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The Knicks have waived forward Jamel Artis.
Artis, 6-7, 215-pounds, appeared in one preseason game, scoring five points over 11 minutes. He was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on Aug. 18, following a four-year collegiate career at the University of Pittsburgh.
He wasn’t expected to make the team, so this is not a surprise.
The roster stands at 19 players.
Generally, every team that isn’t in a serious rebuilding period aims to make the playoffs. And although it looks like the Knicks are rebuilding, Tim Hardaway Jr isn’t thinking that way. Here’s the NY Post reporting:
When Tim Hardaway Jr. was introduced to the estimated 4,000 fans inside the Garden for Sunday’s Knicks open practice/intrasquad scrimmage, he heard as loud a cheer as there was for Kristaps Porzingis.
If fans still are irate over the contract (four years, $71 million) Hardaway was given in July, they also seemed happy he’s back for a second stint. For his part, Hardaway isn’t thinking about his big payday but another “P”-word — playoffs.
“At this point, I really couldn’t care less,” Hardaway said of the July media/fan backlash. “People need to move on and move forward with that. That’s in the past. We got to get ready for the season. If they’re still harping on that, their mind’s on something else. I’m focused on the team and here to win. I know my teammates and coaching staff and everybody in that front office has to have faith and trust in me that I’m going to go out there and do everything to help the team win.
“My expectation is for this team to make the playoffs.”
Some aspects of a team’s coaching are primarily handled by one coach. Other aspects are more of a group effort. Here’s the New York Post reporting on the latest Knicks coaching responsibility shift:
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Jeff Hornacek indicated Kurt Rambis won’t be in charge of the defense this season, losing his title of defensive coordinator. The Knicks head coach said it will be done by committee.
In the opening week of last season, with the defense struggling, Hornacek said Rambis would be the assistant in charge of defense. Things improved only marginally as the club changed how it defended pick-and-rolls.
In Phoenix, Hornacek carried Mike Longabardi as defensive coordinator. After Longabardi was fired by the Suns, he hooked on with the Cavaliers. Sources said Hornacek would have loved to have brought Longabardi, who has New York roots, to the Garden with him.
The New York Knicks have waived guard Chasson Randle.
Randle, 6-2, 185-pounds, averaged 5.3 points and 12.5 minutes in 18 games off the bench for the Knicks during the 2016-17 season after signing with the team a second time on Feb. 27 following being waived by Philadelphia.
The Carmelo Anthony era in New York is officially over.
The Knicks acquired center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott and Chicago’s 2018 second-round draft pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Anthony today.
“This is a deal we feel works for both this franchise and Carmelo. We thank him for his seven seasons in a Knicks uniform and all that he accomplished off the court for the City of New York by using his platform to address social issues,” President Steve Mills said. “We will continue to focus on this team looking forward towards the immediate and long-term future. As we have said recently, this is a new beginning for the New York Knicks.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Carmelo to Oklahoma City and the Thunder organization,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “In addition to his skill level, experience, and unique talents, Carmelo is another high character, professional player for our roster.”
Anthony, (6-8, 240) a 10-time All-Star and 14-year NBA veteran joins the Thunder having appeared in 976 career games (all starts) while averaging 24.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.06 steals in 36.2 minutes.
Anthony currently ranks 25th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (24,156 points) and he is one of six players in league history (alongside Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce) to record 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals and 1,000 3-point field goals.
Anthony led the NBA in scoring during the 2012-13 season (28.7 points per game) and during the 2009-10 season, he became the third youngest player in NBA history to reach the 12,000-point plateau (behind LeBron James and Kobe Bryant).
A three-time Olympic gold medalist, Anthony is the United States Olympic Men’s National Team’s all-time leading scorer. After winning Gold in Rio de Janeiro, Anthony was named the 2016 Basketball Co-Male Athlete of the Year.
Originally selected by the Denver Nuggets with the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Anthony helped lead Syracuse to a National Championship during his freshman season in which he was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Kanter, 6-11, 245-pounds, is a six-year NBA veteran who holds career averages of 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 445 games played for Utah and Oklahoma City. In 72 games for the Thunder last season, the 25-year-old Switzerland native averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds, while recording the second-most point-rebound double-doubles in the NBA off the bench with 18.
McDermott, 6-8, 225-pounds, is a three-year NBA who holds career averages of 8.0 points in 183 games played for Chicago and Oklahoma City. In 66 games for the Bulls and Thunder last season, the 25-year-old Grand Forks, ND native averaged 9.0 points and 22.8 minutes.
“We acquired two 25-year-old players in this deal that we can develop, while sticking with our overall strategy of emphasizing youth and athleticism. With this trade, we have added scoring and aggressiveness to our frontcourt, and bolstered the team’s perimeter shooting,” Knicks General Manager Scott Perry said. “We are glad to have finalized a trade that made sense for all of us.”
The first thing we tend to learn as NBA training camps open up is seeing which players look visibly thinner, heavier, fitter, etc. And if the numbers below are accurate, Michael Beasley should look his thinnest in a very long tie. Here’s the NY Post reporting on the new Knicks forward:
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While Beasley complimented Joakim Noah for showing up at workouts “cut up with 25 abs,’’ their new small forward is proud of the offseason weight he lost on a vegan-oriented diet. Beasley cut out sugar and chicken fillet sandwiches and limited cheesesteaks to twice a month. Beasley said he’s dropped from the 235-240 range to 215.
“I’m the only guy you ever met 10 years removed from college that’s 20 pounds lighter,’’ Beasley said. “I got a lot more energy, my body fat is zero, so I feel great. Hopefully I get faster, jump higher and my wind is better. We’ll see.”
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The Knicks have signed guard Jarrett Jack.
Jack, 6-3, 200-pounds, holds career averages of 11.0 points and 4.5 assists over 28.1 minutes in 805 games over 12 seasons with Portland, Indiana, Toronto, New Orleans, Golden State, Cleveland and Brooklyn. The Fort Washington, MD-native appeared in two games for New Orleans last season after averaging 12.8 points, 7.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds over 32.1 minutes in 32 games for Brooklyn in 2015-16. He was originally selected by Denver with the 22nd overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft.
Here’s the NY Post with the latest on the long, drawn-out saga between Charles Oakley and Knicks owner James Dolan/Madison Square Garden:
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Charles Oakley’s battle with his former employer and current nemesis is not over yet.
Oakley is preparing to file a civil law suit stemming from the February incident in which he was forcibly removed from Madison Square Garden after an altercation with security, according to an ESPN report.
Oakley’s fight with Madison Square Garden and Knicks owner James Dolan, in particular, has been a long, drawn-out ordeal with both sides behaving badly at times.
Here’s NY Newsday reporting on the Knicks, who are no longer led by Phil Jackson but have a lot of work to do in reshaping themselves as a squad:
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Allan Houston did have kind words for his new bosses, president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry. “Steve and Scott have been intentional in their language about what we want to be,” said Houston, who played nine of his 12 seasons with the Knicks. “It starts with identifying what you want to be and then going out and doing it. When I was here playing, it was very exciting and we had an identity. It’s about establishing that identity again. From what I’ve seen, the players are buying into it. I think it’s the first time in a long time that’s been the case.”
Though clearly not intended as a criticism, Houston’s observation was a commentary on the tenure of the Knicks’ previous president, Phil Jackson; the direction in which Jackson wanted to take the team never seemed clear. The current regime appears committed to getting younger and more athletic. To that end, the Knicks brought back shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., signing him to a huge free-agent contract this offseason.
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The Knicks have signed forwards Jamel Artis and Nigel Hayes and guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
Until we hear otherwise, we will assume these are non-guaranteed or very partially-guaranteed deals that merely bring these players to training camp.
Artis, 6-7, 213-pounds, played four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, averaging 12.6 points, on 47-percent shooting, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 27.6 minutes in 135 games. As a senior, he averaged 18.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 3.3 assists over 34.3 minutes in 32 games. Artis finished his career as one of three players in the program’s history to register at least 1,600 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in a career. The Baltimore, MD-native was a member of the Knicks’ entry in the 2017 NBA summer league in Orlando, FL to average 8.8 points over 19.4 minutes in five games.
Hayes, 6-8, 254-pounds, played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, averaging 12.4 points, on 44.6-percent shooting, and 5.3 rebounds over 29.6 minutes in 150 games. As a senior, he averaged 14.0 points and 6.6 rebounds over 32.4 minutes in 37 games. His postseason honors included the 2015-16 All-Big Ten First Team and 2013-14 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year and helped his Badger squad reach the 2014-15 National Championship game. Hayes ranks third on Wisconsin’s all-time scoring list (1,857 points) and is the only Badger to end his career in the school’s Top-10 in points, rebounds and assists. The Toledo, OH-native was a member of the Knicks’ entry in the 2017 NBA summer league in Orlando, FL to average 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds over 15.4 minutes in five games.
Rathan-Mayes, 6-4, 208-pounds, played three seasons at Florida State University, averaging 12.4 points and 4.5 assists over 30.5 minutes in 100 games. As a junior (2016-17), he averaged 10.6 points on 45.3-percent shooting, 4.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds over 27.7 minutes in 35 games. He is fourth in Seminole history with 451 career assists and earned 2016-17 All-ACC Defensive team honors. The Markham, Ontario-native was a member of the Knicks’ entry in the 2017 NBA summer league in Orlando, FL to average 6.0 points and 3.5 assists over 17.8 minutes in four games.