Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, D-League, Kilpatrick

March 3rd, 2016 at 8:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Carmelo Anthony indicated that the apology that was issued regarding his run-in with a heckler on Tuesday night was posted by the Knicks and not himself, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “Yeah I talked to [team owner James Dolan],” Anthony said. “We spoke about it. We didn’t spend too much time on it. It was Mr. Dolan’s decision. I don’t think I said anything wrong. [The fan] said he wasn’t coming to any more games. I said: ‘Why are you talking to me about it? Discuss that with him [Dolan]. Don’t yell my name out.’ Wasn’t no curse words. He yelled ‘Melo you guys suck. I’m not coming to anymore games.’ I said, ‘I think you should talk to the owner and get your money back.”’

The small forward noted that his comments weren’t a sign that he was blaming Dolan or the front office for the team’s struggles, Berman adds. “I don’t mind wearing the [black] hat. I don’t have that issue,” Anthony said. “I don’t have any problem with putting the pressure on me and putting it on my shoulders. When it goes bad, it falls on me anyway. Anything that happens in New York, I get blamed for. That’s just the way it is. I accept that. I’m not frustrated right now. I actually feel pretty good right now. I had a good practice. That frustration I left behind me. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sean Kilpatrick, who inked a 10-day deal with the Nets on Sunday, says he’s been on new Brooklyn GM Sean Marks‘ radar for a few years now, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “Sean Marks, he’s told me he’s been watching me for the past couple years when he was with the Spurs, and he pretty much knows what I can do, and he just wants me to be myself,” Kilpatrick said. “That’s something that I want to continue to keep being, and with me being able to have that type of mentality and knowing that he has my back through everything, that’s something real huge. So it’s [more] of a confidence-booster to just continue to keep coming out here and being me.”
The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueira and Norman Powell to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Caboclo’s 12th assignment to the Raptors 905 on the season, Powell’s sixth and Nogueira’s fourth.

Atlantic Notes: Butler, Stoudemire, Udrih

March 2nd, 2016 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics, who were reportedly looking to make a big splash at this year’s trade deadline, held discussions with the Bulls about acquiring star swingman Jimmy Butler, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. According to Bulpett’s source, the Celtics were willing to give up two first-round draft picks this year — the Nets‘ unprotected pick and Dallas’ first-rounder, which is top-seven protected, as part of a package for Butler. “This is not a case where Chicago was looking to trade Jimmy Butler,” a source involved in the talks told Bulpett. “That would be crazy. But if Boston calls, you have to look at those picks and some of the players they have and at least hear them out. Most times when teams call about your star, you can just dismiss it right away, but you have to think about it with [president of basketball operations Danny] Ainge and the Celtics right now. There’s a lot to go over there with possibilities.”

The Celtics are concerned that they will have too many young players on the roster if they retain all their acquired picks, so it is highly likely the team will be active leading up to the draft in its attempts to acquire a star-caliber player, Bulpett adds. “The term I’ve heard with Danny is that he’s looking for a ‘difference maker,’” a league source told the Herald scribe. “He’s definitely willing to pay you for the right guy, but he wants someone who can move them to the next level.” Ainge also checked in with the Pacers regarding Paul George prior to the deadline, Bulpett relays.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Amar’e Stoudemire denies that he was talking about former Knicks teammate Carmelo Anthony the other night when he made some pointed comments about his former team, Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays. The big man called Anthony on Sunday to clear the air, Iannazzone notes. “I never mentioned his name once,” Stoudemire told reporters, in reference to his comments. “We’re close friends, family. Our wives are very close friends. He knows I wasn’t talking about him.” When asked about his chat with Stoudemire, Anthony said, “I don’t really want to waste any time on that. What’s understood don’t need to be spoken upon.”
Beno Udrih cleared waivers from the Heat today, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link), meaning the Sixers passed on the chance to add him and draw closer to the $63MM salary floor. The Sixers currently have $60,369,349 in guaranteed salary on the books for 2015/16, which is $2,630,651 below the minimum team payroll. Claiming Udrih’s $2,170,465 salary would have brought Philadelphia to within a couple of minimum-salary contracts of the mark, and it would have come at the actual cost of only a fraction of Udrih’s salary, since the Heat have already given him most of his paychecks for the year. The result of Udrih clearing waivers is potentially more damaging to the Heat, who’d reportedly eyed Marcus Thornton and others but can’t sign anyone until April 6th without again going into tax territory, notes salary cap expert Albert Nahmad (on Twitter). It’s more likely the Heat would wait to sign someone until April 7th so they could fill their second open roster spot on the final day of the regular season, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Stoudemire, Sullinger, Lee

February 28th, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat’s Amar’e Stoudemire sounded like he had some harsh words for former teammate Carmelo Anthony and Knicks management before tonight’s game, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Stoudemire spent four and a half seasons in New York before agreeing to a buyout last February. He didn’t mention Anthony by name but implied that ‘Melo was extremely jealous during the brief “Lin-sanity” period that turned Jeremy Lin into a star in 2012. “A lot of times you got to enjoy somebody else’s success,” Stoudemire said. “That wasn’t the case for us during that stretch. You got to enjoy that and let that player enjoy himself and cherish those moments. He was becoming a star and I didn’t think everyone was pleased with that.’’

Stoudemire also said not everybody was on board with the triangle offense that Phil Jackson instituted when he became team president in 2014. “I truly bought into it,’’ Stoudemire said. “Maybe three-quarters of the team thought it was great. But if you don’t have a full team that buys into a system, it’s never going to pan out.’’

There’s more tonight from the Atlantic Division:

Jared Sullinger may be making himself too expensive for the Celtics to keep with his recent rebounding spree, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Sullinger has posted double-doubles in five of his last seven games and has risen into the league’s top 10 in percentage of defensive rebounds collected. Sullinger will be a restricted free agent this summer, and while Boston would likely want to keep him for the $4.4MM qualifying offer, his price could rise much higher, Forsberg writes. One advantage the Celtics will have is Sullinger’s fondness for Boston. “When you play for the greatest franchise in the NBA and you see all those banners and all the fans, you don’t want to leave that place because it’s a special place in your heart,” Sullinger said recently. “It’s the first team I’ve played for in the NBA — hopefully it’ll be my last.”
Kelly Olynyk‘s talents made David Lee expendable in Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Olynyk can play both center and power forward and he has 3-point range to stretch the floor. Lee agreed to a buyout with the Celtics and hit waivers February 19th.
The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via Twitter. Caboclo has appeared in three games with Toronto this season.

Knicks Rumors: Anthony, Jackson, Aldridge, Grant

February 28th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson is wasting the prime of Carmelo Anthony‘s career by failing to bring another star to New York, charges Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Bondy relates a story that Portland free agent LaMarcus Aldridge had legitimate interest in joining the Knicks last summer after Anthony recruited him, but Jackson demanded that Aldridge play center to make room for newly drafted power forward Kristaps Porzingis. Aldridge responded by canceling his meeting. “When I heard that, I didn’t know that,” Anthony said. “I took my headband and threw it.”

Bondy also jabs Jackson for letting another trade deadline pass without making a major move and says the team president isn’t fully committed to either winning now with Anthony or rebuilding with younger players. The columnist expects several teams to take a shot at trading for Anthony during the offseason, and says Jackson is pushing away a star who would prefer to remain in New York.

There’s more this morning from New York City:

Jackson may have to sign a significant free agent this summer to keep Anthony happy, according to Harvey Araton of The New York Post. Araton speculates that Anthony sees “diminishing value” in staying with the Knicks through the end of his contract, which runs through the 2018/19 season. Miami could be a destination that would entice Anthony to waive his no-trade cause, Araton writes, as Heat president Pat Riley could promise a talented roster and a playoff spot.
Rookie point guard Jerian Grant wouldn’t mind being sent to the D-League if it means more playing time, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Grant has appeared in just three games since Kurt Rambis took over as interim coach but has performed well, with a combined 20 points and 10 assists. The Knicks prefer to keep Grant on the main roster, but he’ll be all right with a demotion if it means more time on the court. “I talked to coach about it a little bit,” Grant said Saturday. “Obviously playing is a good opportunity no matter where it is. Obviously, you want to be in a game in the NBA, but if I can go down there and get a lot of minutes and get back in a rhythm, I think it would be OK.”

‘Melo Turned Away Interest From Celtics?

February 26th, 2016 at 7:35am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 7:35am: The Celtics went to Anthony’s “advisers” to gauge his willingness to waive his no-trade clause rather than the Knicks, and no trade talks took place between Boston and New York, sources told Marc Berman of the New York Post. Indications are that the Creative Artists Agency, which represents Anthony, wants him to keep an open mind about his future, Berman writes.

4:35pm: Anthony denies that he turned down any such trade proposal, saying the Knicks never approached him about waiving his no-trade clause, according to Frank Isola and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. One of the first-rounders the Nets owe the Celtics as well as an additional pick, David Lee‘s since bought-out contract and a second player would have gone to New York in the proposed deal, Isola and Bondy write.

THURSDAY, 7:58am: The Celtics expressed interest before the trade deadline in obtaining Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks, but they were told that Anthony didn’t want to waive his no-trade clause to play for Boston, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. It’s unclear how far talks between the Celtics and Knicks went, Begley notes. The teams were reportedly part of a preliminary three-way discussion with the Cavaliers that involved the idea of sending Anthony to Cleveland, but Begley’s report indicates that Boston and New York also had a chat on the side, however brief.

It’s no shock to see the Celtics having gone after a star, though the apparent interest in Anthony demonstrates how far president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would go to acquire a marquee name. Anthony turns 32 in May and is in the midst of a third straight season of declines in scoring average since leading the NBA in points per game with 28.7 in 2012/13. He’s under contract for a combined $78,731,280 over the three seasons following this one, including a player option for 2018/19, and the deal includes a 15% trade kicker. His no-trade clause would carry with him wherever he goes if he allows the Knicks to deal him away. Multiple disadvantages would come with trading for Anthony, to be sure, but the Celtics apparently remained of the belief that doing so could help their team.

Ainge said the Celtics came close to pulling off a significant trade before the deadline, had the other team not pulled out of the talks, but it appears that conversation was about Jahlil Okafor, not Anthony. The C’s were also linked to Dwight Howard, Al Horford and others.

Anthony has been steadfast in saying that he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause and doesn’t want to leave New York to play anywhere else, though he’d reportedly give strong consideration to a trade that would send him to the Clippers. Several teams apparently think that if the Knicks don’t make significant progress in their rebuilding project by mid-July, Anthony would be willing to approve a trade.

Do you think Anthony will finish his contract on the Knicks, or will he eventually approve a trade? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Eastern Notes: Stevens, Anthony, Splitter

February 25th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics coach Brad Stevens declined to comment about whether the team had any interest in pursuing Joe Johnson, who was waived by the Nets earlier today as part of a buyout arrangement, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes (ESPN Now link). The coach did specify what type of player Boston would be looking for to fill its open roster spot, saying, “I think versatility is huge. Certainly shooting’s a big deal. All those things come into play. Obviously, with Kelly [Olynyk] out, interior help is something that you’d have to consider, but hopefully he’s not out too long and I think the versatility stands out more than anything else.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t want to lose Carmelo Anthony as a teammate and looks at the veteran scorer as a role model, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. Several teams apparently think that if the Knicks don’t make significant progress in their rebuilding project by mid-July, Anthony would be willing to approve a trade. “Oh well, obviously I wouldn’t want to lose him,” Porzingis said regarding ‘Melo. “He is who he is on our team. He’s special and we need him to do big things in the future, especially for me. I love playing alongside him so that would obviously not be something that I want.“
Hawks center Tiago Splitter underwent successful surgery today to repair damage to his right hip, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. Splitter will miss the remainder of the season as a result of the injury and subsequent surgery.
Bucks big man Greg Monroe has been coming off the bench lately for the team, which isn’t necessarily what he had in mind when he inked a maximum salary deal with the team this past summer, Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times writes. When asked if he regretted signing with Milwaukee, Monroe said, “It’s not something they had planned when I was coming here. So, no, I can’t answer that question because it wasn’t something that was planned all along.’’ The big man also admitted that he heard the trade chatter involving him but wasn’t fazed, Woelfel adds. “I didn’t get bothered by it. I’ve been in the league awhile; I’ve been in free agency and reports came out then and I know they were totally false. And these situations are basically the same, so I was sure it was all speculation.’’
The Celtics have assigned swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Young’s eighth jaunt of the season to Maine.

Eastern Notes: Anthony, Beasley, Varejao

February 23rd, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony, who has been through four coaches and three general managers since being acquired from Denver five years ago, admits that he is growing frustrated with the franchise’s continued struggles, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com writes. “It’s been tough. It’s challenging,” Anthony said. “It’s challenging to kind of stay strong and positive through all this. You can’t control that. When you look at it, how many different coaches? Four different coaches. [A lot of] different players. I mean, that’s a lot to go through.” Several teams reportedly believe that if New York doesn’t make much progress in their rebuilding by the middle of July, Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a better chance at competing for an NBA title with another franchise.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis isn’t upset with Anthony publicly voicing his displeasure, believing that the veteran has the proper attitude regarding the team’s losing ways, Barbara Barker of Newsday writes. “I want the players to be angry. I want the players to be frustrated,” Rambis said. “That’s the right attitude to have. If guys aren’t playing, they should be frustrated that they are not playing. We’re not winning right now, so they have to be believing in their hearts and minds that [they] could be doing a better job out there on the court. Those are the kind of players you want on your team. You don’t want guys that just roll over and accept this losing.”
Anderson Varejao signing with the Warriors sets up a potential NBA Finals matchup against the Cavaliers, something his former teammates don’t hold against him, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “It’s a business,” Tristan Thompson said regarding Varejao. “He wants to keep playing ball, so whatever is the best fit for him and whatever he’s looking for, you have to be happy for him. Andy was more than just a teammate; he was a friend, a big brother, and so wherever he can go to keep playing, I’m happy for him, even with him being with the Warriors.“
The Heat are not among the teams reportedly thinking about signing former NBA player Michael Beasley, whose season in the Chinese Basketball Association recently ended, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel relays (Twitter link). Beasley has spent four of his seven NBA seasons as a member of the Heat, including 24 appearances for the franchise last season.

Eastern Notes: Morris, Teague, Middleton, ‘Melo

February 22nd, 2016 at 12:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ex-Suns coach Jeff Hornacek gave one of the most positive reviews about Markieff Morris that the Wizards encountered when they asked around the league about Markieff Morris prior to last week’s trade, sources told TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip for NBA.com. Wizards coach Randy Wittman said he only heard “rave reviews,” while Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley, former teammates of Morris who are now on the Wizards, told the front office that Morris wouldn’t be a problem, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post details. See more from the Eastern Conference as the ramifications of the trade deadline continue:

The Bucks reportedly had at least passing interest in Jeff Teague, but they weren’t willing to part with Khris Middleton to get a deal done, league sources told Aldridge for the same piece. Milwaukee reportedly held tight to Middleton in talks about Ricky Rubio, too. The Hawks were trying to score both a starter and a first-round pick in would-be trades involving Teague, sources told USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt last week (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, the Pelicans were the team that clung to one of their players in their talks with the Bucks, as the conversation between those teams involving Greg Monroe fell apart when New Orleans refused to give up Jrue Holiday, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Several teams think that if the Knicks don’t make much progress in their rebuilding by the middle of July, Carmelo Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause, Deveney writes in the same piece. The Knicks spoke with the Rockets about Ty Lawson before the trade deadline, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The retention of Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside this summer would almost assuredly mean the end to Luol Deng‘s time with the Heat, observes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who writes in his mailbag column. Front office executives around the league were led to believe that Deng was available on the trade market before last week’s deadline, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt noted (on Twitter).

Eastern Notes: Heat, Anthony, Hinkie, Felicio

February 20th, 2016 at 11:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are at a disadvantage when it comes to signing waived players, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami has two open roster spots, but its payroll is just $213K below the luxury tax threshold, meaning the team would go back above the line if it adds a player before March 6th to 8th and keeps him for the remainder of the season. Miami can fill its roster and avoid the tax, but only if it signs one player during the second week of March and another at the end of the season. Players must be waived by March 1st to be eligible for the playoffs, but can join their new team any time before the regular season is complete.

The tax situation is why the Heat made no effort to sign David Lee or Steve Novak when they were waived, Jackson explains. They would have interest in Joe Johnson if he gets bought out by the Nets, but the Cavaliers are believed to be the front-runner if that happens.

There’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

There’s a lot of excitement in New York about the Knicks‘ planned signing of Jimmer Fredette, but Carmelo Anthony doesn’t share it, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. “I haven’t seen Jimmy play in a long time,” Anthony said when asked about Fredette. “I’ve been hearing about what he’s doing down there in the D-League but I haven’t seen him play in action for a long time. I thought you were telling me we were about to sign someone.”
Despite the addition of Jerry Colangelo to the Sixers‘ front office, GM Sam Hinkie isn’t worried about his job, according to Rich Hofmann of PhillyVoice. “Our owners have been very clear with me that they’d like me to be the leader of this organization for a long time,” Hinkie said in an interview on CSN (Twitter link).
Cristiano Felicio, who stayed on the Bulls‘ roster despite coming into camp with a non-guaranteed contract, continues to surprise, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Injuries have given the Brazilian big man an opportunity to play, and he responded Friday with eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes. “Big Cris plays like that all the time in practice,” Taj Gibson said. “He just has to get better with (communicating). He’s real aggressive and strong. He has great hands around the basket.”

And-Ones: Rubio, Anthony, Cousins

February 14th, 2016 at 9:25pm CST by Will Joseph

Ricky Rubio is “readily available,” writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, but Wolves GM Milt Newton earlier this week told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that he hadn’t fielded any offers for the point guard. Still, Newton said he would be obliged to listen if a team came calling. The Knicks are in the market for a point guard, but it’s hard to envision New York having the assets needed to acquire Rubio, Isola notes. Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press further clarifies the situation, tweeting that the Wolves are not shopping Rubio, but they won’t immediately hang up the phone if someone calls to ask.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Carmelo Anthony has said he is not looking to leave the Knicks and is not interested in waiving his no-trade clause, but Isola hears Anthony would strongly consider a trade to the Clippers (in the same piece). Isola adds that Anthony has wanted to play with Chris Paul for a while and speculates that a deal involving Blake Griffin would make sense for both teams.
DeMarcus Cousins has been answering to trade rumors all weekend, but the Kings are not going to move him, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports’ Pro Basketball Talk. There is little incentive to trade Cousins because he has a reasonable contract, owner Vivek Ranadive loves him and the Kings plan to open a new arena in downtown Sacramento next season, Helin adds. “First of all, I can’t control the trade [rumors] and I can’t control if I’m traded or not,” Cousins said. “But I do want to be in Sacramento, and I know everybody in Sacramento knows that.”
Commissioner Adam Silver hinted that keeping the relative status quo in the next collective bargaining agreement would be OK with him as he spoke Saturday in his All-Star weekend press conference, according to a transcript on NBA.com. “Did we get everything we were looking for in collective bargaining last time? No,” Silver said. “But we feel it’s a fair compromise, and we feel it’s working pretty well.”
Warriors coach and former Suns GM Steve Kerr was inspired to get into coaching because of Jeff Hornacek‘s initial success and expressed disappointment toward Hornacek’s firing, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic relays. “It’s just a jolt of NBA reality,” Kerr said. “Every coach is sort of a victim of circumstance, good or bad. So much depends on the talent that you have and the support you have and the chemistry in your organization and your locker room. Unfortunately, it’s a really, really hard thing to discover or to create. I feel very lucky to have that here because I know it doesn’t exist in most places.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.