The New York Knicks were crowned NBA In-Season Cup Champions on December 16, and ever since then, they have dropped 10 of their last 17 games and are just 2-8 dating back to December 30.

The latest loss came on Monday evening at home against the Dallas Mavericks, a blowout right out of the gate. The Mavericks went on to destroy the Knicks 114-97, giving the Knicks faithful little to cheer about.

Knicks coach Mike Brown had very little to discuss with his teammate at halftime, saying, “There was nothing to be said at halftime except for lock in and do your … do your job,” showing some frustration within the lockerroom.

Brown is in his first year with the Knicks, and during this significant slump, it seems he may have lost his players’ respect. During a timeout, it looked as if Knicks captain Jalen Brunson was having a players-only meeting in the middle of the game, with Brown and his coaches not seen in the huddle during the timeout.

Brunson was named an All-Star starter in the Eastern Conference earlier Monday, but that is not on his mind as the Knicks try to navigate this prolonged slump. Brunson said, “There’s been a lot of things to pinpoint, but I mean as a team we know what we have to do… It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it, or we don’t.”

Forward Josh Hart spoke on the team’s effort, saying, “It was embarrassing.” Hart was cleared to return from injury before the game.

The Knicks decided to move on from coach Tom Thibodeau in the off-season after an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, but did they move on too quickly?

The Knicks are still the three seed in the Eastern Conference, but are only 1.5 games above the play-in. with 39 games remaining.

Derrick Rose announced Thursday that he is retiring from the NBA after 16 seasons. The former MVP took out full-page ads in major newspapers from all six cities he played in to make the announcement in the form of a love letter to basketball.

“Thank You, My First Love…,” Rose’s statement began. “You believed in me through the highs and lows, my constant when everything else seemed uncertain. You showed me what love truly meant.”

Over the course of a lengthy, troubled NBA career, Rose earned a glowing reputation among fans for his talent and determination. Between 2008 and 2016, Rose became the new face of the Chicago Bulls and became the team’s biggest name since Michael Jordan. The Chicago native won the MVP award in 2011 and led his hometown team to the Eastern Conference Finals in the same year.

“Derrick Rose will always be a Chicago Bull,” Michael Reinsdorf, Bulls President and CEO, said in a statement. “From day one, Derrick embodied humility in his biggest moments and resilience in the most challenging ones. He was a once-in-a-generation talent who took the league by storm … his impact at such a young age is truly remarkable. His legacy in Chicago is undeniable — he brought this franchise back into contention, won an MVP, and, most importantly, inspired a city that will forever claim him as its own.”

While Rose is often remembered for the astounding success he attained between 2008 and 2012, injuries derailed what many argue could have been a Hall-of-Fame career. After leading the Bulls through the playoffs in 2011, Rose never played more than 70 games in a season for the rest of his career.

In 2016, Rose was famously traded to the New York Knicks. In a vulnerable moment captured on video, the Rose received the news through a phone call and was visibly distraught to be leaving his home. There were obvious bouts of homesickness in the following season, as Rose had consistent issues with New York and suffered yet another season-ending injury.

Even as multiple injuries took their toll and robbed Rose of much of his All-Star ability, he carried on as a solid contributor for the rest of his career. In stints for the Timberwolves and Pistons, he provided consistent points off the bench and under-appreciated defensive play. He even returned to New York in 2021 and performed credibly in a limited capacity.

After one last season for the Memphis Grizzlies, in which he was a likable veteran on a turbulent young team, Rose entered free agency this summer but did not accept any offers to carry on. His retirement announcement will likely be accompanied by a great deal of fanfare, in Chicago as well as many other cities around the league.

“You gave me a gift, our time together, one that I will cherish for the rest of my days,” Rose said in his love letter to basketball. “You told me it’s okay to say goodbye, reassuring me that you’ll always be a part of me, no matter where life takes me.”

New York Knicks came to terms with forward OG Anunoby, keeping him on the team in a five-year, $212.5 million deal. Anunoby arrived in New York in a trade with the Raptors earlier this year.

Anunoby opted out of his previous deal two days ago, entering free agency, but New York acted quickly to lock him down for the foreseeable future. The forward contributed to the Knicks’ historic 2023-24 season, in which they won 50 games and earned the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The forward contributed to the team’s historic 2023-24 season, in which they won 50 games He will rejoin teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Julius Randle and newly acquired star Mikal Bridges, who the Knicks received in a blockbuster trade with the Nets on Tuesday.

Though New York lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season, injuries were mostly to blame for preventing the team from advancing further. Besides the Celtics, very few teams looked stronger throughout the regular season than the Knicks, who have retained most of their talent from last season and added Bridges, an iron man with elite playmaking ability.

New York first targeted Anunoby earlier this year for his size and skill on the perimeter. He delivered, scoring 14.1 points per game for the team and improving their defense overall.

Injuries are a concern for the forward, who has missed nearly a full season’s worth of games over the last three years, but his results in New York are unquestionable to this point. The Knicks went 20-3 in the regular season when Anunoby appeared on the floor for them. He was integral in the team’s playoff series victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, though he did less for the team against the Pacers while he nursed a hamstring injury.

Many speculated that the Knicks were an over-performing team in the 2023-24 NBA season, taking advantage of the Bucks’ and 76ers’ regression to carve out a 50-32 record. As the team continues an extremely productive off-season, however, it’s becoming clear that the team might actually be getting stronger.

The New York Knicks’ latest season ended early, a playoff season with waves of injuries that swept through the team, culminating in critical surgeries for key players Jalen Brunson and Bojan Bogdanovic. Brunson’s surgery to repair his broken left hand sustained during the Game Seven loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

In the third quarter of the decisive game, Brunson’s injury was a significant blow. He scored 17 points, a decline from his otherwise excellent postseason performance. Brunson’s playoff run, marked by scoring 40 or more points in five games and averaging 32.4 points per game, was second only to Joel Embiid’s 33 points.

In addition to Brunson, the Knicks announced that reserve Bogdanovic underwent surgery on his left wrist, further depleting the team’s roster. Bogdanovic had been a reliable bench scorer, contributing significantly in earlier games before his injury in Game 4 of the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers. His absence and other injuries left the Knicks scrambling for effective replacements.

The Knicks’ injury woes extend beyond Brunson and Bogdanovic. Star forward Julius Randle’s season-ending shoulder surgery in January and Mitchell Robinson’s playoff ankle surgery compounded the team’s challenges. The absence of these key players highlighted a critical issue: the Knicks’ lack of depth and resilience in the face of adversity. While injuries are an inevitable part of sports, the Knicks’ struggles suggest a need for better management and preparation.

The Knicks’ front office must now confront the harsh realities exposed by this season. Building a roster with greater depth and durability is imperative. Investing in reliable backups and ensuring the team can maintain competitive performance levels despite injuries should be a priority. The training and medical staff must also reassess their protocols to enhance player health and recovery processes.

The Knicks face a period of reassessment and rebuilding. The surgeries of Brunson and Bogdanovic, with evaluations set for six to eight weeks from now, provide a window for the team to strategize. They must ensure these players’ full recovery and reinforce the roster.

The Indiana Pacers filed a complaint with the NBA Wednesday night concerning 78 calls and non-calls in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The team claims that the referees have made a preponderance of errors that have helped the second-seeded Knicks take a 2-0 series lead.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after Game 2, a 130-121 Knicks win that he had been holding out hope for improved officiating since the team’s Game 1 loss Sunday. He was disappointed and claimed that his team never had a serious chance.

“I can promise you that we’re going to submit these [complaints] tonight,” Carlisle said after Game 2. “New York can get ready. They’ll see ’em too. I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials, but we deserve a fair shot.”

In recent years, the NBA has faced increasing scrutiny concerning referees’ decisions as the league updates its instant replay rules. In a fast-paced game like basketball, fans at home have a very different viewing experience than referees on the floor. Referees are also central to many fans’ conspiracy theories about game fixing, fueled by the 2007 Tim Donaghy scandal and other minor incidents.

The Pacers are merely questioning the referees’ competence in their complaint to the NBA, arguing that the calls have been skewed heavily in favor of their opponent. Several outside spectators partially agree with Indiana’s assessment, especially concerning a blatant error at the end of Game 1 in which a potential Pacers steal was instead called a kicked-ball violation.

But while some in the Pacers organization are focused on ensuring fairness from referees, others, like Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton, claim that the team could have avoided both losses by playing better. After scoring just six points in Game 1, the All-Star bounced back in Game 2 and scored 34.

“Let’s not pretend like [officiating] is the only reason we lost. We just didn’t play good enough,” Haliburton said. “We just got to be better.”

The Philadelphia 76ers owners and former owner Michael Rubin combined forces to buy more than 2,000 of their tickets for the team’s Game 6 matchup against the New York Knicks on Thursday. The owners will give away the tickets to specific groups in Philadelphia, hoping to avoid another takeover after Knicks fans flooded the Wells Fargo Center for Game 4.

“Josh Harris, David Blitzer, [David Adelman], and I just bought more than 2,000 tix for Sixers Game 6 – we CANNOT let Knicks fans take over our arena again!!!” Rubin posted on X earlier this week. “Giving them to first responders, health care professionals and other local Philadelphia-based organizations once we know they’re legit Sixers fans and not imposters!!”

The 76ers fanbase is reinvigorated in response to the overwhelming presence of New York fans in its arena in Game 4, a 97-92 Knicks victory. Nearly 100 miles from Madison Square Garden, chants for Knicks star Jalen Brunson to win MVP echoed through the rafters as the road team took a 3-1 series lead and put Philadelphia on the brink of elimination. 76ers star Joel Embiid admitted being frustrated about the turnout after the game.

“It’s disappointing,” Embiid told reporters. “It kind of pisses me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up, and I don’t think that should happen. It’s not ok.”

In New York for Game 5, the 76ers won a do-or-die game 112-106 after Philadelphia point guard Tyrese Maxey hit a clutch shot in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime. Not only did the win keep the team alive, but it also gave 76ers fans another home game. It could be their last of the 2023-24 season. As the Knicks fanbase rallies around its team amid a historic season, the 76ers fanbase may have one more opportunity to respond.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Miami Heat 105-104 in the Play-In Tournament Wednesday, earning the seventh seed in the playoffs. In the comeback victory, 76ers star and reigning MVP Joel Embiid proved he could be a massive problem for the second-seeded New York Knicks in the first round.

Down 12 at the half, Embiid led Philadelphia in a steady and consistent charge, taking the lead late in the game and surviving a last-second Miami rally to hang on by a point. The big man, who recently returned from injury, ended the game with 20 points and 15 rebounds. 

“It means a lot,” Embiid told reporters after the game. “Being down a lot … we stuck together. It shows you that. I don’t play my best, and I don’t get to my spots the whole game until the fourth quarter when we still found a way to win. They like to make it nasty and we can do it, too, and we made it nasty, too.”

While Miami will have to face the Chicago Bulls for the right to the eighth seed, Philadelphia will now prepare for the postseason and a matchup with the Knicks. New York spent most of the regular season vying for the third or fourth seed with the Orlando Magic, but the team flew to No. 2 in the Eastern Conference after the Milwaukee Bucks collapsed in the final 10 games.

While the Knicks will have to compete without Julius Randle, who suffered a season-ending injury last month, the team is still led by point guard Jalen Brunson, who has stepped into superstardom and scored 28.7 points per game this season. The team has been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this year, but there are still questions about New York’s ability to handle Embiid.

While the Knicks overperformed in the 2023-24 season, earning 50 wins for the first time in three decades, the 76ers vastly underperformed in a season where they were expected to vie for a championship. 

Coming off a loss to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinal last year, the team spent most of this season treading water. Embiid’s injury in January didn’t help, but his return earlier this month could not have been more timely. Philadelphia won its last eight regular-season games and has yet to lose in April.

In the playoffs, the team’s records no longer matter, and though the Knicks still have home-court advantage, the 76ers are on roughly even terms with the team now that Embiid has returned. The series, which begins this weekend, could come down to New York’s ability to defend the versatile center, something Miami and many other teams have already tried and failed to do.

Since losing Steph Curry on Dec. 14 to a shoulder injury, the Golden State Warriors have lost three of four games, the last two coming in blowouts against the Knicks and Nets. The season to this point has been disappointing for the reigning NBA champions, but without Curry, it’s becoming abundantly clear that the team needs its star to have any chance of competing.

He won’t be available for weeks.

In Curry’s last game against the Pacers, the star point guard had 38 points in the third quarter before he injured his shoulder in an attempt to make a steal on defense. The Warriors continued to rally after he exited but failed to stop Indiana in the fourth quarter, losing 125-119.

The following day, head coach Steve Kerr announced that Curry would have to receive an MRI to determine the extent of his injury. The results were crushing, finding that he was nowhere close to playing and would require several weeks to recover.

At first, the team’s results without Curry were mixed. Though the 76ers were missing key contributors Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey on Dec. 16, they managed to lean on stars James Harden and Joel Embiid and pull away from Golden State in the third quarter to win 118-106. The Warriors recovered well two days later, however, as Jordan Poole’s 43-point performance helped them defeat a mediocre Raptors team 126-110.

The true extent of Curry’s absence has only begun to show in the team’s two most recent games. Against the Knicks on Dec. 20, Golden State was completely hapless from beginning to end in a 134-94. Five New York players scored 15 points or more while Klay Thompson only managed to score 11 on 12 shots. It was a rout in which the Knicks exploited their opponent’s defensive weaknesses while locking down compromised playmakers on the other end. The following night, the Nets took a turn.

This time, the Warriors were also without Thompson, who was held out of the game by Kerr after the Knicks loss. Even without Kyrie Irving, the Nets crushed them 143-113, scoring 91 points in the first half of an eye-watering rout. Golden State’s leading scorer was James Wiseman, a bench player who rarely appears for more than 20 minutes per game.

With a record drifting above and below .500 all season, the Warriors were treading water long before they lost Curry. A dayslong absence for their star guard would have been a decisive loss — a weekslong absence could very well end the team’s season. With Thompson and Poole at the helm, Golden State has no room for error for the foreseeable future.

The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly at an “impasse” regarding All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving and his contract negotiations. It was reported that Irving would most likely remain with the Nets earlier this month, but the possibility of a mutual agreement between the two sides seems less likely as the days go on.

Irving has a $36 million player option that gives him until June 30 to decide if he wants to opt-in or decline and become a free agent. However, if the Nets are not able to negotiate a contract extension the prospects of a potential trade become more likely. Potential trading partners would have to meet certain parameters for Brooklyn to realistically justify letting Irving go. Potential trade partners would have to be acceptable to Irving. Any trade packages would also need to bring back players that help the Nets compete. Brooklyn is not rebuilding as long as Kevin Durant is still rostered. Finally, due to cap restrictions, no 2022 free agents are able to be involved in the package.

With those parameters, a few teams emerge as potential destinations for Irving.

New York Knicks

While unlikely to land him via trade due to the lack of superstar talent on the roster, the Knicks have a path to clear cap space to sign Irving outright as a free agent. Any potential trade would involve a bunch of draft picks and realistically the Nets don’t have time to see if they pan out. It would also be ironic considering Irving decided to go to Brooklyn instead of the Nets in his 2019 free agency, only for him to end up at Madison Square Garden a few seasons later.

Los Angeles Lakers

This trade is nearly impossible without the addition of a third team. The Lakers are weighed down with three large salaries for Russell Westbrook (who Durant is not interested in playing with), Anthony Davis (who’s pretty much untouchable) and LeBron James. James is also untouchable, of course. Unless there is a third team to take on Westbrook’s contract and still provide the Nets with star power, a Lakers trade is most likely not happening.

Los Angeles Clippers

This is the most intriguing of all the trade destinations for Irving. The Clippers could easily do a Paul George-Irving swap but it is unlikely L.A. gives up an MVP-caliber player. The Clippers have a ton of assets and picks that would keep Brooklyn competitive. Whether it be Norman Powell, Marcus Morris or the young talented Terance Mann, the Nets would benefit from adding such talent. If the Clippers were to add Irving, it would make them instant championship contenders.

Other suitors such as the Heat, Suns and Jazz are also potential trade partners. Irving has yet to make a decision on his future with the Nets, and there have been no formal trade inquiries made.

NBA Hall of Fame inductee Scottie Pippen accused his former coach, Phil Jackson, of being racist as Pippen doubles down on earlier comments regarding an incident that occurred in the 1994 playoffs.

Pippen was on the Dan Patrick Show when he addressed comments he previously made in an interview with GQ about a playoff game in 1994 between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

Pippen famously refused to return to the game with the score tied at 102 and 1.8 seconds left in the game. Pippen was frustrated with Jackson’s decision to draw up a play to give the final shot of the game to a rookie, Toni Kukoč, who ended up scoring the game-winner.

“I felt like it was an opportunity to give (Kukoč) a rise,” Pippen told GQ. “It was a racial move to give him a rise. After all I’ve been through with this organization, now you’re gonna tell me to take the ball out and throw it to Toni Kukoč? You’re insulting me.”

In his interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Pippen made it clear that his opinion has not changed. “Why would Toni, who’s a rookie, get the last-second shot and you put me out of bounds? That’s what I mean racial,” Pippen said.

Dan Patrick proceeded to ask Pippen if he thinks Jackson was a racist, to clarify his thoughts on the perceived racist intent.

“Oh, yeah,” Pippen said. “Do you remember Phil Jackson left the Lakers, went and wrote a book on Kobe Bryant, and then came back and coached him? I mean, who would do that? You name someone in professional sports that would do that.”

“And you’re Jackson, who sits in the locker room and tells the players ‘this is a circle, and everything stays within the circle because that’s what team is about.’ But you as a head coach open it up and now you go out and try to belittle—at that time probably one of the greatest players in the game.”

Pippen was referring to The Last Season, a book published in 2004 after Jackson left the Lakers after winning three championships alongside Kobe Bryant. The book focused on the locker room tension and was critical of Bryant.

Jackson would return to the Lakers and end up winning two more championships with Bryant.

On Monday night, the New York Knicks won their third straight game as they beat the Atlanta Hawks 123-112. Most notably, 44 of those points came from Julius Randle. 

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By scoring over 40 points, Randle broke an 183-game streak where the Knicks did not have a 40-point scorer. This streak was the longest in the NBA. The last time a Knick scored 40 points was when Trey Burke dominated the Charlotte Hornets in May of 2018.

Following Monday’s game, Randle’s teammates Theo Pinson, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett declared him an All-Star. In post-game interviews, coach Tom Thibodeau and his teammates gave Randle a push to be named an All-Star reserve when the team is announced next week.

“Absolutely,” Thibodeau said postgame, when asked if Randle was an All-Star. “And it’s not just what he’s done statistically, but the impact on winning I think. He’s making other people better. He’s played an all-around game, strong on both sides of the ball. He’s played an unselfish game. He’s doing it in a number of different ways. He’s playing multiple positions. … He’s doing it all.”

Randle also talked postgame about how much the support from his teammates means.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Randle said. “For me, those guys trust in me and believe in me every night to go out and lead the team, is a great feeling. It’s a collective thing, what we’re doing out there, and I just try to be the best leader as possible that I can be. Just try to be a guy that they want to follow, or a guy that they trust to lead the team. For me, I just try to do everything the right way. Be a guy they can lean on and go about the game the right way.”

The former coach of the Knicks, David Fizdale, joined ESPN’s Golic and Wingo Wednesday and said he had “no ill feelings” towards the organization after being fired in December.

The former Grizzlies coach was fired on December 6 after the Knicks were blown out by the Nuggets by 37 points. During that time, the Knicks were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and sitting in dead last in the Eastern Conference at 4-18. The team has gone 6-9 since replacing him with interim coach Mike Miller. Hired as New York’s head coach in 2018, Fizdale went 71-134.

“That’s the business we’ve chosen,” Fizdale said. “I respect those guys greatly. I miss the hell out of them. … I obviously learned a ton from it and I was just really grateful to have that opportunity to say I was the head coach of the Knicks.”

Although the team has showed some improvement, they are on pace to miss the playoffs for the sixth year in a row, which is tied for the second longest streak in franchise history, according to ESPN.

The former coach also discussed various topics such as his time in New York and the trade deadline. When asked about his former players, Fizdale had nothing but praise for Knicks’ rookie shooting guard R.J. Barrett. “I really think he was built for New York City. He is not easily rattled. His work ethic is second to none,” Fizdale said.

He also mentioned how hard it is to coach in New York and mentioned the organization’s level of “patience.”

“It is a team that has struggled for a long time and I think fans really want to get that thing going as soon as possible,” Fizdale said. “It’s unique from that standpoint. There’s other places you can take your time a little more and build more slowly.”

League sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Fizdale still has two years remaining on his four-year, $22 million contract.

The Knicks lost their tenth straight game after getting blown out by the Trailblazers 115-87 Tuesday night.

Damian Lillard had his way with the Knicks scoring 31 points, including eight three-pointers and six assists. The paint was dominated by Hassan Whiteside who scored 17 points and 15 rebounds with five blocks in 26 minutes. Former Knicks all-star Carmelo Anthony shot 50% from the field posting 16 points and two steals. “We were locked in, since this morning, since shootaround, we were locked in. Dame came out and led us, Hassan played great, but I thought overall defense was what got us going. We were talking, we were active, a lot of energy on the defensive end,” Anthony told Yahoo Sports.

“Anytime you have that type of win, and the way that we did it, I think we should feel good about it. Especially in a game that we feel we should have won,” Lillard said.

The Blazers needed to get back on track after losing two in a row sitting in the 11th spot in the Western Conference.  A team with this much talent should not be ten games under .500, especially after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.

“It was a team we felt we should (defeat) on our home floor, but I thought our approach and how we came out, not looking like it was going to be an easy game or nothing like that — we respected our opponent. We did the right things defensively, we executed our scouting report and offensively we executed as well as we have in a while, maybe all season,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports.

On the receiving end of this beatdown were the last place Knicks with a record of 4-20. Firing former coach David Fizdale last Friday, the team’s identity has continued to crumble after losing ten straight games. In Tuesday’s game, the Knicks were down 19 at the half and didn’t stand a chance after going 7-38 from three.

The front office struck out on landing a big free agent in the summer, and tried to recover by signing three power forwards and some role players. Julius Randle is a good player and Marcus Morris has played very well offensiviely, but the point guard position has been inconsistent. Dennis Smith Jr. is averaging an unacceptable 5.4 points per game shooting 31% from the field, and the team needs to move on from Frank Ntilikina who’s numbers are just as bad.

On paper the team has more talent than last year’s 17 win team, but the chemistry hasn’t improved and there’s no indication that the Knicks will sort out their problems with interim Head Coach Mike Miller. There’s too many players that play the same position and second year guys like Allonzo Trier and Kevin Knox need consistent minutes to develop. New York is also ranked dead last in defense rating, according to NBA Team Stats.

They continue their four-game road trip in Golden State Wednesday.

The New York Knicks agreed on Thursday to trade All Star forward Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks. A report had come in this morning that stated Porzingis did not like the direction the franchise was going in and would have preferred to have been traded.

Knicks Get Wesley Matthews, DeAndre Joran In Trade

Porzingis and his brother Janis, who is his agent, met with Knicks management on Thursday and discussed his frustration with the franchise’s long losing streak, its past dysfunction and his own uncertainty over creating sustainable franchise success, sources said.

The trade also includes the Knicks sending Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Mavericks in return for Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and DeAndre Jordan, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Some fans on Twitter seemed to have a field day with the roster of players the Knicks swapped Porzingis for.

The Mavericks are currently looking to include a first-round draft pick in the deal. Teammate Enes Kanter took to ETwitter to express how he felt about the situation.

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Kanter had previously been frustrated with his role on the Knicks and told the media, “Play me or get me out of here.”

Some fans and members of the media believe this was a crucial step in the Knicks’ rebuilding. With the Porzingis trade, the Knicks clear up over $74.2 million. There are also rumors circling around star players Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant considering New York a destination during the free agency period.

Following another miserable season with the New York Knicks, veteran forward Carmelo Anthony has stated that he is looking forward to winning some games with the U.S. basketball team at the Olympics in Rio this summer.

Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony Eager To Play In Olympics

“From a morale standpoint as a player, if you’ve been through the things I’ve been through the past couple of years, you want to feel what that success feels like,” Anthony told reporters in Dallas on Tuesday. “You want that success. So the Olympics for me is great timing, especially coming off this season and injuries, and mentally it’s good for me to get out there and feel what that feels like again.”

Anthony, 31, is about to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year with the Knicks, who are 30-45 this season and ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference following their 91-99 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. Anthony led teams to the postseason in the first 10 years of his career.

Anthony stated Tuesday that he is still committed to playing in the Olympics even though his good friend, Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul, has announced he will not be going.

Paul played for the US in 2008 and ’12, and will be unable to join Anthony and LeBron James as the first players to win three Olympic basketball gold medals. James has yet to commit to playing in this summer’s games.

“If we were all going to do it, I would’ve loved for (Paul) to be a part of that, especially for this one last time,” Anthony said of Paul. “If he’s not feeling it, his body’s not right and not healthy, then no need for him [to play].”

Paul’s decision was first reported Tuesday by Sports Illustrated. He is the second key player to pull out of the Olympics. New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis was forced to pull out due to shoulder and knee injuries.

Caption: NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 01: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks takes a shot as Al-Farouq Aminu #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers defends at Madison Square Garden on March 1, 2016 in New York City.The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the New York Knicks 104-85.

The New York Knicks have fired head coach Derek Fisher as the team is nearing the All-Star Break with a 23-31 record.

The Knicks have lost 9 of their last 10 games, including their last 5. Fisher’s last game as head coach was a 101-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets.  Fisher was hired by team president Phil Jackson in 2014 following his retirement from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fisher was a point guard for 5 NBA Championship winning Los Angeles Lakers teams, all coached by Jackson.

Sources told ESPN that the team was convinced the Fisher, 41, was not transitioning well from player to coach.  Jackson said he and general manager Steve Mills made the final call on Fisher. “I know it’s a relief for him, taking away some of that stress from the job,” Jackson said. “It’s also a person I have a long relationship with and care deeply about and hope for his success. It’s time for us to make a change, turn this team around and move forward and get some wins and keep going down the road we started here at the beginning of the year.”

Fisher, 41, finishes his Knicks coaching career with a record of 40-96, he expressed gratitude towards Knicks personnel in a statement, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to [owner] James Dolan, Phil Jackson, [general manager] Steve Mills and the entire New York Knicks organization for giving me this incredible opportunity.  I also want to thank my staff, players and the fans for their passion and support. This is a very talented team with strong character and I am confident they will succeed. Obviously, I’m disappointed, but have learned an immense amount from this experience and hope to grow from it.”

Assistant coach Kurt Rambis, who previously coached the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lakers, will take over as interim coach. Rambis has a career coaching record of 56-145. Despite the record, Rambis brings a championship pedigree that cannot be denied, he has won eight championships, 4 as a player and 4 as a coach or executive.

Two other former players for Jackson, Luke Walton, who helped coach Golden State to a 39-4 start under coach Steve Kerr’s absence, and Brian Shaw, who has previous coaching experience with the Nuggets, are expected to be the top candidates for the full time Knicks coaching job.

The Knicks’ last game before the All-Star Break is tonight, Feb. 9, at Madison Square Garden against the Washingon Wizards at 7 p.m.  New York currently sits 3rd in the Atlantic Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference, 4.5 games back of the Detroit Pistons for the eighth and final playoff spot.

The feud between Memphis Grizzlies’ small forward Matt Barnes and New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher has not lost its fumes since their initial altercation in August over Barnes’ ex-wife Gloria Govan. Barnes was reported to have driven to Los Angeles during the NBA offseason to confront Fisher about his relationship with Govan. This resulted in Barnes receiving a two-game suspension in December.

The Grizzlies were set to face the Knicks on Saturday night in a regular season game in Memphis. During the morning shootaround, Barnes gave some harsh words regarding Fisher relating to the August confrontation, “Every man who looks at the situation knows what’s right and wrong. Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it is. And unfortunately, it happened. I don’t regret it.” Because of this comment, the NBA fined Barnes after the game with a $35,000 fine. He was not only fined for his comment on Saturday but also a New Year’s Day Instagram post that included some more comments about Fisher. It read, “Being stuck in the ‘triangle offense’ w my ex & snitch, I mean former teammate & friend.. Who went behind my back, messed w my ex, got caught, got dealt w for being a snake, then ran & told the Police & NBA.. Instead of taken that ass whoopin like a man & kept it moving….!”

Barnes may have gotten his revenge on the basketball court though, after he scored a key shot late in the fourth quarter for his only two points, but ultimately raising the Grizzlies to a victory. The next time the two teams will meet will be on February 5 in New York.

Photo: CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 16: Matt Barnes #22 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a shot past Taj Gibson #22 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)