Billups Gives an Update on his Status

Chauncey Billups was in Massachuests at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame yesterday to recive the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award. The NYPost caught up with him and he addressed some off-season questions including the status of the knee, rookie draft pick Iman Shumpert and a few other concerns.

"I'm getting better. I'm just now starting to work on the court, individual workouts," Billups said. "Not yet 5-on-5, but it's feeling a lot better."

 

"I heard a lot of good things about him," Billups said. "I never got chance to see him play. If things I heard about him is true, it will be a good pick for us."

Read more: HERE

Carmelo Anthony Purchases Penthouse in NYC

 

 via NYPOST.com

Carmelo and La La Anthony have snapped up a luxe penthouse duplex at the Hit Factory Condominium, the former recording studio where Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger, Diana Ross and Notorious B.I.G. all laid down tracks.
The Knicks star and his reality-TV wife have already moved into the building at 421 W. 54th St., between Ninth and 10th avenues, sources say. The couple's moving vans were spotted outside last week.

Read more: HERE

 

Hit Factory BLDG formerly the famous Hit Factory Studios

images via ICEDOTCOM

Charles Barkley Apologizes to Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh

via NYPost.com

"I have a rule, I try to always be honest and fair on TV," Barkley said. "I screwed up the other night when I said something about Mike D'Antoni that wasn't cool. I want to apologize to Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh. When you're on television you should never talk about someone getting hired and fired. That's inappropriate. I made that mistake. I want to apologize personally to Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh. I've got great respect for Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni. I want to apologize. That's all I can do."

Barkley may be onto something, with an impending sweep on Easter Sunday, Donnie Walsh's contract expiring it may be time for day I say the return of Isiah Thomas. Don't mind me, I'm just upset...

Read more: HERE

John Calipari to take over the Knicks?

via RealGM.com


According to a team executive, Knicks owner James Dolan is interested in hiring Kentucky coach John Calipari to run the front office and coach.
Calipari is represented by William Wesley, who works for Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood's most powerful entertainment agency. One of its many patrons is Chris Paul, who figures to be on the market within a matter of months.

Read more: HERE

Melo is rocking #7

So he's not taking Bernard King's number 30, or Earl Monroe's and Dick Mcgwire number 15. 

Carmelo has chosen to walk in the footsteps of the great Kelenna Azubuike with the number 7!

Azubuike will switch to 17 for the remainder of the season. Yes people we do have a guy named  Kelenna Azubuike on the roster, he's just never suited up for a game. Maybe that will change soon, but for now just know he is a 3.5 Mil salary reduction this off-season.

Marc Berman from the NYPost.com confirmed the news HERE

Nuggets Want Too Much For Melo

via NYPost.com

The Post has learned the Nuggets made a whopping demand one week ago that is more exorbitant than recent reports. According to a league source debriefed on Carmelo Anthony negotiations, Denver asked for Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Landry Fields, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and a first-round pick (obtained via Anthony Randolph) for Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups.
Yes, it looks like the Nuggets demanded everything but James Dolan's Radio City Music Hall.

"They want everything," the league source said of Denver. "The Knicks didn't even have to sit down and talk about that offer. It's not even logistically possible. They'd have two miserable stars with nothing around them."

Read more: HERE

Earl Barron Could Be Knick Once Again

The NYPost.com is reporting that Donnie Walsh is looking to retain Earl's services again, after the February 24th trade deadline there will be a roster spot available. Either the Knicks will have made the deal for Melo which would include Eddy Curry and possibly more or they would release Curry outright.

If your not to familiar with this guys play here some footage:

Amare Has Another Tech Rescinded

Last Sunday's matinee with the Sixers Amare received another technical foul bringing his total to 14. Amare reached out to the league to appeal the questionable foul handed out from the very strict Bob Delany. Fortunately for STAT the league saw it his way and rescinded that technical bringing his total back down to 13. This was the second time Amare had a tech pulled back, on December 30th STAT blocked Quentin Richardson shot into the crowd and showed what the ref thought was too much emotion.


via NyPost.com

Last night at Knicks Bowl 12, a Garden of Dreams event at Chelsea Piers, Stoudemire -- speaking before the verdict had come down -- said he had "played a little phone tag" with NBA VP Stu Jackson and was planning on trying to connect with him last night. 
Stoudemire said the technicals aren't about to change the way he plays.

"I'm going to still play with emotion, to be honest," he said. "That's the way I always play. I practice that way. I play that way. . . . It brings the best out of me. I play better that way. I just have to make sure I keep a certain conscious effort to not try to get technical fouls."

Read more: HERE

Knicks May Throw More Names In Melo Deal

via NYPost.com



Rookie guard Andy Rautins and Kelenna Azubuike's expiring contract have been discussed as parts of the Carmelo Anthony three-team package, The Post has learned.
The Knicks have to add more pieces to the reported three-team trade proposal for Anthony to make it work from a talent and financial perspective for the Nuggets, according to NBA sources.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh, who almost never admits he is engaged in serious talks, yesterday acknowledged discussions about Anthony were at least taking shape.

"I don't think we have anything going, but we're getting a feeling for possibilities," Walsh said before the Knicks beat the Sixers, 117-103. "We have a better feeling for what's going to happen."
In Donniespeak, that means things have progressed, with the trade deadline still a very long 19 days away.

"If you get something that will help your team, then you get excited," Walsh said. "It hasn't come to the point I'm excited."

"I don't feel good or bad," Walsh added. "These things take two to tango. But we're out there looking and seeing if we can do something. Some of it is not real big -- trying to fill in the blanks within our own team."

Read more: HERE

Knicks Injury Updates

In the midst of Williams vs Williams middleweight bout(Knicks vs Hawks) Marvin rolled onto Amare's right knee, twisting it awkwardly. The knee didn't keep him out of the game completely but it did raise some cause for concern during yesterdays practice.

Via NYPost.com

Coach D'Antoni addressed Amare's knee and status for tonight's game to the media:

"He said he felt he's better than he thought it would be," D'Antoni said. "He rattled it when he got hit. I would say he's probable."

"I'm optimistic," D'Antoni said. "I asked him if he can go [tonight], he said 'Yeah, I think so.' "

Read more: HERE

Randolph's agent asks for trade

via NYPost.com

The Post reported Thursday that Walsh was waffling on whether to trade Randolph to Minnesota for a first-round pick that could be used in an Anthony deal, but the Nets are the ones closest to landing him.

Walsh still could use an extra first-rounder in another deal before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
"I won't comment on a private conversation," Walsh said.

More after the JUMP

Amare will appear on Entourage?

via NYPost.com

"Entourage" creator Doug Ellin is batting around ideas for Amar'e Stoudemire's cameo on the last season of the HBO drama. "I'm trying to figure it out. I might put him in temple because I know he's part Jewish," Ellin told MSG sideline reporter Jill Martin during the Knicks' 128-115 beating of the San Antonio Spurs. Ellin is still writing scripts for the last season, which starts filming in April, but he told Page Six: "I want to get Amar'e and [Yankee] Mark Teixeira to get involved with bringing Don Peppe Italian restaurant in Ozone Park, Queens, to Hollywood," referring to one of Ellin's favorite eateries. "I went with Teixeira there a month ago. I want Turtle [played by Jerry Ferrara] to bring Don Peppe out to Hollywood and bring some sports stars with him." Stoudemire has yet to confirm.

Read more: HERE

Tweet

Donnie Walsh Will Re-Sign Wilson Chandler

via NYPost.com

"Wilson's a restricted free agent and I'm going to sign him," Walsh said yesterday. "He's a helluva player."

Chris Luchey, Chandler's agent, said he and Walsh were close to a pact before David Stern made alarming remarks in late October about cap shrinkage.
"We have a great, open working relationship with Donnie," Luchey told The Post. "We did feel like we were close to having a deal done early on. We thought we were in the same ballpark on what his value was before the commissioner came out with strong statements. That kind of startled Donnie and got him to backpedal."
"So we agreed we can play it out, knowing it could backfire in them having to spend more money if his value goes up," he said. "His value has definitely risen since Oct. 31. But my belief is Donnie wants to retain him, even if another spectacular free agent -- not naming names -- comes up."

Thank the Basketball Gods that Donnie is in control, I think Knicks fans really under-appreciate the work this General Manager has done since he's taken over. He's showing us that even at his age you can still learn more, last year's free agency hoopla showed everyone that anything can happen so taking chances is not the answer. Wilson Chandler is not one of those chances, he's definitely a sure thing!
 

 

Read more: HERE

Amare Has a Tech Rescinded

Via NYPost.com

I guess Amare's may not have as much Technical problems as I once thought.

The NBA Sunday rescinded Amar'e Stoudemire's technical foul he received in Orlando Friday night for taunting Gilbert Arenas after swatting his driving shot. Stoudemire told reporters after the game he got the T for barking, "Get that mess out of here'' and had planned to appeal.
Stoudemire spoke with NBA's czar of discipline Stu Jackson about the infraction and Jackson told him "to be more aware.'' Stoudemire claims he wasn't showing up the referees and it was a "natural reaction''
Stoudemire's total technical stash fell back to nine. If he gets 16, he is suspended for a game. Also, Stoudemire will save $3,000, which was the fine for the technical.

Read More HERE

Dantoni Shot Down Gilbert Arenas Trade Talk

via NYPost.com

"I heard I could've been traded there and then I heard I wasn't his type of point guard," said Arenas, who scored 10 points in last night's 112-103 Magic win. "I understand when you've had Steve Nash all those years, I'm a guy who's still trying to score 60."

Part of the summer strategy was leaving salary cap space open for 2011 with Carmelo Anthony's free agency and Chris Paul's free agency in 2102. If the Knicks discussed Arenas, it likely was shot down because of his contract. He will make $19 million next season and $21 million in 2012.
After the Amar'e Stoudemire signing, the Knicks likely didn't have room for Arenas unless Eddy Curry's deal was in the trade.
"It didn't even come up," D'Antoni said. "He never came up. Not that I can remember."
Could he fit in D'Antoni's point-guard system?
"I'm sure he could," D'Antoni said. "He's a good player."


Read more: HERE

Who Said The Knicks Dont Play Defense!

via NYPost.com

"Mike is committed to defense and molds them. I might be more aggressive in that area," Dan D'Antoni said. "It's my personality. That's what I was in high school [in South Carolina], very aggressive and at you. That's who I am."

Read The Rest After The JUMP

Landry Fields The Next John Havlicek?

NYPost.com

"Talking to some people today, he reminds them of John Havlicek when he first came into the league," Walsh said.

Knicks Looking Into Earl Barron

via NYPost.com

Walsh has spoken with a representative for center Earl Barron, released Tuesday by Phoenix. Walsh has Barron on the backburner. He's trying to make a trade in the next week, possibly for a backup point guard and is not ready to release a player to open up a roster spot for Barron.

Ramon Sessions, the Cavaliers backup point guard whom Knicks pursued two summers ago, is on their radar again.


Read more: HERE

Amare Starting a Clothing Line?

via NYPost.com

Amar'e Stoudemire is getting into the fashion business -- the Knicks' power forward is launching a clothing line with designer Rachel Roy, sources told Page Six.
The insiders said the line will be a part of Roy's contemporary label for Macy's, Rachel Rachel Roy, and is being planned to launch next fall. Althought details are still being squared away, we hear the collection will be for women.
Stoudemire and Roy were seen last week having dinner at clubby West Village eatery The Lion, possibly hammering out details of their collaboration. The future business partners met at an event during New York Fashion Week in September.

Stoudemire has had his size-15 foot in the fashion world since arriving in town after he signed a $100 million deal to join the Knicks. During Fashion Week, Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour personally invited the 6-foot-10 NBA star to the Fashion's Night Out runway show at Lincoln Center.
Later that week, Stoudemire sat in the front row at Tommy Hilfiger's show, between Wintour and European editor at large Hamish Bowles and across from Ed Westwick, Jessica Szohr, Jennifer Lopez, Lenny Kravitz and Neil Patrick Harris. And Stoudemire's new gal pal is a onetime Ford model -- former Kanye West flame Amber Rose.
Stoudemire shared his obsession with clothing with Page Six Magazine in September, saying, "I love fashion . . . I love watches. I love shoes. I make sure that every time I step out of the house, I'm feeling comfortable and fashion-forward. Depending on the occasion, I dress the part."
Amare's rep said, "They've had conversations but nothing's confirmed." Macy's didn't respond. Roy's rep had no comment.


Read more: HERE

Knicks Back-Up PG Options

via NYPost.com (Peter Vecsey)

Aside from Mr. Big, the Knicks are scouring the topography for a third point guard who doesn't have to earn coach Mike D'Antoni's respect but already has it.
That rules out everyone in the Development League except Texas Legends coach Nancy Lieberman and perhaps her valued crutch Antonio Daniels.
Free agents Flip Murray, adept at handling both backcourt positions, and consummate professional Anthony Johnson can be had for the veteran's minimum.
I have no idea what D'Antoni or Donnie Walsh think of A.J. Price, but the Pacers reserve is a rarely seen favorite of mine; he stays sharp backing up Darren Collison and T.J. Ford and almost always seems to deliver no matter how little time he gets or how many games (four and counting) between assignments.

AP

HOLIDAY SHOPPING: The Timberwolves' Sebastian Telfair, a Brooklyn native, is one of several names in the mix as the Knicks scour the league for an available reserve point guard.

Previous reports identify Timberwolf Sebastian Telfair as a distinct option. His clear-cut availability, experience and versatility, especially long distance dialing (18-of-47 on 3-pointers vs. 3-of-12 for Price) make him attractive.
The snag is, Telfair makes $2.7 million, and the player they'd probably want to swap for him is Roger Mason, whose salary slot is $1.4 million.

Read more: HERE