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Knicks will keep general manager Scott Perry for next season

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The Knicks will keep roster decision-maker Scott Perry next season. Here’s New York Newsday reporting:

The Leon Rose era will begin with a familiar face: The Knicks have decided to retain Scott Perry as general manager.

They confirmed that Perry will remain with a statement from Rose, the new team president.

“Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said.

While the season remains in limbo right now because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Knicks needed to make a decision on Perry because of a mutual option set to trigger on May 1.

The Knicks roster will likely undergo huge changes in the next offseason. Perry’s main goal at this point is to find long-term building blocks, and to avoid giving superstar-level free agent contracts to players who are not superstars.

Checking in with Heat guard Tyler Herro

Here’s ESPN.com checking in on young Heat guard Tyler Herro:

For the season, Herro ranks eighth among rookies in scoring (12.9 points), seventh in 20-point games (9) and tied for first with 2.1 3-pointers per game.

His seven made 3-pointers on Jan. 22 against the Washington Wizards were the most in a game by a Heat rookie in franchise history and tied for the most by any rookie this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. However, Herro is still not satisfied.

“I just hope that they open as soon as possible,” Herro said of practice facilities possibly reopening soon. “Obviously, hoping everybody stays safe … but we would all love to get back into the facilities and start working out and stuff like that again on a normal routine.”

The NBA season is on hold, but there’s still hope that either it will resume — likely in condensed form — or some sort of playoffs can take place.

To Warriors coach Steve Kerr, the NBA season feels over

The NBA season has been put on hold since mid March. But it hasn’t officially been canceled. Though, it certainly won’t surprise anyone if that’s what winds up happening. And soon. Here’s ESPN.com reporting what Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on Tuesday:

As the NBA continues to try to find ways to salvage the end of its season as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that his team is operating as if its season is over.

“It feels like the offseason,” Kerr said during a video conference call in conjunction with the University of San Francisco on Tuesday. “And, in fact, we had a Zoom call, Bob Myers and I got on a Zoom with our players, our whole roster last week. And it was just a chance to check in, but it was also a chance for Bob to update the players on his contact with the league and the latest news, but it also kind of felt like our annual team exit meeting. Our coaching staff and I have been undergoing staff evaluations, offseason plans, so we are absolutely in offseason mode right now.”

As other teams in playoff contention try to keep their teams focused on a possible resumption of play, Kerr said that though the Warriors remain in communication with all their players and staffers, the team isn’t concerned about a possible resumption, given that Golden State had a league-worst 15-50 record when the season was suspended on March 11.

Clarity on the matter will likely come sometime in May.

Instead of playing college hoops, HS senior Daishen Nix signs with G League

High school senior Daishen Nix has signed to play in the NBA G League next season, it was announced today by NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Nix is ranked by ESPN as the top player in Nevada and No. 20 in the nation in the Class of 2020.

Nix comes to the NBA G League from Trinity International School in Las Vegas, Nev., where he was named a 2020 McDonald’s All-American. He joins fellow consensus five-star recruits Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd in signing to play in the NBA G League for the 2020-21 season.

Per ESPN.com, “Nix is the third player to join the G League from the 2020 class, following No. 1 prospect Jalen Green and five-star forward Isaiah Todd, both of whom made the decision earlier this month. Nix is the first player to renege on a signed letter of intent to join the G League.”

And per the Los Angeles Times, regarding the G League, “the league offers high school graduates the opportunity to essentially have a year-long paid apprenticeship in a professional environment, complete with access to facilities, coaches, trainers and player development experts. One of the sites being considered as home base for the select team is the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.”

In the G League, Nix will have the opportunity to accelerate his on-court development as he learns NBA-style basketball while also focusing heavily on life skills development for his professional career.

Details of the new team Nix, Green and Todd will play for, which will be unaffiliated with any existing NBA G League franchise or NBA team, are forthcoming.

Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon now fully healed

There’s no pro basketball about to be played anytime soon, but here’s some good news on the Pacers front from the Indianapolis Star:

Malcolm Brogdon is ready to go if the NBA season resumes. Saturday, the Indiana Pacers posted a video from their starting point guard on their social media accounts that he’s fully healed from a hip/thigh injury that kept him out the last three games before the hiatus because of COVID-19.

“I’m doing great. I’ve been doing as much as I can under this quarantine but I’m 100%,” Brogdon said in the video. “I’ve been on my Peleton bike and I’ve been running hills in my backyard.”

The Pacers were 39-26 when league play was put on hold in mid March.

Paul Eboua reportedly entering the 2020 NBA draft

Here’s ESPN.com reporting on an international draft prospect who feels he’s ready to make the leap:

Cameroonian power forward Paul Eboua has submitted paperwork to the league office to make himself eligible for the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Saturday…

Eboua, the No. 53 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, had a productive season in the Italian first division with Pesaro, averaging 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22 minutes per game…

Standing 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Eboua has ideal physical tools for a power forward prospect.

Eboua’s stats are pretty modest for a player looking to enter the NBA. But stats never tell the whole story, and that’s especially true of overseas prospects.

The 2020 draft is scheduled for June 25, but due to the global coronavirus pandemic, any and all scheduled dates for just about anything, in and out of sports, are subject to change.

Makur Maker reportedly entering the 2020 NBA draft

Lately, with pro sports on hold, most NBA news has focused on learning which players will be putting their names into the 2020 draft. Here’s ESPN.com with a Saturday report:

Makur Maker — a 6-foot-11 Kenyan-born Australian living in the United States — is entering the 2020 NBA draft, sources told ESPN on Saturday…

Maker, the No. 75 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, has taken a circuitous route to the NBA draft. He was born in Kenya to South Sudanese parents, emigrated to Perth, Australia, in 2001 and moved to California in 2015. He joined his cousins (Detroit Pistons forward) Thon and Matur Maker in Ontario, and was home-schooled from 2016 to 2018 while attending showcases in the United States.

A lawsuit has reportedly been filed against SeatGeek

Here’s the New York Post reporting on a sports-related ticketing service lawsuit:

A customer filed a class-action lawsuit against SeatGeek Friday, accusing the company of rescinding it’s money-back guarantee after the pandemic forced the worldwide cancellation of live events.

William Trader alleges that the company — which sells tickets to concerts, the theater and sports — modified its ‘buyer guarantee’ that had promised customers a full cash refund if an event is canceled and not rescheduled. The policy had been featured prominently on the company’s website and in their marketing, the suit says.

Aleksej Pokusevski to enter the 2020 NBA draft

With league play on hold, the main news in basketball these days revolves around the draft, scheduled for late June. Here’s ESPN.com reporting on an overseas talent:

Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski has submitted paperwork to the league office to make himself eligible for the 2020 NBA draft, his agent Alexander Raskovic told ESPN.

Pokusevski, the No. 27 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, had a productive season in the Greek second division with Olympiacos, averaging 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 blocks in 23 minutes per game. He led the U18 European Championship in blocks this summer with 4 per game, while finishing in the top 10 in rebounds, steals and assists.

Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa to enter 2020 NBA draft

Here’s ESPN.com reporting on a top prospect for the next NBA draft:

Memphis freshman forward Precious Achiuwa is entering the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Friday…

Achiuwa, the No. 12 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, emerged as one of the most productive freshmen in college basketball, winning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.

He averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals for the Tigers, establishing himself as one of the most versatile defenders in the country.

Achiuwa is listed at 6-foot-9, 225 lbs, and was born in Queens, New York.

The draft is scheduled for its usual time — late June — though the NBA may issue some scheduling updates in May that could change just about anything as far as 2020 events are concerned.