Rick Sund Expected To Remain With Hawks
Hawks general manager Rick Sund intends to return to Atlanta for at least one more season, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The Hawks recently picked up the option on head coach Larry Drew's contract after leading the team to a 40-26 record and a playoff appearance. Sund considered taking a season off but decided last week that he wanted to continue his work with the Hawks after speaking with friends and colleagues.
Josh Smith Talks Contract, Future
As of this March, Josh Smith hoped the Hawks would move him, and it appears that trade request still stands. However, speaking to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Smith deflected questions about his trade request, and his comments suggest he doesn't expect to be involved in an offseason deal.
"All I know is I have one more year on my contract so I will definitely be here," Smith said. "I just have to go into the offseason to better myself and do whatever I have to do to help this ballclub. I was an Atlanta Hawk after the trade deadline and I’m one now, so I have to look at some of the things I can do to help my basketball team win ballgames, especially in the postseason."
In his March report, Cunningham suggested that Smith felt the Hawks didn't do enough to promote his All-Star candidacy, and wanted to join a team more committed to winning a championship. Asked about the possibility of signing a contract extension with the Hawks, Smith hinted at another source of dissatisfaction.
"I can’t get extended," Smith said. "They didn’t give me the money; I had to go get it. That’s something I have to play it out and see how it goes from there."
Smith seems to have been given some bad information on his extension eligibility, since there's nothing in the CBA suggesting he can't extend his contract now, as Cunningham points out. The second part of the quote, meanwhile, hints at what happened in the summer of 2008 — he had to "go get" a contract offer from the Grizzlies, which the Hawks ended up matching.
Smith figures to be one of the most desirable trade candidates in the league this summer, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him begin the 2012/13 season in Atlanta. The Hawks value him highly, as they should, and I don't expect them to receive an offer they like this offseason.
Latest On Trail Blazers’ GM Search
4:03pm: Mullin is not a candidate for the Blazers' GM opening, a source tells Haynes.
3:45pm: Blazers president Larry Miller says the team's process won't be accelerated or modified now that another team (the Magic) has interest in some of the candidates Portland has interviewed. Miller told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he and owner Paul Allen could meet with a couple more candidates this week.
1:35pm: Earlier this month, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported that the Trail Blazers were eyeing current Hawks general manager Rick Sund for their GM opening. However, it doesn't appear that the interest is mutual. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com hears from a source that the Blazers' job is "not in [Sund's] plans."
Broussard initially reported that the Hawks denied the Blazers permission to speak to Sund because the team was still alive in the playoffs. It sounded at the time like that stance could change after the club's season ended, but it doesn't appear that the Hawks GM will interview for the Portland job. Sund's current deal in Atlanta expires on June 30th, so the two sides are in talks about a new contract. However, Haynes hears that retirement is also a possibility for the 60-year-old.
As for the Blazers' other potential targets, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) reports that former Warriors GM Chris Mullin is in the mix for the Portland position. It's not clear yet if or when Mullin will be interviewing for the job.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Wade, Heat, Howard
Links out of the Southeast division as the Heat get set for Game 4 in Indiana tomorrow afternoon..
- Hawks General Manager Rick Sund’s contract expires next month but he has yet to commit to a return or publicly address his future, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sund may also retire, take a part-time role with the Hawks, or jump ship to another team.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether playing in the Olympics makes much sense for Dwyane Wade, who could use the rest for his 30-year-old body. Winderman notes the pressure that sponsors put on Wade and other superstars to play for their country.
- If the Rockets take a stab at trading for Magic big man Dwight Howard, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes that the package would be centered around Kevin Martin and Luis Scola because the salaries match up. Even if Howard doesn't sign a long-term extension with Houston, they would at least have Martin and Scola off of the books for a proper rebuild.
GM Rumors: Blazers, Sund, Kupchak, Stern
There's been plenty of front office news of late, so let's get right to the weekend's updates:
- Hawks GM Rick Sund, whose contract with the team is up, has told the Hawks he's had no contact with the Blazers about their GM opening, according to Jason Quick of The Oregonian (Twitter link). Last week we heard the Blazers had asked for permission to speak with Sund, but the Hawks, who were still in the playoffs at the time, turned them down.
- Quick also tweets that the Blazers have not asked for permission to interview Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak for the position.
- Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes that the NBA's new competition committee represents a power play by commissioner David Stern, who felt the old committee made up of the league's 30 GM's was too large to influence, Lawrence says. The commissioner would like to see the league adopt international goaltending rules and cut down on flopping, according to the report.
Hawks Exercise Option On Larry Drew
12:27pm: The Hawks officially announced in a press release that they've exercised Drew's option.
"Larry did an outstanding job this season in guiding our team to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite a condensed schedule and unfortunate injuries," said GM Rick Sund. "The Hawks have reached the postseason in each of his years on the bench, and we feel Larry’s experience, expertise and dedication to the game were a key ingredient to our success."
11:40am: The Hawks have picked up their contract option for coach Larry Drew, according to Sekou Smith of NBA.com (via Twitter).
There were rumblings earlier this week that Drew might not have his option for 2012/13 exercised by the Hawks, after failing to make it past the Celtics in round one. But Atlanta's decision to pick it up means Drew will be back on the team's bench for a third season. In his first two years in Atlanta, Drew led the team to an 84-64 record, with one playoff series win, in 2011.
Zach Lowe of SI.com (via Twitter) called the Hawks' decision the "organizational equivalent of [a] shoulder shrug," arguing that Drew is a solid coach, but not one that will take the team to the next level.
Coaching Rumors: Ewing, Magic, D’Antoni, Drew
Although the Bobcats are still the only NBA team actively searching and conducting interviews for a new head coach, a number of other clubs could be looking to make a change in the coming weeks. Here's the latest on a few coaches and potential openings:
- Marc Berman of the New York Post hears that Patrick Ewing has a "good chance" of becoming the Bobcats' next coach. According to Berman, the Magic likely wouldn't consider Ewing for their position if they were to part ways with Stan Van Gundy.
- Speaking of Van Gundy and the Magic job, Berman adds that Mike D'Antoni would be on Orlando's "short list" if the team were to make a change. Word out of D'Antoni's inner circle suggests the former Knicks coach is content sitting out next season unless a "very compelling opportunity" arises, says Berman.
- Hawks coach Larry Drew is still awaiting word from the team about whether they'll pick up his option for next season. Drew tells Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he considers his relationship with Atlanta's players to be strong: "That’s something I take a lot of pride in and spent a lot of time talking about and trying to work on. Player relationships are so important on this level, how you deal with your best player all the way down to the guy who might not even dress out during games. I thought I did a good job with that. I thought my staff did a good job with that."
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines why former NBA big men rarely become head coaches.
Rockets, Hawks Interested In Alexey Shved
Earlier this week, we heard that CSKA Moscow guard Alexey Shved is eyeing a potential jump to the NBA this coming season, with the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Thunder among the teams with interest.
In an interview with Sports.ru (translation via Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside), Shved's agent Obrad Fimic added a couple more clubs to the list of interested parties: the Rockets and Hawks.
No official offers from NBA teams are on the table, and Shved is still under contract with CSKA Moscow, but "all signs point" to him coming to America for the 2012/13 season. However, Fimic refuted the reported asking price of three years and $10MM+ for his client.
Shved's defense could be in a concern in the NBA, according to the Ridiculous Upside report. Still, Maxey agrees with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com on the 23-year-old's offensive prowess, noting that he could excel in the NBA as a reserve in an up-tempo offense.
Odds & Ends: Mayo, Joe Johnson, Hawks
Here are some of tonight's miscellaneous links:
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld had his weekly chat with fans tonight. Among the significant things I took from his exchange: O.J. Mayo will most likely leave Memphis since the Grizzlies do not want to exceed the luxury tax and that Joe Johnson won't likely be dealt anytime soon.
- Greene also took a look at what to expect from the Hawks this offseason. Aside from being committed to $61 MM in salaries with six roster spots to fill, the team could have some decisions to face with management and coaching as well. We reported earlier this week that current general manager Rick Sund has drawn interest from the Trail Blazers, and Greene thinks that his departure could also mean an end to Larry Drew's tenure with the team.
- Kevin Sherrington of SportsDay DFW answered some questions from fans today, including an explanation of why he'd choose Rick Carlisle over Phil Jackson.
- This Reuters article (via Simon Evans) examines Miami's struggles as a result of Chris Bosh's absence. The Heat players outside of Lebron and Wade were a combined 9-for-34, and Mario Chalmers was limited to 22 minutes because of foul trouble. Even with that in mind, the Heat don't appear to be fazed going into a road game against a confident Pacers team.
Odds & Ends: Deron Williams, Hawks, Harrington
A few Wednesday afternoon odds and ends, as we prepare for tonight's Celtics/Sixers and Lakers/Thunder contests….
- The Nets believe that re-signing Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace and upgrading at power forward could be enough to convince Deron Williams to re-sign, says Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution previews the Hawks' offseason, noting that the team won't have much flexibility to sign free agents this summer.
- Al Harrington underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, the Nuggets announced today.
- In an ESPN.com chat, Chad Ford touches on a number of topics, including how he thinks the Magic's offseason will play out.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com examines what the Bulls' 2012/13 season could look like if Derrick Rose is out for a significant chunk of the year.