Odds & Ends: Aldridge, Howard, Mavs, Hollins
Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge sat down with Leo Sepkowitz of Slam Online for a wide-ranging Q&A session earlier this week. Seven years after the 2006 draft, Aldridge has proven to be the only player taken in the top five that didn't fall short of expectations. Does the 27-year-old hold a grudge against the Bulls for passing him up? "I used to, but I don’t think I do anymore. I think someone named a stat that I average more points and rebounds against them and Dallas than anyone else. So people say that whenever I play them I have something to prove, but I don’t think I do anymore. But if the stats say I do, then I guess I do." Here's more from around the Association..
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com is stacking up the Mavericks, Lakers, and Rockets in different facets as they pursue Dwight Howard. Today, MacMahon weighs the allure of playing alongside Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki vs. James Harden. With age being a key factor, MacMahon gives the edge to Houston and Harden.
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (on Twitter) believes the process is too far down the line for the Pistons to bring Lionel Hollins in for an interview. Hollins hopes to remain with the Grizzlies but a number of other teams are said to be interested in him.
- Kansas center Jeff Withey is set to workout for the T'Wolves on June 13th, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). Our own Chuck Myron profiled Withey who recently worked out for the Celtics. Minnesota's only pick in the draft is at No. 9, which means that they'll have to find their way into the mid-to-late portion of the first round to make the KU product a possibility.
- Scouts representing the Celtics, Mavs, Thunder, and Grizzlies were in Varese, Italy to watch the game between Cimberio and Montepaschi, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter).
Pacific Notes: Kings, Mullin, Hornacek, Jackson
Here's the latest out of the Pacific Division..
- Chris Mullin is in the mix to become the next General Manager of the Kings, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). If he pursues the job, Mullin will vie with Spurs President R.C. Buford, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, and Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, who are said to be on Vivek Ranadive's wish list for the vacant position.
- Jeff Hornacek's experience in working with young players should put him in a good position to succeed with the Suns, writes Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. The former NBA guard has been considered in the last year by the Magic, 76ers, and Bobcats but finally found the right fit with Phoenix this week.
- Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter) hears the Warriors have not begun talks with coach Mark Jackson, though something is expected to get done to avoid lame duck status next year. In Thompson's opinion (link), the Warriors can't do any better than Jackson and the coach's agent should angle for a multi-year extension. After Mike D'Antoni got a three-year, $12MM deal from the Lakers, Thompson (link) believes that Jackson is worth at least that much.
Draft Notes: Oladipo, Ledo, Johnson
Earlier today, Chad Ford of ESPN.com released his latest mock draft and he somewhat surprisingly had Indiana's Victor Oladipo going No. 2 to the Magic. The forward has long been thought to be a top ten talent, but this is the highest that we've seen him projected on any of the major mock drafts. The reason? Oladipo is said to be wowing NBA execs in interviews and his maturity and attitude could be enough to vault him past the likes of Trey Burke, Ben McLemore, and Otto Porter. Here's the latest draft news..
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld profiles the draft's mystery man, Ricky Ledo. The Providence product's draft stock has been on the rise recently, and he’s one of the most intriguing, and mysterious, players in this year's class. What makes his story so unusual is that Ledo has never played a second of college basketball after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA. However, the freshman stayed sharp by practicing with Providence last year. Ledo feels that he would have been a top pick this year if he had the opportunity to showcase himself, but even without having played competitively last year, he could still go in the first round.
- Meanwhile, Karron Johnson out of Division II Shaw University is another player that teams may be willing to take a gamble on, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. The 6-foot-8 forward, who was originally slated to attend Oklahoma, has scheduled workouts with seven teams that have let him know they will consider him as a potential second round pick.
Chris Hansen On Kings, Seattle, Next Step
Chris Hansen may not have been the big money behind the bid purchase the Kings and move them to Seattle, but he was unquestionably the face of the movement. Hansen has been largely silent since his group was shot down by the NBA Board of Governors but earlier today he gave a lengthy interview to Dave Mahler of KJR Radio. We've got all the highlights courtesy of NBCSports.com's Aaron Bruski with all links going to Twitter..
- While there has been speculation about other clubs that Hansen's group could zero in on, he says that they won't be going after another city's team as a "predator" again. "If we'd known that there would have been such strong support to keep the team in SAC, we'd have approached it differently," said Hansen (link). That would seem to imply that the Sonics will wait for an expansion opportunity to come their way, but that may not be anytime soon. Seattle could also wait for a club to already get the OK to move before pursuing them.
- Hansen didn't expect this level of backlash when it came to the Kings, saying that there was a belief inside and outside of the NBA that they were going to move (link). Before agreeing to purchase a team next time around, Hansen's group will make sure that they have gained pre-approval to move (link).
- David Stern isn't the most popular guy in the Seattle area, but Hansen doesn't believe that the commissioner has anything against the city (link).
- The investor says that he has never sued anybody and doesn't plan to start with the NBA.
- However, the group would like to recoup the non-refundable $30MM deposit that they gave to the Maloofs. But, again, they won't be suing. (Twitter links).
- When the NBA negotiates its next TV contract, Hansen believes that the league will be reminded of how valuable Seattle really is.
Clippers Eyeing Big Name Candidates
The Clippers have taken an ambitious approach in the early stages of their coaching search and they're eyeing names previously thought to be outside their price range such as Jeff Van Gundy, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, and Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw, multiple sources with knowledge of the team's thinking tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
The Clippers also are thinking about requesting permission to speak with at least one other current NBA head coach, one source said. Former Suns coach Alvin Gentry, former Cavs coach Byron Scott, and former Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan are also on the team's radar, sources said.
There's considerable skepticism around the league that Clippers owner Donald Sterling would be willing to fork over the kind of money it would take to land Van Gundy, Hollins, or Shaw. However, Los Angeles' front office has so far been acting as though money won't be a major issue, sources said. Sterling, who still hasn't entirely shaken his reputation for being cheap, has been reluctant to sign coaches or front office staff to contracts longer than one year after he was stuck with a $13.5MM payout to former coach and GM Mike Dunleavy.
The Clippers have yet to formally request permission from the Grizzlies to speak to Hollins, but intend to soon, sources said. The Clippers will also have to wait to speak to Shaw as the Pacers won't let him talk to clubs until the club's season is over. The Clippers would prefer a coach with NBA experience, sources said, but would make an exception for Shaw. Clippers players have given strong endorsements for Shaw, including Lamar Odom.
Odds & Ends: Ujiri, Oladipo, Dooling, Grizzlies
Earlier in the day, we heard that a decision from Masai Ujiri on whether he'll be running the Raptors or Nuggets could come as early as today. But according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), Ujiri won't decide whether or not to accept the Raptors' offer until he meets with Denver ownership. That meeting could happen today or tomorrow, says Berger, so we may be waiting one more day to get closure on the Ujiri saga. In the meantime, let's round up a few odds and ends from across the NBA:
- While Nerlens Noel remains atop the latest version of Chad Ford's big board at ESPN.com (Insider link), there's a new name at No. 2, with Victor Oladipo on the rise in a big way.
- In an interesting piece for Grantland.com, Zach Lowe revisits the 2011 trade that sent George Hill to the Pacers and Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs, exploring how negotiations played out on draft night two years ago, and outlining how it's turned into a great deal for both teams.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic lauds Phoenix's hiring of Jeff Hornacek, writing that the former Suns guard has what it takes to become a very good head coach.
- After announcing his retirement last year, Keyon Dooling returned to sign with the Grizzlies toward the end of the 2012/13 season, and he intends to play again next season, tweets Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
- The Grizzlies are facing major decisions on a coach and a GM in addition to a handful of players, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld details.
- No decisions have been made on Paul Pierce's future yet, Celtics GM Danny Ainge tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, which echoes a report we passed along earlier.
- Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge examines the possibility of the Trail Blazers trading out of next month's draft.
- As Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside writes, the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League are hoping to enter a hybrid affiliation with a single NBA team.
Hawks Hire Mike Budenholzer
3:26pm: The Hawks have officially announced the hiring of Budenholzer in a press release.
"We are thrilled to have Mike as the next coach of the Atlanta Hawks. He has an incredible basketball acumen and has a keen awareness of the league and what it takes to be successful," Ferry said in a statement. "His experience and four championships over the last 17 years provide a tremendous foundation for his leadership of our team."
3:13pm: The Hawks have reached an agreement to hire Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had previously reported that the two sides were engaged in "serious talks" about the position.
With the move, Atlanta becomes the fourth team to hire a new head coach this season, along with the Cavaliers, Suns, and Bobcats. The hiring of Budenholzer also assures that Larry Drew won't return as the team's coach next season — Drew had remained under contract, though he has been exploring other options and moving forward as if he won't receive an extension.
Budenholzer has been a member of the Spurs' organization since the 1994/95 season, acting as an assistant coach since '96/97 and crossing paths with Hawks GM Danny Ferry during Ferry's two separate stints in the Spurs' front office. Budenholzer has been Gregg Popovich's top assistant in San Antonio since the 2007/08 season.
Before the Hawks reached an agreement with Budenholzer, Stan Van Gundy was among the candidates linked to the team's coaching opening, but Van Gundy eventually decided not to coach in 2013/14. A pair of coaches who spent last season with CSKA Moscow, Ettore Messina and Quin Snyder, were also rumored to be considered by Atlanta.
Mike Budenholzer, Hawks In Serious Talks
The Hawks are engaged in "serious talks" with Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer about becoming Atlanta's new head coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). ESPN.com's Chris Broussard had reported last week that many league insiders viewed Budenholzer as the frontrunner for the Hawks' coaching opening.
While the Spurs remain active in the postseason, having swept the Grizzlies to earn a spot in the NBA Finals, they'll have nine days off before their next series gets underway. As such, the team is allowing its longtime assistant coach to negotiate with the Hawks during that period, assuming Budenholzer is Atlanta's choice for its head coach, writes TNT's David Aldridge.
Budenholzer, who worked with Atlanta GM Danny Ferry back when Ferry was a member of the Spurs' front office, also interviewed for the Pistons and 76ers for their coaching openings, as Aldridge notes. If he were to land the Hawks' job, Budenholzer would be replacing Larry Drew, who technically remains under contract in Atlanta, but is exploring other options — Drew will have a second interview the Bucks tomorrow.
Atlantic Notes: Pierce, Ujiri, Raptors, Ward
A recent News-Herald report suggested the Celtics are "likely" to buy out Paul Pierce before his contract becomes guaranteed on July 1st, but Rich Levine of CSNNE.com isn't so sure that's the case. According to Levine, a C's source "laughed off" that report — not because the idea of buying out Pierce is outlandish, but because the idea Boston is "likely" to do anything isn't accurate at this point. With over a month to make a decision on Pierce, the Celtics figure to continue exploring all their options before making a move.
Here's more on Pierce and the rest of the Atlantic Division:
- Three NBA executives who spoke to Sam Amico told the FOX Sports Ohio scribe that buying out Pierce would be a no-brainer if they were running the Celtics (Twitter link).
- The Raptors and Nuggets may have closure as soon as today on Masai Ujiri, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler says the Raptors are "all-in" for Ujiri, but adds that both Toronto and Denver have started kicking the tires on possible alternatives. Ujiri is currently weighing offers from both teams, though the Nuggets' counter-offer is not believed to be as competitive financially as the Raptors', tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Canadian shooting guard Warren Ward won't be draft-eligible next month, but as a free agent, he's drawing interest from a few NBA teams, including the Raptors, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy also identifies the Pacers, Magic, and Hawks as other clubs with potential interest in Ward.
- As we heard this morning, the Nets are expected to request permission to speak to Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, perhaps as soon as today.
Timberwolves Eyeing Tim Connelly, Milt Newton
Although Flip Saunders will be heading up the Timberwolves' basketball operations for the forseeable future, Saunders will only assume the role of team president, not general manager. As such, he's looking to hire a new GM in Minnesota, and according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), Saunders is eyeing two candidates with whom he has worked in the past: Pelicans assistant GM Tim Connelly and Wizards VP of player personnel Milt Newton. Newton was first identified as a potential GM candidate last week by ESPN 1500's Darren Wolfson (via Twitter).
We heard last week that Saunders was seeking out a general manager, with a hire potentially not happening until after next month's draft. The team's new GM would figure to have input on basketball decisions, with Saunders retaining the final say. Having been in Washington with Connelly and Newton, Saunders presumably feels comfortable working with both executives.
As the draft and free agency approach, the Timberwolves will be facing a number of key decisions this summer, including how to use their four draft picks and what to do with restricted free agent big man Nikola Pekovic.