Report: Knicks in active talks with Pistons on Derrick Rose trade

By Kurt HelinFeb 6, 2021, 9:46 PM EST

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Derrick Rose could be reunited with coach Tom Thibodeau. Again.

Thibodeau’s New York Knicks are in active talks with the Detroit Pistons to acquire Rose in a trade, reports Shams Charania and James Edwards III of The Athletic.

The New York Knicks are engaged in active talks to acquire the Pistons guard, a move that would reunite the former league MVP with head coach Tom Thibodeau, sources tell The Athletic.

The Pistons and Rose mutually agreed that a trade would be best for both sides, per sources. While there is a great deal of respect for one another, the rebuilding Pistons plan to increase their usage of young players as the season progresses, according to those sources. Rose, meanwhile, has continued to show on the floor that he could improve a team that is in title or playoff contention.

Sources say the Pistons have received interest in Rose from several teams.

Rose was listed as out for the Pistons Saturday night for “personal reasons.”

While teams may call, with Rose being a free agent after this season — and a lot of teams looking to keep a cap on expenses — there is not going to be a robust trading market for Rose. The report says the Clippers have expressed interest, and they have a strong need for a backup point guard (Lou Williams is in that role this season but has taken a step back with pick-and-roll partner Montrezl Harrell gone).

The Knicks would likely send a veteran point guard back to Detroit in the trade. New York starts Elfrid Payton at the point, with impressive rookie Immanuel Quickley and Austin Rivers behind him (although Rivers plays more as a two and subs out RJ Barrett most nights). Payton, Rivers, Frank Ntilikina, or Dennis Smith Jr. — or some combination of that group — would likely be part of the deal.

From Detroit’s perspective, Ntilikina might make the most sense because he defends well and they could get an up-close look at him before he becomes a free agent this offseason, plus the Pistons would save a little money.

The Knicks are 11-13 — one of the young season’s biggest surprises — currently sit as the six seed in the East, and have their eye on a playoff, or at least play-in series, berth. Bringing in Rose would give them a solid veteran scorer and shot creator to add to the mix. And it’s someone Thibodeau trusts.

Rose is averaging 14.2 points in 22 minutes a game this season, shooting 33.3% from three. Rose’s efficiency has taken a step back this season from the level that had him seventh in the Sixth Man of the Year voting last season (and sixth the season before that), but he is still a valuable veteran off the bench who could help several teams.

Including the Knicks as they try to make a playoff run.

Paul George has to be helped off court after fourth quarter leg injury

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 2:38 AM EDT

Hopefully this is not serious, not something that changes the playoff picture in the West.

The Clippers’ Paul George went down with 4:38 left in the game Tuesday night after a collision with Lu Dort going for a rebound.

Here’s the play where Paul George suffered what appears to be a leg injury. pic.twitter.com/k0JbXyrXvn

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 22, 2023

George had to be helped back to the locker room and struggled to put any weight on his leg.

PG was helped off the floor after an apparent leg injury 🙏 pic.twitter.com/1KQwlgbteg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2023

After the game, Tyronn Lue said George was still being evaluated and had no update on his status. George was seen exiting the arena on the back of a cart with his right leg extended, according to the AP.

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾PG

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) March 22, 2023

George had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists before exiting the game. On the season he is playing at an All-NBA level averaging 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game, and the Clippers are 6.8 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court.

The Thunder went on to win 101-100 in a game filled with drama, including a technical foul for Kawhi Leonard, an ejection of Terrence Mann, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 31 points, and Lou Dort locking up Leonard in the final seconds.

Grizzlies Ja Morant: ‘My job now is… to be more responsible’

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 1:39 AM EDT

While his coach said he anticipates Ja Morant will return to the court Wednesday for the Grizzlies, Morant downplayed expectations and said things are “still in the air.”

Whether the official return is Wednesday or a few days later, Morant is back practicing with teammates and spoke to the media for the first time since his suspension. He once again was apologetic.

“I’m completely sorry for that,” Morant said, via the Associated Press. “So, you know, my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don’t cause any of that no more.”

Morant was suspended eight games by the NBA after flashing a gun in a club and broadcasting it on social media, something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called “irresponsible” and “reckless.” Morant used that time to go into counseling at a facility in Florida but added he “never had an alcohol problem.”.

“I went there to counseling to learn how to manage stress,” Morant said. “Cope with stress in a positive way, instead of ways I’ve tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes.”

Morant said that his treatment is an “ongoing process,” adding that he was getting off social media and letting his actions speak for him.

Morant and his associates had incidents before that caught the attention of people around the league — including a run-in with Indiana Pacers security — however, this incident in a Colorado club was the first one that hit him in the wallet. The suspension cost him $668,659 in game pay, plus one of his major sponsors — Powerade — pulled an ad campaign featuring him that would have run heavily during March Madness.

The biggest hit is Morant possibly missing out on an All-NBA guard spot. Morant could make $39 million more over the five-year extension that kicks in next season if he makes one of the three All-NBA teams. However, the guard spot is especially crowded with deserving players this season and this incident and the missed games do not help his cause.

Hart will be free agent this summer seeking new contract, ‘would love for it to be New York’

By Kurt HelinMar 21, 2023, 6:36 PM EDT

Josh Hart‘s play since coming to the Knicks has made him a lot of money.

Already a darling of many front offices, Hart has been a seamless fit in New York, averaging 11.1 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Tom Thibodeau, playing quality defense, and being the kind of plug-and-play wing every team can use. He’s quickly become a fan favorite in New York, but the Knicks will have to pay up to keep him. Hart has a player option for $12.9 million next season that he is widely expected to decline — there’s a lot more money and years available to him on the open market.

Hart told Marc Spears of ESPN’s Andscape he wants to find a home, and he hopes that it is in New York.

“I want bigger things for my wife and myself,” Hart said. “Just find a home somewhere where we are valued and really like living there. And I think that can be New York. I would love for it to be New York and hopefully the organization feels the same way. Coming up, this contract is hopefully my biggest one, one where I’m making sure my family’s fully taken care of. So, I’ve also got to take that into account, too.”

That is the polite way of saying, “I like it here but you’re not getting a discount.”

While Hart will have made a tidy $33 million in his career when this season ends, his next four-year contract will be worth more than double that amount — this is the deal that sets up generational wealth for Hart’s family. This is a business and he has to make the decision best for him, as much as he may love the Knicks.

Expect the Knicks to pay up, especially as long as Thibodeau is around. This is a deal that should come together.

But first, Hart and the Knicks are headed to the playoffs, and Madison Square Garden will be rocking. It’s going to be the kind of experience that makes a guy want to stay with a team.

Hall of Famer, Knicks legend Willis Reed dies at 80

By Kurt HelinMar 21, 2023, 5:08 PM EDT

Willis Reed, the legendary Knicks’ center whose dramatic entrance onto the Madison Square Garden floor minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals sparked the team to its first title, has died at the age of 80.

The National Basketball Retired Players Association announced Reed’s passing. While no cause of death was announced, it was known Reed had been in poor health for some time.

“Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks’ championship teams in the early 1970s. He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports.

“As a league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP and member of the NBA’s 50^th and 75^th Anniversary Teams, Willis was a decorated player who took great pride in his consistency. Following his playing career, Willis mentored the next generation as a coach, team executive and proud HBCU alumnus. We send our deepest condolences to Willis’ wife, Gale, his family, and many friends and fans.”

Reed had an amazing career — highlighted by the two NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVP awards, plus being a seven-time All-Star — but he is best remembered for a legendary 1969-70 season. That year he became the first player to sweep the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals MVP awards.

However, it was him walking out on the court for Game 7 of the Finals in 1970 — after he suffered a thigh injury in Game 5 and had to miss Game 6 of the series, and the Knicks had no answer for the Lakers’ Wilt Chamberlain without him — that became the moment of legend. Reed scored four early points that game, and while he was limited the rest of the way he sparked the team to its first title (Walt Frazier’s 36 points and 19 assists had something to do with the win, too).

Our Captain. pic.twitter.com/2Bg1ro4y37

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 21, 2023

Reed was born in 1942 in Hico, Louisiana, and stayed in the state through college, leading Grambling State to the 1961 NAIA title. Considered an undersized center at 6’9 “, teams quickly learned he played much bigger than that as he went on to win the 1965 Rookie of the Year award.

Reed averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds a season over the course of his career, and he had his No.19 retired by the Knicks. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Check out more on the Knicks

Here is more on the Clippers

Check out more on the Grizzlies

Check out more on the Knicks

Here's more on the Knicks