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Knicks Acquire Andrea Bargnani

July 10th, 2013 at 11:07am CST by Zachary Links

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.

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Knicks Rumors: Will Bynum, Watson, Harris, Brand

June 30th, 2013 at 9:37am CST by Chuck Myron

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.
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Knicks Close To Acquiring Andrea Bargnani

June 28th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks are on the verge of landing Andrea Bargnani in a trade with the Raptors, a source tells Howard Beck of the New York Times.  The Knicks are offering Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick for the Italian big man.

Several teams have pursued Bargnani, but the Knicks have emerged as the “strong favorites” to land him, and an agreement could come soon, the source said.  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.

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Atlantic Notes: Frank, Celtics, Knicks, Rivers

June 27th, 2013 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

After taking a look at the Knicks and Nets earlier today, we learned that the Celtics are discussing a blockbuster that could send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn.  Here’s the latest out of the Atlantic Division..

  • Lawrence Frank has agreed to join the Nets as an assistant on Jason Kidd‘s staff, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.  
  • Steve Novak might be the one guy that the Knicks could move tonight in order to move up in the draft or acquire second-round picks, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.  The sharpshooter is owed roughly $11MM over the next three seasons.
  • Doc Rivers claims that he didn’t push the Celtics to pull the trigger on the deal that sent him to the Clippers, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.
  • In a less-sexy transaction, the Celtics would like to pick up an additional second-round pick, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.  Target teams include the Blazers, Hawks, and Cavs.
  • The Knicks will be hard-pressed to find a key contributor with the No. 24 pick, but they better choose wisely as financial constraints will hurt their ability to add to the roster going forward, writes Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal.
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Kyler’s Latest: Suns, Redick, Lakers, Novak, Blair

February 21st, 2013 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

With less than six hours until today's trade deadline, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explores a few of the latest rumors in his NBA AM piece. Here are the highlights:

  • Besides Jermaine O'Neal, Sebastian Telfair is another candidate to be a roster casualty once the Suns finalize their acquisition of Marcus Morris, says Kyler. If Phoenix trades either player for virtually nothing, the Grizzlies, who have seven trade exceptions and a need to add a 13th man to their roster, could get involved.
  • As they explore J.J. Redick deals, the Magic continue to seek a high-level first-round pick or a package that includes a young player and second-round picks. Several teams have questioned whether it's worth meeting that asking price for what could be a 30-game rental of Redick, according to Kyler.
  • If the Lakers make a trade, it's expected to be one that reduces their luxury-tax bill rather than one that drastically changes the roster.
  • In addition to shopping Ronnie Brewer, the Knicks have also made Steve Novak available. The duo isn't drawing a whole lot of interest though.
  • The Hawks are a potential destination for DeJuan Blair, particularly if Atlanta finalizes a Josh Smith trade.
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Odds & Ends: Garnett, Rose, Knicks, Blazers

February 13th, 2013 at 11:36pm CST by Alex Lee

Kevin Garnett made some cryptic comments after the Celtics win on Wednesday night, stating that this weekend's festivities will be his last All-Star game, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.  Garnett signed a three-year extension with Boston in the offseason, so this statement obviously prompted confusion and resulting questions from media (via Chris Forsberg on ESPN.com):

"Y'all don't know what I know," Garnett said.  "So, let's put it like this: I'm more than grateful for going, but I'm not going to act like I've got more All-Star Games in me, so I'm actually going to enjoy this one with some friends and family."

Garnett could obviously be implying that he will decline future All-Star invites, but given his tendency for hinting at walking away from the game, this is something worth following.  Here are some other things going on around the league:

  • With his knee still bothering him, Derrick Rose told reporters that he "won't mind missing this year" if he isn't ready, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.  This was the first time Rose spoke to the media since the start of the regular season, making this a surprising revelation.  Rose was originally thought to be aiming for a post All-Star break return, but that sure seems like a long shot at this point.  Based on Rose's words, it is clear that he intends to come back on his terms and will only do so when he is entirely healthy. 
  • If the Knicks are truly inquiring on Luke Ridnour, sharpshooter Steve Novak may be the only piece they can move to get it done, writes Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.  Novak, recently relegated to more of a reserve role, makes $4.05MM — a number that matches up nicely against Ridnour's $4MM for this year and $4.3MM for next.  Sheridan writes that Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni aren't real options to play meaningful minutes at the point.  Sheridan considers Will Bynum of the Pistons to be the best fit for the Knicks.  
  • Even if no high profile players are dealt by next week's deadline, look no further than last year to see how much a mid-level trade can make an impact on a franchise.  The Blazers trade of Gerald Wallace to the Nets — while it didn't alter the landscape of the league a bit last year — resulted in the acquisition of Damian Lillard via the NBA Draft, and the subsequent expediting of the Blazers rebuilding process, says Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge.  
  • Asked about the Lakers personnel, Hall of Fame basketball writer Mark Heisler, now of Sheridan Hoops, says via video that the Lakers won't be moving Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or Kobe Bryant this year.  Looking to the future, Hesiler says the team's No. 1 priority is to lock up Howard because, quite simply, he is "the only young player they have who's any good."
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Eastern Notes: Knicks, Heat, Pistons, Harkless

February 9th, 2013 at 12:11pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Eastern Conference on Saturday morning:

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Atlantic Links: Bynum, Carlesimo, Rondo, Raptors

January 29th, 2013 at 8:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Led by Jrue Holiday, the 76ers remain three games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Significant help in the form of another all-star caliber player could be on the way within the next several weeks, as Andrew Bynum has continued to make progress toward his goal of possibly returning to practice next week, notes Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com. The 7'0 center has been plagued by bone bruises in both knees since the start of the season. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Atlantic Division: 

  • Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York reports that Nets GM Billy King will meet with owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday to discuss P.J. Carlesimo and the job he's done so far as the interim head coach. While Carlesimo has done an exceptional job after replacing Avery Johnson, Prokhorov is said to still be enamored with going after big names such as Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy in the offseason. 
  • According to A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSNNE.com, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo will get a second opinion on his ACL injury from Dr. James Andrews, who is considered be arguably "the best orthopedic surgeon in the business."  
  • Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun lays out the Raptors' top five pressing issues as they inch closer to the deadline, calling their interest in Rudy Gay the "most likely to come to fruition" rumor, examining the return of both Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas from injury, Terrence Ross' progression into coach Dwane Casey's crunch-time lineup, and the continued acclimation of Landry Fields. With regard to Bargnani, Ganter thinks that Casey may have to provide a significant role at the expense of Ed Davis' minutes in order to showcase the 7-footer's health. 
  • Eric Koreen of the National Post doesn't think that Gay is the cure-all answer for the Raptors, who still have many other important questions to answer regardless of whether they land him or not. Among those question marks involve the franchise's commitment to GM Bryan Colangelo, the need for more significant roster moves, and the struggles of point guard Kyle Lowry. 
  • Doc Rivers doesn't appear too concerned about his players making an adjustment without Rondo, saying that a "no-point guard system" is something that the second unit has already found success with, writes Greg Payne of ESPN Boston. 
  • Mike Woodson will place a higher priority on getting Knicks three point sharpshooter Steve Novak more involved in the offense, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York. 
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Atlantic Links: Amare, Novak, Williams, Celtics

January 3rd, 2013 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Lee

With tipoff at the Garden for Spurs-Knicks scheduled for 7:30ET, Mike Woodson announced a shake up in the starting lineup, plugging Marcus Camby into the power forward spot previously held by Kurt Thomas (via Ian Begley on Twitter). Here is all the other news coming out of the Atlantic on Thurday:

  • In an Insider-only piece, Chris Broussard of ESPN tackles the Amare Stoudemire conundrum in New York by asking five NBA minds – three assistant coaches and two longtime scouts – what the Knicks should do now that their enigmatic power forward is back.  The consensus is that Stoudemire should come off the bench initially, but as he gets healthier the opinions vary as to whether his game and mindset are up for becoming a complimentary piece on a title contender.
  • For those into NBA metrics, Henry Abbott at ESPN offers an interesting take on how it could be that the Knicks Steve Novak could have the same defensive rating as dominant defensive center Tyson Chandler, and most important, what it means with regard to statistics. 
  • Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland analyzes what it is to be an "attack guard" in today's NBA, and in turn reveals what has been a key factor in the decline of Nets point guard Deron Williams.  Goldsberry writes that Williams has not all of a sudden become a worse shooter, but is instead more often settling for longer shots.  Williams has never been a great shooter and with his ability to attack the rim declining, it has put more emphasis on his mediocre stroke.
  • Despite their 14-17 start, Danny Ainge remains optimistic that the Celtics will come around as currently constructed, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.  Ainge is looking forward to the return of Avery Bradley and says the new faces have not been the sole reason for their slow start.  Jimmy Toscano of CSN New England offers a few additional quotes from Ainge that imply that the right talent and coach are in place – it is merely up to the players now. It is worth mentioning that last year, the Celtics sat at 15-17 after a 5-game losing streak, only to finish the season on a 24-10 tear and capture the Atlantic division title. 
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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. 
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