Kristaps Porzingis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kristaps Porzingis Talks Knicks, Carmelo, Future

August 2nd, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t happy with the Knicks toward the end of last season, something that prompted him to skip his exit meeting. He had concerns about the team’s competitiveness and its lack of direction, but now, after an offseason of change, the big man has a different outlook on the organization.

“So far it’s been tough in New York, but my journey is only beginning and I hope to stay there my whole career, so as a city we can have some fun and win some games and do something big,” Porzingis said (via Shaun Powell of NBA.com). “For me, it’s now home.”

The Knicks endured another losing season during the 2016/17 campaign, which led to a shakeup in their front office. They replaced former team president Phil Jackson with Steve Mills and they’ve added Scott Perry to be the new GM. Porzingis appears to be giving the new regime a chance to turn things around.

“We’re going to have a lot of new guys,” the big man said. “Every year is almost like a new year. There will be a lot of changes. I’m going into the season hoping we have a group of guys who want to work hard and win. That’s what’s important.”

Porzingis would love to play alongside Carmelo Anthony for the third straight season, though the 22-year-old knows it’s beyond his control.

“There’s still so much for me to learn [from] him,” Porzingis said. “I would love to have him around and keep playing alongside him. But it is what it is. It’s a business. If it ends, well … I don’t know, it’s out of my hands. I’m really thankful for these couple of years I’ve been with him, just seeing how he works during the summer. “

Anthony, who has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason, is reportedly set on joining the Rockets. He hasn’t spoken to the team’s new front office yet, though he’s on good terms with Perry and plans to do so “when the time comes.”

While it doesn’t appear Anthony plans on staying with the Knicks as they embrace a new era, Porzingis wants to help the new regime bring a championship to the Big Apple.

“Look, I was so happy when I got drafted by New York,” Porzingis said. “I was never worried about the big stage or anything like that. I’ve always enjoyed that. I can envision [a championship someday] and see it. But we’re still a long way from there. As we get better, if we can all see that goal at the end and work towards it, anything can happen.”

Trade Between Cavs, Knicks Appears Increasingly Unlikely

July 26th, 2017 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have been mentioned all offseason as a possible landing spot for Carmelo Anthony, and within the last few days, the Knicks were named among Kyrie Irving‘s preferred destinations. However, a trade between the Cavs and Knicks increasingly appears to be a long shot, according to reports.

As Ian Begley of ESPN writes, Anthony’s top choice continues to be the Rockets, and the star forward still expects the Knicks to find a way to get him at Houston. It’s possible Carmelo’s stance will change at some point, but he wields a no-trade clause and appears intent on waiving it for the Rockets rather than the Cavs, particularly if he wouldn’t have the opportunity to play with Irving in Cleveland.

According to Begley, the Knicks have no interest in including Kristaps Porzingis in any trade for Irving, so they’d likely need to include Anthony in a hypothetical Irving deal with the Cavs. Not having Carmelo’s approval is, of course, a major roadblock. But even with his go-ahead, it’s not clear if the two teams would be able to reach an agreement.

Begley suggests that some members of the Knicks’ front office would be willing to trade Anthony and multiple first-round picks for Irving, but the organization is not in full agreement on the idea of giving up multiple first-rounders in any trade.

Conversely, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops hears that the Cavs would be unwilling to move Irving for only Anthony and draft picks. Sources tell Amico that the Cavs may be removing themselves from the Carmelo sweepstakes in the wake of Irving’s trade request, since their trade objectives – and possibilities – have changed.

Even if the Knicks aren’t a viable trade partner for the Cavaliers, Cleveland should have no shortage of options for an Irving deal. Amico reports that at least seven teams have made “serious inquiries” on Irving, and Cleveland is making every effort to grant the point guard’s trade request. However, the Cavs are also in no rush to get something done, as they attempt to sniff out the best possible deal.

The Timberwolves are one of those teams exploring a possible Kyrie trade with “incredible seriousness,” says Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (via Twitter). However, Krawczynski remains unsure whether Minnesota would be open to including Andrew Wiggins in an offer for Irving.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Irving, Perry

July 23rd, 2017 at 8:29pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks have come up as a possible landing spot for disgruntled Cavs guard Kyrie Irving but Fred Kerber of the New York Post wonders if the asking price for the All-Star may be a little too high.

The Knicks were one of four teams on Irving’s short list of preferred destinations but league sources say that New York is reluctant to part with young building blocks Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez.

Whether the franchise would actually let the inclusion of Hernangomez be a deal breaker or not, remains to be seen. Per one unnamed league executive, the Knicks would be wise to ultimately deal the Spanish big man if necessary but lumping Porzingis in with an outgoing package is another story.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Recently hired general manager Scott Perry has yet to meet his boss. Ian Begley of ESPN writes that the former Kings executive has yet to officially meet Knicks owner James Dolan.
As long as Kyrie Irving doesn’t go to the Warriors, Celtics forward Marcus Morris is happy. Per CSN New England, the recently acquired forward tweeted “Just don’t go to Golden State” shortly after news broke the the guard was looking to be traded.
For the third year in a row the Celtics may have a battle for their final roster spot, 16 players have guaranteed rosters for the 2017/18 season. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England breaks down how the roster looks after the addition of point guard Shane Larkin.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

July 22nd, 2017 at 5:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kyrie Irving‘s request to be traded is the latest story to rock the league during an eventful offseason. The news broke Friday, but Irving’s meeting with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert took place about two weeks ago, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com.

The Cavs tried to keep it quiet so they could work on a deal without the distractions that are starting to happen now. Apparently some players learned about the news and started talking, which is how the trade request became public.

Pluto also speculates that Irving’s demand validates rumors last month that former Bulls star Jimmy Butler was warned by Cavaliers players not to push for a trade to Cleveland. They have a close friendship, so Irving may have told Butler that he was planning to leave the team. Butler was subsequently traded to the Timberwolves, one of the teams Irving included on his list of preferred destinations, along with the Spurs, Knicks and Heat.

There’s more today on the Irving trade front:

The Wolves have a strong interest in acquiring Irving, even though they just signed former Pacers point guard Jeff Teague, Pluto adds in the same story. Pluto believes the Cavs should ask for Andrew Wiggins, whom the Cavs made the overall No. 1 draft pick in 2014, as part of the deal. Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns are untouchable, but Wiggins will be a free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before the October deadline.
The Knicks have offered Carmelo Anthony and a parcel of draft picks, adds Pluto, who says Cleveland should insist on Kristaps Porzingis. Other teams that have expressed interest include Sacramento, with rookie De’Aaron Fox as part of the offer, and Phoenix, with a package centered around Eric Bledsoe.
Pluto also notes that a trade would take away Irving’s opportunity to sign a super-max extension like the one John Wall just agreed to with the Wizards. The move could cost Irving between $50MM and $70MM.
Butler and Towns have done some recruiting work with Irving and have made it clear to Wolves management they would like to acquire him, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who first broke the story of Irving’s trade request. Windhorst believes Teague would likely be included in any Minnesota-Cleveland deal and notes that as a newly signed free agent he can’t be traded until December 15th.
The Spurs would be Irving’s first choice if he could pick a team, writes Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.
The Cavaliers had a deal on the table involving Irving before the draft, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The trade was put together by former GM David Griffin, but the Cavaliers didn’t pull the trigger because they didn’t know that Irving wanted to leave.

Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Porzingis, Draft, Perry

July 18th, 2017 at 5:38pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Knicks president Steve Mills had an aggressive plan that ultimately snared Tim Hardaway Jr., writes Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. Mills claims he reached out to Hardaway just after midnight on July 1. While Hardaway says that he didn’t hear from the Knicks until a few days into free agency, it is clear that Mills aggressively pursued the former Knick.

“We felt like there are not that many opportunities in free agency that you have the opportunity to go after a 25-year-old. We made the decision that if you want to pry a restricted free agent away from the incumbent team, you have to be aggressive. So we made a decision to be aggressive,” Mills said.

Reportedly, the Knicks brass believed that the Hawks would be willing to offer $45MM for four years, so Mills and company needed to be “aggressive” and offered $71MM over four years. Although Hardaway has started just 62 of 281 games in his career, Mills believes that he is a starting shooting guard in the NBA.

“As we look at the numbers, we believe Tim is a starting two-guard in this league. Our trajectory for him is to be a starting two- guard, the capability of being a starting two-guard for the rest of his career. And those guys average 16, 16.5 million dollars today. So that’s how we came to the decision,” the Knicks president said.

Here’s what else you should know regarding the Knicks:

Also in Iannazzone’s Newsday piece, Mills speaks to his relationship with team cornerstone, Kristaps Porzingis. “Kristaps and I have a hectic texting relationship. I continue to text Kristaps over the summer and he and I have spoken two or three times over the summer,” Mills said. Phil Jackson confirmed he was fielding trade offers for Porzingis around the draft, but since Jackson left the team, the Knicks have stated that they will build around the Latvian center.
By going young this season, the Knicks could score big in the 2018 NBA Draft, writes Adam Zagoria of FanRag Sports Network. If Carmelo Anthony is dealt, the Knicks could enter full-scale rebuilding mode, possibly setting them up for the first overall pick in the next draft. Zagoria mentions Michael Porter Jr., DeAndre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba, Luka Doncic, and Marvin Bagley as potential targets if the Knicks were to land the top selection.
In a press conference, Mills spoke about new GM Scott Perry‘s role with the team, relays Steve Popper of USA Today. “I’m going to give Scott the room to make basketball decisions and make recommendations to me,” Mills said. “He’s going to have a chance to manage the coaching staff, manage the scouting staff, and make recommendations as to where we should go as a basketball organization. I think we’ll be partners in that in the sense that he’ll come to me with his recommendation and we’ll debate it back and forth. But at the end of the day, I’m giving him the room to make those decisions.” Mills also emphasized that the goal is for the Knicks to be a younger, more athletic team, while head coach Jeff Hornacek stressed hustle and defense as the lynchpins of the new team.
Mills said that, if he were in charge, he “would’ve selected Frank [Ntilikina] at that point in the draft myself,” per Marc Berman of The New York Post. Mills continued, “He’s a guy that fits in everything that we’re talking about right now. He’s a smart basketball player. He focuses defensively and his approach to the game, his work ethic, fit exactly in the direction that we want to take this team.”

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Ndour, Iguodala

July 2nd, 2017 at 6:07pm CST by Austin Kent

The Knicks have changed their tone with regard to Kristaps Porzingis now that former president Phil Jackson is out of the picture. These days, head coach Jeff Hornacek is confident that the third-year forward will remain in New York, Ian Begley of ESPN writes.

“I think it was out there that Phil was listening, but he wasn’t out shopping KP,” The Knicks bench boss clarifies. “We love KP and what he does, so I don’t see him going anywhere.”

We wrote yesterday about how the Knicks will look to prioritize the 21-year-old more in their offense, something that Jackson had been reluctant to do. They’ve also actually been in touch with the 7’3″ sharpshooter as well, a sign that tension between the two parties following Porzingis’ missed exit meeting is simmering now that his biggest critic is no longer involved.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Recently waived Maurice Ndour may be a victim of bad timing, Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests. The forward was a favorite of Phil Jackson‘s and was cut shortly after the organization and former president parted ways. The Knicks let Ndour go to free up cap space.
The Sixers have ample cap space and no reservations using it, something that Warriors forward Andre Iguodala may have used to his advantage in his own free agent negotiations. Rob Tornoe of the Inquirer suggests that on some occasion, agents leak meetings with Philly to drive up prices.
The time is now for Brett Brown to show what he’s capable of as a head coach, Bob Cooney of the Inquirer writes. Brown has done an impressive job of harnessing effort out of his limited roster in the past, now he has legitimate weapons at his disposal.

Knicks Notes: Williams, Point Guards, Mills, Baker

July 1st, 2017 at 9:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks may submit an offer sheet to Suns forward/center Alan Williams, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. GM Steve Mills has expressed a desire to get younger, and the 24-year-old Williams fits that blueprint. This was Williams’ second season in Phoenix, but the first time he saw any significant NBA action. He appeared in 47 games, averaging 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per night. Because Williams is a restricted free agent, the Suns can match any offer he receives. Berman states that salary might have been an issue for Phoenix if it had signed Paul Millsap, but it becomes less important now that the Suns are no longer pursuing the All-Star power forward. Berman adds that if the Knicks do acquire Williams, they will seek takers for Kyle O’Quinn‘s $4.5MM salary.

There’s more news from New York:

Entering a free agent market rich in point guards, the Knicks’ options may now be down to George Hill and Derrick Rose, Berman writes in a separate story. Jeff Teague signed with the Timberwolves Friday night and Jrue Holiday re-upped with the Pelicans this morning, taking away two potential New York targets. The Knicks have about $16MM in cap room, which likely won’t be enough for Hill, but Courtney Lee is being shopped to create more. The Nuggets and Pacers are reportedly also chasing Hill, which increases the chances that Rose might return to New York. The Knicks reached out to Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison, but Berman indicates they aren’t serious about either one.
With Phil Jackson out of the way, Mills is free to run the organization his way, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. That includes trying to shed salary, get younger and find players who can contribute on both offense and defense.
One of those changes is to make Kristaps Porzingis the focus of the offense, something that Jackson resisted, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. “That’s his next steps in his growth as a player, to be able to handle some of that,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He’s going to have to take that next step of taking over. I think he’s probably ready for that.” It’s not clear what that means for Carmelo Anthony‘s future in New York.
One Knick who is sad to see Jackson leave is Ron Baker, Berman relays in another piece. Baker agreed to a new two-year deal last night that will probably give him the team’s cap-room exception. “Obviously, I really enjoyed Phil Jackson, he taught me a lot,’’ Baker said. “The past year he wasn’t just a mentor but a really good friend. … That’s how the business goes sometimes.”

Knicks Rumors: Ujiri, Griffin, Carmelo, Mills, KP

June 30th, 2017 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri was immediately identified as the Knicks’ top target to replace Phil Jackson when the Knicks parted ways with Jackson earlier this week, but it appears Ujiri won’t be going anywhere. As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com writes, the Knicks are no longer expected to ask for the Raptors’ permission to speak to Ujiri.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, one league source said that the Raptors would have asked for multiple draft picks, including a first-rounder, as compensation if the Knicks wanted to hire Ujiri. As such, the team appears to have shifted its focus to David Griffin and other candidates. Shelburne cites sources who say that Griffin has spoken to the Knicks, and is expected to have more discussions when New York moves to the next level of its search process. The club is currently assembling a list of candidates for the job.

Here’s more out of New York:

An NBA source tells Berman that the Knicks are unlikely to do anything with Carmelo Anthony until a new president of basketball operations is hired.
Current GM Steve Mills is expected to remain with the team no matter who is hired as president, according to Berman.
In a separate piece for The New York Post, Berman breaks down the free agency landscape for the Knicks, noting that the team may have more options with Jackson out of the picture.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), Isiah Thomas isn’t considered a candidate for the Knicks’ job, but still has owner James Dolan‘s ear as an advisor. Kyler adds (via Twitter) that Ujiri and Thunder president Sam Presti were considered “pie-in-the-sky” candidates.
While the pre-draft Kristaps Porzingis rumors were viewed by some observers as Jackson sending a “message” to the young big man, several members of the organization besides Jackson were in favor of a trade, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Still, the possibility of a Porzingis trade will likely die if the team can get back on the same page with him.
The Knicks have strong interest in bringing back Justin Holiday, and some members of the organization consider George Hill a free agent of interest, according to Begley. Both Begley and Berman also identify P.J. Tucker as a probably free agent target for the club.

Knicks Notes: Rose, Artis, Porzingis

June 25th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Austin Kent

After impressing the Knicks in his exit interview, Derrick Rose may have secured himself a spot with the franchise next season, Charley Rosen of FanRag Sports writes. The free agent guard will, however, have to make some adjustments should the team re-sign him.

Rosen notes that Rose will have to learn to make quicker decisions with the ball and limit the amount of times he penetrates without a plan, something he was able to do with ease during the early stages of his career.

Should the veteran enthusiastically buy into the triangle and hone up his defense in a follow up season with the franchise, he could be the team’s short-term answer at point guard until rookie Frank Ntilikina is ready to take on a larger role.

There’s more out of New York:

When the Knicks signed undrafted rookie Jamel Artis to a partially guaranteed deal this week, they landed a player who is eager to fill a role in the triangle offense, Adam Zagoria of FanRag Sports writes. “I’ll fit in that system very well. I’m a versatile player and I’m a shooter, so I can space the floor in the triangle,” he said.
Count Malik Monk‘s poor fit within the triangle as one of the major reasons why the Knicks didn’t select him with their eighth overall pick, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes. Frank Ntilikina, on the other hand, is precisely the type of player Phil Jackson prefers as his lead guard.
Team president Phil Jackson is wary of building a future together with Kristaps Porzingis after the 21-year-old famously blew off his exit meeting with the franchise, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The worry, Berman notes, is to what extent Porzingis could damage the organization with future acts of rebellion.

Celtics Rumors: Tatum, Jackson, Porzingis, Brown

June 23rd, 2017 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the completion of the Celtics’ trade with the Sixers earlier this week, C’s president Danny Ainge suggested that the player the team drafted at No. 3 would likely be the same player the club would’ve taken at No. 1. Ainge reiterated that point on Thursday night, telling reporters that he felt the draft was “very even” at the top, and would’ve selected Jayson Tatum with the first overall pick (Twitter link).

Josh Jackson was the other prospect considered to be in play for that No. 3 pick, and Ainge admitted that he was upset when the former Kansas forward cancelled his workout with the Celtics. As Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com details, Ainge, Brad Stevens, and Mike Zarren flew out to Sacramento, only to find out that Jackson wouldn’t be working out. Ainge indicated that there may have been something to the idea that Jackson didn’t want to be drafted by Boston.

“Agents and players have all sorts of motivations to get to certain places, as we’ve seen in the past,” Ainge said, per Forsberg. “Remember last year, Kris Dunn didn’t want to come here; we didn’t hold it against him. We felt like we were just taking the player that we wanted [last year]. And I think the same thing this time. I don’t think we were trying to penalize Josh too much, but we didn’t get to see him or talk to him face-to-face.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Asked about the Kristaps Porzingis rumors that swirled around the Celtics this week, Ainge said that he felt they were “a little blown out of proportion” (Twitter link via Forsberg).
Ainge suggested there could be “some truth” to the idea that teams ask for more from the Celtics in trades due to the team’s stockpile of assets (link via Scott Souza of The MetroWest Daily News). “People around the league know the things that we have and they are asking for some of our prime real estate,” Ainge said. “Over the last few trading periods it’s been a little bit of a hurdle. But the bottom line is we have to do the trades that we believe in.”
One player Ainge generally isn’t interested in discussing in trade talks is Jaylen Brown. The team president said on CSNNE that Boston gets the urge to “hang up” when Brown’s name comes up in negotiations (Twitter link via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe).
It’s possible that neither of the Celtics’ draft-and-stash prospects will be on the team’s Summer League roster. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets that Guerschon Yabusele won’t play due to foot surgery, while Ainge said that Ante Zizic has visa issues, raising doubts about his status (Twitter link via Jay King of MassLive.com).