Source confirms: The Suns are sending Steve Nash to the Lakers for draft picks.
In pursuit of Steve Nash, Knicks offer Iman Shumpert to Suns in sign-and-trade, sources tell @ESPNSteinLine - http://es.pn/MXq1Jn
Robert Randolph’s tweet looks right. #Knicks closing in on Steve Nash in sign and trade with Phoenix.
UPDATED: SHUMP is included… deal with it how you will. Steve Nash looks to be a Knick.
 Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine)7/3/12 1:14 PM Just going up online and via SportsCenter: Raptors and Knicks’ RFA Landry Fields have agreed to three-year offer sheet |
 Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider)7/3/12 1:27 PM Nope. Can’t match offer sheet AND sign-and-trade RT @KnickScoop: Does this mean #Knicks can match and trade him to PHX? |
This is a bitter pill to swallow as it basically kills the Knicks chances of sign-and-trading for Nash. The only way a deal would work, I believe, would be to include Shumpert. That would make it an even more bitter pill to swallow, in my opinion. Grunwald has his work cut out for him now, as the Atlantic Division teams continue to improve and the Knicks just missed out on their top target.
 IAMAGM.com (@IAMAGM)7/1/12 11:04 PM Knicks offer to Suns for Steve Nash sign-and-trade is Landry Fields, Toney Douglas, Dan Gadzuric & Jerome Jordan dlvr.it/1nqrFP |
If true, this answers a lot of questions about not targeting a guard in the draft. Grunwald obviously had a plan, and he needed to save every dollar possible to execute it. Trading a non-guaranteed contract for a draft pick would have killed the Knicks chances. Nash told Marc Stein in an interview recently he planned to have his free agency status resolved in a day or two, so we may find out later today whether or not he will be a Knick.
 Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman)6/29/12 8:53 AM Stern got hammered by area fans last night but ready to drop appeal on Lin, Novak Bird-rights battle nyp.st/LyY3jE |
On to free agency it is. The Knicks are much more flexible with this settled. I will cover some Mini Mid-level and Bi-Annual Exception options in the coming days.
Last night the Knicks selected Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece. As you could see on Twitter I was very disappointed in the pick, not because I feel Kostas is poor value at the 48th pick, but because the Knicks had a chance to address the thinnest backcourt in the NBA. I never believed they would find a 10 year starter so late in the second round, but after watching last year’s playoffs, and with Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis not expected back for some time, I thought Darius Johnson Odom or Scott Machado could add some much needed guard depth.
With that said, I actually appreciate the long term value a pick like Papanikolaou provides. I still firmly believe adding a cheap, young asset would be of major help to a very thin roster, but luckily there will still be plenty of talent available to sign to free agent Summer League deals. Having Scott Machado and William Buford going undrafted, I think it is imperative the Knicks put the press on guys like these to sign for their Summer League team, and potentially the final roster. If Machado and Buford can be attained, I will be very, very happy with how the draft played out. That is of course if we are ever able to sign Kostas. By the time these Euros are ready to come over they usually command close to the MLE, and who knows if he will be a fit from a cap stand point.
On Papanikolaou the player, everything I have read is saying he provides great value at 48. It’s disappointing he will not be able to help now, as our roster is as thin as can be, but the long term prospects of the franchise have definitely improved. It is good business drafting Euros in the second round, but again, I was expecting a shooter or guard who can play along side Melo the next three years. Papanikolaou probably will not be here for at least another two. And even then who knows.
All in all this is a wise move franchises like the Spurs continually get applauded for, and I am hoping it pays off in similar fashion. Many scouting reports love Kostas’ game, so he has the potential to be a very valuable asset to the organization down the line. Hopefully Greece qualifies for the Olympics through their play-in tournament, as I will be very interested in watching Kostas and our other Greek asset Georgios Printezis. If not, who knows when we will be able to watch these guys play. Until then, enjoy the below highlight video of Papanikolaou in action.
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA)
6/28/12 11:18 PM
New York will select Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece with the 48th pick, league source tells Y! Sports.
Honestly…. I give up… Won’t even be here next year? Awful.
One name that has been heavily linked to the Knicks has been Lamar Odom. The veteran PF endured the worst and most frustrating year of his career last season with the defending champs, Dallas Mavericks. The Point Forward was never himself after being dealt from the Lakers; he looked disinterested in buying into his new team surroundings and was even more ineffective on the hardwood when he did play.
It go so bad that there was a mutual split between Odom and the Mavs prior to the playoffs, where Lamar left the team. The Mavs still retain his rights and are staring at a Friday deadline to either pick up his option or buy him out, so it is in their best interest to try to get something for the disgruntled forward who they don’t want back.
Enter the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz who have stepped to the plate in a potential 3 team deal that would send PG Mo Williams from the Clips to the Jazz and The Mavs would send Odom back to LA, being able to shed his contract without having to take back another contract in the deal.
The one hold up is that Williams still has to decide whether or not to pick up his $8.5 million player option for next season. He could choose to decline that player option and test the free agent market and will now explore his options with his agent. The ball is in Mo Will’s court now and time is of the essence for this proposed offer.
I, for one hope that this deal never comes to fruition as I really want to see Odom in a Knicks uniform next year. I have a strong feeling that if the Mavs can’t find a suitor to take Odom off their hands and their books via a trade before the deadline, that the Knicks will be a very strong candidate for his services.
Coming off an awful year that he must want to just put behind him, he would be returning back home to NY with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. When Odom is motivated, conditioned, and getting minutes he is one of the more unique talents in the league and would be a tremendous weapon to add to our bench. It seems like a perfect marriage for both sides, but for that to happen this deal needs to fall apart
 Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1)6/28/12 2:58 AM Knicks are trying to buy second round pick. Cost in 700G range, plus 473G guarantee…762 2d yr. Last yr NY got Josh Harrellson same way. |
Pretty sure they can’t technically offer money, but they can offer a waivable contract such as Jerome Jordan’s ~$750K. While this isn’t a 1st rounder, an early 2nd rounder in this year’s draft would be just as valuable. Fingers crossed.
The 2012 NBA Draft will begin later on tonight and as it currently sits, our Knicks only hold the 48th pick of the draft. Assuming Grunwald doesn’t get real creative and makes a play for a late 1st rounder for a team who is looking to save money, the Knicks will need to make this pick count.
The roster still has multiple areas of need and with this team being more geared to win in the near future, it would be best to try to find a prospect who is more ready to contribute sooner rather than later. This draft class may not be star-studded, but after the lottery, the field is deep and there won’t be much of difference in the talent level from the late first rounder selections to the 2nd rounders. I would like to see the Knicks target some of these guys who I believe can come in and make some early contributions:
Darius Johnson-Odom
DJO is a rugged, bulldog type player out there on the court. He gets after it on both ends of the floor and can really fill it up with deep range and a pretty looking lefty stroke. The only knock on him is that he is more of a tweener who may be a bit too short to match up well with typical NBA SGs and he hasn’t played PG in college either. He is best suited for a spark plug role off the bench that can provide energy and a little bit of some attitude
Tyshawn Taylor
The NJ product out of St. Anthonys had an up and down career at Kansas, but really put it all together in his last season for the Jayhawks. He is tough as nails and is more of a combo guard than a true PG, but he reminds me a lot of Sixers Free Agent bench gunner – Lou Williams. His decision making can still be questionable at times, but he is a fearless type of player with blazing quickness. I view him as a better and more complete version of former Kansas guard, Mario Chalmers
William Buford
While Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft got all the publicity and media attention for the Buckeyes, it was Buford that was the underrated key to Ohio State’s success over the last few seasons. Buford is a solid scorer with a lanky frame that enabled him to shoot over defenders. He isn’t overly athletic, but just knows how to play the game and is a proven winner out there. His ball handling skills need some work as he depends on his jumper to open the rest of his game up. He reminds me a lot of Aaron Afflalo who also had good size and shooting ability coming out of UCLA, but had question marks on if he could translate to the speed of the NBA
Kevin Jones
Jones had a spectacular senior year for WVU. He was a double double machine and can really stretch the defense with his 3 point shooting range. You gotta love guys who can shoot it off the bench, especially stretch 4 guys who can really open things up on the floor. He might be a bit undersized to be a true 4 but his wingspan makes up for his 6’8 frame. Would love to see him as part of our 2nd unit as another corner 3 option, if Harrellson got the green light from deep last year than Jones could enjoy some real success for us off the bench
Jae Crowder
Crowder is a beast…an undersized beast, but a beast nonetheless. He is rock solid at 6’7 and the only reason he will be a 2nd rounder is because he is another guy who is a tweener and teams are still figuring out what his position would be in the NBA. Crowder beat out the aforementioned Kevin Jones for 2011-12 Big East Player of the Year honors and flashed an overall versatile skill set for Marquette. He is a true inside out guy and I can still see him being a load in the post due to his superior strength. The Knicks want to get tougher and Mr. Crowder would definitely fit the bill, not to mention he rocks the best hair do in the draft
Scott Machado
Machado is the definition of a true floor general. The former Iona PG led the nation in assists last year and displayed some unbelievable court vision. His measurables don’t jump off the page at you, but he is a very savvy player. The Knicks are starved for a backup PG and he would be a great guy to come in and take the reigns of the 2nd unit, something Toney Douglas was not suited for last year. He isn’t a dynamic scorer but is improving his shooting and the Knicks don’t necessarily need scoring from their backup PG, they really need a guy who can push the tempo but who still makes good decisions with the ball – he sported a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio in a run and gun system
Coming on the heels of STAT’s 50k twitter fine for his poor choice of words in response to a heckling fan, it has been reported by ESPN New York that Amare is set to workout with Houston Rockets great, Hakeem Olajuwon.
Amare has had quite the disappointing year, drawing the ire of Knicks fans for his sub par regular season performance, then his great idea of punching a fire extinguisher which put a huge dent in the already slim chances of the Knicks pulling out a playoff series win against the eventual Champions Miami Heat., and most recently, his Twitter mishap.
The shine has all but faded from STAT’s perception with the New York media and fan base. It seemed not that long ago that he was the first star to bring his talents to the Knicks in hope of reviving the floundering franchise. He had burst onto the scene was adored by all for his fiery play and was showered with MVP chants for much of his first year in The Garden.
We all know how capable STAT is and that he is better than what he showed last season, even if you are one of those pundits who insist that Melo and he can’t co-exist on the same court. Not only will he be tasked with trying to restore his on court reputation this upcoming year, but he has now also brought the task on himself of repairing his image with the fan base that once viewed him as that fan favorite type of player.
This is a key off-season for Amare and I love that he is putting in work with a legend like Olajuwon. Could anything bad possibly come out of such tutelage? Maybe some of Hakeem’s defensive prowess can somehow rub off on him.
I am a big time STAT supporter, but he has made it real hard to defend his on court and off the court antics this past year. I refuse to believe that Amare can’t mesh with Melo to the point where he can’t drain the open mid range jumpers that he was automatic from only a season ago. Despite all the question marks and negativity surrounding him, I am definitely looking for a big time bounce back year for the big guy
Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA
The NBA on ESPN @NBAonESPN
Marc Berman @NYPost_Berman
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