Pistons free agent center Greg Monroe said Sunday he will meet with five teams this week, including the Knicks, and said he wants to play for a club ready to win. He also seemed to be campaigning to stay in his hometown.
Monroe, who is from Louisiana, said at his basketball clinic in New Orleans hes looking for a two-year deal with an opt-out after one season to take advantage of the coming rise of the salary cap.
According to the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate, Monroe will speak with the Knicks, Celtics, Bucks, and Blazers with the Pistons out of the picture. Free agency begins Wednesday.
Im looking to be with a team thats ready to win, Monroe told the newspaper. Hopefully it will be a team where Im the missing piece.-NYPOST
Meanwhile, USA Today reports that the Mavericks, Lakers, and Knicks will join the Clippers in holding meetings with Jordan, while the Bucks unfortunately for the were unable to pique the big man's interest.
The 26-year-old free agent center who spent his first seven seasons with the Clippers is clearly giving serious thought to changing jerseys, as three people with knowledge of his situation said he is expected to meet with at least four teams the Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks in the first few days of free agency. The meetings are expected to take place in the Los Angeles office where Jordan's representatives, Dan Fegan and Happy Walters of Relativity Sports, are based. The people spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the process.
NJ.com
Jeremy Lin, who was the most celebrated athlete in New York in 2011 when he became a surprise starter with the Knicks and ignited "Linsanity," could be returning to New York during free agency.
The point guard, who, while playing for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, hasn't achieved the success he had in New York, could be a Knicks target as they look for inexpensive, short-term players to form a bridge to the future during a total rebuilding of the organization.
When he returned to the Garden with the Lakers in April, Lin played 24 minutes and scored just four points in a 92-80 loss.
"Every time I come back, I always have great memories," Lin said then. "I remember those great times. I'm always thankful. Coming back to New York with these fans at the Garden, that was very special to me and I'll always cherish that."
Caron Butler
After his release from the Milwaukee Bucks before July 1, Caron Butler has emerged as a candidate for the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, a league source told RealGM.
The Lakers and New York Knicks also expect to make an inquiry on Butler, a 13-year NBA veteran who has averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds for his career.
David Aldridge & #10004;@daldridgetnt
An under the radar free agent will be Dallas' Al-Faroqu Aminu. Sked to visit NYK, BOS, POR, TOR & NOP, w/Mavs still in mix.
Re the money, he says:
So people not affiliated with the Knicks say we're the front runners, and point out that if we sign Monroe we still have enough left to pay Afflalo 36-38. Not that we'd give him that much.
Link - ( New Window )
You can only keep Phil Jackson down for so long. My sources tell me the Knicks will have a free-agent hauling, with Monroe leading the way.
You can only keep Phil Jackson down for so long. My sources tell me the Knicks will have a free-agent hauling, with Monroe leading the way.
His sources...
If half of the rumors I've heard today are true, it's going to be one of the wildest NBA drafts in history. NBA fans, fasten your seat belts
Don't feel strongly about this one way or the other. I would prefer Green at that price if possible though
Woj is special. He is a fantastic reporter. When he gets news I believe it. But as of now he's just reporting on league sources rumors, not what is gonna happen.
Marc J. Spears @SpearsNBAYahoo 14s14 seconds ago
The Knicks will not be extending a qualifying offer to forward Quincy Acy, which makes him an unrestricted free agent, source told Yahoo.
Woj is special. He is a fantastic reporter. When he gets news I believe it. But as of now he's just reporting on league sources rumors, not what is gonna happen.
Woj has great sources but even he doesnt have sources close to Phil...when Phil was being hired by the Knicks he said Knicks ha dno chace to get him and the next day Phil was hired....
Signing Afflalo at 30 is a "win now" move and you can't win now if there's no rim protection and it's not like we have the defensive versatility to play small ball.
Signing Afflalo at 30 is a "win now" move and you can't win now if there's no rim protection and it's not like we have the defensive versatility to play small ball.
The eventual cap rise is baked into the cake in all of these negotiations though. Everyone on that rough Afflalo tier is going to get paid similarly. Danny Green may even be slightly north of that. If you aren't interested in chasing those guys that's fine, but it was a pipe dream to expect to get either of those guys south of double digit millions annually. 27 million was never going to address quite as many needs as some thought
Sources tell @Chris_Broussard Melo is recruiting LaMarcus Aldridge + DeAndre Jordan and both have NYK in their top 4
Lakers & Rockets get the first crack at LaMarcus on Tuesday night. Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Raptors are in Wednesday. Knicks on Thursday.
Sense I get from latest calls is Marc Gasol, Kevin Love & Millsap are staying put. Aldridge, Monroe & DJ are in play
Just checked and still no official word on David west and his reported decision to opt out. Has 1159 pm deadline. Stay tuned. Or go to bed..
Thanks. Im not stupid. I understand how cap inflation works.
I dont think Afflalo is worth 9 million at old money for the coming seasons. The guy just never developed and IMO is more name than game changer. When he was 26 he was worth this contract or more. But now what are you paying for?
LaMarcus Aldridge is leaning towards signing with the Lakers, reports the LA Times. A lot can change from now until free agency begins.
Wouldn't mind a starting 5 of the following:
Grant
Green
Melo
West
Deandre Jordan
Bench
Shved
Kristapas
Galloway
The second Ed pick from last year can't remember his name
Vet min
Vet min
I know it's not the greatest team but you get younger with deandre and green who both play above average defense. You get a savy veteran in west. Then next year you go all out for Conley, assuming no chance at durant.
LaMarcus Aldridge is leaning towards signing with the Lakers, reports the LA Times. A lot can change from now until free agency begins.
Please make this happen!
Yeah, this thread is for the CONNECTICUT Knicks, amirite?
I wouldn't mind Hibbert on the cheap at all next season either by the way. Same guy at half the current salary is a steal, he's a legitimate anchor defensively who has had multiple number 1 defenses built around his paint protection and mastery of the verticality concept.
Is Kobe, assuming he plays in 60 games, really any more effective than Lillard at this point? Assuming they get a defensive center, this team is just a worse version of Portland last year with a much shittier coach.
Is Russell as a rookie going to be better than Matthews, Afflalo and Batum combined?
Seriously, does anyone realize how bad this defense is going to be? I get Lillard was bad but theres no way Russell was any better, and Matthews and Batum are defensive specialists. Aldridge is mediocre at best. This is 8th seed material. Maybe they are hoping to recruit better players with Aldridge but this team is not contending, let alone winning a championship, anytime soon.
I knew Aldridge liked the Rockets better than what was being reported all season (LMAO at all the LMA-Mavs talk compared to no LMA-HOU talk... common sense people), but it's still great to see the Rockets be officially linked to him as the team getting the 2nd meeting on the 1st night.
Aldridge is 30 and the Rockets give him a far better chance to win over the next 3 years than the Lakers do. Should be a simple enough sell. I'd prefer Aldridge goes to the Lakers over the Spurs though if it's not Houston.
If we don't have to get rid of DMo, then I'm fine giving up on the other 3 guys + trash for Aldridge.
And the Rockets can keep DMo from what I'm seeing. Ariza's deal being so damn attractive is going to help them out.
It's cute that Aldridge is giving the Mavs a meeting, not surprised that a star player wants to see what kind of pitch Cuban can make during FA. But that was always a joke destination for LMA.
It's the Spurs, Lakers, and Rockets for LMA in that order imo. Or Portland, but I doubt he goes back.
Afflalo has had a negative DRPM the past 2 seasons. I know one stat isn't the be all end all, but it's probably not a good sign when a guys team performs better defensively when he is off the court, especially when he is best known for being a defensive stopper. He was ranked 70th among shooting guards defensively this past season and 65th the year before that.
Just for some context, he are the top 10 SGs defensively for the most recent season according to DRPM:
Khris Middleton, Nick Calathes, Elijah Milsap, Andre Roberson, Wes Matthews, Alan Anderson, Danny Green, Iman Shumpert, Manu Ginobili, Kyle Korver (lol)...so definitely a lot of the names you would expect to see, but judging by Korver making the top 10 not the perfect stat.
that is a useful player but not a 9m player