Kenyon Martin Sr.

Knicks Notes: Roster Holes, Martin, Bargnani

The Knicks officially announced the re-signing of J.R. Smith this morning, and GM Glen Grunwald also joined New York media on a conference call to discuss the team's moves so far, and moves yet to be made. Here are the highlights, courtesy of a handful of Knicks reporters (all links go to Twitter):

  • Grunwald indicated that the team would like to add another point guard and some frontcourt depth to the roster.
  • Kenyon Martin is receiving "full consideration" from the Knicks as they weigh their options for bigs. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears that New York is the frontrunner for Martin, though things are fairly quiet on that front at the moment.
  • The Knicks may head into training camp with a couple roster spots available, to allow for the possibility that the next Chris Copeland will emerge and earn a spot.
  • Grunwald expects the 2016 first-rounder included in the Andrea Bargnani trade to be a late pick, which made it worthwhile to include it, in his view. Grunwald also said he believes Bargnani and Amar'e Stoudemire can play together and create matchup problems for rival teams. The duo may produce offensively, but I'd have to think those teams would love to see a Stoudemire/Bargnani frontline on the other end of the floor.
  • The Knicks are biding their time in the hopes that potentially productive players will continue to be released as rival teams reshape their roster.

Knicks Acquire Andrea Bargnani

JULY 10TH, 11:07am: The Knicks and Raptors have both confirmed that the deal is now finalized (Twitter links). Toronto receives Camby, Novak, Richardson, a 2016 first-round pick, and 2014 and 2017 second-rounders in exchange for Bargnani.

JUNE 30TH, 11:20pm: The Raptors just completed the deal that will send Bargnani to New York, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).  The deal cannot be officially made until July 10th, however.    

9:38pm: Martin isn't interested in being sent to Toronto in a sign and trade deal, meaning that the Knicks will have to look elsewhere, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.  Earl Barron or Quentin Richardson are probably in line for a nice payday, but not a Keith Bogans-style one (link).

8:49pm: The deal will likely be made official on July 10th, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.  Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that a sign-and-trade of a minimum salary player such as Kenyon Martin or Pablo Prigioni would get the deal done.

8:33pm: The trade will not be approved by the league office tonight and as a result, the teams will have to restructure under 2013/14 cap figures, tweets Beck.  Both sides are still motivated to do the deal, but it will have to be re-worked after July 1st.  It's unclear at the moment as to why the league office shot the deal down (Twitter links).

6:33pm: The Raptors are getting the Knicks' 2017 second-round selection plus the 2014 second-round pick from OKC, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (on Twitter).

6:03pm: The Knicks will send a 2016 first round pick in the deal, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times (on Twitter).  Frank Isola of the Daily News (on Twitter) points out that the deal must be finalized tonight for salary cap purposes.  The Knicks will send not one, but two second-round picks to the Raptors in the trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

The Knicks have already traded their own second-rounders through 2016, so the second-rounders are probably be the Kings' 2014 pick (top-55 protected) and the Thunder's 2014 pick.  Otherwise,  it will involve one or both of the club's original 2017/2018 seletions.

5:50pm: The Knicks have agreed to a deal that will bring Andrea Bargnani to New York, a source tells Howard Beck of the New York Times (agreement news via Twitter).  The Knicks will send Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick north of the border for the Italian big man.  The deal has been agreed to but is awaiting final approval from the NBA (Twitter link).

Several teams have pursued Bargnani, but the Knicks recently emerged as the “strong favorites” to land him.  The former No. 1 overall pick has career averages of 15.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG in seven NBA seasons.  He's owed $22.25MM over the next two seasons.

Moving Barngani would be the first major move by new Raptors decision-maker Masai Ujiri.  Outgoing GM Bryan Colangelo was open about his desire in past years to move Bargnani, but no deal ever materialized for him.

We heard earlier today that the Knicks were open to the idea of trading the sharpshooting Novak.  The 30-year-old shot an eye-popping 47% from long range in 2011/12 but came back down to earth when he shot at a 42.5% clip from downtown last season.  Novak will earn a combined $11MM over the next three seasons.

Camby, 39, returns back to the organization that drafted him in 1996.  The shot-blocking big man has impressed in recent years with his tremendous rebounding but played in just 24 games for the Knicks last season.  He'll earn $7.5MM between next season and 2014/15.

Odds & Ends: Assistants, SVG, Brewer, Lakers

As teams continue to finalize their coaching staffs for the 2013/14 season, a pair of clubs made official announcements today. The Kings have formally hired Dee Brown and Micah Nori, who spent the last four seasons as an assistant in Toronto, while the Raptors have made a hire of their own, announcing that Nick Nurse, coming off a D-League championship, will join Dwane Casey's staff.

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

  • Former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that it's "very possible" he won't return to an NBA bench for the 2014/15 season, adding that there's no guarantee he'll ever coach again. Tomasson's piece includes plenty of interesting tidbits and quotes from Van Gundy, including word that four teams contacted him in the spring about coaching vacancies.
  • We passed along reports today indicating that the Timberwolves are eyeing Corey Brewer, and Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune adds another detail, writing that Minnesota is exploring its options for a potential sign-and-trade deal with the Nuggets.
  • Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears that Raja Bell, Kenyon Martin, and Bobby Brown are among the free agents with interest in the Lakers, though it's not clear if that interest is mutual (Twitter link).
  • In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses whether or not it makes sense for the Heat to save their amnesty clause until next year.
  • Before they decide whether or not to use their amnesty provision this year, the Raptors will wait to see exactly what the luxury tax threshold is, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
  • Grantland's Zach Lowe takes an extended and interesting look at how the Pelicans' offseason moves will shape the team going forward.

Knicks Notes: Brand, Martin, Wright, MWP

It's already been a busy day for Knicks news and rumors, as we've passed along multiple updates on potential free agent targets, as well as a report that suggests Metta World Peace would be interested in landing New York if and when he's amnestied by the Lakers. Nonetheless, there are still a few more items out of the Big Apple to address. Here's a round-up:

  • If World Peace is amnestied as expected, the Knicks would "love" to add him for the veteran's minimum, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
  • The Knicks have been told by Brand's representatives that they're out of the running for the veteran big man, according to Berman.

Earlier updates:

  • With Elton Brand pursuing offers from several other teams, the Knicks will likely turn their attention to Kenyon Martin, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Martin isn't close to a deal with any other club.
  • The Knicks have also expressed some interest in Brandan Wright, but he's expected to be out of New York's price range, says Zwerling.
  • A source tells Zwerling that he could see World Peace getting through amnesty waivers and becoming available for the Knicks. "I'm not sure if a young team would bite," the source said.
  • Nate Robinson expressed interest in the Knicks when the team still had access to its full mini MLE, but now that part of that exception has been committed to Pablo Prigioni, Robinson is likely no longer an option for New York, according to Zwerling.
  • Undrafted seven-footer A.J. Matthews tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that he thinks he has a "great chance" to turn a Summer League stint with the Knicks into a training-camp invite.
  • Berman also tweets that the Knicks have kept tabs on free agent forward Anthony Tolliver, but Tolliver is still waiting on the Hawks.

Odds & Ends: Barea, Kenyon, Sampson, Copeland

Here's more from the NBA on an landmark night in free agency:

  • A Dallas source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that the Mavs' agreement with Jose Calderon likely knocks them out of discussions for J.J. Barea. Still, the Wolves remain upbeat about their chances of a Barea deal with the Mavs, in what would be a salary dump enabling Minnesota to clear money for a defensive-minded wing player (All Twitter links).
  • The Spurs have been one of many teams reportedly interested in Kenyon Martin, and now they're "in hot pursuit" of the veteran big man, though the Knicks and others remain in play, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. 
  • Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game heard that Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson wouldn't return to the team, but Sampson tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston that he'll be back in Houston. (Twitter links). "That's just a bad rumor," Sampson said. "I'm looking forward to a great year with the Rockets."
  • The Pacers and Chris Copeland discussed a third year that would have been a team option, but settled instead on their two-year, $6.12MM agreement, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group briefly looks at what the Warriors could do with the trade exceptions they'll acquire as part of their deal with the Jazz. He also hears that the W's see Andre Iguodala as capable of handling backup point guard duties, so the team will prioritize finding a backup center over a backup point guard (Sulia link).
  • In a separate piece, Thompson recounts the steps Iguodala took on the way to his agreement with the Warriors, noting that Iggy has long considered Golden State a desirable destination. 
  • Lately, agent Dan Fegan has been preoccupied with other free agent clients, such as Dwight Howard, so he and the Wizards have yet to begin discussing an extension for John Wall, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Wall is extension-eligible this season, and will hit restricted free agency next summer if he and the Wizards don't strike a deal by Halloween.
  • In an interview with DraftExpress.com, Dario Saric suggests that the Mavericks were interested in making him a promise at No. 13 had he not withdrawn from last week's draft.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Smith, Billups, Martin, More

The news that the Celtics have landed Brad Stevens to be their next coach has shocked the NBA world.  Sean Deveney of the Sporting News points out, via Twitter, that of the twelve new head coaches hired this offseason, eight have now been first timers, adding that the Sixers will probably make it nine of thirteen. The Stevens hire has also led to some speculation that Rajon Rondo will be on his way out of Boston.  The Pistons have explored the possibility of trading for both Rondo and/or Rudy Gay, according to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (via Twitter).  For what it's worth, Rudy Gay tweeted tonight that he hopes to play a full season in Toronto this year.

With the NBA offseason in full swing, let's look at some of the news churning out of the rumor mill:

Knicks Rumors: Prigioni, Smith, Blair, Brand

With a limited amount of flexibility available to bring back J.R. Smith, and only the mini mid-level exception to offer Chris Copeland and/or Pablo Prigioni, it will be tricky for the Knicks to bring back all their free agents this summer. Here's the latest out of New York on the team's continuted attempts to improve the roster:

  • With an international report suggesting that the Knicks have extended a two-year contract offer to Prigioni, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets that Prigioni told a friend today that he hopes to reach an agreement with the club "real soon."
  • There's a growing feeling among insiders that Smith will sign with a team besides the Knicks, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Based on the money available from rival suitors, one agent tells Zwerling that Smith "has to" leave New York, though we did see him take a discount to re-sign with the Knicks last year.
  • In a separate tweet, Zwerling passes along a couple more notes, reporting that DeJuan Blair will be too pricey for the Knicks, and that Kenyon Martin may field other offers this week.
  • Marc Berman of the New York Post examines the Knicks' pursuit of Elton Brand, noting that the team may have to use part of its mini mid-level exception to lure the veteran big man to New York.

Knicks Rumors: Camby, J.R. Smith, Copeland

The major news out of New York is last night's agreement on a trade that will bring Andrea Bargnani to the Big Apple. Marcus Camby is one of the players headed to the Raptors in return, and he caused a stir overnight, releasing a statement in which he said "it was unfortunate that I didn't get a meaningful chance to contribute" with the Knicks this past season, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Camby also said that while he has an affinity for Toronto and Raptors fans, he wants to be with a title contender and will evaluate his options, Spears tweets. Since Camby's under contract through 2015, he doesn't appear to have many options, and this morning he backtracked a bit via Twitter, at least on the Knicks side of the affair, thanking the Knicks and their fans for their treatment of him during his time in New York (hat tip to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com). Zwerling has much more on the Knicks this morning, so let's dive in:

  • J.R. Smith agreed to meet last night with Knicks coach Mike Woodson and members of the team's front office to discuss a future in New York for the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.
  • Plenty of teams are in the market for Chris Copeland, and a source tells Zwerling that the Pelicans and Bucks are prepared to make attractive bids for the forward. The Jazz and Lakers were the first two teams to inquire about Copeland when free agency started last night.
  • A source close to Kenyon Martin is "confident" that the veteran wants to return to the Knicks, Zwerling writes.
  • The Knicks are interested in Aaron Brooks, who was waived Sunday by the Rockets. Leon Rose, Brooks' agent, also reps Bargnani, Carmelo Anthony and Smith.
  • DeJuan Blair is not a candidate to join the Knicks because of the team's limited financial flexibility, Zwerling hears.

Knicks Rumors: Will Bynum, Watson, Harris, Brand

The Knicks are expected to be well into the luxury tax for next season, but that won't stop them from trying to improve their team, especially given the allure of the Madison Square Garden spotlight. Here's the latest:

  • The Knicks are looking for a point guard to replace the retired Jason Kidd, and have Will Bynum, C.J. Watson and Devin Harris on their radar, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post, who identifies Bynum as tops on that list. They're also looking for a backup big man, with Elton Brand and Lamar Odom under consideration, along with incumbent Kenyon Martin
  • J.R. Smith believes he'll get an offer that exceeds the maximum of approximately $5.4MM that the Knicks can give him, Berman adds. The Bucks, Pistons and Suns are considering Smith.
  • The Knicks are resigned to the idea that Chris Copeland will sign elsewhere for more money, according to Berman. More than half a dozen other NBA teams are chasing Copeland. Berman believes the team may try to work out a sign-and-trade involving Copeland that would net a trade exception around $4MM, allowing the Knicks to bring aboard another player that way. The Knicks are also open to the idea of trading Steve Novak, Berman writes. 
  • The Knicks like Mike Dunleavy and Marco Belinelli, but they're prioritizing a point guard instead with their mini mid-level, according to Berman.
  • GM Glen Grunwald and company hope proven veterans will become available in trades, and likely would be willing to part with anyone other than Carmelo Anthony for the right deal, Newsday's Al Iannazzone reports.

Odds & Ends: NBPA, James, Datome, Love

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets that the U.S. Attorney's office has indicted Prim Capital for falsifying a document to defraud the NBPA of $3MM. Wojnarowski provided a link to the full press release earlier as well. Prim Capital, in which the son of former NBPA executive director Billy Hunter was vice president, previously had a consulting contract with the player's union that was later deemed fraudulent by the U.S. Attorney's office. Here are more of tonight's odds and ends:
  • Knicks guard Jason Kidd credits Kenyon Martin for "saving our season," writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. It is difficult to imagine where New York would have been without Martin's contributions, especially as the team has dealt with plenty of injuries in their frontcourt. 
  • Eric Koreen of the National Post outlines the top ten legacies that are on the line during the NBA playoffs. 
  • Jon Humbert of KOMO tweets that the Longshore Union filed an appeal over the land use challenge for the Seattle arena. Last month, a report from The Seattle Times (via the Associated press) said that the Longshoremen have been in staunch opposition of an arena being built near the Seattle waterfront, due to the congestion of the area that would be caused by athletic events. 
  • Mike James proved to be a viable pickup for the Mavericks this season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 APG while helping the team finish 15-8 over their final 23 games. Although James said recently that he'd like to play two more seasons with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas discusses why the Amityville product doesn't figure to be in the team's long-term plans.
  • Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is expected to travel to Rome next week to scout Gigi Datome, according to Sportando.net (hat tip to Il Corriere dello Sport).  
  • Following up on a hypothetical trade proposed by Grantland's Bill
    Simmons, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com examines the possibility of
    the Bulls trying to trade for Kevin Love, exploring whether a package of
    Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and
    Charlotte's first-round pick would be more than Chicago would be willing
    to give up.
  • Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the evolution of Paul George into an All-Star and a leader in the Pacers locker room.