Kadeem Allen

Kadeem Allen Signs In Israel

Free agent guard Kadeem Allen has signed a contract with Hapoel Haifa in Israel, the team announced on social media (Twitter link).

Allen, who holds 47 games of NBA experience, most recently played in France. He had been on an NBA roster in each of the past three seasons (Boston in 2017/18, along with New York the next two years), but he failed to make a team this year.

Across his 15 games in France, Allen averaged 9.3 points, 2.6 assists and 18.3 minutes per contest. He also shot 55% from the floor and 39% from deep.

Allen was the No. 53 pick to Boston in 2017. He spent two years at Arizona before entering the draft, spending much of his professional career to date in the G League with Maine and Westchester.

And-Ones: G League, Allen, Harden, Icons

The G League draft will be held on Monday at 1 PM ET, Adam Zagoria of The New York Times tweetsMichael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Shabazz Muhammad, Quincy Pondexter, Lance Stephenson and Allonzo Trier are among the NBA veterans who will be eligible for the draft, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. The full list of draft eligible players can be found here. The G League season will begin in Orlando next month.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

  • Former Knicks player Kadeem Allen has departed JL Bourg, according to the French club’s Twitter feed. Allen agreed to join the French team over the summer. The 53rd overall pick of the 2017 draft, Allen had been on a two-way contract with New York before being cut earlier in the summer. In two seasons with the Knicks, Allen saw limited action, averaging 8.2 PPG and 3.3 APG in 29 total games (18.4 MPG).
  • What are the pros and cons for each Eastern Conference contender to acquire James Harden? ESPN’s Insiders take a closer look at what each of those teams might have to surrender in order to trade for the former Most Valuable Player and whether Harden would be a good fit.
  • Which current players are the biggest icons for their franchise? Eric Koreen of The Athletic uses a numerical system to rank those players, with Stephen Curry of the Warriors coming out on top.

Kadeem Allen Signs With French Team

Former Knicks guard Kadeem Allen has signed with French team JL Bourg Basket for the 2020/21 season, according to a press release from the club (hat tip to Sportando).

Allen, 27, was a member of the Knicks up until approximately four weeks ago, when the team released him in order to claim Jared Harper off waivers. The 53rd overall pick in the 2017 draft, Allen had been on a two-way contract with New York before being cut.

In two seasons with the Knicks, Allen saw limited action at the NBA level, averaging 8.2 PPG and 3.3 APG in 29 total games (18.4 MPG).

He played more extensively for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League, recording 14.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.2 RPG with a .429/.343/.783 shooting line in 63 total games (30.6 MPG) across two seasons. Allen also earned a spot on the G League’s All-Defensive Team in 2018/19.

Allen’s two-way deal with New York would have expired in October if he hadn’t been waived in June, so that move gave him a head start on free agency, allowing him to secure a deal with JL Bourg well before the NBA’s free agent period opens in the fall.

Knicks Claim Jared Harper, Waive Kadeem Allen

4:56pm: The Knicks have issued a press release confirming that they’ve claimed Harper and waived Allen.

4:24pm: The Knicks have claimed two-way player Jared Harper off waivers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the team waived guard Kadeem Allen to open up a spot. Harper and Kenny Wooten now occupy New York’s two-way contract slots.

Harper, 22, signed a two-way contract with Phoenix last July after going undrafted out of Auburn. The 5’11” guard logged just eight total minutes in three NBA games for the Suns, but had a strong season for the Northern Arizona Suns, Phoenix’s G League affiliate. In 34 NBAGL games (28.9 MPG), Harper averaged 20.2 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.1 SPG with a shooting line of .413/.362/.787.

The Suns opted to release Harper in March just as the NBA puts its transaction moratorium in place, so the move didn’t technically become official until Tuesday of this week. Harper would have cleared waivers and become a free agent today if not for the Knicks’ claim.

Now, it will be Allen who is on track to become a free agent if he clears waivers this weekend. The 6’1″ guard spent the last two seasons under contract with New York, appearing in 29 games for the NBA squad and 63 more for the Westchester Knicks in the G League. Allen struggled to score efficiency this season, averaging 13.7 PPG on .394/.261/.828 shooting in 24 NBAGL games (28.8 MPG).

Harper’s two-way contract is believed to be for only one season, which means the Knicks would have to re-sign him this fall in order to keep him under control beyond 2019/20. Claiming him off waivers gives the club greater control of that process, since he can be made a restricted free agent.

Knicks Notes: Knox, Wooten, Drummond

The Knicks are wasting an opportunity to develop their young players as they string together losses with veteran journeymen, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. After whiffing on the big names in the free agent market last summer, New York signed seven players, with only Julius Randle having a fully guaranteed salary beyond this season. Those additions make up the core of a team that is 10-29 with five straight losses.

Affected most by not being on the court is Kevin Knox, a lottery pick from 2018, Popper adds. When Marcus Morris was hurt earlier this week, interim coach Mike Miller inserted Reggie Bullock into the starting lineup and continued to give limited minutes to Knox, who has regressed in his second NBA season.

“My Pops always just tells to go out there and just play every single possession as hard as I can, because you never know how long you’re going to be on the floor,” Knox said. “So just go out there and give it your all. So that’s the approach. The six minutes I had (January 5 against the Clippers), I thought I played really well; went out there and played hard. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back in the game. But like I said, you never know when your number is going to get called. So you always got to stay prepared, stay ready.”

There’s more from New York this morning:

  • The Knicks have an important decision to make this week on G League standout Kenny Wooten, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Wednesday is the final day that two-way contracts can be offered this season, and several teams are watching Wooten, who is among the G League leaders in blocks per game. New York doesn’t have a roster opening, so either Kadeem Allen or Ivan Rabb would have to be waived to create a two-way slot for Wooten.
  • Tommy Beer of Forbes examines why it would be a mistake for the Knicks to give up future assets in a trade for Andre Drummond. Not only would they be committing to re-signing Drummond to a massive contract once he opts out this summer, they already have a promising young center in Mitchell Robinson.
  • The Knicks would still be on shaky ground even if they had achieved their dream scenario of signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and drafting Zion Williamson, observes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Williamson’s knee issue, Irving’s shoulder problem and Durant’s uncertain future after a ruptured Achilles tendon would all be giving nightmares to Knicks fans if they were on the roster.

NBA G League Announces 2018/19 All-NBAGL Teams

After being named the G League’s Most Valuable Player and the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2018/19 season on Monday, Raptors 905 big man Chris Boucher – now a member of the Toronto Raptors – headlines the All-NBA G League first team, as the league announced today in a press release.

Boucher was joined on the All-NBAGL first team by teammate Jordan Loyd, as well as Capital City Go-Go guard Jordan McRae, Long Island Nets big man Alan Williams, and Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario center Angel Delgado. All four players are currently on two-way contracts with NBA teams.

That’s a common theme for this year’s All-NBAGL teams, as most of the 15 players named to the three squads aren’t currently NBA free agents, having signed two-way or NBA contracts.

The complete list of the 2018/19 All-NBA G League teams, along with the All-Rookie and All-Defensive squads, is below. Players currently on a 15-man NBA roster are marked with an asterisk (*), while players on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).

All-NBAGL First Team:

  • Chris Boucher (Raptors 905) *
  • Angel Delgado (Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario) ^
  • Jordan Loyd (Raptors 905) ^
  • Jordan McRae (Capital City Go-Go) ^
  • Alan Williams (Long Island Nets) ^

All-NBAGL Second Team:

All-NBAGL Third Team:

NBAGL All-Rookie Team:

  • Chris Chiozza (Capital City Go-Go) *
    • Note: Chiozza wasn’t on an NBA contract for most of the season, but was recently called up by the Rockets.
  • Angel Delgado (Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario) ^
  • Yante Maten (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^
  • Theo Pinson (Long Islands Nets) ^
  • Duncan Robinson (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^

NBAGL All-Defensive Team:

The All-Defensive team is the only squad that features players who are currently NBA free agents — Brimah and Pelle haven’t been on an NBA roster this season, while Payton only briefly spent time with an NBA team, signing a 10-day contract with the Wizards in January.

Knicks Notes: Kornet, Allen, Mudiay, Oakley

Luke Kornet is making a strong push for a new contract during his late-season audition with the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Coach David Fizdale has benched veteran center DeAndre Jordan to take a longer look at rookie Mitchell Robinson alongside Kornet, who will be a free agent this summer. They will be starting for the rest of the season as management evaluates how well they fit together.

Kornet responded to the opportunity with 17 points against the Heat, followed by a career-high 24 against the Bulls. Fizdale has called him the smartest player on the team when it comes to ball movement and helping his teammates on defense.

“They have chemistry together,’’ Fizdale said of the Kornet-Robinson pairing. “Luke stretches the floor for us. Mitch puts pressure on the rim. Both when they get the ball in their hands, they’re looking to get down the floor and get other people involved.”

There’s more out of New York:

  • Two-way point guard Kadeem Allen would also be getting a chance to showcase his talents if he hadn’t suffered a concussion Monday, Berman notes in a separate story. Allen was a two-way player with the Celtics last season and reportedly turned down an offer to stay in Boston because he believed the Knicks provided a better opportunity. Berman states that scouts from other teams have shown up since the All-Star break to get a look at Allen. He adds that Fizdale has included Allen in discussions of the team’s future and seems to prefer him to Frank Ntilikina.
  • Emmanuel Mudiay started his 41st game Monday, meeting starter criteria and making him eligible for a $5.75MM qualifying offer, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Knicks have a June 29 deadline to make the offer. His $12.88MM cap hold will not change.
  • Former Knick Charles Oakley is predicting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will be the next owner of the team, tweets Bill Simmons of the Ringer. Oakley, who has feuded with current owner James Dolan, made the surprising statement during the filming of a “Tough Chef” segment. Oakley also predicts New York will miss out on free agent targets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and will sign Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler instead.

Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Davis, Trade Deadline, Allen

The Knicks were surprised to discover how much Kristaps Porzingis‘ trade value had dropped when they started shopping him, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. Some of that was because of the ACL injury that has sidelined him for a year with still no clear date for a return. But some executives also expressed reservations about “where his mind was at and his actual skill set,’’ a source tells Berman.

The Knicks had three criteria in any trade for Porzingis: a good young prospect, which they got in Dennis Smith Jr.; enough expiring contracts to offer two max deals in free agency, which Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan provided; and future first-round picks. Of eight to 10 offers that were available, the Dallas deal was the best one that checked all three boxes.

But New York could have gotten much more if it had traded Porzingis prior to the 2017 draft, when former team president Phil Jackson first raised the idea. Berman reports that the Celtics offered a package of young assets, while the Suns were willing to part with Devin Booker along with a draft pick swap that could have brought Lauri Markkanen to the Knicks.

There’s more this morning from New York City:

  • Signing two elite free agents is just one way the Knicks can take advantage of their cap space, Berman notes in the same story. They could also use that money to absorb Anthony Davis‘ $27MM salary in a potential trade with the Pelicans. New York attempted to convince New Orleans GM Dell Demps to accept Porzingis as part of a package for Davis rather than wait for a trade this summer, a source close to Demps tells Berman, but the Pelicans didn’t believe Porzingis would be willing to re-sign in a smaller market. Berman states that the Knicks will become a serious contender for Davis if they land a top-two pick on lottery night.
  • A lack of interest in their available players led to the Knicks being quiet on deadline day, Berman adds. Virtually no one wanted to take on Enes Kanter‘s $18.6MM contract when a buyout was expected; offers for Frank Ntilikina “underwhelmed;” Damyean Dotson sparked some inquiries, but not enough for New York to act; and few teams made offers for Noah Vonleh.
  • G League callup Kadeem Allen continues to impress, Berman and Howie Kussoy write in a separate story. Allen, who signed a two-way contract with the Knicks last month, played in his seventh straight game last night and produced career highs with 14 points and six assists. “He’s a tough little runt. I love him. I really do. He fits my personality,” coach David Fizdale said. “He’s a grimy kid. He’s really worked his way to where he’s at. He keeps getting better and better.”

Knicks Sign Kadeem Allen To Two-Way Contract

2:41pm: The Knicks have officially signed Allen to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

9:24am: The Knicks will fill their open two-way slot in advance of Tuesday’s deadline by signing G League guard Kadeem Allen, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). New York started the season with Isaiah Hicks and Allonzo Trier on two-way deals, but promoted Trier to its 15-man roster last month.

Allen, who will turn 26 tomorrow, began his NBA career as a second-round draft pick for the Celtics in 2017. As a rookie, the former Arizona standout appeared in just 18 games (5.9 MPG) for Boston while on a two-way deal. He was waived in July and caught on with the Knicks for training camp, but didn’t make the club’s regular season roster.

After being released by New York in October, Allen headed to the team’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, averaging 13.7 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 5.2 RPG with a .470/.386/.822 shooting line in 25 games (30.8 MPG) for the club.

The Knicks had been one of just four NBA teams with two-way contract slots open — the Trail Blazers (both spots), Bucks, and Pelicans are the others. Tuesday is the deadline for teams to sign two-way contracts for the 2018/19 season, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Portland, Milwaukee, and New Orleans makes moves today or tomorrow. There may also be another small group of teams who make changes to their two-way slots, perhaps promoting certain players to standard contracts.

And-Ones: Henderson, Spoelstra, Bol, K. Allen

Gerald Henderson‘s efforts to make an NBA comeback will be put on hold for now, and perhaps for the rest of 2018/19, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Sources tell Haynes that the veteran guard is joining the Hornets’ broadcast team at FOX Sports Southeast, apparently for the remainder of the season.

Henderson, who missed the entire 2017/18 season due to a hip injury, spoke back in June about hoping to catch on with an NBA team for the ’18/19 campaign. However, it seems that no opportunities materialized for the former 12th overall pick.

Still just 31 years old, Henderson last played in the NBA for the Sixers, appearing in 72 games for Philadelphia in 2016/17. He averaged 9.2 PPG with a .423/.353/.806 shooting line in a regular rotation role for the club.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • After Tom Thibodeau became the fourth NBA coach in the last two years to lose his dual title of head coach and president of basketball operations, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes that the trend has run its course. While that may be the case for now, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes it’s just a matter of time until we see another franchise try it. Windhorst suggests that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will be a candidate to assume some or all of Pat Riley‘s personnel control when Riley eventually retires.
  • Within that same ESPN story, Windhorst reports that NBA teams remain “very high” on Oregon center Bol Bol, who was ruled out for the rest of his freshman season after undergoing foot surgery. Clubs will always be wary of big men with foot injuries, but Bol has a solid support system in place, and a number of executives believe he could still be a top-10 pick in June’s draft, per Windhorst.
  • Former Celtics guard Kadeem Allen, who is playing for the Knicks’ G League affiliate after spending the preseason with New York, spoke to Adam Zagoria for The Arizona Daily Star about his desire to get back into the NBA.