The New York Knicks will have to decide not only if LaMelo Ball is worth trading up for, but also whether they want to deal first round picks.
The New York Knicks will have to get creative in order to land the coveted LaMelo Ball in October’s draft. After not only failing to move up in the draft lottery but falling two spots to the No. 8 pick, the Knicks now have to decide if Ball is worth trading up in the draft for.
From an asset standpoint, the Knicks have an excess of first round draft picks, but those largely belong to the Clippers and Mavericks, two sides that will likely be playoff contenders for years moving forward. That means those picks likely will never be more than late firsts.
As a result, it may cost the Knicks more than just draft picks to land a top-three pick and a chance to draft Ball. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a trade along those lines that would see the Knicks trade away Mitchell Robinson, Reggie Bullock and the No. 8 pick for Malik Monk and the No. 3 pick.
For Charlotte, it would allow them the chance to better balance their roster. With Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier already on the roster, Ball would have been a tough fit. With this trade, they could land a young center, swap a underwhelming youngster for a veteran in Bullock and still have the opportunity to add to the team’s roster further down the draft.
For New York, it would be tough parting with Robinson, who has been one of the bright spots for the team in recent gloomy seasons. But Robinson also has flaws in his game that could hinder his development in the long-term and now could be a decent chance to sell high if they don’t feel he’s a solid long-term piece. In swapping Bullock for Monk, the Knicks trade away a veteran guard for a chance at a young guard that was once a top prospect but has underperformed.
The cherry on top, though, is the No. 3 pick, which would be used to take Ball. Though because Ball is not guaranteed to fall to No. 3, this would be a trade that couldn’t be completed until the Hornets went on the clock on draft night. It also couldn’t be the Knicks only option as they would likely be in discussions with both Minnesota and Golden State for the top two picks.
But this provides an example of how New York could swing a trade that lands Ball but also doesn’t cost them a host of future draft picks.
After coming into the draft lottery well out of range for LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets could walk away big winners on draft night.
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While the Minnesota Timberwolves jumped to the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, it may be the Charlotte Hornets that walk away from the draft as the biggest winners. By jumping from the No. 8 pick into the top-three, the Hornets injected themselves into the mix of what many see as a three-person draft.
As a result, many drafts forecast a player like LaMelo Ball landing in Charlotte, a nearly entirely unexpected landing spot for the youngest Ball brother heading into the draft lottery.
At 6-7 and with incredible playmaking skills, Ball is understandably the top prospect on a lot of big boards. He can easily break down defenders off the dribble, and though he takes some questionable pull-up jumpers, he also often draws help and finds an open teammate.
Yes, Ball needs a lot of work on the other end, and the Hornets already have Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier in the backcourt. Still, Charlotte got lucky with this pick given its lottery odds. It’s worth taking a big swing with Ball if he’s available.
An interesting aspect of having Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier is that, in many ways, it takes some pressure off Ball. Instead of needing to come in and be the lead guard at all times from the get-go as he would in some places, Ball can ease his way into things in Charlotte.
While the Hornets struggled in many aspects last season, Graham and Roziers were bright spots as the team’s top two leading scorers at 18.2 and 18.0 points per game, respectively. Ball could come in and focus on specific aspects of his game as a result.
Graham did not spend any minutes at shooting guard this season but played 40% of his minutes his rookie season as the two-guard. Rozier, meanwhile, played the majority of his minutes as a shooting guard. Ball would be able to play with either player, a strong fit for a team that could walk away big winners this fall.
Jordan spoke with Westbrook and Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul to better understand the concerns of NBA players who were reluctant to play.
Basketball Hall of Famer and current Charlotte owner Michael Jordan reportedly worked with Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook to better understand the concerns of players who boycotted Wednesday’s games and were initially open to having the season canceled.
By Thursday, players had agreed to resume the 2020 NBA playoffs, and it appears that Jordan played a significant role.
As the NBA’s only Black majority owner and still revered from his playing days, Jordan was in a unique position to serve as an effective liaison between owners and players. ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan explains:
Jordan reached out to National Basketball Players Association president Chris Paul, league sources told ESPN, in advance of the owners meeting to get a better understanding of what the players hoped to achieve going forward and to offer assistance as they make their case to the NBA’s board of governors. Jordan also spoke with Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook about issues of social justice that initially left some stars advocating for the cancellation of the season.
ESPN's Jackie MacMullan on Michael Jordan's impact in bridging the gap between NBA players and owners. https://t.co/qAP2LLC0m8
A nine-time All-Star, Westbrook and Jordan have long been close. In fact, the 2017 MVP has an endorsement contract with the Jordan Brand.
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Per MacMullan, Jordan urged other owners to allow players to express their frustrations and concerns in a meeting between the sides before offering any of their own solutions. Media reports on Wednesday indicated that Lakers superstar LeBron James was of the belief that NBA owners hadn’t done enough to support the players on these issues.
“Right now, listening is better than talking,” Jordan told the owners, according to MacMullan. Citing sources, she said owners were unanimous in their support of the players and spent much of Thursday’s meeting discussing ways in which they could help amplify the players’ voices.
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The Rockets, for instance, announced a plan Thursday to use their home arena of Toyota Center as an election voting hub. Houston owner Tilman Fertitta also spoke out against U.S. President Donald Trump, who had made comments that were critical of the NBA’s politics.
For his part, Westbrook has been personally active in the “Black Lives Matter” movement. When combined with a long and distinguished career, that gives him a leadership platform with players on this issue.
The 2020 NBA playoffs are expected to resume for the Rockets on Friday or Saturday with Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A revised schedule will be released later Thursday.
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Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul met in a room. The meeting lasted for about 10 minutes. You can see Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams leave the arena. #Rocketspic.twitter.com/yTiJKOKCI7
The Charlotte Hornets moved up the most in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery and now are expecting to draft a special player with the No. 3 pick.
The Charlotte Hornets were one of the biggest winners in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, jumping up from the eighth spot in the lottery to the No. 3 pick. The result should be a boost to a team that started a rebuild after losing out on Kemba Walker last season.
General manager Mitch Kupchak has an extensive, and successful, history of selecting players at the top of the draft in recent years. With the Lakers, Kupchak was responsible for drafting both Brandon Ingram and D’Angelo Russell, two future All-Stars.
Kupchak, then, understands what to expect when it comes to top prospects. Following last week’s draft lottery, Kupchak spoke with the media about what the team expects from a top pick in this draft.
“With a top-3 pick, most times you can get a special player, Somebody who you can say is going to be a starter in the league, even on a good team. That would be our hope.”
In the same interview, Kupchak spoke about the uncertainty of a top pick and the challenge of ensuring you select a franchise player. The Hornets haven’t held a top-three pick since drafting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist No. 2 overall in 2012.
Aside from Kidd-Gilchrist, though, the Hornets have a string of great selections in the top three, taking Baron Davis No. 3 in 1999, Alonzo Mourning No. 2 in 1992 and Larry Johnson No. 1 in 1991. Each of those players were franchise-changing talents.
Like most teams atop the NBA Draft order, the Charlotte Hornets can ill afford to draft for fit over talent with the third pick.
Like most teams that find themselves in the draft lottery, the Charlotte Hornets are a side lacking in talent and in the middle of a rebuild. After losing Kemba Walker last season to free agency, the Hornets shifted focus into acquiring and developing young talent.
A breakout season from Devonte Graham moved the process along last season but the team still finds itself with the third pick in the draft after some lottery luck. In a three-player draft, that should typically be considered a positive but two of those three players are guards in LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards.
The Hornets have holes on their team but guard is not one of them with Graham and Terry Rozier anchoring the backcourt. Still, the team has enough of a talent deficiency that general manager Mitch Kupchak doesn’t see the team drafting for need over fit this draft.
“I don’t feel we have the luxury of being able to, at this point, pick-and-choose the position.”
Interestingly, when it comes to Ball, Kupchak was one of a select few number of people that scouted Ball in-person in the NBL during his 12-game run. To what degree that will factor into their decision on whether to draft Ball or not remains to be seen.
Ball wouldn’t be a particularly great fit for the backcourt alongside Rozier and Graham, but as Kupchak noted, when a team is in the lottery and as high as the No. 3 pick, generally speaking, they can’t afford to draft on fit over talent.
The decision, though, will likely be taken out of their hands as, barring a dramatic rise from another prospect or fall from one of Edwards, Ball or James Wiseman in the pre-draft, Charlotte will simply take whichever of the three is left.
[lawrence-related id=25598,25592,25587]Draft order, the Charloote Hornets can ill afford to take fit over talent.
With mock drafts aplenty in the aftermath of Thursday’s lottery, it appears LaMelo Ball’s floor is the third pick in the upcoming draft.
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LaMelo Ball’s draft position in October’s 2020 NBA Draft will be an interesting one to monitor. Given the perceived lack of interest from the Golden State Warriors, it seems plausible that Ball will either be the top pick or the No. 3 pick.
“Point guard is the one spot on the floor the Hornets don’t need to address, as the team’s two leading scorers (Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier) are both PG’s by trade. Still, assuming Charlotte considers Ball the best player available when they are on the clock, it makes sense to get a potential franchise-changing talent and figure out how all the pieces fit later on. Ball significantly boosted his stock in Australia last season, with consistently impressive performances for the Illawarra Hawks before injuring his foot in December. Over his final five appearances, Ball averaged 23.2 points, 9.4 assists, 9.0 rebounds. In the process, he became the first Australian NBL player in the modern era to post back-to-back triple-doubles.”
The Hornets do already have a host of guards in the aforementioned Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham as well as Malik Monk and both Cody and Caleb Martin. While Ball’s versatility would allow him to play next to any of those guards offensively,
The other obvious takeaway of Ball landing in Charlotte is that the team is owned by Michael Jordan, who has been in LaVar Ball’s crosshairs many times in recent years.
After being the biggest movers in the lottery, the Charlotte Hornets’ prize could be landing LaMelo Ball in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Few people covering the draft have watched and analyzed prospects as much as The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie. Interestingly, few people covering the draft and prospects are as high on Ball as Vecenie as he’s long had Ball atop his draft board.
His post-lottery mock draft on Thursday evening slotted Ball third overall to the Charlotte Hornets, though he maintained he still thinks Ball is the most talented prospect.
Here is a section out of his explanation on Ball landing in Charlotte:
“The big question here is obviously about his efficiency. He’s not a great shooter right now, having hit just 28 percent of his 86 3-point attempts this past season. I think he’s probably slightly better than that as a shooter in terms of touch. While his decision-making as a passer is great, his shooting decisions leave a lot to be desired. There are some possessions where he simply makes a pre-determined choice and says that he’s going to pull up and take a shot, regardless of how the defense is playing. His floater game is strong and his finishing package isn’t terrible, but his lack of strength is a significant hindrance in how he plays through contact. As Ball gets stronger with age, I expect that he’ll really improve around the rim and in his ability to accept contact as a ballhandler when coming off ball-screens.”
The Hornets and Ball were not linked hardly at all prior to Thursday’s draft lottery given the Hornets standing coming into the lottery at the No. 8 spot. However, Charlotte general manager Mitch Kupchak was one of the few NBA executives to see Ball in-person for Illawarra last season.
The fit would be an interesting one as the Hornets do have some guards already, including one of the league’s most improved players this season in Devonte’ Graham. The team’s star free agent acquisition last summer also was a guard in Terry Rozier. But both of those players could play alongside Ball, which shouldn’t rule him out of contention to go third overall.
Former Charlotte Hornets teammate Bismack Biyombo is happy to see his friend Kemba Walker spread his wings with the Boston Celtics.
Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker inspires fierce loyalty among his teammates going all the way back to his days as a UConn Husky, and former Charlotte Hornets teammates still consider him among their closest friends despite his departure to Boston this summer.
One such former teammate is big man Bismack Biyombo, who was drafted two spots ahead of the Bronx native in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings and immediately traded to the then-Charlotte Bobcats.
The pair came up together, and reunited for a season on the Hornets after stints on the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic for Biyombo.
Speaking about their time together in a recent interview with Heavy.com’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on the “Scoop B Radio” podcast, Biyombo shared some thoughts about his friend and now former teammate.
“Kemba has always been a hard worker and he’s my friend, my family; we came in the league together and we grew throughout the years,” began the Congolese center.
“One thing that I’ve always admired about Kemba is his work ethic … I remember one time, it was practice and it was the lockout year and a lot of our guys were hurt and we went up and we called a practice. It was just him and I; he was working out on one side and I was working out on the other side.
I can’t remember how long that we were working out, but at the end he was just joking about it like, ‘The NBA is really crazy; and a lot of this hard work will get you so far in this league and you just have to be patient in the process.'”
Walker has long had a reputation as a near-constant grinder, putting in work on whatever aspect of his game or body needs attention — and then putting in more.
And while it stinks for Biyombo he will have to watch his friend’s successes continue with the New Yorker on a different team again, the Lubumbashi native seems genuinely excited for the possibilities ahead of Walker.
For Biyombo, their friendship transcends the game.
“Just being able to see him going from being the rookie of the young guys to becoming the leader, to All-Star starter…this is beyond amazing to witness that and to get to know him as a person; he is the coolest person outside of basketball.”
“So, there’s only so much that I can say about my brother,” added Biyombo.
UConn fans in southern New England already know what Celtics fans and of course our Congolese friend have known for years now.
A not-small part of what has made Walker’s career as successful as it has been is his “Ubuntu” – like approach to life that seems to breed success wherever the point guard has landed.
Incidentally, a philosophy that helped carry the franchise to its last banner; will it carry it to another?
A longshot to be sure, but then — the odds have never bothered the former Husky before.
Onyeka Okongwu was mocked to the Golden State Warriors in The Athletic’s latest mock draft.
The Golden State Warriors have a bevy of options with their lottery pick in this year’s draft, and one of them could be their big man of the future.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie released his latest mock draft Tuesday, and the Warriors picked at No. 5 in this one. According to Tankathon, the Warriors, which have the NBA’s worst record, cannot pick lower than fifth overall.
Vecenie mocked USC big man Onyeka Okongwu to Golden State, and the simulation had the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers drafting ahead of the Warriors. The 2020 NBA draft is scheduled for Oct. 16.
USC big man Onyeka Okongwu had another monster performance with 27 points and 12 boards against Washington State. Future top-5 pick❓ pic.twitter.com/pUYuUYgXfl
Okongwu is one of the top big men in this draft, and his interior game is NBA-friendly. He positions himself well down low for easy buckets, and he is a stellar roll man in the pick-and-roll. Okongwu was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, and he was on the All-Pac-12 first team.
He scored 16.2 points per game, grabbed 8.6 rebounds a game and swatted 2.7 blocks a game in his lone season with the Trojans.
Okongwu would fit in Golden State’s offense because of his athleticism around the rim, but Marquese Chriss already fits that archetype. He had his best season during the 2019-20 campaign, and he showed he could be a valuable player for Golden State.
Chriss scored a career-high 9.3 points per game on a career-best 54.5% shooting this season, along with grabbing a career-high 6.2 rebounds.
The Warriors will have a decision to make as to whether they’ll trade or keep their pick. If they fall out of the top three, another team could see value within the top five and want to trade up.
Golden State still has a good opportunity to be a contender for the next few years, with Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson boasting a championship pedigree. Still, choosing to place value on the future in this year’s draft could help the Warriors maintain long term.
This week, 14-year NBA veteran Raymond Felton was a guest on The HoopsHype Podcast. He discussed his NBA career, his free agency, how much longer he wants to play, his concerns about the NBA resuming the season, whether he’s open to signing overseas and more. Listen to the interview above or read a transcribed version of the Q&A below.
You won an NCAA championship at UNC alongside Rashad McCants, Sean May and Marvin Williams among others. That team was so much fun to watch and then all four of you were lottery picks in the 2005 NBA Draft. What was it like to be part of that championship team?
Raymond Felton: Ah, man, it was fun. We went through a lot together. Our freshman year, we went to the NIT and Sean May got hurt – he broke his foot. We went from making the NIT to winning a championship. It was a journey for us. It’s something that we worked really hard for and we just continued to get better each and every year. In our junior year, we really put it all together along with Jawad Williams, Jackie Manuel, Melvin Scott and others. Those guys were there as well and they played a big, vital part in us winning that title.
You spent three years at UNC. Now, many players enter the NBA after just one year in college. Do you think some players would benefit from staying in college longer?
RF: Yes, I think it gives you time to mature and gives you time to learn the game a lot more than coming straight out of high school and going into the big leagues. I don’t think a year [is enough]. I think two years is a good amount of time for a kid to develop and learn how to be on his own and be a professional and be his own person. And, at the same time, they’re continuing to get better and learning the game. You learn so much in college and those basics will help you when you get to the league.
Of all the teams that you’ve played on, which team was the closest or had the best chemistry?
RF: I played on a lot of teams that had great chemistry. That [2012-13] Knicks team that won about 55 games and was the No. 2 seed in the East, that was a great chemistry team. We were all tight-knit and close. My first time around with the Knicks [in 2010-11] when we were young – with Amare Stoudemire, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, Landry Fields, Toney Douglas – even with that team, we were really close too. The [2009-10] Bobcats team that I was on in my fifth season when we finally got over the hump and made the playoffs, we were really close and tight. I had a really good friend, who was almost like a big brother to me, in Stephen Jackson on that team. Me and Gerald Wallace are really close. Tyson Chandler was on that team and we are really close. DJ Augustin, who’s still my little young fella to this day… There were a lot of guys. I could name a lot of teams that I’ve played for. In Dallas, I was really close with Monta Ellis, Dirk Nowitzki, JJ Barea, Devin Harris… The list could go on and on. I was close with a lot of guys.
You’ve played in big markets and small markets throughout your career. What are the biggest differences when you’re in a big market versus a small market?
RF: To me, it didn’t really matter. It was all about the team to me. I’m all about winning. Thus far, I’ve yet to win an NBA championship, but I’ve won a championship at every other level I’ve played at. It was all about going to a good team; I couldn’t care less if it was in a smaller market or if it was New York or Los Angeles. It doesn’t really matter to me. I just want to play on a good team that’s going to win… Every city that I’ve played in embraced me with love.
(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
You’ve played in the NBA for 14 years, which is the kind of longevity that every player wants to have. What advice would you give to younger players who want to have a long, successful career in the NBA?
RF: You just have to continue to work on your game and continue to get better, and learn how to adapt. Your style of play may not fit the team that you’re with, but you gotta find a way to get on the court and you gotta find a way to stay on the court. You have to figure those things out. I think those are the big things for the young guys, just learning how to adapt and learning how to play in different systems. Every system isn’t going to be a fit for you, but you still have to find a way to convince your coach to put you on the court and give you playing time.
How much has the game evolved from the start of your NBA career in 2005 to now?
RF: It’s a big difference, man. When I came into the league, there was a need for natural point guards – pass-first point guards. Now, point guards are scoring almost 30 points per game. You’ve got guys like Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and these guys who can average 25-plus points per game. Now, point guards are scorers rather than being passers with 15 assists, 16 assists. Those guys still do that sometimes, but they’re also scoring at a high volume.
Yeah, there are so many dominant point guards around the league. If you’re an opposing point guard, you’re matched up against a star in most games and you don’t get many nights off. What do you think of the point guard play in today’s NBA?
RF: Oh man, it’s amazing. To me, when they talk about the toughest position, I think it’s the point guard position because you have to bring it every night. From the time I stepped into the league and still to this day, it’s one of the toughest positions. You have to bring it every night because there’s always somebody on the other team who’s fast, quick, can score and can do a lot of different things. To me, the point guard position is probably one of the toughest [in sports].
There was a rumor that surfaced a few months ago that you had signed with a second-division team in the Czech Republic, but it wasn’t true. What was your reaction when you saw that report?
RF: Well, I was just upset. I had a conversation with a good friend of mine who’s over there training and who’s been coaching a bit overseas. We had a conversation and he asked me about coming over there. I even spoke to the general manager. But I did my research and had some people look into the team and I realized that it’s a small-division team, so I didn’t go. I never signed any deal. I never had my agent call them – they never even had a conversation. So, when that came out, I was just upset. It just felt like it wasn’t an appropriate thing for them to do, but it is what it is. I’m glad I had an opportunity to clear that up. I never had a deal over there, I never went over there and I never had any plans to go over there. It was just simply having a friend who’s over there within that team and having a conversation; that’s all it was.
You’re still a free agent right now and you are eligible to be a replacement player when the NBA season resumes in Orlando. Have you had any conversations with teams about the possibility of getting signed as a replacement player?
RF: I think my agent has, man. But, to me, I’m up in the air about that whole situation because we don’t have this coronavirus thing under control. I have a family, I have kids, and I have other things to worry about. Do I want to play basketball? Yes, I love basketball. I’ve been out for a whole year, so I definitely want to play and I definitely want to be on somebody’s roster. I want to help out, being that leader in the locker room and on the court and playing my role. But it’s kind of hard when six more guys just had a positive test, so we’re talking about more and more guys every week who are coming up positive when tested. Now, you’re going to put everyone together all in one place and play these games? To me, man, it’s just not safe. I ain’t no expert on this. But, in my opinion, it’s not safe. I’m just not 100-percent comfortable with playing right now because it’s not okay. The cases are steady going up. And they’re going to Florida, which is one of the worst places to go at this moment! I don’t know, man. It’s kind of tough for me. I do want to play. I do love to play basketball, and I’m ready to play and want to play. But it’s a tough situation right now, man. It really is.
If you decide against playing in Orlando, would you then focus on signing with a team next season (when things are hopefully getting back to normal a bit)?
RF: Oh, no question… It’d be like I was away for just one season and I would definitely be looking to try to get with somebody next season. I just want to play. I’m not retiring. I want to play. Even if I have to go across that water to play, I will. I just want to play basketball. I’m not ready to let the game go yet.
It seems like NBA teams are going after younger players rather than signing veterans who can make an impact on the court and off the court (as a leader and mentor). Has that been frustrating?
RF: I think it’s very frustrating because I think it’s what these young guys need. The player-development coaches are great and it’s something that the kids need, but you also need a veteran. When I came into the league, I had a bunch of veterans who helped me out – Juwan Howard, Kurt Thomas, Derek Anderson, Brevin Knight. I had guys like that – older guys who had played 14+ years in the league already – who took me under their wing and taught me a lot of things (not just on the court, but off the court too). I think that’s missing now. That’s a vital thing that a lot of teams don’t take into consideration. You still need that. You still need an older, veteran player on the team who’s been in the league, who’s been around this for a while and who’s used to being in the NBA and [knows] everything that comes with being an NBA player because this is stuff that some of these young guys need to know! These guys are coming into the NBA younger and younger – at 18 and 19 years old – so they need some guidance. Sometimes, coaches aren’t able to get across to them what they need to hear and how they need to hear it. Sometimes, they need to hear it from somebody who’s been through it for 15 years and who they really trust and will listen to. I think that’s a vital thing that’s missing, man. Hopefully one day that will change, but I don’t know…
(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
How much longer do you want to continue playing?
RF: My ultimate goal was always 16 years. I’ve played 14 before this season, so this year would’ve been 15. I want to play another two years and if I can stretch it to three, I will. But I definitely want to play another two because I still want to reach my goal of playing 16 years.
You mentioned that you’re open to going overseas if you have to and I’m sure international teams have been reaching out to your agent. Have you received interest from a lot of overseas teams this year?
RF: They’ve been having talks. They’re having some conversations now, just to kind of get on top of it. This is the first time that I’ve actually been open to, just seeing the changes in the league and how they want to go younger and want to basically not even have veterans that much anymore. It’s just one of those things where I’m like, “Okay, well, I still want to play…” So even if I have to go play over there, that’s what I’m going to do. That’s how that came about.
During this year that you haven’t been in the NBA, how have you spent your time and what have you been doing to stay in shape?
RF: Before the season was [suspended], I was in Houston; I was working out every day, training, playing pick-up and all of that. But once the gyms closed, I really didn’t have anything to do but try to do what I can at home. From being in the basketball world for so long, I have friends and people I know who have gyms and stuff that I can get in. But, for the most part, a lot of people shut their gym down for almost a month and a half – even my friends had to shut down because they were going to get in trouble since the state required it. In a lot of situations, it was tough. Over the last month, I’ve been able to get back in the gym and get back on the basketball court again – touching a ball again and getting shots up and getting back to it – and it’s just been great. I’ve been going at it every day. I’m still trying to spend time with my kids and do all of that, but I’m trying to keep myself ready and safe at the same time. I’m staying prepared for that phone call.
Some NBA coaches and trainers have suggested that veterans may have an advantage coming out of this break since they have experience keeping their body in shape and can do everything on their own whereas young players rely on their trainers and coaches a lot more. Do you agree that veterans may have had an edge during the break?
RF: No question. You know how to take care of your body and you know the things to do for recovery. I have pretty much everything that we get at the facility here at my house; I have all of the things that I need to recover here. So, yeah, I think that is an advantage – knowing your body and knowing what you have to do to be in shape and to be game-ready without having somebody with you 24/7 who’s helping you and walking you through stuff. Knowing that stuff is a big difference between veterans and young guys.
You won multiple state championships in high school, you won an NCAA championship at UNC. What would it mean for you to add an NBA championship to your list of accomplishments?
RF: Ah, man, that would be the like icing on the cake of my career. Just being able to say that I’ve won a ‘ship at all three levels, that would be amazing. Hopefully, before I walk away from this game, I can say that I did that. But we’ll have to see what happens.
You’ve played for seven teams in 14 years. When you change teams, you’re adjusting to new coaches, new teammates, new cities and so on. Was moving from team to team in recent years difficult for you?
RF: I think the moving part is more difficult. Like, moving from team to team and getting adjusted to different coaches isn’t a hard thing for me because I’m a student of the game. I study the game and I like to get to know coaches and their plays. I’m a student, so it’s never difficult for me because I like to watch film and see how I can be successful in the offense and learn the defensive scheme and how they do things. I’m just a student of the game; I love to watch other players and see what other coaches do. It was never really a tough moment for me. It was all about just growing relationships with my coaches and that’s something that I did with pretty much all the coaches that I played for.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Moving is the rough part. There aren’t many professions where your employer tells you, “We’re moving you across the country permanently and you need to leave tomorrow.” How did you react the first time you were traded?
RF: Ah man, I was hurt. I was hurt. I mean, I was having one of my best seasons in my career. In my first time with New York, I was averaging like 17.0 or 18.0 points and 9.0 assists. I was having a great year and it was just tough when that trade happened. I got sent to Denver [in the Carmelo Anthony deal] and it was tough… It was just tough. I was hurt about that one, I ain’t even going to lie to you. (laughs)
Does it get easier the more times you get traded? Do you sort of get used to it?
RF: Yeah, it’s just one of those things where I try to look at the positive part of it and say, “Listen, at least somebody wants you!” When nobody wants you, that’s when it gets worse. When you have people inquiring about you, that’s always a good thing.
I’m sure you’re used to dealing with rumors by now. I know some players read every rumor while others try to ignore them. What is your approach to rumors?
RF: I just don’t read it, man. I don’t read what people say, and I don’t read what the media writes when it comes to rumors. When it comes to that stuff, I just block it out. If my agent calls me, then I’m like, “Okay, now this is something serious.” If he calls me and says that a team is inquiring about me and the team that I’m with is talking to him and they’re trying to figure out a deal, that’s when I’m like, “Okay, I might be on the move.” That’s different, when you get that phone call.
After your playing days are over, what career path do you want to pursue?
RF: I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know. It’s going to be something within basketball – training kids, getting kids prepared for the NBA Draft, getting kids prepared for their season, just helping out and being a mentor. I thought about coaching, but I’m not sure about that. I’m still up in the air about that. But that’s something where I could give my knowledge back to the game. I don’t know. I have kids who are coming up and who want to play as well, so I don’t know if I want to put all of that time back into the game after I’m done and not be able to coach [my kids] and be at their games and be around. I just have a lot to think about when it comes to all of that.
How has fatherhood changed you?
RF: It’s made me grow up as a man and it’s made me look at life and a whole lot of things differently. It’s great being a dad. I get to see all of the things that my dad got to see when I was coming up – the things that used to make him happy and proud, and the things that used to make him upset (laughs). I see all of those things now. It’s a beautiful thing. I love being a dad.
