Eastern Notes: Pistons, Cavs, Bradley
Two openings in the Pistons organization that aren’t getting much press coverage are the GM and coaching positions for their new D-League team in Grand Rapids, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The Pistons are turning to Grand Rapids after a long-time relationship with the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants. Pistons assistant GM George David said of the new arrangement, “One of the things we’re most excited about is the proximity. We did a tremendous amount of research with some of the other D-League teams and saw the intrinsic value for the teams that had a driving-distance proximity to their D-League team. It does make a big difference.”
More from the east:
- With the Cavaliers being unlikely to re-sign Luol Deng this summer, the team’s focus will turn to finding a small forward in the NBA Draft, writes Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. Pluto breaks down a number of the small forwards available in the draft and how they might fit alongside Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.
- Gerry Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link) notes that the owners approval of sale of the Bucks has begun to drag on.
- Avery Bradley‘s future with the Celtics is up in the air, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Bradley is an unrestricted free-agent and his injury woes make it unlikely the team will offer him anything close to the four-year, $24MM extension that was on the table prior to this season, opines Murphy. In 60 games this year, Bradley averaged 14.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.4 APG in 30.9 minutes a night.
Stein On Hawks Offseason
The Atlanta Hawks lost to the Pacers last night by a score of 92-80, eliminating them from the playoffs. Marc Stein of ESPN.com weighed in on some of the issues the team will deal with this offseason. Here are the highlights:
- Stein opines that GM Danny Ferry will let other teams around the league know that they have lots of assets and are willing to use them in the trade market if the opportunity presents itself.
- The Hawks want to acquire another major piece for their roster. The team knows that they need at least one more star player even if Al Horford makes a full recovery from the shoulder separations he’s endured these past two seasons.
- That piece might be Pistons restricted free agent Greg Monroe, opines Stein. The article notes the close ties between Monroe’s agent, David Falk and Ferry, who Falk used to represent.
- One of the Hawks priorities this offseason will be the continuing development of Dennis Schröder, who never emerged as the backup to Jeff Teague that they hoped he would become. In 49 games, Schröder averaged 3.7 PPG, 1.2 RPG, and 1.9 APG in 13.1 minutes per contest.
Western Notes: Jackson, Curry, Sterling
With the Warriors being eliminated from the playoffs last night, speculation about coach Mark Jackson‘s job status has begun. In regards to his future, Jackson said, “I don’t get caught up in it. I have total confidence and total faith that I will be fine even if I’m a full time pastor,” tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
More from the west:
- Stephen Curry weighed in on Jackson, saying, “I love coach more than anybody. For his job us under scrutiny and question is unfair. It would certainly be a shock to me,” tweets Spears.
- Curry also said, “He [Jackson] deserves to be our coach next year,” notes Spears (Twitter link).
- A league source told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that Jackson doesn’t have one Golden State front office ally who’ll make a case to ownership to keep him. “He’s on an island,” the source said.
- The Donald Sterling situation proves that no words are private anymore, writes Mitch Albom of The Detroit Free Press. Albom’s article examines the legality of the recording as well as what this means for NBA owners in the future.
And-Ones: NBPA, Draft, Rockets, Clippers
In an email to NBA players, Kevin Johnson says that he hopes to present finalists for the NBPA’s vacant executive director position in late July, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). Here’s more from around the Association:
- Since the Grizzlies playoff run lasted seven games, Nick Calathes will serve 13 games of his 20 game suspension to begin next season, Tom Ziller of SB Nation points out (via Twitter).
- Shabazz Napier has signed with Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports Agency, Inc., reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter).
- Jabari Parker has agreed to be represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, reports Bill Reiter of Fox Sports (on Twitter). Klutch Sports also represents LeBron James and Eric Bledsoe, among others, as the Hoops Rumors Agency Database shows.
- Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle looks at the decisions facing the Rockets this offseason, including Chandler Parsons‘ option, potential free agent targets, and the likelihood that Omer Asik and/or Jeremy Lin get traded.
- In the same piece, Feigen grades each player on the Rockets roster, noting their contract situation with the team.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside thinks that Troy Daniels‘ surprisingly strong play during the playoffs means he’ll walk away from the postseason as a winner, even though the Rockets suffered a first-round exit.
- Shelly Sterling, wife of Donald Sterling and co-owner of the Clippers, voiced her support of Adam Silver‘s plan of action regarding the team (H/T Sam Amick of USA Today). “I spoke with Commissioner Adam Silver this week to tell him that I fully supported his recent swift and decisive action,” she said. “We also agreed at that time that, as a next step, both the league and the team should work together to find some fresh, accomplished executive leadership for the Clippers. I welcome his active involvement in the search for a person of the utmost character. As a co-owner, I am fully committed to taking the necessary steps to make the Clippers the best team in the NBA.”
- The CEO chosen to run the Clippers during their ownership transition will have the authority to decide whether team president Andy Roeser remains with the franchise, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.
- Jim Peltz of The Los Angeles Times profiles the owners of every NBA team, excluding Sterling.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Thibodeau, Young, Cavs, Bucks
In a subscription-only piece, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune looks at the Bulls roster heading into the offseason, addressing 10 of the 15 players that finished the year under contract in Chicago. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- David Haugh of The Chicago Tribune thinks that the Bulls are highly unlikely to grant an opportunity for Tom Thibodeau to speak with the Lakers, who are rumored to have interest in the coach. However, Haugh believes the lack of a public statement to dispel the notion from either Thibodeau or management belies a pettiness between the two sides.
- A league source floated a far-fetched possibility to Haugh: that Thibodeau and Carmelo Anthony, both represented by Creative Arts Agency, could angle to join forces with the Lakers, rather than with the Bulls.
- Tom Moore of Calkins Media thinks that Thaddeus Young could demand a trade this offseason, if the Sixers draft a power forward in the lottery and ask the veteran to come off the bench for another losing season. Though Young survived Philadelphia’s efforts to deal away most of its veterans for draft assets this past trade deadlines, speculation about Young’s future with the team has remained.
- The Cavs are waiting to see which candidates become available before making the final call on interim GM David Griffin and coach Mike Brown, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- Members of the Bucks coaching staff and front office still remain uncertain about their employment status in wake of the team’s new ownership, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Jackson, Kings Arena
Earlier this evening, we passed along a report that the NBA will be appointing a CEO to run the Clippers while the league works to strip banned owner Donald Sterling of the team. Here’s more from the west coast:
- Current team president Andy Roeser, who has been running the Clippers in the wake of Sterling’s punishment, will remain in place for the time being per a tweet from Sam Amick of USA Today.
- No timetable has been released for the league’s process, and the Clippers haven’t been informed of all the details the CEO installation will entail, per a tweet from Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News.
- Mark Jackson acknowledged that he’ll be “fighting for his life” tonight when the Warriors face the Clippers in a game seven matchup, writes Tim Kawakami of Mercury News. Rumors have suggested Jackson might be on his way out of Golden State, but a win tonight would certainly stand to help his cause.
- Sacramento city officials have postponed the city council vote on the new downtown Kings arena because they have been unable to finalize an agreement, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Owners Move Forward On Sterling Ouster
SATURDAY, 5:34pm: The NBA will appoint a CEO to run the Clippers while the league moves to strip Sterling of the team, according to The Associated Press. An individual hasn’t been identified for the role, but the league says it will move quickly to put one in place. The Clippers will have input on the decision, per a tweet from Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
THURSDAY, 6:02pm: The NBA announced that the league’s Advisory/Finance Committee decided to move forward with their attempts to force suspended Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell the team (H/T Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun). The committee met via conference call today, and unanimously decided to move “as expeditiously as possible.” The committee will reconvene for their next step next week.
After audio of Sterling’s racist comments was leaked, scrutiny surrounding the long-time owner’s recorded conversation and checkered business history led to commissioner Adam Silver’s investigation and resulting punishment: a lifelong ban, a $2.5MM fine, and an impetus to strip the team from Sterling. Silver is believed to have the necessary 75% vote among the league’s 30 owners to carry through on the forced sale of the club, and today’s unanimous decision reinforces that belief. However, legal action from Sterling is the biggest hurdle the league faces in the push to oust him.
A growing concern from the league is that Sterling’s strategy could include attempts to unearth evidence of racism within other organizations, per a series of tweets by Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix says the league has “no idea” if it can win the looming legal battle with Sterling. The NBA has definitely earned the support of fans and players with its swift actions, but such a lawsuit could turn out disastrous in the long run.
Rockets To Keep McHale For Next Season
The Rockets will pick up their team option for coach Kevin McHale next season, a person with knowledge of the decision tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. McHale will return for a fourth year in Houston, where he’s compiled a .578 winning percentage in his first three years with the team. This confirms earlier reports that indicated Houston brass wouldn’t react to a first round postseason exit by cutting ties with McHale.
The Rockets finished as the fourth seed this season with 54 wins, the most since the 2007/08 season for Houston. Despite playing like a top tier team in the tough Western Conference, their season ended with a disappointing first round exit for the second consecutive year. Some have pointed to McHale’s coaching as part of the team’s failures against the Blazers, although plenty have laid the blame at the feet of star guard James Harden, who shot just 37.6% in the series while continuing to play lackadaisical defense.
The team is said to believe in McHale’s ability, and thinks the young and newly assembled roster needs more time together to become a contender. Last year, Harden, Jeremy Lin, and Omer Asik were new additions to the starting lineup, and Dwight Howard was thrown into the mix when he signed a max contract prior to this season. McHale has steered the team to a 10-win improvement on average over each of the last two seasons. His detractors aren’t impressed with McHale’s schematic skills, but many believe the all-time great post player is the best fit for a team trying to coax championship level play out of Howard.
Cavs Rumors: Deng, Draft, Warren
Let’s dive in and round up of all the latest notes and rumors coming out of Cleveland this Saturday:
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer expects a “major push” from the Cavs to upgrade at small forward this summer, and he doesn’t believe that the team will re-sign Luol Deng. Pluto wouldn’t be surprised if Cleveland swings a draft-day trade that lands them a new forward.
- Pluto also notes that the Cavs are concerned with Deng’s back, legs, and general health. Deng is considered by many around the league to be an “old” 29-year-old, having played many grueling minutes throughout his career.
- The Plain Dealer scribe reports that the Cavs are prioritizing scouting small forwards who could be available where Cleveland will likely be picking. T.J. Warren is one such prospect the Cavs have paid special attention to.
- Earlier today, we heard that the Cavs had yet to reach a decision on whether or not they’d bring back acting GM David Griffin next season.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Lawrence On D’Antoni, Gasol, Calipari, Sterling
Mike D’Antoni walked away from the Lakers due in part because the team is likely to attempt to re-sign Pau Gasol this summer, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. A source tells Lawrence that D’Antoni knew that Gasol and Kobe Bryant didn’t want to play for him, so he made the decision to resign from the team on Wednesday. Let’s have a look at some more interesting notes from Lawrence’s piece:
- Kurt Rambis and Byron Scott are two of the most viable candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job, hears Lawrence. We reported on Thursday that both Rambis and Scott are set to interview with the team.
- Despite rumored interest, Lawrence says there’s no chance John Calipari will become the next head coach for the Lakers. The team reportedly has “zero interest” in hiring Calipari.
- Stan Van Gundy was contacted about taking over the head coaching role for the Pistons, but talks didn’t get far because he wanted some level of control over the team’s personnel decisions, writes Lawrence.
- Lawrence hears that once Adam Silver meets with Donald Sterling, Silver is expected to tell Sterling that the league will battle him in court to see that the franchise is sold, no matter the resistance Sterling puts up.
- Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston and director of player personnel Mark Warkentien aren’t worried about their jobs, since the duo has contracts with owner Jim Dolan and not the Knicks specifically, says Lawrence. As a result, the pair will be able to retain their positions, even if Phil Jackson doesn’t want them around.
- The Cavs and Bucks still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll keep their general managers beyond this season, reveals Lawrence. Both Central Division teams failed to meet preseason expectations and finished well below .500.
- It’s likely Mark Jackson will be fired by the Warriors, suggests Lawrence, who adds the coach might have a hard time landing another job with an NBA team because of the perceived dysfunction in Golden State’s organization during his tenure.
- The Thunder could potentially see a first-round playoff exit tonight, but Lawrence says Scott Brooks‘ position is safe in Oklahoma City.