Poll: Will The Knicks Re-Sign Jeremy Lin?
Talk is heating up in recent days about the future of Jeremy Lin. The second-year guard, who became a global sensation as he emerged as a leader for the Knicks, is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. Do you think New York will retain the rising star?
Will The Knicks Re-Sign Jeremy Lin?
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Yes 75% (548)
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No 25% (183)
Total votes: 732
Stein On Jeremy Lin’s Future
ESPN.com's Marc Stein posted a column reflecting on Knicks guard Jeremy Lin's unlikely breakout season. Stein, citing sources around the league and within the Knicks organization, discusses the future of Lin, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Stein's sources around the league are convinced that the Knicks will retain Lin, due to both his enormous on-court potential and to the lucrative endorsement opportunities he promises as an icon in the Asian-American community. Stein also hears that a Knicks run at Steve Nash is a long shot, because they will not have the money to sign both Nash and Lin.
As a restricted free agent with less than three years of service time, Lin is subject to the Gilbert Arenas rule, meaning teams wishing to sign him to an offer sheet are not allowed to go above the mid-level exception.
Donnie Walsh To Explore General Manager Options
Longtime general manager Donnie Walsh is interested in re-entering the profession on a full-time basis, according to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger. Walsh is still under contract with the Knicks, but has been granted permission by the organization to explore other opportunities with other organizations.
Walsh's current contract as a consultant with New York will expire on June 30. According to Berger, the 71-year-old executive will first look at the Trail Blazers, as they are soon believed to be conducting a search for a long-term general manager. But should something open up in Indiana, where rumors have recently been swirling of Larry Bird possibly stepping down from his general manger position, Walsh would strongly consider returning to the team he used to run.
Walsh will not speak with any teams until their general manager position is officially open, but some other options might be with the Wizards and Magic. Also, according to Berger, it's just a coincidence that the Knicks gave Walsh permission to seek work elsewhere on the same day that his predecessor as Knicks president, Isiah Thomas, was fired as coach of Florida International University.
Atlantic Notes: Farmar, Green, Allen, Chandler
We could be in for quite a finish in the Atlantic Division, as the Sixers trail the first-place Celtics by a game while the Knicks are two and a half games back. The Celtics are just four games ahead of the Bucks for the final playoff spot, so it's conceivable that any of the Atlantic contenders could miss the playoffs. Here's the buzz from around the division:
- Nets guard Jordan Farmar was thought to be done for the season with a groin injury, but Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record tweets that he may be back sooner than that. Farmar has a $4.25MM player option for next season, and if he can prove he's healthy and maintain his career-high 10.4 PPG scoring average in a few more outings this year, he may be inclined to turn down the option and test free agency.
- Chris Mannix of SI.com chronicles the long road back to the NBA for Gerald Green, who's made solid contributions for the Nets and is drawing interest from the Lakers as this summer's free agency looms.
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald looks at the Celtics' decision to bring shooting guard Ray Allen, a free agent this summer, off the bench for just the fifth time in his career last night against the Bulls.
- Keith Schlosser praises the impact that free-agent signee Tyson Chandler has had on defense for the Knicks, while Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com makes the case that Chandler should win the Defensive Player of the Year award. You can give your thoughts on the award in this Hoops Rumors poll.
Atlantic Notes: Valanciunas, Calipari, Knicks, Nets
Let's round up a few Thursday afternoon updates out of the Atlantic….
- Raptors vice president and assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini tells Aris Barkas of Europhoops.net that Toronto still intends to bring Jonas Valanciunas to North America for next season. Between last year's fifth overall pick and potentially another top-five pick in this year's draft, the Raptors appear poised to add a ton of tantalizing young talent to their roster.
- John Calipari said yesterday that he has no interest in an NBA coaching job, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News argues that Calipari couldn't possibly say anything else at this point. Isola hears that the Knicks are still targeting the Kentucky coach for next season.
- The Knicks' current coach, Mike Woodson, would "absolutely" like to continue coaching the team next season, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
- Last night's game may have been a preview of the Nets' future if Deron Williams doesn't re-sign, says Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
- As Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes, it's no lock that the Nets will lose their lottery pick in May.
Knicks Notes: Woodson, Lin, Playoffs
The Knicks remain the eighth seed after Tuesday night's eight-point loss to the Pacers in which Carmelo Anthony went off for 39 points. Up by as many as 17 points at one point, the Knicks were outscored 40-17 in the fourth quarter by the Pacers. Here's the latest news on the injury-riddled Knicks as they look to turn things around on Thursday with a game against the Magic in Orlando.
- The chatter about Kentucky head coach John Calipari heading to the Knicks after the season doesn't phase interim head coach Mike Woodson, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone. "It ain't about my job, my security or where I am going to be. I'm happy with me. They'll make the right decision, whatever way they decide to go. My job right now is these guys that are in uniform and the guys that are hurt, make sure they're prepared and ready to play basketball." Woodson battled with a lack of job security for years as the head coach of the Hawks even after improving the team's record each season he was there.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says Jeremy Lin will attempt to return to the Knicks in four weeks, giving him a chance to make it back in time for the playoffs. Sidelined with a meniscus tear in his left knee, Lin was initially expected to miss six weeks but is optimistic that he can rehab quicker than expected after undergoing surgery on Monday. The former Harvard point guard would be making his playoff debut if able to return by the end of April.
- Ian Begley and Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com predict the Knicks will secure the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with the Sixers plummeting to eighth place in a must-read playoff prediction piece.
Atlantic Links: Lin, Nash, Knicks, DeRozan, Nets
Here's the latest out of the Atlantic, as the division-leading Celtics prepare to host the Spurs in one of the many intriguing matchups on tonight's NBA's schedule….
- Ian Begley and Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com debate whether the Knicks would be better off re-signing Jeremy Lin or pursuing Steve Nash in the offseason. Currently, 65% of nearly 8000 ESPNNewYork.com readers have voted for Lin.
- DeMar DeRozan, who will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2012/13, suggests to Eric Koreen of Postmedia News that he'd like to remain with the Raptors longer than that.
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will make a rare appearance in New Jersey to watch his team next week, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The Russian billionaire will also meet with commissioner David Stern and may be on hand at the NBA's Board of Governors meetings in New York, where the board will officially vote on the Nets' move to Brooklyn.
John Calipari Not Interested In NBA Job
Kentucky's NCAA tournament victory earlier this week has led to rampant speculation that many or all of the team's key members will head to the NBA. While that may be true of players like Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, coach John Calipari says he's not interested in an NBA coaching job, reports Andy Katz of ESPN.com.
"Kentucky is the best job in basketball coaching," Calipari said. "Why would I leave? We just won the national title…. I've made statements that I've got the best job in basketball and I'm not going to change my lifestyle. I'm not leaving."
The Knicks, who recently fired Mike D'Antoni and are playing out the season with interim coach Mike Woodson, have frequently been cited as a potential destination for the Kentucky coach. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News even tweeted earlier today that many "NBA people" believe Calipari to the Knicks is already being set in motion. However, Calipari says no NBA teams have contacted him about an opening.
Calipari has previous NBA experience as head coach of the Nets and assistant coach with the 76ers.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Calipari, Davis
It looks to be an eventful day for the Atlantic Division, both on and off the court. The 76ers and Knicks will visit Miami and Indiana, respectively, looking to gain ground on the division-leading Celtics, while off the court, Nets star Deron Williams is again discussing his impending free agency. We have a few more notes from the division to round up, so let's dive in….
- Executives and other sources around the league don't blame Celtics GM Danny Ainge for his inactivity when it comes to moving his Big Three, says Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Said one source: "Look, I’ve had my dealings with [Ainge], and he could be pain in the butt. But if I was him, I wouldn’t have taken what we were trying to give. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing, even when it’s the right thing. We’re programmed to act, but sometimes that can be the dumbest thing you can do." Ainge's decision to stand pat is paying off now — the Celtics are 15-5 since the All-Star break, including an ongoing five-game winning streak.
- The Lakers have title aspirations and the Knicks are battling to hold on to a playoff spot, but the two teams have more in common than you'd think, argues John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link). According to Hollinger, health is the main difference between the two teams, as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum have yet to miss a single game due to injury while the Knicks have been hit hard by the injury big.
- Even now that Kentucky has won a National Championship, don't expect to see John Calipari jump at a chance to coach the Knicks or any other team, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Calipari's star player, Anthony Davis, is a lock to go first overall in this June's draft, prompting Reid Cherner of USA Today to ask which of the league's eight worst teams would benefit most from drafting the Kentucky big man. The Nets and Raptors are among the choices, and Raps coach Dwane Casey is among Davis' fans, according to Eric Koreen of the National Post.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Woodson, Lin
We'll have to wait until next season until the Knicks and Nets are forced to play nice with each other in the same city, but for now we'll put items on both clubs in the same post and see how they get along..
- While some might be wondering if the Nets' recent slide will put them into tank mode, coach Avery Johnson said today that the team will play "to the very end," writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The Nets, of course, only retain their first-round pick this year if it falls inside of the top three. Otherwise, it becomes property of the Trail Blazers thanks to the Gerald Wallace trade.
- Should the Knicks retain head coach Mike Woodson? Bob Knight certainly thinks so, writes Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com. "You'd have to be an absolute idiot not to see [Mike Woodson's success]. Not that the NBA is without its absolute idiots," Knight said.
- While a report claimed that the Knicks kept Jeremy Lin's knee surgery under wraps in order to sell playoff tickets, the club was quick to squash such speculation, writes Royce Young of CBSSports.com.
- After the Nets move across the river to Brooklyn, Shaquille O'Neal hopes to bring an NBA team to Newark, New Jersey, writes Mike Vorkunov of the Star-Ledger. However, the big man kept mum when pressed for details on how he would make that happen or where the financial support might come from.