Draft Updates: Friday
2:52pm: Here are a few more updates out of Chicago:
- In a series of tweets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune lists a number of the prospects the Timberwolves have talked to or will talk to in Chicago. Among those we hadn't already heard about: Alex Len, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ricky Ledo, Archie Goodwin, Reggie Bullock, and Vander Blue.
- The Trail Blazers will meet with Caldwell-Pope today, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter). Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com adds (via Twitter) that the Blazers met with Ledo yesterday.
- Ryan Kelly has met with the Mavericks, Celtics, and Clippers, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- Dennis Schroeder will work out for the Bucks, Jazz, and Rockets, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that there's some speculation at the combine that this could finally be the year the No. 1 pick is traded.
11:44am: It took us multiple posts yesterday to round up all the tidbits trickling out of Chicago, where the NBA is holding its draft combine this week. We'll see if today is as busy, but in the meantime, here are the latest updates on the 2013 draft:
- Some NBA executives believe that it's possible Shabazz Muhammad falls out of the top 10 and perhaps even the lottery on draft night, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford passes along the official measurements on the players in Chicago, and provides a few thoughts on the results.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) hears from an NBA source that the Warriors believe they can acquire either a first- or second-round pick in this year's draft, if they so choose. Kawakami adds in a second tweet that a pick would mostly just cost money, but I'm skeptical that the Warriors could pick up a first-rounder without giving up anything of value, or that they'd even want to add a rookie-scale salary, given their proximity to the tax.
- Alex Len met with the Bobcats last night and will meet with the Cavaliers today, according to tweets from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal. David Mayo of MLive.com tweets that Len has nothing set up with the Pistons and "wasn't too enthused" when asked about them — perhaps that would change if Detroit jumped into the top three in next week's lottery.
- The Pistons will meet with Rudy Gobert today, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Steven Adams interviewed with the Magic last night, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Chad Ford heard that Adams was the big winner on the first day of the combine, with "GM after GM" impressed by his showing.
- Kelly Olynyk has met with the Bucks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
- Myck Kabongo met with the Knicks and Trail Blazers earlier in the week, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Mason Plumlee also expects to meet with the Blazers, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian.
Decision On Bryan Colangelo Due By Monday
The future of Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo will finally be decided, one way or the other, by the end of Toronto's long weekend, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Smith reports that the Raptors have until Monday to officially exercise or decline Colangelo's option for the 2013/14 season.
According to Smith, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and new president/CEO Tim Leiweke have hired a head-hunting firm to whittle down the list of possible replacements for Colangelo. Two names being mentioned as potential candidates at Chicago's draft combine this week are current Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard and Thunder assistant GM Troy Weaver.
Smith notes that neither Pritchard and Weaver qualify as the sort of big-name, high-profile executive Leiweke was expected to target, given the Phil Jackson rumors. However, it's possible, according to Smith, that Leiweke is simply doing due diligence, and will ultimately stick with Colangelo and the current basketball operations staff for another year.
Head coach Dwane Casey's future also figures to be tied to the Colangelo decision. Casey has one year remaining on his contract, and Colangelo has indicated that if he's back, Casey will be too. A new head of basketball operations may decide to bring in his own coach.
Clippers Owner To Meet With Vinny Del Negro
Clippers owner Donald Sterling will meet with incumbent head coach Vinny Del Negro this weekend to discuss the coach's fate with the organization, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. According to Haynes, a decision is anticipated shortly after the meeting.
Del Negro's Clippers went up 2-0 in the first round of the Western Conference Quarterfinals before being defeated four straight times by the Grizzlies, who eliminated L.A. from the playoffs. The disappointing end to the season, along with Chris Paul's impending free agency, led many observers to conclude that a new hire was coming. As recently as ten days ago, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Del Negro's dismissal appeared "inevitable" and named a few potential candidates for the position.
However, a report earlier this week from Stein and Ramona Shelburne indicated that there's still a "level of interest within the organization" in giving Del Negro an extension. Sterling is believed to be one of Del Negro's biggest supporters, perhaps in part due to his inexpensive price tag. But reports have suggested that the decision will be an organizational one, with Paul and Blake Griffin receiving some input as well.
Kings Updates: Sale, Coach, GM, Hansen
A little more than 12 hours after we heard that Vivek Ranadive's Sacramento investment group and the Maloof family had struck an agreement to transfer ownership of the Kings, the city of Sacramento held a press conference today to formally announce the good news. Mayor Kevin Johnson praised the city for never giving up on the Kings, and also confirmed that Chris Hansen isn't involved in the deal, so he won't be a minority owner of the team (Twitter link via Chris Daniels of KING5). As the new ownership group prepares to officially take over the Kings, here's a number of other items related to the sale and to the team:
- Assuming Keith Smart is not retained as the Kings' head coach by the new ownership group, Warriors assistant Michael Malone is expected to be a top candidate, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick also points to Chris Mullin as a potential front office candidate, with Geoff Petrie likely on the way out.
- The Sacramento Bee's initial story on the agreement between the new ownership group and the Maloofs has been updated with plenty of additional details, identifying a number of the investors in Ranadive's group.
- Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (via Twitter) that the NBA's 30 owners offered to repay the $30MM non-refundable deposit Hansen's Seattle group made to the Maloofs, but Hansen declined. Mannix adds (via Twitter) that Hansen and Co. don't intend to file any lawsuits related to the Kings situation.
- The 7% share of the Kings that Hansen bought in bankruptcy, pending NBA approval, will likely be auctioned off again, tweets Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton examines the next steps for the Kings.
Odds & Ends: Jack, Iguodala, Cavaliers, Suns
With just one Conference Semifinal still ongoing, we won't see any NBA action tonight, as the Knicks and Pacers prepare for tomorrow's Game Six. Even if the Eastern Semifinal extends to a seventh game though, we can look forward to the Western Finals getting underway on Sunday, featuring a Spurs/Grizzlies matchup that few would have predicted last fall. As we get ready for those games, let's check in on a few odds and ends from around the Association:
- Following the Warriors' elimination from the postseason, Jarrett Jack tells Marcus Thompson II of the San Jose Mercury News that he'd love to get a chance to return to the team next season. "Obviously there are other things that go into seeing if that works," Jack said. "We all know this is a business at the end of the day. If I could do it, if I could rearrange it, I would definitely be back at this same locker."
- Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post takes a look at Ty Lawson's efforts to woo Andre Iguodala back to the Nuggets via social media. Lawson says he's been "telling [Iguodala] all year" that he ought to stay in Denver beyond this season.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant suggests to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) that the Cavs expect to be bigger players in free agency this summer than in recent years.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic shares the latest news on the Suns' head coaching search, writing that candidates on playoff teams become less likely for Phoenix the longer their respective clubs stay alive.
- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau is hoping the team can bring back Nazr Mohammed, calling his performance "tremendous," but acknowledged that the big man may receive better offers. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has the details.
- The Bobcats can't afford a misfire on draft night this year, says Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
Atlantic Notes: C’s, Copeland, Thomas, Colangelo
Let's round up a few Friday morning items out of the Atlantic Division….
- When Kevin Garnett decided to re-sign with the Celtics last summer, it made the rest of the team's decisions easy, GM Danny Ainge tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. However, with more factors in play this offseason, Ainge anticipates more difficult decisions and plenty of possible outcomes for the C's.
- Knicks GM Glen Grunwald is hoping to re-sign Chris Copeland this summer, but one source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that the restricted free agent may seek "Steve Novak money" (four years, $16MM), which would put him out of New York's price range. I think if the Knicks were to offer their mini mid-level exception to Copeland, they could re-sign him, but that would rule out the pursuit of many outside free agents.
- When Kurt Thomas underwent right foot surgery toward the end of this season, it was widely assumed that he may have played his last NBA game. Thomas remains undecided on his future though, suggesting to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that there's a chance he could return.
- Asked about yesterday's report that the Sixers had received permission to interview Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, GM Sam Hinkie replied, "I'm not even there yet. I won't confirm or deny, but I will say I don't know where that came from" (via Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News).
- Citing word out of Toronto, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio hears that this very well could be Bryan Colangelo's last week as the Raptors' GM (Twitter link). The last real updates on the subject came on Monday, when reports were mixed on whether or not Colangelo would be back.
Sacramento Group Reaches Deal To Buy Kings
FRIDAY, 9:47am: Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson tells the Sacramento Bee that the purchase agreement has been "signed on both ends" and that the "money has been wired." While the deal still has to close, Johnson doesn't anticipate any roadblocks.
"We're hoping to get it all done within the next week or so and the Board of Governors will vote and I don't anticipate any surprises," Johnson said.
THURSDAY, 11:29pm: The Sacramento investment group led by Vivek Ranadive has reached an agreement with the Maloof family to buy the Kings, according to Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. Bizjak reports that the deal is for an NBA-record valuation of $535MM, $10MM higher than the initial sale price on the Maloofs' agreement with Chris Hansen's Seattle group.
According to Bizjak, the agreement could be formally announced as soon as Friday, and will require approval by the NBA. Assuming the league approves the deal, which seems like a safe bet, escrow is expected to close at the end of May. The new group is expected to assume the Maloofs' entire 65% share of the club.
If the agreement between the current Kings owners and the prospective ownership group becomes official, it would be the end of a lengthy saga that pitted Sacramento and Seattle against one another in a fight for the Kings. Despite Hansen's Seattle group increasing their valuation of the franchise to $625MM, the league's owners voted 22-8 against relocating the Kings to Seattle on Wednesday, urging the Maloofs and Ranadive's group to try to negotiate a deal in the next 24 to 48 hours.
A source tells Bizjak that, after the league's owners voted down the Kings' relocation bid, the Maloofs were eager to "turn the page," and were happy to sell to an ownership group that would keep the team in Sacramento.
Woelfel On Sloan, Bucks, Weltman, Redick, Noel
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.
Hawks Interview Van Gundy, Considering Messina
Although Larry Drew hasn't been officially dismissed by the Hawks yet, it appears as if the team is exploring plenty of potential replacements for the incumbent head coach. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Hawks have formally interviewed former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, as well as Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer.
In addition to Van Gundy and Budenholzer, the Hawks have interviewed Nate McMillan, but according to Vivlamore, those aren't the only three candidates that have met with GM Danny Ferry so far. Vivlamore writes that while there are other candidates who have been officially interviewed, "how many and who they are remains a secret," as Ferry is keeping details of the search very close to the vest.
One contender for the position who will likely be interviewed, if he hasn't been already, is CSKA head coach Ettore Messina, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski says the Hawks have been in touch wish the Italian-born Messina, who "is intrigued with the chance to be a global trail blazer in the NBA." There's a little history between Messina and Ferry, as the former Cavaliers GM once sent Mike Brown overseas to study Messina's offense. Messina also brought Quin Snyder over as a CSKA Moscow assistant this past season — Snyder and Ferry have a longtime friendship dating back to their playing days at Duke, says Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski classifies Van Gundy as Atlanta's top candidate, but hears from sources that the ex-Magic coach is a long shot for the position. Messina is receiving "significant consideration" from the Hawks, according to Wojnarowski, while Vivlamore notes that the possibility of Drew returning next season isn't entirely off the table either.
Lakers, Hawks Looking To Acquire Lottery Picks?
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio heard some speculation at today's NBA Draft Combine that the Lakers and Hawks are two teams trying to find their way into the lottery. With both teams headed for a summer centered on free agent decisions, Atlanta has two first-rounders – picks 17 and 18 – to dangle in an attempt to move up in the draft, whereas Los Angeles – equipped with only the 48th overall pick – would plausibly have to shop Pau Gasol and be willing to take on another contract in hopes of landing a higher draft pick along with another young piece.
Amico provides a reminder that this is still pure speculation as of right now, and that rumors such as these could just be as commonplace with other miscellaneous rumblings heading into the draft. With that being said, it's easy to imagine the Lakers exploring their options on this front considering that Jodie Meeks (who holds a team option for next year) and Jordan Hill are currently the only players under the age of 30 that are technically under contract for next season. Re-signing Dwight Howard and Earl Clark, who we've heard would be willing to stay in L.A. on a discount, would add to that list, though with other key pieces in their starting rotation getting older, pursuing efforts to become younger and develop some talent makes sense.
Considering that this year's draft class isn't arguably as strong as in previous years, it isn't out of the question to think that Atlanta could find themselves in talks to acquire a lottery pick, especially if one of the lottery teams misses out on a top target. Hawks GM Danny Ferry will have plenty of salary flexibility to work with this summer, and adding a lottery talent on a rookie-scale contract beforehand would make for an auspicious start to the team's offseason.