Eastern Notes: Raptors, Bucks, Pacers, Hawks
At a morning press conference in Toronto today, the Raptors introduced new GM and president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, who returns to the Raps after having previously served as the team's assistant GM. Mike Ulmer of Raptors.com has the details on Ujiri's re-introduction to Toronto media, which included a noncommital response when asked if coach Dwane Casey would be back.
"I need two or three weeks where Coach and I are going to figure out whether this thing is going to go forward for the next year," Ujiri said. "Right now, I don’t see any reason why [he won't be back]."
Despite having only spent two seasons on the Raptors' bench, Casey ranks among the top half of the league's longest-tenured head coaches, as I outlined earlier this afternoon. As we wait to see what his future holds, here are a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:
- At yesterday's press conference introducing new head coach Larry Drew, Bucks owner Herb Kohl told reporters, including Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that undergoing a full-scale rebuild and bottoming out isn't an option for the team. "There are different ways teams conduct their business in the sports leagues," Kohl said. "And I like to see that we put a competitive product on the floor every season…. Often times teams that are really bad and losing find a bottom that they can't get out of."
- Grantland's Zach Lowe looks ahead to the Pacers' offseason, writing that the team figures to "tweak the edges" of its roster this offseason using the mid-level exception and minimum-salary deals.
- By specifically mentioning Dwight Howard and Chris Paul as free agent targets in an email to prospective ticket buyers, the Hawks may be in violation of the NBA's anti-tampering policy, as Chris Vivalmore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution explains.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com offers a few suggestions for how the Knicks might fill the hole created on the roster by Jason Kidd's retirement.
Longest-Tenured Coaches In The NBA
When an NBA team underachieves, its head coach typically becomes the scapegoat for the club's shortcomings. The roster may also undergo some changes, but typically veteran players are more expensive and more difficult to replace than a team's coach. As such, head coaches often bounce from job to job, from team to team, never lasting too long with a single franchise.
That has been more true than ever this summer, with six teams already hiring new head coaches, while four more clubs continue to search for replacements. And even with a third of the Association's teams already taking a ride on the coaching carousel, there may be more movement to come — the Grizzlies look like a good bet to replace Lionel Hollins, while one or two other coaches, such as the Raptors' Dwane Casey, don't appear to have totally solid footing.
The constant turnover in the coaching ranks makes it all the more impressive when a head coach stays in one spot for years, or even decades, in the case of Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Popovich is by far the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA, but he's not the only one who has been with his team for a while now.
Here's the list of the current longest-tenured coaches in the NBA, along with the month and year in which they assumed the role:
- Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
- Doc Rivers, Celtics: April 2004
- George Karl, Nuggets: January 2005
- Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
- Rick Carlisle, Mavericks: May 2008
- Scott Brooks, Thunder: November 2008 (interim; permanent since April 2009)
- Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies: January 2009
- Monty Williams, Pelicans: June 2010
- Tom Thibodeau, Bulls: June 2010
- Frank Vogel, Pacers: January 2011 (interim; permanent since July 2011)
- Tyrone Corbin, Jazz: February 2011
- Kevin McHale, Rockets: June 2011
- Mark Jackson, Warriors: June 2011
- Dwane Casey, Raptors: June 2011
- Rick Adelman, Timberwolves: September 2011
- Randy Wittman, Wizards: January 2012 (interim; permanent since June 2012)
- Mike Woodson, Knicks: March 2012 (interim; permanent since May 2012)
- Jacque Vaughn, Magic: July 2012
- Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers: August 2012
- Mike D'Antoni, Lakers: November 2012
- Mike Brown, Cavaliers: April 2013
- Jeff Hornacek, Suns: May 2013
- Mike Budenholzer, Hawks: May 2013
- Steve Clifford, Bobcats: May 2013
- Larry Drew, Bucks: May 2013
- Michael Malone, Kings: June 2013
- ???, 76ers
- ???, Clippers
- ???, Nets
- ???, Pistons
Draft Updates: Tuesday
ESPN.com's Chad Ford has released version 4.0 of his 2013 mock draft (Insider-only link), and as usual, the piece is chock-full of rumors and rumblings he's heard from GMs, scouts, and other league sources. Let's dive in and round up some of the highlights from Ford's latest….
- Nerlens Noel remains the default pick at No. 1, but the Cavaliers still haven't made a decision. Otto Porter and Alex Len would be the best bets to supplant Noel.
- The Magic's decision at No. 2 is still extremely wide open, with nine players still under consideration, according to Ford.
- If Porter and Anthony Bennett are still on the board at No. 3 for Washington, it will be a tough decision, since the Wizards' front office is split over which player it likes better.
- The Pelicans will consider point guards with the sixth overall pick, but the team hasn't given up on Austin Rivers as its point guard of the future, so it may go in a different direction.
- Ford is "hearing with increasing frequency" that the Pistons could target a point guard with the No. 8 pick.
- Dario Saric appears to be a lottery pick, with Ford identifying the Blazers at 10 and the Sixers at 11 as real possibilities for the Croatian prospect, who is a "hot name" right now.
- Shane Larkin's workout in Milwaukee was a "wow" for the Bucks, according to Ford, who has the point guard going at No. 15 to Milwaukee.
In addition to Ford's latest mock, there are plenty of other draft updates to pass along this afternoon. Here are a few of them:
- Speaking to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, Dennis Schroeder and his agent downplayed reports that he has received a first-round guarantee from an unknown team, perhaps the Celtics. "I don’t know where that came from," agent Alex Saratsis said. "I don’t know anything about that."
- The Knicks' workout on Wednesday will feature the following prospects, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday (via Twitter): Isaiah Canaan, Brandon Triche, Deshaun Thomas, Murphy Holloway, A.J. Matthews, and Norvel Pelle.
- The Pistons will bring in Ray McCallum for a workout, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- After recently working out for the Jazz, Cody Zeller will work out for the Suns next, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Amico adds in another tweet that Mark Lyons, who averaged 24.3 PPG in three NCAA tournament contests in March, is working out for the Nuggets.
- Ricky Ledo has already worked out for six teams, including the Nuggets, Bulls, Rockets, and Spurs (link via NBA.com).
- Ledo will work out for his seventh team on Wednesday, when the Grizzlies hold a session that will also include Jud Dillard, Carrick Felix, Solomon Hill, Angelo Sharpless, and Tony Snell, according to a team release.
Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies Continue To Talk
Multiple recent reports have indicated the outlook for Lionel Hollins with the Grizzlies isn't good, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports suggesting over the weekend that Hollins is likely done in Memphis. But as Hollins repeatedly expresses his desire to return to the team he led to the Western Finals, the Grizzlies and their head coach continue to discuss an extension, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required).
Tillery reports that if the Grizzlies make Hollins an offer, it would likely be for a shorter term, rather than for four years. It's also not clear if Memphis will be able to match the financial commitment that other suitors could be willing to make to Hollins. We heard yesterday that the Nets have requested permission to speak to Hollins, and that the coach's representatives have reached out to the Clippers, who have some interest.
While the Clippers have been fairly stingy on coaching contracts in recent years, their willingness to target bigger names this offseason could signal an inclination to spend more. As for Brooklyn, money is likely no object to owner Mikhail Prokhorov, so if the Nets wanted to make a run at Hollins, they'd be difficult to outbid. It sounds like the Nets may be more focused on Brian Shaw, however, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports (via Twitter) that GM Billy King has been doing a lot of background checking on the Pacers assistant.
In spite of Hollins' adamant public stance that he wants to return to the Grizzlies, it would be a surprise if he reached an agreement to remain in Memphis, given the difference in philosophies between Hollins and the club's front office.
Western Notes: Hollins, Suns, Liggins, Kings
After appearing on Memphis radio to express surprise and disappointment at his current situation with the Grizzlies, head coach Lionel Hollins reiterated to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's still holding out hope for a contract extension.
"I hope things can work out and I think things can work out," Hollins said. "I'm happy in Memphis. I've been there for a long time. My kids went to school in Memphis. My son graduated as a doctor in Memphis. My daughter is a grad student at the University of Memphis. I love the city of Memphis and really want to be there. I have no reason to want to leave."
Despite Hollins' comments, Grizzlies management is still upset that the head coach didn't publicly support the Rudy Gay trade, according to Spears. It appears the team and Hollins will end up going their separate ways, with the Grizzlies coach potentially receiving interest from the Clippers and Nets.
Here's more from around the Western Conference:
- Suns owner Robert Sarver is hoping to continue seeing his team take small, steady steps back toward contention, rather than banking on a single game-changing move, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details.
- DeAndre Liggins, who has a non-guaranteed contract for next season, would like to return to the Thunder, but it's not clear whether or not Oklahoma City will retain him, writes Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
- Gani Lawal is reportedly drawing NBA interest from at least four teams, but the Timberwolves don't seem to be interested, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
- Vivek Ranadive and the Kings won't rush the process of finding a new general manager, as Ranadive tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The new Kings owner anticipates that the GM search, which is reportedly wide-ranging, will conclude in time for the draft, but wouldn't guarantee that.
- Don't expect the Kings' new ownership group to coddle DeMarcus Cousins, says Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee.
Pacers Rumors: West, Granger, George, Shaw
After taking a 2-1 lead and eventually losing to the Heat in last season's Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Pacers made Miami sweat a little more in this year's Eastern Finals, forcing a Game Seven last night. The Heat won the game comfortably, but the Pacers still impressed in the series, and look like they'll be a perennial force in the East for the foreseeable future. With Indiana's 2012/13 season now in the books, here are a few of the morning's Pacers-related stories:
- We've been hearing for months that David West would like to re-sign with the Pacers this offseason, and he strongly reiterated that point last night, speaking to the media. "These are my guys, I can't see myself going anywhere else," West said, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com. "We're the second best team in the Eastern Conference, one of the top four teams in the league this year. This group is a solid group. It gives me as an individual the best chance to accomplish the goals I have left [and] that's competing at this stage every single year from here on out."
- Mannix speculates that the Pacers could shop Danny Granger and his expiring $14MM+ contract to create more room to re-sign West, noting that teams looking for a short-term wing solution and future flexibility would have interest in Granger, assuming he's healthy.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News also addresses West's free agency, writing that teams like the Clippers and Hawks figure to pursue the veteran forward this summer.
- Paul George has one more year remaining on his rookie contract, meaning he'll be extension-eligible this offseason. Asked by Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida if he sees himself as a maximum-salary player, he replied, "I would hope. Max guys get the job done at this time (the playoffs)."
- In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler examines some offseason decisions facing the Pacers, including West's free agency, a possible extension for George, and the potential departure of assistant Brian Shaw. Kyler also notes that Granger's knee issues may scare off potential trade partners, meaning there's a very real chance the forward is still a Pacer in the fall.
Atlantic Notes: Kidd, Knicks, Larkin, C’s, Sixers
Already today, we've passed along word that J.R. Smith will decline his player option, but is likely to re-sign with the Knicks. There are plenty of other news items and rumors floating around the web this morning, relating to the Knicks and their Atlantic rivals, so let's round up the latest out of the division:
- After announcing his retirement yesterday, Jason Kidd told ESPN Radio (link via Marc Berman of the New York Post) that he thinks the Knicks have a "solid foundation," though the team may have to make a couple upgrades this summer.
- According to both Berman and Nate Taylor of the New York Times, Kidd will forgo the final two years and $6.18MM remaining on his contract. Assuming that's true, it's a nice break for the Knicks, considering teams often agree to buyouts with retiring players. It likely won't give New York any additional cap flexibility, since the team is still in the tax, but at the very least it will reduce that tax bill.
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald explores whether Shane Larkin may be a fit for the Celtics at No. 16 in this month's draft.
- Although Michael Malone was on the Sixers' wish list back when Tony DiLeo, rather than Sam Hinkie, was running the team's coaching search, John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out the Kings' hiring of Malone further diminishes Philadelphia's pool of head coach targets.
- Over at Philly.com, Michael Levien of SBNation.com is skeptical of a rumor linking the Sixers to free-agent-to-be Josh Smith, writing that he's "very confident" Philadelphia won't be the team that gives the forward a big-money, long-term contract.
J.R. Smith To Decline Option, Likely To Re-Sign
Back in April, a report suggested that J.R. Smith was "very, very likely" to opt out of the second year of his two-year contract with the Knicks. Today, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com confirms that's indeed the case, reporting that Smith will officially announce his decision to turn down his player option prior to the June 30th deadline. According to Zwerling though, the Sixth Man of the Year is "likely" to re-sign with the Knicks.
Using the Early Bird exception, the Knicks will be eligible to sign Smith to a contract for up to four years, starting at an amount worth 104.5% of the average salary. That exact figure won't be known until July, but it will be in excess of $5MM, so Smith could guarantee himself a total payday in excess of $20MM if he and the Knicks were to agree to a long-term deal.
Even with Jason Kidd no longer in the picture, the Knicks won't have the cap flexibility to sign Smith to amount greater than the Early Bird exception will allow, meaning rival suitors with cap space would be able to outbid the Knicks. Still, Smith has thrived since arriving in New York and appears to love playing (and living) in the Big Apple, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him turn down a larger offer to return to the Knicks.
If Smith had decided to exercise his player option, he'd have earned $2,932,742 in 2013/14 before gaining full Bird rights in the summer of 2014.
Kobe On Recovery, Retirement, Howard
It would be an understatement to say that the 2012/13 season was a disappointment for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. Bryant helped will the Lakers into the playoffs with a late-season surge but had to watch his club get bounced by the Spurs from the sidelines. Now, six weeks into his rehabilitation program, the 34-year-old sat down with Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com to discuss his future and plans for the summer. Here's a look at the highlights..
Will you be ready for the 2013/14 opener?
"I hope so. That's the challenge. With the tendon, there's really only but so much you can do. There's a certain amount of time that they deem necessary for the tendon to heal where you don't overstretch it and now you never get that spring back. So, you just have to be patient, let the tendon heal and then when that moment comes when they say, 'OK, we can take off the regulator so to speak and now it's on you to train as hard as you can to get back to where you want to be,' that's going to be a good day."
On courting Dwight Howard back to L.A.:
"For me, you kind of let him do his due diligence and then move in and talk to him and figure out if this is a place he wants to be. We all want him here. But then that's when the selling begins [after Howard is courted by other teams]. You don't start the selling process right before he goes and does all this stuff. You want to get the last word. You want to have the final word and the closing argument. I'll give him a little opening statement, but then I have to make sure I have the final word."
What if Howard goes elsewhere?
"This franchise is a franchise that you really don't have to worry about too much, because no matter what happens, whether it's a year from now, two years from now, whatever the case may be, they're always going to find a way to have an impact on this league. It's gotten to a point at this stage in my career where those lines of communication are more open and we talk more frequently both with [general manager] Mitch [Kupchak] and [vice president of player personnel] Jimmy [Buss] and [vice president of business operations] Jeanie [Buss] to a certain extent. Those lines of communication are open."
On Phil Jackson's book stating that Michael Jordan is the superior player:
"I talked to Phil about it. I said, 'You know, you can't compare me at [age] 21-22-23 to Michael at 28-29-30. That's not a fair comparison. But, you know, I'm comfortable at resting on my five [championships] and what I had to do for this team to be successful. We both had different roles and [Jordan has] had his level of frustration coming up as a young player and challenges that he had to deal with and I had mine in playing a different role to what I thought naturally I could do. We had different career paths, man, so it's kind of tough to [compare]. At least for me it is, anyway."
On retirement plans:
"I don't know if I want a farewell tour because I want that competition. I want the crowd being on top of you all the time. I wouldn't want a farewell tour. No. I wouldn't do that."
Pacific Notes: Howard, Gasol, Kobe, Kings
Dwight Howard is keeping mum on what his plans might be after July 1st, but if you’re one for reading between the lines, yesterday’s comments to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times could carry some weight. The prized free agent referred to his time with Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni in the past tense. “He’s a great person and I’m glad we had the opportunity to be together,” Howard said. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division..
- Pau Gasol said he hasn’t talked to Dwight Howard this offseason and won’t try to convince him to return, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “He has to make the decision,” Gasol said. Gasol wants Howard back like everyone else on the Lakers but he wants to give him space out of respect for him.
- Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie is still playing a key role with the team even as he knows he’s in his final month with the franchise, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Sulia link). Until the Kings hire a new GM, Petrie and his staff are running all the preparations and research leading up to the NBA Draft on June 27.
- Until Kings ownership settles on a new general manager, new coach Michael Malone is leaning on Petrie, Jones writes. “I just told (Petrie) how much I appreciate him sticking around because he knows the draft a lot better than I do,” Malone said. “He’s been studying these guys … And he also can offer great insights to the current players on our roster as to what their strengths, weaknesses are and personalities. But I’m still going to keep an open mind and form my opinion on these guys.”
- Kobe Bryant doesn’t envision Mike Krzyzewski talking him into playing in the 2016 Olympics, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com.
- With Jason Kidd retiring, Steve Nash is now the NBA’s oldest player under contract for next season, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.