GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The NBA fined the Knicks $200,000 and team scout Rodney Heard $20,000 on Thursday for conducting illegal draft workouts.
The league ruled Heard, the Knicks’ director of East scouting, violated rules restricting contact between teams and players eligible for the draft in May 2007 and May 2010.
Under the rules at that time, players were not eligible to be worked out for teams before the NBA’s predraft camp in May.
The NBA had been investigating the Knicks since a Yahoo Sports report in October that Heard coordinated and conducted the secret workouts in suburban Atlanta. The report said former Kansas All-American Brandon Rush tore the ACL in his right knee during one of the sessions.
Meanwhile, team president Donnie Walsh said he doesn’t know if he is wanted back by the Knicks.
There have been no discussions with Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan about the option on his contract for next season. Walsh doesn’t seem at all concerned.
“I really haven’t given it a lot of thought, all right, because it’s not the time to give it thought,” Walsh said. “I do have an option, but it’s two months from now, three months from now. I don’t think it’s the time when I would expect an owner or myself to be even thinking about it. I’m more worried about the trading deadline. I’m more worried about the team. I’m more worried about a lot of things.”
Walsh, a former executive with the Nuggets, is in his third season with the Knicks, the one he targeted for the team to be moving forward after two years spent worrying almost entirely about the salary cap.
The Knicks are 25-23, sixth in the East, and in position to end their franchise-worst streak of nine consecutive losing seasons.
Ariza nursing sore ankle
NEW ORLEANS — Hornets forward Trevor Ariza suffered a sprained right ankle in Wednesday’s loss against the Thunder and is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Lakers.
Also, swingman Sasha Pavlovic is expected to join the Hornets today under a 10- day deal.
The Associated Press
