Draft Updates: Jaiteh, 76ers, Bobcats, Workouts
As June 27th inches closer, here are today's draft-related items:
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer relays a report (via the News Herald) which confirms that Anthony Bennett will visit the Cavaliers on Monday. The 6'8 forward will not work out for the club, as he is still recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
- The Timberwolves are expected to host Shabazz Muhammad and Archie Goodwin for workouts on Sunday, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
Earlier updates:
- With the deadline for international prospects to withdraw from the draft coming on Monday, Mouhammadou Jaiteh is considering pulling his name out, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy says a decision is expected to come by Saturday for Jaiteh, who will only stay in if he'll be a first-round pick.
- Kennedy adds within the same piece that the 76ers are one of several teams looking to acquire a pick late in the first round.
- ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) believes Anthony Bennett would be an ideal fit for the Bobcats.
- Although his stock has taken a hit lately, Shabazz Muhammad still has a chance to be drafted in the top 10, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- The Pelicans will get their workouts underway on Friday, and Michael Carter-Williams is expected to be in attendance, tweets John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Chris Babb, Tim Hardaway Jr., Solomon Hill, Tony Mitchell, Andrew Smith, and Axel Toupane will work out for the Pacers on Friday, the team announced today.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that Ben McLemore is working out for the Magic, who have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
- The Lakers worked out the following prospects today, according to the team's official Twitter account: Kenny Kadji, Peyton Siva, Brandon Triche, Dewaye Dedmon, C.J. Harris, and B.J. Young.
- The Wizards announced their Friday workout participants, while the Bucks (Twitter link) announced the players who worked out for them today. Both groups consist primarily of second-round prospects, with the exception of Otto Porter in Washington.
Grizzlies To Interview Alvin Gentry, George Karl
THURSDAY, 4:07pm: The Grizzlies have an interview lined up with Karl for Monday, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that Karl is very interested in coaching the Grizz.
WEDNESDAY, 6:30pm: The Grizzlies are set to interview former Suns head coach Alvin Gentry on Friday, according to Yahoo! NBA reporter Marc J. Spears. Gentry was contacted by Memphis today and is set to meet with new owner Robert Pera and CEO Jason Levien in Washington D.C.
As was reported earlier today, along with Gentry, former Nuggets coach (and reigning Coach of the Year) George Karl and Bulls assistant coach Ed Pinckney are also being considered for the position.
Gentry has experience as the head coach with several teams, including the Suns, Heat, Clippers, and Pistons. His all-time record is 335-370. According to a tweet from ESPNLA.com's Ramona Shelburne, Gentry is also in the mix with the Nuggets.
Poll: Who Will Be Drafted First Overall?
A year ago, there were plenty of storylines to follow related to the 2012 NBA draft, but the question of who would be picked first overall wasn't one of them — Anthony Davis had been considered a lock to go No. 1 for most of the college season, and once New Orleans won the lottery, there was never a doubt that the team would select Davis.
That's not the case this year, however. While Nerlens Noel looked like the odds-on favorite to follow in Davis' footsteps and became the second straight Kentucky big man to go first overall, his stock has slipped due to an ACL injury. With many teams at the top of the draft, including the Cavaliers, hoping to add a player who can make an immediate impact, Noel's hold on the top spot has "never been more tenuous," as ESPN.com's Chad Ford wrote in his most recent big board.
According to various reports, the Cavs have considered Noel, Alex Len, Ben McLemore, Otto Porter, and Victor Oladipo at No. 1, and it also remains possible that the team will end up trading the pick. This year's draft class has been said to be lacking in high-end talent, but that weakness may ultimately make for better drama on draft night. With the draft just two weeks away, there are several contenders in play for that first overall pick.
So what do you think? Which player will ultimately be drafted first overall later this month, either by the Cavs or another club?
Who will be drafted first overall?
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Nerlens Noel 36% (308)
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Ben McLemore 25% (218)
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Otto Porter 21% (182)
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Victor Oladipo 7% (58)
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Alex Len 6% (54)
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Someone else 5% (39)
Total votes: 859
Coaching Rumors: Kidd, Nuggets, Clippers, Suns
A pair of teams held press conferences to announce their new head coaches earlier today, as the Pistons introduced Maurice Cheeks, while the Nets introduced Jason Kidd. At the presser in Brooklyn, Kidd revealed that before he was hired by the Nets, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban contacted him to ask if he was interested in learning the business side of the NBA with Dallas (Twitter link via Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv). Kidd ended up opting for a coaching job with one of his former teams over an executive role with another. Here's more of the latest coaching-related rumblings from around the league:
- The Nuggets are focused on landing either Lionel Hollins or Brian Shaw for their head coaching opening, and will only consider other candidates if they're unable to land one of those top two targets, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Spears reports that Hollins will interview with the team on Saturday, while Denver hopes to have Shaw in for a meeting next week.
- Spears adds within the same piece that the Nuggets are leaning toward promoting Pete D'Alessandro to assume the role of general manager, though we heard earlier today that Tony DiLeo is firmly in the mix as well.
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post also takes a look at the top two candidates for the Nuggets' coaching opening.
- The Clippers initially were scheduled to interview Nate McMillan today, but had to cancel that meeting to accommodate Hollins, who is meeting with the team today and tomorrow. However, the Clippers are still trying to work out a time to bring McMillan in, perhaps early next week, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic has the details on the three new assistant coaches the Suns have added to Jeff Hornacek's staff.
Wolves Notes: Oladipo, Dieng, Len, Pekovic
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities brings us his weekly Scoops column a day early this week, publishing it on Thursday rather than Friday. Wolfson's usual look at Minnesota sports is heavy on Timberwolves content this time around, so let's dive in and round up a few highlights….
- Team president Flip Saunders will head to Washington, D.C. to meet with Victor Oladipo tomorrow morning. Considering the Wolves draft at No. 9, and Oladipo isn't expected to make it past the top five, it appears his camp has some level of confidence that Minnesota could trade up.
- Gorgui Dieng and the T-Wolves are trying to figure out a workout time, but it doesn't look like Alex Len will visit with the team before the draft. Len is unlikely to be around by the time the Wolves pick anyway.
- Re-signing Nikola Pekovic remains a high priority for the T-Wolves, though it's still not clear if the club will be willing to pay $12MM+ annually to retain him.
- Minnesota is one of a few NBA teams talking to the D-League's Iowa Energy about a possible one-to-one affiliation. This past season, the Energy served as the D-League affiliate for the Bulls, Nuggets, Pelicans, and Wizards. The Wolves lost their own affiliate when the Sioux Falls SkyForce entered into a single affiliation partnership with the Heat.
- While Wolfson wonders if a reunion between the Wolves and Kevin Garnett would be possible if the Celtics enter rebuilding mode, a source close to KG shoots down the idea, telling Wolfson it would "never happen."
- Although the Wolves' director of player personnel, R.J. Adelman, is expected to remain with the organization, it's possible he could join Sam Hinkie's front office with the Sixers.
Eastern Rumors: Pacers, Rivers, Cheeks, Kidd
Echoing what we've heard out of Indiana for weeks, team president Donnie Walsh told reporters, including Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, that re-signing David West this summer is "priority number one" for the Pacers.
"We want him back as much as you can want anyone back," Walsh said. "We think he’s one of the anchors of the team."
Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald brings us a few more details on the decision facing Doc Rivers, writing that the Celtics coach is torn between wanting to carve out a long career with a single franchise and worrying about losing effectiveness if he remains too long in Boston. Multiple sources tell Bulpett the odds are still "overwhelmingly" in favor of Rivers returning to the C's.
- From GM Joe Dumars to advisor Phil Jackson to owner Tom Gores, there was no dissension when it came to the hiring of Maurice Cheeks as the Pistons' new head coach, Dumars told reporters today (Twitter links via the Detroit Free Press).
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein is hearing that Cheeks would like to add former Thunder colleague Rex Kalamian as the top assistant on his Pistons staff (Twitter link).
- Jason Kidd spoke to Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News about entering the next phase of his career in the NBA, and coming "home" to the Nets.
- In addition to talking to Lawrence Frank and others about joining Kidd's staff in Brooklyn, the Nets have talked about pursuing longtime NBA assistant Dave Wohl, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Latest On Kings’ GM Search
11:31am: According to Amick (via Twitter), Wallace, Morway, and Layden are currently atop Ranadive's list.
8:30am: Earlier this month, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Chris Wallace appeared to be the favorite to be hired as the Kings' new general manager. Since then, plenty of other candidates have surfaced, but Wallace continues to remain firmly in the mix. According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, Wallace met with team ownership for the third time on Wednesday.
Despite meeting several times with Wallace, the Kings continue to explore other options. Stein reports (via Twitter) that Sacramento will interview Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden, while Sam Amick of USA Today says (via Twitter) that new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has been doing extensive background work on former Hawks GM Rick Sund. If Sund, who has interest in the job, was picked by the Kings, he'd serve as the more experienced addition in a partnership with current Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, according to Amick (via Twitter).
Although Larry Bird is no longer in the mix for a position in the Kings' front office, there are still plenty of other names connected to either the team's president or GM roles. Chris Mullin, Mike Dunleavy, David Morway, and Kenny Smith are among Sacramento's other potential targets.
Tony DiLeo A Serious Candidate For Nuggets GM
When the Sixers hired Sam Hinkie as their new general manager last month, Tony DiLeo parted ways with the team after having spent more than two decades in Philadelphia's basketball operations department. DiLeo is looking to land on his feet, however, and has engaged in serious discussions with the Nuggets about the team's GM opening, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
According to Haynes' source, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke is pleased with how talks with DiLeo have gone, and considers the former Sixers exec a serious candidate for the job in Denver. DiLeo, for his part, is "steadfast on a return to management," writes Haynes.
Last week, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reported (Twitter link) that Nuggets assistant GM Pete D'Alessandro projected as the frontrunner for the club's GM position, after serving as Masai Ujiri's right-hand man. The Kings have been granted permission to speak to D'Alessandro about their own GM vacancy, so it appears Denver will explore other options.
In addition to seeking out a new GM, the Nuggets are also searching for a new head coach, with Lionel Hollins, Brian Shaw, David Fizdale, and Melvin Hunt believed to be among the candidates.
Field Of Suitors For Dwight Howard Widening?
The field of potential suitors for Dwight Howard has "widened considerably," sources tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). According to Kyler, the Lakers, Hawks, Rockets, Mavericks, Spurs, and Nets are all expected to pursue the All-Star center this offseason.
We've heard plenty about the interest that a handful of those teams have in Howard — the Lakers remain optimistic about re-signing him, while the Hawks, Rockets, and Mavs are all seeking an impact player and have a good chance to create room for a maximum contract offer. The Spurs and Nets, on the other hand, haven't been mentioned in the Howard discussion with the same amount of frequency, though I think there are reasons for that.
In the Nets' case, while we've heard they still maintain interest in Howard, they also have $86MM+ in salary commitments for next season. Without the cap space to sign D12 outright, they'd need to complete a sign-and-trade, and ultimately end up below the tax apron, which figures to be in the neighborhood of $75.6MM. Given the amount of undesirable contracts on the roster, it's hard to envision a scenario in which the team is able to make something work, even if Kyler tweets that they're "willing to do whatever it takes."
As for the Spurs, they've been linked to Howard multiple times by Kyler's fellow writers at HoopsWorld. Their path to cap room is easier, but they still likely won't have quite enough space for a max offer. Clearing the necessary cap room would also figure to mean parting ways with Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter, unless those players were inclined to agree to significant home discounts. On top of that, I'm skeptical that a team whose chemistry is arguably unmatched around the league would risk making such a big commitment to Howard, considering the circus that's followed him around the last two seasons.
Even if the Nets and Spurs are long shots for Howard, we've heard that he'll be willing to listen to pitches from just about any interested team, so plenty of clubs will have the chance to at least kick the tires this summer.
Nets Hire Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd will serve as head coach of the Nets next season, according to Yahoo! NBA columnist Adrian Wojnarowski. The story was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer's John Mitchell and the hiring was confirmed by the Nets in a Wednesday night press release. Kidd will be introduced to the media in a Thursday press conference.
After much speculation about who would take over for interim lead man P.J. Carlesimo, culminating with a climactic five-hour interview on Wednesday with Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw, it appears the job will go to Kidd, a future Hall of Fame point guard who spent last season playing for the Knicks.
Kidd's contract will be guaranteed for three years and might include an option on the fourth year. He's currently targeting Lawrence Frank and Tim Grgurich as his top assistants. Kidd has no coaching experience, but the Nets believe the blueprint set by Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, also a successful player who took that job with no experience and led his team to the second round of the playoffs this season, bodes well.
Kidd, a ten-time All-Star, spent six seasons with the Nets and most notably led them to the NBA Finals twice in a row after a lengthy playoff drought. While the Nets were runners-up to the Lakers and Spurs, Kidd finally won a title with the Mavericks in 2011.
It will be interesting to watch how Kidd does for a number of reasons, but the most compelling aspect will be to see how he deals with player discord, given his reputation as a coach killer. Of course, star point guard Deron Williams has been given the same tag by many observers, though he has denied having a hand in Jerry Sloan's retirement in Utah and expressed surprise and disappointment after Avery Johnson was fired in Brooklyn.
Zach Links contributed to this post.