New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Lin, Valanciunas, Raptors, Nets

By Luke Adams | at July 16, 2012 1:06 pm

"Though he sure didn't act like it," writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, "Jeremy Lin still wants to be a Knick." Berman cites a source close to Lin who says that the young point guard is hoping the Knicks match Houston's offer sheet. Berman's apparent critique of Lin's handling of free agency is somewhat bizarre, considering the Post scribe reported two weeks ago that the Knicks intended to sit back and wait while Lin went out and let the market set his price tag.

As we wait to see whether the Knicks will truly let Lin walk, here are a few more items out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks still want to make some minor adjustments and figure to make a couple more small moves, says Gery Woefel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
Expect the Raptors to sign 2011 fifth overall pick Jonas Valanciunas in the "next couple days," tweets Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
With Jose Calderon's future in Toronto uncertain, the Raptors would like to upgrade their bench at point guard, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

Jeremy Lin Rumors: Sunday

By Daniel Seco | at July 15, 2012 9:59 pm

The return of Jeremy Lin to the Knicks seemed to be more of a sure thing than Michael Jordan smoking a cigar on the golf course merely 24 hours ago. With the Knicks set to add Raymond Felton to their backcourt through a sign-and-trade with Portland, Lin's future in New York remains unclear. The Knicks have until 11:59pm (EST) on Tuesday to make up their mind and will reportedly take the entire time allotted before announcing a decision. We'll keep track of all the latest rumors and news surrounding the offseason version of Linsanity with the latest news on top.

The New York Times' Howard Beck writes that a person with knowledge of the Knicks' situation said while it is "more likely than not" that they don't match the Rockets' offer, it is also "not definitive."
Carmelo Anthony is the latest to chime in on the offseason Linsanity. Anthony called the Rockets-Lin offer sheet "ridiculous" during an interview with reporters today, according to Yahoo's Marc Spears. Anthony also insisted that should the Knicks not match, it is not his doing. "It's up to ownership to match, not me," he said. "I'm tired of people trying to blame me for the fact that the Knicks might not match. I want everybody to get paid if they have the opportunity."
Ian O'Connor from ESPN New York gives his take on why the Knicks must match the Rockets' offer for Lin, saying that his stint of success last year, while brief, showed too much promise for the Knicks to not retain him.

4 comments Houston Rockets New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony J.R. Smith Jared Jeffries Jeremy Lin

Poll: Should Knicks Match Lin’s Offer Sheet?

By Daniel Seco | at July 15, 2012 10:06 am

With the Knicks set to acquire point guard Raymond Felton from the Trail Blazers, the team is left to decide whether it should match Jeremy Lin's backloaded offer sheet from the Rockets. The Knicks would have four point guards on their roster if they elect to retain Lin's services, which could make for a very crowded backcourt.

There's no denying the impact Lin made during the 2011/12 season, but he only managed to play in 35 games and suffered a season-ending injury in late March. However, the team's record with Lin on the court (20-15) was significantly better than when he was on the bench or injured (16-15). Should the Knicks pay Lin or should New York simply let the former Harvard star take his talents to Houston?

Should The Knicks Match Jeremy Lin's Offer Sheet?

No 67% (1,363)
Yes 33% (673)

Total votes: 2,036

0 comments Hoops Rumors Polls New York Knicks Jeremy Lin Raymond Felton

Lin Signs Rockets’ Offer Sheet; Knicks To Match?

By Daniel Seco | at July 15, 2012 9:05 am

JULY 15TH, 9:05am: The acquisition of Raymond Felton doesn't mean Lin's tenure in New York has come to a close, as head coach Mike Woodson has been known to use two point guards in the backcourt, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.

JULY 14TH, 11:00pm: According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Knicks have received Lin's offer sheet from the Rockets and have until 11:59pm on Tuesday to match the offer (Twitter link).

5:46pm: Contrary to previous reports, the Rockets have not yet delivered the Lin offer sheet to the Knicks, reports Feigen (via Twitter).

4:18pm: The Rockets have met with Grunwald and the three-day period to match has begun, Feigen tweets.

3:39pm: In an odd twist, the Knicks seem to be playing a game of keep-away from the Rockets in an attempt to tie up their cap as long as possible, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Knicks, in Las Vegas for the summer league, have refused to accept the offer sheet at their team hotel, despite a courier's attempts to reach Knicks officials by phone and at their rooms. The Rockets sent the offer sheet via FedEx to the Knicks offices in New York, but the league has said GM Glen Grunwald must receive it personally (All Twitter links). The Knicks are reportedly upset with the Rockets for increasing the third-year salary in the offer to about $14.9MM.

3:00pm: The Knicks have yet to receive a signed offer sheet from the Rockets, tweets Steve Popper of the Bergen Record, and New York is unsure it will see the offer sheet at any point today, reports Newsday's Al Iannazzone, via Twitter.

JULY 13TH, 3:37pm: According to a handful of reporters, including ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link), the Knicks are expected to take the full three days to match the Rockets' offer sheet, tying up Houston's cap in the process.

2:57pm: Lin officially signed his offer sheet from the Rockets today, according to TNT's David Aldridge. Interestingly, the originally-reported terms seem to have been modified — Aldridge says that the deal is now for three years and $25.1MM, with a maximum salary in the third year (about $14.9MM). However, the Knicks still intend to match it, says Aldridge (Twitter links).

JULY 6TH, 7:58am: The Rockets' offer sheet agreement with Lin "hardly created a ripple" for the Knicks, who intend to match it, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

"He's their guy," one source told Berman. "They'll match."

JULY 5TH, 6:35pm: Jeremy Lin has agreed to terms on an offer sheet from the Rockets, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. The deal is a four-year, $28.8MM offer with a team option in the final year, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter). New York will have three days to match the offer beginning July 11.

According to reports, the Knicks are willing to pay whatever neccesary to retain Lin's services, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com says Lin's offer from the Rockets spikes during the third year of the contract due to the Gilbert Arenas Provision (on Twitter). Lin will reportedly earn $5MM during his first year with the Rockets, $5.2MM in his second and $9.3MM during the third and fourth years of his contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

The Rockets are in the market for a starting point guard after seemingly losing Goran Dragic to the Suns during free agency and trading Kyle Lowry to the Raptors. Houston's offer to Lin is similar to the one Dragic received from the Suns, except for Dragic's All-Star bonuses and his player option versus Lin's team option in the fourth year, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

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45 comments Houston Rockets New York Knicks Transactions Jeremy Lin

Grant Hill Considering Knicks, Heat, Lakers

By Daniel Seco | at July 15, 2012 8:33 am

Grant Hill has narrowed down his list of potential teams to play for next season to three, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Hill, 39 and currently the second oldest player in the league, is interested in joining the Knicks, Heat or Lakers. According to Isola, Hill met with the Knicks in Las Vegas to discuss how the small forward would be a great addition to New York's roster. (Twitter link).

While all three teams are considered championship contenders heading into the 2012/13 season, Hill's wife prefers New York over Miami and Los Angeles. As we mentioned last week, the Lakers were considered the frontrunners for Hill given ex-Suns teammate Steve Nash's arrival in LA but it appears the Knicks are vying for the top spot given the preference of Hill's wife. Regardless of where Hill ends up, Hoops Rumors' Luke Adams predicts Hill will receive a one-year deal worth the veteran's minimum or a small cap exception.

12 comments Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat New York Knicks Grant Hill

Knicks Set To Acquire Felton, Let Lin Leave

By Daniel Seco | at July 14, 2012 8:53 pm

8:53pm: Tony Dutt, Felton's agent, says the Knicks have a verbal agreement in place that will send his client to New York in a sign-and-trade deal with Portland, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link).

8:28pm: Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports says Lin is close to becoming a Rocket as the Knicks finalize a deal for Felton (via Twitter).

8:21pm: The Knicks have been in talks with point guard Raymond Felton as a decision on Jeremy Lin's future with the team looms, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Isola tweets that if New York elects to pass on Lin, the team would attempt to acquire Felton through a sign-and-trade with the Trail Blazers. The move would allow the Knicks to add a quality young point guard to their backcourt without sacrificing the team's financial future given how Lin's offer sheet from the Rockets is structured.

3 comments New York Knicks Jeremy Lin Raymond Felton

Landry Fields Signs Raptors’ Offer Sheet

By Luke Adams | at July 14, 2012 8:38 pm

JULY 14TH, 8:38pm: The Knicks will not match Toronto's offer sheet, officially making Fields a member of the Raptors, reports Al Iannazzone of Newsday (via Twitter).

JULY 11TH, 4:31pm: Fields officially signed Toronto's offer sheet today, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The Knicks will have three days to decide whether to match it, and figure to take their time, as we heard earlier today.

JULY 3RD, 1:09pm: The third year in Fields' offer sheet with Toronto is worth roughly $8.5MM, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. Added to a first-year salary of $5MM and a second-year salary of $5.225MM, that would put the total value of the agreement at a little over $18.7MM. Berman adds that the Knicks are unlikely to match the offer.

6 comments New York Knicks Toronto Raptors Transactions Jose Calderon Landry Fields Steve Nash

Odds & Ends: Fields, Scola, Blazers, Gordon

By Zachary Links | at July 14, 2012 12:41 pm

The Knicks’ deadline to match Landry Fields’ 3-year, $18.7MM offer sheet from the Raptors is tonight at 11pm CDT. If they match Lin and Fields, the Knicks will have roughly $86MM committed to those two plus Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler for the 2014-15 season, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Include Jason Kidd and Steve Novak and it’s more than $92MM committed to seven players. The luxury tax penalties really start to get stiff in 2013/14 and that could make the Knicks' decision on Fields a difficult one. Here's more from around the Association..

0 comments Boston Celtics Charlotte Hornets Indiana Pacers Miami Heat New Orleans Pelicans New York Knicks Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Eric Gordon

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Lin, Smith, Knicks

By Zachary Links | at July 14, 2012 10:24 am

Earlier this week, the Nets backed out of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes and instead opted to re-sign restricted free agent Brook Lopez. General Manager Billy King told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, that it was clearly time to walk away from the talks and focus on the pieces that are already in Brooklyn. “At some point, you have to decide that you’ve got a young center who is pretty good,” King said of Lopez. “It was about getting him under contract and getting him focused, and getting our team focused." Here's more out of the Atlantic..

0 comments Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets New York Knicks

Free Agent Rumors: Humphries, Stiemsma, Lin

By Luke Adams | at July 12, 2012 11:02 pm

As NBA teams continue to agree to contracts and officially sign this year's free agents, you can keep tabs on all the activity by checking out Hoops Rumors' 2012 Free Agent Tracker. We're continuously updating our database to reflect the latest contract agreements, adding details on years and salaries as they become available. But there are still plenty of unsigned players left on the market, so we'll track today's rumors on those guys right here:

TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter) cites league sources that believe Kris Humphries would be more inclined to remain with the Nets than leave for the Bobcats. Marc Stein tweeted that the Nets could be involved no matter what Humphries decides to do, and could end up offering to negotiate a sign-and-trade if he chose Charlotte.
The Timberwolves are waiting for Portland to make a decision on Nicolas Batum before they extend an offer sheet to Greg Stiemsma, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.