Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Cavs’ Coaching Search

April 23rd, 2013 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

While the Cavaliers' coaching search involved reaching out to Phil Jackson, it appears unlikely that the 11-time champion will be interested in Cleveland's rebuilding project, as Bob Finnan of the News-Herald writes. Finnan has plenty of other details on the team's search to replace Byron Scott on the bench though, so let's dive in and check out the highlights….

One prominent agent told Finnan that the Cavs have a "fixation" on Mike Brown. According to Finnan, Danny Ferry and the Hawks could have interest in Brown if they let go of Larry Drew, so Cleveland is hoping to move quickly on the former Lakers coach.
In addition to contacting Jackson, the Cavs may have also reached out to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who isn't interested, says Finnan.
Nate McMillan, who is rumored to be in the mix for the Pistons' opening, doesn't appear to be high on the Cavs' list. Finnan notes that it may be because McMillan is too similar to Scott.
The Cavs haven't inquired on Flip Saunders, who is open to a return to the NBA.

Kyler On Paul, Teague, Jack, Billups, Bledsoe

April 22nd, 2013 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler focuses on the playoff point guards that may be heading for free agency once their respective seasons end. Kyler has tidbits on those players, as well as notes on Eric Bledsoe and Phil Jackson, so let's check out the highlights:

Chris Paul is essentially a lock to re-sign with the Clippers and he'll have a "tremendous amount of input" in the team's roster moves and overall direction.
The Hawks will extend a qualifying offer to Jeff Teague, and while the club plans to keep its options open, it's unlikely that Teague will end up leaving Atlanta.
Jerryd Bayless is expected to decline his player option in search of a longer-term contract.
There's mutual interest in a new deal between Jarrett Jack and the Warriors, and the team will have Jack's Bird Rights, but the Warriors figure to be well into the tax unless they can make a cost-cutting move or two, which could complicate negotiations.
If Chauncey Billups doesn't return to the Clippers, retirement is more likely for him than signing with another club.
The Bucks will definitely match almost any offer sheet signed by Brandon Jennings, though if he receives the max from a rival suitor, Milwaukee will "have to seriously look at that."
While Bledsoe is expected to be an offseason trade candidate, Clippers sources are adamant that they don't need to make a decision on Bledsoe until the summer of 2014, or at least next year's trade deadline.
With a handful of head coaching jobs already opened up, Jackson's name will pop up frequently in the next several weeks, but Kyler hears that the odds of the 11-time champion accepting a coaching job aren't great.

Cavs Rumors: Brown, Gilbert, Assistants

April 21st, 2013 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

A majority of Hoops Rumors readers don't believe Phil Jackson will consider coaching the Cavs, even though a source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Jackson would "absolutely" listen if the team called. While the Zen Master is far and away the biggest name associated with the team's search, there are plenty of other candidates, and there's news on several of them this morning:

The team has had informal conversations with former coach Mike Brown about a reunion, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald, who passes along a report from WKYC-TV in Cleveland that Brown and owner Dan Gilbert will meet Sunday.
A source tells Finnan that Brown would be the top choice for the Hawks if they decide to make a coaching change. That's no surprise, given the ties between Brown and Atlanta GM Danny Ferry.
The Cavs aren't expected to discuss the opening with any college coaches, and the hiring process will move swiftly, according to Finnan.
Finnan adds Melvin Hunt of the Nuggets and Michael Curry of the Sixers to the list of assistant coaches who may receive interviews, which already included Michael Malone (Warriors), Brian Shaw (Pacers) and David Fizdale (Heat).
The Cavs will indeed interview Shaw, just as they did when they hired Byron Scott in 2010, reports Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer.
Flip Saunders, Nate McMillan and Avery Johnson have all either directly or indirectly expressed interest in the position, Pluto also writes.
The Cavs have a chance to make an impression on Kyrie Irving with their coaching hire, so that means much is riding on the team's decision, opines fellow Plain Dealer scribe Bud Shaw.

Qualifying Offers And The Starter Criteria

April 19th, 2013 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

As we explained a year ago when the 2011/12 regular season ended, new details of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement have slightly modified the usual process for restricted free agency. The qualifying offers teams extend to potential restricted free agents are now based, in some instances, on a newly-defined "starter criteria."

The CBA describes a "starter" as either starting 41 games or playing 2,000 minutes in a season, and rewards players for meeting those criteria. If a player achieved one of those benchmarks in the season prior to his free agency, or averaged one of those benchmarks in the two seasons leading up to his free agency, his qualifying offer will be affected as follows:

A top-14 pick who does not meet the starter critera will receive a same qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the 15th overall pick.
A played picked between 10th and 30th who meets the starter criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 120% of the amount applicable to the ninth overall pick.
A second-round pick or undrafted player who meets the criteria will receive a qualifying offer equal to 100% of the amount applicable to the 21st overall pick.

Because the 2009 class of first-round picks will be hitting restricted free agency this season, the 2009/10 rookie scale will dictate the qualifying offers received. Using RealGM's rookie scale chart for 2009, we can calculate the qualifying offers as follows:

120% of the amount applicable to the ninth overall pick is $4,531,459.
120% of the amount applicable to the 15th overall pick is $4,135,391.
100% of the amount applicable to the 21st overall pick is $2,785,146.

So which players will be affected by this new rule this summer? Using our list of free agents (restricted FAs are marked with R), the above calculations, and the starter criteria, this offseason's modified qualifying offers are listed below. Teams will have to offer these free agents a one-year contract worth the listed amount to make them restricted — otherwise they'll become unrestricted and can freely sign with any club.

Top-14 picks who failed to meet the starter criteria and will now be eligible for a QO of $4,135,391 (previously anticipated QO in parentheses):

Tyler Hansbrough, Pacers ($4,225,423)

Players picked between 10th and 30th who met the starter criteria and will now be eligible for a QO of $4,531,459 (previously anticipated QO in parentheses):

Brandon Jennings, Bucks ($4,330,469)
Gerald Henderson, Bobcats ($4,267,426)
Jeff Teague, Hawks ($3,469,568)
Darren Collison, Mavericks ($3,342,175)
Byron Mullens, Bobcats ($3,293,976)

Other free agents with three years or less in the NBA who met the starter criteria and will be eligible for a QO of $2,785,146:

None. Although restricted free agents like Nikola Pekovic (Timberwolves) and Tiago Splitter (Spurs) also met the starter criteria, both players are already in line for higher QOs because they were signed to larger deals using cap space (Pekovic) or the mid-level exception (Splitter).

Southeast Rumors: Turkoglu, Hawks, Wizards

April 17th, 2013 at 7:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

There's a race to the bottom in the Southeast Division tonight, with the Magic and the Bobcats vying for the greatest number of ping-pong balls in the draft lottery. The Hawks have playoff seeding at stake, but judging by their effort in a loss against the Raptors last night, they may not have any more motivation to win than Orlando and Charlotte do. While we wait to see how it all turns out, here's the latest from around the Southeast:

Hedo Turkoglu wouldn't be surprised if the Magic waived him this summer to save 50% on his partially guaranteed $12MM contract for next season, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida. The 34-year-old wants to keep playing in the NBA, but he can't see himself in the league for longer than another three seasons.
Multiple veteran unrestricted free agents tell Lang Greene of HoopsWorld they'd consider signing with the Hawks if the team reached out to them. GM Danny Ferry also shares a few thoughts with Greene as Atlanta eyes a summer of ample cap space.
Michael Lee of The Washington Post looks ahead to the offseason for the Wizards, who won't have much flexibility with $57MM already on the payroll, assuming Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza opt in to the final year of their contracts, as they're likely to do.

Thunder, Bulls, Hawks May Pursue Nolan Smith

April 14th, 2013 at 9:12am CST by Chuck Myron

The Trail Blazers aren't going to re-sign Nolan Smith, but sources close to the combo guard tell Joe Freeman of The Oregonian that the Bulls, Hawks and Thunder lead a pack of teams that are likely have interest this summer. The Blazers drafted Smith with the 21st overall pick in the 2011 draft, but after his rookie season, they declined the third-year option on his rookie-scale contract, making him an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks is Smith's godfather, Freeman points out, and Brooks has expressed confidence in Smith's ability to make it as an NBA player, despite the former Duke standout's inability to consistently become a part of Portland's rotation. Still, Oklahoma City seems well-stocked with backup guards, as they have Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb on guaranteed contracts for next season, along with DeAndre Liggins on a non-guaranteed deal. The Thunder will need to either re-sign or replace Kevin Martin, but Smith probably isn't someone they'd want to fill Martin's sixth-man role.

The Bulls and Hawks will probably have more room for Smith, who could have trouble commanding a salary much higher than the minimum. He's averaged just 3.3 points in 9.9 minutes per game for his career, numbers that have dipped to 2.8 PPG and 7.2 MPG this year. A team may be willing to use a portion of its mid-level exception on him, given his potential as a former first-round draft pick and first-team All-American in college, but he can't expect too much of a raise on the $1.366MM he's earning this season.

Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Boylan, Collins, Holiday

April 12th, 2013 at 10:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

Marc Stein's final ESPN.com Weekend Dime of the season doubles as his awards ballot, and he has LeBron James winning MVP, of course. More intriguing are his selections in some of the tighter races: George Karl for Coach of the Year, Kevin Martin for Sixth Man of the Year, Tim Duncan for Defensive Player of the Year and Jrue Holiday for Most Improved Player. Stein also has plenty of news from around the league, as we round up:

Before the season, the Hawks offered Josh Smith a three-year extension for the maximum amount, which would have been about $45MM, but Smith made it clear he wanted to hit free agency. That's no surprise, since an extension would have meant a smaller annual salary than he can sign for as a free agent, per collective bargaining agreement rules. The Hawks, wary of letting Smith walk, aggressively pursued trades, according to Stein, but wound up keeping him when an offer from the Bucks wasn't to their liking.
Bucks GM John Hammond is publicly heaping praise on coach Jim Boylan, but Stein hears Boylan has little to no shot of retaining the job, based on the team's late-season slump.
Doug Collins may join the Sixers front office or simply become an adviser to the team if he decides to step away from coaching.
Justin Holiday's deal with the Sixers includes a team option for next season, and it appears the deal is partially guaranteed for $50K, becoming fully guaranteed if he's not waived by August 15th.
The Nets also have a team option on Kris Joseph's deal for 2013/14.
A source insists to Stein that the Jazz will retain Tyrone Corbin for the final year of his contract next season, regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs.
Jermaine O'Neal, 34, is leaning strongly toward playing again next season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Suns last summer.

Odds & Ends: Mack, Suns, Favors, Smith, Dirk

April 8th, 2013 at 8:15pm CST by Alex Lee

While there are no games on the NBA docket tonight, there are still plenty of news items to pass along. Here are some odds and ends from around the league:

Shelvin Mack has finally found a home in Atlanta, writes NBA.com's Jon Cooper. Mack, who re-signed with the Hawks after the expiration of his second 10-day contract on March 26, has received a bump in minutes of late and has responded with a handful of solid performances.
Along with their own first round pick, which figures to be high, the Suns will also have another selection in round one – either the Lakers pick if they miss the playoffs or the Heat's pick if L.A. sneaks in. Jay Dieffenbach of AzCentral takes a look at the top, middle and back of the past four NBA draft's to give Suns fans an idea of what they should expect.
Jazz big man Derrick Favors has made the most of the increased playing time that has resulted from Enes Kanter's season-ending injury, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. According to Luhm, Favors is also completely settled in as a member of the Jazz after being dealt to Utah two years ago as a teenager.
Here is a transcript of a J.R. Smith interview on ESPN Radio New York, courtesy of SportsRadioInterviews.com, within which Smith details the keys to his breakout season with the Knicks. Smith is the owner of a $2.93MM player option this offseason. If declined, he will become a free agent coming off a career year.
In HoopsWorld's NBA PM column, Bill Ingram writes that it won't be a surprise if Dirk Nowitzki's patience runs out should the Mavericks strike out once again this offseason. Nowitzki has repeatedly professed his loyalty to the Dallas organization, despite the dismantling of the 2010-11 title team and the disappointment of what was supposed to be a huge summer in 2012. The Mavs are again ideally positioned to make an impact this summer, but it remains to be seen what players make it to free agency.

Odds & Ends: Rockets, Wilkins, Llull, Hornets, Draft

April 5th, 2013 at 11:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

The remaking of the Rockets started not with the acquisition of James Harden but the hiring of coach Kevin McHale, writes Beckley Mason of ESPN.com. In a lengthy piece that examines Houston's philosophy, Mason points to Josh Smith and Andrew Bynum, the two free agents he sees as most likely to change teams in the offseason, as the sort of players the Rockets don't usually target. Yet fellow ESPN.com scribe Amin Elhassan, in an Insider piece, pegs Smith as a perfect fit in Houston. Elhassan looks at ideal destinations for four other marquee free agents, and as many teams start to ponder the summer in the last days of the regular season, here's the latest from around the Association:

Damien Wilkins' minimum-salary deal with the Sixers is up at the end of the season, but the 33-year-old tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that he has no intention of retiring and wants to play until he's 40 (Twitter link).
Spanish point guard Sergio Llull is considering heading to the NBA at some point but still has unfinished business with Real Madrid, as he tells Eurosport (translation via HoopsHype). The Rockets own his NBA rights.
The Hornets will look for a small forward and depth in the draft this year, tweets Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com.
Scouts generally see center Alex Len as a project, but they haven't been thrown by his up-and-down play for Maryland this season, valuing his athleticism and shooting range, according to Don Markus of The Baltimore Sun.
The rosters are out for this year's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which features college seniors, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com analyzes the field. Only four players within Givony's top 100 are taking part, led by No. 45 prospect Solomon Hill.

Southeast Links: Heat, Martin, Bobcats, Hawks

April 5th, 2013 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

No division has a larger divide from top to bottom than the Southeast, where the Heat are an incredible 40 games up on the Magic and 40.5 ahead of the Bobcats. There's also an incredible 17-game gap between Miami and the second-place Hawks — none of the NBA's other five division leaders have a lead of more than 6.5 games. Here's the latest out of the Southeast:

The Heat may have missed out on Kenyon Martin when they chose to sign Juwan Howard, but the team "clearly valued chemistry over any other factor," says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. However, with Miami relying heavily on Norris Cole lately, Winderman questions why there isn't a third point guard on the roster.
Cap expert Tom Penn discusses the Bobcats' cap situation with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, suggesting that the team ought to be "patiently aggressive" with what could be $20MM+ in cap room.
Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains how the Hawks are likely to have four draft picks this June, thanks to the Rockets. As our projected draft order shows, if the season ended today, Atlanta would have the 18th, 20th, 48th, and 50th picks this summer.