Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga interviewed for the New York Knicks coaching vacancy last week between Games 3 and 4 of Boston's first-round series vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. "They're in the middle of their process. We're in the middle of our process. I appreciated them coming out here. Obviously all my focus is on the Milwaukee Bucks."
Former Knick Stephon Marbury will serve as chairman in Sun Seven Stars Investment Group's new sports blockchain group, the company announced. The company says that, together with his new teammates, Marbury will be creating platforms for digital assets in sports.
ESPN Insider Bobby Marks is breaking down the moves each eliminated team can and should make in the offseason.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Mike Budenholzer remains a candidate for the Knicks job after interviewing with the club on Sunday. The Knicks would no longer need to compensate Atlanta to hire Budenholzer, which adds intrigue to their coaching search.
Mohamed Bamba, a projected top-five pick in June's draft, said that had the opportunity been in place, he would have jumped straight from high school to the NBA.
Thomas sent the game to overtime but lost a playoff duel with Bernard King
Meek Mill is seated courtside opposite the Heat bench next to comedian Kevin Hart and Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin.
Ex-Knick Pablo Prigioni will join the Nets as an assistant coach to Kenny Atkinson, the club announced. The Nets also hires Tiago Splitter as a pro scout. Splitter will also have duties related to on-court player development.
New offseason look for Knicks center Joakim Noah, via his Instagram account:
Spurs assistant Ettore Messina and former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale will interview for the Hornets job, league sources told ESPN.
We have a fight in Heat-Sixers. James Johnson and Ben Simmons had to be separated. Many players, including Joel Embiid, tried to get involved.
Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer will meet with the New York Knicks on Sunday, per league sources.
The Knicks are meeting with David Blatt in Europe next week about their head-coaching job, and plan to interview Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer and Spurs assistant coach James Borrego, sources said.
Tony Reali and the national panel weigh in on Joel Embiid's performance Thursday, acknowledging that Woody Paige's prediction was correct. They then recap Anthony Davis' performance against Portland, and discuss if Kristaps Porzingis will stay in New York.
High praise from ex-Knicks great Charles Oakley for Sixers center Joel Embiid: "We haven't seen anyone like Joel Embiid since Wilt Chamberlain," Oakley wrote on Twitter.
Jeff Hornacek handled tough situations in New York, including owner Jim Dolan's mishandling of the Charles Oakley incident, with class. Dolan did the opposite of that when he criticized Hornacek in an interview with the New York Post a week after his firing. I understand management explaining the decision after it happens. There's need for Dolan to add to it a week later.
Knicks owner James Dolan, in an interview with the New York Post, said Phil Jackson ‘underestimated' his job as Knicks coach: "The entire market wanted to me to hire him and when I did, the entire market said it was a great move. The only thing was, everyone said that I shouldn't interfere with him. Three years later, everyone wanted to know when I was going to do something about Phil. The same people who told me not to interfere wanted me to interfere. But that's OK. I just think that Phil underestimated the job."
Knicks owner James Dolan, in an interview with the NY Post, takes an unnecessary shot at ex-head coach Jeff Hornacek. "I think Hornacek had the same kind of issue that Phil (Jackson) did in that he didn't grasp how different the players are now in the way they think and deal with management and the coaches," Dolan said. "I think he was way behind on that." Why trash Hornacek a week after you fired him?
Knicks owner Jim Dolan, in an interview with the New York Post, doesn't rule out the possibility of Kristaps Porzingis missing the entire 2018-19 season following ACL surgery. He adds that Porzingis is a player the Knicks need to build around. Porzingis is eligible for a 5-year, $157 million extension this summer.
Kenny Smith, an analyst for TNT, will interview with the Knicks for their head-coaching job on Friday, a source told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. The Knicks are looking to replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired after the season.
A Times Square video billboard tells the Knicks to hire ex-NYK coach Jeff Van Gundy:
Knicks coaching candidate David Fizdale was integral to the Miami Heat's success as an assistant and did well in Memphis during his short stint as head coach there. But he was reportedly let go amid an early-season losing streak and a poor relationship with star Marc Gasol. That will likely be a topic of conversation when Fizdale interviews with Knicks management, though one Memphis source with knowledge of the situation says the situation shouldn't be viewed as a demerit for Fizdale. If he's as strong a communicator as Erika Spoelstra says, that will likely go a long way with NYK management.
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 59 | 23 | .720 | - | L1 |
| Boston | 55 | 27 | .671 | 4 | W1 |
| Philadelphia | 52 | 30 | .634 | 7 | W16 |
| New York | 29 | 53 | .354 | 30 | W1 |
| Brooklyn | 28 | 54 | .341 | 31 | L1 |
| RD(PK) | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(8) | Frank Ntilikina | PG | |
| 2(14) | Damyean Dotson | SG | Houston |
| 2(28) | Ognjen Jaramaz | PG |
| YEAR | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 29 | 53 | .354 |
| 2016-17 | 31 | 51 | .378 |
| 2015-16 | 32 | 50 | .390 |
| 2014-15 | 17 | 65 | .207 |
| 2013-14 | 37 | 45 | .451 |
