Anthony Davis

Report: James Harden badly wants Nets trade, rejects Rockets’ massive extension offer

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James Harden is pulling an Anthony Davis act as the Houston Rockets superstar is ‘singularly focused on a trade to the Brooklyn Nets‘, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Harden is taking a page from Davis and Klutch Sports’ playbook, which forced the New Orleans Pelicans to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. One year later, Davis won a championship.

Harden reportedly made his intentions clear to the Rockets’ new management, led by first-time general manager Rafael Stone, when he rejected a two-year, $103 million extension that could have locked him in Houston for the next five years.

Harden believes his window to win a title with the Rockets ended when they parted ways with long-time general manager Daryl Morey and coach Mike D’Antoni.

The idea of forming a super team in Brooklyn came to shape in recent weeks. Harden had conversations with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that ramped up his decision. The Rockets, however, made it known to the Nets and the rest of the league that they expect a massive haul in return for their franchise player.

“That means young players, draft picks and salary-cap relief,” Wojnarowski said on Monday night’s edition of ESPN’s Sports Center.

With three years left in Harden’s contract, including a player option on the third year, the Rockets plan to play this out and create a bidding war if the situation is no longer salvageable.

It appears Harden has already made up his mind.

The 31-year old superstar hopes to have his next two years contending for the title with the Nets before he can opt-out and decide what to do next with his career.

His contract fits the timeline of Durant and Irving with the Nets. Durant and Irving have three years left, a player option in the third year, in their respective contracts.

Harden played with Durant in Oklahoma City before he got traded to the Rockets in 2012. On the other hand, he played with Irving at Team USA.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

New York Knicks: What would landing Anthony Davis do for the franchise?

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Could the New York Knicks pursue Anthony Davis next offseason?

Anthony Davis forced his way to the Los Angeles Lakers, so expecting him to take his talents elsewhere is optimistic. However, crazier things have happened, as we have seen in current times. The New York Knicks, who have brought in Leon Rose to lead their franchise could change the course of history with a big free-agent signing.

The narrative over the past few seasons has been negative for the Knicks. Free agents aren’t keen on signing with them, based on the poor performance and seemingly bad luck that comes with wearing the orange and blue. Anthony has formed a fantastic duo with LeBron James, and at 28 years old, he could stay there for quite some time.

Can the New York Knicks do the impossible?

Persuading Davis to leave LA and come to New York will be a monumental task, but Rose has the connections to get under his skin and potentially sway his mind.

The Knicks landing a player of his magnitude would be franchise shifting. Currently, they are relying on a majority of youth to carry them out of the dark ages. Players like RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson have been asked to produce when no others would. Trading Marcus Morris was a last-ditch effort to acquire some sort of draft capital heading into 2021. However, the team still has Julius Randle, who has left his mark more-so in the refusal to pass the ball category than anything else.

Anthony, was only averaged less than 20 points once in his career, during his rookie season in 2012, would bring astounding offensive production to Madison Square Garden. This season with LA, he posted 26.7 points per game, 2.4 blocks, 1.5 steals, 3.1 assists, and a .511 field goal percentage.

That kind of production is hard to come by, and Rose would do anything to lure Davis to the Mecca of basketball. It is important to note that Rose is a former CAA super-agent in the NBA, with connections across the league. If there’s anyone that can convince a mega-star to become the face of one of the biggest franchises in all of sports, it is Rose. A master negotiator and understanding of talent, he’s worked closely with some of the best athletes in the game.

However, his job title has changed and his responsibilities are vastly different. But one thing remains the same, convincing players to sign contracts and promising them nothing but the best is a feverish trend that carries over from his agent days.

Brooklyn Nets: Spencer Dinwiddie Trolls Bulls & Knicks in Recent Tweets

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Brooklyn Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie

The “Tech guy with a jumper” is at it again. Spencer Dinwiddie, who has been the most active Brooklyn Net on Twitter by far since the NBA suspended its season indefinitely almost a month ago, has decided to apply for the open Chicago Bulls general manager position, as you can see in his tweet below:

Dinwiddie, no stranger to sarcasm, took his joke a few steps further by breaking down what he thinks the Bulls should do in the short term in order to fix their broken franchise.  He starts off his plan by saying Chicago should trade Tomáš Satoranský for himself and appoint Dinwiddie the GM, with Chicago also giving Brooklyn an additional pick to make it fair because “Dinwiddie gets buckets.”

His next step includes Klutch Sports signing Dinwiddie to their agency, if and only if, Anthony Davis joins the Bulls. Pretty foolproof plan so far right? Dinwiddie then breaks down what his roster would look like with the addition of himself and AD, as you can see below:

Dinwiddie even goes as far as to discuss what the Bull’s bench rotation would look like under his supervision as well:

Dinwiddie would go on to tweet about his hypothetical plan as the future player/GM of the Chicago Bulls 9 more times, finishing his thread by tweeting “THEY CALL ME JACKIE MOON”, the infamous player/owner/coach played by Will Ferrell in the fictional movie Semi-Pro. It seems he put a lot of thought into this sincere troll of the Chicago Bulls.

Dinwiddie wasn’t finished lending his roster decision-making expertise on Twitter, tweeting directly at the Knicks:

After thinking it over, Dinwiddie decided that his attempt to hypothetically fix the Knicks roster would be “too dicey.”

Nobody knows if Dinwiddie will be on the Brooklyn Nets next season, but wherever he ends up,  let us hope he never stops tweeting.

Follow @firesidenets on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your latest Brooklyn Nets news and listen to the Fireside Nets w/ Spen & Nick podcast!

New York Knicks: 3 big-name free agents the Knicks could pursue next offseason

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Could the New York Knicks pursue Anthony Davis next offseason?

As the NBA season idly waits for the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Knicks are likely enjoying their time away from losing consistently and spiraling toward another disappointing season. However, there are some positives to extract from the 2019-20 campaign, such as RJ Barrett, who looked the part as a rookie and portrayed the skill-set the Knicks fell in love with before the draft.

Other positives can be located in the form of Mitchell Robinson and trading Marcus Morris for draft capital and Moe Harkless. The negatives, though, appear in the form of Dennis Smith Jr., the firing of David Fizdale, Julius Randle’s desire to hold onto the ball for ample amounts of time, and much more.

Adding a big-name free agent next offseason is essential, reinforcing Barrett’s progression and development.

Here are three names the New York Knicks could pursue:

1.) Anthony Davis

Davis is expected to opt-out of his contract, which opens up the opportunity for the Knicks to land one of the best players in the league. The big issue is actually the Knicks, as they’re not the most desirable team to play for with the transition of Leon Rose into the GM position and the head coaching spot in a state of flux. Davis would bring success and proven abilities to New York, though, making him the most desirable free agent. Davis has a player option after the conclusions of this season.

2.) Gordon Hayward

Hayward hasn’t been the same since breaking his leg in his first year with Boston, but he has shown flashes of revival. Hayward will likely be on the move, but his injury is still a concern for teams willing to spend big money on a free agent signing.  Gordon has a player option for the 2020-21 season.

3.) Brandon Ingram

Ingram is a restricted free agent, which means New Orleans can match any offer for the All-Star. As one of the rising players in the NBA and a fantastic partner to Zion Williams, the Pelicans won’t let him go without a fight. The Knicks could be intrigued enough to offer him a bloated contract to keep New Orleans at bay, but it will take a lot

How the New York Knicks are successfully carrying out Plan B

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

Heading into the offseason the New York Knicks had both Plan A and Plan B on blueprints. Initially, they were confident they would have a shot at landing a superstar player and even planned to go all-in on Kevin Durant before his Achilles injury.

The Knicks took a step back after finding out how severe the ailment was, and they looked towards other superstars to potentially fill the void. Plan A was to bring in at least one max-contract player that could elevate the franchise and rise it from the ashes of solidarity and darkness. However, that optimistic future came crashing to a halt after every remaining superstar signed with more competitive teams.

The Knicks had to resort to the god-forsaken Plan B, which has developed into a solid blueprint. Signing veterans like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris, two players than can provide value but won’t change the course of the franchise, began the process.

The Knicks secured veterans on deals with options after the 2019-20 season which will allow them to clear cap-space and pursue a top free agent like Anthony Davis.

The reality is simple; the Knicks realized their team wasn’t far along enough to appeal to the cream of the crop in the NBA, but helping their youth players develop is the key to success. Barrett, the Knicks 3rd overall pick in the most recent NBA draft, will be a significant factor in luring players to The Garden next season. His abilities and efficiency in college make him a potential All-Star-caliber player.

While he has plenty to work on, this upcoming season will allow him to gain essential playing time and experience. A season of development can be hugely influential and could see him grow into one of the team’s top players. His impact alone could be the force that brings top players to New York City. One thing is for sure. The Knicks cannot allow the Nets to claim “big brother” status, especially with the support and resources available to them.

 

 

 

New York Knicks primary target for 2020 free agency

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Could the New York Knicks pursue Anthony Davis next offseason?

While it’s certainly a bit early to consider free agency next season, it’s always fun to contemplate who could be available for the New York Knicks, especially after missing out on both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The top players on the market next year will be Anthony Davis, Mike Conley, and Draymond Green. The Knicks could go after one, if not several of these players, but convincing them that Madison Square Garden is more appealing than the Barclay’s center will be the tall task at hand.

The youth evolving for the Knicks is the key to luring superstars to the franchise. Players like RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson and more hold the keys to being a successful franchise with NBA Final hopes down the line, but it could be sooner rather than later.

Davis, who was traded for the remainder of his contract (one year) to the Los Angeles Laker, will perform on a stacked team already housing the league’s best player in Lebron James. Adding Davis to the mix will make the virtually unstoppable, which will only increase his monetary value for the next free agency period.

The New York Knicks set themselves up correctly for next offseason:

The Knicks smartly built contracts around veterans with an out after their first season, which allows them to clear cap if need be to pursue a top player like AD.

(via SNY’s Ian Begley)

Depending on how the Knicks spend their money during the summer of 2020, they could also have a sizeable amount of cap space heading into the summer of 2021.  The 2019-20 free-agent class could include Anthony Davis if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Lakers, and could also include restricted free agents Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown.

Davis may elect to sign on with the Lakers for the long haul considering the talent already on the roster, but if the Knicks seem like they’re headed in the right direction, Davis can step into a position to succeed where Carmelo Anthony ultimately failed, despite fantastic offensive production for years.

 

 

New York Knicks:Where do they land in my season preview?

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It’s been one of the craziest offseasons in NBA history, with almost half the league switching teams. Some teams improved dramatically, some teams left us scratching our heads, and some teams managed to fall into both buckets. So I’d thought I’d take some time and offer my opinions/prediction on how everything is going to turnout. As always, delusional messages telling me how I’m an idiot and your team is going to the finals is always welcome @aelderbaum. Let’s start with the Western Conference.

  1. Los Angeles Clippers: They added two premier scorers who also happen to be two of the best defensive players in the league. They still have Patrick Beverly to make opposing point guards miserable, a great roll man in Montrazl Harrell, and sixth man extraordinaire Lou William’s. They also have quality depth with Landry Shamet, Rodney Mcgruder, Moe Harkless, Ivica Zubac and Jerome Robinson. The Clippers should be able to manage both superstars workloads and match up with any opponent. LA will be the top seed in the west.

  2. Utah Jazz : That’s right Utah will be the second seed in a brutal conference. By replacing Ricky Rubio with a point guard who could shoot the Jazz would become a contender, by replacing him with Mike Conley they are a legit championship caliber team. Along with Conley they also added a scorer with playoff chops in Bojan Bogdanovic, a quality back-up big man in Ed Davis, and a serviceable back up guard in Emanuel Mudiay. I can see Knicks fans rolling their eyes, but he had his moments for the team, and imagine him with actual NBA caliber teammates. Utah also still has Defensive POY Rudy Gobert, the underrated Joe Ingles, and Donovan Mitchell who maybe someday will measure up to the man the Knicks passed on him to take.

  3. Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets did what they always do and quietly added one of the best available players in a trade by acquiring Jerami Grant. Grant can play defense, is a career 37% three point shooter, and will play multiple positions. Adding him to a team that had the second best record in the west is only going to raise their ceiling. Nikola Jokic is an MVP candidate and maybe Jamal Murray wont soil himself in the post season this year. If Michael Porter can add anything and avoid spending time in a wheelchair this team is a legit title contender.

  4. Houston Rockets: This is the team I had the most trouble figuring out. Theres a reason every team Chris Paul has been part of has underachieved and had horrible chemistry. Removing him and the 30 games he was going to miss and replacing him with Russell Westbrook is a win for the Rockets. He and Harden will figure out how to coexist, and keep in mind Harden begged for this trade. He is going to be much more willing to play off the ball, defer to Russ, anything to make sure Houston is a better team. With teams having to try to stop the new superstar duo Eric Gordon and Clint Capela should be able to shine. Remember these guys almost took out the Warriors the last two years.

  5. Portland Trailblazers: The Blazers made the conference finals last season, and while I dont forsee an encore, they will still be a playoff team. With Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum they still boast one of the leagues best back courts, and have a ton of solid role players in Rodney Hood, Zach Collins, and Ken Bazemore. Hassan Whiteside should be able to man the middle until Jusuf Nurkic returns from his leg injury and the team is very high on second year guard Anfernee Simmons. Portland probably maxes out at a second round exit.

6.Golden State Warriors: Is it possible to call this team a sleeper? I think reports of their demise are greatly exaggerated. They still have Steph Curry, and by adding D’angelo Russell they have an all star caliber band-aid until Klay Thompson returns. Thompson is big enough to guard the opposition’s best wing player so him coexisting with Russell and Curry is not a ridiculous idea when he comes back. They still have Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Alfonzo Mckinnie from last years team and I really like the Willie Cauley-Stein addition. I think he can be a rich mans Festus Ezeli, and an even better defender. If Klay does make it back they could be dangerous in the post season.

  1. OKC Thunder: Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari , Steven Adams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Andre Roberson. Dennis Schroeder, Mike Muscala, Pat Patterson and Terrance Ferguson off the bench. OKC has built a sneaky fun roster while stockpiling approximately 450 picks in the next 5 drafts. Paul already has a chip on his shoulder, and now hes been exiled to Oklahoma, and everyone is saying he is stuck there because he is too old and expensive for anybody to want him. I think he will have his best season in the last few years just to prove people wrong, and he is on the perfect team to do so. Some talented role players, a borderline all star who can play unselfishly, and some young talent to mentor. I think it will be a struggle but they will sneak into the seventh seed.

  • New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo on a team that will let him be this generations Jason Kidd, Brandon Ingram getting the chance to be a scorer and creator, and Zion electrifying crowds with his dunks and playmaking. In addition to that they have Nickeil Alexander-Walker looking like the steal of the draft, and Jackson Hayes being much further along then anyone planned. Jrue Holliday is an all star caliber two way guard to pair with Lonzo. They also added veteran shooter JJ Reddick and Jazz big man Derrick Favors. This is a fast rising team that seemed to make all the right moves this offseason and may arrive a year earlier than expected.

  • Los Angeles Lakers: Right now the Lakers starting five is DeMarcus Cousins or Javale McGee, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green and Lebron James. Lebron will turn 35 in December and is coming off the most serious injury he’d had in his career, so naturally he will be the starting point guard. Their bench is the washed Avery Bradley, the never actually been that good Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the even more washed Rajon Rondo, and probably should have retired Jared Dudley. There is noone on this roster to guard any of the Blazers or Warriors backcourt, or big athletic wings. Lebron will break down and this team will not make the playoffs.

  • San Antonio Spurs: They are running back essentially the same team in a stronger conference so I don’t see them finishing much higher than this. I’m more intrigued by the new Knicks/Spurs dirty tricks subplot. Popovich is ex military,  he may arrange for Marcus Morris to have an “accident” forcing the Knicks to sign yet another power forward.

  • Sacramento Kings: This one pains me, because I actually really like this team. Fox and Hield compliment each other perfectly, Nemanja Bjielica and Bogdan Bogdanovic provide spacing, and who doesent want to see Harry Giles stay healthy and have good year. Dwayne Dedmon and Trevor Ariza were perfect additions, and Marvin Bagley seems poised to make a leap. The Harrison Barnes contract is the first big issue I have, as he is being paid like an all star while hes at best slightly above average. They also dont have a true big defender, and on the wings Ariza is a little old to be your lockdown guy. I think Sacramento is a year and move or two away from really making some noise.

    • 12: Dallas Mavericks: I think Porzingis and Luka are going to be an awesome combination, and I dont get why Dallas backed out of adding Goran Dragic. Your not going anywhere this season,  why not go full Euro and bring in Luka’s buddy for a year. Maybe it goes great and Dragic resigns on a modest deal next season. Instead you add Delon Wright and resign Maxi Kleber with the money? Meh. Dallas has refused to tank in the past out of respect for Dirk, but now that hes gone, one lost year may not be the worst thing. They finally have their cap under control, adding another good young player and then building around Doncic, Porzingis and said player makes the most sense to me. I know Cuban and Carlisle always want to compete, but when your competitors have Paul George and Kawhi…maybe sit this one out.

    1. Memphis Grizzlies: Another team on the rise,  I just want to see Ja Morant play in games before I fully leap on the bandwagon. I dont have any real concerns and wish he would have landed in NY, but noone had concerns about Markelle Fultz either. I’m not sure what they’re doing at shooting guard with Josh Jackson and Grayson Allen, league sources tell me they are looking to add  Jayson William’s for  additional depth behind those guys.

  • Minnesota Timberwolves: So umm do YOU have any interest in picking up Andrew Wiggins?

  • Phoenix Suns: “So you know how theres tons of free agents right now, well were totally getting a new starting point guard!”

    • “Who? Kyrie? Kemba? Brogdon?

    “Ummm not exactly…”

     

    Click here for part 2, the eastern conference.

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    New York Knicks should avoid Russell Westbrook at all costs

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    New York Knicks, Russell Westbrook

    With reports of the Oklahoma City Thunder interested in potentially finding a trade partner for star point guard Russell Westbrook, it presents the question – should the New York Knicks consider a deal?

    With seven first-round draft picks over the next five years, they have plenty of ammo in the scenario that Westbrook is actually available and an option. The Knicks only have Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina as primary point guards, both are unproven and inconsistent.

    Westbrook is a superstar that is one of the most dynamic scorers in the league, but the Knicks should stay far away from him for several reasons.

    1.) Their draft picks are too valuable

    Following the youth agenda idea, the Knicks are in a position to build upon the foundation they’ve already established with Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett and more. Giving away potential influential players for a high-price option doesn’t make much sense.

    Averaging $41.3 million per season doesn’t bode well for a team that just signed multiple players in free agency. The Knicks don’t need his cap hit on the books to succeed, in fact, they’re likely better off without his production and monetary hit.

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    2.) He will stunt the growth of the other players

    The Knicks should be focused on developing their youth and giving them ample time and experience to refine their abilities. Putting a known ball-hog on the floor will only create a distraction and take the ball away from the players that need to work on their game.

    Offensive players like Barrett and Knox need to continue building upon their confidence and skills at a young age and putting Westbrook in a position to take that opportunity away only hurts the overall success of the team and organization. In addition, he’d be on the book for four years.

    The Knicks are better off waiting until next offseason to pursue free agent players like Anthony Davis, Mike Conley, Draymond Green, and Andre Drummond as they will all be signable without having to give up draft assets.

    Holding on to picks and utilizing cap space should be the priority for a franchise focusing on their youth.

    New York Knicks are running out of superstar options in free agency

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    Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving

    With the 2018 NBA season coming to a close on the backs of the Toronto Raptors and Kawhi Leanard, the New York Knicks will now begin meddling in free agency.

    With Kevin Durant tearing his Achilles and expected to miss all of 2019, the premium players are dropping like flies. Add in Klay Thompson’s knee injury, Kyrie Irving’s desire to join the Brooklyn Nets, and Kemba Walker being loyal to the Hornets stating he would take less than a max deal, and the Knicks are in big trouble.

    It’s possible they still pursue Durant despite his injury, but it would require them to unload a massive amount of money for essentially no value. However, his return in 2020 would put the organization in a good position to win immediately, especially if they collect another top pick and provide RJ Barrett with a year’s worth of experience.

    The New York Knicks could be forced into making a difficult decision:

    The scenario where the Knicks save some of their money and stick to their youth guns isn’t a bad one, in fact, it could be the only one after the smoke clears. It’s expected that general manager Scott Perry will pursue Kawhi Leonard in free agency — he believes a meeting is more than possible.

    The likeliness of convincing a player like Leonard to come to the bright lights of New York is, well…unlikely. It’s not impossible, though.

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    Sticking with Durant and allowing him to fully heal for a year while the Knicks continue to develop their youth isn’t a bad idea. They should stay far away from a potential Anthony Davis trade and begin to think about how they can utilize their ample cap-space to build a competent team capable of winning in the NBA.

    It’s getting to a point where the organization could be deemed stagnant if they don’t make any moves this offseason.

    New York Knicks off-season rumor hub

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    New York Knicks, James Dolan

    This off-season has already took a bad turn for the New York Knicks.  Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury started the train going off the tracks.

    However, despite was fans may want, the Knicks are still going to pursue Durant.  That 4 year max contract will now be a 3 year contract since he’ll miss all next season rehabbing, if he comes to New York.

    All signs point to Kyrie Irving signing with the Brooklyn Nets.  Rumors were circulating that Irving was trying to recruit Durant to the Nets.  The Nets are one of the 4 teams that will purse Durant, others being the Knicks, Lakers and Clippers.

    To be honest, no one really knows what Irving is thinking.  He might be able to co-exist with D’Angelo Russell.  It is Russell’s team and Irving will put up a pity party again, the same way he did with the Celtics.  The Knicks are still intending on going after Irving and Kemba Walker, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

    Irving also parted with his agent and is expected to sign with ROC Nation, who has connections with the Nets and Durant.  So, take that as you will.

    The Knicks appear to be out of the running for Anthony Davis.  The leaders in the clubhouse seem to be the Lakers and Celtics.  However, Davis’ agent Rich Paul mentioned that Davis will not sign long-term with Boston.

    Expect more rumors about Davis to come out today and tomorrow, but the Knicks most likely will not be involved.

    The Knicks are also rumored to be “aggressively” going to pursue Raptors Kawhi Leonard.  Leonard to the Knicks is a total pipe dream.  There is no way that Leonard even considers the Knicks.  Leonard is currently on the best team in the East.  Why would be go to the worst team?  Unless, he works something out with other superstars.  Leonard will re-sign with Toronto or go to the Clippers.  Fans should not think that Leonard is actually a realistic option for the Knicks.