Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker tell Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer that Walker’s recruiting played a part in “Big Al” signing with the Bobcats last summer. Although Walker wasn’t optimistic, Jefferson says the point guard’s pitch made a difference. “Nothing feels better than knowing somebody wants you,” said Jefferson. “It made me feel special. And their top player had come to me in the offseason and really wanted me to come.” Here’s more from the East:
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com looks at how the projected cap increase for next year could help teams like the Bulls and Rockets pursue Carmelo Anthony, should he opt out of his final contract year with the Knicks.
- Joe Dumars has no interest in the Cavs GM opening, sources tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he believes in the process Philadelphia’s front office has designed heading into the draft. “I will be led by [GM Sam Hinkie]. I have gone through a very system-oriented process for the past 12 years [as San Antonio Spurs assistant] with an organization that’s proven they’ve made way more good decisions than bad decisions,” said Brown. “I’m going to let him use me how he wants to use me. That’s my nature–to immerse myself into it all and be highly opinionated. Somewhere out there, analytics people and Sam as the architect of all of it and the coaches will share an opinion. And the club will roll with it.”
- Tom Moore of Calkins Media says that Sixers owner Joshua Harris’s assessment of Philadelphia’s season as a “success” is premature, and ultimately will depend on how well Hinkie uses the team’s abundance of draft picks this summer.
- Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens were interviewed for the first time since becoming the new Bucks owners by Don Walker of The Journal Sentinel. The pair emphasized the plans to bring a new arena to Milwaukee, and their commitment to building a winner. “Part of this for us, [is that] you can only go up. If you look at this, if we do the right things, if we pick the right players, if everything works the way hopefully it will and we can follow the model of San Antonio or the Thunder,” said Lasry. “I think everybody wants the same thing we do. Everybody just wants a winner.”