commodity this summer. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..
- Brian Shaw's agent told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (on Twitter) that his client has yet to hear from the Celtics. However, he added that "there would be interest" if the C's called.
- The Knicks are seeking cheaper alternatives with Jason Kidd gone and Rasheed Wallace retired, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Quincy Douby will be brought in for a workout tomorrow following Shawne Williams' audition today. Douby, who has spent a good amount of time overseas, is no stranger to the New York area thanks to his starring role at Rutgers.
- Brazilian prospect Alexandre Paranhos is working out for the Nets today, the Sixers tomorrow, and the Knicks on Wednesday, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Atlantic Rumors: Pierce, Raptors, Knicks, Draft
The Celtics have been embroiled in negotiations with the Clippers over Doc Rivers in a stop-and-start drama that was the league's primary storyline this week, outside of the Finals. With the draft and free agency approaching, plenty of other headlines figure to emerge, and we've got the latest on potential moves involving a few Atlantic Division clubs here:
- Teams around the league have better than average interest in trading for Paul Pierce, according to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. Pierce's $15.3MM contract for next season is only guaranteed for $5MM if he's waived on or before next Sunday.
- The Raptors are trying to acquire a pick in this year's draft, but they don't have much cash available to use in a trade for one. The Raptors sent $3MM to the Grizzlies as part of the Rudy Gay trade, and that leaves them just $100K under the NBA's annual limit for sending out cash as part of swaps, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter links). GM Masai Ujiri and company could get creative and prearrange a deal for a pick involving cash that wouldn't become official until July, when the league calendar flips over and teams have another $3.2MM to spend in trades, Deeks notes.
- The Knicks feel they need another scorer on the perimeter, preferably one who can play small forward, and they'll target that need in the draft and go after a big man in free agency, as Marc Berman of the New York Post hears. They're considering swingmen Tim Hardaway Jr., Allen Crabbe, Reggie Bullock and Tony Snell with the 24th overall pick.
- If the Knicks take a point guard with the pick, they'll look for a playmaker rather than a scorer, and they have interest in Nate Wolters, according to Berman.
Shawne Williams To Work Out For Several Teams
2:29pm: The Nets are in the mix for Williams as well, HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus tweets.
11:57am: Former Knick Shawne Williams will return to New York on Monday to audition for the orange-and-blue, agent Happy Walters told Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks are trying to add more scoring pop to the roster at the small forward position now that Carmelo Anthony is viewed as their power forward.
“Shawne loved his time there,’’ Walters said. “He’ll be the first to tell you. But it is also about where he’d get playing time.’’
The Williams camp is concerned because the Knicks found a promising forward in Chris Copeland. However, Copeland is a free agent and the Knicks may be unable to re-sign him because they would have to dip into their $3.1MM mini mid-level exception to keep him.
There's plenty of competition for Williams, however. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni coached Williams in New York and wants him back and has also has scheduled a workout for him. The Knicks also are competing against the Clippers and the Bulls for his services.
Williams has had personal troubles in recent years but thrived in New York in 2010/11, averaging 7.1 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 20.7 minutes per contest. His last NBA season was in 2011/12 with the Nets, where he didn't find the same success.