Knicks Notes: Phil, Kerr, Mark Jackson
So far, the Knicks offseason has been busy but unfruitful. Phil Jackson failed to sign Steve Kerr as the team’s new head coach, and had already pitched a vision for the franchise to potential free agent Carmelo Anthony including Kerr as the team’s coach. Whether New York recovers with a string of successful moves or continues to strike out, there is sure to be plenty of rumor and speculation in the Big Apple this summer. Here’s the latest:
- Jackson initially offered Kerr a three-year, $13.2MM contract to coach the Knicks, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. That salary, substantially below what Kerr was seeking, remained on the table for over a week until the Warriors entered into talks with Kerr. Berman blames Jackson’s “low ball” strategy for New York’s missing out on Kerr’s services.
- A league executive described Jackson as “beat down” to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, following Jackson’s failure to land Kerr. Isola reports that there may already be tension between Jackson and owner James Dolan, who promised the Zen Master complete autonomy over basketball decisions when he signed him as team president. Knicks ownership didn’t appear supportive of the Kerr pursuit, writes Isola.
- Isola adds that while Phil Jackson may give Mark Jackson a chance at the behest of Knicks brass, former players and coaches with ties to the coaching legend remain convinced that he won’t hire a coach he is unfamiliar with.
And-Ones: Draft, Sterling, Pippen
Doug McDermott came in at just over 6’6″ in height and 6’9″ in wingspan at the combine, measurements that a league executive tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News are “potentially disastrous” for the projected top-10 pick. Deveney thinks the forward will slip into the late lottery or worse. The measurements increase the concerns over his ability to defend at the wing we noted in our prospect profile of the Creighton All-American. Here’s a roundup of more of tonight’s notes from around the league:
- Julius Randle, Noah Vonleh, Jerami Grant, Kyle Anderson, and DeAndre Daniels all turned out average or better measurements in wingspan, per Deveney. Randle’s length was of particular concern prior to the combine, as we noted in our prospect profile of the Kentucky forward.
- Nik Stauskas unexpectedly sat out combine drills today, telling reporters including Brendan F. Quinn of MLive.com that he had little to gain by demonstrating his established shooting skills. Instead, the shooting guard hopes to prove his stock through physical testing and interviews at the combine.
- The league likely won’t take action to strip the Clippers from Donald Sterling until after the season, reports Michael McMann of SI.com in a piece outlining the steps the NBA will take to perform the ouster.
- McCann says that a divorce between the Sterlings, or any other attempts to complicate the legal process, likely won’t hinder the league’s efforts based on straightforward CBA provisions for ownership transition.
- Donald Sterling’s lawyer sent a letter to the league, threatening to sue the NBA and informing the league of his client’s refusal to pay the $2.5MM fine levied against him by Adam Silver, McCann reports in a separate piece.
- The fine was already past due, and failure to pay should actually bolster the league’s case, tweets Larry Coon of Basketball Insiders.
- Scottie Pippen is considering an offer to work for the Knicks, possibly as an assistant coach, according to a report from Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Coaching Rumors: Kerr, Ollie, Thibodeau
Stephen Curry went on the record in his support of new Warriors coach Steve Kerr, telling Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group he’s on board despite the star’s frustration with the firing of Mark Jackson. “I just want to see [Kerr] build that relationship with the players. To be able to get the most out of us,” Curry said. “We’re in good hands. I’m not worried about that. He just has to develop his coaching style. I agree with the decision [to hire Kerr].” Here’s more on the coaching front:
- Sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that Phil Jackson isn’t ready to consider himself as a candidate for Knicks coach in the wake of Kerr declining to join the Knicks.
- Jerry West thinks Jackson should coach the Knicks if his health will allow, he told Marc Berman of The New York Post. West added that Jackson will have to change his demeanor as an executive to be as successful as he was as a coach.
- West acknowledged to Berman that Stan Van Gundy was the Warriors‘ first head coaching choice over Kerr.
- Kerr tells Berman in a separate piece that he received Jackson’s blessing to meet with the Warriors while deep in discussions with the Knicks, and that the Zen Master wasn’t bitter with his eventual decision to choose Golden State over New York.
- Kevin Ollie is having his resolve to stay at UConn tested by strong interest from an unnamed NBA team, a league source tells Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “A team has come at him hard,” the source said. “He’s always preferred UConn. But he may have a decision to make.”
- Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com expects speculation around Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau to linger until the coach signs another extension with Chicago, even though Thibodeau has three years remaining on his current deal. Both Thibodeau and GM Gar Forman declined to comment on rumblings of tension between the coach and front office, increasingly fueled by other teams’ plans to pursue Thibodeau.
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak continued to downplay Kobe Bryant‘s influence on L.A.’s coaching search, telling Andy Katz of ESPN.com the star’s wishes to be involved won’t be catered to. “He really won’t weigh in on something like this,” said Kupchak. “I’m not even sure that we’ll talk to him prior to interviews.”
Central Rumors: Karl, Brown, Bulls, Pistons
George Karl would like to coach the Cavs and is high on Kyrie Irving, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears (Twitter link), but a source tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer that Kevin Ollie doesn’t envision taking the Cleveland coaching gig. It’s unclear whether the team has interest in either Karl or Ollie. Here’s more from the Central:
- Former Cavs coach Mike Brown is open to listening to coaching opportunities, but plans to take a year off from coaching, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links).
- Bulls GM Gar Forman is optimistic Chicago can select two rotation players in the draft, but is open to other possibilities, including trading up or doing a draft-and-stash, he tells K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. “If we want to try to create more cap room, we may look at doing something with one or both of those picks,” Forman said (Twitter links).
- The Bulls are prioritizing added shooting this offseason, tweets Johnson.
- Stan Van Gundy will retain Ken Catanella as the Pistons cap specialist, reports Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Van Gundy will meet Friday with Detroit’s assistant GM George David, who has a “solid chance” to stay in the front office, according to Ellis (Twitter links).
- At today’s introductory press conference, Van Gundy said he is excited about the dual role he will have with the Pistons. “I think the position gives us a chance to create the most unified organization in sports,” Keith Langlois of Pistons.com quotes Van Gundy as saying. “That’s what the dual role is all about. I came into the NBA in an organization like that in Miami with Pat Riley running it and I think there are tremendous advantages there.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Nets Open To Trading Deron Williams?
The Nets won’t rule out trading away former All-Star point guard Deron Williams, sources tell Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Williams just finished a hugely disappointing season, his fourth with Brooklyn and the second on his five-year, $99MM contract. While the Nets advanced beyond last season’s disappointing first-round exit, they lost swiftly to the Heat and Williams shot under 40% for the playoffs.
Williams was once thought to be one of the top two or three point guards in the game, but his play has deteriorated of late. He only managed to average 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game this season, bringing his career totals down to 17.4 PPG and 8.7 APG. Ankle injuries have lingered with Williams in recent seasons, and he told reporters including Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press that he is considering having his ankles surgically repaired to try and regain his mobility and confidence.
No reports suggest the Nets are aggressively seeking to move Williams at this point, but an openness to moving what was meant to be their foundational piece in constructing a roster for immediate title contention is a telling sign. Beck reports that the alternative to keeping Williams in place as the starting point guard would be to retool the roster around Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, while pushing to hold onto both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for a final run at a title. The Nets wouldn’t likely get much in return for a player making close to $20MM a year with a PER under 18. Still, some teams may be intrigued with the 29-year-old as a buy-low candidate, aside from his massive salary. The Rockets inquired about Williams in talks involving Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin this winter, but at the time the Nets were unwilling to move the former All-Star.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph may have spent his final game as a member of the Grizzlies away from the team, serving a surprise suspension for Game 7 against the Thunder. Now Randolph must turn his attention to the the offseason and his player option for the 2014/15 season. His salary is set to drop from $18.2MM to $16.9MM if he picks up the option, a decrease that was ratified despite going against CBA rules per Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com.
Despite shooting under 40% in the playoffs, his inside presence helped Memphis impose its physical style on the Thunder and push the No. 2 seed to the brink of an upset. After missing half of the 2011/12 season due to injury, and scoring well below his career average last year, Randolph returned to form when the Grizzlies desperately needed him to, having lost star center Marc Gasol to injury for a significant chunk of this season. Randolph led Memphis in scoring for the playoffs at 18.2 PPG, and he averaged a double-double in the regular season.
The Raymond Brothers client hasn’t discussed his future with team management, but Randolph and the Grizzlies have mutual interest in him remaining in Memphis for the remainder of his career. Randolph is one of the only great post scorers in a league that has become more perimeter-oriented, even among frontcourt players. The Memphis front office is more driven by advanced stats than most around the NBA, so the continued presence of a player with Randolph’s skill set and age hasn’t always been a foregone conclusion. The Grizzlies denied rumors that they were looking to trade the power forward earlier this season, but Randolph expressed disappointment in the perceived lack of loyalty from the team.
While few teams have a frontcourt scorer as sturdy as Randolph, there isn’t an abundance of teams that seem to be in a position to target the big man. Many clubs with significant cap space are invested in young power forwards, and adding a piece like Randolph could stunt their development. Examples of this include the Bucks and John Henson, the Magic and Tobias Harris, and the Jazz and Derrick Favors. Toronto reportedly showed interest in Randolph this winter, and if the Raptors believe they can contend in the Eastern Conference by building around their core, adding a proven veteran of Randolph’s abilities would make sense. It would probably mean clearing Amir Johnson‘s salary via trade, and Johnson is a productive big on an affordable contract, but pairing Randolph with Jonas Valanciunas would be an intriguing move. The Pelicans were rumored to have light interest in Randolph as well. If New Orleans wasn’t confident in Ryan Anderson‘s return to form following a scary neck injury that cost him most of last season, Randolph could play alongside Anthony Davis.
Randolph could also become a fallback signing for teams that either strike out on their primary targets in free agency or want to offer a one-year deal around the value of Randolph’s option for next season to preserve max money for 2015. The Mavs have pursued a similar strategy in the past, and I could see the Lakers keeping their sights set on 2015 while adding a piece like Randolph in the meantime. It would be tough for Randolph, who turns 33 this summer, to pass on locking in long-term money while his market value is still relatively high, but the right team and the right salary might make him think about it. Randolph mentioned the Lakers earlier this season when he spoke of teams that had shown loyalty, a virtue he hoped the Grizzlies would espouse.
Randolph’s market value is believed to be in the three-year, $30-35MM range. A 13-year veteran who has logged as many bruising minutes as Randolph would seem a risky player to sign for multiple years at over $10MM in annual salary. Al Jefferson, three years Randolph’s junior, inked a three-year, $40.5MM contract last summer. Jefferson has superior offensive prowess at this point, but he’s also a greater liability on the defensive end. The fact that Z-Bo hasn’t built his game on athleticism — Randolph barely jumps when putting up his shot — mitigates some risk of a sudden decline in ability. Randolph relies heavily on strength and craftiness, elements that won’t evaporate overnight.
Randolph’s next contract will likely be his last extended deal as one of the league’s top earners, and it would make sense for him to pursue it sooner rather than later, especially since he’s facing a pay decrease on his option anyway. While Memphis wants to keep Randolph, it will still be interesting to see if the Grizzlies value him as much as they do other players on the market should he decline his option. Randolph came in ninth on our latest Free Agent Power Rankings, but he could find that player pool less crowded once free agency begins. Seven of the players ahead of him on that list can remain with their teams either through option clauses or restricted free agency. If the market dries up and Randolph stands as one of the few premier players available, teams with cap space might be able to pry him away from the city he has thrived in for the last five years.
Western Notes: Hollins, Mavs, Rockets
After all of the excitement in the first round, the Blazers return to their home floor with hopes of making their series with the Spurs competitive. Portland has been significantly outmatched in a second round that has been somewhat of a letdown to this point. Here’s more from out West:
- A source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that the Warriors will interview Lionel Hollins for their head coaching vacancy at next week’s pre-draft camp in Chicago (Twitter link). Many names have surfaced in connection with the job, but Hollins is the first reported candidate to reach the interview stage.
- Michael Finley tells EJ Holland of The Dallas Morning News he thinks that Dirk Nowitzki will continue to play great basketball for the Mavs over the next few years, and sees the future Hall of Fame forward as a draw for free agents Dallas will be pursuing this summer. “We have money to spend. Hopefully, some of those key free agents will want to come to Dallas,” said Finley, who works in the Dallas front office. “If we can get some of those key guys to come in, that would be great, but I’m happy with the team that finished this year.”
- Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders looks ahead to the summer for the Rockets, noting what he thinks Houston needs to change in order to reach the next level.
Eastern Notes: Kerr, Brand, Cavs
The Nets hope to avoid falling in a 0-3 hole to the Heat tonight in Brooklyn. So far, the champs have faced little resistance on their quest to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals for the fourth straight year. Here’s more from the East:
- Marc Berman of The New York Post says that the Knicks are comfortable waiting for Steve Kerr to join the team, if hired, until after the playoffs (Twitter links). Kerr would have three weeks with the team before the draft, and the Knicks front office is already handling draft preparation in the event they are able to acquire any picks, since they have none at the moment.
- Elton Brand tells Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Consititution that if he returns for another season, he would like it to be with the Hawks. “Absolutely,” said Brand. “It was a great year for me and for the team and everything this organization is building and stands for.” Brand is planning on deciding whether to retire over the next couple months.
- The Cavs offered the No. 1 2013 pick, Dion Waiters, and Tristan Thompson to the Wolves for Kevin Love in a failed attempt to acquire the All-Star power forward last summer, Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer reports. The revelation came in a mailbag response where Boyer dismissed Cleveland’s chances at trading for Love in the future.
Central Notes: Bulls, Antetokounmpo, Bucks
The Pacers took a 2-1 series lead over the Wizards last night, and are one step closer to representing the Central Division in the Eastern Conference Finals. That accomplishment seemed like an inevitability during the season, but Indiana has had to desperately claw their way this far after a late season swoon and continued struggles in the postseason. Here’s more out of the Central:
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times looks at the Bulls’ options to back up star center Joakim Noah next season. Aside from the possible return of free agent Nazr Mohammed, Cowley speculates that Jason Collins or Greg Oden could be a good fit. Cowley doesn’t see any potential matches at center where Chicago will be selecting in the draft.
- The Bucks plan to put second-year players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nate Wolters on their summer league roster, along with their incoming draft picks, vice president of player personnel Dave Babcock tells Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel.
- Babcock doesn’t expect the Bucks to work out as many players this year due to the position of their draft picks. “It’s going to limit us to maybe five or six guys [in the first round], and then we have 31, 36 and 48,” he tells Gardner. “So a lot of those players in between are saying, ‘We’re not coming in there, because we don’t think we’ll be at 31.’ You know how that goes.”
Pacific Notes: Sterlings, Kings, Young
The Kings finalized a 35-year lease agreement to build a new arena in Sacramento, according to a report from Dale Kasler, Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee. The agreement still has to be voted on by city council, but there are no signs at this point that the measure would fail. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The NBA is not worried about Shelly Sterling’s long term involvement with the Clippers, sources with knowledge of the league’s legal strategy tell Michael McCann of SI.com. There is no danger of Shelly becoming a controlling owner of the team by default, and the only way she could be named a controlling owner would be with league approval.
- McCann has also learned that Sterling is likely to lose her share along with Donald Sterling if the league is successful in their push to oust him. California property law views the team as a single property shared by the Sterlings, not two distinct 50/50 pieces that the league could strip in part.
- League officials are not worried about a “slippery slope” precedent being set with the ouster, per McCann. Private comments made by other owners in the past or future will not be subject to these measures, except for egregious cases that create exceptional outrage like Sterling’s comments did.
- In anticipating the likelihood of a Sterling lawsuit, the SI.com scribe shares that the league is more concerned with the legal process becoming dragged out and embarrassing than it is with the strength of its case, which it expects to hold up in court.
- Mike Trudell of Lakers.com takes a look at Nick Young‘s season with the Lakers, asking the pending free agent about his future with the team. “Hopefully I could be back but we’ll see what [the Lakers] plans are after the draft and settle in to what they want to do,” said Young. “I appreciate everything they said to me and being able to do what I do here.” The Lakers are rumored to be interested in bringing the shooting guard back next year.