Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

‘Melo, Agent Affirm Commitment To Knicks

December 12th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony and agent Leon Rose deny that his client wants to leave the Knicks in the wake of a report from Marc Berman of the New York Post citing sources who say that Anthony would be open to waiving his no-trade clause. Anthony said this morning that he won’t run from “adversity,” tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Rose issued his statement to multiple reporters, including Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter links).

“Carmelo, as always, is committed to the Knicks,” Rose said. “There have never been discussions about trades or wanting to leave New York. Any story, rumor, report to the contrary is utter nonsense.”

Though Berman heard that Anthony would be receptive to a deal if the Knicks made one with a team he’d like to play for, ‘Melo nonetheless has no desire to be traded, Berman writes. Anthony can’t be traded until Monday, as Berman notes, since he signed a new deal in the offseason. That contract, worth $124,064,681 over five seasons, contains a 15% trade kicker in addition to the no-trade clause that the Knicks would have to pay if they were to trade him.

Berman suggested that the Bulls, Anthony’s second choice as a free agent destination this summer, would be a logical trading partner, though Isola casts doubt on that idea, given what the Bulls would have to give up to make salaries match and Anthony’s knee trouble of late (Twitter link). Anthony makes $22,458,401 this season, a difficult number to move given all of the assets another team would have to relinquish. Brooklyn’s willingness to trade its three most highly paid players would present a numerical match and a chance for Anthony to stay in New York, but there’s been no indication that Anthony would consider the Nets, having struggles of their own, more palatable than the Knicks.

A report earlier this week indicated that Anthony was a frequent source of criticism from his teammates, Tim Hardaway Jr. in particular, and that Anthony had threatened Hardaway during an on-court argument. Anthony and Hardaway later acknowledged the argument but denied any lasting tension between them, and Anthony said that he hadn’t noticed himself as a particular target of blame for the struggles of the Knicks, who are just 4-20 to begin the season.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, De Colo, Celtics

December 11th, 2014 at 6:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It might be time for the Knicks to end any thoughts of rebuilding the franchise around their existing core, and change their focus to completely tearing down their roster instead, Harvey Araton of The New York Times writes. The only thing that should prevent New York from doing so is if it can add a premier free agent next summer to partner with Carmelo Anthony, notes Araton. But team president Phil Jackson had admitted that he worries that this season’s disastrous turn will make New York an unattractive option to potential free agents like Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, both of whom the Knicks would love to sign, Araton adds.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Despite losing their last 10 games, the Knicks‘ biggest concern right now is Anthony’s left knee, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. According to Anthony, surgery is the last option that he will consider, Begley notes. “I’m not even looking forward to even discussing the surgery or anything like that,” Anthony said. “I’ll explore as many other options as I can before I go under the knife and get surgery. We really don’t know exactly what’s the problem.”
The Celtics have recalled James Young and Dwight Powell from the Maine Red Claws, their D-League Affiliate, the team announced. In Maine’s win over Delaware last night, Powell contributed 19 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Young also dropped 19 points, including nailing five three-pointers in seven attempts.
The bad news regarding Young’s latest trip to the D-League is that he injured his shoulder and will be out indefinitely, Julian Edlow of WEEI 93.7 FM reports. “I guess his shoulder subluxed and they’re doing more tests to see the extent of the injury,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Those can be very, very short-term things or they can be a little bit longer, but that’s the extent of what I know. He’s getting X-rays right now.”
The Raptors and other NBA teams reached out last summer to express their interest in Nando De Colo, who wanted to re-sign with Toronto, but those clubs were too late, since he’d already committed to sign with CSKA Moscow, David Pick Of Basketball Insiders reports.
The Knicks are unlikely to make any deals that would impact their cap space for next season unless they can acquire All-Star level player, Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports in his weekly chat.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Rumors: Kirilenko, Sixers, Nets, Knicks

December 11th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Earlier reports have suggested that Andrei Kirilenko would be interested in playing again in February, once a family matter involving his wife is resolved, but it’s an iffy proposition whether Kirilenko will play at any point this season, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt hears (Twitter links). Sixers officials are trying to convince Kirilenko that he should remain with Philadelphia once the trade goes through, though he’s not pleased with the idea, as John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com hears (Twitter link). The Sixers, who see Kirilenko as a valuable asset whom they could flip at the February 19th trade deadline, according to Gonzalez, would ultimately have the power to keep Kirilenko on the roster this season no matter how he feels about it once the Nets trade is complete. However, it looks as though they’d prefer to give his roster spot to someone they could put on the court if Kirilenko’s not willing to play for them. There’s plenty more on the Kirilenko trade amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets have an agreement to sign a player to fill the roster vacancy that the Kirilenko trade is set to create, tweets Robert Windrem of NetsDaily . That advances an earlier report from Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, who heard the team had someone lined up for that opening (Twitter link). The identity of the soon-to-be signee is unknown, but it’s not an eye-catching name, according to the NetsDaily scribe.
Brooklyn will be able to create a $3.3MM trade exception from the Kirilenko deal, a league source tells Windrem (Twitter link). The precise value of that exception will probably be $3,326,235, equivalent to Kirilenko’s salary, since the identical minimum salaries of Brandon Davies and Jorge Gutierrez would essentially cancel each other out, but that won’t be entirely clear until after the trade is official.
Knicks teammates Carmelo Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr. confirmed that they engaged in an argument during last week’s loss to the Nets, but they don’t think it’s emblematic of a rift between the two of them, as a report Wednesday portrayed it to be. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
Anthony also denied that other players are holding him entirely responsible for the team’s struggles, and he also says that he and the other Knicks players don’t harbor doubts about the triangle offense, as Begley relays in the same piece.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Nets, Celtics, Knicks

December 10th, 2014 at 4:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

A number of experts around the NBA opine that the Sixers have a brighter future than the Knicks, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. When Zagoria asked an NBA executive which franchise is in a better position to improve, the executive said, “If [Joel] Embiid is Hakeem Olajuwon instead of Greg Oden, the answer is Philly. The Knicks have one first-round pick in the next two years, zero second-round picks and zero worthwhile International Rights guys. Philly has two first-round picks this year, four second-round picks in the next two and the rights to [Dario] Saric and [Vasilije] Micic. Carmelo Anthony is better than any current 76er but Philly has a far better coach [Brett Brown] and more talented young players. The Knicks need to start building a roster and stop waiting for a miracle free agent. There are too many destination markets with cap room and better rosters and a weak ’15 free agent class.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Despite the recent reports that the Nets are willing to trade Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson, Williams isn’t concerned he might be dealt, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “I’m not worried about it, man,” Williams said. “I’m a Net until they tell me otherwise. It is what it is. It’s a business, so stuff like [trade rumors] happens. I don’t see any problem [dealing with it]. Brook [Lopez] has dealt with it, so I don’t see it being a problem for him, and I don’t think Joe [Johnson] is too worried about it. No matter what’s being written or whatever, I’m still here. I’m still a Net. My priority is to play for this organization.”
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has been using Marcus Smart during the fourth quarters of recent games at the expense of playing time for Rajon Rondo. But no matter how well Smart plays, the idea of him replacing Rondo as a starter this season would be crazy, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opines. If things ever get to the point where that becomes a serious consideration, Boston would just as soon trade Rondo rather than have him become Smart’s backup, but the rookie’s steady progression can do nothing but hurt Rondo’s trade value in the eyes of potential suitors, Blakely adds.
After a horrendous 4-19 start to the season, the Knicks could be looking at even more difficulties ahead. Anthony has been playing in pain all season courtesy of a sore left knee, and now he may require surgery to correct the problem, which would keep him out of action indefinitely, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News reports.

Knicks Rumors: Smith, Fisher, ‘Melo, Hardaway

December 10th, 2014 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith is the Knicks player whom the team would most like to trade, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. That’s unsurprising, since the Knicks had reportedly been having internal discussions over a period of several months about how to trade the swingman. The Pacers have been the team most recently linked to Smith, but there haven’t been new developments on that front for a few weeks. Broussard has more on what appears to be rampant dysfunction inside the 4-19 Knicks, as we detail amid the latest on the blue-and-orange:

Knicks players are frustrated with coach Derek Fisher‘s reliance on the triangle offense, his defensive scheme, and his stoic demeanor on the sidelines, Broussard hears. Fisher recently expressed that he felt that his players had doubts about the triangle, while team president Phil Jackson pointed to a lack of discipline and order and a resistance to culture change among the players.
There’s a general sense of discord within the locker room, with Carmelo Anthony a frequent target of complaints from teammates, sources tell Broussard. Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr. are particularly at odds, and Anthony threatened to fight Hardaway at one point, though no physical confrontations have taken place, Broussard hears.
Jackson chalked up the reason the Knicks have lost several close games to what he called a “loser’s mentality,” but Anthony doesn’t see it like that, as Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. “Losing mentality, a lot of people will try to decipher that in their own different way,’’ Anthony said Tuesday, before the Knicks lost again, to the Pelicans. “You ask 10 people, you get 10 different opinions on what that really means. I know we don’t have a losing mentality.’’

Durant, ‘Melo, Love Spoke Of Playing Together

December 5th, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love have discussed the idea of one day playing together, whether it be in the NBA or on Team USA, Love tells Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. The subject came up when the three 2012 Olympic teammates were with each other as they trained this summer in a Los Angeles gym.

“I think naturally being around each other this summer and the Olympics and just in common passing, we have always talked about the opportunity to obviously play against each other but playing with each other as well,” Love said. “It is always something fun to think about when you have a bunch of guys in the gym this summer. And if not on our respective teams, then maybe at the Olympics.”

It would seem the next Olympics would be a much more likely venue for a reunion than the NBA, given Anthony’s new contract with the Knicks, which runs through 2018/19 with a player option for that season, and Love’s continued insistence that he plans a long-term future with the Cavs. Durant has given no clear signal of what he intends to do when his contract with the Thunder runs out in 2016, but it would be a “long shot, likely even a pipe dream” for the Knicks to land a superstar of Durant’s caliber to play alongside Anthony, Youngmisuk writes. The Knicks are reportedly pessimistic about their chances of attracting Marc Gasol this summer.

Love spoke of his admiration for New York basketball over the summer, as Youngmisuk notes, and the power forward called the Knicks “a great franchise to be a part of” in a recent interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post, though he made it clear to Serby that he wants to stay in Cleveland. Love can opt out of his deal this summer or opt in and align his free agency with that of Durant’s in 2016. Still, there seems little chance that he’d end up leaving the Cavs.

Bulls Notes: ‘Melo, Noah, Gasol, Butler

December 4th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls haven’t been on fire out of the gate, starting just 12-7, but they’re in an unusually advantageous position from a broader standpoint. They have a roster that seems strong enough to seriously contend for a title this season, and they have a pair of intriguing rookies in Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. They also have a potential lottery pick coming their way from the Kings next summer. The Bulls almost landed a superstar in free agency this past summer, but at least one member of the team doesn’t regret that swing and miss, as we detail amid the latest from the Windy City:

Joakim Noah attempted to recruit Carmelo Anthony to Chicago earlier this year, but Noah believes the Bulls will be just fine without him, as he told reporters in the wake of a documentary showing just how close ‘Melo came to signing with the Bulls. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com has the details. “I know you believe [teams] need to have all these superstar players and you have it all figured out. We know what your opinion, what your thoughts are, but maybe the way you view the game and the way I view the game is different,” Noah said to the media. “I come in here every day with the guys and my teammates and we work hard and we know we have ways to go. But we feel like the potential is there and that’s all you can ask for as a player is just have that belief that you could go all the way. It’s a good feeling.”
Wednesday’s win after a heartbreaking double overtime loss the night before was indicative of the sort of toughness the Bulls often exhibit, a quality Pau Gasol found attractive this summer, notes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. “The resiliency of this team definitely attracted me,” Gasol said Wednesday. “A lot of these guys have fought through adversity in different situations, injuries and stuff and still been able to perform at a pretty high level, all things considered. I thought with my addition things could be even better.”
It would be surprising if the Bulls didn’t match any offer for Jimmy Butler this spring, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune amid his mailbag column.

Eastern Notes: Whiteside, Anthony, Williams

November 28th, 2014 at 10:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

After nearly being out of the league, Heat forward Shawne Williams is making the most out of the playing time that he’s earned this season, Shandel Richardson of The Sun Sentinel writes. “Man, one thing I noticed about being in this league is you can never be too comfortable,” Williams said. “I’m kind of always on edge. This business is a tricky business. I’ve learned from a lot of stuff that I’ve been through and a lot of stuff that I have been in to never be comfortable. I’m never satisfied. I’m going to stay hungry.” Through Miami’s first 15 games Williams is averaging 10.5 points and draining 50.7% of his three-point shots.

Here’s more from the east:

Hassan Whiteside’s two-year deal with the Heat includes a partial guarantee of $100K for this season, but the second year includes no guaranteed salary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link).
If the Knicks aren’t careful in managing Carmelo Anthony‘s back spasms, they could put their star at risk for further back issues later in the season, Ian Begeley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “He [Anthony] can wind up battling this all season if it’s not shut down appropriately to let him heal up,” Dr. Neil Roth, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine told Begley.
The Nets haven’t notched a victory against a team with a winning record this season, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “I look at a win as a win,” head coach Lionel Hollins said. “The quality wins are the ones you get on the road. It’s nice to beat good teams, but we have to get to that level where we are consistently able to beat good teams. So we’re just taking wins where we can. That’s what it’s about — trying to win and get in the playoffs, and then when you get there, trying to hopefully get a matchup that favors you.”

‘Melo On Knicks, Bulls, Rockets, Mavs, Lakers

November 28th, 2014 at 8:49am CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony met with the Bulls, Rockets, Mavs and Lakers in addition to the Knicks this summer, but in a forthcoming documentary, he makes it clear that his final decision was between the Knicks and the Bulls, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman obtained a preliminary cut of the film, called “Carmelo Anthony: Made In NY,’’ that’s set to air next week on MSG Network, and Anthony’s statements in the movie demonstrate just how close the high-scoring forward came to wearing red-and-black.

“Chicago was the one from Day 1 [and] was something I was very impressed with,” Anthony said in the film. “They were looking for someone like me to come in and take them to the next level. So it was perfect. It was a perfect setup and perfect fit for me in Chicago. But also I had to think about just living in Chicago. Do I want to live in Chicago? Do I want to take everything I created in New York and move all of that? It came down to that. But there was one point in time I was like — oh, I’m going.’’

Berman shared several other revelations from the documentary in his full-length story, and we’ll summarize them here:

‘Melo’s camp concluded that they’d need to have the Knicks sign-and-trade him to Chicago for him to end up on the Bulls with a max deal, Berman writes. Anthony’s manager, Bay Frazier, said in the documentary that the Bulls could offer a total of only $74MM, according to Berman. There were various hypothetical scenarios in which the Bulls could have opened more flexibility, but it sounds like $74MM was the realistic amount on the table.
Anthony spoke of affection for the winning attitude of the Bulls and said that Derrick Rose reached out to recruit him, as Berman details. Rose’s supposed unwillingness to go along with Chicago’s pitch to Anthony was reportedly at the root of tension between the team and its star point guard. “D-Rose is tough. He even hit me [up],” Anthony said. “I’ve been talking to him. Him and [Joakim] Noah. Noah’s more outgoing. But I’m glad we did them first.’’
Anthony said he didn’t want to endure the “culture change” that would come with living in Texas and playing for either the Mavs or the Rockets, Berman notes.
Kobe Bryant and Anthony have spoken about one day playing together, but the specter of changing teams just to find himself in another rebuilding situation made jumping to the Lakers an unappealing choice, Anthony said in the documentary, as Berman relays.

Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, Green, Raptors, D-League

November 24th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony admits the warm weather and the lack of a state income tax in Texas were factors he considered as he thought about signing with the Rockets this summer, but he has no regrets about his decision to return to the Knicks, as he told reporters today. Marc Berman of the New York Post has the details, including Anthony’s acknowledgment of a conversation with Dwight Howard.

“We had some great dialogue back and forth,’’ Anthony said. “I talked to him. We talked about some things. Ultimately it came down to what I really felt and really wanted at that moment. We had some contact and conversations. He tried. He tried extremely hard. It didn’t have anything to do with Dwight or James [Harden]. It came down to my own personal decision.’’

The Rockets appear none the worse for losing out on ‘Melo, having started 10-3, while the Knicks are but 4-10. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Jeff Green stressed to reporters Sunday that he didn’t mean to imply that he wanted the Celtics to trade him when he expressed his frustration with the team’s losing, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. “I want to stay here,” said Green, who can opt out of his contract this coming summer “I love this team. I love being here.”
The Raptors rejected a draft-night offer from the Suns that would have given Toronto the draft rights to Tyler Ennis, whom the Raptors coveted, in return for 2014’s 20th overall pick and the 2016 first-rounder that the Knicks owe Toronto, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.
The Celtics have recalled James Young from the D-League, the team announced. It was a one-day excursion for this year’s 17th overall pick, who put up 22 points and eight rebounds Sunday for Boston’s affiliate.
Rookie JaKarr Sampson is back from his three-day D-League assignment, the Sixers announced. The undrafted small forward averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in two D-League games.