Atlantic Notes: Knicks, O’Neal, Lopez, Nets, Celtics
Gerald Green signed with the Nets for the remainder of the season yesterday, but he hopes and expects to remain a Net longer than that, as he told Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
"Me being here is good. I think the team wants me here," Green said. "Next year, I don’t think I’m going anywhere. I’m going to be here and I think we can definitely work something out. I wanted the team to have all the flexibility it could for what they want to do in the offseason so they’re fine with that. I’m not trying to go anywhere. So we’ll just finish out this season and see how it goes."
Here are a few more Monday updates out of the Atlantic Division:
- Carmelo Anthony says that the Knicks have been more relaxed since Mike Woodson took over as head coach, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
- Jermaine O'Neal tweets that he's not sure what his basketball future will hold. Earlier today, the Celtics announced that the veteran will have to undergo surgery on his wrist and will miss the remainder of the season.
- Brook Lopez was disappointed earlier this season when the Nets didn't offer him a contract extension but coach Avery Johnson says that the center isn't holding a grudge, writes Stefan Bondy of the Daily News. Lopez also heard his name pop up in trade rumors once again at the trade deadline as the Nets reportedly offered him to Milwaukee for Monta Ellis.
- Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside thinks that Green's success with the Nets could make scouts re-examine some so-called failed prospects that are having success in the D-League.
- After a quiet trade deadline, the Celtics' future is uncertain, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com.
- In a separate piece for WEEI.com, Flannery examines how the deadline deals impact the Celtics.
- Mike D'Antoni never viewed himself as a locker-room therapist, which was a factor in his parting ways with the Knicks, says Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Cavaliers Sign Donald Sloan
Moving quickly to fill the point guard hole left by Ramon Sessions' departure, the Cavaliers have signed Donald Sloan to a contract for the rest of the season, according to the team. Duane Rankin of the Erie Times-News initially reported that the Cavs would sign Sloan.
"This is a result of everything I did last year up to now," Sloan said. "It's paying off…. Anything I can do to come in and help, I'm going to try to make sure I do that and a little bit more."
Sloan, 24, played for the Hawks earlier this season, then signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Hornets, but only saw action in eight games for the two teams. He had been playing for the Erie BayHawks of the D-League, averaging 22.8 PPG and 7.4 APG in eight contests for the 'Hawks.
Sloan hears from his agent that the Knicks and Rockets also had some interest in signing him.
Atlantic Notes: Lin, Carmelo, Nets, Wallace, 76ers
The Knicks' roster didn't undergo any changes at the trade deadline, but the team did make a major change in replacing coach Mike D'Antoni with Mike Woodson. Woodson's offense will de-emphasize the role of Jeremy Lin, focusing more on isolation plays, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. For his part, Lin appears ready to embrace the changes, even if it means a major reduction to his minutes, says the Post's Tim Bontemps. Here are a few more Friday morning notes on the Knicks and a couple other Atlantic Division squads:
- While at one point it seemed like a lock that the Knicks would use their mid-level exception to re-sign Lin this summer, that isn't such a sure thing now. Howard Beck of the New York Times and Marc Berman, in his piece linked above, both suggest that the chances of Lin remaining a Knick long-term have taken a hit with the departure of D'Antoni.
- Carmelo Anthony is ready to take the blame for D'Antoni's offense not working for the Knicks, but not for the coach's departure. "I do everything in my power to try not to get the coach fired," Anthony tells Berman, in a separate column.
- The Nets sent a top-three protected draft pick in yesterday's Gerald Wallace trade, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com explains the logic (via Twitter): There are apparently only three players the Nets love in the upcoming draft, in Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Thomas Robinson. I'm not sure about this logic — those guys aren't necessarily the consensus top three picks, for one.
- Another detail of the Wallace trade, per Mike Tokito of The Oregonian (via Twitter): the Nets put no precondition on Wallace opting in or out of the final year of his deal. Tokito called New Jersey "desperate," which is rarely an adjective you hear describe a team that just made a good trade.
- Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News likes what the 76ers did at the deadline, making only a small move to acquire Sam Young.
D’Antoni Fallout: Carmelo, Lin, Amare, Phil Jackson
The Knicks and Mike D'Antoni parted ways yesterday due to "conflicting visions" about the team's future. Part of that conflict may have stemmed from D'Antoni's desire to trade Carmelo Anthony to the Nets in exchange for Deron Williams, an idea James Dolan adamantly opposed. Needless to say, players, coaches, and reporters around the league are talking about D'Antoni's exit from New York, so let's round up a few links on the subject:
- Despite reports earlier this week suggesting Anthony was at odds with the Knicks coach, Carmelo says he and D'Antoni "never had any issues." Added Carmelo: "Any disagreements that he had with us as a team we talked it out and we went from there" (via ESPNNewYork.com).
- Jeremy Lin on D'Antoni: "What he did for my career, I’m not going to forget what he did for me personally. It’s very emotional. I’m sad to see him go and I owe a lot to him" (via New York Daily News).
- According to Amare Stoudemire, not everyone was buying into D'Antoni's system, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. "It made it look bad," Stoudemire said. "I guess stepping down was the best way for him."
- Phil Jackson will be a prime candidate to take over the full-time Knicks job, as Marc Berman writes.
- The Knicks shouldn't expect Jackson to come out of retirement to save them, says Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Knicks GM Glen Grunwald called D'Antoni's decision to step down a "selfless move," says Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Nets coach Avery Johnson was surprised by the announcement, as he tells Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. When Pistons coach Lawrence Frank was told of the news, he called it "ridiculous" and "a damn shame," writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Knicks Notes: Coaches, Anthony, Stoudemire
The Knicks created some non-trade buzz today when they parted ways with coach Mike D'Antoni and named Mike Woodson the interim coach. Here's what's going on in the Big Apple:
- University of Kentucky coach John Calipari tried to swat away speculation that he would be interested in the Knicks job as his team prepares for the NCAA tournament, writes Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News.
- Don't look for Phil Jackson on the sidelines at Madison Square Garden any time soon either, as ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein report he and the Knicks have not talked about the coaching position.
- ESPN's John Hollinger believes the problems with the Knicks are more closely tied to the declining skills of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire than any Mike D'Antoni coaching deficiency. (Insider only)
Josh Howard, C.J. Miles Drawing Interest
4:34pm: Howard is likely to remain with the Jazz through the deadline, tweets Brian T. Smith.
11:38am: As of this morning, the chances of Miles being dealt to the Timberwolves appeared very slim, according to Brian T. Smith (via Twitter). Miles heading to New Jersey for Petro and a first-rounder is a possibility, tweets Stefan Bondy.
7:53am: Josh Howard and C.J. Miles, whose contracts expire at season's end, have both expressed interest in re-signing with the Jazz this summer. However, it looks as if there's a chance neither player will even finish the season in Utah.
On the heels of last night's report that the Jazz are discussing a three-team trade with the Spurs and Timberwolves that would ship both Howard and Miles out of town, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Jazz are shopping Miles. The T-Wolves and Nets are among the teams that have shown interest, according to Kennedy. New Jersey has interest in Miles' expiring contract as a way of clearing summer cap space to make a run at top free agents, and Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld says the Nets have discussed Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro with the Jazz. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News hears such a deal could involve a Nets first-round pick (Twitter link).
Pincus says the Clippers may have some interest in Miles, who could fit into one of the team's traded player exceptions, but L.A. probably won't part with Eric Bledsoe or a first-round pick. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune, who reported last month that Miles could be had, says the former second-rounder, who turns 25 this weekend, may be easier to move in a package deal (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, besides the Spurs, the Lakers, Knicks, and Celtics have also expressed interest in acquiring Howard, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Of those four interested clubs, only the Knicks are below the luxury tax line, so Howard and his $2.15MM salary would be an affordable addition. The Jazz don't necessarily want to make a deal though, according to Spears.
D’Antoni Advocated Trading Carmelo For Williams
When Mike D'Antoni and the Knicks agreed to part ways today, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports heard the two sides had "conflicting visions of the club's future." TNT's David Aldridge expands on that point on NBA.com's Hang Time Blog, saying that D'Antoni wanted the Knicks to explore trading Carmelo Anthony for Deron Williams.
According to Aldridge, D'Antoni believed such a deal would've been beneficial for both franchises, and that adding Williams to the Knicks would've eased the pressure placed on Jeremy Lin. James Dolan, however, had no interest in dealing Carmelo, and he and D'Antoni agreed to terminate D'Antoni's position after meeting today.
While the idea isn't one that had been rumored at all, it's probably one the Nets would've liked to explore, if Dwight Howard remains with the Magic for next season, as is now expected. If Howard isn't ticketed for Brooklyn this summer, the chances of Williams remaining a Net may take a huge hit.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
Even after an impressive overtime win by the Magic against the Heat last night, the post-game focus was on the off-court story: Dwight Howard's future. As we covered in yesterday's round-up of Howard rumors, D12 told reporters he'd like the Magic to keep him for the rest of the season and "roll the dice" this summer. Considering earlier Tuesday reports indicated that Howard's long-term plan involves signing with the Nets as a free agent so New Jersey doesn't have to trade core assets, Dwight's suggestion that Orlando roll the dice seemed particularly brash.
Zach Lowe of SI.com called Howard's post-game speech the low point of the ongoing saga, while Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported that some Magic executives were privately disgusted with the star center's comments. We expect plenty more updates to pour in as the day goes on, so we'll track them all here, with the latest items up top:
- The Knicks are intrigued by the possibility of acquiring Howard, but won't offer Carmelo Anthony, since James Dolan "loves him," tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. I'd say that takes New York out of the running, since the Magic wouldn't be nearly as interested in an Amare Stoudemire/Tyson Chandler package.
- There are no legs to the rumor that the Magic are working on a three-team deal to bring in Josh Smith (linked below), tweets Jarrod Randolph of RealGM.com.
- According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, the Nets would be open to offering the Magic anything they want for Howard, with the exception of Deron Williams.
- Orlando still seems to be entertaining deals that could bring in help around Howard, as Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports that they're eyeing the Hawks' Josh Smith. The Magic would need to get a third team involved, perhaps the Timberwolves and Michael Beasley. Given Orlando's lack of tradeable assets, acquiring Smith seems like an extreme long shot to me.
- The Magic are telling teams they intend to move Howard if they don't receive a commitment beyond this season from Dwight, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. We have the details here.
- Nets sources insist the team would give up assets in the next 24 hours if it meant landing Howard, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains why New Jersey may not be motivated to make a substantial offer. If Howard and Williams sign in Brooklyn this summer, the pair would want a third significant player to join them, and the Nets may be considering saving its trade chips to acquire that player.
Odds & Ends: Batum, Kaman, Ewing, Elson, Heat
A few odds and ends from around the league, with less than 24 hours until the 2012 trade deadline:
- The Kings inquired on Nicolas Batum, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. However, multiple reports have suggested the Blazers have no intentions of trading Batum.
- If a second-round pick is all it takes to acquire Chris Kaman, expect the Pacers to make another run, says Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). I had the same thought when I saw Chris Broussard's update on Kaman today — Indiana is the only team in the league that could take Kaman's salary without sending players back, and parting with a second-rounder wouldn't affect the team's long-term plan.
- Patrick Ewing may have some interest in the Knicks' full-time coaching job, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Francisco Elson has been in touch with the Heat, but Miami isn't interested in working him out yet, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. The Heat could make a move for Elson after the trade and buyout deadlines.
- The Heat likely won't make a move at the deadline, but players will still be relieved when it passes, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Wizards players talked to both Michael Lee of the Washington Post and Derek Page of HoopsWorld about the distraction of the impending deadline.
Mike D’Antoni No Longer Coaching Knicks
Mike D'Antoni is out as the head coach of the Knicks, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). One source cited "conflicting visions of the club's future" and called the move a mutual decision, adds Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Sam Amick of SI.com confirms that the decision was mutual, rather than D'Antoni resigning or being fired (Twitter link).
The coaching change comes in the midst of a six-game losing streak, and on the heels of multiple reports that suggested D'Antoni, Carmelo Anthony, and the Knicks were at odds. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported last night that D'Antoni had lost the Knicks' locker room, while Marc Berman of the New York Post suggested that either Anthony's or D'Antoni's days in New York were numbered.
Assistant coach Mike Woodson will take over as the interim coach, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter). However, the position figures to draw interest from big-name coaching candidates as well. SI.com's Sam Amick reported earlier today that former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan may be interested in returning to the bench for New York.
Whoever ends up coaching the Knicks long-term will have to figure out a way to maximize the talents of Anthony, Jeremy Lin, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler, who figure to make up the team's core for the next few years. The coaching change means that the Knicks almost certainly won't make a major trade before the deadline, preferring instead to give Woodson a chance to work things out with the current roster.
Assistant coaches Dan D'Antoni and Phil Weber have also parted ways with the Knicks, tweets Wojnarowski.