A batch of notes regarding the league's never ending coach's carousel. 

• Former Suns head coach Alvin Gentry will interview with the Grizzlies for the second time on Thursday for their open head coaching position, tweets Yahoo! NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.
• Warriors head coach Mark Jackson is not expecting a contract extension to come this summer, despite the team's immense playoff success in his second year on the job, writes MercuryNews.com's Tim Kawakami. Jackson also said that with the departure of top assistant Mike Malone to become head coach of the Kings, last year's assistants Pete Myers and Darren Erman will simply move up the depth chart, and no hiring will take place to replace Malone.
• According to Shams Charania from RealGM.com, Jerry Sloan will continue to consult with the Jazz in an unofficial capacity for the time being. Several of the coaching vacancies that opened up this summer intrigued Sloan, but none were good enough of a fit to bring him out of retirement.

The Jazz aren't one of the NBA teams still searching for a head coach, but they have talked to former coach Jerry Sloan about a potential return to the organization, reports Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. According to Genessy, the Jazz and Sloan have had preliminary discussions about the 71-year-old joining the team in an unspecified role, to help the franchise and coach Tyrone Corbin.

"That's up to (them)," Sloan said. "That's a situation that's strictly up to Ty or somebody in the Jazz organization. If they want me around, fine. If they don't, (fine). They'd talked to me a little bit about it a little bit earlier."

Sloan has been linked to a number of head coaching openings during the last couple summers, but it appears he has yet to find an ideal fit. The longtime Utah head coach joined the team's contingent at the NBA's Chicago predraft combine last month, at which point team president Randy Rigby indicated the Jazz would welcome Sloan back in a consulting role.

According to Genessy, Sloan is open to returning to the organization in some way, though it's not clear if he is interested in acting as a consultant, a coach, or an executive. Sloan stressed that he wouldn't want to be a distraction for Corbin and the rest of the coaching staff.

The Jazz have already reunited with one franchise icon this offseason, having brought Karl Malone aboard to work with the club's big men.

Although there are still a handful of NBA head coaching jobs available, the openings in Brooklyn and Los Angeles stand out, based on the regular-season success the Nets and Clippers had this past season. Neither team appears to have made significant progress in its search so far, but that could change soon. Here's the latest on the Nets' and Clippers' respective searches:

• The Clippers have reached out to Brian Shaw and Jeff Van Gundy, who are reportedly atop the team's wish list, and both men appear to have interest in the job, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
• According to Turner, Alvin Gentry has also been in touch with the Clippers and expressed interest in the job. Jerry Sloan's representatives called the Clips as well, but he has since "backed away" from pursuing the opening, says Turner.
• All the Clippers' discussions so far have been preliminary, with no formal interviews set up yet, writes Turner.
• Neither the Clippers or Nets seem to be making any headway with Lionel Hollins. Turner reports that L.A. has yet to speak to the Grizzlies coach, while Fred Kerber of the New York Post says Hollins isn't necessarily the odds-on favorite for Brooklyn.
• The Nets aren't among the teams who have called the Pacers about Shaw, according to Kerber, who hears from a source that Brooklyn may be inclined to favor a candidate with previous head coaching experience. "I think they have high regard for [Shaw]," the source said. "But with that roster and owner, my gut says they would want an established guy."

A source tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group that first- and second-round draft picks will likely be available around the time of the draft in exchange for little more than cash. I'd be surprised if any team gave up a first-rounder for such paltry return, however, even considering the purported weakness of this year's crop of prospects. No first-round picks changed hands at the trade deadline, when teams were reluctant to give them up. The Warriors don't have a pick in this year's draft and co-owner Joe Lacob has shown the willingness to spend to acquire a selection in the past, as Kawakami points out, so perhaps they'll net a second-rounder this year.

There's more on the Warriors and their Western Conference rivals, as we detail here:

• Kawakami also hears talk about a hypothetical trade scenario involving David Lee and Pau Gasol, though he strongly cautions that Gasol's name was brought up merely as an example of the kind of player the Warriors might pursue in a trade for Lee. A Gasol deal won't happen, Kawakami writes, but he's the sort of highly paid, versatile big man the team could seek.
• Jerry Sloan attended this week's predraft camp with Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, and team president Randy Rigby would welcome Sloan if he wants to come back to the Jazz as a consultant, reports Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. Tribune columnist Gordon Monson predicts Sloan will take the team up on that offer.
• Thunder GM Sam Presti hinted that the team might expand its already liberal use of its D-League affililate, notes Nick Gallo of Thunder.com. "We’re going to have to continue to find ways to use it, because the elite organizations in sports, they assimilate younger players into their team," Presti said. "That’s part of their ability to sustain as they experience turnover or the unforeseen circumstance. It’s what you do before the storm hits, often."

Although he played well in this year's NCAA tournament, Vander Blue was one of the more surprising names on 2013's early entrant list, considering he's widely viewed as a second-round pick at best. But Blue told reporters at this week's draft combine in Chicago that he's confident in his decision, and expects to surprise anyone who doesn't think he'll produce in the NBA.

"Nobody expected [former Marquette teammate] Jimmy [Butler] to be who he is today with the Bulls," said Blue, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. "Nobody probably expects me to do any good in the NBA. But I know how to go about my business. I’m more than confident."

After discussing Blue's decision to declare for the draft and passing along a few of his quotes, Woelfel's latest column explores a few other topics of note. Here are the highlights:

• Woelfel reiterates that Jerry Sloan still has a desire to return to coaching, but not with the Bucks, as we heard last night.
• In addition to the interviews we heard about yesterday, the Bucks also met with Jamaal Franklin and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, says Woelfel.
• Woelfel hears from NBA officials that Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman may have had a verbal agreement in place with Suns president Lon Babby to become the team's GM, but that owner Robert Sarver nixed the deal. Phoenix ultimately ended up hiring Ryan McDonough.
• According to Woelfel, there's a "growing sentiment" that J.J. Redick will sign with a team besides the Bucks this summer.
• Nerlens Noel, the favorite to be the No. 1 pick next month, still hasn't decided on an agent, says Woelfel. One report last month suggested Noel may become Jay-Z's first basketball client.

According to TNT's David Aldridge, Hall of Famer and former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan decided that he wasn't interested in the Bucks' head coaching vacancy. We made note that Sloan met with Milwaukee on Monday and that he had garnered "serious consideration." This likely won't mean the end of his name being generated on the rumor mill in the near future, as we heard last week that the 71-year-old coach had been fielding exploratory talks with other teams as well.

Sloan's 26-year NBA coaching career includes three seasons in Chicago and 23 in Utah. Should he find himself back next season at the helm of an NBA bench, the native Illinoisan would become the longest tenured active coach in the NBA. The Nuggets' George Karl is currently the most seasoned active coach in the league, having just finished his 25th season this year. 

The Bucks aren't wasting any time exploring their head coaching options, having already interviewed Kelvin Sampson, Nate McMillan, J.B. Bickerstaff, and Steve Clifford. According to Sam Amick of USA Today, Milwaukee also has a higher-profile name on its radar. Amick reports that the Bucks have met with Jerry Sloan, who is being "seriously considered" by the team.

Milwaukee has reportedly been seeking a coach who will command respect in the team's locker room, following a postseason incident between Larry Sanders and Monta Ellis. As Amick notes, the Bucks' position is somewhat similar to the position Sloan held in Utah for more than two decades.

Sloan revealed last week that he had been contacted by a couple NBA teams, though he characterized the talks as "exploratory" rather than anything serious, and said no offers had been made. He also shot down rumors of a potential reunion with Deron Williams, confirming that he hadn't been in touch with the Nets at all.

Two nights after the Bulls shocked the Heat in Miami and the Spurs outlasted the Warriors in a double-OT thriller, all four teams are back in action tonight. As we look forward to an encore of Monday's incredible doubleheader, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

• ESPN.com's Chad Ford provided plenty of new draft-related content today, unveiling version 2.0 of his mock and chatting with ESPN.com readers about next month's draft. Of note: Ford believes Trey Burke's stock continues to rise and that the Michigan guard could go as high as first overall.
• With so many teams seeking a new head coach, Patrick Ewing tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he's disappointed not to be receiving any interest for the open positions.
• While it appears no teams have contacted Ewing, former head coach Jerry Sloan has fielded calls from "a couple" teams, as Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune writes. Sloan characterized those calls as exploratory, with no offers forthcoming at the moment. He also added that he hasn't been contacted by the Nets, meaning there's "no reason to talk about" a potential reunion with Deron Williams.
• Speaking to reporters yesterday, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson suggested that Chris Hansen "take a step back" from his pursuit of the Kings and start exploring other ways to bring a team to Seattle. Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee has the details.
• In his latest mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com answered questions about potential targets in the draft and free agency for the Pistons.

TUESDAY, 10:51pm: A source tells ESPN that Jackson is still open to coaching if he has a say on the roster, tweets ESPN L.A.'s Ramona Shelburne.  Shelburne says that the legendary coach would prefer a front office gig, but would be willing to coach if he had power within the franchise.  Jackson is a in "listen mode," not "look mode," Shelburne tweets, adding that it would have to be a perfect fit, a la Pat Riley in Miami (Twitter links here).   

5:18pm: Jackson is not interested in a return to coaching and therefore will not become the next coach of the Nets, reports Tim Bontemps of the New York post, citing a league source.  Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski confirms the Post report, also tweeting that Jackson's inclination remains to make his NBA return in a "broader management role."

MONDAY, 8:30pm: The Nets have contacted Phil Jackson about the possibility of becoming their next coach, a source told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.  After Jackson, the source says the list of current Nets' candidates consists of Larry Brown and Brian Shaw.

Nate McMillan, Jeff Van Gundy, and Stan Van Gundy aren't on the list, the source said, but that could change if the Nets strike out on their aforementioned top three choices.  Celtics coach Doc Rivers would interest the Nets though if the Celtics agree to let him out of his current contract, the source said.

Jerry Sloan is a long-shot candidate for the gig, even though Deron Williams recently endorsed him. Nets GM Billy King understands that Jackson is not likely to come to Brooklyn to coach, but he is open to bringing Jackson into the front-office, according to the source.  Jackson would perhaps join the Nets as the team's president while also getting a slice of stake in the club's ownership.

Shaw would be a likely coaching candidate if Jackson joined the Nets front office thanks to the prior ties between the two.  

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.