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Knicks Rumors: Antetokounmpo, Anthony, Grant

January 30th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

After getting the 10-day contract with the Knicks that he had been hoping for, the next goal for Thanasis Antetokounmpo is to extend his stay in the NBA, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. The 6’7″ small forward caught the attention of team president Phil Jackson and coach Derek Fisher with his ability to guard multiple positions, according to Isola. The former second-round pick has twice been named to one of the All-Defensive teams in the D-League. “Patience comes with confidence and hard work, so you just believe in yourself and you say, I’m going to work hard and hopefully — it’s not just hopefully — it’s going to come one way or another,” Antetokounmpo said. “For me it’s been every year getting better. The first, came to the States, got drafted. The second year got an invite and a contract with the New York Knicks. This year getting a 10-day. For me the fourth year is about being established on an NBA team.”

There’s more news tonight out of New York:

Carmelo Anthony has become too valuable for the Knicks to trade, contends Ian Begley of ESPN.com. New York is being outscored by 7.8 points per 100 possessions without Anthony, and Begley believes dealing him away would crush the team’s playoff hopes. That would increase the value of the draft pick that is owed to Toronto in the 2013 Andrea Bargnani trade.
Jerian Grant hopes to follow the path that he watched several NBA players travel when he served as a ballboy for the Washington Bullets, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The Knicks acquired Grant, the son of Harvey Grant and the nephew of Horace Grant, in a draft-night deal with the hope that he could be a long-term answer at point guard. “I’ve seen a lot of players in Washington grow and grow and get better and better,” Jerian Grant said. “It came from a lot of hard work. Being around my dad and my uncle and basketball so long, you see how long it takes some guys to develop. You see how some guys get a lot better each year.”
The Knicks will be among several teams pursuing Kevin Durant in free agency this summer, as Iannazzone examines in a separate piece. Durant is close with Anthony and Fisher, he has expressed admiration for rookie Kristaps Porzingis and he likes playing in New York.

Eastern Notes: Durant, Anderson, Heat, LeBron

January 27th, 2016 at 10:19am CST by Chuck Myron

Some executives around the NBA expect that the Knicks will at least “get an audience” with Kevin Durant, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who points out that New York will likely have to maneuver to create enough cap space to place a max offer on the table for him. Durant praised the Knicks’ roster construction, mentioning Kristaps Porzingis, Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams, as well as coach and former Durant teammate Derek Fisher, notes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, but in spite of Durant’s much-publicized “unicorn” comment about Porzingis, the Thunder have a strong roster and a unique player of their own in Russell Westbrook, observes Royce Young of ESPN.com. See more on a few of New York’s Eastern Conference rivals:

Alan Anderson is expected to return to game action around the All-Star break, a source told Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The Wizards signed the swingman in the offseason thinking he’d be ready to start the season on time, but he wound up needing a second surgery on his injured left ankle, and he’s yet to suit up for the team.
Heat majority owner Micky Arison has been trying to buy out minority share owner Ranaan Katz for years, and Heat employees have long been barred from talking with him, according to Dan Le Batard of ESPN, who adds that the assertion that LeBron James tried to have Erik Spoelstra fired is untrue (Twitter links). Katz reportedly made that assertion, but he denies that, claiming that what he said on a radio show hosted by Ofira Asayag on ONE.co.il’s 102 FM in Israel was incorrectly translated from Hebrew to English, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). For what it’s worth, international journalist David Pick provided a full transcription for Bleacher Report, which depicts Katz saying that Riley’s refusal to fire Spoelstra was the primary reason James returned to Cleveland and that the Heat drafted Shabazz Napier in 2014 because James wanted them to. Katz also denies that he said LeBron was the catalyst for the Cavs firing David Blatt, as Pick notes in an addendum to the transcription.
James said today that he never hesitated to give his opinion but that he’s never undermined a coach, adding that he’s never met Katz, note Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter links). James has indeed met Katz, counters Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who points out that Katz sits next to the visitors bench for every Heat home game (Twitter link).

Western Notes: Durant, Burke, Cauley-Stein

January 26th, 2016 at 8:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Thunder small forward Kevin Durant maintains that his mind is not on his impending free agency this summer, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. “I’m just really, to be honest with you, I haven’t sat down and thought about it,” said Durant. “The season moves along so quickly. Every time I get alone, it’s on the plane or in the city thinking about the game the next day. Of course, I can’t say I haven’t totally thought about it at all. But I haven’t sat down and really put a lot of time into what I’m looking for. Just focusing on my teammates, focusing on the season and how I can be better as a player, as a leader. Everything else comes after that.”

When asked if his friendship with point guard Russell Westbrook would make him think twice about leaving Oklahoma City, Durant responded, “Like I said, I haven’t really thought about that much. I’m just enjoying every single moment. I told myself that before the year. It’s easy for me to kinda stray off path and think about the future. It’s my ninth season in the league and I can remember my first game in Madison Square Garden like it was yesterday. Just try to stay in the moment and we’ll worry about that stuff when I get there. I know that’s people want to hear, information, want to get it out and talk about everything right now. But to be honest, I’m just trying to stay in the moment and enjoy where I am. I’ll tell you everything you need to know when that time comes.”

Here’s more from out West:

Trey Burke is settling into his new role with the Jazz as a reserve point guard and he believes that the early results have been positive, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. “It’s been great; for me, it’s just been doing whatever the team asks me to do,” Burke said. “Coach told me he wanted me to be a spark coming off the bench and being a team guy, I’ve always just wanted to win. That’s really what it’s all about for me. I’ve grown a lot this year, mentally as a player, going through some adversity, but it’s helped me out.”
Kings rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein believes that he has found a home in Sacramento and in return the franchise has clearly let him know that he is wanted, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee writes. “When I came here [for a predraft workout], I sensed they wanted me,” Cauley-Stein said, “and I loved it. I can’t really explain it. It’s just a feel.”

And-Ones: Durant, Noah, LeBron, Draft

January 26th, 2016 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Durant fielded the first direct questions in more than two months about his upcoming free agency today as the Thunder prepare to play the Knicks in New York, and his answers revealed little, with mostly boilerplate responses surrounding his sentiments for playing at Madison Square Garden, as The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater transcribes. Still, he dismissed the notion that a large market would be any better for his business profile than small-market Oklahoma City and said his main focus is on the court, anyway. He spoke fondly of New York basketball culture, but that’s standard fare, as Durant himself essentially suggested.

“They link everybody with New York City,” Durant said, according to Slater’s transcription. “One of the greatest cities in the world. They link everybody with this city. So it’s not a bad thing. Great city. Great place to visit, great place to live, I’m sure. They link everybody, it’s not just me.”

See more from around the NBA:

Joakim Noah, another soon-to-be free agent, hopes he’ll be back with the Bulls next season, as he told reporters, including Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link). It’s not uncommon for players to say that about their incumbent teams as they approach free agency, but he has reportedly been displeased with how the team has viewed him this year, one in which he played mostly in a backup role before suffering a shoulder injury that’s likely to have ended his season.
Heat minority share owner Ranaan Katz is among those who say that LeBron James engineered the firing of former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, adding that James tried and failed to oust Erik Spoelstra when they were together in Miami, according to international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Spoelstra is currently the NBA’s second longest-tenured coach.
Ben Simmons goes to the Sixers, Brandon Ingram to the Lakers and Dragan Bender to the Celtics in the top three picks of the latest mock draft from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

Atlantic Notes: Wroten, Durant, Porzingis, Ferry

January 26th, 2016 at 12:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tony Wroten would apparently like to sign with the Knicks, as evidenced by a pair of tweets he issued Monday night from his verified Twitter account. He said he hopes his chances of signing with the team are high, that he’d love to join Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, and that he’s dreamed of playing in Madison Square Garden. That seemingly counters a report that he was unlikely to end up with the Knicks and was looking for a team that would give him a better chance to stick around, but while the Knicks apparently have some interest, they’re reportedly concerned about his gambling style of defense. See more on the Knicks and other Atlantic Division news:

Count soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant among the early fans of Porzingis, as Durant said to reporters Monday that he texted Knicks coach and former teammate Derek Fisher during the draft to tell him that he liked the pick, notes Royce Young of ESPN.com. Porzingis has since won plaudits from across the league. “He can shoot, he can make the right plays, he can defend, he’s a 7-footer that can shoot all the way out to the 3-point line,” Durant said. “That’s rare. And block shots — that’s like a unicorn in this league.”
Nets GM Billy King is indeed stumping behind the scenes in the organization for Danny Ferry, his college teammate at Duke, to become the team’s next GM, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com. The team is reportedly consulting King about his successor, but Mazzeo opines that Ferry, shrouded in controversy after the racially charged remarks he read from a scouting report in 2014, would be the wrong choice.
The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueira and Norman Powell from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). The team sent the trio to its Mississauga-based affiliate Friday.

Northwest Notes: Hayward, Durant, Plumlee, Davis

January 26th, 2016 at 9:47am CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz are “poking around” the market for a point guard, several league sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. It’s not entirely clear if such efforts are related to the team’s reported 10-day deal with Erick Green, though it would seem given the timing of that agreement, so soon after Raul Neto suffered a concussion Monday, that the team had already been looking. The Heat reportedly rebuffed Utah when it tried to engage them in Mario Chalmers trade talks over the offseason, but the Jazz’s interest in Chalmers was minimal, according to Lowe. The ESPN scribe speculates about other options, including Jrue Holiday, whose leg issues leave teams “petrified” and whom the Pelicans are reluctant to deal, anyway, Lowe reports. Lowe also believes Jeff Teague would be a fit for Utah, but reports that the Hawks have had “major trust issues” with backup Dennis Schröder and are focused on contending this season. In any case, the Jazz appear reluctant to pilfer from their store of future picks, which includes the Warriors unprotected 2017 first-rounder as the relative cost of rookie scale contracts becomes cheaper amid the rapid salary cap escalation, Lowe writes.

“Picks are that much more valuable,” GM Dennis Lindsey said to Lowe.

See more from Utah:

The impending financial realities threaten the core of the Jazz, as Lowe details in the same piece, and Gordon Hayward, who can opt out after next season, acknowledged to Lowe that they cast a shadow on his future. “I’m constantly thinking about that,” Hayward said. “Contracts are so short now. A lot of our guys are on their rookie deals, and they’ll come up for extensions. It all might determine whether or not I stay in Utah.”
The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater examines the surprising lack of legitimate rumors about Kevin Durant‘s impending free agency, writing that the idea of the Thunder star signing a deal that would allow him to opt out after just one season “has gained traction.” It’s not clear whether that idea is growing on Durant himself or if more people are simply realizing that it would likely represent the most lucrative path for the former MVP. That would allow him to take advantage of a projected $108MM cap for the summer of 2017 and a higher maximum-salary tier, since he’d be a 10-year veteran.
The playmaking ability of Trail Blazers offseason acquisitions Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis has helped alleviate the pressure from incumbent guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian examines. Plumlee will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.

Eastern Notes: Thibodeau, Allen, Durant, Sixers

January 25th, 2016 at 9:28am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs would have given strong consideration to hiring Tom Thibodeau if they’d made a coaching change this past summer, a league source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, but now, management has faith in Tyronn Lue, McMenamin writes. They’ve seen him manage to remain loyal to David Blatt while developing relationships of his own with the team’s stars, and they’re confident that Lue will command a level of effort from the team that they believe wasn’t always present under Blatt, McMenamin adds. See more from the Eastern Conference:

The Heat have had a standing offer to Ray Allen since the 2014 offseason, but he remains unmoved and that’s no surprise, given his frustration with the team during the 2013/14 season, his last one in Miami and last to date in the NBA, writes Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald. All of the former teammates and other acquaintances of Allen’s to whom Skolnick has spoken expect him to remain out of the game, though Allen said this past summer that he had no plans to officially retire.
Agents from around the league insist that the Nets are “in the mix” for soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant, even though they look like long shots, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com. Durant’s free agency, expected to be one of the major storylines of the 2015/16, has largely been a backburner issue in large measure because Durant has spoken little about it and has rarely given any indication that he wants to leave the Thunder.
Meddling from owners who aren’t basketball personnel experts is most damaging when it affects draft decisions, which is why a report that Sixers ownership was worried about how fans would react to Kristaps Porzingis and pushed the team to draft someone else instead is troublesome, contends Derek Bodner of Philadelphia magazine. Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil says the report isn’t true, however (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Durant, Sixers

January 24th, 2016 at 6:36pm CST by Will Joseph

Celtics combo guard Avery Bradley, who changed agents last week from Mitchell Butler of the Rival Sports Group to Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, is unhappy with his contract, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Bradley isn’t scheduled to hit free agency again until 2018 after signing a four-year, $32MM deal with Boston in the summer of 2014. Bradley’s feeling stem from after seeing players such as Khris Middleton, Gordon Hayward and Tristan Thompson land lucrative deals, Washburn writes.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

In what has become the norm whenever soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant makes a trip to New York, the superstar was asked by the media what his thoughts are on playing in the Big Apple. “It’s always fun, the mecca of basketball,” Durant said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post (All Twitter links). “To play here in front of these fans here who enjoy the game of basketball … it’s amazing. You can tell. When you walk into an arena, being at Barclays Center and being at Madison Square Garden, it’s just that pure basketball feel that you get when you walk in those arenas, so it’s just a joy.”
Jerry Colangelo, the Sixers‘ chairman of basketball operations, has a track record in transforming franchises and dealing in crisis management yet also knows it doesn’t make much sense to make radical moves before young core pieces of the team are given the chance to develop, Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Still, that doesn’t mean Colangelo won’t make those kind of deals, either, Sielski notes. “As I look at the Philadelphia situation, it certainly is an opportunity for me to take what I could bring to the table in terms of my experiences, my work record, my strengths, and any weaknesses, too, and try to make a contribution to helping the franchise go the other way,” Colangelo said. “I’m an eternal optimist. I really am. When people have said to me over the years, ‘You can’t do that,’ my response is, ‘I think I can. I think I will. And I believe I’ll show you how.’ “

Northwest Notes: Garnett, Towns, Durant, Jazz

January 23rd, 2016 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wolves‘ Kevin Garnett had glowing words for rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns, but sidestepped a question on interim coach Sam Mitchell, according to Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune. “Next question,’’ the veteran forward said when asked if Mitchell is the right coach for the team’s future. But he had much more to say about Towns, who is among the favorites for Rookie of the Year honors. “He’s very smart,” Garnett said. “He has a high IQ. He understands basketball. Sometimes [it’s] a little difficult teaching him because he is so smart. I guess that’s a young thing. But he gets a lot of things you teach him very quickly.’’

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Towns’ skills weren’t fully appreciated coming out of college because he was sharing minutes on a deep, talented Kentucky team, writes Jonathan Tjarks of Real GM. Tjarks compares Towns to a larger version of the Hawks’ Al Horford and says he has a chance to be like Garnett, only with the ability to play center and hit 3-pointers.
Although Brooklyn seems like an improbable free agency destination for the Thunder’s Kevin Durant, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com warns not to count out the Nets entirely. Durant’s representatives are Roc Nation Sports and Jay Z, who used to hold a minority ownership stake in the Nets. Also, Roc Nation’s president/chief of branding and strategy is Michael Yormark, whose twin brother Brett is CEO of the Nets. If Durant decides he wants to play in a big market and get away from the Warriors and Spurs in the Western Conference, Mazzeo believes Brooklyn could be on his radar.
There is a bright side to the injuries that have limited the Jazz to a 19-24 start, claims Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. With Dante Exum out for the year and Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors missing big chunks of the season, rookies Trey Lyles and Raul Neto have gotten valuable playing time. Neto has emerged as the starting point guard and is averaging 5.8 points and 2.4 assists per game, while Lyles overcame a slow start to become an effective scorer and 3-point shooter.

Western Rumors: Durant, Cauley-Stein, Gasol

January 16th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant is irritated by the notion that the Thunder aren’t serious title contenders, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com. The media generally considers three teams — the Warriors, Spurs and Cavaliers — as the only ones that can win the championship this season, Young adds, and Durant feels his team is being overlooked. “Man, the [media and experts are] always trying to nitpick us,” Durant told Young. “I mean, they don’t like us. They don’t like how Russell [Westbrook] talks to the media, they don’t like how I talk to the media. So obviously, yeah, they’re not going to give us the benefit of the doubt. … They don’t mean nothing, the critics. Their opinions, everybody has one, but we don’t really care about them. Every day we’re just going to keep grinding this thing out. We feel like we can compete with anybody.”

In other news around the Western Conference:

Willie Cauley-Stein is meshing well with DeMarcus Cousins and that’s why the Kings rookie center has returned to the starting lineup, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. Cauley-Stein’s defensive presence allows Cousins to play power forward and moves Rudy Gay to his natural small forward spot, giving the Kings an imposing frontcourt, Jones adds. Cauley-Stein missed two games with a finger injury. “It takes a load off me,” Cousins told Jones. “I’ve got a huge load a lot of games, and having Willie makes it easier and helps me out so much. I think he’s very seasoned on the defensive end for a rookie. He has the potential to be a very good player in this league, and I’m glad to have him back.”
Combo forward Kostas Papanikolaou, who was caught off-guard by the Nuggets waiving him earlier this month, has attracted the interest of two Euroleague powers from Greece, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, according to Sportando via Sport24. Panathinaikos has made an offer through June 2018 while the Olympiacos offer runs through June 2017, the story continues. FC Barcelona holds Papanikolaou’s European rights and would have a week to match if he agrees to either offer, the story adds.
Marc Gasol‘s offensive numbers are down this season and Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger believes his veteran center looks worn down, he told Peter Edmiston of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Memphis’ lack of frontcourt depth has made it difficult for Joerger to reduce Gasol’s minutes. “He’s exhausted,” Joerger told Edmiston. “His legs are tired. He carries a heavy load and he’s exhausted. He won’t say it, but someone who’s been around him as much as I have, it looks to be that he’s banged up and he’s played too many minutes. It’s just what we’ve had to do; I don’t have a lot of options.” Gasol is shooting a career-low 44.5% from the field.