Week In Review: 6/2/14 – 6/8/14
Here’s our look back at the week that was..
- The Jazz will make Quin Snyder their next head coach.
- If you want something done right, do it yourself. After he couldn’t woo Jeff Van Gundy, Flip Saunders appointed himself head coach in Minnesota.
- The Lakers won’t pursue Derek Fisher. Meanwhile, he sounds like the frontrunner for the Knicks job.
- The Wolves don’t see the Celtics as the right partner in a Kevin Love trade. The Kings could be the frontrunners.
- The Cavs will offer Kyrie Irving a max extension.
- The Nuggets are shopping the No. 11 pick.
- The Pistons have officially hired Jeff Bower as GM.
- The Cavs have had “exploratory” trade discussions involving Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters with another team in the lottery that’s looking to move up.
- Donald Sterling has agreed to sell the Clippers.
- Arron Afflalo wouldn’t mind a trade.
- The Wizards gave coach Randy Wittman a new deal.
- The Thunder have promised Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis that they’ll draft him in the first round.
- The Rockets will likely decline Chandler Parsons‘ option.
- Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Joakim Noah, Chris Paul and James Harden make up the All-NBA First Team.
- Larry Brown doesn’t want the Lakers job.
- Joakim Noah leads the NBA All-Defensive team.
- Alvin Gentry, who was a finalist for the job in Utah, got another interview with the Cavs.
- The Knicks want a first round pick.
- The Cavs will consider Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt for their head coaching job.
- European big man Walter Tavares is working on a contract buyout with his team in the Spanish ACB League.
Western Notes: Love, Parsons, Suns, Payne
The trade speculation around the Timberwolves‘ Kevin Love is heating up. Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders examines the different teams involved, what they have to offer in a trade, and which franchise would be the best fit for Love. In the same article, Ingram also looks at Chandler Parsons‘ option situation with the Rockets, and why they might be willing to let him test the free agent market.
More from around the league:
- Ricky Rubio spoke with Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (video link) about the Timberwolves offseason, Flip Saunders becoming the head coach, and Love‘s future with the franchise.
- The Suns are gaining a reputation around the league for holding the toughest predraft workouts, reports Scott Bordow of AZ Central. Of their reputation, GM Ryan McDonough said, “We’ve had a number of agents tell us this is one of the toughest workouts — if not the toughest workout — on the predraft circuit. We take pride in that. We want our guys to be really well conditioned. If we want to try to get up and down the floor and lead the league in fast-break points and run teams out of the gym, you’re going to have to be in shape.”
- Bordow’s article also notes that the Suns abundance of stretch-fours wouldn’t necessarily prevent the team from drafting Adreian Payne this year. The team already has Channing Frye and Markieff Morris on the roster. “I think the ability to shoot the ball from the power forward position is a strength of ours and I think it helps with our spacing, not only for the ability to make threes but also the ability to space the floor for Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe,” McDonough said. “It’s important. We do have that option with Channing, we do have that option with Markieff as well but the more guys you can slide into that role and not have to change your style of play the better. Especially if they can shoot it well and consistently, which Payne has done over the course of his career.“
Northwest Notes: Snyder, Nuggets, Fisher
In his introductory press conference, new Jazz coach Quin Snyder didn’t oversell the team’s goals, writes Brad Rock of the Deseret News. In regards to his team’s chances to contend, Snyder said, “You know, it’s hard to give specifics. I think (it’s) what I mentioned before about building an identity and not skipping stops in the process, and trying to do something that will last, where you can become a playoff team and become a playoff team for a long time.” When asked about the franchise’s ability to attract free agents, Snyder responded, “I mean, in a manner of speaking, I was a free agent.” He also applauded the Jazz ownership’s commitment, the practice facilities, and the tradition of loyalty, saying Utah is “an attractive place,” notes Rock.
More from the Northwest Division:
- One major similarity that the two teams in the NBA Finals share is continuity, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Neither the Spurs nor the Heat favor rash decisions or overreacting to adversity and making changes just for the sake of change, notes Dempsey. This is something the Nuggets need to emulate if they want to establish a winning culture, Dempsey opines.
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman looks at Derek Fisher‘s career options for the future which include coaching or moving into a front office role with a franchise.
- In a separate article, Mayberry grades Fisher’s final season as a player with the Thunder.
And-Ones: Williams, McDermott, Draft
Chaz Williams wants to be part of the new trend of undersized guards becoming successful in the NBA, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. The 5’9″ Williams has been in contact with Kings guard Isaiah Thomas for advice, notes Murphy. Of his conversation with Thomas, Williams said, “It’s great to know another small guy out there is successful, and is a fan of mine as well. He gave me a lot of encouraging words, and told me what to look for in these workouts. He told me to be myself and go out there and play hard. We spoke via text and communicated for a little while on Twitter. We’re with the same agency. I approached him. I’m a fan of his, and I wanted to pick his brain and learn. I’m a student of the game and can learn more every day. If I can learn more in a situation where people say I can’t, then that will help me a lot.”
More from around the association:
- NBA.com published their full prospect profile for Doug McDermott. McDermott is projected as a mid-to-late lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
- Johnny O’Bryant has workouts scheduled next week with the Cavaliers and the Timberwolves, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- The crew at Basketball Insiders (video link) spoke with a number of the prospects in the 2014 NBA Draft about what facets of their games they are working on to improve.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Hornets, Dolan, Celtics
The Pistons have big plans for their new NBA D-League team in Grand Rapids, writes David Mayo of MLive. Coach and president of basketball operations, Stan Van Gundy intends to use the D-League as a major part of their development plan for young players, reports Mayo. Van Gundy said, “If you get that coach integrated with what you’re doing, and you’re playing the same system and everything else, I think that D-League thing can be very, very valuable. And we’ll take the hiring of that coach as a very big part of our staff because I think it can be that valuable.“
More news from the east:
- If the Hornets don’t want to regress next season they will have to add some offensive weapons to their roster, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
- Knicks owner James Dolan needs to observe how Heat owner Micky Arison and Spurs owner Peter Holt do business, writes Mitch Lawrence of The New York Daily News. Lawrence cites Dolan’s tendency to meddle in basketball affairs as one of the main issues affecting the franchise’s ability to rebuild and contend.
- If the Celtics want to acquire Kevin Love from the Timberwolves the possibility of re-signing him will be directly tied to what GM Danny Ainge decides to do with Rajon Rondo, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Without Love the team has less of a reason to retain Rondo, and without Rondo the team would be less likely to entice Love to stay in Boston, opines Murphy.
And-Ones: Draft, Lakers, Free Agency
The full list of available free agents won’t be complete until the end of June when players and teams decide whether or not to exercise their respective contract options, writes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Pincus breaks down all the players with options and gives his predictions for who will end up on the free agent market come July.
More news from around the league:
- Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal released his first mock draft of the year.
- The staff at Basketball Insiders debate which draft prospect will have the biggest impact next season.
- Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders looks at the free agent options the Lakers will have this summer. Davis notes that the team should have a particular interest in Trevor Ariza, Kyle Lowry, and Greivis Vasquez.
Atlantic Notes: Cartwright, Walton, Sixers
Bill Cartwright is waiting to hear from either Phil Jackson or Steve Kerr about an assistant coaching position, writes Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News. According to the article, Cartwright had met with Jackson back in April about joining the Knicks bench if Kerr was hired as coach. On his lack of recent contact with Jackson, Cartwright said, “We’re waiting for them to make a decision, obviously about the head coach and there’s nothing going on.” On possibly working as an assistant under Derek Fisher, Cartwright said, “That’s a Phil question, not my question. I’m looking to coach. There’s really nothing more to say, outside of that. I’m looking to coach.”
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Luke Walton also hasn’t heard from Jackson since Kerr spurned the Knicks for the Warriors, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Jackson was possibly interested in bringing in Walton to help coach the triangle offense, and according to Begley, Jackson said that Walton would make a great head coach someday.
- With an abundance of picks in this year’s draft, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie needs to take a bold approach to jump start the team’s rebuilding process, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
- The Knicks worked out Johnny O’Bryant, Semaj Christon, DeAndre Kane and Akil Mitchell, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Western Notes: Love, Suns, Parsons
Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders doesn’t think Kevin Love has any right to be frustrated with the team’s lack of success, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Sanders said, “Just like I told Kevin Garnett, he didn’t have a right to be frustrated. Why does any player have a right to be frustrated? You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. Should the team be frustrated? Yeah, the team can be frustrated. But I don’t think any one individual should be frustrated.”
More from out west:
- Tami Abdollah of the Associated Press examines the sale of the Clippers and Shelly Sterling’s future role with the franchise.
- The Suns are interested in trading for Love, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Spears notes the team’s most attractive trade assets are Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, and draft picks. The Suns have three first-rounders in this year’s deep draft. Spears’ sources also tell him that it will take a max contract to sign Bledsoe.
- The Rockets haven’t decided if they will pick up Chandler Parsons option for next season yet, but Parsons wants to remain in Houston, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. Parsons told Berman, “I want to be here. I love Houston. It’s a great situation for me.”
Draft Notes: Jazz, Suns, Payne, Stauskas
Earlier this afternoon, we passed along that the Jazz would be working out P.J. Hairston. Jody Genessy of the Deseret News hears that Cleanthony Early, Glenn Robinson III, Xavier Thames, Kendrick Perry, and C.J. Wilcox will be joining Hairston tomorrow to put their skills on display for Utah (Twitter link). Let’s round up the latest on the draft:
- The Jazz are quite interested in Adreian Payne, notes Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (on Twitter). Payne’s size and ability to stretch the floor put him in line to be a mid-to-late first-round pick.
- Scott Bordow and Jay Dieffenbach of AZ Central Sports discuss the group that worked out for the Suns yesterday (video link). Like Utah, Phoenix expressed interest in Payne. GM Ryan McDonough told Bordow that he would be open to drafting another stretch four because of how well they fit into the team’s system.
- Michigan shooting guard Nik Stauskas will work out for the Hornets on Wednesday and the Celtics on Friday, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.
- C.J. Fair tells Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype that he’s worked out for 14 teams, including the Spurs. Fair is confident that he’ll be a first-round pick, although his name is completely omitted from the latest mock draft by DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony.
Jazz Notes: Gordon, Hairston, Tomic, Snyder
The Jazz worked out Arizona big man Aaron Gordon today, and the team was quite impressed with his performance, relays Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (on Twitter). In addition to the ability he demonstrated during workouts, Gordon gave a better media interview than any other prospect that Utah has brought in so far, according to Jones (Twitter link). Here’s more on the Jazz:
- P.J. Hairston will work out for Utah on Sunday, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Hairston is projected to be a late first-round selection, according to the latest mock draft from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- Jazz vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News that Utah will have conversations about bringing Ante Tomic in from overseas (Twitter link). Tomic, one of Euroleague’s dominating centers, was a second round pick for the Jazz in 2008.
- Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune recaps how newly-hired Jazz coach Quin Snyder ended up in Utah. Falk opines that bringing in Synder is perhaps the biggest move that the organization has made during the tenure of team CEO Greg Miller.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.