Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Shumpert, Smith: Carmelo Wants To Stay In New York

May 31st, 2017 at 7:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trading Carmelo Anthony out of New York may not be as easy as team president Phil Jackson is hoping, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, two of Anthony’s friends and former teammates, believe he wants to remain with the Knicks and will use his no-trade clause to veto any deal.

“Sometimes you feel like it’s just unfinished business, and I feel like that’s what it is with Melo,” Shumpert said, referring to the Knicks’ 31-51 season. “He don’t want to leave on that note.”

Smith noted how hard Anthony worked to get to New York, forcing the Nuggets’ hands in a 2011 deal so he could be part of the league’s biggest market.

“He does want to stay in New York. He made the effort to get to New York,” Smith said. “Granted, it hasn’t gone as well as he hoped it would. But I’m sure that’s where he wants to be.”

Anthony will make more than $26.2MM next season and has an early termination option for his nearly $28MM salary in 2018/19. Jackson would like to get those figures off the Knicks’ salary cap, and contacted the Clippers, Cavaliers and Celtics before February’s deadline in an attempt to work out a trade.

Any team that does deal for Anthony would have to absorb his 15% trade kicker, which would bring his total cap hit to about $30MM.Anthony hasn’t made any public appearances since the season ended, Bondy notes, apart from a single workout session. He has also stopped posting on social media since mid-April.

While Anthony has chosen silence, Jackson has remained persistent about his desire to find a taker for his star. He began with a postseason press conference in which he stated that Anthony would be “better off somewhere else,” then repeated those sentiments to the media at the draft combine.

“I don’t think [Jackson] should’ve been so vocal about [wanting to trade Anthony],” Shumpert said. “That’s just me. I think a lot of stuff is better if everybody just assumes what’s going on and they don’t really know what’s going on. I didn’t like that it was publicized, but what am I going to do? He said some stuff about me too.

“I know it’s not going to bother Melo’s jumpshot next season. Melo is going to continue to work and get better, and continue to try to win. That’s all he can do.”

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Sixers, Weltman, Stevens

May 26th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Knicks legend and former Phil Jackson teammate Earl “The Pearl” Monroe tells Marc Berman of the New York Post he doesn’t believe the Zen Master surrounded Carmelo Anthony with enough help. The Knicks are coming off their fourth losing season and Jackson has made it known he wants Anthony to waive his no-trade clause and play elsewhere.

“I thought this team was going to be pretty good with Derrick Rose coming in and Courtney Lee, though I’m not sure he’s a starting guard,’’ Monroe said. “But there was no chemistry, not even in the locker room. And Melo, he has done what he was brought here to do.”

Moroe added that center Joakim Noah, who struggled with injuries and suspension in the first year of a four-year, $72MM deal, could have been the vocal leader and presence but could not do so. Anthony, 32, for his part played well, averaging 22.4 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 74 games. This offseason, however, it appears that Jackson’s objective is to trade Anthony in lieu of acquiring reinforcements for him.

Here are additional notes from the Atlantic division:

Jeff Goodman of ESPN joined CSN New England to discuss the Celtics and stressed that head coach Brad Stevens is the organization’s biggest draw. While Isaiah Thomas becoming an elite scorer may be enticing to some players, Goodman says that him dominating the ball for most of the game will turn away a lot of players. The Celtics, in Goodman’s view, are the closest team to winning a title that isn’t the Cavaliers, Warriors, or possible the Spurs.
After missing out on several future All-Star caliber talent in recent years, the 2017 NBA Draft will be crucial for the 76ers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. In 2013, Michael Carter-Williams was Philadelphia’s first round pick (11th overall) and Rookie of the Year. Four picks later, the team missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo; in 2015, the team took Jahlil Okafor but missed out on talent like Kristaps Porzingis and Devin Booker.
Raptors President Masai Ujiri is currently searching for a replacement for the recently departed Jeff Weltman, who joined the Magic as team president. Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (via Twitter) reports that the team is considering internal candidates with Bobby Webster as possibility.

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Workouts, Thomas, Nets

May 21st, 2017 at 12:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ performance in the Eastern Conference finals may make Boston more interested in a Carmelo Anthony trade, speculates Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman states that executives at the draft combine were predicting that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would base the extent of an offseason shakeup on his team’s ability to be competitive with the Cavaliers. After two straight routs on their home court, it appears Ainge will be more eager to make changes.

Boston will have up to $30MM in cap space, which Ainge would like to use on Jazz free agent Gordon Hayward. If he stays in Utah, the Celtics will have to consider other options, which could include Anthony. Berman says the Knicks would want Jae Crowder as the centerpiece of a deal, along with one of Boston’s two first-rounders in 2018. A signed-and-traded Jonas Jerebko might have to be included to make the salaries line up, but Boston has the cap space to handle most of Anthony’s $31MM price, including his trade kicker.

There’s more today out of the Atlantic Division:

Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan has a workout scheduled with the Knicks on Wednesday, Berman notes in the same story. The sophomore big man, who was named Big 10 Player of the Year, is projected as a second-round pick, and New York has the 44th and 58th selections. Iowa State point guard Monte Morris interviewed with the Knicks at the draft combine and will work out for the team June 8th.
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas will see more specialists this week to check on his injured right hip, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Thomas, who has been declared out for the rest of the playoffs, may require surgery.
Markelle Fultz is just the type of player the Celtics need to someday become a legitimate threat to Cleveland, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. The Cavaliers exploited Thomas’ lack of size by throwing frequent traps at the 5’9″ guard, Blakely writes, but it would be much tougher to do that against the 6’4″ Fultz, who has outstanding court vision and can create his own shot off the dribble. Boston earned a shot at Fultz by winning the draft lottery on Tuesday.
The Nets may target Spurs forward Jonathon Simmons in free agency, according to NetsDaily. GM Sean Marks has identified small forward as the primary position of need, and Simmons has been outstanding in the playoffs. Simmons, who will be a restricted free agent, has averaged 16 points per game in the Western Conference finals and is shooting 40% from 3-point range. The website also says Brooklyn might be the team to gamble on oft-injured Harry Giles in the draft, and identifies the Sixers, Celtics and Jazz as teams that could be most willing to sell some picks.

Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Sixers, Raptors

May 18th, 2017 at 9:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks president Phil Jackson has made it clear that his preference is to move Carmelo Anthony to another team this offseason, but if it were up to Lance Thomas, Anthony would be staying in New York. As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, Thomas called Carmelo one of his “best friends” and a great teammate.

“I love him here,” Thomas said. “I love him as a teammate, love him as a competitor, love him as a person. Everything else is out of my control, but his approach has always been great. He’s an amazing professional. I’m not going to comment on what’s happening with him and the [Knicks] and trade rumors. I just know I love him as a teammate. I want it to work out.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

Although the Sixers head into this summer with plenty of cap flexibility, they shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that they’ll need to account for big raises for their young players on rookie contracts in the not-too-distant future, writes David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News. Joel Embiid will be the first youngster in line for a big payday, as he becomes extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.
Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka will see their contracts expire this summer, but they’re not the only Raptors with uncertain futures, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post outlines. In his end-of-season post-mortem on the Raps, Bontemps wonders if players like Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll will be on the move in trades anytime soon.
UCLA’s T.J. Leaf and GW’s Tyler Cavanaugh worked out for the Raptors on Thursday, according to Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic (Twitter link). Leaf is considered this year’s 26th-best prospect by DraftExpress, meaning he could be on the board when Toronto picks at No. 23.

Pacific Notes: George, Bogdanovic, Pachulia, Woodson

May 16th, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel tried to serve as a Lakers recruiter with guest Paul George Monday night, relays Scott Horner of The Indianapolis Star. George can opt out of his contract next summer and is rumored to have strong interest in playing in his hometown of Los Angeles. “We would really like him to become a Laker,” Kimmel said in his introduction, then asked George several questions about joining the team. George talked about his plans to work out with Kobe Bryant this summer and said the former Lakers star is “the biggest person in my house. Not even me.” He made sure to tell Kimmel, “I love Indy, though,” leaving some doubt about how his free agency might play out next year.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

Serbian star Bogdan Bogdanovic turned aside the latest question about whether he will join the Kings next season, according to Noel Harris of The Sacramento Bee. The inquiry came in an interview Monday with Turkish television. “I don’t like to talk about that during the season,” he said. “I have my goals here.” Bogdanovic has led his Fenerbahce Istanbul team to the Euroleague Final Four, earning all-league honors in the process. The Kings acquired his draft rights from the Suns in a trade last summer. “My interest is not only money,” he added. “I want to prove that I can play in the NBA. I don’t want to go there to sit on a bench.”
After being blasted by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for his role in injuring Kawhi Leonard, Warriors center Zaza Pachulia received some support from a former employer, writes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban came to Pachulia’s defense, saying, “That’s not how Zaza plays.”
Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, who coached Carmelo Anthony with the Knicks, would be in favor of acquiring him this summer, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I love Carmelo Anthony, that’s all I’m gonna say,” Woodson said in an interview with TMZ. “… He was great for me.” Woodson took over the Knicks midway through the 2011/12 season and served as head coach through 2013/14.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Hornacek, Fox

May 13th, 2017 at 8:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Team president Phil Jackson hasn’t changed his mind about Carmelo Anthony leaving the Knicks, but coach Jeff Hornacek sounds less certain, relays Jeff Arnold of The New York Times. Hornacek appears to be leaving the door open for a return by Anthony, who has two seasons left on his current contract and a no-trade clause to block any deal he doesn’t like. “Carmelo is a great player — he did a lot of great things for us,” Hornacek said. “He won us games. He hit some big shots for us; he was a guy that we could go to. If he’s back, he’ll be a guy that we go to again. If he’s not, then that’s when other guys are going to have to become the guy that maybe you can go to or give us big buckets.”

There’s more tonight out of New York:

Despite their differences, Jackson recently sent a text message to Anthony expressing support regarding his separation from his wife, La La, Arnold writes in the same story. Jackson notes that it’s a “tough time” for Anthony as his personal life has become the topic of tabloid headlines.
Jackson realizes the Knicks’ immediate future isn’t bright, which is part of the reason he wants Anthony to leave, writes Adi Joseph of USA Today. Addressing reporters at the draft combine, Jackson noted that Anthony hopes to compete for a title and New York can’t give him that opportunity. “We’d just like him to have success somewhere,” Jackson said. “We’re not going to be there. Hopefully we’ll be maybe a playoff team next year. It would be tough to consider us possible champions.” The Knicks are coming off a 31-51 season and haven’t had a winning team since 2012/13.
Jackson recently met with commissioner Adam Silver to discuss the state of the franchise, according to a post from Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Jackson indicated that Silver believes the Knicks are headed in the right direction. “You guys seem to want to knock us around a little bit, then make us look like we don’t know what we’re doing,” Jackson said to reporters, “but [Silver is] comfortable that we do. …. To have a positive base to work from is really important. And our fan core is positive and we’d like to give them hope because they’ve been disappointed.”
Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox interviewed with the Knicks during the combine and said he would love to play in New York, relays Adam Zagoria of Fanrag Sports. Fox is projected as a top five pick, so the Knicks might need some lottery luck to acquire him. “I don’t know too much about the triangle,” he said. “Everyone says it’s hard to learn, but if I go in there I’ll have to learn quickly. And [Kristaps] Porzingis, he’s amazing, watching the NBA this year. I really paid attention to the NBA this year knowing I’m about to go into this business; I had to stop watching it as a casual fan and start thinking of it as a business aspect. He’s great and if I get to play with him, I feel like we can do something special.”

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Crowder, Simmons

May 12th, 2017 at 10:52pm CST by Austin Kent

Speaking with reporters at the NBA Draft Combine, Knicks president Phil Jackson reiterated that he thinks Carmelo Anthony should waive his no-trade clause and accept the reality of playing elsewhere, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“He has a no-trade contract. I think I expressed what I felt [in April]. I can’t express it any better,” Jackson said of the Knicks forward.

Jackson did note that he’s been in touch with Anthony through text messages, referencing the news reports that the Knicks star and his wife may be headed toward divorce.

In 74 games for the Knicks this season, Anthony averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game but the club won just 31 contests in a year marred by off-court melodrama.

There’s more from the Atlantic:

Don’t expect 2016 first overall pick Ben Simmons to suit up for the Sixers in the summer league this offseason, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets. Fans curious to see the forward in action, however, can always check his Instagram for a recent video of him practicing.
A league executive has praised Celtics general manager Danny Ainge for the trade that yielded Jae Crowder back in 2014, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England writes. Crowder appeared to be little more than a throw-in in the Rajon Rondo deal but has evolved into a premier defender.
In an attempt to stop things in their tracks, Knicks president Phil Jackson opted not to address the situation unfolding with a beleaguered Kristaps Porzingis, an ESPN report mentions. The second-year man has voiced his displeasure with the organization but has also declared that he’d like to remain with the franchise.

Heat Notes: Ellington, Carmelo, Gay, Draft

May 9th, 2017 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

While a few of his Heat teammates – including Dion Waiters and Josh McRoberts – hold player options for the coming season, Wayne Ellington doesn’t have the same sort of control over his future with the team. Ellington’s $6.27MM salary for 2017/18 is non-guaranteed, so he’ll have to count on Miami keeping him on its roster. And as he tells Tom D’Angelo of The Palm Beach Post, Ellington is hoping to stick around.

“This is the place that I want to be,” Ellington said. “This is the place that feels like home to me; that feels really good to me. I feel like the things that we accomplished on the court show that. So we’ll see what happens, man, but I have a good feeling.”

Ellington scored a career-high 10.5 PPG off the bench for the Heat this season, making 2.4 three-pointers per game at a 37.8% rate. As D’Angelo notes, the club would like to clear as much cap room as it can this summer to pursue outside help and retain its own free agents, but Ellington looks like a solid bargain at $6MM+, so it would be a surprise to see him go anywhere.

Here’s more from out of Miami:

One person in touch with the Heat tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that he doesn’t expect the Heat to pursue Carmelo Anthony as a trade target this offseason. As Jackson explains, Anthony’s onerous salary and trade kicker make him an unappealing option for the club.
Rudy Gay may be a more realistic target for the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. However, Winderman doesn’t think Miami would be in on Gay if he’s hoping to match or exceed the $14MM+ salary he’s turning down for 2017/18. Miami’s plans for Justise Winslow and the club’s ability to bring back James Johnson would also be complicating factors.
Since the Heat often trade first-round picks and rarely finish in the lottery, the team’s scouting department doesn’t have many chances to target top prospects in the draft. So with an opportunity to pick in the lottery this season, Miami can’t afford to swing and miss, Winderman writes in a separate Sun Sentinel piece. “We probably don’t draft a guy who’s really a project and feel like he’s two or three years away,” said Chet Kammerer, the Heat’s VP of player personnel. “We are not going to gamble quite as much as some other organization because they have two picks in the first round every year. So they look at it a little bit different.”

Southwest Notes: Roberson, Parker, Randolph

May 5th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Austin Kent

Unable to come to terms with the Thunder on a rookie extension last fall, Andre Roberson will look to test the market this offseason, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman writes.

It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what the defensive-minded two-guard is worth, and the extra year of research didn’t help as much as the two parties may have hoped when the Thunder decided to let the 25-year-old become a restricted free agent.

Roberson is among the league’s best perimeter defender but his offensive shortcomings are hard to ignore. That, of course, muddies the waters when it comes to figuring out what the Thunder will (or should) pay to retain him.

“I don’t think anybody takes for granted a defensive specialist. All the GMs, the coaches, I think they see the work, so I’m not worried about free agency. I guess you could say I’m letting it take care of itself,” the Thunder guard said.

The ruptured quadriceps tendon that immobilized Spurs guard Tony Parker on Wednesday has Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post wondering if hoops fans may have witnessed the end of an era. The scribe is rather ambiguous, neglecting to mention anything about Parker still being under contract through the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Though he considers Memphis home, Zach Randolph will be a free agent this season and will look at options other than simply remaining with the Grizzlies. Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes that the veteran could serve as a specialist on a contender.
In an official press release, the NBA has announced that Rockets center Nene Hilario has been fined $15K for pushing Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon.
After catching on with the Mavs through a pair of 10-day contract, Jarrod Uthoff is eager to remain with the club next season, Earl Sneed of the team’s official website writes.
The Mavs have worked hard to field a roster of young players who work hard and put the team first, Carmelo Anthony doesn’t suit either, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News writes, suggesting that the veteran star isn’t worth the trouble of trying to acquire him.

Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Trade Scenarios, Ntilikina

May 5th, 2017 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have been frequently cited as a potential destination for Carmelo Anthony, assuming the Knicks forward is willing to waive his no-trade clause. But after another early playoff exit, Doc Rivers‘ club will have some major decisions to face even before determining whether an Anthony trade is possible.

As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, the belief around the NBA right now is that the Clippers will make every effort to lock up Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to new deals, but may not push quite as hard to retain veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick. If that’s the case, Berman writes, then several NBA executives believe there’s only one trade scenario involving Carmelo and the Clippers that would make sense — signing-and-trading Redick along with Austin Rivers and perhaps Wesley Johnson in exchange for Anthony and maybe one of the Knicks’ two second-round picks.

The math for that hypothetical swap would work, depending on Redick’s new contract, and one NBA executive suggests to Berman that “it’s really the only thing that makes sense.” Another exec believes it would be a good trade for the Knicks, who would get a reliable shooter in Redick and a good sixth man in Rivers. Whether the Clippers, Knicks, and Carmelo could all get on the same page on such a deal remains to be seen, however.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Tommy Beer runs through a number of possible trade scenarios involving Anthony, including theoretical proposals for long-shot suitors like the Trail Blazers, Bucks, and Pistons.
We heard earlier this week that GM Steve Mills was overseas scouting French point guard Frank Ntilikina, and international basketball reporter David Pick reiterates (via Twitter) that the Knicks are fond of the 18-year-old prospect. Knicks scout Makhtar N’Diaye, in particular, likes Ntilikina, according to Pick.
While Ntilikina should still be on the board if New York picks seventh overall, the Knicks would likely be eyeing different prospects if they get some lottery luck and move into the top three. MSG Network analyst and former NBA forward Wally Szczerbiak spoke to Berman (link via New York Post) about some of the top players on draft boards who have a chance to land with the Knicks.