New Orleans Hornets Feed: Hoops Rumors

Pistons: Coaching Search, Cheeks, Dumars

2013-05-21T22:53:33-05:00

After coming away with the eighth pick in June's draft tonight, the Pistons can now turn their attention to their coaching search. Here is the latest on the team's quest to find their next leader.

The search has been long and cumbersome, as evidenced by the need for the Detroit Free Press to publish and maintain an updated list of candidates - possible and not so possible - for the team's head coaching position.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, via Twitter, the Pistons will interview Thunder assistant Maurice Cheeks on Wednesday. Cheeks, who has previously coached the Blazers and Sixers, was linked to the Pistons a month ago and is just the latest in a long line of possibilities for the Detroit job.
While team president Joe Dumars says that he has no timetable for hiring his next coach, he did insist that the search would not extend into free agency, which starts July 1, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. Said Dumars, "We definitely want to have it done by then. We're not going to drag this out. [Owner Tom Gores] and I have talked about this and we want to turn this over as quick as possible."

Lottery Leftovers: Cavs, Mavs, Blazers, Wolves

2013-05-21T21:38:48-05:00

We gave you the pre-Lottery links and the Lottery results, so with the 2013 NBA Lottery in the books, it's only fair that we round up for you the draft news and notes from around the league:

Despite winning the lottery, the Cavaliers will still explore potential trade scenarios for the top selection, tweets ESPN's Brian Windhorst. The Cavs, who own the first, 19th, 31st and 33rd picks in June's draft, also have cap space and a hunger to win as soon as possible.
If the Cavs, or whoever else, don't select Nerlens Noel with the top selection, the former Kentucky center could fall out of the top three, tweets Yahoo's Marc Spears.
If not Noel, ESPN's Chad Ford tweets that Otto Porter could be a dark horse candidate to go first overall. According to Ford, Cleveland loves Porter because he is a perfect fit who is NBA-ready and can therefore help right away.
The Mavericks will look to trade the No. 13 pick in an attempt to preserve cap space for a run at Dwight Howard, tweets ESPN's Chad Ford. Ford adds that the No. 13 pick will make $1,655,300 in 2013/14.
With a roster ready to win now and a draft thin on impact talent, look for the Blazers to dangle their No. 10 pick in an attempt to move up or acquire veteran help for Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum, writes Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. Mike Tokito of the Oregonian agrees, writing that unless the team can acquire a legitimate center to guard the paint, look for Portland to be active in trade talks.
The Timberwolves secured the No. 9 pick, which leads Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, via Twitter, to guess that the team will take the best big man available with their first pick and then take a flyer on a shooting guard with their second first rounder at No. 26.
Here is an assortment of mock drafts published immediately following the lottery results: ESPN via Chad Ford, Draft Express via Jonathan Givony, HoopsWorld, and Sheridan Hoops via Joe Kotoch.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Watson, Sund, Knicks, White

2013-05-21T21:07:57-05:00

Here are some notes from the only division in the East with no team left standing:

While the timing is unclear, C.J. Watson's former agent, Jared Karnes, confirmed that Watson is now represented by Excel Sports, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Watson, who played 19 minutes per game for the Nets this year, owns a player option for the league minimum next season and told Bondy last month he'd love to return to Brooklyn.
Besides Masai Ujiri and Kevin Pritchard - names that we've already heard - the Raptors are also considering Rick Sund for their newly available general manager position, report Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today.
In the wake of the Knicks playoff exit this weekend, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News offers his thoughts, via Twitter, on what Glen Grunwald and company must do in the offseason to improve. While they are hindered by cap issues, Isola tweets that the Knicks should try to find a way to add unrestricted free agent Kyle Korver, and then draft a point guard or a big man in June. Isola also tweets that he believes Jason Kidd's time in New York is over, despite what Grunfeld said, but hopes the team persuades Pablo Prigioni to stay.
According to his agent, James White is unlikely to return to the Knicks next season if they don't pick up his option, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. William McCandless, White's agent, is confident that his client will garner NBA interest this offseason but because White values playing time, he has no problem going back overseas to continue his career.

NBA Draft Lottery Results

2013-05-21T20:03:46-05:00

While a consensus number one pick has yet to emerge, we now officially know what team will be tasked with making the draft's first selection; the Cleveland Cavaliers. Besides the Cavs, who had the third best odds of winning, count the Wizards and the Blazers as winners on Tuesday night. The Wiz secured the No. 3 selection despite only having a 12.4 percent chance of landing in the top three. At No. 10, the Blazers retained their lottery selection, which would have gone to the Bobcats had it been outside of the top 12. Give their odds, the Magic (best odds, will pick second) and the Bobcats (second best odds, will pick fourth) had to have gone home disappointed.

2013 NBA Draft Lottery Results:

Cleveland Cavaliers
Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards
Charlotte Bobcats
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings
Detroit Pistons
Minnesota Timberwolves
Portland Trail Blazers
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors (pick to be traded to Thunder)
Dallas Mavericks
Utah Jazz

Bobcats To Change Name To Hornets

2013-05-21T19:20:00-05:00

TUESDAY, 7:20pm: The Bobcats made it official on Tuesday, as the team, via chairman Michael Jordan, announced that they have submitted the necessary paperwork to change their name to the Charlotte Hornets starting with the 2014/15 season. Their request now goes to the NBA Board of Governors, who next meets in Las Vegas on July 18.

A few words from Jordan via the team's press release: “This is a monumental moment for our organization. After undergoing an elaborate research process, we recognize that this is what our fans want. We believe that making this change would not only re-establish one of the most recognized brands in sports but would also unify our fan base by bringing together our loyal Bobcats fans with those who have fond memories of our city’s NBA predecessor. Our fans spoke and we listened.”

MONDAY, 3:53pm: The Bobcats have scheduled a press conference for early Tuesday evening to officially announce the name change, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

FRIDAY, 10:46pm: The Bobcats have begun the process necessary to change their nickname to the Hornets, a source tells Will Brinson of CBSSports.com. It doesn't look like the switch will take place in time for next season, since NBA commissioner-in-waiting Adam Silver told Bobcats season ticketholders last month that it would take at least 18 months to implement the change. Still, it appears the Hornets nickname, recently abandoned by the New Orleans Pelicans, could be back in Charlotte by the 2014/15 season.

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has expressed a willingness to adopt the Hornets name, which would reunite the city with a moniker that left for New Orleans in 2002. The 'Cats began conducting market research in January on the possibility of a change, and the league has been working with the franchise to determine whether the switch would be beneficial. Jordan said in February that the results from a poll of the team's fans were "very mixed," but it looks like there's enough support for the effort to move ahead.

Silver told the season ticketholders there would be no legal hang-up, since the NBA, and not the Pelicans, owns the rights to the Hornets name. Brinson discovered that the league created and registered the NBAHornets.com URL this week.

The change might invoke fond memories in Charlotte, though it could lead to some bookkeeping headaches down the road, particularly when it comes to historical research of trades involving the former Hornets and the apparent future Hornets, one of which took place this past season.

Lottery Links: Magic, Noel, Thunder, Trades

2013-05-21T18:18:39-05:00

With less than two hours until the start of the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery, let's round up any and all pre-Lottery notes in one post here. Be sure to check back with us around 8:00pm CST for an updated list of this year's first 14 picks.

With a 25 percent chance at landing the top pick, the Magic sit in the best position entering the night. While they are assured a top-four selection, the team will likely look to move the pick if it is worse than No. 2, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports.
Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, current rehabbing from a torn ACL, is widely projected to be the first player taken in June. USA Today's Sean Highkin breaks down how the unique prospect would fit with each of the lottery's 14 participants.
Royce Young from Daily Thunder details what is on the line tonight for the Thunder, who will own the Raptors' first round pick should it fall outside of the top three. They received the pick in the deal for James Harden (the Rockets got it via the Kyle Lowry deal). As our Luke Adams wrote earlier today, Toronto only has a 2.6 percent shot at a top-three selection, so the pick will likely go to Oklahoma City. If so, the Thunder will be picking either 12th or 13th.
The only other trade that could take effect tonight depending on how the ping pong balls bounce is owned by the Blazers, who will send their pick to the Bobcats if it lands outside of the top 12.
While it's not lottery specific, here is a link to RealGM's summary of all pending future draft picks trades.

Bucks Links: Coaching Search, Drew, Workouts

2013-05-21T16:52:25-05:00

At least eight NBA teams appear to be in the market for a new head coach, so the Bucks certainly aren't alone in what's becoming a crowded marketplace. However, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Milwaukee is in no rush to complete its search. Spears tweets that the team will likely conduct a second round of interviews at some point in the near future. Here's more on the coaching search and other Bucks-related notes:

Larry Drew, who is technically still under contract with the Hawks, interviewed for the Bucks' open position and said it "went well," tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel takes a look at how the Bucks' coaching search compares to the searches being conducted by a handful of other teams.
The Bucks worked out a number of guards today, according to the team's official PR Twitter account. Junior Cadougan, Will Clyburn, Tyrone Gordon Jr., Glen Rice Jr., James Southerland, and Tony Snell were among the participants.
Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explains how Chris Hansen's huge $625MM bid for the Kings could ultimately have an impact on the Bucks.

Clippers Part Ways With Vinny Del Negro

2013-05-21T16:07:00-05:00

4:07pm: The Clippers have officially confirmed (Twitter link) that Del Negro will not be retained as the team's head coach.

1:47pm: The Clippers have parted ways with head coach Vinny Del Negro, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). A report last week indicated that Del Negro was scheduled to meet with Clippers owner Donald Sterling over the weekend, with a decision on the coach's future to come shortly thereafter.

Del Negro's stint with the Clippers ends after three seasons and a 128-102 overall record. Led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clips captured their first division title in franchise history in 2012/13, but had an early exit from the postseason, falling 4-2 to the Grizzlies in the first round. With Del Negro's contract set to expire next month, a change in head coaches had been anticipated.

One report last Thursday did suggest that the Clippers hadn't ruled out retaining Del Negro, perhaps in part because he wouldn't be as expensive as the possible alternatives. But rather than being a unilateral decision by Sterling, the decision on Del Negro's future was believed to be an organizational one, with Paul and Griffin also getting some input. Del Negro's departure may bode well for CP3's future in Los Angeles, since the star point guard is likely to have a voice when it comes to deciding on the team's new head coach.

Michael Malone, Alvin Gentry, and Byron Scott have been mentioned as potential replacements for the Clippers, and recent speculation has resulted in Lionel Hollins' name coming up as well, though the Grizzlies reportedly hope to extend him. As Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets, the Clippers job immediately becomes the NBA's most attractive opening, particularly if Paul re-ups, so there should be no shortage of contenders for the position.

Phil Jackson Talks Seattle, Nets, Howard

2013-05-21T16:00:59-05:00

Phil Jackson appeared on the Dan Patrick Show (video link) this morning to promote his new book, to compare Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and to address a few more items of note. The Zen Master confirmed to Patrick that he doesn't intend to return to coaching, but did talk about another job he had discussed with the prospective Seattle ownership group. Here are a few highlights from Jackson's appearance:

On whether he would have been involved with a Seattle franchise had the Kings relocation been approved:

"I had an agreement with the guy that put the deal together for Seattle.... Chris Hansen. I thought he was dynamic, I thought he had great ideas. He went through the whole process of getting an arena. He did everything right, except win the franchise. But his vision I could buy into. I thought he had the right vision for a team. And he made basically the offer of take what you want to take as a job -- a consultant, if you want to be an owner, be a part-owner, work in the basketball operations side of it if you want to, or coach. It didn't matter to him. We talked about a number of things that would progress the team that was going to move, which was Sacramento, which is a team that has to improve to be a significant team that's going to stay in Sacramento."

On whether the Clippers have reached out to him:

"No, I've never had any contact with Clippers management."

On the best offer he has received recently:

"Well, the Brooklyn situation I think is a good situation.... That was coaching, basically. They wanted to know if I was still interested in coaching."

On whether he thinks Dwight Howard will re-sign with the Lakers:

"Would you, if you felt like your game wasn't going to be featured?"

Western Rumors: Paul, Howard, Gordon, Hollins

2013-05-21T15:23:22-05:00

We received word earlier this afternoon that head coach Vinny Del Negro will not be retained by the Clippers, and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com says (via Twitter) that one of the primary reasons for the decision was the fact that Chris Paul wasn't a fan of Del Negro. According to Berger (via Twitter), the star point guard didn't back the coach to management at season's end.

Here are a few more afternoon rumblings out of the Western Conference:

Another Los Angeles free-agent-to-be, Dwight Howard, apparently isn't a fan of his head coach either -- Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Howard voiced some displeasure and frustration with Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni in a meeting with GM Mitch Kupchak at season's end. However, McMenamin notes that the relationship between D12 and D'Antoni isn't irreparable, and former Howard coach Stan Van Gundy told David Baumann of Sports Talk Florida (Twitter link) today that he wasn't giving much credence to the story.
A source tells Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune (Twitter link) that there's "no merit" to trade rumors involving Eric Gordon.
No teams have contacted the Grizzlies to ask permission to speak to head coach Lionel Hollins yet, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), the fact that the Sacramento arena plan involves a significant public subsidy wasn't insignificant when the league voted on the Kings' relocation bid.

Hoops Links: Pierce, Curry, Spurs, Heat

2013-05-21T14:45:16-05:00

Thirteen years ago, tragedy struck as Malik Sealy of the Timberwolves died in a car accident at the age of 30. Sealy was on his way back from a birthday party for Kevin Garnett when he was struck by a drunk driver traveling the wrong way down the highway. Sealy is fondly remembered in NBA circles for being an exemplary teammate and has a special place in New York basketball history after starring at Tolentine High School in the Bronx and attending St. John's University. As a member of the Redmen, Sealy put together career numbers that were bested only by Chris Mullen.

Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..

CLNS Radio explores the trade options the Celtics have for Paul Pierce.
Dime Magazine pits Stephen Curry against Kyrie Irving.
Fansided breaks down the way the Spurs disrupted the Warriors' offense.
Singh Sports News asks if Miami has the most fake fans or most haters.
Silver Screen And Roll wonders how unlikely a Dwight Howard-Chris Paul pairing is.
The Basketball Post sees a difficult summer ahead for the Nets.
Red94 is ready for another summer of Dwight madness.
Forum Blue And Gold did some thinking about DH's next deal.
Hoops Addict says the Warriors were better sans David Lee.

Hoops Links typically runs on Sunday afternoon and will resume doing so next week. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.

Kings Sale To Sacramento Group Not Yet Finalized

2013-05-21T14:12:00-05:00

TUESDAY, 2:12pm: Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) hears that the finance committee will vote on the sale of the Kings early this week, with an official vote by the full Board of Governors coming before the end of May.

MONDAY, 1:45pm: Ranadive doesn't formally own the NBA team yet, tweets Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee, pointing out that the team will move forward with the Maloofs' plan to send coach Keith Smart to the draft lottery. Windhorst has deleted his tweet from yesterday, so perhaps Johnson jumped the gun in saying that Ranadive had assumed control of the franchise. In any case, Ranadive and company remain on track to take over the Kings.

SUNDAY, 1:33pm: Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson says NBA owners have approved the sale of the Kings to the Sacramento-based group headed by Vivek Ranadive, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The league had been expected to make a formal announcement of the deal between the Maloof family and Ranadive's group this week, although it was thought that escrow would not close until the end of the month. In any case, Ranadive now has control of the franchise, according to Johnson.

There's usually a much longer gap between the time an agreement on a sale is reached and the point when the purchase becomes official. Last year, Robert Pera agreed to buy the Grizzlies in June, but didn't take control of the team until October 31st. An official announcement from the league has yet to come, but it's not entirely surprising the process was expedited this time around, since the league had a chance to thoroughly vet Ranadive's bid as it sorted out whether to allow the Kings to move to Seattle.

Johnson said earlier this week that the agreement had been "signed on both ends" and that the "money has been wired," so it looked like the green light from the league was the last step in the process. Ranadive was a relative late-comer in an effort that began in earnest in January, around the time the Maloofs reached a deal to sell the team to Seattle investor Chris Hansen and his partners. Johnson spearheaded the effort to put the group together, combining $1MM commitments from 20 Sacramento-area locals with the larger financial backing of deep-pocketed "whales," including Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle. Mastrov became the lead investor, but Burkle, an enemy of the Maloofs, proved a stumbling block, and as he faded from the picture, Ranadive took over the primary reigns of the bid.

The Sacramento group's final purchase price for the Kings is based on a full valuation of the team at $535MM, an NBA record and $10MM greater than Hansen's initial offer. The Maloofs' share is 65%, so that works out to a $347.75MM sum that's changing hands. Hansen and company upped their valuation of the club to $625MM, but ultimately lost out, spending more than $100MM on an ill-fated effort to buy the team.

Colangelo Discusses New Role With Raptors

2013-05-21T13:40:45-05:00

Earlier today, the Raptors officially announced that Bryan Colangelo would transition to a new role within Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment while the club would seek out a new hire to fill the General Manager position. In a conference call earlier today, I asked Colangelo if he was reluctant to take a new job with the Raptors that has less to do with basketball operations and more to do with the business side of things.

"Yes and no. Obviously, there’s disappointment in the process but through the discussion with Tim [Leiweke] it became clear that the role would be more than just focusing on the business and if I’m asked to help and guide [the new hire], I’ll do that. At the same time, I’m very comfortable knowing that I’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the makeup of this team," Colangelo said. "But I’ll enjoy watching these young men develop into the NBA players that I know they’re capable of. There’s some great young pieces to be excited about and we’re moving in the right direction. I’m comfortable with the decision that’s been made, though it may have taken some time to get comfortable with."

The longtime executive shot down the notion that he might be "ticked off" by the club's management restructuring, but he was candid in saying that he was disappointed by the decision. While he won't have final say over the moves that are made, he says that he is thrilled to help put the finishing touches on a team that he believes is on its way to being competitive. During the course of the call, Colangelo also disclosed that he has an out clause that will allow him to pursue another NBA GM job if the opportunity presents itself.

Korn/Ferry International was hired by MLSE to help find the Raptors' next GM, though Leiweke told reporters earlier today that he will make the final determination. I asked Colangelo for his thoughts on the club's decision to consult with an outside party to find his successor.

"I have no problem with it…I’ll certainly be helpful in the process, in vetting some of the candidates, talking about some of the people that are involved. I went through an internal search just a few years ago when I brought Ed Stefanski in, so I have a lot of knowledge and I have a lot of background work that has been done on a lot of the potential candidates. If they need me, I’ll give my input there," said Colangelo.

His level of input in the hiring of his successor remains to be seen, as well as the level of influence he'll have once that person is in charge. Colangelo isn't sure how much pull he'll have and says that it will depend largely on who is brought aboard. That person will also have to figure out what to do with Andrea Bargnani. The big man, at times, has flashed the ability that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 Draft, but has been unable to do so consistently. Colangelo obviously wishes things worked out differently with the Italian import, but isn't sure what he would have done differently.

"I’m not sure I would [have handled it differently]. Maybe I would have traded him before he got hurt, so the trade value didn't go down or if there was an opportunity before the trade deadline. But I can’t control the injury aspect of things," said the former GM. "There’s value in Andrea and I think a change of scenery is probably best for all sides…But again, the new guy is going to have to decide how to handle that."

With years of front office experience and a clause in his contract that can spring him from Toronto, it's not clear how long Colangelo will want to remain in a supporting role with the Raptors. However, he made it known today that he will respect the parameters of his new job for as long as he has it. Or, as he put it, "If I get in the way, I'm not going to be around."

Knicks GM Talks Cap, Prigioni, Copeland, Kidd

2013-05-21T12:13:02-05:00

Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald spoke to the media today, reflecting on a Knicks season that ended with a second-round loss to the Pacers and looking ahead to the team's plans for the coming summer. A number of New York reporters, including Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Marc Berman of the New York Post, and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, passed along a few of Grunwald's more notable comments, so let's round them up:

The Knicks will focus on continuing to build and add to their core group, but won't be able to acquire anyone via sign-and-trade, says Grunwald (Twitter link). That rules out the pursuit of a top free agent like Chris Paul.
New York will have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception rather than the full $5.15MM MLE, and Grunwald says the club may have to dip into it to match offer sheets for restricted free agents Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland (Twitter link).
Despite the team's limited cap flexibility, Grunwald is confident the team can be "creative" when it comes to adding talent, noting that the Knicks "have some ideas" for what can be done (Twitter link).
After speaking to Jason Kidd, Grunwald is confident the veteran point guard will be back next season, as opposed to retiring (Twitter link).
Grunwald declined to comment on J.R. Smith's free agency, but added: "I don’t think you should read that one way or another" (Twitter link).
Although Grunwald was disappointed by the way the Knicks' season ended, he stressed that he likes the team and is excited about its future (Sulia link).

Lottery Teams' Odds To Land Top-Three Pick

2013-05-21T11:16:43-05:00

The NBA's draft lottery is set to take place tonight, with the league's 14 non-playoff teams vying for a chance at the first overall pick and the opportunity to select a player from a crop of prospects that includes Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, and others.

The odds at landing the first overall pick are cited frequently, from the Magic's 25% all the way down to the Jazz's 0.5%. But what chance does each team have to land a top-three pick? Listed in the chart below are the odds each lottery team has at the first, second, and third overall picks, as well as each team's overall odds at landing in the top three.

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.

Raps Retain Colangelo As President, Seeking GM

2013-05-21T09:52:00-05:00

TUESDAY, 9:52am: Colangelo will remain with the Raptors as the team's president, the club announced today in a press release. Colangelo will remain somewhat involved in basketball operations and will report directly to MLSE president/CEO Tim Leiweke, but the team is seeking a general manager that will have final authority on basketball decisions. The Raptors expect to hire a new GM within the next 30 days.

"After thorough evaluation and considering all the options, we have concluded that these changes will be in the best interest of the organization," Leiweke said in the release. "By splitting the roles and having both men report directly to me, we are adding depth to the basketball operations group and giving the Toronto Raptors the best chance of competing for championships in the future. The new GM will inherit a great situation in Toronto, as all of my due diligence around the League indicates that we have a fine, young core and a few key moves will make us a playoff contender next season."

Leiweke will also officially take over as MLSE president/CEO on June 3rd, rather than July 1st, according to the release.

MONDAY, 10:45am: Raptors ownership is preparing to make a major financial offer to Ujiri, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

10:04am: Bryan Colangelo will remain with the Raptors' parent organization in a "corporate" non-basketball role as the search continues for a new head of the Raptors organization, sources tell Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (via Twitter). MLSE has been negotiating with Colangelo this weekend to stay on in a signficant capacity while also talking with Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri about assuming full control of the team's basketball operations (Twitter links).

Toronto held an option on Colangelo's contract for the 2013/14 season and today was their deadline to make a determination. The decision to move Colangelo out of the President/GM role could be a sign that they are on the brink of reaching an agreement with Ujiri.

The Raptors hired an outside firm to help them identify the best candidate for the GM role and that process led them to identify Ujiri as their top candidate. While it would appear that Toronto respects Colangelo's experience and business acumen, they are less-than-thrilled with the club's on-court performance in recent years.

Colangelo was expected to deliver a winner by year seven of his tenure but things haven't improved as expected since the Raptors won the Atlantic Division in 2007. Since then, the club has undergone a number of face lifts with the most notable coming in the form of Chris Bosh's departure in the summer of 2010.

Colangelo's decision to take Andrea Bargnani with the No. 1 overall pick in the '06 draft also didn't pan out as hoped. Hindsight is 20/20, but the Raptors passed up the chance to take future All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, and Rajon Rondo to take the Italian forward. In fairness to the Raptors, however, the 2006 draft was littered with relative busts at the top of the board including Adam Morrison (No. 3), Tyrus Thomas (No. 4), and Shelden Williams (No. 5).

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Raps, Copeland, Knicks

2013-05-21T09:41:24-05:00

The Raptors have scheduled a pair of conference calls this morning, one with MLSE president/CEO Tim Leiweke and one with Bryan Colangelo, who appears to be taking on a new non-basketball role with the franchise. While we await word on Colangelo's official title, let's check in on a few other notes related to the Raptors' front office changes and related to one of Toronto's division rivals....

The Raptors' top target to replace Colangelo as the head of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, isn't going to talk to Leiweke before Wednesday, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Smith also suggests that if the Raptors miss out on Ujiri, they should try to convince current advisor Wayne Embry to become the team's new president.
Bruce Arthur and Eric Koreen of the National Post each provide retrospectives for Colangelo's tenure as the Raptors' general manager.
A few days after Chris Copeland's agent said that money would be an important factor in free agency this summer, Copeland stressed that he's "never chased the highest bidder," as Mark Hale of the New York Post details. "I love it here [with the Knicks]," Copeland said. "The finances play a part, but I have a lot of emotional ties here that it would be harder for me to break."
In his latest piece for the New York Post, Marc Berman touches on the contract situations for a number of Knicks players. The highlights: Tyson Chandler says he's not sure whether or not Jason Kidd will continue his playing career, while Carmelo Anthony expresses a desire to see J.R. Smith re-sign with the team.

Stan Van Gundy Will Not Coach In 2013/14

2013-05-21T08:23:00-05:00

Several days after a report indicated that Stan Van Gundy was unlikely to return to head coaching for the 2013/14 season, Van Gundy himself confirmed the news to David Baumann of Sports Talk Florida. Van Gundy told Baumann that he won't coach an NBA team next year, citing family reasons.

According to Van Gundy, he has not interviewed with any teams for their head coaching openings, despite being contacted by a handful of clubs. The former Magic coach has turned down all available opportunities, he tells Baumann. We had previously heard that Van Gundy interviewed with the Hawks as well as the Bucks. Assuming those reports weren't entirely off base, perhaps both teams just spoke to SVG rather than formally interviewing him.

With Van Gundy seemingly off the market, the Hawks and Bucks will be forced to look elsewhere for their new head coaches, while teams like the Nets and Clippers, who had also been linked to Van Gundy, will also have to explore other options. Grantland's Zach Lowe wonders (via Twitter) if Van Gundy is expecting a more desirable job to become available next offseason, though for now it's probably safe to take SVG at his word and assume he's making a family decision.

Scott Skiles Is Frontrunner For Nets Job

2013-05-20T20:20:39-05:00

Scott Skiles is the frontrunner in the Nets' coaching search, according to Dave D'Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger. Skiles has been said to be in the mix for the Nets job since shortly after P.J. Carlesimo's dismissal, but this is the first time it has been indicated that he is at the top of the club's wishlist.

The Nets have been seeking an experienced coach who preaches defense and the former Suns, Bulls, and Bucks head man certainly fits the bill. He's also known for being a strict, no-nonsense coach, an approach that may not jive with star guard Deron Williams.

Other coaches said to be high on the Nets' wishlist include longtime NBA assistant Brian Shaw and Larry Brown. The Nets also made a very public overture to Phil Jackson, but they were quickly shot down by the Zen Master. Yesterday, we also heard Lionel Hollins is on Brooklyn's list.