Western Notes: Curry, Bogut, Snyder, Stotts
The announcement of the MVP award will take place in the next few days, sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The sources confirmed the obvious, telling Stein that Stephen Curry was the voters’ choice, but it remains to be seen if he’ll become the first unanimous MVP winner. It’s also unknown whether Curry will be recovered from his sprained right MCL in time to play in Game 4 tonight in Portland. Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Sunday deemed the point guard doubtful, nonetheless adding that Curry will take part in the team’s shootaround today, as Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group relays.
See more from the Western Conference:
- Rumors have linked the Warriors to Kevin Durant for months, but it would take a significant roster overhaul to fit a max contract for Durant onto Golden State’s payroll, and Andrew Bogut, one of those whom the team might have to give up to get the former MVP, believes the front office should think twice before disrupting team chemistry. Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group relays that and more from their interview. “Yeah. Look, you hear certain rumors about certain guys in the offseason. It’s unfortunately not up to us; it’s up to management and the owners,” Bogut said. “But for a franchise that hasn’t had a lot of success, to all of a sudden have a lot of success and then try to, you know, break the atom, it can go both ways, and I’ve seen that. It’ll be interesting to see what they do. Sometimes you don’t want to tinker with things that are going well because, as you know, it can go both ways. Sometimes you can get a guy, hey, this can put us over the top. But we feel like we’re at that point. It’s interesting. But there’s a lot of ego that goes into getting certain guys here and some teams want big names. Not just us. Even with good chemistry and a good program, some teams want that big superstar name to draw.”
- The Jazz‘s decision to sign coach Quin Snyder to an extension was wise, in part because Gordon Hayward is entering the final season of his contract preceding his ability to opt out in 2017, contends Brad Rock of The Deseret News. The players have bought in, and a coaching change between now and next summer would have given Hayward reason to leave, Rock believes.
- The Trail Blazers haven’t had any negotiations about an extension with Terry Stotts, but Game 3 against Golden State served as another reminder why he deserves one and that it won’t be surprising if the extension happens soon after Portland’s postseason is over, posits The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman. “He’s got our trust,” Damian Lillard said. “I think all season long, he’s counted on so many guys, he’s shown his faith in so many guys, and everybody on this team is behind him 100%.”
Grizzlies Notes: Wallace, Joerger, Conley, Gasol
Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace didn’t speak with the Kings about the front office job that ultimately went to Ken Catanella, a Grizzlies source told Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal, who nonetheless heard from a Kings source that Wallace went so far as to engage in contract negotiations with Sacramento. Wallace denied that he spoke with the Kings, as Chris Vernon of WMFS-FM relays (Twitter links), with Wallace telling Vernon he has no reason to leave amid what he calls the best run of his career. “I never interviewed for a job with Kings,” Wallace said. “I’ve been in Memphis 9 years. I’m not interested [in] going anywhere.”
The notion that Wallace would leave the top front office job in Memphis for the No. 2 post under Vlade Divac in Sacramento would be troubling if accurate, Calkins posits. See more from Tennessee:
- Grizzlies management wanted to keep Joerger, but the coach forced the issue, Calkins writes in the same piece. Still, Joerger wasn’t Wallace’s guy, as Calkins points out.
- Key players on the Grizzlies as well as the team’s front office weren’t in Dave Joerger‘s corner, and Marc Gasol and Mike Conley never embraced Joerger’s style in his three seasons as head coach, according to Peter Edmiston of WHBQ-FM and The Commercial Appeal (Twitter links).
- The Grizzlies are in the middle of the pack, NBA’s no-man’s land, and the imperative this summer is that they acquire players who fit with a long-range plan, The Vertical’s Bobby Marks opines.
- To see the latest on the Grizzlies coaching search, click here.
Grizzlies Reach Out To Frank Vogel, Others
The Grizzlies have reached out to representatives for Frank Vogel, who plans to assess his options early this week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The team is talking to other candidates, too, and while it’s unclear just whom Memphis has spoken with at this point, ex-Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, Blazers assistant Nate Tibbets and Heat assistant David Fizdale are among those on the team’s list of candidates, Wojnarowski hears. The team is also planning to gauge the interest of former NBA head coaches David Blatt, Brian Shaw, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal wrote earlier.
More candidates are expected to emerge, and GM Chris Wallace and assistant GM Ed Stefanski plan to start meeting with them at the draft combine this week, league sources told Wojnarowski. Memphis wants a coach who can foster player development around a core of Marc Gasol and soon-to-be free agent Mike Conley, as Wojnarowski details.
Vogel is in reportedly high on the Kings’ list, though Sacramento is deep in negotiations with ex-Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger. Houston would like to interview the former Pacers head man, and the Knicks have reached out to his representatives, according to reports, making him a candidate for every NBA head coaching vacancy except the Indiana job he just lost.
Southeast Notes: Horford, Hawks, Powell, Batum
Al Horford will be among the most popular free agents this summer, but he didn’t sound ready to leave Atlanta after the Hawks were eliminated today, relays Chris Vivlamore of the Journal-Constitution. “My main priority tomorrow is to meet with the team and the coaches one last time [for the season] and go from there and figure out how we can be a better group,” Horford said. The Hawks are planning to offer Horford a maximum contract, and several other teams are expected to bid on him. The nine-year veteran made $12MM this season but could more than double that amount in free agency.
The Hawks are the only team Horford has played for, and he has developed a strong attachment to Atlanta. “I’ve set up here with my family,” he said. “We all live here. We live here in the summer. We live here year-round. I’m very grateful for all the people here. They have taken me in from the very first day, even though I was a [Florida] Gator. They loved me. I really love the city.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hawks need “major change and major improvement,” starting with a go-to scorer who can carry the team late in games, writes Jeff Schultz of The Journal-Constitution. Schultz says Paul Millsap disappeared too often in the playoffs, and Horford isn’t strong enough in the paint or reliable enough outside to be a dependable scorer. The writer adds that Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder are too inconsistent, while Kyle Korver is headed toward reserve status and Kent Bazemore may be leaving as a free agent.
- The Wizards would have drafted Dwight Powell in 2014 and may take another shot at the Dallas big man in free agency, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Washington was one pick away from landing Powell when he went at No. 45 to the Hornets. The Wizards sold their pick to the Lakers after he was taken. Powell, who earned $845K this season, will be a restricted free agent and could fill a backup role in Washington.
- Small forward Nicolas Batum plans to make the Hornets his top priority when free agency arrives, as the The Associated Press relays. Batum, who has played one season in Charlotte after being traded from Portland, is encouraged by the team’s potential. “I want to talk to [the Hornets] first, for sure,” Batum said. “July 1st will be a crazy day, but will Charlotte be my first call? Yes.” Hornets starters Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson will also be unrestricted free agents, and reserve point guard Jeremy Lin is expected to opt out.
Heat Notes: Whiteside, Green, Wade, Johnson
Depending on his recovery time and the Heat’s playoff success, impending free agent Hassan Whiteside may have played his last game with Miami, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Whiteside suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee in the Game 3 loss to the Raptors. He is officially listed as day to day, but the Heat have no idea when Whiteside will be healthy enough to play again. “Where my mind was, where Hassan’s mind was, that’s about the best news we could have,” said coach Erik Spoelstra. “He’s going to be doing treatment, a lot of rest.”
It’s a disappointing development not only for the Heat, but also for the 26-year-old center, who is trying to make the case for a maximum contract this summer. The Raptors will also be without their starting center for the rest of the series, as Jonas Valanciunas has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle.
There’s more playoff news out of Miami:
- Veteran small forward Gerald Green, who is also headed for free agency, replaced rookie Justise Winslow in the rotation for Saturday’s game, Jackson writes in the same piece. Green scored eight points in 21 minutes, while Winslow never left the bench. “It’s the coach’s decision,” Winslow said afterward. “He’s going to try to put the best group of guys out there to try to win. Whether I’m out there or not, I’m going to stay positive and stay ready.”
- Dwyane Wade is trying to remain philosophical about the misfortune that has cost the Heat two of their top big men and placed a greater scoring burden on him, relays Michael Lee of The Vertical. “We’re without one of the best players to ever play the game in Chris Bosh,” Wade said. “Right now, we don’t know about Hassan, who is a big part of what we do. That doesn’t mean we still don’t have a series to play, and Toronto ain’t going to care. No one cares.”
- Tyler Johnson had a hard time sticking to a gradual recovery plan when he was rehabbing from rotator cuff surgery, according to Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Johnson, who has returned for the playoffs, snuck into the Heat’s practice facility one night in March for some unauthorized shooting. “We mentioned early on that his greatest strength, in this case, could be his greatest weakness: his relentlessness,” Spoelstra said. “We couldn’t afford to skip a step and then have a setback. That’s the worst thing that could happen. We had to stay on him all the time.”
Community Shootaround: Coaching Vacancies
For NBA players, free agency doesn’t start until July 1st. But for coaches, it began weeks ago.
The coaching carousel kept spinning this week, with Indiana’s Frank Vogel and Memphis’ Dave Joerger both getting tossed off. In addition, the Rockets will have to continue their coaching search without interim mentor J.B. Bickerstaff, who has withdrawn his name from consideration. Five teams are currently in the market for new coaches, and there are ups and downs to all of them:
- Pacers — Whoever takes over in Indiana will inherit a playoff team with one of the league’s best players in Paul George and a budding young star in Myles Turner. But the new coach will be under pressure to keep winning while scoring more points to please executive Larry Bird, who wants faster-paced Pacers than Vogel could provide.
- Grizzlies — There’s a culture of success in Memphis, created over the years by the Grit ‘n Grind core of Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Tony Allen. Their veteran leadership and early-season success helped the Grizzlies reach the playoffs in a nightmarish year that saw 28 players pass through the roster. The next coach will be expected to keep winning with a rapidly aging team and possibly without Conley, who is easily the top point guard on the free agent market.
- Rockets — Maybe this season was nothing to brag about, but a year ago Houston was on its way to a conference finals showdown with the Warriors. The Rockets have been accused of quitting on coach Kevin McHale and barely got started under Bickerstaff, but an intriguing amount of talent still remains, even if Dwight Howard finds a new home in free agency.
- Knicks — Bright lights, big city, an established star in Carmelo Anthony and a popular rookie in Kristaps Porzingis. Only trianglers need apply, at least in the eyes of team president Phil Jackson. Jackson is so devoted to the offense that won him 11 rings that he has become a strong proponent of keeping interim coach Kurt Rambis. Or if not him, then someone else who learned the triangle system with the Lakers.
- Kings — George Karl survived with his health, a little bit of hair and a few scraps of dignity, but he was clearly shaken by the year and a half he spent in Sacramento. Karl was locked in a constant feud with DeMarcus Cousins and says management always sided with the player. Beyond that, there were numerous levels of front-office red tape and an expectation to win right away. Despite Karl’s warnings, Sacramento is willing to spend to improve and could be an attractive job for someone with a firm hand and the support of management.
That brings us to tonight’s question: If you were an NBA coach, which of the five openings would you consider most attractive? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Cavaliers Notes: Frye, Griffin, Lue, James
Channing Frye‘s huge performance in Game 3 of the series with the Hawks helped justify GM David Griffin’s $32MM decision to bring him to Cleveland, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Cavaliers acquired Frye from the Magic at the trade deadline, sending a second round pick to Orlando in return. Cleveland had to absorb the rest of Frye’s contract, which runs through 2017/18, plus luxury taxes, bringing the total cost of the deal to about $32MM. Frye, who had 27 points off the bench Friday as the Cavs won in Atlanta, was close to joining the Cavaliers before. He visited them in 2009, but opted for Phoenix. Griffin recruited him in 2014, offering the chance to play with Kyrie Irving and possibly Gordon Hayward, but those plans were scuttled when LeBron James announced he was returning to Cleveland.
There’s more news as the Cavs return to the conference finals:
- Cleveland gave Frye an opportunity he never had in Orlando, according to Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. The 33-year-old Frye was a veteran stuck in a rebuilding situation with the Magic, but now he’s surrounded by All-Stars and has the chance to win a title. “When I got traded here I knew there was responsibility to come at the level these guys are playing at,” Frye said. “[Magic coach] Scott Skiles told me, ‘Hey Channing man, you’re a great player, you’re going to help them win a game in a series, you know. You’re going to help them win a game and do some bigger things.’ I always think about that.”
- This may be Tyronn Lue‘s first postseason as a head coach, but he’s performing like a veteran, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Lue compiled a 27-14 record after taking over for the fired David Blatt in January. Now he’s trying to surpass Blatt’s performance from a year ago and lead the Cavaliers to a championship. “Being able to push the right buttons is actually working out,” Lue said. “It feels good right now.”
- The sweep of Atlanta sets up a possible series with the Heat, with the highest stakes since James left Miami two years ago, according to Mitch Lawrence of Forbes.com. “It’d be great to play against those guys in the postseason,” James said of his former team. “Throughout my whole career, I’ve always wanted to go against [Dwyane] Wade in a playoff series. We’ve always talked about it even before we became teammates in ’10. It’s not been heavy on my mind, but it’s crossed my mind throughout my whole career.”
Hoops Links: DeRozan, Sixers, Kings
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Sports Quotient discusses the possible limitations of basketball analytics.
- Raptors Rapture wonders how much longer DeMar DeRozan will be in Toronto.
- The Runner Sports breaks down the Knicks’ coaching search.
- Blazer’s Edge explains how the Blazers can beat the Warriors.
- Silver Screen and Roll wants the Lakers to target Harrison Barnes this summer.
- Liberty Ballers runs down the Sixers’ hiring of Ned Cohen.
- The Dream Shake recaps Jason Terry‘s season with the Rockets.
- Sactown Royalty discusses the top choices for the Kings’ coaching vacancy.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Lakers Notes: Clarkson, Scott, Walton
Jordan Clarkson, who is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, strongly wants to re-sign with the Lakers after the team hired Luke Walton as coach, Jovan Buha of ESPN.com relays. “It really impacts it a lot,” Clarkson told Buha. “That style of play fits me, as well as the other guys. I definitely want to stay here in L.A. and be here. I said in my exit interview, I don’t want to be that guy who bounces around from team to team. I want to be here in L.A. — a place where I can call home — and leave a legacy. The hiring makes it even better.” Clarkson made $845,059 this year, and L.A. must make a $3.2MM qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids through the Gilbert Arenas Provision.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Byron Scott‘s one regret from his time leading the Lakers is that he wished he played his veterans more minutes, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. It’s interesting that Scott said that, considering he was often criticized for the way he handled his younger players, as Medina adds. Scott dismissed the idea that he was too much of a disciplinarian to his younger players, per Medina, and instead said their inexperience hindered their development. Scott was 38-126 as the Lakers’ coach.
- Clarkson isn’t the only one on the Lakers gushing about Walton. Julius Randle believes his versatility can improve under the new coach because Walton worked extensively with Warriors star Draymond Green, helping to make Green more dynamic, Medina writes in a separate piece.
Pacers Notes: Vogel, Hill, Conley
Pacers executive Larry Bird went into the All-Star break thinking about letting go of former coach Frank Vogel, who was ultimately dismissed after the Pacers’ playoff run, Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star details. The Pacers went 250-181 in parts of six seasons under Vogel, but Bird wanted the team to score more and play at a faster pace, Buckner writes. Bird also believed the players may have tuned Vogel out over the course of the season and that the team never had a true identity, Buckner adds.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- The decision to decline to pick up the fourth-year option on former first-round pick Solomon Hill will likely come back to haunt the Pacers, considering he will likely earn more money elsewhere and fit well with the Pacers’ small-ball style that Bird wants to see more of, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes. Hill was to make about $2.306MM on the option, which covered the fourth season of his rookie scale contract.
- The Pacers must address their need for a point guard this summer and signing free agent Mike Conley would be the most logical addition the team could make, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star argues. The team must prioritize Conley because the other options in free agency would be Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo, two players with histories of coaching baggage, Doyel adds.
- The Pacers may regret parting ways with Vogel because his consistent success and his work with Roy Hibbert proved his ability to develop players, Chris Mannix of The Vertical opines.