Indiana Pacers Feed: Hoops Rumors

Stein's Latest: Clippers, David West, Ujiri, Nets

2013-05-21T10:19:06-05:00

ESPN.com's Marc Stein passes along a few notable tidbits in his latest piece for TrueHoop, including word of a potential Clippers target, a Phil Jackson update, and some items on the coaching front. Let's dive in and check out the highlights....

"Whispers are already swirling" that the Clippers intend to make a hard run at free-agent-to-be David West, says Stein. West and the Pacers seem to be mutually interested in a reunion, and Indiana will have the ability to offer West much more than the Clippers could, barring a sign-and-trade. But Stein points out that if West's old teammate Chris Paul re-signs in Los Angeles, the Pacers forward figures to be interested in at least listening to a Clippers pitch.
The Nuggets remain confident that they'll be able to hang on to Masai Ujiri, despite rumblings that the Raptors may offer him an annual salary of $2MM+. Ujiri had reportedly been making about $500K with the Nuggets, according to Stein, so he appears in line for a raise no matter which team he ends up running.
According to Stein, some league observers "remain convinced" that Phil Jackson's flirtations with various teams are designed to convinced Jim Buss to cede his organizational power with the Lakers to Jeanie Buss, which could allow Jeanie to bring Jackson aboard to run the team's basketball operations.
Part of the reason the Nets' coaching search has been moving slowly so far is that two of the team's top potential targets remain active in the playoffs -- Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and Pacers assistant Brian Shaw. Stein adds that Ettore Messina, who is rumored to be a candidate for the Hawks, isn't on the Nets' list.
While the Nets and perhaps the Clippers appear to have interest in Hollins, the Grizzlies appear determined to lock him up to a new contract once their season ends, says Stein.

Gani Lawal Drawing NBA Interest

2013-05-18T13:53:52-05:00

Gani Lawal's NBA resume is about as scant as can be, having totaled two minutes in one game for the Suns in the 2010/11 season. That could be about to change, as a strong showing in Europe this year has prompted the Pacers, Raptors and Magic to schedule workouts with the 6'9" power forward, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Four or five other teams have also discussed bringing Lawal in for a look, Charania adds.

Lawal has spent this season in Italy with Virtus Roma, notching 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. According to Charania, the 24-year-old has lost weight and added strength since his stint with the Suns, who drafted him with the 46th overall pick out of Georgia Tech in 2010. He was in training camp with the Spurs in 2011, but San Antonio cut him before the start of the regular season.

I'd expect him to be in line for another training camp invitation this time around, perhaps with a small partial guarantee. That he's sparked interest this early in the offseason suggests he could be one of the top free agents from outside the NBA, but I don't think he'll merit much more than the minimum salary unless he's especially impressive in his workouts. That's just my speculation, of course, and Lawal appears to be in line for plenty of opportunities this summer to show NBA teams what he can do.

Draft Combine Updates: Thursday Evening

2013-05-16T21:03:00-05:00

9:03pm: We'll post any remaining evening updates from Chicago here:

Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy tweets that international prospect Mouhammadou Jaiteh will forego Eurocamp and will work out for NBA teams instead, possibly as early as a group workout with Minnesota.
The Oregonian's Jason Quick reports that the Trail Blazers met with James Southerland yesterday.

2:47pm: More afternoon combine updates from Chicago:

Ben McLemore has already interviewed with the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans, according to SI.com's Chris Mannix (via Twitter). McLemore expects to meet with the Bobcats, Magic, and Pistons tonight, according to various reports (all Twitter links).
Victor Oladipo will also meet with the Pistons tonight, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter) adds Otto Porter to the list of prospects interviewed by the Timberwolves, but says the T-Wolves won't get a chance to meet with Oladipo, who was on the team's wish list.
Jamaal Franklin tells Jason Quick of the Oregonian that when he met with the Trail Blazers yesterday, the whole meeting consisted of a psychological test (Twitter link).
Andre Roberson met with the Magic yesterday, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
Shams Charania of RealGM.com has a list of the 12 prospects the Bulls plan to work out on Monday (Twitter link).
Jeff Withey is "extremely excited" to be meeting with the Sixers, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

1:35pm: We covered the Thursday morning updates from Chicago's predraft camp earlier today, but with so many tidbits surfacing throughout the day, we're starting an afternoon post to round up the latest notes:

ESPN.com's Chad Ford hears that two international prospects have received first-round guarantees: Dennis Schroeder and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Twitter link).
Michael Carter-Williams has met with several teams, including the Trail Blazers, Bobcats, Pistons, Timberwolves, and Thunder, according to various reports (all links go to Twitter). Carter-Williams is hearing he could be drafted anywhere between third and 15th overall, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
We heard this morning that the Celtics had spoken to Cody Zeller and Glen Rice Jr. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe adds a few more names to the list of Boston interviewees (via Twitter): Mason Plumlee, Rudy Gobert, and Victor Oladipo.
C.J. McCollum won't meet with the Trail Blazers this week, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (Twitter link). However, he will meet with the Pistons tomorrow, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (via Twitter), and has already interviewed with the Magic, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). SI.com's Chris Mannix (Twitter link) adds the Thunder, Nuggets, and Cavaliers to the list of teams who have spoekn to McCollum, who has 15 total interviews scheduled.
Robbins notes in a separate tweet that the Magic also met with Myck Kabongo.
Isaiah Canaan will meet with the Wizards on Friday, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
Canaan, Andre Roberson, and Grant Jerrett all met with the Pistons last night, tweets Langlois.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (via Twitter) that the Bucks met with Shane Larkin yesterday and will work him out later this month.
Erik Murphy has interviews lined up with the Grizzlies, Clippers, and possibly the Pacers, tweets Robbins.
Seth Curry will meet today with the Lakers, Rockets, and Knicks, tweets Bonnell.

Western Notes: Mavs, Perkins, Fisher, Lakers

2013-05-16T15:55:28-05:00

Earlier this week, Dirk Nowitzki addressed the Mavericks' desire to bring some major talent on board this summer in free agency, going into a little detail about the pitch he expects potential targets to receive. Nowitzki spoke about the same topic today, reiterating that it's "pretty obvious" he'll be in line for a pay cut in the summer of 2014, which will allow the team to flexible in handing out bigger-money contracts to other players. Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News has the details and the quotes from Nowitzki.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Western Conference:

Although he's the likeliest amnesty candidate on the Thunder's roster, Kendrick Perkins told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman (Twitter link), that he's "pretty sure" he'll still be on the team next season.
Derek Fisher also told the media, including Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), that he'd like to return to the Thunder, adding that he isn't considering retirement yet.
If the Lakers explore the free agent market this summer, they'll likely be shopping for bargains. Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com identifies a few potential targets for the club.
With the Spurs and Pacers each one win away from their respective Conference Finals, Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News recalls the Kawhi Leonard/George Hill swap consummated by the two teams, calling it "the definition of a win/win trade."

Pistons To Interview Brian Shaw

2013-05-14T22:23:56-05:00

Brian Shaw will interview to be the new head coach of the Pistons, according to a report by WXYZ-TV passed along by Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. The former player is in the midst of a playoff run as an assistant coach with the Pacers, but once their season ends, Shaw will interview for the head coach position. Pacers president Donnie Walsh has asked that his assistants not interview for other jobs until after the team's playoff run.

In a recent article for HoopsHype, longtime Phil Jackson confidant Charley Rosen said that he wouldn't be surprised if Jackson's former player was offered the Pistons job. The Zen Master, of course, is currently serving as a hiring consultant for Detroit.

Shaw is also in the running for the Nets' head coaching position, with Larry Brown and Jackson himself on Brooklyn's list of candidates, though Jackson isn't interested in the Nets' opening. Shaw is also up for the Sixers open slot as head coach, as we learned earlier this month.

Central Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Reggie, Jennings

2013-05-14T18:02:13-05:00

Here's a look at the latest out of the Central as the Pacers look to go up 3-1 over the Knicks tonight..

Pacers legend Reggie Miller is still interested in a front office posiiton with the team, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. "It’ll have to be the right situation. We’ll see. I’m not going to broadcast forever. I’ll probably want to do something else in basketball, which will probably be running a team or at least helping run a team," Miller said.
The Bucks will focus exclusively at the guard position for their 18 allotted pre-draft interrogations, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link). With the futures of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings still up-in-the-air, the Bucks are covering their bases.
Speaking of the Bucks and Jennings' uncertain future, Derek Page at HoopsWorld went through the top five free agent point guards this off-season, with Jennings as his number two. Jennings is a retricted free agent this summer.

Spencer Lund contributed to this post.

Western Rumors: Lakers, Paul, Josh Smith, Mavs

2013-05-10T21:51:04-05:00

According to Grantland's Bill Simmons, who finishes off his three-part trade value column, there's "increasing buzz" that the Lakers would amnesty Kobe Bryant if they were guaranteed to sign both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. That appears a longshot on multiple counts, since the Clippers seem all but assured of re-signing Paul, while the Lakers have insisted they're not considering the amnesty move on Kobe. Even if the Lakers take Kobe's $30MM+ salary for next season off their books, it would still be difficult for the team to fit a max contract for Paul under the cap. Regardless, the offseason figures to be full of intrigue in L.A., as always. Here's the latest from the City of Angels and other Western Conference locales:

HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram identifies the five teams most likely to lure Josh Smith away from the Hawks, with the Mavericks at the top of the list. If the Hawks want to pursue a sign-and-trade, however, that would probably eliminate Dallas from the equation, Ingram figures.
In the same NBA PM piece, Ingram points to recent comments from GM Donnie Nelson and sizes up the Mavs' chances of landing Paul.
George Karl tells Marcos Pineiro of Marca.com that he's had conversations about someday coaching in Europe, since doing so may give him the opportunity to coach with his son, Coby Karl (translation via HoopsHype).
Charley Rosen of HoopsHype identifies the ideal coaching fit for each of the six teams with a current opening. Rosen, a longtime confidant of Pistons adviser Phil Jackson, wouldn't be surprised to see Brian Shaw wind up in Detroit, even though Rosen believes Stan Van Gundy is best suited for that job.
Los Angeles is a destination for many, but the idea of coaching either the Clippers or Lakers doesn't appeal to Van Gundy, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler hears (Twitter link).
The Jazz will host six second-round draft prospects for workouts tomorrow, as Jody Genessy of The Deseret News details.

Odds & Ends: Nets, C's, Bennett, Pacers, Mavs

2013-05-07T14:49:04-05:00

There are plenty of names being thrown into the mix for the Nets' head coaching opening and seemingly just as many being taken out of the equation. Sam Amick of USA Today is the latest to chime in on the subject, reporting that Scott Skiles is among Brooklyn's candidates, but that the chatter about a Jerry Sloan/Deron Williams reunion probably shouldn't be taken seriously. Here are a few more Tuesday odds and ends from around the NBA:

As he tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Celtics president Danny Ainge hasn't sat down with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Doc Rivers yet to talk about their respective futures. "I don’t really pay much attention to what anybody says in the first week after the season," said Ainge, referring to comments made by the Celtics leaders immediately after last week's elimination.
Likely lottery pick Anthony Bennett will undergo rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder tomorrow, agent Jeff Schwartz tells ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Bennett, who will miss about four months, becomes the third top prospect that will miss the summer with an injury, along with Nerlens Noel and Alex Len. However, two GMs who spoke to Ford don't think the procedure will affect Bennett's draft stock.
Pacers president Donnie Walsh told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he's unsure whether he'll remain in his current role next season. According to Berman, Walsh still believes there's a chance Larry Bird will unretire and assume his old position for the Pacers.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com examines the ways in which the Mavericks could add a maximum-salary free agent without breaking up their veteran core.
With the Thunder and Grizzlies squaring off in the Western Conference Semifinals, Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth wonders if either team will end up regretting its blockbuster trade -- James Harden for the Thunder and Rudy Gay for the Grizz.

Nets Rumors: Blatche, Shaw, Bogdanovic

2013-05-06T08:48:49-05:00

It was an eventful weekend for the Nets, who fell to the Bulls in the first round's only Game Seven, then announced that interim coach P.J. Carlesimo wouldn't be retained as the team's permanent coach going forward. This year's offseason won't be as eventful as last year's for the Nets, but it still figures to be a crucial one. Here are a few updates out of Brooklyn as the club looks ahead to its coaching search and to free agency:

If it's up to free-agent-to-be Andray Blatche, he'll be a Net again next year, as he told reporters, including Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. "I can’t tell you 100% yet. But that’s the plan for me," Blatche said. "I like it here, I got my second chance here and I’m loyal to being here. We just have to see what happens."
Pacers president Donnie Walsh told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that Pacers assistant Brian Shaw will be permitted to speak to the Nets about their head coaching vacancy once Indiana's season is over. Based on Bondy's report, it's not entirely clear if the Nets have already asked to speak to Shaw or whether Walsh simply expects Brooklyn to reach out.
The Nets are hoping to add 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic to their roster for the 2013/14 season, according to GM Billy King (Twitter link via Bondy). Previous reports have indicated that Bogdanovic, who was drafted 31st overall two years ago, has an NBA out this summer on his contract in Europe.
Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post thinks current Celtics coach Doc Rivers would be an ideal fit in Brooklyn, and suggests that King ought to at least explore the possibility of prying Rivers away from the Nets' division rival.

Odds & Ends: Pistons, Kings, Draft, Balkman

2013-05-01T23:04:23-05:00

Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game reported in March that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting a tournament-style format this year, and the league confirmed the news today. The games will take place between July 12th and July 22nd, and while the move promises excitement, the contests won't necessarily have much meaning. Damian Lillard won the circuit's co-MVP honors last summer to kick off his Rookie of the Year campaign, but the other co-MVP was Josh Selby, who's been out of the NBA since March. While we wait to see how the revamped summer league shakes out, there's plenty of other NBA news:

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press compares Nate McMillan and Lindsey Hunter, the presumptive frontrunners for the Pistons coaching vacancy. The team is still expected to consider a wide range of candidates, and that list includes Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Heat assistant David Fizdale, according to Ellis.
Dale Kasler, Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee lay out the myriad contingencies still remaining in the Kings saga after the NBA's relocation committee recommended this week that the team stay in Sacramento.
Four HoopsWorld writers have Nerlens Noel penciled in as the No. 1 pick, but Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com has the Kentucky center at No. 2, behind Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore.
Renaldo Balkman has signed to play for Brujos de Guayama in Puerto Rico, Luis Modestti reports (translation via Sportando). The former Knicks first-round pick received a one-year ban from playing in the Philippines earlier this season after choking a teammate.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com appeared on KESN-FM in Dallas this week, and pegged the Mavericks' chances of signing Dwight Howard at 10%, according to a Dallas Morning News transcription. Stein thinks Howard is still most likely to re-sign with the Lakers.
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com takes an optimistic view of Howard's future with the Lakers, believing Howard will re-sign and, freed of speculation about his next destination, fulfill his promise as a superstar.

Sixers Have Contacted Brian Shaw

2013-04-29T16:00:00-05:00

The Sixers have contacted Pacers' associate head coach Brian Shaw about their vacant head-coaching position, a source tells Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. Because the Pacers are in the playoffs, Shaw will interview for the position when the time is appropriate, which presumably means that he won't sit down with the 76ers until the Pacers' season is over.

A source tells Lynam that although Shaw is ready to coach his own team, he is cautious and looking for the right job. While he has previously interviewed for nine head coaching positions and been passed over on most of them, that has not been the case with every opening. A year ago, Shaw was offered the Bobcats' job but for various reasons, he didn’t think it was the “right” fit. Charlotte instead wound up with Mike Dunlap, who was fired earlier this month.

Shaw is believed to be at the top of Philly's wish list along with Warriors assistant Michael Malone. They're not alone in their fondness for the Pacers assistant, however, as many people believe that he would be Phil Jackson's choice if the Zen Master winds up running an NBA club.

Kyler On Blatche, Daye, Landry, Pacers, Spurs

2013-04-29T11:34:00-05:00

History was made this morning, as Jason Collins publicly came out as the first active male athlete to announce that he's gay. Collins, who hopes to continue his playing career, will be a free agent this summer, looking for a contract from a team in need of frontcourt help. In his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler looked at a few other big men facing free agency, exploring what their respective futures might hold. Let's check out the highlights....

Andray Blatche is still being paid by the Wizards through next season, so he won't necessarily be seeking the highest salary offered this summer. However, if he can secure a multiyear deal, he may lean toward that opportunity, says Kyler.
Although he's eligible for restricted free agency, Austin Daye is unlikely to receive a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies. Kyler doesn't expect the ex-Piston to be back in Memphis next season.
Carl Landry remains likely to opt out of his last year with the Warriors in search of a longer-term contract.
The Pacers won't hold full Bird rights on David West, but West's Early Bird rights will be more than enough to make him a competitive offer. Kyler thinks West and the Pacers are likely to work out a deal fairly quickly that will keep the power forward in Indiana.
Kyler notes that trading Danny Granger would help give the Pacers the flexibility to bring back both West and Tyler Hansbrough, who is eligible for restricted free agency. Kyler expects the Pacers to issue a qualifying offer to Hansbrough and match any reasonable offer.
Antawn Jamison is unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers, and if Earl Clark returns, it will have to be for not much more than the $1.24MM he made this year, says Kyler.
Boris Diaw, who has a player option, and Matt Bonner, whose deal is only partially guaranteed, both figure to be back with the Spurs next season. However, Kyler says DeJuan Blair is "done in San Antonio," which echoes what we heard yesterday.

Odds & Ends: NBPA, James, Datome, Love

2013-04-25T21:01:55-05:00

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets that the U.S. Attorney's office has indicted Prim Capital for falsifying a document to defraud the NBPA of $3MM. Wojnarowski provided a link to the full press release earlier as well. Prim Capital, in which the son of former NBPA executive director Billy Hunter was vice president, previously had a consulting contract with the player's union that was later deemed fraudulent by the U.S. Attorney's office. Here are more of tonight's odds and ends:

Knicks guard Jason Kidd credits Kenyon Martin for "saving our season," writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. It is difficult to imagine where New York would have been without Martin's contributions, especially as the team has dealt with plenty of injuries in their frontcourt.
Eric Koreen of the National Post outlines the top ten legacies that are on the line during the NBA playoffs.
Jon Humbert of KOMO tweets that the Longshore Union filed an appeal over the land use challenge for the Seattle arena. Last month, a report from The Seattle Times (via the Associated press) said that the Longshoremen have been in staunch opposition of an arena being built near the Seattle waterfront, due to the congestion of the area that would be caused by athletic events.
Mike James proved to be a viable pickup for the Mavericks this season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 APG while helping the team finish 15-8 over their final 23 games. Although James said recently that he'd like to play two more seasons with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas discusses why the Amityville product doesn't figure to be in the team's long-term plans.
Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is expected to travel to Rome next week to scout Gigi Datome, according to Sportando.net (hat tip to Il Corriere dello Sport).
Following up on a hypothetical trade proposed by Grantland's Bill Simmons, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com examines the possibility of the Bulls trying to trade for Kevin Love, exploring whether a package of Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and Charlotte's first-round pick would be more than Chicago would be willing to give up.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the evolution of Paul George into an All-Star and a leader in the Pacers locker room.

Kyler's Latest: Korver, Bulls, Allen, Bucks

2013-04-24T13:51:07-05:00

In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld on Monday, Steve Kyler explored the upcoming free agencies for a number of point guards on playoff teams. Today, Kyler turns his attention to the shooting guards in the postseason who could be hitting the free agent market this summer. Let's round up the notable tidbits from his piece....

The Hawks could have interest in retaining Kyle Korver, but he also won't be the team's top priority, so Korver could accept a multiyear offer from a rival suitor before Atlanta is ready to finalize anything with him. I touched on this when I examined Korver's free agent stock last month.
Marco Belinelli may not be back in Chicago next season, since the Bulls will be looking to upgrade the two-guard spot, according to Kyler.
Tony Allen has good relationships with Zach Randolph and Lionel Hollins, which could be a factor if he's deciding whether or not to re-sign with the Grizzlies. However, he'd want to know whether Randolph or Hollins are part of the front office's long-term plan in Memphis, says Kyler.
Kyler suggests that Lance Stephenson and Willie Green, who have non-guaranteed contracts with the Pacers and Clippers respectively, could make for interesting trade chips if their teams decided to pair them with another asset.
One of the Bucks' reasons for acquiring J.J. Redick at the trade deadline was to give the team insurance in free agency, so that the team can still retain two starting guards if one of Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, or Redick receives an offer Milwaukee doesn't want to match.

Central Notes: Brown, Cavs, Bucks, Shaw

2013-04-24T13:01:34-05:00

The Bucks lost again in Miami last night, falling behind 2-0 to the Heat in their first round series, but the Central's other two playoff teams are still in decent shape. The Bulls are heading to Chicago having split two games with the Nets in Brooklyn, while the Pacers will look to take a 2-0 series lead on the Hawks tonight. As we look forward to that game, let's check in on a few more Central Division items....

According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), had the Cavaliers' position not been available, Mike Brown likely wouldn't have pursued another coaching job for next season, even though he would have drawn interest and perhaps received offers.
The Cavs can't worry about what effect hiring Brown will have on their potential down-the-road pursuit of LeBron James, since Brown is the right fit for the current team, says Sam Amick of USA Today. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had some thoughts earlier today on the Cavs' future, which he doesn't believe will include a reunion with LeBron.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com wonders what the Bucks were thinking when they gave up a young asset in Tobias Harris to acquire a rental (J.J. Redick) that interim coach Jim Boylan is barely playing in the postseason. I think Ziller undersells the likelihood of Milwaukee re-signing Redick using his Bird rights, which the team also acquired in the deal. But Redick's lack of playing time so far against the Heat has indeed been surprising.
No teams have contacted the Pacers yet to ask permission to interview assistant Brian Shaw for a head coaching opening, tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. It's possible that clubs are simply waiting until after Indiana is out of the postseason, which is Donnie Walsh's preference.

Odds & Ends: Lakers, Brown, Shaw

2013-04-23T22:45:00-05:00

Here's tonight's look around the Association..

The Lakers have been told they'd get "some" relief from the $6.5MM-$7MM they owe new Cavs coach Mike Brown, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, a league source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) that L.A. won't know how much money they'll save until the Cleveland deal is finalized.
To date, the Lakers maintain that Mike D'Antoni will return as coach next season, but Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times wonders if getting money back on Brown's contract could change their position. However, the actual decision may be tied to what center Dwight Howard wants to do in July and how he feels about D'Antoni.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter) writes that Pacers assistant Brian Shaw deserves a lot of credit for Paul George's improvement and wouldn't be surprised if he gets consideration for a head coaching job soon. Shaw was in the mix for a number of jobs last offseason and it stands to reason that he'll be considered once again this summer as there will be a number of vacancies.

Central Links: George, Pacers, Bulls, Bucks

2013-04-23T14:50:31-05:00

As the Cavs work toward officially re-hiring Mike Brown as their new head coach, here are a few more Tuesday updates out of the Central Division:

Paul George was named the NBA's Most Improved Player of 2012/13 earlier today, and Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star tweets that a contract extension could be next for the 22-year-old. George will be entering the final year of his rookie deal this summer, making him extension-eligible, and Pacers owner Herb Simon "will be paying up," according to Wells.
David Morway, the former Pacers GM who played a crucial role in Indiana's rebuilding process, talked to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld about the process of rebuilding an NBA franchise, suggesting that there isn't necessarily one specific way to approach the task.
As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes in his latest column, two key contributors to the Bulls' Game Two win in Brooklyn last night, Tom Thibodeau and Nazr Mohammed, had been pursued by the Nets in the past.
Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel doesn't expect the draft, free agency, or a new coach to make a huge impact for the Bucks, and wonders if a new ownership group would provide the sort of shake-up the franchise needs.

Paul George Wins Most Improved Player

2013-04-23T09:17:00-05:00

TUESDAY, 9:17am: George has officially been named the NBA's Most Improved Player for 2012/13, according to a Pacers press release. Greivis Vasquez was the runner-up, while Larry Sanders, Nikola Vucevic, and Jrue Holiday rounded out the top five vote-getters.

MONDAY, 9:40pm: Paul George of the Pacers will be named the NBA's Most Improved Player, sources confirm to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (Twitter link). The Pacers called a "major" press conference for tomorrow, which initially led Kennedy and others to speculate that it is to announce that George has won the award.

George stepped into the shoes of the injured Danny Granger, the 2009 Most Improved Player who missed all but five games this year, and took over as Indiana's leading scorer this season. His points per game soared to 17.4 from 12.1 last season, and his rebounding and assist production also saw healthy jumps. Still, his shooting and three-point accuracy declined as the Pacers leaned more heavily on him, and his PER held nearly steady at 16.8, after he posted a 16.5 in that category in 2011/12.

George, in his third season out of Fresno State, also made his first All-Star Game this year, and was a part of Indiana's tough defense that gave up 90.7 PPG, second only to the Grizzlies. The 22-year-old opened up the postseason yesterday with a triple-double against the Hawks, though the votes were taken before the playoffs began. He'll be eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract this summer.

There are always plenty of candidates for the award, and this year was no exception. Larry Sanders, Greivis Vasquez, J.J. Hickson and Jrue Holiday all made intriguing cases, and we'll see just how close they came when the league reveals the voting.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Wall, Watson, Musselman

2013-04-22T20:59:20-05:00

The Pacers have called a "major" press conference for tomorrow morning, leading Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com and HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy to speculate that Paul George will be named the league's Most Improved Player (Twitter links). While we wait to find out exactly what the presser is about, here's more from around the Eastern Conference:

John Wall is eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract this summer, and has repeatedly expressed his belief that he's worthy of a max. J. Michael of CSNWashington.com wrote last month that "all the signals" indicate the Wizards would be open to such a deal. Now, Michael thinks Wall's recent comments suggest he'd be willing to take less if it meant greater flexibility for the team to pursue free agents.
C.J. Watson told Stefan Bondy he'd love to return to the Nets next season, though Bondy doesn't believe that will happen (Twitter link). Watson has a player option for the minimum salary next season, but if he opts out, the most the taxpaying Nets could offer would be 120% of the minimum under Non-Bird rights.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio thinks former Kings and Warriors coach Eric Musselman would make sense for the Cavs, and points out that Musselman once offered Cleveland GM and fellow University of San Diego product Chris Grant a job on his staff in Golden State.

Cavs Rumors: Brown, Gilbert, Assistants

2013-04-21T08:59:53-05:00

A majority of Hoops Rumors readers don't believe Phil Jackson will consider coaching the Cavs, even though a source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Jackson would "absolutely" listen if the team called. While the Zen Master is far and away the biggest name associated with the team's search, there are plenty of other candidates, and there's news on several of them this morning:

The team has had informal conversations with former coach Mike Brown about a reunion, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald, who passes along a report from WKYC-TV in Cleveland that Brown and owner Dan Gilbert will meet Sunday.
A source tells Finnan that Brown would be the top choice for the Hawks if they decide to make a coaching change. That's no surprise, given the ties between Brown and Atlanta GM Danny Ferry.
The Cavs aren't expected to discuss the opening with any college coaches, and the hiring process will move swiftly, according to Finnan.
Finnan adds Melvin Hunt of the Nuggets and Michael Curry of the Sixers to the list of assistant coaches who may receive interviews, which already included Michael Malone (Warriors), Brian Shaw (Pacers) and David Fizdale (Heat).
The Cavs will indeed interview Shaw, just as they did when they hired Byron Scott in 2010, reports Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer.
Flip Saunders, Nate McMillan and Avery Johnson have all either directly or indirectly expressed interest in the position, Pluto also writes.
The Cavs have a chance to make an impression on Kyrie Irving with their coaching hire, so that means much is riding on the team's decision, opines fellow Plain Dealer scribe Bud Shaw.