Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Randle, Machado, Lue

June 12th, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Derek Fisher believes that Carmelo Anthony can thrive in the triangle offense, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. According to the article, Fisher also believes the team can build a contender around Anthony. Fisher said, “I believe Carmelo can and will thrive in the triangle system. He’s actually the prototypical triangle player because of his versatility we can use him in all five positions on the floor. That’s the beauty of the system — being able to put players around on different spots on the floor. I believe [Anthony] can be great and that’s why I believe we can be great right away. Because we have that guy that we can anchor that system around to make the game easier for him but also allow for all of our team to be impactful and to give us something every single night.”

Heat Likely To Pursue Carmelo Anthony

June 12th, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Charlie Adams

3:23pm: Bosh tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he, Wade and James have never discussed the idea of recruiting Anthony to join them on the Heat, casting the idea of all four playing together next season as “very, very unlikely.”

THURSDAY, 8:13am: Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel downplays the notion of Miami making a run at Anthony, writing in his mailbag column that while the Heat are thinking about trying to sign him, the same is true of Miami and virtually every other potential free agent. Winderman doesn’t think the stars would give up enough money to make the possibility feasible within the Heat’s budget.

WEDNESDAY, 6:52pm: The Heat will attempt to turn their “big three” into a “big four” by making a run at Carmelo Anthony this summer, sources tell Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN. ‘Melo holds a player option for the 2014/15 season that he would need to decline before Miami could purse him in free agency, and we heard earlier today that Knicks were pitching a run at LeBron James in the summer of 2015 to try and persuade ‘Melo into sticking around in New York.

In order for such a scenario to come to fruition, James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh would need to exercise the early termination options in their contracts this summer and then re-sign with the team at a discount. Reports have suggested that the trio of All-Stars were interested in opting out to search of more lucrative deals, but sources tell Stein and Windhorst that the “leading players” of the team, presumably the Big Three, have started to explore their options for creating sufficient financial flexibility to make a run at ‘Melo feasible.

Since the only contract guaranteed to be on Miami’s books next year is Norris Cole‘s $2MM pact, the Heat could find themselves with more cap room than any other team this summer. Cooperation from Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen, both of whom possess player options, is instrumental in the pursuit of Anthony as well, but it’s certainly feasible the Heat find a way to clear enough room to make Anthony a tempting offer.

James, Wade, Bosh, and Anthony have at least discussed the idea of playing together one day, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter), who also tweets that while the idea of the quartet of stars joining forces might be a hard one to swallow, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Meanwhile, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio opines via Twitter that there’s “no way” ‘Melo joins the Heat this summer. If ‘Melo were to sign in Miami this offseason, the Heat would lay claim to four of the top five selections of the 2003 draft.

Carmelo Anthony Still Plans To Opt Out

June 12th, 2014 at 2:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony is still planning to hit free agency this summer in spite of Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s request that he opt in for the final season of his contract, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Jackson said last month that the star forward was thinking about going back on his longheld intention to turn down his player option for next season, but apparently Anthony is forging ahead with his original plan to become a free agent next month. He has until June 23rd to formally decide on the option.

Anthony has throughout the last several months repeated his desire to opt out, having first expressed that intention in October. The Heat are reportedly among several teams planning a pursuit of the 2012/13 scoring champion, though it’s unclear just how motivated they are to sign him. Anthony and Miami’s trio of stars have reportedly discussed the idea of playing together, and Jackson is pitching Anthony on the idea of recruiting LeBron James to play with the Knicks in 2015. ‘Melo also appears to have has the Bulls, Rockets and Mavs in his sights. More and more people around the league believe Anthony will leave the Knicks this summer, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said today on SportsCenter (transcription via Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv), even though the most lucrative path would probably involve remaining with the Knicks.

Jackson has expressed a desire for Anthony to remain “true to his word” about a willingness to accept a discount to remain with the Knicks, but Anthony could make more than $23.333MM if he opts in for next season, a higher 2014/15 salary than he can make in any other scenario. The most he could earn in starting salary on a new contract would be close to $22.5MM, but the Knicks have an advantage over other teams in that regard, too, since they can offer a five-year deal instead of four.

Knicks Selling ‘Melo On 2015 Pursuit Of LeBron

June 11th, 2014 at 4:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks are telling Carmelo Anthony that they will pursue LeBron James in the summer of 2015 as they continue to attempt to persuade Anthony to opt in for next season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Still, Anthony, who told Knicks president Phil Jackson that he’d think about opting in when Jackson first asked him to do so, is considering the Bulls, Rockets and Mavs as potential free agent destinations, Stein adds.

Jackson and company also expect to be contenders for Kevin Durant in 2016, believing that they’ve helped themselves in that regard with the hiring of Derek Fisher, until recently a teammate of Durant’s, as coach. A source told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that Fisher’s presence would “definitely be a factor” when Durant ponders his free agency.

James, like Anthony, can hit free agency this summer, but it appears increasingly likely that he’ll remain with the Heat for at least one more season. Anthony has long said that he’ll opt out of his deal and become a free agent this summer, but New York’s attempts to dissuade him from doing so seem to have him at least considering the idea of opting in for the final season of his contract, worth more than $23.333MM. Anthony must decide on his option by June 23rd, which complicates the matter, since James, along with Heat teammates Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, have until June 30th to decide on their options. The Knicks will likely be over next season’s salary cap regardless of what Anthony decides to do, but almost every player on New York’s roster can come off the books next summer.

The Mavs have been linked to ‘Melo before, but the last report about his interest in other teams seemed to cast the Bulls as the front-runner. The Rockets, Lakers and Clippers drew mention, but Dallas did not. The Mavs apparently aren’t interested in Anthony at the maximum salary, but they’re not alone in that regard. Anthony has raised the idea of signing for less than the max, but that was in reference to a new deal with the Knicks.

Knicks Rumors: Fisher, ‘Melo, Jackson

June 10th, 2014 at 11:43am CST by Chuck Myron

Derek Fisher insisted during his introductory press conference today that he’s ready to take on the task of coaching the Knicks in spite of just having finished his playing career, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relays (Twitter link). The new Knicks bench boss had plenty more to say about the job and how he wound up with it, and we’ll hit the highlights of his joint press conference with Knicks president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills:

The new coach made it clear that he wants Carmelo Anthony to stay with the team, and said that he’ll be a part of an effort to “do everything we can to keep him,” as Chris Mannix of SI.com observes. Jackson and Mills plan to meet with ‘Melo soon, the Zen Master said, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (Twitter links).
Anthony reportedly sees the strength of the team’s roster as a key factor in his decision whether to remain with the Knicks, but Fisher expressed confidence about the players he’s set to coach, as Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal tweets. “I’m not as down on the roster and the team as some of you in the room are,” Fisher said to the gathering of reporters.
The Lakers reached out to Fisher only on an informal basis, the new Knicks coach said, and he found the team’s choice against an all-out pursuit surprising. Still, Fisher admitted that the Lakers would have had an uphill battle to hire him, given how far along he was with the Knicks when L.A. called. Medina has the details in three separate tweets.
Fisher said that the presence of Jackson helped accelerate his decision to take the Knicks gig, Medina notes (on Twitter). “This is not for Phil and I just to hang out again as friends,” Fisher said, according to Diamond (Twitter link). “We want to add more banners to this ceiling.”
A recent report indicated that Fisher is more comfortable with James Dolan than Steve Kerr is, but Fisher downplayed his relationship with the Knicks owner, and Mills said he and Dolan didn’t talk about Fisher. Mannix and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com pass along the news via Twitter.

Central Rumors: Cavs, Van Gundy, Love

June 5th, 2014 at 6:20pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Cavs’ head coaching vacancy could filled within the next 10 days, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (on Twitter). The team has been linked to Alvin Gentry, Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, and Tyronn Lue, but Amico adds in the same tweet that there’s a mystery candidate in the mix for the job who hasn’t been revealed to the media. Here’s the latest from the Central:

The Cavs have interest in LaMarcus Aldridge, but it’ll be tough to pry the big man away from Portland after the Blazers’ unexpectedly strong season, writes Amico in a full-length piece. Cleveland has also shown interest in Joakim Noah, says Amico, noting the club is just “lukewarm” on Al Horford.
Two teams with lottery picks have contacted the Cavs, passes along Amico in the same piece. Each club would ostensibly be interested in moving up in the draft by dealing for the number one overall selection.
When Stan Van Gundy was hired by the Pistons, he told staff members left over from the previous management team that they would have a six week working interview to prove they belong in the organization, explains David Mayo of Mlive.
Bulls management holds Carmelo Anthony in higher esteem than Kevin Love, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Friedell says it’s true Chicago would be excited to add Love, but the team sees ‘Melo as their primary target this summer.

Rockets Likely To Decline Parsons’ Option

June 4th, 2014 at 10:02am CST by Ryan Raroque

WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Rockets are leaning toward turning down their option on Parsons, but the team has yet to finalize its decision, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Houston is nonetheless likely to decline the option, unless it gets the sense that he’ll receive offers it deems too high, Feigen hears. The willingness to make Parsons a free agent this summer indicates the team’s confidence in its ability to sign a marquee free agent this summer, as Feigen observes. Houston would have to clear a significant amount of salary off its books to make that happen, but the Rockets like their chances of moving Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, since they would be looking for cap flexibility rather than players in return, Feigen reports.

TUESDAY, 9:35pm: The Rockets plan to decline Chandler Parsons‘ fourth-year team option and make him a restricted free agent this summer, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski ofYahoo Sports. Parsons’ 2014/15 option is worth $960K, and if Houston decided to ultimately pick up that option, the 6’9 forward would hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2015. The team is said to be wary of allowing Dan Fegan – Parsons’ agent – the ability to land his client a monster contract on the open market next year, and by letting Parsons hit restricted free agency this July, Houston could simply match an offer sheet and keep him on a long-term deal.

Interestingly, Wojnarowski points out a few other distinct advantages that Houston has by letting Parsons hit free agency now. The Rockets reportedly have their sights set on chasing after big time free agents who have the option of opting out of their deals this summer, including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and Dirk Nowitzki. In one scenario, Wojnarowski writes that the Rockets could secure a max free agent to play alongside Dwight Howard and James Harden, and then subsequently re-sign Parsons to a new contract below the max-level range. Wojnarowski also hears that the Rockets are also pursuing Timberwolves star Kevin Love in trade talks, adding that Parsons could alternately be used as a bargaining chip in a potential sign-and-trade with Minnesota.

Selected 38th overall in 2011, Parsons has not only proven to be one of the most promising young players at his position, but one of the best value players in the entire league. In 74 games this past season, the former Florida Gator averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.2 SPG in 37.2 MPG while shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.0% from long distance. After earning roughly $890K in 2013/14, Parsons – according to a league executive – could command as much as $12MM or $13MM annually on his next contract.

Houston will have until June 30 to formally decline the option. At the very least, says Wojnarowski, doing so clears the way for Parsons to receive an enormous payday now and creates a better climate for the Rockets to negotiate an extension with their prized young forward.

Iannazzone’s Latest: Dolan, Jackson, Carmelo

June 3rd, 2014 at 8:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Earlier tonight, we briefly noted how James Dolan emphasized Phil Jackson‘s autonomy in running the Knicks’ head coaching search. In addition to saying that he had no idea who Jackson is talking to at this point, Dolan – in an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa – intimated that the only instance in which Phil would have to “check back” with him is when the negotiations begin to involve money, transcribes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Otherwise, the Madison Square Garden chairman reiterated his laissez-faire approach to the process.

“I have not asked him about the coaching search on purpose. I have not asked him about it. I just told him I’m here for you if you need me. If you don’t need me, that’s fine, too. I got lots to do.”

Here’s more from Iannazzone’s piece:

As for Carmelo Anthony‘s potential opt-out this summer, the Knicks owner maintained that Jackson will have full control in handling the situation. “I made a commitment to Phil that he was going to run it…Unless he asks me to help, it’s his to run.”
Dolan said that the Knicks will be easier to run with Jackson in charge now, citing the success of the NHL’s New York Rangers under president and general manager Glen Sather, who also operates under Dolan’s ownership. “I’m very happy that Phil’s with us now because I think he brings the same thing (that Glen brings) to the table…I think he can do the job, and I’m looking forward to watching what he does.”
Steve Mills, per Dolan, has appeared to find his niche while working as the team’s general manager alongside Jackson. “(Phil) and Steve are working really well together. That was a big piece for me because there are a lot of the pieces of the operation that have to be run. I knew that Phil wasn’t going to have the time for it…Having Steve in there, things like the D-League and the development of players and everything down to the medical staff, (etc). Phil has a great guy underneath him, actually right next to him. I think I got the right team in place managing it. We’ll see how it turns out.”

Atlantic Notes: Love, Sixers, Knicks

June 1st, 2014 at 10:33am CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Love was in Boston this weekend, as Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune details. Love wasn’t officially there to meet with the Celtics, but the team has shown interest in possibly acquiring the player if the Timberwolves decide to trade him. Of his visit, Love said, “I’m here to just check out the city and see what it’s like.” When asked about the possibility of playing for Boston, Love said, “I’m sorry man. I can’t do nothing. I can’t.” He was referring to his inability or unwillingness to talk publicly about the purpose of his visit, Zgoda notes.

And-Ones: CBA, LeBron, Thompson, Anthony

May 31st, 2014 at 1:48pm CST by Cray Allred

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel expects the $2 billion sale of the Clippers to have far-reaching effects on the next round of collective bargaining between the NBA and the players’ union. While the league has negotiated without recognizing appreciation values of franchises, the Clippers selling for so much will take away that luxury. Winderman anticipates the National Basketball Players Association will terminate the current CBA at its first opportunity in 2017, and thinks the players can and should fight to do away with maximum salary limitations for themselves. Here’s more from around the league:

Winderman specifically looks to LeBron James as a player that could make immediate decisions based on the altered landscape following the Clippers sale. The Sun Sentinel scribe wouldn’t be surprised if James decides against opting out of his contract with the Heat in the coming seasons, taking a year-by-year approach until more lucrative contracts could become available.
If Klay Thompson reaches free agency, he could field multiple offers at or near the max, NBA sources tell Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group. If the Warriors and Thompson can’t agree to an extension by the deadline early next season, he will become a restricted free agent in 2015/16.
Joakim Noah hasn’t relented in his “consistent efforts” to recruit Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Johnson says Chicago is sure to “get in the game” to pursue Anthony this summer, even though signing him remains a long shot.
Mark Price has told Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer that he has long been interested in coming to Cleveland as a coach, but multiple Cavs regimes haven’t reciprocated the interest. Price played for Cleveland in nine of his 12 seasons, and is now working as an assistant with the Hornets.
In addition to his candidacy for multiple head coaching jobs, Lionel Hollins is drawing interest as an associate head coach for the Warriors and Rockets, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.