Lakers Notes: Young, Gasol, Farmar, Kelly & More
Well, it’s exit interview time for the NBA’s bottom half and there are few teams with as much uncertainty and flexibility as the Lakers. Beyond Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, there are no significant contracts on the books for Los Angeles in 2014/15. The Lakers must also determine if they want to keep head coach Mike D’Antoni, a decision ESPN’s Dave McMenamin examines. Let’s round up all the personnel buzz coming out of Lakerland:
- Nick Young‘s upbeat attitude and surprising play were two of the few bright spots for the Lakers this season, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Young expects to be a hot commodity this summer, indicating that general manager Mitch Kupchak already expressed interest in retaining his services (via Ding on Twitter). Meanwhile, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets that Young will prioritize both business and his affinity for L.A. when weighing his options.
- A free agent for the first time, Pau Gasol insinuated on Thursday that he is not yet sure whether he wants to return to the Lakers, writes Medina. Among the priorities for his destination is going to a contender that plays to a “controlled pace,” Medina adds on Twitter.
- Jordan Farmar is fairly confident he’ll return to L.A. next season, writes Medina. Farmar, symbolically sporting two championship rings, told reporters today that general manager Mitch Kupchak indicated the team’s interest in bringing him back will hinge on their options in the draft and free agency. Ding also tweets that Farmar would be content returning in a starting or reserve role.
- After averaging 8 points in 22.2 minutes per game as a rookie this season, power forward Ryan Kelly believes the Lakers want him back for his sophomore campaign, tweets Medina. A second round pick last summer, Kelly said, “They drafted me and certainly want me back. I want to be here. But it’s a business.”
- Jordan Hill said it is “tough to say” whether he returns to the Lakers, Medina writes. In a separate post, Medina also says that Chris Kaman would like to return to Los Angeles in the “right situation,” and adds on Twitter that Wesley Johnson thinks that there is some mutual interest in his return (Twitter links).
Cavaliers Notes: Brown, Irving, Griffin
There is no shortage of work to be done in Cleveland this summer. Before the annual personnel decisions come down, the Cavs must figure out who is making them and, ultimately, who will coach the players their general manager has assembled. However, Cavs fans shouldn’t expect any answers this weekend, Bob Finnan of the News-Herald writes, as Dan Gilbert is attending the Board of Governors meeting in New York City on Thursday and Friday.
Here is the latest coming out of Cleveland:
- Cavaliers’ players are lining up to advocate the return of head coach Mike Brown, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Point guard Kyrie Irving predicts the coach will stay and is happy about it, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Meanwhile, Dion Waiters was perhaps Brown’s most vocal proponent, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, saying: “I’d like to see coach back. I don’t think we need any more changes. Coach fits the team.”
- Speaking of Irving, the point guard came as close as he ever has to indicating that he’d like to remain in Cleveland after Wednesday night’s season finale, writes the Plain Dealer’s Jodie Valade. From Irving: “I’ve been a part of this and I want to continue to be a part of this,” he said. “We’re making strides in the right direction, especially in this organization. I want to be part of something special, and I want to be part of something special in Cleveland.”
- In a blog post chock full of Cavs tidbits, Lloyd believes the team should at least kick the tires on trading Irving this summer, reminding us that some within the organization are unsure he is worthy of a max deal. We heard much of the same in February from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. This is the first offseason that Irving is eligible to sign an extension.
- Amico writes that the Cavs, who were 17-16 in their final 33 games, should first focus on what went right this season before determining what needs to change, adding that they have a lottery pick, some movable contracts and cap space to play with. That 33-game stretch was under the general management of David Griffin, who is the front runner to retain that position, according to Amico.
Phil Jackson Notes: Melo, Woodson, Ewing, Pop
In case you haven’t had enough of the Phil Jackson to New York story, we have more as reactions continue to pour in. Jackson joined the Boomer and Carton show on WFAN New York this morning to explain why he took the job with the Knicks. Here is what he had to say, courtesy of Royce Young at CBS Sports: “I like the city, I like the basketball team, I don’t like all the way they’ve been playing lately, but they’re showing signs of playing like a team again. I think it’s a great time in the NBA to use the flexibility and availability that’s been given to teams in this new CBA between the owners and players … equity is supposed to be the big thing, caps on spending and things like that. But I do think it favors a place like New York.”
Here’s a look at more news and notes stemming from James Dolan’s big hire:
- Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com conducts a detailed examination aimed at determining whether or not Carmelo Anthony can fit within Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. According to Elhassan, Melo could thrive just like his predecessors if the system is run correctly.
- The man to run it, at least for the time being, would presumably be Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, who said on Wednesday that he was capable of teaching it with Jackson’s guidance, reports ESPN New York’s Ohm Youngmisuk. Woodson also seemed unconcerned that Dolan offered Jackson his job. Youngmisuk also includes some words from Anthony, who seemed encouraged that Jackson plans to build around him.
- Knicks legend Patrick Ewing approves of the Jackson addition, telling Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News he’s happy to have “one of our own” taking over the franchise. Ewing, of course, went up against Jackson and his Bulls for years in the Eastern Conference.
- Count Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich among those expecting big things from Jackson in New York, according to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding on Twitter. Asked Wednesday for his thoughts, Pop had the following to say: “Fantastic. It’s wonderful for everybody concerned. Definitely great for the league.” With regard to Jackson adjusting to a management role, Pop said: “He’ll figure it out. He’ll get it going.” (Twitter links)
Western Notes: Lakers, Suns, Lowry, Jordan
The NBA has parameters in place to ensure the relationship between Lakers president Jeanie Buss and now-Knicks president Phil Jackson doesn’t become an issue, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. NBA spokesman Mike Bass told Shelburne the following: “The Knicks’ hiring of Phil Jackson is subject to the league’s conflict of interest rules. To avoid even the appearance of a conflict, we have addressed the issue with the Knicks and Lakers to ensure that the relationship between Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson will not affect how the teams operate.”
We heard yesterday that Buss recently met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on this very topic. Shelburne followed up on Twitter, adding that Buss and Silver had similar conversations last year when Jackson considered working for Toronto or a new Seattle franchise. In short, because Buss’ role with the Lakers is on the business side, the league approves, Shelburne says, an explanation that agrees with what we heard from Buss earlier today.
Let’s take a look at what else is going on out west:
- In an interview with Zach Lowe of Grantland, Goran Dragic conceded that he was baffled this offseason when he heard the Suns acquired Eric Bledsoe, but his agent and Suns’ management swiftly assured him that the team envisioned an all-point guard backcourt not unlike the early ’90s Phoenix duo of Kevin Johnson and (current head coach) Jeff Hornacek.
- Two seasons after shipping him to Toronto, Daryl Morey unsuccessfully attempted to bring Kyle Lowry back to the Rockets at the trade deadline, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Villanova product, who also nearly ended up in New York, is playing his way into a big-time contract this summer, when Lowry becomes a free agent. We heard earlier tonight that he could be a fit in Dallas.
- A lot of the credit for DeAndre Jordan‘s progression with the Clippers should go to Doc Rivers, writes Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated. Rivers, in his first year with the Clips, did his homework on the talented but underacheiving center prior to arriving in Los Angeles, and the results have been more than encouraging.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Varnado, Sims, Mirotic
If new commissioner Adam Silver gets his wish and changes the NBA draft’s age minimum from 19 to 20, he will have two dissenters in the Pistons‘ Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith, both of whom would have been affected had such a rule been in place when they entered the league. “I just feel like if a kid’s ready, he’s ready to – why two years?” Jennings told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. “Then if I’m a kid that’s talented and you expect me to go to college and eat McDonald’s all the time. I’m not rolling.”
Let’s take a look at what else is going on in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night:
- Mississippi State product Jarvis Varnado, who inked a multiyear deal with the Sixers earlier this month, was adamant he’d stick in the NBA earlier this season despite being on a 10-day contract, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, who talked with Varnado in his time with the Bulls.
- Henry Sims has been a bright spot for the Sixers since coming over from Cleveland in the Spencer Hawes deal, and may have a future in Philadelphia, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders breaks down the salary cap implications of Chicago bringing over Nikola Mirotic this offseason from Real Madrid, who the Bulls took with the 23rd pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. The move would involve a buyout of over $3MM as well as enough money to entice Mirotic to want to leave Europe.
- Al Jefferson signed with the Bobcats just eight months ago, but he’s already prepared to recruit others to Charlotte, as he tells Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated. “It’s on me to let other free agents know, ‘Why not Charlotte?’,” Jefferson said.
Draft Notes: Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, UCLA
In his latest chat with readers, Chad Ford of ESPN.com insists that Andrew Wiggins has solidified his position as the No. 1 draft prospect. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com disagrees, debuting his own Top 30 list based off discussions he’s had with league executives. It has Jabari Parker at the top. Howard-Cooper also touched on a multitude of other draft topics in another post. Let’s sort through his latest and more draft-related stuff here:
- Front offices are wavering between Parker and Kansas’ Joel Embiid for the top spot, according to Howard-Cooper. He adds that no one has more at stake in the NCAA Tournament than Embiid, who only has a shot to return from back issues if the Jayhawks advance without him.
- Austalian guard Dante Exum is right behind the troika of Parker-Embiid-Wiggins. That foursome is followed by Julius Randle and Marcus Smart, before a big drop off at No. 7.
- Jusuf Nurkic is flying up draft boards, according to Howard-Cooper. The 19-year-old Bosnian center, currently playing in Croatia, is in one team’s top ten and may ultimately challenge Dario Saric as the first European off the board.
- UCLA’s Zach LaVine has yet to convince scouts that he projects as a point guard in the NBA, Howard-Cooper writes. It doesn’t help than teammate Kyle Anderson has been handling the ball more as point forward lately, presumably boosting his draft stock. LaVine is still an attractive prospect, but his value will take a hit if his future looks to be on the wing. Both Bruins project as mid first rounders should they choose to come out.
- USA Today’s Adi Joseph includes Embiid and Anderson on his list of eight NBA hopefuls with the most to gain in the NCAA Tournament, along with Keith Appling, Jahii Carson, Cleanthony Early, Tyler Ennis, Montrezl Harrell and Shabazz Napier.
Draft Notes: Wiggins, Embiid, Lakers
An NBA executive told Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter) that how college players perform in the NCAA tournament plays a large role in how NBA scouts view them leading up to the draft. As more teams secure their spots in March Madness this weekend, let’s take a look at the rumors surrounding this year’s draft class:
- The same exec told Amico that junior LaQuinton Ross and senior Aaron Craft of Ohio State are both on his draft board in the early second round (Twitter link).
- As Jonathan Givony of Draft Express tweets, Andrew Wiggins has surpassed his Kansas teammate Joel Embiid atop his latest mock draft. As we learned last night, Embiid’s back issues will undoubtedly put the microscope on the talented center when it comes time for medical testing at the draft combine.
- Scouts agree with Givony’s projection according to Adam Zagoria, as the SNY insider cites ESPN’s Chad Ford and NBA scouts in a tweet indicating that Wiggins has risen back to the top of many draft boards in light of his 71 combined points in the Jayhawks’ last two games.
- One executive that likely saw Wiggins hang 30 on Oklahoma State yesterday was Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak, who is in Kansas City this week for the Big 12 tournament according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Along with Wiggins and Embiid, Ding mentions the Cowboys’ Marcus Smart as a potential target, also adding that scouting director Jesse Buss (youngest son of Jerry) and assistant scouting director Ryan West (son of Jerry) aid Kupchak in the team’s draft process.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Rockets To Pursue Carmelo Anthony?
They might not have ample cap space to sign him, but that won’t prevent the Rockets from pursuing Carmelo Anthony this summer, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Citing a league source, Berman says the Rockets inquired about Anthony at the trade deadline last month. They would have to work out a sign-and-trade for the Knicks superstar to make it happen.
While Anthony has never fared well under the microscope of advanced statistics — a guiding principle for Houston GM Daryl Morey — Berman writes that pairing Anthony with James Harden and Dwight Howard is too appealing a possibility for the Rockets to pass up.
Moving one or both of Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, on the books for $15MM apiece next season, would be the biggest obstacles facing Morey prior to a move as significant as a trade for Anthony. The Knicks were one of many teams linked to Asik at times this season.
Berman mentions the Lakers, Clippers and Bulls as other possible destinations for Anthony, should he choose to leave New York. He also references a USA Today report from last month, where Howard had the following to say about the caveats of playing in a gigantic market such as New York:
“If you don’t win, you’re not going to get all the [off-court] stuff you want anyway,” Howard said. “I saw that last year [in Los Angeles]. I was in the biggest market for the NBA, and we lost, so those [companies] aren’t going to be coming to you for losing.
“When I was in Orlando, a small market, and we were winning, I was very popular with a lot of different deals on the table. So it’s more so about winning, and you’ve got to put yourself in a position to where you’re winning basketball games and you’re having fun doing it. Losing is not fun, and ‘Melo wants to win.”
Mike Woodson Wants Sit-Down With Phil Jackson
With Phil Jackson now embedded at the top of the basketball decision-making hierarchy in New York, current Knicks head coach Mike Woodson would like a sit-down with his new boss, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. While Woodson has said the right things about Jackson, it’s no secret that his future with the Knicks is uncertain despite being under contract for next season.
The Knicks are hoping to hold Jackson’s introductory press conference on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, reports Berman, providing an opportunity for such a meeting to take place. Rumors have begun to swirl about Jackson installing his signature triangle offense in New York, which would likely necessitate a new coach. Woodson is hoping for fair consideration.
“I would want him to view me as a coach,’’ Woodson said. “If and when that time comes, I would just love the chance to sit with him and talk basketball. He’s a basketball guy, I’m a basketball guy. This is 30 years I’ve spent in this league so that’s what we’ll do, but until that happens my focus is strictly on trying to get this team in the playoffs. That’s it.’’
Berman lists Steve Kerr, Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw and Bucks assistant Jim Cleamons as former Jackson disciples who might draw consideration. He also mentions Nate McMillan as a “strong possibility” before implying that past tension with Jackson might dispel the possibility for Jeff Van Gundy‘s return to New York.
Western Notes: Lakers, Faried, Butler, Ledo
After Kobe Bryant‘s news conference on Wednesday, the Lakers may have to abandon any strategy not aimed at an immediate turnaround, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Pincus has an intricate plan in mind for the purple-and-gold that entails trading their 2014 first rounder for Kevin Love, waiving Steve Nash, re-signing Pau Gasol and much more, all designed at arming the aging Bryant with running mates capable of staging one last run at a title.
Let’s take a look at what is going on elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried is happy that the trade speculation is behind him, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Faried is having an impressive March, scoring 21.1 points per game and grabbing 10.1 rebounds on 64.5% shooting from the field. Teammate Ty Lawson also believes that the trade talk was hurting his play somewhat, noting that he has been more aggressive since the trade deadline came and went.
- Thunder trainer Joe Sharpe had a lot to do with Caron Butler‘s decision to sign with Oklahoma City this season, Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes. Sharpe held a similar position at UConn when Butler was there.
- While we pointed out a pair of D-League success stories earlier tonight, Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram opines (via Twitter) that Ricky Ledo may have become a high lottery pick with the proper collegiate seasoning. Ledo, who has bounced between the Mavericks and the Texas Legends in his rookie season, attended Providence College though he never played for the Friars. He was selected 43rd overall by the Bucks last June.