HoopsHype.com Rumors

It’s still unlikely Shumpert gets moved, but Grunwald is exploring possibilities. His ears could be even more open following Sunday’s discouraging loss to the Clippers, who looked the more talented team. According to a source, the Rockets’ director of scouting attended Sunday’s game, but he may have been checking out more than Shumpert, who may not be back to his old self until next season as he returns from ACL surgery. New York Post

Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

Shumpert, who returned to the court less than a month ago after having knee surgery in the spring, met with Coach Mike Woodson on Saturday. “He said don’t worry about it,” Shumpert said. “Rumors are rumors. I don’t really care. I just have to play ball. I can’t control that anyway. It’s nothing to worry about. I just have to go out there and play.” New York Times

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

Shumpert knows he has had a difficult week. He has been trying to find his rhythm on the court and his niche with the Knicks. And, on Saturday night he became the subject of a trade rumor. The Phoenix Suns were said to be interested in making a deal for Shumpert, a second-year guard, in exchange for Jared Dudley and a possible first-round pick before the Feb. 21 trade deadline. Shumpert, who returned to the court less than a month ago after knee surgery last April, met with Coach Mike Woodson on Saturday. “He said don’t worry about it,” Shumpert said. “Rumors are rumors. I don’t really care. I just have to play ball. I can’t control that anyway. It’s nothing to worry about. I just have to go out there and play.” New York Times

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Mike Woodson, Jared Dudley, Iman Shumpert 

Before the Sunday’s game, Woodson denied the report and said he would like Shumpert to remain with the Knicks because of his defensive abilities and his high-level energy on the court. But Woodson also knows he cannot make any promises to Shumpert on whether he will stay in New York. “I don’t think you ever tell a player he’s not going anywhere,” Woodson said. “That’s kind of out of my hands. If the owner came to me and said, ‘Hey, we have to do a deal,’ then you do the deal.” New York Times

New York Knicks, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

Woodson even had to tell his daughter, Alexis, who along with Shumpert went to Georgia Tech, that the trade rumor was just that. “I told her, ‘Iman’s going to be right here with me,’” Woodson said. Carmelo Anthony was not concerned about Shumpert’s future with the team. “He ain’t going anywhere,” Anthony said as he left the Knicks’ locker room Sunday. “He ain’t got to worry about that.” New York Times

New York Knicks, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

While Mike Woodson believes that Iman Shumpert will still be a part of the Knicks this season Woodson also admitted that a potential trade involving the second year guard is "out of my hands." The Phoenix Suns have expressed interest in acquiring Shumpert, who has struggled since returning from left knee surgery last month. The deal would reportedly include Suns small forward Jared Dudley. The Knicks could be enticed to pull the trigger if Phoenix is willing to include a first round pick. "I don't think you can ever tell a player he's not (being traded)," Woodson said on Sunday. "That's kind of out of my hands. If the owners came to me and said we have to do a deal, you do the deal. New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

Adam Zagoria: 'The Knicks shouldn't even be in trade talks right now.' 'Melo on Shump Twitter

New York Knicks, Trade, Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert 

Frank Isola: There have been whispers that the Knicks are unhappy with Iman's attitude but Woodson seems to like the kid he still calls "Rook." Twitter @FisolaNYDN

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Jared Dudley, Iman Shumpert 

The New York Knicks are listening to trade offers for second-year guard Iman Shumpert, but a team source said it is "unlikely at this point" the team will agree to a deal sending a package centered around Shumpert to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a package including Jared Dudley. The Suns have shown interest in acquiring Shumpert, a league source confirmed. ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Jared Dudley, Iman Shumpert 

Alex Kennedy: Source says Suns initiated Jared Dudley for Iman Shumpert trade talks. The Knicks are considering it. Other players/picks would be included. Twitter @AlexKennedyNBA

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Jared Dudley, Iman Shumpert 

As the Phoenix Suns try to reshuffle their roster for the future, their front office remains motivated to try to acquire New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

The Suns are willing to give New York a package that includes forward Jared Dudley and possibly a future first-round pick for Shumpert, but the Knicks have so far shown no inclination to do such a deal, sources said. After tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in the Knicks' opening game of last season's playoffs, Shumpert returned in January and has started the past 11 games. While Shumpert is still working himself back to the high level with which he performed as a rookie, the Knicks' front office remains a strong proponent of his talent, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

After regretting they passed on Shumpert in the 2011 NBA draft, the Suns pushed the Knicks to include him in sign-and-trade scenarios discussed for Steve Nash in July. In the past week, the Suns have scouted Shumpert in person, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Iman Shumpert 

James White won't jump over a car, a couch or even Iman Shumpert's flat top in the slam dunk contest. But he said this will be one of the best contests ever, despite everyone being skeptical with the underwhelming field of dunkers. "I think it's going to be real good because it's going to be a battle," White said. "You just have to have people who actually want to do it. They're excited to do it. I think that's what we have this year." Sulia

New York Knicks, James White, Iman Shumpert, All Star Game 

Will James White participate in the dunk contest this year? Ultimately, that's up to the NBA. The league decides who will compete for the crown. But if Iman Shumpert had a say in it, White would make the cut. "They should put him in, definitely," Shumpert said of his Knicks teammate. "He'd win it." ESPN.com

New York Knicks, James White, Iman Shumpert, All Star Game 

Mike Woodson calls Iman Shumpert “Rook” and treated him a little like one when he pulled him 61 seconds into the second half. But Woodson had faith in the second-year guard and brought back Shumpert and he played more aggressively down the stretch of the Knicks 10-point win over Milwaukee. “He’s just pushing me to be aggressive and hiss way of teaching me is that if I’m not aggressive he’s going to take me out,” Shumpert said. Sulia

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Iman Shumpert 

Q: Do you think this team is a legitimate championship contender? Iman Shumpert: Definitely, I think so. I think it’s a whole mental thing, us getting out of the first round. I think once we get out of the first round we’ll be fine. It’s not only us, it’s the city, and I think this year, adding a Jason Kidd, already having a Tyson Chandler, a Rasheed Wallace — these guys all have rings. ... Rasheed Wallace is on my ear during a game telling me on the road, “Look, we only have to be within six points with six minutes to go.” When I see six minutes in the fourth quarter, and we’re down six, in my head, I’m thinking, “Man, we need to hurry up and get a steal. I need to hurry up and start getting things moving. I’m not trying to make this a free throw match.” And they’re in no sort of panic at all. Jason Kidd is trying to almost grow me up as fast as he can with just learning time, score, situation. He’s trying to say like, “Look, it’s gonna be a time where you’re gonna have to make these type of decisions — let me tell you what I know about this, this, this ... how the ref’s [are] calling it, what we need to do. Every timeout, he’s right here. New York Post

New York Knicks, Iman Shumpert 

Q: What’s one anecdote about coach Mike Woodson that makes him unique? Iman Shumpert: The first day he became head coach, at halftime of the game — Melo’s going off. Melo’s got like 16 or 18 at half. We’re blowing the Trail Blazers out, we’re already up by 15, and we’re all hyped up. We’re like in the locker room laughing, everybody’s like talking, communicating like, “Man, we need to do this, ah you missed a layup on this though, we gotta clean this up, we gotta do this,” so we’re all talking. And Woody comes in there, he looks like he’s [ticked]. And so we all like sorta tighten up. He goes straight up to Melo: “I don’t give a damn how many points you got. You have no rebounds right now. You can’t play for me with no rebounds.” I think Melo finished with like seven, eight rebounds after that. But it’s like the fact that he walked in, and just walked straight up to Melo’s face and did that, I think it established in the room for the rest of the year how serious he was about he doesn’t care how much we’re winning by if we’re not doing the things we’re supposed to do. New York Post

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Coaching, Iman Shumpert 

Shumpert talked about his high-top with Nate Taylor of The New York Times, sharing not only the genesis of the style ("When I was growing up, all my cousins had high-top fades. I thought it would be cool to see how long I could grow a high-top") but also a pretty weird yet somehow perfect piece of Shump-related trivia: Shumpert said he planned to keep his high-top fade. When Shumpert’s mixtape album, Th3 #Post90s, was released in December, his high-top fade was the focal point of the album cover. He loves the haircut so much he has a tattoo on his left forearm of Johnny Bravo, a cartoon character with pompadour-style hair. Yahoo! Sports

New York Knicks, Iman Shumpert 

After sitting, working and rehabbing for nearly nine months, Iman Shumpert finally got back on the court for the Knicks in London, starting and playing nearly 15 minutes against the Pistons. Game 2 for the Knicks’ shooting guard comes today against the Nets at the Garden, and the minutes question will be evaluated before the game’s 3:30 start, according to coach Mike Woodson. To Shumpert, minutes are no issue. “I’ll play 48 minutes if Woody tells me to go out and play 48 minutes,” Shumpert said. “It’s whatever the coaching staff and the doctors and our training staff want me to do.” New York Post

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Iman Shumpert