NBA Atlantic

The New York Knicks announced Saturday they re-signed point guard Ryan Arcidiacono.

Welcome Back, @RyArch15 🤝 pic.twitter.com/nSKR4XOeQz

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) September 17, 2022

The team didn't disclose the terms of the contract.

Arcidiacono made 10 appearances for the Knicks in 2021-22, averaging 1.6 points and 0.4 assists. He's entering his sixth season in the NBA.

The 28-year-old's alma mater might have played a role in his return to the Big Apple. He was a four-year starter at Villanova, and he shared a backcourt with Jalen Brunson as a senior.

"When we were recruiting, Arch had the biggest impact on the recruitment of Jalen," former Wildcats head coach Jay Wright told USA Today's Nicole Auerbach in 2016. "When Jalen came on his recruiting visit, he stayed in Arch's room. We got a hotel room for him, but he stayed and slept in Arch's room."

The pair quickly built a rapport on and off the court.

"It’s made life a lot easier knowing I have someone who’s been through it," Brunson said in a 2016 interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Ryan’s like a big brother to me. He’s a role model. He does everything with such a sense of purpose. He’s someone I really admire."

The Knicks have no shortage of guards for the season ahead. They signed Brunson to be their starter at the point, while Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes have shown promise in their young careers.

Arcidiacono, a 37.4 percent three-point shooter, might at least be able to provide some floor spacing in a limited role. His presence should also help Brunson adjust to a new team and manage the increased expectations that will come from his four-year, $104 million contract.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers' Twitter account was reportedly hacked before the team managed to regain control of it.

According to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, a friend informed Rivers of "bizarre activity" on his account, including controversial likes, which the Sixers were able to undo.

Per Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, Rivers' account liked multiple tweets that featured "adult content."

The 60-year-old Rivers is preparing to enter his third season in Philly and his 24th season as an NBA head coach overall.

Rivers previously coached the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, and he has amassed a 1,043-735 record in 1,778 regular-season games.

Perhaps most impressively, Rivers' teams have reached the playoffs in 18 of his 23 seasons as head coach, including 14 of the past 15.

His greatest success came in Boston, where he led the Celtics to the NBA Finals twice, including a championship in 2008.

In his first two seasons with the Sixers, the team has gone 100-54 and reached the playoffs twice, but they have failed to advance past the second round each time.

Playoff shortcomings have seemingly become a hallmark for the 76ers in recent years, but the front office was hard at work this offseason to add to an already strong roster in hopes of making a deeper run to the Eastern Conference Finals or even the NBA Finals.

For starters, the 76ers re-signed All-Star guard James Harden after acquiring him in a midseason trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Keeping him meant maintaining a core of Harden, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey.

Philadelphia also brought in the likes of P.J. Tucker, De'Anthony Melton, Danuel House Jr. and Montrezl Harrell to solidify one of the deepest rosters in the NBA.

With a full season of Harden alongside Embiid and Co., the Sixers are one of a handful of teams with a legitimate shot to go the distance in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Knicks front office hierarchy is considered "confusing" by other teams around the NBA, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Leon Rose is the team's president, but he didn't take the lead role in the failed negotiations for Donovan Mitchell.

"Leon delegates too much—delegates to a fault," one coaching source told Berman. "They had a breakaway layup and blew it."

Even Mitchell admitted he thought he was going to the Knicks—his hometown team—before ultimately being traded from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via RealGM) previously reported Gersson Rosas was the lead negotiator for the Knicks in the Mitchell pursuit. Rosas was previously president of the Minnesota Timberwolves before being fired in 2021, but he was only hired by the Knicks as a consultant last February.

He still took on major responsibilities for the team in recent months, while Rose never spoke to Jazz president Danny Ainge during negotiations.

General manager Scott Perry, executive vice president William Wesley and vice president Brock Aller also all have significant roles within the front office, although opposing teams clearly don't know who is in charge.

Rose notably has minimal front-office experience, spending most of his career as an agent before joining the Knicks in 2020. Wesley was also new to NBA management when taking his current job.

It has led to mixed results, featuring few high-profile moves.

The most notable free-agent signing was Jalen Brunson, who was Rose's former client at CAA and has family ties with the Knicks that go back decades. Other signings, like Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, have proved to be disastrous.

New York made the playoffs in 2021 to end a seven-year drought, but last year's team couldn't follow up on it with just a 37-45 record. Another poor season in 2022-23 could lead to some changes among the brass.

The New York Knicks still have two roster spots open with less than two weeks before training camp opens.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, however, the Knicks don't see Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge as "a good fit at the moment" for those vacancies.

In June, Berman reported that the "Knicks brass has had internal conversations about Anthony, though more pressing concerns about how to rebuild a franchise that's missed the playoffs eight of the past nine years have taken precedence."

Thus far, the team's offseason has been defined by the free-agent signing of Jalen Brunson and the failure to land Donovan Mitchell in trade talks with the Utah Jazz. The return of Anthony, in particular, would be a splashy signing, but it's fair to question how much the veteran has left to offer.

The 38-year-old averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season in 69 total appearances for the disaster that was the Los Angeles Lakers, primarily coming off the bench as a bit of instant offense.

Anthony can undoubtedly still put the ball through the hoop. But for a Knicks team that already has spacing issues, Anthony may not be the cleanest fit, even if he did shoot 37.5 percent from three last season.

Both the 33-year-old Griffin and 37-year-old Aldridge are each best utilized as offensive-only centers at this stage in their respective careers. Griffin averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 56 games for the Brooklyn Nets last season, while Aldridge averaged 12.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 47 appearances for the Nets.

Both can still score. But neither has the athleticism at this stage to ideally play anywhere but the 5, and neither offers much of anything in the way of rim protection or post defense.

With Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein on the roster, the Knicks also have options at center. So while Griffin and Aldridge would bring name recognition, it's fair to question if they would be the right fit.

Marcus Smart does not seem bothered that his name came up in Kevin Durant trade rumors this offseason.

"For someone who's always talked about in trade talks, I didn't really pay too much mind to that. Until it actually happens, I don't believe it," Smart told Jared Weiss of The Athletic. "We can sit here and say this person said this, but we don't even know who said it. It's like a telephone game. By the time it gets back to you, you don't know what changed and who said what. Until it actually happens, I try to pay trade rumors no mind."

The Brooklyn Nets wanted Smart, Jaylen Brown, several draft picks and perhaps another player for Durant, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The Celtics balked at that asking price, and Durant ultimately recommitted to Brooklyn.

It's worth noting that Smart, rather than Brown, was the piece that made Boston resistant to the blockbuster. Charania reported the Celtics offered Brown, Derrick White and a pick to the Nets but were "less inclined" to offer a package that included Smart with multiple other players or picks.

Smart is the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year and became the first guard to win it since Gary Payton in 1995-96. They are the only point guards to earn the honor.

While his defensive presence on the perimeter is stellar, Smart is also a vital emotional leader for Boston. Brown and Jayson Tatum tend to be more measured, whereas Smart is expressive on the floor and behind the scenes.

“When I told those guys I love them, I meant it," Smart told reporters before the NBA Finals. "We've all been through some things individually. Al [Horford], Jaylen, couple of those guys that have been here with me. My mom passed; they flew all the way to Dallas for the funeral. That was for real. It wasn't no tactic. It was nothing. That was me being who I am and it was being true. We have a special bond outside of basketball, and to be able to go to war with those guys makes that bond even stronger.”

Smart expressed gladness that the Celtics did not shake up their core, saying he wants to "run it back" with last season's Eastern Conference champions.

How Boston's rejection of Brooklyn's blockbuster proposal is remembered will be determined by how successful these Celtics are.

Philadelphia 76ers power forward Montrezl Harrell was peppered with NBA questions by police during a traffic stop on May 12 in Richmond, Kentucky.

TMZ Sports reported Wednesday that Harrell was pulled over for following another car too closely, and officers decided to search the car after smelling marijuana. While the search took place, the cops asked the 2020 Sixth Man of the Year about a variety of NBA topics.

"He's a cool person," Harrell said when asked about former Charlotte Hornets teammate LaMelo Ball. "I mean, regular kid. At the end of the day, people still got to understand he's a kid."

The 28-year-old North Carolina native also named the Sixers when asked about the league's worst facilities to play at, and he proceeded to sign with Philly on Tuesday.

Police said they found three pounds of weed in the vehicle, but they issued citations to Harrell and another man with him in the car before letting both go. Harrell, who was initially charged with a Class-D felony for trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana, agreed to plead guilty in order to receive a reduced charge of simple marijuana possession—a count that can be conditionally discharged in 12 months, per TMZ.

Harrell's arrival to the 76ers marks his sixth NBA team since being selected by the Houston Rockets in the 2015 draft. He's also played for the Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards.

His stay in Charlotte was short, joining the team in a February trade and leaving as a free agent over the summer, but clearly he was impressed with Ball's demeanor as a 21-year-old rising star. The feeling was mutual.

"I love Trezz already," Ball told reporters after the trade. "He just brings a whole lot of effort and keeps people locked in."

Harrell has averaged 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 62 percent from the field across 458 NBA games. All but 29 of those appearances have come off the bench, making him one of the league's most impactful reserves.

The former University of Louisville standout figures to join P.J. Tucker and Georges Niang as key frontcourt depth behind projected starters Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris for the Sixers.

Philadelphia tips off the regular season on Oct. 18 with a road game against the Boston Celtics, another top-tier contender in the Eastern Conference.

After missing the majority of last season, Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris will be good to go when the 2022-23 NBA season tips off.

Mark Bartelstein, Harris' agent, told Brian Lewis of the New York Post that the veteran sharpshooter is back to "100 percent" and "in a great place." Bartelstein also responded affirmatively when asked about whether Harris is expected to participate in training camp.

Only 14 games into the 2021-22 campaign, the 31-year-old suffered an ankle injury that required arthroscopic surgery. The initial hope was that he'd be back within a few months. However, the injury continued to linger until he underwent a second surgery in March.

Now the Nets are counting on Harris to resume the duties that have made him such a valuable member of the team. Through six seasons with Brooklyn, he's averaged 12.4 points and shot 44.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Harris is so important because he's the perfect complementary piece on a squad that's built around two cornerstones in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. A healthy Ben Simmons means adding another ball-dominant playmaker to the mix.

Head coach Steve Nash needs players who are comfortable spacing the floor and working off the ball, and Harris does exactly that.

The front office appears to recognize what he contributes. When questions were swirling about the futures of Durant and Irving in Brooklyn, Lewis spoke to a source in July who said the Nets "absolutely do not want to trade Joe under any scenario."

Harris' performance won't make or break the franchise's quest for a championship, but winning a title will be much harder if he's once again battling injuries.

Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden is using his Impact13 Foundation to fund a "financial literacy tour" for college students across the country.

CNBC's Sarah O'Brien reported Monday that Impact13 is working with Awoye Capital managing partner Jordan Awoye to connect with students for an e-course on topics like budgeting, debt, credit and investing.

"For me, it was learning how to not just save, but how to make smart investments," Harden told O'Brien. "You might have money in a bank account or in savings, but for longevity, your money's got to be working for you when you sleep. That's something I've learned."

Impact13 will cover the $795 licensing cost for the class through scholarship money. Awoye told CNBC he has visited six colleges as part of the tour, and it's possible Harden could drop in at future seminars.

"Once I started to do well in wealth management, it really started to become a mission of mine to help with financial literacy," Awoye said. "If we can give that to the next generation, everybody will be better off for it."

Not everyone is in Harden's financial position; Spotrac estimates he's accumulated $268.7 million in on-court earnings. But the Sixers standout said it's normal for people to buy things like their first car and first house after they start to earn a steady income.

The 10-time NBA All-Star told O'Brien financial literacy is crucial when it comes to long-term money management, though.

"I think just coming from where I'm from and where I am now—making it to the NBA, being there for 14 years and seeing how money is handled—it's more than necessary to allow Jordan and people like me to explain and show how to manage money," Harden said.

The 33-year-old Los Angeles native was a first-round pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 draft, and he's become one of the NBA's best players, highlighted by three scoring titles and the 2017-18 MVP award.

His Impact13 Foundation aims to "assist with socio-economic disadvantages and empower women and youth in the areas of community development, education, entrepreneurship, the arts, fashion and sports."

Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones said the Suns never came close to acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets this offseason.

Jones told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic that there was "not much discussion, in-depth discussion" between him and the Nets.

"We had discussions with Brooklyn about their desires and what they were trying to do, but ultimately, I would say like most teams, there was nothing to it," he said.

Durant was made available this offseason after requesting a trade, but the Nets announced last month that they and KD had "agreed to move forward" together.

Durant's business manager, Rich Kleiman, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps) in June that the two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP had requested a trade and the Nets agreed to work with him to find a trade partner.

Wojnarowski noted the Suns and Miami Heat were on Durant's wish list.

Phoenix seemingly had a solid chance to land Durant because it could offer first-round draft picks and center Deandre Ayton.

Ayton was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, and he has been highly productive in four seasons, averaging 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He also helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021, averaging 15.8 points and 11.8 rebounds during that playoff run.

Despite that, there were question marks regarding Ayton's future with the organization, as he was a restricted free agent.

In mid-July, the Indiana Pacers signed him to a four-year, $132.9 million offer sheet.

The Suns matched it, which rendered them unable to trade him until January, and that may have ended any hope they could trade for Durant.

Had Phoenix acquired the 33-year-old 12-time All-Star, it may have become the championship favorite, as he could have joined Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Mikal Bridges.

The Suns had the best record in the NBA last season, but they suffered a disappointing second-round playoff exit at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. Now, they are set to enter the 2022-23 campaign with largely the same team.

Meanwhile, the Nets will look to make at least one more run at contending for a championship with a core of Durant and Kyrie Irving plus Ben Simmons, who didn't play last season amid being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers in the James Harden deal.

The Nets were swept out of the first round, but Durant averaged 29.9 points and a career-high 6.4 assists per game during the regular season.

As for Phoenix, the core of Booker, Paul, Ayton and Bridges will look to get past a Golden State Warriors team that won it all last season.

The Boston Celtics are "not expected to have interest" in signing veteran forward Carmelo Anthony ahead of training camp, according to MassLive's Brian Robb, who added:

"That's not to say the team is done shaping the roster ahead of the preseason but Anthony isn't a priority at this point at names that could be brought in. Boston likes a lot of their internal replacement options from what I’ve heard and want to give those names the first crack at minutes."

Celtics reporter Mark Murphy made similar comments on the Celtics Talk Podcast with Chris Forsberg (h/t NBC Sports Boston's Darren Hartwell):

"I think they feel they want to find out what they've got. They're not in a hurry," Murphy said. "If there's a trade out there, why not? But I don't think they're at all interested in Carmelo, for example."

There have been questions about how the Celtics can replace Danilo Gallinari, who suffered a torn left ACL while playing for Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game this summer. The injury will likely sideline him for the entire 2022-23 campaign.

Anthony had reportedly been considered an option for the Celtics, and the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn reported earlier this month that the idea of the former New York Knicks star signing in Boston was "starting to gain traction" because he "may be the best shooting forward left on the market."

It's not necessarily surprising that the Celtics aren't believed to be interested in Anthony, though. Boston is over the luxury tax and would need to pay $13 million in additional taxes to sign him.

That said, it seems the franchise could rely on internal options to replace Gallinari. Sam Hauser and Grant Williams are two players who could see more playing time in his absence.

Anthony, who spent the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, remains a free agent. He had a solid year with the Purple and Gold, averaging 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 69 games while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from deep.

The 38-year-old has expressed interest in a reunion with the Knicks, according to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer on the Please Don't Aggregate This podcast, though it's unclear if the franchise feels the same way.