Grant Hill, Yao Ming Seek Purchase Of Clippers?
9:00pm: Grant Hill has partnered with billionaire investors and longtime Southern California residents Tony Ressler and Bruce Karsh to form an ownership group to bid on the Clippers, Marc Stein of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports.
SATURDAY, 11:41am: Yao has denied the report, telling Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle that the news took him by surprise. “I just heard about it in the morning my time,” Yao said via email. “I really don’t know where this news came from.”
FRIDAY, 6:45pm: Both Grant Hill and Yao Ming are lining up investor groups to try and purchase the Clippers, sources tell Stein. While the Clippers aren’t yet for sale, disgraced owner Donald Sterling will likely sell the team, either by cooperating with the league or by a forced ouster. Hill, who retired from playing just under a year ago, has made it known within league circles that he’s putting together a group to pursue the team once it’s available. Since retiring, Hill has been rumored as a front office executive for the Suns and, more recently, the Pistons.
It appears Yao could be further along in the process than Hill. Yao already owns a team in China, and is expected to pursue the Clippers with a group of Chinese investors. Stein reports that Yao was initially interested in purchasing the Bucks, but dropped out of the bidding when former owner Herb Kohl insisted a new owner would keep the team in Milwaukee.
Yao and Hill join a growing list of potential buyers that includes Magic Johnson‘s Guggenheim Partners, among others. The franchise is expected to sell for over $1 billion, and a large-scale bidding war is a possibility. While Yao and Hill might not be quite as compelling as Johnson in reversing the negative attention brought on the NBA by Sterling’s actions, both are highly respected potential Hall-of-Famers that the league would presumably be more than comfortable with as franchise owners.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Latest On Dave Joerger
The Grizzlies might be seeking their third coach in as many seasons if Dave Joerger leaves for the Timberwolves. Memphis has long been a franchise with a tumultuous front office, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (subscription required). In the article, Tillery looks at some of the issues the team has dealt with over the last few years, including what went wrong with Joerger.
More from out west:
- NBA.com reports that Dave Joerger met with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor for over two hours on Saturday. The article notes that Joerger left Minneapolis without an official agreement in place, but he is the front runner for the position.
- David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link) reports that Joerger is now discussing Wolves job with his family after meeting with Glen Taylor, and the talks between the two sides are advancing.
- The Grizzlies and Wolves have discussed compensation to allow Joerger out of his contract to leave for Minnesota, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- One of the reasons why Flip Saunders is looking at hiring Joerger is that he reminds Saunders of himself, writes Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune.
Tyronn Lue To Interview With Cavaliers
Tyronn Lue is scheduled to interview for the Cavaliers vacant head coaching position late next week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Lue is currently an assistant with the Clippers, and was also on Doc Rivers‘ staff when the coach was with the Celtics. Lue, 37, played 10 seasons in the NBA, and won two championships while with the Lakers, and is regarded as one of the league’s most well-respected young head-coaching prospects, according to the article.
The Cavs had been examining the college ranks for their next coach, and are now searching through the NBA’s assistant coaching ranks, writes Wojnarowski. The job may have a stronger appeal now that the team has secured the top pick in the NBA Draft for the third time in the last four seasons.
Another member of the Clippers’ coaching staff, Alvin Gentry, is also a candidate for the Cavaliers job. Gentry has a strong relationship with Cavs GM David Griffin extending back to their days together with the Suns, notes Wojnarowski.
Pistons To Interview Stu Jackson For GM Position
Stu Jackson, the NBA’s former executive vice president of basketball operations, will interview for the Pistons vacant GM position, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Jackson is scheduled to meet with the new coach and president of basketball operations, Stan Van Gundy, early next week, notes Haynes.
In addition to his former position with the league office, Jackson had also coached the Knicks during the 1989/90 season and the first 15 games of the 1990/91 season. He coached the Grizzles for part of the 1996/97 season. His lifetime NBA coaching record is 58-78. Jackson also coached the University of Wisconsin Badgers for two seasons, compiling a record of 32-25 during his time in Madison.
Haynes notes that Van Gundy is also expected to reach out to the Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden to discuss the opening, but Otis Smith is still considered the favorite for the position, according to the article.
Offseason Outlook: Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed Contracts
- Joe Johnson ($23,180,790)
- Deron Williams ($19,754,465)
- Brook Lopez ($15,719,063)
- Kevin Garnett ($12,000,000)
- Marcus Thornton ($8,575,000)
- Mirza Teletovic ($3,368,100)
- Mason Plumlee ($1,357,080)
- Marquis Teague ($1,120,920)
Options
- Andrei Kirilenko ($3,326,235, Player)*
- Andray Blatche ($1,437,506, Player)**
- Alan Anderson ($1,063,384, Player)***
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Jorge Gutierrez ($816,482)
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Paul Pierce ($19,181,750)****
- Jason Collins ($915,243)
- Shaun Livingston ($915,243)
- (Jerry Stackhouse $915,243)
Draft Picks
- None
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $85,075,418
- Options: $5,827,125
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $816,482
- Cap Holds: $21,927,479
- Total: $113,646,504
After a summer of spending that was enough to make Mark Cuban blush, the Nets weren’t able to meet their lofty expectations for this season. The Nets powered their way to a winning record with a 15-game home winning streak, swept their regular season series with the Heat 4-0, and knocked off the Atlantic Division champs in the first round. However, their wildly entertaining up-and-down season came to a close with a second round ouster at the hands of the Heat. Now, the Nets are entering an offseason in which they have numerous question marks and very little flexibility to help address them.
Much of the Nets’ offseason will hinge on whether Kevin Garnett decides to play out the final year of his deal at $12MM or simply walk away. Yes, it’s true, KG is a shell of his former self. The 37-year-old averaged 6.5 PPG and 6.6. RPG in 20.5 minutes per game with a career-low PER of 13.3. However, his decision will have serious ramifications on the rest of the roster. Even though Nets owner and heli-skiing enthusiast Mikhail Prokhorov appears willing to spend whatever it takes to win, there has to be a limit at some point and that $12MM could conceivably be re-routed elsewhere, though, they can’t really reallocate those funds in free agency. Garnett’s call also figures to weigh heavily on the mind of free agent Paul Pierce.
Pierce, 36, knows that time is running out on his NBA career and as he told reporters after the Game 5 loss, he has “maybe one or two [years] at the most” left in the tank. The veteran is said to have interest in a reunion with coach Doc Rivers in Los Angeles and also likes the idea of finishing his career in Boston. Even though the Celtics will have to do some serious work to turn themselves into contenders for 2014/15, the Clippers are a bonafide contender who would only get stronger with the addition of Pierce. The Nets have a leg-up over the Clippers since L.A has $66MM+ in commitments for next season and can only sign Pierce to the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception. However, Pierce has earned more than $315MM over the course of his career, including $15MM last season, and it’s not hard to imagine him giving up a few million dollars to have a strong chance at a ring with his longtime coach.
Pierce and Garnett aren’t the only stars who could break out of black and white. According to a May report from Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, the Nets won’t rule out the possibility of shipping Deron Williams to his third career NBA team. When the Nets acquired Williams from the Jazz in 2011, General Manager Billy King called him “the best point guard in the NBA.” Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who would put D-Will in the same tier as Chris Paul and the rest of the league’s elite ones. Williams, 30 in June, averaged 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game this season, bringing his career totals down to 17.4 PPG and 8.7 APG. Factor in the double-ankle surgery that he’ll undergo and the $63MM+ he’s owed over the next three seasons, it’s hard to see someone paying a hefty ransom to King for a player who posted a career-low 13.3 PER in 2013/14. However, it sounds like the Nets will at least explore the possibility of moving Deron and getting something of value to team up with Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, and hopefully, Garnett and Pierce.
The future of Williams’ understudy, Shaun Livingston, is also in question. Livingston seems to have fully recovered from one of the most gruesome looking injuries in NBA history and is poised for a big pay bump in free agency. While the Nets can outbid the Clippers and others for Pierce, they’re pretty handcuffed when it comes to the 6’7″ guard. The Nets only have Livingston’s Non-Bird rights, which provide for no more than 120% of the minimum salary he made this past season. Brooklyn could also use its taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which would allow for a starting salary of $3.278MM and a total of nearly $10.3MM over the course of a three-year deal. Other suitors can blow them out of the water. The Wolves, who are already said to have interest, have the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, worth $5.305MM in year one, at their disposal. If Livingston went to Minnesota, he could get a four-year deal worth $22.652MM on that exception. King says that keeping Livingston will be his No. 1 priority this summer, but he’ll have his work cut out for him.
While the Nets probably could have used the services of Lopez in the playoffs, there’s no denying that they performed better as a unit without him. It’s not Lopez’s fault – he’s an extremely adept scorer who can draw a double team every time he gets the ball inside. In fact, in his 17 games last season, the Stanford product averaged a career-best 25.4 PER which would have placed him at No. 7 in the NBA had it been for a full season. With a combined 96 games played over the last three seasons, could the Nets conceivably find a suitable trade? While a healthy Lopez would be a very welcome addition for most teams, he is set to earn ~$15.7MM and ~$16.8MM over the next two seasons. That’s a big risk for any team to take, so I wouldn’t bank on him changing uniforms.
So if Williams and Lopez are less than likely to get moved, who makes for a stronger trade candidate? Mason Plumlee, who enjoyed the highest PER (19.09) of any eligible rookie last season, would be very desirable to teams looking for a reserve big with a high motor on an affordable deal. The Nets also have an attractive asset in overseas stash pick Bojan Bogdanović. The Nets can only give the 24-year-old Turkish leaguer the $3.278MM mid-level exception, which may not be enough to outbid European teams for his services. The Nets would prefer to have both guys in the fold next season to fortify their bench, but figurative beggars (rich beggars, go figure) can’t be choosers.
There could be turnover when it comes to other guys on the reserve unit as well. Andray Blatche ($1.4MM) will opt out and Andrei Kirilenko ($3.3MM) and Alan Anderson ($1.1MM) could follow suit. AK47 turned down a much more lucrative offer from the Timberwolves last season and may seek to cash in this summer. Anderson, signed without much fanfare last offseason, became a vital part of the Nets’ rotation, and it’s not hard to see someone giving him more than the veteran’s minimum. Blatche, for all of his frustrating inconsistency, is still a very valuable piece for the Nets with athleticism that makes small-ball lineups possible.
And with all of these potential holes, the Nets probably can’t come away with an impact player in the draft since they traded away both of their 2014 picks. The Nets’ all-in risk didn’t pay off and they’ve got their work cut out for them if they want to contend in the East in 2014/15.
Cap footnotes
* — Kirilenko’s cap hold would be $3,819,600 if he opts out.
** — Blatche’s cap hold would be $1,788,285 if he opts out.
*** — Anderson’s cap hold would be $915,243 if he opts out.
**** — Pierce’s cap hold will be the lesser of $23,000,001, which is 150% of his 2013/14 salary, or the maximum salary for a veteran of 10 or more seasons, which won’t be determined until after the July Moratorium. The number here is this past season’s max. Next year’s max will likely represent Pierce’s cap hold, since it’s almost certain not to jump to more than $23MM.
ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.
Lawrence On Thibs, Irving, Love, Knicks
The Grizzlies are on a shoestring budget and don’t have the room necessary to bring coach Tom Thibodeau over from the Bulls, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “Do they realize how much that will cost?’” said one Chicago official, when word surfaced that the Grizzlies will look at Thibs if Memphis winds up allowing Dave Joerger to take the Timberwolves’ head coaching position. An Eastern Conference president, factoring in Stan Van Gundy’s $7MM/year deal in Detroit, estimated that it would cost Memphis $8MM per year to have Thibodeau serve as their coach and president. Here’s more from today’s column…
- The Cavs are making noises that they aren’t going to offer Kyrie Irving “max money’’ this summer via a long-term extension. They don’t want to deal the 2014 All-Star Game MVP, but it could come to that, especially if the guard and his family continue to tell people that he wants out. Irving hasn’t been a leader in his first three seasons and he’s also gained the unwelcomed reputation as a locker-room problem. “He was just handed too much, too soon,’’ said one source. “You’ve got to make these young guys earn it, and that’s where this team did a bad job with him.’’
- The Cavs are not looking for a coach with a strong veteran presence who wants to do things only his way. That probably rules out Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, and Lionel Hollins, although Lawrence is a fan of all three. New GM David Griffin is looking for a college or NBA coach who agrees to accept input and instructions from himself and hands-on owner Dan Gilbert.
- The Cavs know they can’t get Kevin Love from the Wolves in a deal for the No. 1 pick. If they keep it, they’re expected to take Kansas big man Joel Embiid, unless the stress fracture in his back injury from last season has the chance to become a long-term issue. Meanwhile, agent Arn Tellem might not make his client’s medical records available to teams with which he doesn’t want Embiid to play.
- The Nuggets aren’t going to allow coach Brian Shaw to come to the Knicks if they fail to land Derek Fisher, even if the Knicks offer compensation. “We didn’t hire Brian for a one-year position with our team,’’ Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said. “We see Brian being with us for years to come.’’ If Fisher turns Jackson down, Kurt Rambis is the next in line.
- Just because Bucks GM John Hammond and Pelicans exec Dell Demps came to New York for the lottery doesn’t mean that they’re going to be around for the long haul. Lawrence gets the sense that both are on the hot seat.
And-Ones: D-League, Cavs, Age Limit
It appears the NBA and the D-League are thinking about reinstituting a limit on the number of D-League assignments an NBA team can make, as Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside hears. The move would be made to address the logjam possible if 13 NBA teams end up sharing the Fort Wayne Mad Ants next season. Here’s more from around the league:
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer pegs the odds at 50% that the Cavs hold onto their No. 1 draft pick, rather than swinging a deal for an established premier talent such as Kevin Love.
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer doesn’t get the sense that the Cavs are spending much energy trying to orchestrate LeBron James‘ return to Cleveland, and thinks a move to acquire Love without the assurance of him re-signing with the team would be foolish.
- Tom Ziller of SB Nation sees the draft age-limit as one of the player union’s only bargaining chips to leverage for the next CBA discussions, and thinks the players should push to reduce team control over rookie scale contracts in order to give its best young players more power.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Paul, Johnson
The Pacific Division figures to produce plenty of speculation heading into the draft. The Warriors and Lakers are potential landing spots for Kevin Love, and the Suns could turn their abundance of draft assets into an impact player to get them to the next level. Here’s a roundup of notes out of the division:
- A Sacramento judge threw out a lawsuit challenging the recently approved plans to build a new arena for the Kings, reports Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. The opposition to the plans will continue via other legal strategies, but the plans don’t appear to face any substantial threat to be overturned.
- In an Insider-only piece, Larry Coon of ESPN.com looks at the NBPA’s precarious position regarding the Donald Sterling situation. Coon thinks aggressive moves by the union under president Chris Paul‘s direction would be risky, but that the star’s legacy could be damaged if he doesn’t do enough should Sterling continue to own the Clippers into next season.
- Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reviews Wesley Johnson‘s season with the Lakers. McMenamin suggests the unrestricted free agent has a chance at re-signing with Los Angeles thanks to his potential and sharing an agent with Kobe Bryant, but wonders if the team will be convinced Johnson will ever turn into a consistent role player.
Eastern Rumors: Fizdale, Nogueira, Ross
Paul George has been cleared to play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, days after being diagnosed with a concussion suffered in Game 2. The Pacers have fared well on the road this postseason, and will hope to regain home court advantage by snagging a win in Miami. Here’s a roundup of Eastern Conference news:
- Heat assistant David Fizdale hasn’t been contacted by any teams with head coaching vacancies, but does have Erik Spoelstra’s blessing to pursue a job, he tells Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel. “There have been no [contacts], no conversations, nothing like that,” Fizdale said. “Quite honestly, [Spoelstra] gets very annoyed with me, because he’s like, ‘Why don’t you care about being a head coach?’ And I’m like, ‘Cause we’re in the playoffs.'” Fizdale has been linked with the Cavs vacancy, but downplays having any ties to Cleveland’s front office.
- Hawks 2013 first-round pick Lucas Nogueira has decided to leave his Spanish league team and either play for Atlanta or another European team next season, reports Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype). Nogueira still has a year left on his contract with Asefa Estudiantes of Spain, but his NBA buyout is $600K, which is precisely the maximum amount NBA teams are allowed to pay next season to cover a buyout from an international club without any money counting toward the cap.
- In an answer to a mailbag question, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star suggests that Terrence Ross is a trading chip the Raptors should gauge interest in this summer.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Bulls Rumors: Thibodeau, Boozer, Marion
A source tells Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report that Tom Thibodeau would only be interested in leaving the Bulls to coach the Knicks, which would be his “dream job,” as Bucher details in a video. Here’s more from Chicago:
- In an interview with Jarred W. Payton of The Game 87.7 FM, Taj Gibson refuted a report that the Bulls have informed him of plans to move away from Carlos Boozer next season. “I’ve not been told that I’m starting next season,” Gibson said. Gibson said that he’s unaware of any discussions about amnestying Boozer.
- However, Gibson spoke with Jay Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times as if he had been told to prepare for a starting role. ‘‘I mean, this will be exciting,’’ Gibson said. “This is what I’ve always thought about. When I started [six games] for Boozer when he was hurt during the [regular] season, I just know how excited I was, how good it felt to come to the arena.” It seems that Gibson was likely informed of his role as first reported, but is trying to avoid being used to verify the fate of a teammate, although that’s just speculation on my part.
- In the same article, Cowley speculates that the Bulls could target Shawn Marion to bolster their shooting, should they fail to land a bigger target this offseason.
- Cowley thinks Adreian Payne would be an ideal fit for the Bulls to select at No. 16 or 19 in this year’s draft.