Pablo Prigioni Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Watson, Sund, Knicks, White

May 21st, 2013 at 9:07pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are some notes from the only division in the East with no team left standing:

While the timing is unclear, C.J. Watson's former agent, Jared Karnes, confirmed that Watson is now represented by Excel Sports, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Watson, who played 19 minutes per game for the Nets this year, owns a player option for the league minimum next season and told Bondy last month he'd love to return to Brooklyn.
Besides Masai Ujiri and Kevin Pritchard – names that we've already heard – the Raptors are also considering Rick Sund for their newly available general manager position, report Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today.
In the wake of the Knicks playoff exit this weekend, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News offers his thoughts, via Twitter, on what Glen Grunwald and company must do in the offseason to improve. While they are hindered by cap issues, Isola tweets that the Knicks should try to find a way to add unrestricted free agent Kyle Korver, and then draft a point guard or a big man in June. Isola also tweets that he believes Jason Kidd's time in New York is over, despite what Grunfeld said, but hopes the team persuades Pablo Prigioni to stay.
According to his agent, James White is unlikely to return to the Knicks next season if they don't pick up his option, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. William McCandless, White's agent, is confident that his client will garner NBA interest this offseason but because White values playing time, he has no problem going back overseas to continue his career.

Knicks GM Talks Cap, Prigioni, Copeland, Kidd

May 21st, 2013 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald spoke to the media today, reflecting on a Knicks season that ended with a second-round loss to the Pacers and looking ahead to the team's plans for the coming summer. A number of New York reporters, including Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Marc Berman of the New York Post, and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, passed along a few of Grunwald's more notable comments, so let's round them up:

The Knicks will focus on continuing to build and add to their core group, but won't be able to acquire anyone via sign-and-trade, says Grunwald (Twitter link). That rules out the pursuit of a top free agent like Chris Paul.
New York will have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception rather than the full $5.15MM MLE, and Grunwald says the club may have to dip into it to match offer sheets for restricted free agents Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland (Twitter link).
Despite the team's limited cap flexibility, Grunwald is confident the team can be "creative" when it comes to adding talent, noting that the Knicks "have some ideas" for what can be done (Twitter link).
After speaking to Jason Kidd, Grunwald is confident the veteran point guard will be back next season, as opposed to retiring (Twitter link).
Grunwald declined to comment on J.R. Smith's free agency, but added: "I don’t think you should read that one way or another" (Twitter link).
Although Grunwald was disappointed by the way the Knicks' season ended, he stressed that he likes the team and is excited about its future (Sulia link).

Atlantic Rumors: Amare, Prigioni, Jackson, Rondo

May 19th, 2013 at 11:45am CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith might have cost himself millions with his poor showing following his suspension in the playoffs this season, but that could make a return to the financially hamstrung Knicks a stronger possibility. He reiterated his desire to retire as a Knick after last night's elimination at the hands of the Pacers, though he still figures to opt out of his $2.9MM contract for next season. With the final Atlantic Division team done for 2012/13, it's time to look ahead to the summer, and that's the focus as we round up the latest from the Atlantic:

Amare Stoudemire didn't start any games this season, but he thinks a lineup featuring him alongside Carmelo Anthony could work, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post. "We didn’t give it a chance," Stoudemire said. "We need to understand exactly what my style of play is and what I bring to the table. It’s something I have to sit down with Coach Woody (Mike Woodson) and express to him."
Pablo Prigioni hasn't made up his mind about whether he wants to return to the NBA next season, tweets Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal. Prigioni has spoken about going back to the Spanish league, but agent George Bass recently said his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks.
Newsday's Al Iannazzone identifies five offseason questions for the Knicks, pointing to a post threat, youth and athleticism as pressing needs.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com also chimes in on the summer ahead for the Knicks, whom he believes must "hit a home run" with the 24th overall pick this June (Insider only).
The notion that Phil Jackson could wind up overseeing the Raptors front office is "total bunk," according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
One NBA general manager tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he isn't hearing Rajon Rondo's name discussed as heavily on the trade market as it has been in the past.
Danny Ainge is open to trading the 16th pick in the draft, and there is "major speculation" that the Celtics will indeed do so, either to move up or move down in the draft order. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details amid his roundup of NBA news.

Eastern Notes: Prigioni, Nets, Bobcats, Redick

May 10th, 2013 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending 17 years playing professional basketball in Europe, Pablo Prigioni has enjoyed his first taste of the NBA this season with the Knicks. Prigioni will be a free agent at season's end, but George Bass, who represents Prigioni, tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks.

"Pablo really enjoyed himself here, and he has interest in playing again next year," Bass said. "He's fallen in love with New York, there's no doubt. The Knicks are just a first-class organization, so it's been good all the way around."

Here are a few more updates from around the Eastern Conference:

With Bojan Bogdanovic expected to sign with the Nets this summer, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post examines what ramifications such a move would have for Brooklyn.
There's no timetable for the Bobcats' coaching search, which figures to be lengthy and include plenty of candidates, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Before he makes a decision in free agency in July, J.J. Redick plans to consult with Mike Krzyzewski, his former coach at Duke, as Andrew Gruman of FOX Sports Wisconsin writes.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com identifies a few possible offseason targets for the Celtics.
Over at Bulls.com, Sam Smith's latest mailbag focuses primarily on the current Bulls/Heat series, but also looks ahead to the summer. Asked about Nate Robinson's value on the open market, Smith predicts Robinson will be looking at an annual salary in the $3MM neighborhood.

Atlantic Links: Martin, Celtics, Datome, Prigioni

March 27th, 2013 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Atlantic teams heading in opposite directions met last night in Boston, with the Knicks extending their winning streak to five games, while the Celtics lost their fifth straight. If the season ended today, the two clubs would square off in the first round of the postseason, though hopefully by the time the playoffs roll around, injured bigs like Tyson Chandler and Kevin Garnett will have returned to the court. As we look forward to seeing whether Boston's and New York's current streaks will come to an end later tonight, let's round up a few Wednesday morning notes out of the Atlantic….

Before last night's game, Kenyon Martin told Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com that he and the Celtics were close to reaching an agreement earlier this season. "Doc [Rivers] wanted me and the players wanted me, but in the 11th hour … they didn't pull the trigger," Martin said. "And I'm not talking a few days ago or even a few weeks ago. This was a couple of months ago."
Yesterday, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passed along word that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo was in Italy to scout a handful of players, including forward Gigi Datome. Today, Carchia shares a few comments Colangelo made to Italy's Il Corriere Dello Sport about Datome.
Pablo Prigioni has recently been inserted into the Knicks' starting lineup and the move has paid dividends so far, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes. Prigioni suggested earlier this month that he wasn't sure what his future holds beyond this season, but if he continues his solid play, he should receive NBA interest this summer.

Prigioni Unsure Of NBA Future Beyond 2012/13

March 5th, 2013 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

At age 35, no rookie is older than Pablo Prigioni, who is playing for the NBA for the first time this season after a long career overseas. In 54 games with the Knicks, Prigioni has put up respectable numbers for a third point guard, including a .402 3PT% and a 13.6 PER. However, he tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that while he doesn't intend to retire, he's unsure whether he'll play in the NBA for more than one season.

"I will play for some team next year — where, I don’t know," Prigioni said. "It could be in the NBA. It could be the Spanish League. I need to go to the summer, take it by day-by-day and think about it. But I [will] listen to the Knicks."

Prigioni, who is earning the rookie minimum, added that when he signed with the Knicks last summer, the team asked him whether he wanted a one-year or two-year deal, and he asked for just a single year. According to Berman, the Knicks are anticipating that Prigioni may leave, and could target a replacement in this June's draft, when they'll likely be picking in the early- to mid-20s.

Odds & Ends: Prigioni, Hawks, Kupchak, Bonner

January 20th, 2013 at 1:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Here's news from around the league on a busy Sunday, with one month and a day to go before the trade deadline:

The Knicks would have offered Pablo Prigioni a contract long before last summer if former coach Mike D'Antoni hadn't been so doubtful of the Spanish leaguer's foot speed, as Marc Berman of the New York Post reveals.
Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer sees plenty of complications to any return of LeBron James to the Cavs.
If Hawks GM Danny Ferry decides to change coaches over the summer, Quin Snyder and Mike Brown would be early favorites, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link).
There's speculation Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak could lose his job if the team doesn't make the playoffs, writes Bob Finnan of The News Herald. Finnan rounds up the week's rumors from around the league, and chronicles the rise of agent Rich Paul.
Players union vice president Matt Bonner shared his reaction to a law firm's report about its investigation into the organization's practices, and said he's not interested in succeeding Derek Fisher as union president, as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News recounts.

Atlantic Notes: Amare, Raptors, Prigioni, Copeland

December 20th, 2012 at 9:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Amare Stoudemire isn't quite ready to make his return for the Knicks just yet, citing that he is still "not 100 percent yet." Although he looked active during his scrimmage with the Erie Bayhawks today, Stoudemire feels that he still needs more practices and conditioning work before his return. You can find more of tonight's notable links from the Atlantic Division below:

Coach Mike Woodson says that although Iman Shumpert took part in conditioning workouts, the young guard is still "a little ways away" with regard to his rehab (Christian Red of the New York Daily News reports).
Considering the Raptors' recent four-game winning streak, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun is wary of the possible challenges that Kyle Lowry and Andrea Bargnani will create for the team's current chemistry once they return from injury.
In a brief Q&A Twitter session with followers, renown NBA capologist Larry Coon acknowledged that Knicks rookies Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland will be restricted free agents this summer (Twitter link).
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld notes that Raptors big man Ed Davis has made noticeable improvements and is beginning to progress into the talent that Toronto envisioned when they drafted him.
Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston talks about why Jason Terry belongs in the Celtics' starting lineup.

Atlantic Rumors: Felton, Brewer, Prigioni

December 9th, 2012 at 10:10am CST by Chuck Myron

Raymond Felton is glad to be back with the Knicks, the team he didn't want to leave when New York shipped him to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011. He said Saturday he was "sick" during his time with the Nuggets, as Marc Berman of the New York Post documents, though it's unclear whether he was dealing with an illness or simply pining for New York. Felton said he respected Nuggets coach George Karl's decision to put him on the bench in favor of Ty Lawson, but expressed a desire to be a starter somewhere to Nuggets management, who accomodated him with a trade to the Blazers before last season.

A year later, Felton has come full circle as he's back in the starting lineup with the Knicks, and there's news on another pair of Knicks offseason acquisitions and more from the Atlantic Division.

Ronnie Brewer, with the Knicks on a minimum-salary deal, told Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald that the Bulls never reached out to him this summer about a return (Twitter link).
Pablo Prigioni was content to keep playing in Spain until Luis Scola, his teammate on Argentina's national team, convinced him to give the NBA a try. Newsday's Barbara Barker has the details.
Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News credits Mike Woodson, whom the Knicks retained this summer with a three-year extension, with the team's fast start, pointing out that New York is 32-11 since Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni last season.
With Sixers coach Doug Collins open to a trade to improve the team's bench play, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News checks in with rookie point guard Maalik Wayns, who's been contributing more to the second unit of late.
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the impact Andrew Bynum could have on the Sixers if the center returns before the All-Star break.
Howard Beck of The New York Times chronicles the long journey of Reggie Evans from the streets of Pensacola, Fla., where the local community college passed on recruiting him, to his current status as a rebounding savant for the Nets.

Knicks Notes: Amare, Copeland, Point, Prigioni

October 21st, 2012 at 11:11pm CST by Alex Lee

Carmelo Anthony makes his return to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse tomorrow night when they take on the Sixers in their fifth preseason game. The Knicks currently stand at 2-2, but announced today that Amare Stoudemire will miss two to three weeks with a ruptured cyst behind his left knee. While the time period isn't devastating, it is another medical issue for the oft-injured Stoudemire. Here are some other notes from the Knicks preseason:

Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York posts his reaction to the Stoudemire news, reiterating that it is not a serious injury and the time off may help a knee that was still recovering from a bone bruise on October 10. Zwerling also says to expect Kurt Thomas to start and Chris Copeland to make the team.
Keith Schlosser of KnicksJournal.com mentions Copeland and Steve Novak as two candidates to step up in Stoudemire's absence. On Saturday night, Copeland exploded for 34 points in Boston on 11-for-18 shooting and has impressed throughout the preseason.
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld takes a look at the Knicks point guard situation, where the team has replaced Jeremy Lin with a trio of veteran guards that have 42 combined years of pro hoops experience in Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni.
Speaking of Prigioni, Nate Taylor from the New York Times writes that Suns big man and fellow Argentinian Luis Scola gave him the final push that he needed to come over from the Euroleague and join the Knicks. Prigioni, at 35, is the oldest rookie to enter the NBA in the last 40 years.