Shane Larkin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks To Decline Option On Shane Larkin

October 31st, 2014 at 11:01am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks have decided to pass on their 2015/16 rookie scale team option with Shane Larkin, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman suggests this was New York’s plan all along, though previous reports had indicated that New York was picking up the option before the team had an apparent change of heart. Larkin’s option was worth more than $1.675MM for that season, as our Rookie Scale Team Option Tracker shows. The Knicks picked up a nearly $1.305MM team option for 2015/16 on Tim Hardaway Jr. and waived trade acquisition Arnett Moultrie, who also had a pending rookie scale team option.

Declining Larkin’s option will set the point guard up for unrestricted free agency next summer, a year after the Knicks acquired him from the Mavs in the Tyson Chandler trade. The 18th overall pick in the 2013 draft played sparingly as a rookie, averaging 10.2 minutes per game across 48 appearances, though he’s started the first two games of the year for the Knicks, who are without Jose Calderon because of injury.

The primary motivation for turning down the option appears to be New York’s desire to preserve cap flexibility for next summer. That also appears to be behind the apparent unlikelihood that the team will reach an extension with Iman Shumpert before tonight’s deadline to do so. The Knicks have about $32.7MM tied up for 2015/16, plenty of room beneath a projected $66.5MM salary cap.

Knicks To Pick Up Option On Shane Larkin?

October 25th, 2014 at 10:51am CST by Chuck Myron

OCTOBER 25TH, 10:51am: The Knicks may have changed their minds about exercising Larkin’s option, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). New York might be leaning towards keeping as much cap space free as possible for next summer, Wojnarowski notes.

11:00pm: The Knicks have indeed exercised their team option on Larkin, as is indicated by the RealGM transactions log. The team has not made any formal announcement as of yet.

OCTOBER 16TH, 10:03am: The Knicks have decided to exercise their team option to keep point guard Shane Larkin on his rookie scale contract for 2015/16, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Larkin will make $1,675,320 that season, the third of his four-year contract, as our Rookie Scale Team Option Tracker shows. The deadline is October 31st for the team to make the move official.

The Mavs sent Larkin to New York as part of the Tyson Chandler trade this summer. The 18th pick in the 2013 draft didn’t see much playing time as a rookie, averaging 2.8 points and 1.5 assists in 10.2 minutes per game. He’s seen nearly twice as many minutes in preseason games with the Knicks, averaging 20.9, but he’s still put up just 2.5 PPG and 1.5 APG. Phil Jackson and his staff are nonetheless satisfied with what they’ve seen from him the past few weeks, Wojnarowski writes.

Jackson is trying to keep the team’s cap sheet as clean as possible for 2015/16 as he plans a run at marquee free agents. The Knicks only have about $31.4MM in commitments for that season, so adding Larkin’s salary to that wouldn’t make much of a dent against a projected $66.5MM salary cap. Still, that figure doesn’t include a nearly $6.4MM player option that J.R. Smith possesses and more than $1.4MM in non-guaranteed salary for Pablo Prigioni. It also leaves out the team option on Tim Hardaway Jr., worth more than $1.3MM, that the Knicks will almost assuredly pick up. Iman Shumpert is up for a rookie scale extension this month, but it doesn’t appear as though the sides will come to terms.

Knicks Open To Trading Smith, Shumpert

July 20th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

As the Knicks work to clear out the logjam in their backcourt, they’re discussing potential trade options involving Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, and Shane Larkin, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Tim Hardaway Jr., however, has been deemed virtually untouchable according to one source.

President Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills have mentioned the Knicks’ surplus in the backcourt, with Mills saying last week the Knicks are “heavy” at shooting guard. What they can get in return for Smith, Shump, and Larkin remains to be seen, however.

The Knicks tried to include Shumpert in deals earlier in the offseason in an effort to unload the contracts of Andrea Bargnani ($11.5MM) and Amar’e Stoudemire ($23.4MM) but no deal materialized for either player. Smith has a player option in his contract for $6.4MM for the 2015/16 season and is coming off of a down year. Larkin was recently acquired from the Mavericks in the trade that also netted Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert.

The Knicks have four shooting guards on the roster as of today and they also haven’t ruled out re-signing free agent PG/SG Toure’ Murry.

Knicks, Mavs Swap Chandler, Calderon

June 25th, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:02pm: The Knicks have officially announced the deal. The only picks changing hands are the two second-rounders for this year moving from Dallas to New York.

4:50pm: The Knicks and Mavs have reached agreement on their rumored trade, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The deal sends Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to Dallas in exchange for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington, picks Nos. 34 and 51 in Thursday’s draft, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports detailed in earlier reports. It’s unclear if future second-round draft consideration will also head New York’s way.

The Mavs had planned a summer pursuit of Chandler, the center on their 2011 title team, three years after letting him go. Knicks president Phil Jackson seemed to dismiss the notion that he told Felton to expect to be traded, but other reports have indicated the Knicks were in the market for an upgrade at the point, which Calderon provides. Felton slumped this past season, and this week he agreed this week to plead guilty to a felony gun charge in a plea agreement that will allow him to avoid jail time.

The deal removes some of New York’s flexibility for the summer of 2015, since Calderon’s contract calls for him to make in excess of $7.4MM in 2015/16 and more than $7.7MM in 2016/17. J.R. Smith has a player option worth nearly $6.4MM for 2015/16, but the Knicks otherwise don’t have commitments for that season. The trade would allow Dallas more cap flexibility for that summer, since Chandler’s contract is up after next season and Felton’s player option for 2015/16 is about $3.95MM.

Dalembert’s approximately $3.867MM salary is partially guaranteed for $1.8MM next season. He also has a 15% trade kicker on his deal that the Mavs would be responsible for paying. Chandler would receive $500K from the Knicks thanks to a trade kicker in his deal.

Knicks Trying To Move Dalembert, Larkin

June 25th, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Cray Allred

The Knicks are trying to move Samuel Dalembert and Shane Larkin after agreeing to acquire both in a trade with the Mavs today, tweets Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal. New York is receiving both players alongside Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington and both of Dallas’s second round draft picks in the first deal.

Herring doesn’t identify any teams New York is targeting with the duo. The Knicks have been seeking a first round pick, as well as cap flexibility for the 2015/16 season. Both Dalembert’s and Larkin’s contracts can come off the books by then, so presumably New York would be seeking a draft pick and not a player out of the pair, although that’s just my speculation. The Knicks could package both players and/or one or both of their newly acquired second-rounders to try and break into the first round.

There is the possibility that the Knicks/Mavs trade signals a shift from the aforementioned strategy in New York, however. Calderon is an upgrade at point guard whose contract will carry into the 2016/17 season, and Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests that the move could be the first of many to turn the Knicks into a playoff team in 2014/15. In that case, a deal from president Phil Jackson could target win-now type pieces.

Larkin was selected No. 18 overall in the 2013 draft, and spent time playing point guard between Dallas and their D-League affiliate throughout the season. He averaged 10.2 MPG in 48 NBA contests. Dalembert has played with different teams in each of the last four seasons, and the center appears on his way to play for his fifth team in five years.

Mavs, Knicks Close To Chandler, Calderon Deal

June 25th, 2014 at 4:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:04pm: The 51st overall pick in Thursday’s draft would go to the Knicks, too, Wojnarowski tweets.

4:01pm: The Mavs would also send the 34th overall pick in Thursday’s draft to New York, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter).

3:58pm: The deal will be finalized today, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

3:36pm: The teams are on the verge of an agreement, Stein writes in his full story. Wayne Ellington and future second-round draft considerations would also go to New York, Stein adds. The deal could be finalized before July 1st with the inclusion of Ellington, who allows it to meet salary-matching requirements.

3:19pm: The Mavs and Knicks are in advanced discussions on a trade that would send Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler to Dallas in exchange for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert and Shane Larkin, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Dallas would have to give up additional players in order for the trade to become official before July 1st, though it seems likely the teams envision completing the trade after the July moratorium, when it wouldn’t send the Mavs over the luxury tax line and trigger stiffer salary-matching constraints.

Such a proposal in its current form would allow the Knicks to clear a significant amount of salary, though it probably wouldn’t be enough to clear cap room if Carmelo Anthony re-signs. It would similarly crimp the Mavs’ pursuit of Anthony and other top-tier free agents, though it seems reasonable to suspect there may be other players involved.

Dallas has coveted Chandler, whom the team gave up in 2011 after he helped the Mavs to their only NBA title. Knicks president Phil Jackson denied a report that he told Felton to expect a trade this summer, but the point guard is coming off a subpar season and agreed this week to plead guilty to a felony gun charge in a plea agreement that will allow him to avoid jail time. Other reports have linked the Knicks to soon-to-be free agent point guards.

The deal would remove some of New York’s flexibility for the summer of 2015, since Calderon’s deal has him making more than $7.4MM in 2015/16 and more than $7.7MM in 2016/17. Still, it would be the only guaranteed salary on the books for New York past this season, though J.R. Smith has a player option worth nearly $6.4MM. Similarly, the move would allow Dallas more cap flexibility for that summer, since Chandler’s contract is up after next season and Felton’s player option for 2015/16 is about $3.95MM.

Dalembert’s approximately $3.867MM salary is partially guaranteed for $1.8MM next season. He also has a 15% trade kicker on his deal that the Mavs would be responsible for paying. Chandler would receive $500K from the Knicks thanks to a trade kicker in his deal.

D-League Notes: Larkin, Mekel, Reed, Rice

March 15th, 2014 at 2:06pm CST by Charlie Adams

Here’s a quick look at the latest news and notes out of the NBA D-League on Saturday afternoon:

The Mavericks have recalled Shane Larkin from his D-League assignment, the team announced today in a press release. Gal Mekel will be sent down to take Larkin’s place on the Mavs’ D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends. It was a quick stint for Larkin, who appeared in just one D-League game after being sent down yesterday afternoon.
The Sixers have assigned Arnett Moultrie to join the Delaware 87ers of the D-League, the team announced this afternoon. This confirms a report we heard last night speculating that Philly would make such a move.
Willie Reed is working hard to put up big numbers in the D-League and hoping to catch an NBA club’s attention, writes Scott Rafferty of Ridiculous Upside. Reed was able to sign on with Memphis last April, but he never saw any action and was waived prior to the start of the 2013/14 season.
J. Michael of CSNWashington.com examines Glen Rice Jr.‘s latest trip to the D-League and concludes Rice needs to focus on improving his shooting stroke. Through nine games for the Iowa Energy, Rice has averaged 18.9 points per contest, but he’s shooting just 44% from the floor and 30% from beyond the arc. The Wizards opted send Rice on a minor league assignment after the club inked a deal with Drew Gooden.

Texas Notes: Parker, Larkin, Carmelo

March 14th, 2014 at 2:37pm CST by Zachary Links

At the start of every game, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle‘s gameplan is rather simple: get the rock to Dirk Nowitzki. “We want to get him touching the ball early in the game in every game,” Carlisle said, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “If it doesn’t happen, I blame myself for it. We want to play a flowing, random type game as often as we can because we feel it’s a strength, but the ball has to move through the best players. When it doesn’t, I have to intervene and make play calls to get him involved touching it, to get Monta involved touching it, things like that. But we’re at our best when we’re playing a free-flowing game without play calls with good recognition.” More out of the Lone Star State..

In an update to his earlier report, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) now hears that only Shane Larkin and Ricky Ledo are headed to the D-League, not Gal Mekel. To keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments, check out our running list.
In an era of tumult and turnover, the Spurs‘ Big Three of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili has managed to stay together, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The Spurs are humble about what they’ve accomplished over the years, but fans should stop and admire what they’ve done, even if the team won’t.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter) wonders if Carmelo Anthony would ditch New York for Houston and if the Rockets would give up Terrence Jones or a future first round pick to pull it off. A report yesterday linked the Knicks star to Dwight Howard & Co. Sean Deveney of the Sporting News explains why it’s a long shot from a financial standpoint.

Odds & Ends: Granger, Clippers, Henry

March 2nd, 2014 at 9:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Danny Granger should help to bolster the Clippers‘ thin front line, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “He hasn’t played a lot over the last couple of years, but I thought before the trade he was starting to round into shape and starting to make shots,” coach Doc Rivers said of Granger. “What I see in him is length. He’s a long small forward who has the ability to add a different dimension to us. The way I look at it is we can have a post game at the 3 spot as well now, which would be nice for us. If gives us another dimension.” More from around the league..

The Clippers have one roster spot open and while there are no plans to use it at this time, Rivers didn’t rule out the possibility of a 10-day deal later on in the season, tweets Markazi.
Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer looks at 10-day contracts and how they can benefit clubs.
There’s a lot of talk about overhauling the NBA draft, but Sheridan Hoops’ Peter May says it’s fine just the way it is.
The Mavericks announced that they have recalled Jae Crowder and Shane Larkin from the Texas Legends of the D-League. Crowder and Larkin were assigned to the Legends yesterday and played in last night’s overtime win against the D-Fenders. Crowder had his second triple-double in as many games with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, while Larkin added a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. To keep up with all of this year’s assignments and recalls, check out our running list.
The Lakers announced that they have recalled Xavier Henry from their D-League affiliate. Henry was on a rehab assignment and spent just a few days in his latest stint.

Western Notes: Mavs, D-League, Iguodala

March 1st, 2014 at 6:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mark Cuban was in the news today for his thoughts on the possibility of the NBA raising the age requirement for players entering the league. Cuban took it further, and believes that if the minimum age isn’t raised then the NBA D-League should work to convince players to play there instead of a single college season, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Cuban stated, “I think what will end up happening — and this is my opinion, not that of the league — is if the colleges don’t change from the one-and-done, we’ll go after the one. The NCAA rules are so hypocritical, there’s absolutely no reason for a kid to go [to college], because he’s not going to class [and] he’s actually not even able to take advantage of all the fun because the first semester he starts playing basketball. So if the goal is just to graduate to the NBA or be an NBA player, go to the D-League.”