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New York Notes: Nets, Pierce, Knicks, Executives

October 8th, 2014 at 10:26am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Knicks will renew their intracity rivalry this season as both teams hope to get off to faster starts than they did in 2013/14. Each club figures to be in the mix for a playoff spot again this season, so while we wait to see if we’ll have a subway series come the postseason, here’s the latest from the Big Apple:

Nets GM Billy King insists the team is still doggedly pursuing a championship and isn’t focused on making financial cutbacks, telling reporters, including Newsday’s Rod Boone, that he still has permission from owner Mikhail Prokhorov to make expensive acquisitions. King made his remarks in response to Paul Pierce‘s assertion that the team was no longer willing to spend to win. ” . . . We have some younger guys like Mason Plumlee who are under rookie contracts, and that helps your payroll. But [Prokhorov] hasn’t wavered in pursuit of what he wants,” King said.
That seems to conflict with King’s admission last month that money was a factor in the team’s decision not to re-sign Pierce and that the club doesn’t want to repeat its more than $190MM expenditure on players and luxury taxes last season. Pierce’s representatives with Excel Sports Management asked the Nets for a two-year, $24MM deal this summer, but the Nets didn’t want to pay that much, according to Boone.
Former Magic GM John Gabriel‘s influence is growing within the Knicks front office, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Gabriel, who holds the title of director of basketball operations, is on the upswing while former Nuggets GM and current Knicks director of player personnel Mark Warkentien is losing sway, and assistant GM Allan Houston doesn’t have the pull that he once had, either, Berman adds.
The Knicks have hired former D-League assistant and small college head coach Kevin Whitted as head coach of their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Whitted went to college with Houston, who serves as the GM of the Knicks D-League affiliate in addition to his duties with the big club.

Lawrence On D’Antoni, Gasol, Calipari, Sterling

May 3rd, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Charlie Adams

Mike D’Antoni walked away from the Lakers due in part because the team is likely to attempt to re-sign Pau Gasol this summer, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. A source tells Lawrence that D’Antoni knew that Gasol and Kobe Bryant didn’t want to play for him, so he made the decision to resign from the team on Wednesday. Let’s have a look at some more interesting notes from Lawrence’s piece:

Kurt Rambis and Byron Scott are two of the most viable candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job, hears Lawrence. We reported on Thursday that both Rambis and Scott are set to interview with the team.
Despite rumored interest, Lawrence says there’s no chance John Calipari will become the next head coach for the Lakers. The team reportedly has “zero interest” in hiring Calipari.
Stan Van Gundy was contacted about taking over the head coaching role for the Pistons, but talks didn’t get far because he wanted some level of control over the team’s personnel decisions, writes Lawrence.
Lawrence hears that once Adam Silver meets with Donald Sterling, Silver is expected to tell Sterling that the league will battle him in court to see that the franchise is sold, no matter the resistance Sterling puts up.
Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston and director of player personnel Mark Warkentien aren’t worried about their jobs, since the duo has contracts with owner Jim Dolan and not the Knicks specifically, says Lawrence. As a result, the pair will be able to retain their positions, even if Phil Jackson doesn’t want them around.
The Cavs and Bucks still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll keep their general managers beyond this season, reveals Lawrence. Both Central Division teams failed to meet preseason expectations and finished well below .500.
It’s likely Mark Jackson will be fired by the Warriors, suggests Lawrence, who adds the coach might have a hard time landing another job with an NBA team because of the perceived dysfunction in Golden State’s organization during his tenure.
The Thunder could potentially see a first-round playoff exit tonight, but Lawrence says Scott Brooks‘ position is safe in Oklahoma City.

Broussard On Jackson, Dolan, Mills

March 11th, 2014 at 7:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

ESPN’s Chris Broussard was a guest on 98.7 ESPN’s The Michael Kay Show earlier today to share a few noteworthy points on Phil Jackson and the current state of the Knicks. In addition to reiterating an earlier report that an announcement of a finalized deal between New York and Jackson may not come until next week, Broussard further touched base on the possible impact Phil will have on Steve Mills’ position in the organization, if the Lakers are also in play for Phil’s services, and what this process means as it relates to Carmelo Anthony‘s future. You can read more from Broussard’s radio interview with Don Le Greca and Dave Rothenberg (filling in for Kay) below.

On James Dolan’s ‘meddling’, the strict media policy, and if Jackson understands how those factor into accepting a position with the Knicks:

“From what I understand, Dolan will still be Dolan…Phil’s going to be the final say guy in terms of basketball operations, but Dolan still owns the team…everything that’s done (he’ll have to approve at the end of the day), but as far as dealing with the media, we saw that Isiah Thomas had a lot of freedom to talk with the media and to do things, and he got that because he was a superstar…we know that Dolan likes superstars, (and) Phil Jackson is a superstar. So, I think (Phil) will get the freedom to run the team the way he wants to…and we know Phil, he’s a guy who likes to deal with the media; he’s a guy who likes to manipulate (situations) through the media and I think to a large degree, maybe not to the degree he has in the past, he’ll still be able to do that.”

On what Jackson’s presence as a decision-maker would mean for Steve Mills:

“Mills will still be in the organization at a high level…whether or not he’s in the basketball department or more business, he will still be in the organization at a high level…(I’m) not exactly sure what his title will be, I’m not (even) exactly sure what Phil’s title will be at this point…but Mills is not losing his job, and I think there’s a good chance that he’ll still be in the basketball department.”

On the possibility that Jackson is using the Knicks to get the same type of offer from the Lakers or elsewhere:

“(It has) definitely been speculated about around the league, and I think with good reason just because we know Phil loves the Lakers and obviously (because of) his history with them, but (I’m told) there is no way that he and Jim Buss are going to reconcile…there’s just too much division between those guys…one person told me today that if it was going to happen it would have already happened…I don’t see (Phil holding out for an L.A. offer) being the case.

I know the Knicks’ feeling is that they are not being used…obviously until you have Phil Jackson’s signature, you can’t say that this thing is 100% done, but the Knicks are very confident that it’s going to happen, they’re very confident that Phil wants the position, and (that) he’s not using them. It would be a shocker if Phil Jackson ended up going up with another team, obviously it would have been a shrewd move on this part…but (New York doesn’t) have any feeling or any inclination at this point that that’s the case.”

On what this all means for Carmelo Anthony and his future in New York:

“…’Melo genuinely likes playing here, he likes what playing in New York has afforded him, and there’s a part of him that would love to stay. He doesn’t want to be a bad team the rest of his career, but bringing in a Phil Jackson gives you a better opportunity to bring in top-level free agents here with you in 2015…(Phil) called Carmelo a terrific player – that’s a direct quote – and said ‘he can compete for championships if he makes a few tweaks here and there’…so I would think that Phil, judging from that statement last year, would be excited about having a Carmelo Anthony there, and that him being excited about it would certainly have a lot of impact on ‘Melo…It certainly enhances the Knicks’ chances of keeping him…you can’t say 100%, but there’s a good possibility of that.”

On Mike Woodson and if he can use the remainder of this season coach his way into being an option for Phil Jackson next year:

“That’s hard to see. I think they’d have to have some type of miracle run in the playoffs…barring that, I don’t see any type of great run for the Knicks in the playoffs if they get there…I think they’re going to have a new coach. You would think it’s going to be somebody that wants to run the triangle.

I know the Knicks and Phil haven’t gone too deeply into who would coach the team…I know Carmelo does like Mike Woodson, but I think at the end of the day you’re going to see a new coach here…even though a guy like Steve Mills and Allan Houston will remain in the organization, Phil is going to do some degree of house cleaning, and I think Mike Woodson will be (let go in that process).”

D-League To Expand, Knicks To Own New Team

March 10th, 2014 at 11:27am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks officially announced today that they’re going to own a D-League team in White Plains, New York starting next season. The expansion squad will be the D-League’s 18th franchise. The Knicks on Friday confirmed a report from late last month that they were ending their relationship with the Erie BayHawks and planning to set up a team in Westchester County, where White Plains is located.

The Magic may replace the Knicks in Erie, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel suggests, noting that the Magic are seeking a one-to-one affiliation in which they would run the basketball operations of a D-League club but leave the business side to local ownership (Twitter links). Orlando is sharing the Fort Wayne Mad Ants with five other NBA teams this year.

The Knicks become the seventh NBA team to own a D-League affiliate outright, while several others have the sort of “hybrid” partnerships the Magic want to arrange for next season. The Timberwolves are investigating the possibility of buying a D-League team, too, notes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston will serve as the White Plains D-League club’s GM, so it appears he’ll remain with the organization regardless of whether Phil Jackson joins the Knicks as an executive.

The new affiliate of the Knicks will play at the Westchester County Center, about 30 miles north of New York City. The Knicks also have their training and practice facility in Westchester County, so it appears the Knicks plan to make heavy use of D-League assignments in the future. This year, they’ve only made five, as our D-League assignment/recall log shows.

Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Knicks, Young

December 18th, 2013 at 9:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The allure of running a front office and coaching a team at the same time made the Clippers more attractive to Doc Rivers, but Brad Stevens is glad he isn’t overseeing personnel decisions the way his Celtics predecessor is, as Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald notes. Stevens is content to let GM Danny Ainge handle the team’s pursuit of Omer Asik and its situation with Rajon Rondo. It’s a busy time in Boston and around the Atlantic Division, as we detail:

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith hears Knicks management has “had it” with the team’s assistant coaches, and while he suggests assistant Herb Williams might be the replacement if the team fires Mike Woodson, Smith argues that Woodson should keep his job. Assistant GM Allan Houston is strongly denying reports that he’s next in line to coach, Smith adds.
Thaddeus Young, who’s been in trade rumors all season, is growing weary of dealing with the inexperience of his Sixers teammates, observes Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “Some of the young guys on the team just don’t know,” Young said. “When you’re dealing with them, the frustration level does get it up there because you’re not used to it. I’m used to guys who are four- and five-year veterans in this league and that can play. And then you have one- and two-year guys that come in fresh and they’re trying to make a name for themselves.”
Amir Johnson tells Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that he wants to play with the Raptors for the rest of his career, and Smith suggests keeping Johnson might not be the worst idea for the team amid trade rumors involving the power forward.

Knicks Notes: Woodson, Houston, Williams, Calipari

December 10th, 2013 at 9:25pm CST by Alex Lee

After tonight’s 15 point loss to the 8-13 Cavaliers, the Knicks are now 5-15 and have matched the worst start in franchise history, writes ESPN New York’s Ian Begley, who adds that there are serious questions about head coach Mike Woodson‘s job security in New York, as we well know. Here are some additional reactions to tonight’s loss, as well as some speculation as to where the team could go from here:

Woodson is far more concerned about his job security than he lets on to the media, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein, who openly wonders if the coach will survive tonight’s loss. Stein adds that a coaching change can only result in the Knicks playing harder given the state of the roster. Stein says that momentum is building for assistant general manager Allan Houston to end up as interim head coach. We heard a week ago that owner James Dolan was prepared to make Houston the next coach if the team continued to flounder. (Twitter links)
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated agrees that Woodson’s time in New York could be up, and says that we should expect to hear John Calipari‘s name in connection with the Knicks’ job. Mannix doesn’t understand why the Knicks would name Houston the interim coach over assistant coach Herb Williams, but Stein reminds us that Houston can get a better look at the personnel from up close. (Twitter links)
Agreeing with Stein’s sentiment, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets that the Knicks’ problems go way beyond the head coach, essentially implying that night after night of sellouts at the Garden will have fooled Dolan into a cosmetic change if that is, in fact, all that the owner chooses to do.

Knicks Considering Allan Houston As Next Coach

December 3rd, 2013 at 11:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston has seemed like a GM-in-waiting the last few years, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News hears the team’s former shooting guard could soon fill a different role. Owner James Dolan is prepared to make Houston the team’s next head coach if Mike Woodson doesn’t turn the team around soon, Isola writes.

Dolan expressed confidence in Woodson’s ability less than two weeks ago, but the Knicks haven’t won since, and other reports suggest the team’s management is souring on its coach. The front office has apparently scolded Woodson for his public criticism of Iman Shumpert and is telling other teams that Woodson’s mishandling of Shumpert is obscuring the third-year swingman’s value.

Having Houston take over the coaching reins would be an odd move, but as Isola points out, the team’s preseason replacement of former GM Glen Grunwald with Steve Mills seemed to come out of nowhere. Houston made two All-Star games around the turn of the century as a player for the Knicks, becoming a favorite of Dolan’s. Houston failed to live up to an inflated contract he signed in 2001, but he’s remained in the good graces of the Knicks following his retirement as a player in 2005.

Atlantic Links: Nets, Celtics, Knicks

October 3rd, 2013 at 8:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There have been some instances in which talented tandems that played together early on eventually blossomed into stars on different teams. A few pairs that come to mind include Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter in Toronto, Jerry Stackhouse and Allen Iverson in Philadelphia, and Jermaine O'Neal and Rasheed Wallace in Portland. However, not many of them get another chance to reunite and try to capture some of what could have been. Brooklyn's Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce shared their thoughts about the opportunity to finally achieve success together after looking back at a 2001/02 mid-season trade that saw Johnson – then a Celtics rookie – get traded from Boston and subsequently develop into a star in Phoenix and Atlanta (Tim Bontemps of the New York Post). With that aside, here are a few links to pass along out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

With Rajon Rondo still out in Boston, Marc D'Amico of Celtics.com looks at the team's other options at point guard – Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, and rookie Phil Pressey. In another piece, Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston describes how this team nearly full of new faces has quietly looked to foster their camaraderie during camp.
ESPN New York's Ian Begley reports that Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston was in attendance to witness tryouts for the team's D-League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks. Among those who made strong impressions were swingman Dami Sapara, center Kyle Hunt, forward Akeem Ellis, as well as big men Brian Addison and Desmond Blue.
Begley also mentions that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert sat out of today's practice with what was called a "minor" right shoulder injury, although Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests that this could possibly open the door for J.R. Smith to earn the starting shooting guard spot.
As Eric Koreen of the National Post notes, the competition for reserve minutes at the wing positions on the Raptors is wide open. Later in the article, Koreen also takes a brief look at rookie Dwight Buycks. In another team-related piece, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun takes notice of the more competitive vibe felt at this year's camp compared to last year.
Jason Kidd and a few other Nets offered their comments on what Andrei Kirilenko brings to the table with Roderick Boone of Newsday. In a separate article, Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com gathers some thoughts from coach Kidd and Paul Pierce after today's training camp session.

Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Mills, Grunwald, Houston

September 27th, 2013 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks surprised the NBA world yesterday when they announced that Steve Mills would be replacing Glen Grunwald as the team's general manager. We've already passed along a few of the reactions to that move, but there are a few more leftovers on the front office shake-up among today's Knicks items. Let's round them up….

The Knicks' front office changes are "all to keep Carmelo [Anthony]," a rival executive tells Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. If Carmelo is going to commit long-term to the Knicks next summer, he wants to feel confident that the team can attract a marquee free agent in 2015, when cap space is available, writes Beck. According to that rival exec, Mills likely has a better chance of luring a top free agent than Grunwald, who is soft-spoken and isn't as connected to the players.
Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld wonders whether it would be even be in the Knicks' best interests to re-sign Anthony to a max deal in 2014.
Agent Rick Kaplan, who represents Marcus Camby, called the Knicks' demotion of Grunwald "absurd" and "cruel," according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. "He did everything he was asked to do by his owner, and did it with a smile on his face," Kaplan said. "The only good news is that some lucky team will have Glen fall in its lap and he can finally work for a team that appreciates his enormous talent and class."
One "prominent NBA executive" who spoke to Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News agreed with Kaplan, asking rhetorically, "What in the world did Glen Grunwald do to get fired? They gave [Mills] two jobs today and he isn’t qualified for either one of them."
Sources tell Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report that Allan Houston is likely being groomed to be the next GM in New York.

Reactions To Knicks GM Change

September 26th, 2013 at 11:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks bumped Glen Grunwald as General Manager and brought Steve Mills back to the organization to take his place. The move came without any real warning and at this time, we still don't know what the motive was behind the decision. Here's the latest reaction to the news..

The timing of the move appears to be illogical as Grunwald just completed the final transaction of the summer, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Meanwhile, coach Mike Woodson has a team option for 2014/15 and he no longer has the allegiance of Grunwald, his former college teammate at Indiana.
Berman heard that Mills and team owner James Dolan were at the team practice facility today in Tarrytown to talk to the players about the move (Twitter link).
After talking with Knicks insiders, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) believes that Allan Houston is being groomed as the next GM. The longtime Knicks guard is currently in their front office and is well-respected around the league.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) guesses that the GM change means that Houston will see an increased role in operations and Woodson has less job security than he did yesterday. In another piece, Begley wonders what this all means as far as Isiah Thomas' ties to the franchise and tries to make sense of why such a decision was made now.
Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal finds it strange that the team had moved so abruptly to replace Grunwald, especially since they aren't necessarily hiring someone who has proven to build a teams worthy of competing for an NBA title.