This morning’s headlines:
- Anthony hits at possible exit from New York
- Report: Wade may have felt misled by Bulls
- Pistons’ new locker room a sight to behold
Anthony: ‘I will always be tied to New York’ — Chatter about Carmelo Anthony’s future with the New York Knicks has been discussed at length during the offseason. Yet Anthony has kept a low profile and, aside from some pickup games with other NBA stars, has been rarely seen. In an interview with SportsIllustrated.com, Anthony talks about what New York means to him and, perhaps, drops some hints about his future. The New York Daily News‘ Zachary Ripple has more from the interview:
Carmelo Anthony may love the Big Apple, but the veteran forward seems resigned to the fact that his time playing for the Knicks is over.
In a Sports Illustrated video titled “Carmelo explains why New York means so much to him,” Anthony talks about his connections to the city and his roots growing up here, as well as things he enjoys about living in New York.
“It don’t feel like 6-and-a-half years,” Anthony begins. “It’s a long time, it’s a long time.”
Near the end, however, Anthony hints that the most recent chapter of his NBA career is nearing its end.
“I’ll always be a part of this community, regardless of where I’m at,” he said. “I will always come back here, I will always have business here, I will always have family here.
“Those things will never change, so I will always be tied to New York.”
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/905481239473250304?ref_src
Report: Wade may have felt misled by Bulls — When or if Dwyane Wade gets bought out by the Chicago Bulls is as big of an unknown there is in NBA circles now. And just the other day, talk of Wade possibly returning to the Miami Heat was starting to bubble up. Per HoopsHype.com’s Alex Kennedy, Wade may be thinking of a buyout with Chicago because the team he signed with and the one he’s looking at now are completely different:
Wade’s frustration stems from the fact that he feels the front office misled him about the direction of the team. As his June 27 deadline to opt-in to the final year of his contract approached, the veteran shooting guard wanted assurances from the front office that the Bulls would field a competitive team during the 2017-18 season. Wade didn’t want to opt-in and then watch the franchise enter a rebuilding period. Sources close to the situation say that Wade received those assurances. Jimmy Butler was also given the impression that he wouldn’t be traded, according to league sources.
The 35-year-old believed that if he opted in to his $23,800,000 salary, Butler would remain in Chicago and the organization would once again try to make some noise in the Eastern Conference – especially coming off an impressive first-round series against the Boston Celtics that went to six games (and one the Bulls may have won if not for an injury to Rajon Rondo).
Wade opted in to the final year of his contract on June 21. The very next day, Butler and the Bulls’ No. 16 pick was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 overall pick (which was used on Lauri Markkanen). It’s clear that Chicago is ushering in a youth movement, as they now have 11 players who are 24 years old or younger on the roster.
Shortly after the trade, Butler’s trainer Travelle Gaines sent out a (now-deleted) tweet saying the Bulls had the “worst culture in the league.” He also criticized Gar Forman, the team’s general manager, saying he’s “met drug dealers with better morals” and “he is a liar and everyone knows.” It certainly seems Wade and Butler were blindsided by the move.
Since the Butler trade, Wade hasn’t spoken to anyone in the Bulls’ front office. He’s had a few brief chats with head coach Fred Hoiberg, but they haven’t talked about anything team-related. The three-time champion is upset because he doesn’t want to waste one of the final years of his NBA career on a lottery team. That’s why recent reportshave suggested that a buyout is imminent.
Pistons get (much) bigger locker-room digs — The ribbon has been cut at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit and the first Pistons game there is just a few short weeks away. One of the benefits of the new facilities — which the Pistons will share with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings — is more space in every way, including for the players before and after games. Rod Beard of The Detroit News details how the Pistons’ locker room got a major upgrade:
Both the Pistons and Red Wings will begin their regular seasons next month at the new arena, which was opened to the media for tours on Wednesday. Though construction crews still are completing many of the final touches, the initial views are impressive.
The two teams will have separate locker rooms and the Red Wings’ is bigger than the previous one at Joe Louis Arena. There are several upgrades and amenities that will help set a new standard as new teams build arenas around both the NBA and NHL.
Although the Pistons’ locker room was not completed and was not part of the tour, the team released some renderings and details about what the new digs will have. The Pistons’ locker room will be about 40 percent larger than the one at The Palace.
The Pistons will utilize a large portion of Little Caesars Arena, spanning more than 10,000 square feet, including a locker room, training center and player lounge.
The locker room includes a space of about 1,250 square feet, making it one of the largest in the NBA. The 18 lockers will have state-of-the-art design, with 12-foot ceilings, and the room will have a 98-inch touch-screen media wall for game-film viewing and breakdown.
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SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: When will the Warriors will pay the $1 million price tag for this summer’s title parade? … The Timberwolves had a workout for free agents Thomas Robinson, Perry Jones, Anthony Morrow, Trey Burke, Isaiah Canaan, Alan Anderson and Matt Janning … Magic guard D.J. Augustin is fretting a bit over Hurricane Irma … After being waived by the Trail Blazers a few weeks ago, Andrew Nicholson will play next season in China …
