Bobcats Notes: Jefferson, Douglas-Roberts
The Bobcats face the second-seeded Heat tomorrow in what will be the organization’s second-ever playoff appearance. They’ll go in as underdogs against the reigning champions, but the team has performed at a high-level since the All-Star break, amassing an impressive 20-9 record. Let’s take a look at some tidbits out of Charlotte:
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer chronicles the Bobcats’ history as a franchise and examines the moves that led up to this season’s playoff appearance. Unsurprisingly, Bonnell points to Al Jefferson‘s signing as perhaps the most critical factor in Charlotte’s success, but Kemba Walker‘s progression has been important as well.
- The Bobcats’ future looks bright, opines analyst Greg Anthony in a Q&A piece with Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. They will likely need to overpay in order to attract free agents, says Anthony, so they’ll look to the draft in order to secure young talent.
- Chris Douglas-Roberts went from being unemployed to becoming a valuable piece in the Bobcats’ rotation, as noted by a piece from the Detroit Free Press. Douglas-Roberts was cut by the Mavericks in 2012/13 and couldn’t secure a job elsewhere until Charlotte signed him last December.
Central Rumors: Bulls, Pacers, ‘Melo, Irving
The Bulls are without Derrick Rose for another postseason, and Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders wonders how his absence will impact Chicago’s chances against a tough Wizards squad. Here’s more out of the Central on the first day of the NBA postseason:
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports speculates that if the Pacers don’t have a strong showing that extends into the conference finals, big changes could lie ahead for the organization. Indiana faces off against the eighth-seeded Hawks tonight.
- As a result of the likely $5MM jump in next season’s salary cap, the Bulls are feeling increasingly optimistic at their chances of landing Carmelo Anthony this summer, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- While Chicago feels confident about their pursuit of ‘Melo, Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer predicts “with 100% certainty” that the Cavs will not sign Anthony this offseason.
- In the same piece, Schmitt Boyer says the Cavs are likely to keep both Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters this summer, despite the two players similar playing styles. However, owner Dan Gilbert has made it clear he will trade any player who turns down an offer for a max extension. Irving will become eligible for such a deal this offseason.
- We passed along the latest on the Pistons and their search for a new GM earlier this afternoon.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Northwest Rumors: Adelman, Corbin, Karl, Stotts
In wake of the speculation that Rick Adelman will step away from coaching next season, Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press looks at how the longtime coach’s legacy and examines the influence he’s had on the likes of Doc Rivers, Gregg Popovich, and Tom Thibodeau. Here is tonight’s rundown on the rumors out of the Northwest Division:
- Adelman will meet with Wolves president Flip Saunders and owner Glen Taylor within the next 24 hours and make a decision about next season “fast,” tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com. Greder adds that the decision might surface as soon as this week (Twitter link).
- Former Nuggets coach George Karl wouldn’t be interested in taking on a coaching role for a rebuilding team like the Wolves, reveals Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- Jazz players, including Trey Burke and Derrick Favors, have advocated for Tyrone Corbin‘s return next year, but Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune doesn’t think it’s a certainty that the first-year coach will remain in Utah beyond this season. The Jazz concluded their season with a double overtime victory over Minnesota tonight.
- John Canzano of the Oregonian thinks the Blazers would be wise to lock up Terry Stotts to a long-term extension in Portland. Waiting too long to show that the team has faith in Stotts might have a negative impact on the franchise, Canzano argues.
Bucks Notes: Kohl, Edens, Lasry
News broke today that the Bucks’ ownership had officially found a group to purchase the organization. Pending league approval, the ownership of Milwaukee will change hands for the first time since 1985, when Herb Kohl purchased the team from Jim Fitzgerald. Let’s round up the latest news and notes on the Bucks in wake of the sale:
- New owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry were one of nine groups bidding for the team, as Steve Greenberg of Allen & Co., the firm overseeing the transfer, told Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link).
- Kohl acknowledged that while there were other good offers on the table, Edens and Lasry were the best fit for the team, reports Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links).
- A change in ownership will impact the Bucks’ quest for a new arena, and Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at what steps ownership will need to take in order to secure a new home court.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Cavs Notes: Hopson, Brown, Hawes
It was a tough season for the Cavs, who came into the year expecting to contend for a playoff berth. Although Cleveland will end up in the lottery for the fourth straight year, the team will look to end their 2013/14 on a positive note as they face off against the Nets tonight to wrap up their season. Here’s the latest from Cleveland:
- The Cavs have recalled Scotty Hopson from the D-League for their season finale tonight, the team announced (Twitter link). Cleveland sent him down to help its D-League affiliate in the playoffs, but the Canton Charge were eliminated on Monday.
- Spencer Hawes, an unrestricted free agent this summer, has enjoyed his time in Cleveland and would “for sure” be interested in re-signing with the team, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (on Twitter). The Cavs acquired Hawes from the Sixers at the trade deadline.
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert says he regrets his decision to fire Mike Brown in 2010, but Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer thinks Cleveland would be wise to part ways with Brown once again this summer. Livingston doesn’t think Brown’s strengths mesh with the strengths of the team.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Sim Bhullar To Enter Draft
Next Mexico State center Sim Bhullar will enter the NBA draft, writes Josh Gershon of Scout.com (on Twitter). Bhullar is a sophomore with massive size, standing at 7’5″ and weighing in at 355 pounds. During his second season as an Aggie, Bhullar put up 10.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per night while averaging just over 26 minutes every contest. His massive size advantage over opponents allowed him to shoot 64.8% from the floor while posting 3.4 blocks per game.
The move to declare for the draft is a bit puzzling because questions still linger about the big man’s ability to succeed at the next level. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated is among those perplexed by the decision, suggesting Bhullar would be wise to find another source of career advice (Twitter link).
Bhullar isn’t on Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress‘ list of top 100 prospects, but a report last month suggested the he could be taken in the second round by a team intrigued with his colossal size. Yesterday marked the last day early entrants could withdraw from the draft and still retain NCAA eligibility, so Bhullar will be ineligible to return to New Mexico State even if he isn’t drafted.
Knicks Sign Lamar Odom
The Knicks have signed Lamar Odom for the remainder of the season, the team announced. We heard yesterday that New York was nearing a deal with Odom, but a report earlier today suggested there was a chance the team would opt to sign Ike Diogu instead. However, the Knicks eventually decided on Odom, and the big man inked a two-year, minimum salary pact that covers the final game of 2013/14 and features a non-guaranteed year next season, as Howard Beck of Bleacher Report passes along (via Twitter).
Odom’s injury will keep him from playing in the Knicks’ final contest tonight, but the real value in his signing comes from his non-guaranteed second season. New York will be able to use Odom to help match salaries in any deal the club makes before July. Or, if the Knicks are interested in potentially hanging on to the 34-year-old, they can evaluate his abilities in the offseason and cut him without taking a salary hit if it’s decided he isn’t fit to make the squad.
Over the course of 14 NBA seasons, Odom has averaged 13.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He hasn’t seen action since appearing in all 82 contests for the Clippers in 2012/13, when he played an average of 19.7 minutes per night. He’s represented by Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management. The Knicks roster now stands at a league maximum 15 players to conclude the year.
Draft Notes: Harrison Twins, Johnson
Both Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison fared well in NCAA tournament play, and they’re leaning toward entering the draft, a source tells Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. We heard Wednesday that their teammate and projected top-5 pick, Julius Randle, had yet to make his decision. Here’s more on the draft:
- Arizona junior Nick Johnson is also unsure whether he’ll enter the draft this year, he said in an interview with ESPN LA 710 (transcription via Evan Triantafilidis of ArizonaSports.com).
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com uses a series of videos to take a look at the prospect profiles of Tyler Ennis, Gary Harris, Noah Vonleh, and Aaron Gordon, all of whom project to be first-round picks if they declare for the draft.
- We heard earlier this afternoon that Eric Moreland and Ilja Gromovs would be entering their names into the draft.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Wolves Rumors: Hoiberg, Saunders, Young
An unexpected 51-point performance from Corey Brewer in last night’s win over the Rockets no doubt had Minnesota fans thrilled, but it’s been an overall tough season for the Wolves. There was hope in the North Star State that this might finally be the season that the franchise breaks their NBA-leading 10-consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. That isn’t the case, and there might be some changes to the club this offseason. Let’s round up the latest on the Wolves:
- Fred Hoiberg‘s unwillingness to coach the Wolves stems from his fear that Kevin Love will leave via free agency in the summer of 2015, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Hoiberg looked like a realistic candidate to run the team before a report earlier this week refuted such a notion.
- In the same piece, Lawrence opines that Wolves president Flip Saunders might have no choice but to take over head coaching duties himself next season. Saunders coached the Wolves from 1995/96 until 2004/05.
- Kentucky’s James Young is one prospect who intrigues Minnesota, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com. The Wolves are likely to own the 13th pick in the draft, and the latest mock from DraftExpress has Young going 17th overall.
- Another tweet from Wolfson suggests that trading Nikola Pekovic wouldn’t yield a fair return, but the Wolves would be interested in acquiring a wing and changing Kevin Martin‘s role, presumably to a sixth man.
Ilja Gromovs To Enter Draft
Latvian big man Ilja Gromovs will declare for the draft, writes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (via Twitter). Gromovs, a 6’10” center, currently plays for Jurmala in the Latvian league, where he’s averaged five points and 3.6 boards through 31 contests. Neither Givony nor Chad Ford of ESPN.com have Gromovs ranked in their top 100 prospects.
It’s possible, and maybe even likely, that Gromovs withdraws his name from the draft before the June 16th deadline for international players to revoke their entry status. He might simply want to expose himself to the predraft workouts to get a look at the process so he has experience for drafts down the road.
Gromovs is currently ranked 42nd on Givony’s list of international players born in 1994, so he would probably be best suited as a “draft and stash” player, were any team to even select him at all.