Atlantic Links: Blatche, Kenyon, Celtics, Bynum
We passed along word of the Knicks' interest in Timofey Mozgov already today, and there's still more news out of the Atlantic Division. We've got it covered right here:
- Andray Blatche hinted earlier this week that he might be willing to re-sign the Nets this summer at a discount, and he followed up by clearly expressing his desire to return to Brooklyn in comments to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. "Most definitely," Blatche said. "I love it here. We've got a great team here, a great staff. The fans are crazy. I mean, everything about this organization is great, so hopefully I can come back. I feel like this is my new home, now, really. I feel comfortable with everything that's going on."
- Kenyon Martin thought he deserved another shot with the Clippers after he served the team off the bench last season, but Mike Woodson is glad to have him around on the shorthanded Knicks, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Shavlik Randolph and D.J. White have no idea whether the Celtics will keep them for the rest of the season when their second 10-day contracts expire this week, but with their playing time limited, Randolph believes the team will judge them based mostly on what they did before arriving in Boston. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details.
- Randolph got a rare opportunity to contribute last night against the Bobcats, and his performance, which drew raves from coach Celtics coach Doc Rivers. That helped his case for remaining with the team for the rest of the season, opines Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
- John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News believes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will remain in Miami after 2014, when they have the opportunity to become free agents. That will keep the Heat on top for years to come, Smallwood writes, arguing that there's no use in re-signing Andrew Bynum for the Sixers, who won't realistically challenge for a title with or without him.
Knicks Interested In Timofey Mozgov
Timofey Mozgov is averaging fewer than 10 minutes per game this season for the Nuggets, but there was no shortage of teams pursuing him at the trade deadline, as we heard the Heat, Timberwolves, Bobcats and Knicks were after the 7'1" center. New York, the team that originally brought Mozgov to the NBA from Russia, maintains its interest in Mozgov as he approaches restricted free agency this summer, according to Mark Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link).
Berman followed up on his report last night that Mozgov is fond of his time with the Knicks, the team with which he spent half a season before going to the Nuggets in the Carmelo Anthony trade. Still, Mozgov didn't say New York has a leg up on any other team as he considers where to sign, which makes sense given the Knicks' financial constraints.
The Knicks will likely be more than $4MM over the tax threshold this summer, meaning they'll be ineligible to receive players in a sign-and-trade and couldn't offer Mozgov more than the taxpayer's mid-level exception. That exception allows for a three-year deal with a starting salary of $3.183MM next season, and based on the number of teams that seemed eager to take him on at the deadline, Mozgov could field better offers in the summer. Berman argues that his lack of playing time this year has likely depressed his market value, but Mozgov is only a season removed from his career year in 2011/12, when he started 35 games and averaged 5.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in 44 total contests.
The Nuggets will have the right to match any offer as long as they extend a qualifying offer, and they might be tempted to match the limited contract the Knicks could put on the table. They weren't willing to trade Mozgov this season unless they received an overwhelming offer, even though the team's other centers, JaVale McGee and Kosta Koufos, both have guaranteed deals for next season.
Atlantic Rumors: Humphries, Knicks, Moultrie
Few third-place teams have a legitimate shot at a division title this late in the season, but the Celtics are an exception. The current No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference could erase a three and a half game deficit in the Atlantic Division to climb over the Nets and Knicks if they keep up their surprisingly torrid pace in the wake of Rajon Rondo's injury. The banged-up Knicks haven't played quite as well amidst their health woes, and the Nets, while relatively healthy, haven't been able to generate much momentum of late. Here's the latest on a few Atlantic teams as this season's race nears its conclusion:
- Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo has said he plans to bring Kris Humphries back into the team's rotation soon, but Humphries, whom Brooklyn reportedly offered to multiple teams at the trade deadline, isn't sure he'll be around the Nets in any capacity much longer. Fred Kerber of the New York Post has the details. "You’ve got to look at the situation," Humphries said. "It’s hard to say right now. Who knows who’s going to be here? A lot of things can change here."
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com speculates that James White, Pablo Prigioni and Kurt Thomas could be potential roster casualties if the Knicks elect to sign Delonte West, whom they're reportedly monitoring. The injured Rasheed Wallace would seem the most logical choice to go, but coach Mike Woodson insists he won't be waived, Begley notes.
- Rookie Arnett Moultrie has seen little playing time this year, but the Sixers plan to increase his minutes down the stretch to see what they have in the 27th overall pick from this past year, observes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Deron Williams is averaging 23.6 points per game in March, well above his mark for the season, and he explained some of the reasons for his increased production to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Sulia link).
Knicks Notes: Mozgov, Martin, Kidd, Anthony
The Nets and Knicks won't meet again in the regular season, but they are still on a collision course all the same, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times. Regardless of how things break for New York, they could find themselves with some difficult matchups in the postseason besides Brooklyn. The Knicks have struggled against the Pacers (1-2) and the Bulls (0-3), while the Nets (2-2) and the Celtics (1-1) have given them trouble. Here's more out of MSG..
- Former Knicks center Timofey Mozgov will be a restricted free agent this summer and he makes no secret of the fact that he enjoyed his time in New York, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “We got the option to choose a team where I can play,’’ Mozgov said. “I can’t say [Nuggets coach] George [Karl] is bad. Of course it’s not a good feeling when you don’t play, but I’m still part of the team. New York is a good city, no question, but there are 30 teams.’’
- The Clippers didn't ask forward Kenyon Martin to return, but the former No. 1 overall pick says that he played a pivotal role for the club last season, writes Nate Taylor of the New York Times. “I did what I had to do to help them win,” Martin said. “Without me, I don’t think they would have got out of the first round.”
- Jason Kidd gave an honest answer when he was asked if he was worried about playing without Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. "No matter if they come back or not, we got to figure out how to stop the bleeding," Kidd said. "When they do come back, that doesn't guarantee us anything, because we've had them and we lost. We've got to get out of this funk."
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal explains why Martin has been so much better than expected in New York.
Knicks Sign Kenyon Martin For Rest Of Season
The Knicks have re-signed Kenyon Martin to a rest-of-season deal, the team announced today in a press release. The move had been expected after Martin's second 10-day contract with the Knicks expired overnight.
During his first 20 days with the Knicks, Martin has appeared in six games, averaging 5.7 PPG and 3.2 RPG. With a number of Knicks, including Amare Stoudemire and Rasheed Wallace, sidelined by injuries, Martin figures to have an increased role in New York for at least the rest of the regular season.
The signing gives the Knicks a full roster of 15 players on guaranteed contracts. The club is reportedly considering adding another point guard, and could also require another healthy frontcourt player if any more bigs go down in the next month or so. In that case, the Knicks would have to release a player on a guaranteed deal to open up a roster spot.
Knicks, Others To Monitor Delonte West
It's been nearly two months since Delonte West was added to the roster of the D-League's Texas Legends, but it appears West is finally ready to make his debut. After not reporting to the team for several weeks, West recently joined the Legends and is expected to play tomorrow, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
If and when West debuts for the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, there figure to be a number of NBA teams monitoring his progress. We recently heard West cited as a potential target for the Knicks as the club considers adding another point guard, and Stein confirms (via Twitter) that the Knicks will indeed be one of the teams keeping an eye on West.
Regardless of how West performs in the D-League, there will likely still be concerns about his off-court presence and his locker-room influence. But if he shows that he can still contribute on the court, I'd expect at least a couple teams to express some interest, thinking that the pros will outweigh the cons.
Atlantic Notes: Bargnani, Pietrus, Celtics, Felton
Following blowout losses in Golden State and Denver, the Knicks' current five-game road trip managed to get even worse when Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler left last night's game against the Nuggets with knee injuries. While Chandler downplayed the severity of his left knee contusion and could play tonight, Anthony will head back to New York to get his troublesome right knee drained. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star says with "99.9% certainty" that amnestying Andrea Bargnani this summer isn't something that's even been discussed at the highest level of the Raptors' front office.
- The Raptors were widely panned when they inked Landry Fields to an expensive three-year deal last summer, but as Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld writes, Fields has played his best ball of the season in recent weeks and can still be an important part of the team going forward.
- Mickael Pietrus, currently on the Raptors' roster, still hasn't gotten over not being able to return to the Celtics this season, as he tells Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. "You never know, hopefully I’ll be back," Pietrus said.
- Tom Layman of the Boston Herald spoke to D.J. White and Shavlik Randolph about trying to make enough of an impression that the Celtics will re-sign them when their respective 10-day contracts expire.
- With the Knicks scheduled to play in Portland tonight, Raymond Felton had plenty of comments to make about the 2011/12 he spent with the Trail Blazers, as Marc Berman of the New York Post and Frank Isola of the New York Daily News document. Felton called it an "unfair situation" and said he wished he never asked for the trade that sent him from the Nuggets to the Blazers.
Knicks Eyeing Another Point Guard
Citing a source close to the team, ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling reports that the Knicks are considering adding a veteran point guard to supplement Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni. While injuries have decimated their frontcourt, Zwerling says a lack of free agent options has led the Knicks to consider opting for guard help.
Zwerling indicates that the Knicks are ideally looking for a point guard that has some speed and quickness, in contrast to the wisdom and decision making of the older Kidd and Prigioni. The source points to Delonte West, Sundiata Gaines and Jannero Pargo as options, with West being the most likely. While West has some issues – as evidenced by his absence from the NBA this year – the Saint Joseph's product would join a veteran roster in New York. Meanwhile, all signs point towards Pargo signing a 10-day contract with Charlotte tomorrow. So unless that deal falls through, the Knicks would have to hope the Bobcats let him walk once his contract expires if they want to pursue him.
Two of those veterans are injured big men Amare Stoudemire and Rasheed Wallace, both out for the remainder of the regular season. Zwerling says Mike Woodson remains committed to Wallace, probably making James White the odd man out should the team decide it needs a roster spot.
Should the Knicks decide their need for frontcourt help is too pressing to consider anything else, Zwerling lists Henry Sims, Tony Battie, Josh Boone, Brian Cook, Dan Gadzuric, Troy Murphy, Ben Wallace, Hassan Whiteside and Sean Williams as potential targets. While Sims provides the most intrigue of the bunch, Zwerling says the Knicks would prefer a veteran.
Knicks Links: Carmelo, Nets, Stoudemire
One reunion between a star player and his former home court received plenty of fanfare yesterday, as Dwight Howard put up a monster 39-point, 16-rebound line in his return to Orlando. Tonight will feature another star playing his former team, as Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks face the Nuggets in Denver. Because of the 2011 lockout, the Knicks didn't travel to Denver in a shortened '11/12 season, making this time the first time Carmelo has played in Denver since being traded in February 2011.
Here are a few Wednesday morning Knicks notes, with a focus on that Carmelo trade:
- Discussing his desire to be traded to New York, Anthony tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that a number of Nuggets players at the time were on expiring contracts, and he was facing the possibility of being on a rebuilding team. "People didn't really know the business side of the situation we were in," Anthony said. "Everybody's contract was up. They had plans of going younger. People from the outside looking in didn't really get it."
- When the Nuggets and Knicks finalized the blockbuster deal, it was one of two options on the table for Denver GM Masai Ujiri. According to Spears, an offer from the Nets was also available, which included Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Troy Murphy, and three draft picks. The Nets ultimately sent a similar package to the Jazz for Deron Williams.
- Sunny Saini of ESPN Stats & Info and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com each explore the question of who "won" the 'Melo trade between the Nuggets and Knicks. Begley reaches the same conclusion I would, arguing that both sides would likely do the deal again.
- Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com believes that, as bad as Amare Stoudemire's contract looks for the Knicks, it was a necessary evil, since it contributed significantly to the team becoming relevant again.
Odds & Ends: Korver, Magic, Stoudemire, Balkman
A few Tuesday evening odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Kyle Korver will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and he's looking forward to going through the process, as he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. "It’s nothing to dread about it," Korver said. "Your wife wants to know where she’s going to live next year and I do too, obviously…. It’s an exciting time but right now you have to take care of the games you have in front of you and let July take care of July." I examined Korver's free agent stock last week.
- With Dwight Howard returning to Orlando for the first time since being traded last August, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com notes that the package acquired by GM Rob Hennigan and the Magic in that deal is no longer being questioned.
- As David Lee and the Warriors faced the Amare Stoudemire-less Knicks last night, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweeted that ex-Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni wanted the team to re-sign Lee in the summer of 2010 rather than pursuing Stoudemire.
- Pointing out that Robert Sarver and the Suns were also willing to offer Stoudemire a max contract in 2010, but only if he met certain minutes-played thresholds, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic says the Suns made the right call.
- Renaldo Balkman's lifetime ban from the Philippines' professional basketball league has been reduced to one year, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes.