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Author: Chuck Myron

Lakers Rumors: Calipari, Scott, Snyder

By | at May 1, 2014 10:27 am

There’s no immediate favorite for the Lakers head coaching job, vacant following Mike D’Antoni‘s resignation Wednesday evening. The team hasn’t reached out to many potential candidates yet, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, and Bill Oram of the Orange County Register paints it as a wide open race (Twitter link). The Lakers aren’t in a hurry to choose D’Antoni’s replacement, unless they feel like they’re about to miss out on someone they really like, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who says the draft and free agency are greater priorities for the team. Still, there’s news about a few intriguing candidates, as we detail:

  • Kevin Ollie, Alvin Gentry, Mike Dunleavy Sr., George Karl, Kurt Rambis, Calipari, Scott, Fisher, and Jeff Van Gundy are on the Lakers’ initial list, Shelburne tweets.

Earlier updates:

  • Kentucky coach John Calipari took himself out of the running via his own Twitter account (hat tip to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv). “Before it starts, I’m totally committed to helping this group of young men reach their dreams,” Calipari wrote. “I wouldn’t and couldn’t leave this group!”
  • Byron Scott, in an interview with Time Warner Cable Sports Net, confirmed a report that he’s interested in the job (video link). He’s a favorite of the Buss family, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding notes.
  • GM Mitch Kupchak and Kobe Bryant share respect for Hawks assistant Quin Snyder, Ding writes in the same piece.
  • The Lakers have been fond of Jeff Van Gundy, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com points out (video link).
  • The job holds “tremendous appeal” to Derek Fisher, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Thunder guard is likely to retire after the season.
  • Bryant likes Scott, Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy and Ettore Messina, but the Lakers star won’t drive the team’s search, Wojnarowski writes in the same piece.
  • Messina, the elite European coach who spent 2011/12 as a Lakers assistant, downplayed the idea that he’ll become coach, and he said the Lakers haven’t contacted him, Pincus reports.
  • Lionel Hollins is among those interested in the job, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
8 comments Chicago Bulls Los Angeles Lakers

And-Ones: Warriors, Constitution, Sterling

By | at April 30, 2014 5:00 pm

Mark Jackson strongly denied a report that said he asked Warriors adviser Jerry West not to attend most practices or team activities, USA Today’s Sam Amick writes.

“That’s a lie,” Jackson said. “Come on. That’s a lie. That’s disrespectful.” 

West has indeed been attending practice of late, a source confirms to Amick, though the “wide and strong” belief is that Jackson would prefer West not be over his shoulder. Here’s more from around the league that uses West’s likeness in its logo:

  • Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders takes a look at a few of the intriguing clauses in the NBA’s Constitution and By-Laws, which the league released for the first time in light of its use in the punishment of Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
  • The NBA’s advisory/finance committee will hold a conference call Thursday to begin the process of arranging a vote to take the Clippers away from Sterling, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News details.
  • Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke isn’t worried about the notion of Kyle Lowry and coach Dwane Casey walking away this summer when their contracts expire, as he said on SportsNet 590 The Fan, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. “Why wouldn’t you want to be here?” Leiweke said.
  • Bulls GM Gar Forman has yet to begin negotiations with Nikola Mirotic but he’s confident that the European star will play for the Bulls at some point, as Forman told reporters today, including K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
1 comment Chicago Bulls Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Toronto Raptors

‘Melo, Phil Jackson Talk Kerr, Free Agency

By | at April 30, 2014 4:08 pm

Carmelo Anthony and Knicks president Phil Jackson met Tuesday to discuss the team’s coaching vacancy and Anthony’s plans for free agency this summer, a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Jackson told Anthony about primary coaching candidate Steve Kerr, whom the Zen Master coached with the Bulls, Begley writes.

Jackson expressed a desire last week for Anthony to be “true to his word” that he’d take a discount to sign with the Knicks, referencing ‘Melo’s comments at the All-Star break this year. It’s unclear if that subject came up, according to Begley.

The Knicks would reportedly like to hire Kerr soon after the first round of the playoffs, cognizant of apparent interest from the Warriors and perhaps others. Kerr, who met with Jackson this weekend, wants his negotiations with New York to move at a slower pace. Anthony, who plans to opt out of his contract to become a free agent this summer, publicly expressed support for former coach Mike Woodson before the Knicks fired him earlier this month.

Jackson and Anthony have spoken briefly a few times since the Zen Master joined the organization last month, but they hadn’t addressed his potential free agency. Anthony has maintained that the Knicks are his preference, but he’s said that he wants to hear Jackson’s plan for returning the team to contention before he decides where to sign this summer.

2 comments New York Knicks

Bulls, D.J. Augustin Share Interest In Return

By | at April 30, 2014 3:27 pm

3:27pm: Forman confirmed that the Bulls would like to re-sign Augustin this summer, calling him “a fit” for the team, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune observes (Twitter link).

1:23pm: The Bulls and point guard D.J. Augustin have mutual interest in a new deal this summer, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. The Thad Foucher client only signed for the rest of 2013/14 when he joined the team in December, but Chicago has a strong desire to keep him, Charania writes. Augustin tells Charania that he’s hopeful of a return to the Bulls, echoing comments he made to reporters, including Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald (Twitter link), after last night’s playoff elimination at the hands of the Wizards.

Augustin joined the Bulls as a free agent in December after the Raptors had waived him to accommodate the trade that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento. Toronto chose to cut ties with him and his one-year, $1.267MM deal even though it wasn’t much more than what fellow backup point guards Dwight Buycks and Julyan Stone were making. The move illustrated how far Augustin, the ninth overall pick in 2008, had fallen. The 26-year-old Augustin turned it around with a strong performance for Chicago, averaging 14.9 points, 5.0 assists and 1.9 turnovers in 30.4 minutes per game during the regular season. The scoring figure would be a career high if extrapolated over a full season.

Bulls GM Gar Forman and executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson have a busy offseason ahead. They’re in the running for Carmelo Anthony, and they appear likely to try to trade Carlos Boozer before the July 16th deadline to amnesty him. They’ll probably have to get Boozer off their books and make additional cap-clearing moves to have room for Anthony, and if they can’t hook Anthony, there’s a strong chance they’ll sign European star Nikola Mirotic. Augustin figures to be a secondary priority, but it’ll be interesting to see how the Bulls weigh him against combo guard Kirk Hinrich, who’s also a free agent. Hinrich told reporters again today of his preference to re-sign with the Bulls, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com notes (Twitter link).

1 comment Chicago Bulls

Official Early Entrant List For 2014 NBA Draft

By | at April 30, 2014 2:11 pm

The NBA officially announced its list of early entrants for the 2014 NBA draft, with 75 names on the list, two fewer than last year (hat tip to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress). It includes 43 players from colleges in the U.S., 31 prospects from overseas, and one entry from the D-League.

NBA teams are allowed to contact these players and may schedule workouts. Any of them may withdraw between now and June 16th, but NCAA players won’t be able to return to play for their schools.

Here’s the complete list, in alphabetical order:

5 comments 2014 NBA Draft

Tom Izzo Won’t Coach In NBA Next Season

By | at April 30, 2014 11:24 am

Tom Izzo said on ESPNU’s College Basketball podcast today that he’ll return to Michigan State next season rather than pursue interest from the NBA, as Andy Katz of ESPN.com writes. Izzo had reportedly been a candidate to coach the Wolves and Pistons, though he says he hasn’t heard from any NBA team this year.

“If somebody made me an offer to be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers that was so good that it would impress everybody, does that mean I would never say never? I’m not doing that anymore,” Izzo said. “I’ve seen too many people get stung that way. But put it this way, I’ve got a big-time recruit coming in an hour and if I was leaving I wouldn’t be recruiting.”

The 59-year-old Izzo strongly denied the rumors linking him to the Pistons last month, but the perception has remained that he had interest in a pro job. People close to the coach told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com last month that they thought he’d entertain NBA offers but that he wouldn’t leave this year. Fellow ESPN.com Marc Stein scribe suggested about a week ago that Izzo would listen to an offer from Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders, his friend, but it appears as though Saunders can cross Izzo off his list of candidates.

Izzo considered taking the Cavaliers coaching job in 2010, but decided against it. He’s expressed frustration with the changing dynamics of recruiting players for the Spartans, but it looks as though he’ll be doing that job for at least one more year.

3 comments Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Lakers Minnesota Timberwolves

Clippers Rumors: Rivers, Sterling, Miller

By | at April 30, 2014 10:19 am

The Clippers picked up a significant on-court victory Tuesday, beating the Warriors, but Adam Silver’s punishment of owner Donald Sterling is probably a significant off-court victory, too. The team would have become a pariah for players and agents, likely scuttling a squad that’s been building toward contention the past several years. Still, there’s no guarantee a key figure will be back, as we examine amid the latest on the Clippers:

  • Doc Rivers on Tuesday night still wouldn’t commit to returning to the team next season, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports notes.
  • There’s a strong chance that Sterling will sue the NBA on antitrust grounds, a source tells Michael McCann of SI.com, who outlines the legal ramifications of Silver’s decision.
  • Silver spoke with Sterling before announcing the punishment, but neither Sterling nor anyone on his behalf gave the league assurances that he won’t sue, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
  • Sterling will have the chance to defend himself in a hearing before the NBA’s Board of Governors before the owners vote to strip the team from him, as Berger writes in the same piece. TNT’s David Aldridge seconds that in a piece for NBA.com that also lays out the timeline for the NBA’s probable ouster of the Clippers owner.
  • Rivers doubts that the Clippers can remain in the Sterling family, an idea that union vice president Roger Mason Jr. opposes, but Shelly Sterling, the wife of Donald Sterling, wants son-in-law Eric Miller to take over the team, Spears writes in a separate piece.
1 comment Los Angeles Clippers

Bulls Likely To Attempt To Trade Carlos Boozer

By | at April 30, 2014 8:47 am

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf opposes the idea of using the amnesty provision to remove Carlos Boozer from the team’s books, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears, adding that sources tell him that Chicago will make a strong push to trade Boozer instead. Boozer is set to enter the final year of his contract next season, but his $16.8MM salary and his growing anger at coach Tom Thibodeau seem to make him a poor fit for the Bulls, who have their eyes set on a free agent prize this summer.

The Knicks are “undeniably nervous” about the chances that Carmelo Anthony will sign with the team this summer, Stein writes. The ESPN.com scribe echoes last week’s report from Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that put the Bulls at the front of the list of Anthony’s preferred suitors. Chicago would have to move a significant amount of salary off its payroll to make a competitive offer to Anthony, since the Bulls’ commitments for 2014/15 already exceed even the new, higher salary cap projection for next season. Amnestying Boozer would be the simplest way to wipe a hefty chunk of money off Chicago’s cap figure, but unless a team claims him off waivers, Reinsdorf would still have to pay Boozer his salary, even though it wouldn’t count toward the cap. That’s why Deveney says there’s never been a question that the Bulls would prefer to trade Boozer (Twitter link).

The amnesty period runs through July 16th, giving the Bulls ample time to find a trade partner before the option of circling back and amnestying Boozer anyway disappears. Still, it will probably be difficult to find a team willing to make a trade that would give Chicago cap flexibility in return for a 32-year-old Boozer who rarely played in the fourth quarter this season, particularly given his inflated salary. He may have some value as an expiring contract, but any team that acquires him via trade would be unable to amnesty him. A sign-and-trade with the Knicks involving ‘Melo is one possibility, but Knicks president Phil Jackson might be reluctant to play along and accommodate Chicago’s poaching of New York’s star.

If the Bulls do amnesty Boozer, Stein suggests there’s a chance that agent Rob Pelinka, the rep for Boozer as well as Kobe Bryant, will encourage the Lakers to submit an amnesty waiver claim. That would almost certainly be a partial waiver claim if it were to happen, meaning the Lakers would pay a portion of Boozer’s salary while Reinsdorf would be on the hook for the rest. Stein points to Chicago’s likely pursuit of Pau Gasol this summer, and perhaps there’s a sign-and-trade possibility to be had involving Gasol and Boozer, though that’s just my speculation.

33 comments Chicago Bulls Los Angeles Lakers New York Knicks

Reaction To NBA’s Punishment Of Donald Sterling

By | at April 29, 2014 7:50 pm

Donald Sterling told Jim Gray of Fox News that he has no intention of selling the Clippers, as Gray reported shortly before Adam Silver delivered the news that the Clippers owner is banned for life from the NBA (video link). It doesn’t appear as though the decision will be in his hands, however, as Silver interprets the NBA’s constitution to hold that a three-fourths majority of owners can strip the team from Sterling. Owners across the league have begun issuing statements in support of Silver, and one member of the Board of Governors tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that Silver has the votes necessary for the ouster (Twitter link). Here’s more reaction to the commissioner’s decision:

  • NBPA president Chris Paul had this to say before tonight’s playoff game: “In response to today’s ruling by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver, my teammates and I are in agreement with his decision…We appreciate the strong leadership from Commissioner Silver and he has our full support” (Twitter links via ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi).
  • According to the NBA constitution, Sterling has 30 days to pay his $2.5MM fine, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports. If Sterling fails to comply, that in itself will be grounds for his dismissal by the Board of Governors.
  • Getting the votes necessary to take the team away from Sterling isn’t the issue, as Glen Taylor, chairman of the Board of Governors, tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). The legal fallout from such an action is the greater concern, Taylor says, adding that he’ll vote to oust Sterling.

Earlier updates:

  • Clippers president Andy Roeser will handle day-to-day operations for the Clippers in Sterling’s place, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
  • Any outcome short of Sterling selling the team wouldn’t have been enough for the league’s players, Mason said, as Mullen tweets. That suggests there will be extra pressure on the league’s owners to strip the team from Sterling, though it appears as though the owners will indeed vote Sterling out.
  • Sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe that Silver and the league, and not Sterling, would control the sale of the Clippers if the owners vote to take the team away from Sterling (Twitter link).
  • One Clippers player tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that everyone on the team is pleased with Silver’s punishment (via Twitter). The Clippers released a statement saying that they “wholeheartedly support and embrace” Silver’s decision, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com passes along (on Twitter). While that statement seems to have come out without Sterling’s involvement, it’s unclear who’s running the Clippers for now, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
  • Sterling can’t attend any games or practices, show up at any Clippers office or facility, or take part in any business involving the team or the league in accordance with his lifetime ban, according to The Associated Press.
  • Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, speaking on behalf of the player’s union, expressed satisfaction with the commissioner’s ruling, notes Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (Twitter link).
  • Players were ready to boycott games if Silver didn’t act as they wanted him to, union vice president Roger Mason said, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Mason added that the players want owners to swiftly vote on Sterling’s ouster, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
1 comment Los Angeles Clippers

And-Ones: Colangelo, Hoiberg, Warriors, Knicks

By | at April 29, 2014 4:41 pm

Grantland’s Zach Lowe examines the value of players making between $5MM and $10MM a year, several of whom are having a significant effect in the playoffs. Sources in NBA front offices tell Lowe that they’re reluctant to sign players who command such salaries because they fear the criticism of reporters conditioned to believe such “middle class” players aren’t worth the money. Still, acting union executive director Ron Klempner tells Lowe that he’s observed no drastic change in the league’s willingness to pay players at that rate. Here’s more from around the league:

  • Bryan Colangelo‘s name has been linked to the Pistons‘ front office vacancy on multiple occasions of late, and SportsNet’s Michael Grange hears that he’s indeed a leading candidate for the job. Tim Leiweke, CEO of the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment group that owns the Raptors, praised the former Toronto GM for his work with the team in an interview with Grange that’s included in the piece.
  • Fred Hoiberg would probably be ahead of Steve Kerr on the Warriors’ wish list if they were to seek a new head coach for next season, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Hoiberg spoke this week on 1700 AM radio in Des Moines to express that while interest from NBA teams flatters him, he’s content as Iowa State’s head coach, as Nate Sandell of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities points out.
  • The Warriors aren’t pleased with Mark Jackson‘s depleted coaching staff, according to Kawakami, and if Jackson remains head coach, they’ll pressure him to upgrade it, Kawakami believes, pointing to the issue as a possible stumbling block for Jackson’s return next season.
  • The Knicks interviewed Bill Cartwright for an assistant coaching job, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who points to Cartwright’s ties to Kerr as further indication that Kerr will be the team’s next head coach.
1 comment Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors New York Knicks Toronto Raptors
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