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Knicks Rumors: Rose, Carmelo, Noah, Jackson

January 11th, 2017 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of his return to the Knicks on Tuesday, Derrick Rose addressed his teammates and coaches, as well as GM Steve Mills and president Phil Jackson, and the point guard says that “everybody’s on the same page” (Twitter link via Ian Begley of ESPN.com). The Knicks do appear ready to move on, with head coach Jeff Hornacek telling reporters today that Rose will start tonight against Philadelphia, per Frank Isola of The New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Still, there should be lingering concern in New York about the situation. According to a report from Isola, during Rose’s absence, the former NBA MVP briefly “talked about walking away from basketball for an extended period of time to clear his mind.” Two independent sources who spoke to Isola described Rose as an emotional wreck on Monday afternoon.

Two days later, Rose claims he’s in a good place mentally and that he would have asked the Knicks for more time if he felt like he needed it (Twitter link via Isola). But the point guard’s future in New York – both in the short- and long-term – still appears very uncertain.

Here’s more on Rose and the Knicks:

There’s probably no quick fix for the Knicks, who are currently 17-21 and 11th in the East, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler doesn’t expect any team to offer anything of real value in a trade for Rose, and hears from a source that Carmelo Anthony remains unwilling to approve a trade out of New York, in spite of the club’s recent slide. Joakim Noah also has little to no value as a trade piece, though Knicks sources tell Kyler that the former Bull has at least been a strong locker room influence so far.
Within a piece about Rose’s future – or lack thereof – in New York, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports that some Knicks players have privately expressed frustration with the team’s defensive schemes. Begley also confirms that some members of the Knicks organization were led to believe during Rose’s absence that the 28-year-old was considering a lengthy absence from basketball.
According to Begley, some people close to Rose have told friends that the point guard will be looking for a maximum salary contract this summer. While that may be true, it’s hard to fathom Rose landing anything close to that at this point.
Phil Jackson needs to start providing some answers regarding his struggling club, rather than silently watching as it burns to the ground, opines Kevin Kernan of The New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Lin, Sixers, Anthony

December 29th, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have two very difficult decisions looming in their pursuit of the top spot in the Eastern Conference, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post opines. They must decide whether to go all-in this season in their quest to knock off the Cavs, which would mean trading off some young pieces for another impact player, preferable a power forward, Bontemps continues. The Magic’s Serge Ibaka and Hawks’ Paul Millsap — forwards that the Raptors have pursued in the past and will become free agents this summer — would be logical targets, in Bontemps’ view. This summer, they’ll have to decide whether to offer point guard and impending free agent Kyle Lowry a max five-year deal worth over $200MM or risk seeing him walk. Lowry will attract numerous suitors but his age — he turns 31 this spring — could make a long-term commitment a risky investment, Bontemps adds.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Nets are taking a committee approach with point guard Jeremy Lin sidelined again by a hamstring injury, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports. Coach Kenny Atkinson is rotating Randy Foye, rookie Isaiah Whitehead and Spencer Dinwiddie in Lin’s absence, while shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick is also taking a bigger role in the playmaking duties, Lewis continues. “I think it was ensemble,” Atkinson told Lewis and other media members. “That’s how we’re going to do it.”
The Sixers’ frontcourt pairing of Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor has been a colossal failure defensively thus far, as Derek Bodner of Phillymag.com details. In six games since coach Brett Brown paired the two big men in the starting lineup, the Sixers have given up an average of 122.3 points per 100 possessions when they’re on the court. What’s more troubling, as Bodner notes, is that the poor defensive performances have come against sub-par offensive teams.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t believe Carmelo Anthony should have been ejected on Tuesday for swinging his forearm at the head of Hawks swingman Thabo Sefolosha, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Hornacek asserted that Sefolosha grabbed Anthony around the neck before the forearm swing, though Berman notes that was not apparent on replays while labeling Hornacek’s stance as bizarre. “I don’t blame [Anthony] for what happened, honestly,” Hornacek told Berman. “Watch the replay, watch the action. The guy had his arms wrapped around his neck. … What are you going to do? Just stand there or you going to get the guy off you? It’s a natural reaction.”

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Nogueira, Anthony

December 24th, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Austin Kent

Zach Lowe thinks that the Sixers will absolutely make a run at pending free agent Kyle Lowry this summer. The ESPN journalist spoke on his The Lowe Post podcast with Brian Windhorst Thursday, citing several reasons why the franchise could pursue the veteran Raptors point guard.

Lowry is from Philadelphia, Lowe mentions, and has played under ex-Raptors executive Bryan Colangelo previously. On top of that, the Sixers will have an exorbitant amount of cap space and could benefit from the services of a point guard should they ultimately decide to utilize Ben Simmons in ways other than as a traditional playmaker.

Worth noting is that Windhorst believes Cory Joseph to be a suitable replacement for the 30-year-old point guard while Lowe believes that such a drop off would be too much for the Raptors.

Also in the Atlantic Division:

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey isn’t opposed to playing big men Jonas Valanciunas and Lucas Nogueira together, says Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Typically Nogueira has played the five but has turned heads with his energetic production this season. Casey believes Nogueira is capable of stretching out to the four.
Former teammates are rallying around Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony this week, says Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. The veteran was taken to task by former George Karl in an excerpt from his upcoming book. Former Nuggets players Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith, who played with Anthony and under Karl in Denver, are among those vocal.

Knicks Notes: Vogel, Rose, Anthony

December 23rd, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Frank Vogel had interest in the Knicks‘ coaching vacancy during the offseason, though he’s happy with his current role as the coach of the Magic, John Denton of NBA.com passes along. Vogel said that it was an honor to be interviewed by the Knicks and added that Madison Square Garden has a special feel to it. “It is the mecca and the most famous arena in the world, and I take pride of being here on this stage,’’ Vogel said before Thursday game against New York

Here’s more from the Big Apple:

Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose are started to mesh nicely and the Knicks appear ready to make the playoffs this season, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes. However, the team isn’t looking that far ahead, taking it one game at a time instead. “We’re getting there. We’re getting there. We don’t know how good we can become,” Rose said. “The goal is the playoffs. Once we get in the playoffs, we’re going to be a hell of a team to go against, like you don’t know what to expect from us in the playoffs. I think we’re going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs, but the first thing is to get there.”
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News wonders how far the Knicks‘ big three can take them. Offensively, the trio is as good as any in the Eastern Conference outside of Cleveland, but Bondy notes that it seems as if Porzingis and Anthony are taking turns scoring rather than playing in a free-flowing offense.
Anthony took the high road when responding to George Karl‘s criticism by letting his former teammates speak for him, Kerber writes in a separate piece. “It’s different when you go to bat for yourself, and it’s you against somebody else’s word,” Anthony said. “It’s a big difference when you have guys who were actually in it there and have their own experiences that can speak on it from their own standpoint.”
In his book, George Karl questioned Anthony’s leadership ability, but coach Jeff Hornacek sees no issue with the small forward, Kerber writes in the same piece. “Carmelo for us has been great. … All I can go by is what I’ve seen out of Carmelo here,” Hornacek said. “He’s been a great leader.”

George Karl Blasts Carmelo In Upcoming Book

December 22nd, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Carmelo Anthony was “addicted to the spotlight” and had no commitment to defense when he played for the Nuggets, his former coach George Karl writes in a book that is scheduled for release next month.

Excerpts from the book, “Furious George,” were published after an advance copy was obtained by the New York Post’s Marc Berman.

Karl coached Anthony for six seasons and clearly still has issues with the current Knicks star forward. Karl called Anthony “the best offensive player he ever coached” but Anthony drove him crazy with his self-indulgence and refusal to play hard at both ends of the court, Berman continues.

“He really lit my fuse with his low demand of himself on defense,” Karl said in the book. “He had no commitment to the hard, dirty work of stopping the other guy. My ideal — probably every coach’s ideal — is when your best player is also your leader. But since Carmelo only played hard on one side of the ball, he made it plain he couldn’t lead the Nuggets, even though he said he wanted to. Coaching him meant working around his defense and compensating for his attitude.”

Karl admitted that he was happy when Denver traded Anthony to the Knicks in 2011, viewing it as “a sweet release for the coach and the team, like popping a blister.” Karl added that Nuggets got the better of the deal in the long run. Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, two of the players acquired by Denver, are still rotation pieces there.

Karl also took current Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith and former NBA forward Kenyon Martin to task, calling them “spoiled brats.”

Martin responded on Twitter by calling Karl a “terrible person” (Twitter link).

Karl, 65, was fired by the Kings in April after a disappointing 33-49 season.

Knicks Notes: Hornacek, Porzingis, Anthony

December 13th, 2016 at 9:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek gets caught in the middle between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony at times and he admits that it puts him in an awkward spot, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today. “Yeah, I mean it happens,” Hornacek said of fielding questions on the Phil Jackson-Carmelo Anthony relationship. “I think that’s the understanding in New York, that things get blown up probably more than a comment here or a comment there, which is probably meaningless, turns into something big. So you roll with the punches.”

Here’s more from New York:

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News doesn’t believe Jackson’s comments will hurt the Knicks when it comes to signing free agents. Isola believes that the presence of Kristaps Porzingis will make the Knicks an attractive free agent destination regardless of whether or not Jackson is still running the show.
The Anthony-Derrick Rose combination remains a work-in-progress and Anthony believes the duo should see more action together, Al Iannazone of Newsday writes. “I think me and Derrick are still trying to figure out ways to take advantage of what defenses are doing out there,” Anthony said. “I don’t think we play together on the offense as much as we should.”

Anthony ‘Skeptical’ Of New CBA Before Deadline

December 10th, 2016 at 8:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:59pm: Both sides remain confident that a deal can be reached, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN. Licensing and the use of player likenesses has become an important issue as the deadline approaches (Twitter link).

5:11pm: With the deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement less than a week away, Carmelo Anthony is throwing cold water on the optimism that has been surrounding negotiations, relays ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

“I’m skeptical of something getting done,” Anthony, who serves as vice president of the players association. “Do I think something could happen by the 15th? Yeah I think something could happen. But I think this kind of put a dent in conversations. We had something so close. We were supposed to have a deal done weeks ago, and for this to happen at the 25th hour is tough.”

Anthony refused to explain what happened to derail the agreement, but emphasized that “as players, we want to get a deal done.” He added that it would take “a miracle” to get a new deal finalized before Thursday’s deadline (Twitter link).

Negotiators have been trying to hammer out an agreement in advance of December 15th, which is the final date either side can opt out of the current CBA. Reports on the talks have been universally positive, and some observers had expected an agreement to be announced this week.

Anthony’s pessimism doesn’t mean hopes for a new deal are dead. The owners and players could simply agree to extend the deadline, tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. TNT analyst David Aldridge reports that the sides are still talking, at least through Friday night (Twitter link). A league source on Friday was still optimistic that an agreement would be reached, even if an extension were necessary, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Bryant, Rose

December 10th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson held a one-on-one meeting with Carmelo Anthony today regarding comments that Jackson made this week, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Jackson visited the team at practice in Los Angeles and tried to clarify his remarks about Anthony holding the ball too long in the triangle offense. Anthony said the meeting was productive, but added that Jackson has “got to be careful the choice of words he uses.” “He said what he had to say,” Anthony said. “I don’t want to tell you all what he said. The conversation was good — to hear his perspective on what happened, how it all went down.”

There’s more news tonight regarding the Knicks:

Anthony says he has talked to former Lakers star Kobe Bryant about how to relate to Jackson, relays ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Jackson said recently that Anthony has been given the same role in the triangle that once belonged to Bryant and Michael Jordan. Anthony’s main concern was why Jackson keeps talking about him to the press. “That was my question, was just, ‘Why?’ Regardless of what was the context of the interview or conversation, just why? …. Why, every time, do I come up?” Anthony said about his discussions with Bryant. “He explained that. It’s been behind me for two days. There’s no reason to keep harping on it.”
It’s too soon for the Knicks to be talking about a contract extension for Derrick Rose, argues Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Rose’s injury history makes his too much of a risk, the writer contends, and the team should wait until he proves he can stay healthy for an entire season. Rose has missed 228 games over the past five seasons, but appeared in 66 last year with Chicago, the most since his MVP season in 2010/11. He has played 21 of the Knicks’ 23 games so far. Rose, who will be a free agent this summer, said he understands the Knicks’ caution and won’t be upset if they wait until the offseason to discuss an extension. “It’s cool,” he said. “It’s no bad blood if they were to wait until after the year, it wouldn’t matter to me. I’m not worried about money. Whatever they decide to do it’s in their hands.”

Eastern Notes: Anthony, McDermott, Aldrich

December 9th, 2016 at 9:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is “baffled and hurt” by the recent comments team president Phil Jackson made about him in the media, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Anthony told the scribe that he wishes that Jackson would have come to him first with any critiques rather than airing them through the media. “I think we’re playing good basketball,’’ Anthony said. “I don’t know what’s this cloud over the team now. We lost a game. I just feel if it was something he wanted to address and had a stance on something, the door has always been open both ways. He always sends me a text or talks to me if it was any type of problem that was going on. I always welcome the conversation with open arms.”

“At the end of the day, my focus is us and what we’re doing,’’ ‘Melo continued. “We’re at a point as a team we’re making strides, playing good basketball. I just don’t know what was behind the comments or where the comments came from. I just want to continue to do what we’re doing – playing ball. We’re playing good basketball now. To have a temporary black cloud …. I know it happens – it’s New York and something I know. It’s not something I expect [from the team]. I didn’t talk to him. I didn’t know where he was coming from. He wants to talk about it, cool. If he doesn’t, cool. In my eyes, it’s over to me.’’

Here’s more from the East:

Bulls forward Doug McDermott, who made his return on Thursday night after missing 11 contests with a concussion, is relieved to finally be able to get back to business, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com relays. “The first week-and-a-half was tough sleeping-wise, just weird symptoms you don’t even realize,” McDermott said. “Just being in cars, going to my appointments was tough at times, some headaches throughout the week. But with a concussion you just have to be true to yourself and true to the doctors. You don’t want to lie about things because it can only make things worse. I’m finally to the point where I’m feeling better.” McDermott played 26 minutes and scored 8 points in the win over the Spurs.
The Knicks are considering hiring Makhtar N’Diaye, who currently is a player agent with the Wasserman Media Group, as a scout, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News tweets.
The Pistons signed Aron Baynes in the summer of 2015, but had they not been able to reach an agreement with the big man, they would have targeted Cole Aldrich for their back-up center spot, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports. Baynes has been an effective player for Detroit, averaging 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per outing this season.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

New York Notes: Carmelo, Jackson, Knicks, Nets

December 8th, 2016 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony – who is usually affable with the media – was “visibly annoyed” when he was asked last night about Phil Jackson‘s comments on Anthony’s tendency to hold onto the ball for too long. After initially saying he didn’t want to answer those questions, Carmelo weighed in on Jackson’s assertion.

“I don’t even know what was said, to be honest with you. I just don’t even want to talk about that, what he’s talking about exactly. I want to stay away from that at this point,” the Knicks forward said. “My focus is my teammates and winning. We’ve been playing great basketball, and that’s the only thing I’m focused on. Whatever Phil said, he said it. I have nothing to say about that.”

When Jackson made comments last month about LeBron James‘ “posse,” which the NBA Finals MVP took exception to, Anthony questioned why the Knicks president was even discussing LeBron at all. This time around, while Carmelo was careful not to be critical, it sounded like he was once again unsure why Jackson’s comments were necessary.

Here’s more from out of New York:

Mitch Lawrence of Forbes.com wonders if Jackson’s “penchant for speaking his mind” will negatively impact his ability to stick around long-term with the Knicks or to land another NBA job.
In the wake of Houston’s decision to match the Nets‘ offer sheet to Donatas Motiejunas, GM Sean Marks said he didn’t regret not using the team’s huge chunk of cap room to make a bigger offer that would have made it harder for the Rockets to match. Brian Lewis of The New York Post has the details and the quotes from Marks.
In a separate piece for The Post, Lewis examines how the Nets might use all that cap room, passing along a few more quotes from the club’s general manager.