Cavs Offered John Calipari Prez/Coach Position
2:42pm: ESPN.com’s Marc Stein (on Twitter) hears that the Cavs’ pitch to Calipari was actually closer to $80MM over ten years. The Cavs’ thought process, unsurprisingly, was that Calipari would give them a much better chance at bringing LeBron James back home (link). Still, Calipari, like Kevin Ollie before him, resisted Cleveland’s overtures. Billy Donovan and Tom Izzo have also turned the Cavs away (link).
Meanwhile, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link) that the proposal called for Calipari to serve as coach/president for seven years and then transition to a president-only role. Still, he says the offer was a seven-year, $60MM+ contract. Calipari, he adds (link), didn’t use the Cavs job as leverage with UK as he already had his $52MM offer in hand back in April. He also opines that the idea that Calipari could be a bigger draw for James than his current coach, Erik Spoelstra, is laughable (link).
8:50am: John Calipari signed a long, lucrative deal with the University of Kentucky last week but that almost didn’t happen. Sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Brett Dawson of Yahoo Sports that Coach Cal and the Cavs were deep in discussions on a seven-year, $60MM+ contract that would have made him the team’s head coach and president of operations.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was persistent in his pursuit and sources say it wasn’t until midweek that Calipari finally rejected Cleveland and fully committed to his seven-year, $52MM extension at Kentucky. If Calipari had gone to Cleveland, the plan would’ve been for new general manager David Griffin to work with Calipari in the front office, but with the UK coach having final say.
Calipari was tempted by the length of the deal and the money but was also intrigued about the possibility of coaching Kyrie Irving and the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. Calipari has shown some interest in a return to the NBA in the right situation, but as Wojnarowski and Dawson point out, he may not have meshed too well with the hands-on Gilbert.
Sources also said that the return of Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison made it a more difficult proposition for anyone to lure Calipari away from Kentucky. WIth the rising sophomores back in the fold, Kentucky will retain much of its offense from last season, despite losing Julius Randle and James Young.
Reported candidates for the Cavs job include Clippers assistants Alvin Gentry and Tyronn Lue, Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin, former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, ex-Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, and Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt.
Offseason Outlook: Sacramento Kings
Guaranteed Contracts
- DeMarcus Cousins ($13,701,250)
- Carl Landry ($6,500,000)
- Derrick Williams ($6,331,404)
- Jason Thompson ($6,037,500)
- Jason Terry ($5,850,313)
- Ben McLemore ($3,026,280)
- Travis Outlaw ($3,000,000)
- Reggie Evans ($1,768,653)
- Ray McCallum ($816,482)
Options
- Rudy Gay ($19,317,326, Player)*
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Quincy Acy ($915,243)**
- Willie Reed ($915,243)
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Aaron Gray ($5,112,663)
- Isaiah Thomas ($2,875,131 – QO)***
- No. 8 pick ($2,288,200)
- Jared Cunningham ($915,243)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (8th overall)
Cap Outlook
Guaranteed Salary: $47,031,882
Options: $19,317,326
Non-Guaranteed Salary: $1,830,486
Cap Holds: $11,766,262
Total: $79,945,956
You can say a lot of things about the Kings, but you can’t say they’re not aggressive. In December of last year, the Kings shipped Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson, and Chuck Hayes north of the border for Rudy Gay and spare parts. They made that trade even though Gay had become a human punching bag for his U.S. government level of inefficiency and had the ability to flee after the season. Even though they could go bust on their big gamble, they’re contemplating making an even bigger one.
If dealing for Gay while knowing that he could bounce months later was like playing roulette, gearing up to trade for Kevin Love without any assurances that he’ll re-sign would be like playing high-stakes roulette and craps at the same time. While other clubs would probably want a wink and a nod from a member of the All-Star’s entourage before making a deal, the Kings have no such reservations. The Kings have a rabid fan base supporting them and a new arena in the works, but what they don’t have is a proven winner. Banking on wooing Love to re-sign over the course of the season seems, well, crazy. On the other hand, one could argue that a small market team has to either make major gambles or tank in order to compete since they are disadvantaged in free agency. Forking over a package of young talent and draft picks for Love might be ill-advised, but shooting for the moon is a lot more entertaining than a string of sub-30-win seasons.
Even though they’re willing to take that risk, prying Love away from the Wolves won’t be all that simple as there are a number of teams circling like sharks. Still, according to at least one report, the Kings are the favorites in the Love sweepstakes. The Kings can build a package around the No. 8 pick, which the Wolves would reportedly use for either Julius Randle or Noah Vonleh. Beyond that, the Kings are said to be willing to throw in anything not nailed down or named DeMarcus Cousins. There might not be much of a supporting cast behind them, but a frontcourt of Gay, Cousins, and Love would do an awful lot of damage. Of course, with the Celtics, Lakers, Knicks, Warriors, Rockets, Cavs and Bulls working the phones, Love may wind up visiting California’s capital just once or twice next season.
So, back to the notable name that is more likely to be in purple and black next season. Gay seemed poise to take off his coat and stay a while back in January but he now appears to be waffling pretty hard on the matter. Not only is the small forward unsure of what he’s going to do, he’s unsure of the criteria that he’ll use to make his decision. Statistically speaking, Gay played the best basketball of his career during his Sacramento stint and one has to wonder if he could flourish the same way in a different system. He also won’t find teams lining up to throw money at him. As a player who hasn’t cracked the top ten of Hoops Rumors’ Free Agent Power Rankings, he’d be much better off in the short-term financially if he accepted his $19.3MM deal. Still, money alone won’t get it done and the Kings are bringing in the big guns – Chris Mullin and The Scorelord – to convince him to stay.
On top of that, the Kings also have a big decision to make when it comes to diminutive point guard Isaiah Thomas. The 5’9″ guard is a restricted free agent this summer and the Kings, unsurprisingly, will extend the $2.875MM qualifying offer to the fan favorite. Unfortunately for the Kings, their cap situation isn’t an ideal one as they have $47MM on the books without factoring in Gay’s option. Still, as long as things don’t get too out of hand, the Kings will keep their shoot-first point guard, whom they “think the world of.”
Jason Thompson, meanwhile, is under contract for another three seasons, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if he asks out. The pride of Rider University signed a five-year, $30MM deal two summers ago when he figured to be a cornerstone of the Kings’ lineup. This past season, he saw his role decrease to the point where he lost his starting job in March. The Kings are probably open to moving Thompson for a number of reasons. Thompson is one of the veteran holdovers from the Geoff Petrie era and seeing as how the club’s new regime deported Salmons and Hayes, it stands to reason that they could do the same with Thompson. The big man is also making $6MM a season, money that could be better allocated elsewhere. And, even if Love isn’t Sacramento-bound, they have two other power forward options in the returning Carl Landry and former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams (hey, I didn’t say great options, I just said options). It’s not clear exactly what they could get for him in a deal where he’s the featured piece, though it’s a safe bet that any deal for Love or another similarly high-salaried star would include Thompson in the package. Teams won’t be lighting up the phones to get him, but he does represent a very realistic reclamation project.
There are, of course, other trade pieces outside of Thompson. Williams still hasn’t realized his potential (and maybe he never will) , but he’s still only 23 years old and has upside. With a $6.3MM expiring deal, a team could acquire Williams without making a commitment to him beyond next season. The cost, in a simple one-for-one trade, could be as little as a second rounder. The Kings could also free up space by trading Jason Terry, or, more accurately, Terry’s contract. Unfortunately, the soon-to-be 37-year-old has been slowed down by injuries and could choose to retire or try and come back next season and play limited minutes. Terry’s deal, which ends after next season, is probably only intriguing to trade suitors as an expiring contract, so Sacramento would likely have to take back long-term money to ship Terry out.
Kings fans got the owner that they wanted, and a shiny new arena where they can cheer on their team is on its way. Now, they want to see a winner. Sacramento can do a lot of great things with their core, but they’ll have to augment it in the coming months in order to build a .500+ team for 2014/15.
Cap footnotes
* — If Gay opts out, his cap hold would be the greater of $18,783,379 or the maximum salary for a player with between seven and nine years of experience. That maximum was $16,441,500 this past season, so it’s a near-certainty that Gay’s cap hold would be $18,783,379 if he opts out.
** — Acy’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 25th.
*** — GM Pete D’Alessandro has stated his intention to tender a qualifying offer to Thomas, but if he changes his mind, the cap hold for Thomas would be $915,243.
ShamSports and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.
Draft Notes: MJ, Embiid, Hairston, Maker
If the Rockets didn’t tank in 1984, Michael Jordan would have been a member of the Sixers, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. The Sixers owned the Clippers’ pick that year and had the Rockets not tanked down the stretch, they would have landed either the No. 1 or 2 pick in a coin flip. Instead, that pick became the No. 5 choice and that’s where the Sixers selected Charles Barkley. Fast forwarding thirty years later, here’s today’s draft news..
- One NBA scout tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that if there are no serious back issues, Kansas center Joel Embiid has a chance to be a franchise superstar. Embiid holds the No. 1 spot in Spears’ mock draft, followed by Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, Dante Exum, and Aaron Gordon.
- New Mexico State center Sim Bhullar will work out for the Raptors on Wednesday, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. During his second season as an Aggie, Bhullar put up 10.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per night while averaging just over 26 minutes every contest.
- Scott Rafferty of Ridiculous Upside wonders if P.J. Hairston has done enough to cement himself as a surefire first round pick in the draft. Hairston proved himself as one of the best scorers in the D-League last season but concerns about his attitude remain.
- Elite 7-foot prospect Thon Maker is “50-50” on whether to reclassify himself to the high school graduating class of 2015, which would make him eligible for the 2016 draft, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY. The Carlisle School (VA) standout is currently slated to graduate in 2016 but he would likely be the top talent in the 2015 class as well. If you’ve yet to see Maker play, take a look at this widely circulated mixtape on YouTube (though you should dial down your volume if you’re watching at work).
Tyronn Lue Gets Second Interview With Cavs
Along with Alvin Gentry, Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue will get a second interview for the Cavs’ head coaching job, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). For both men, this second round of interviews will include meeting with owner Dan Gilbert (link).
As we learned this morning, the Cavs tried to bring John Calipari aboard to serve as their coach and president with a mammoth seven-year, $60MM deal. They were rebuffed, but they are apparently still keeping an eye on the college ranks. Wojnarowski tweets that Billy Donovan has remained in contact with the Cavs, though no one connected to the process believes that he has the comfort level to make the leap. The Florida coach agreed to coach the Magic in June of 2007 but changed his mind the day after his introductory press conference and went back to Gainesville. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter) hears that a Donovan hire is unlikely but the possibility is not 100% dead.
While Donovan and others could get in the mix, the main pool of candidates appears to consist of Gentry, Lue, Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin, former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, former Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, and Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt.
Atlantic Notes: Fisher, Odom, Celtics, Stackhouse
The Knicks are set to ramp up their pursuit of Derek Fisher this week, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein hears that the Knicks are approaching the situation with some level of trepidation since Steve Kerr unraveled after he appeared to be a slam dunk. Here’s more out of the Atlantic..
- Lamar Odom, who has a non-guaranteed deal with the Knicks for 2014/15, is expected to join the club at their practice facility by the end of the month, a source with knowledge of the veteran forward’s plans told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The 34-year-old signed with the Knicks on the final day of the regular season.
- Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge indicated the team could trade back into the second round in what is expected to be a deep draft, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The C’s gave their second-round pick (No. 34) to the Mavs last year to jump up three spots and grab Kelly Olynyk in the first round. The 76ers, meanwhile, have five second round choices in this year’s draft.
- Jerry Stackhouse is pushing for a job within the Knicks organization, writes Brett Pollakoff of Pro Basketball Talk. “It’s a possibility,” Stackhouse told reporters at the Adidas Eurocamp. “I think [Jackson] is still figuring it out. He doesn’t know who the head coach is going to be, but I think after that is settled, there could be some realistic possibilities.” Stackhouse, who has been coaching at the AAU level for five years, wants to ultimately become a head coach, but he’s willing to start out as an assistant to move towards that goal.
- Kevin O’Connor of WEEI.com looks at UCLA power forward Kyle Anderson and how he could be a potential fit for the Celtics. Because C’s coach Brad Stevens likes his offense to move the ball and shoot it from deep, Anderson would be a natural fit right from the get go.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look at this week’s original reporting and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors team..
- On Friday I reported the latest workouts scheduled for draft prospects Rodney Hood, K.J. McDaniels, Jarnell Stokes, Josh Huestis, and Justin Jackson.
- I interviewed Tennessee guard Jordan McRae for the latest installment of our Prospect Profile series.
- Chuck Myron looked at the offseason ahead for the Lakers.
- Here’s my look at what the Cavs’ offseason might hold.
- Chuck gave us his latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.
- I looked at the different ways the Clippers could upgrade this offseason with limited flexibility.
- The Rockets should exercise caution this summer and save up for the summer of 2015, Chuck writes.
- I examined what the Magic can do this summer to position themselves for 2015/16.
- Charlie Adams asked Hoops Rumors readers where they think Kevin Love will start the 2014/15 season. The Celtics were the leading votegetter, followed by the Bulls and Timberwolves.
- This offseason will amount to a dud if Celtics GM Danny Ainge can’t make a big trade happen, Chuck writes.
- Here’s a refresher on Early Bird rights, courtesy of Chuck.
- Hoops Rumors readers say the Spurs will win the Finals in six games.
- Did you miss out on this week’s chat? Check out the transcript here.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Clippers, Thompson
Mark Jackson told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he has no regrets about the way things played out with the Warriors. “Listen, there are no regrets,” said Jackson. “I think about the three years there. I think about the opportunity that was presented to me by the ownership, by management. I think about the relationship with incredible players and what they were able to accomplish in three years and where that organization was and where it is today; you’ve got a lot to be proud of. Ownership, management, players, fans — it’s in a great place. There are absolutely no regrets.” More out of the Pacific Division..
- Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt confirmed to Allon Sinai of the Jerusalem Post that he has had conversations with the Warriors about a job on Steve Kerr‘s staff. Blatt is reportedly being considered by Wolves coach/president Flip Saunders for an assistant coaching role that would groom him for the head coaching job. The Cavs, meanwhile, are looking at Blatt as a head coaching candidate.
- Warriors standout shooting guard Klay Thompson spoke with Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle about a variety of topics concerning the Warriors. Thompson spoke glowingly of new head coach Steve Kerr and said that he’d love to sign an extension with the club before the start of next season.
- Before tipoff of Game 2, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters, including Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press, that while Donald Sterling hasn’t signed off on the sale of the Clippers yet, he believes that the ordeal is almost over. He added that there is “absolutely no possibility” of rescinding the lifetime ban or the $2.5MM fine he handed down to Sterling following his racist remarks.
Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Cavaliers
Guaranteed Contracts
- Kyrie Irving ($7,070,730)
- Jarrett Jack ($6,300,000)
- Anthony Bennett ($5,563,920)
- Tristan Thompson ($5,138,430)
- Dion Waiters ($4,062,000)
- Tyler Zeller ($1,703,760)
- Sergey Karasev ($1,533,840)
- Carrick Felix ($816,482)
Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Anderson Varejao ($9,704,545; guaranteed for $4,000,000)
- Alonzo Gee ($3,000,000)
- Scotty Hopson ($1,450,878)
- Matthew Dellavedova ($816,482)*
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- Luol Deng ($19,181,750)**
- Spencer Hawes ($9,900,000)
- No. 1 pick ($4,592,200)
- C.J. Miles ($2,892,500)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (1st overall)
- 2nd Round (33rd overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $36,189,162
- Options: $0
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $10,971,905
- Cap Holds: $36,566,450
- Total: $83,727,517
Last June, the Cavs tabbed UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick in part because he was widely regarded as the most NBA-ready prospect at the top of the draft. So much for that. Bennett began his NBA career with an ugly scoreless streak and things didn’t get much better from there. While Bennett still has years and years in front of him to turn things around, Cleveland must be having second thoughts about how he’ll end up This year, they have the No. 1 pick again and what they do with it will set the tone for next season and beyond.
Will the Cavs go against the grain again? Last year, there were whispers that Cleveland was considering Bennett but most of us ignored that talk and believed that he would go closer to No. 10 than No. 1. The consensus this year, of course, is that it’s a three-horse race for the top slot. Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins has been projected as the first overall pick in this draft for at least three years, but his inconsistency and lack of killer instinct last season has teams concerned. Teammate Joel Embiid offers a very polished inside game and shot-blocking ability, but his back problems are troubling. Will Cleveland, fresh off of their botched Andrew Bynum experiment, want to gamble on another 7-footer with serious injury troubles? That seems questionable, especially when considering that agent Arn Tellem is keeping his medicals under wraps. Power forward Jabari Parker has also been mentioned as a top pick possibility, but some say he’s falling out of the mix. Of course, we wouldn’t bet on what the Cavs will do with the pick, but it’s hard to see anyone outside of that top three being in the mix. Aussie guard Dante Exum could very well stand as the best talent from this class five years from now, but there’s simply no room for him with a starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.
So, while the Cavs have some quality options in front of them, none are free of question marks. Beyond that, the Cavs are in win-now mode and a 19-year-old rookie may not be the fastest way to contention. What if the Cavs trade the pick? They’re bound to find a ripe market and they could theoretically turn the pick into an All-Star caliber player who can elevate them to a top team. Kevin Love is the hottest name on the market and if the T’Wolves decide to go with (another) reboot, one would think that there’s no better way for them to start off than with the first pick in the draft. Still, a report from late last week indicated that the Wolves don’t see the Cavs as a good partner for a trade.
Of course, what the Cavs to with the top pick rests heavily on what they intend to do with free agent Luol Deng. Reports from during the season said that the veteran forward wants out of Cleveland badly. Meanwhile, the Cavs were only 19-21 with Deng in the lineup for the second half – an improvement over their previous 42 games, but not much better. The Cavs gave up quite a bit for Deng in terms of draft picks, but the sunk cost fallacy says that Cleveland shouldn’t go chasing a new deal with the 29-year-old just for that reason. For all his talent, The Man from Sudan isn’t a No. 1 star for any team and a new deal for Deng could call for the Cavs to almost pay him like one. For a lot of reasons, it seems like a reunion isn’t in the best interest of either party. If the Cavs feel good about Wiggins at No. 1, we say they should pull the trigger there and let Deng go elsewhere this summer. They won’t get the entire haul back with a sign-and-trade, but they can recoup some of their losses by going that route. It doesn’t seem unreasonable for the Cavs to net a first rounder plus a second-round pick in a Deng S&T.
Deng clearly isn’t a No. 1 type but this season Irving’s play at times and obvious dissatisfaction gave off the vibe that he might not be either. There was speculation that the guard wanted out of Cleveland, despite Irving’s denials, and many said the Cavs were fed up with him too. However, after a report yesterday from The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto, it sounds like we can put any speculation to rest, at least from the team’s end. The Cavs plan on offering Irving the maximum five-year extension and will do so as soon as they’re allowed on July 1st. It’s not a guarantee that Irving will accept, but the guard is reportedly happy about the Cavs’ decision to install David Griffin as the permanent GM. If the Cavs can hire a coach that meshes well with Irving, that would probably go a long way towards convincing him to stay.
Speaking of the coaching search, the Cavs don’t appear to be in any sort of rush, but they could be getting closer to making a hire. As best as we can tell, there are six candidates at the time of this writing: Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins, Adrian Griffin, Tyronn Lue, and David Blatt. Del Negro, Hollins, and Gentry all offer previous head coaching experience and Gentry has already been asked back for another interview. Griffin, one of the first candidates named for the job, and Lue are both up-and-coming assistants who have had head coaching buzz around them for much of the season. Blatt, of course, is the wild card. The Maccabi Tel Aviv coach has been considered for assistant jobs elsewhere with Minnesota’s Flip Saunders reportedly seeing him as someone that he can groom to take over the position eventually. Blatt would be an exciting new hire but owner Dan Gilbert, who is focused on winning now, may prefer to go with an NBA retread in the end.
The Cavs, in theory, could save money by cutting Anderson Varejao since only $4MM of his $9.7MM salary is guaranteed. If they move on from the longtime Cavs centerpiece, it seems more likely that they’ll trade him, something that the front office is open to. We’d stop short of saying he’d be expendable, but the Cavs could afford to deal Varejao if they re-sign free agent big man Spencer Hawes.
In a league perpetually starving for competent centers, Hawes figures to be something of a hot commodity this summer with the Hawks and Mavs as possible suitors. It was said back in April that Griffin would make a strong push to retain the 26-year-old but a recent report has cast doubt on that. In 27 games (25 starts) for Cleveland last season, Hawes averaged 13.5 PPG and 7.7 RPG with a 16.6 PER, a few notches above his career average. He could be back in Cleveland if the price is right, but that’s far from a given.
Another notable name that could be elsewhere next season is Dion Waiters. The Cavs have done their best to quiet down trade speculation around the former No. 4 overall pick but we learned late last week that there has been preliminary trade talk involving Waiters and Tristan Thompson with another team in the lottery that’s looking to move up. Pairing the top pick with either player, especially Waiters, should net the Cavs a decent haul. Depending on who you ask, Irving and Waiters aren’t getting along too well, so moving him could be a case of addition by subtraction even though he’s obviously talented.
The Cavs have a different guy at the helm this summer, but things still feel awfully familiar for Cleveland as they hold the No. 1 pick and search for a rapid turnaround. There’s no denying the talent that the Cavs’ core possesses and there’s no reason why they can’t find their way to the playoffs with the right additions.
Cap footnotes
* — Dellavedova’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 25th.
** — Deng’s cap hold will be the lesser of $21,412,500, 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.
Hoops Links: Carmelo, Singler, Greek Freak 2.0
Yesterday marked 21 years since the passing of legendary Nets guard Drazen Petrovic. On June 7th, 1993, the Croatian hero was killed in a car accident on Germany’s Autobahn 9. Petrovic will forever be remembered for his uncanny ability to fire from deep, his mean competitive streak, and boyish enthusiasm on the court. Petrovic, who had his No. 3 retired on Opening Day of the 1993/94 season, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- House Of Houston debunks myths about Carmelo Anthony for Rockets fans.
- Six Championship Drive reviews Kyle Singler‘s season.
- NBADraft.net profiles the Greek Freak 2.0, Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
- Mavs Moneyball talks Devin Harris.
- Sports Of Boston looks at Marcus Smart as a possible target for the Celtics.
- Indy Cornrows says Lance Stephenson can’t get out of his own way.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Northwest Notes: Rubio, Hairston, Jazz
Former D-Leaguers P.J. Hairston and Thanasis Antetokounmpo are among the most intriguing players in this year’s class and Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin expects to see more of that in the future, writes Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I would guess if the league raises the age limit that there will be more players that will go that route,” Perrin said. “Everybody’s not made to go to school. Some of them are just players. A lot of them now, with the one-and-done, can get through one year. But I don’t know if they can get through two.” Here’s more out of the Northwest Division..
- At the Adidas Eurocamp, Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio spoke with Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (video link) about the rumors surrounding Kevin Love and new head coach Flip Saunders.
- Hairston was unable to participate in today’s workout with the Jazz due to back spasms, tweets Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. Utah will try to bring Hairston in for another workout but that may not be possible with his busy schedule (link).
- Michigan’s Glenn Robinson III was among the remaining five players who did work out for the Jazz today and he said that his agent has given him a draft range of 17-25, tweets Jones. Robinson also said he’d like to reunite with former Wolverines teammate Trey Burke (link).