Knicks Notes: Woodson, Kerr, Jackson
The Knicks are one of the unique teams that can dominate headlines during a sub-.500 season, and they continue to generate buzz while the playoffs get going without them. Here’s the latest from New York:
- Phil Jackson spoke with the team after their season finale, promising there would be personnel changes, an unnamed player told Frank Isola of New York Daily News. “Phil was honest; he said it was a disappointing season,” the player said. “He told us that there will be changes in the locker room and that not all of us will be back.”
- Isola added that Jackson is trying to build a relationship with Carmelo Anthony, as the superstar decides whether to opt in or re-sign with the Knicks this summer.
- Toni Kukoc thinks his former Bulls teammate Steve Kerr would make a good coach, but said in an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio he worries that Kerr might not be up for the off-the-court demands of the job (transcription via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com). “I know Steve Kerr well and his basketball IQ is really high. He knows everything about basketball. I am just concerned about his willingness to be a coach, travel, spend that time in the hotels, the locker rooms, the games. I don’t know if he’s ready to do that,” Kukoc said. “If he’s ready to do that I don’t see any problem with Steve being a good basketball coach.”
- Mike Woodson was left out of New York’s exit meetings, but has not been informed of his fate, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
- Sources tell ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard and Marc Stein that Woodson is bracing for the worst.
- While Kerr is expected to take the Knicks coaching job, a source close to him tells Berman that “nothing is going on right now” between Kerr and the Knicks, as Berman writes in a separate piece.
- Anthony offered no comment on the looming Woodson decision, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Western Rumors: Love, Gasol, Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins received his 16th technical of the season during tonight’s Kings/Wolves game. If the technical isn’t rescinded by the league, he will incur an automatic one-game suspension and have his season ended prematurely. Here’s more from out west:
- A group of writers at Basketball Insiders looks at which marquee players could be traded this summer, including Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, and Carmelo Anthony.
- Mitch Kupchak told Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News that the Lakers are interested in re-signing Pau Gasol this summer. “There’s great interest in re-signing Pau back,” the Lakers GM said. “I don’t know why there would not be interest. He’s a Hall of Famer. But by virtue of being a free agent, he’s in the market place. By being in the market place, we have to see how things play out.”
- For his part, Gasol told Mike Trudell of Lakers.com he’s excited about meeting with multiple teams when he becomes a free agent, including the Lakers (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Bucks, Anthony, Pistons
More information surrounding the potential sale of the Bucks continues to emerge. Mike Dunleavy is part of an newly reported investment group that was interested in purchasing a share of ownership, but a separate, local group is finalizing a deal with Herb Kohl, per Mitch Lawrence of New York Daily News. Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel counters that report, saying that there is activity but that there is no definitive partnership yet. It is still unknown whether the rumored purchases are for minority or majority ownership of the team. Here’s more from the East:
- It’s well known in league circles that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau would love to acquire Carmelo Anthony, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Johnson believes Chicago will make exhaustive attempts to complete a sign-and-trade for Anthony, but deems their chances a long shot.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson took responsibility for New York’s failure to make the playoffs, Al Iannazzonne of Newsday reports. All reports point to Woodson being fired after coming up short in the pursuit of the eighth seed.
- Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News lists five potential candidates to replace Joe Dumars as the next Pistons GM.
- While most agree that Dumars’ looming resignation as the Pistons GM is appropriate, Chad Ford of ESPN.com says his personal opinion of Dumars is very high (via Twitter). Of all the GMs that Ford has interacted with, he places Dumars in his top five.
- Nikola Vucevic has been shut down for the season, mainly as a precautionary measure by the Magic, per Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.
Koonin Approved As New Hawks CEO
Steve Koonin will become the new Hawks CEO, per Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The team has confirmed the news on its website. NBA owners have approved Koonin for the position. Atlanta sold a minority share of the team in March, which increased the team’s stakeholders to 12. Bruce Levenson will remain the primary owner for the team.
Koonin, who had been serving as president of Turner Entertainment Networks, will own a minority share of the team, as The Associated Press details. He’s spent the past 14 years at Turner, and was previously a marketing executive for Coca-Cola for more than a decade.
Koonin will oversee all business operations for the Hawks, according to the AP. It’s not clear whether he’ll have any say over the team’s basketball side, but it seems as though GM Danny Ferry will maintain autonomy over that department.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Lakers, Suns, Barton
The Lakers are limping their way toward the offseason. Both Pau Gasol and Chris Kaman are likely done for the year, per a pair of tweets from Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Kobe Bryant will not take part in the team’s scheduled exit meetings, opting to meet with GM Mitch Kupchak at a later date, per Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Kobe has expressed his frustration with the front office this year, but Kupchak recently said that Lakers brass won’t be making roster or coaching moves at Bryant’s behest. Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Dan Bickley of USA Today wonders whether contract concerns for Eric Bledsoe and Gerald Green could disrupt the Suns‘ chemistry next year. President Lon Babby tells Bickley that Phoenix can’t count on a repeat of this year’s dynamic. “I think chemistry is very, very important,” Babby said. “But I also know from experience that if we brought back the entire group with no changes in personnel, it would be very difficult to re-create the same chemistry…The analogy I use is that it’s like a new year of school. You come back, and everything is a little different. Your friends are a little different.”
- Will Barton is enjoying his role with the Blazers, but is uncertain about his future with the team, he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. “I try not to think about it as much but I do sometimes,” said Barton, whose contract is non-guaranteed for next year. “You just never know what people are thinking. Hopefully I make it past the deadline…Portland took a chance on me. It would be huge if I can stay in Portland. But like I said, it’s a business and I’m aware of that. You just never know.”
- In an on-air interview with the Spurs broadcast team, Adam Silver commended San Antonio as a model franchise (transcription via Mike Monroe of San Antonio Express-News). “This is a model franchise, not only for NBA teams but teams in any sport,” said Silver. “This is the prototype of a small market team that is competing in a first-class manner and a well-run business on top of that.”
- Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders takes a look at what it will take for the Nuggets to make a turnaround next year. Blancarte doesn’t think a drastic roster overhaul is necessary.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Karasev, Magic
Speaking in general about the Celtics future, Rajon Rondo told Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that Boston’s fan base is a strength for the franchise. “I know that would be a big reason why you wouldn’t want to leave a city like Boston, because every night, even with the season we’re having, we’re probably still leading the league in attendance or at least up near the top.” said Rondo. “So you don’t take that for granted. I know I don’t.” Let’s round up the rest of the notes out of the Eastern Conference:
- The Cavs recalled Sergey Karasev from their D-League affiliate, per a tweet from Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets that the Magic are approaching the draft looking for the best talent available wherever they select, without prioritizing any one position or player.
- Kyler adds that the Magic‘s draft decisions will overlap with extension talks with both Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic (Twitter links). Both are entering the final year of their rookie scale contracts, and play positions occupied by players projected at the top of the 2014 draft.
- Al Jefferson didn’t expect a playoff berth in his first year with the Bobcats, but the center tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that he now has his sights set on continued success in Charlotte. “If you ask me did I say when I signed that we would be where we are now, no I didn’t say that,” Jefferson said. “But I feel this is only the beginning. You go back to Oklahoma City when they were not a playoff team, then made the eighth seed, lost in their first round. The next year, went to the Western Conference finals and the following year they went to the Finals. They just kept going until they became a team that everybody had to respect. That’s where we at right now; we’re at the beginning stage. I’m proud of what we’ve done so far. But I believe in my heart, we’re going to accomplish so much more.”
- Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun points out the irony of Andrew Wiggins‘ courtside presence in Toronto on the night the Raptors clinched the Atlantic Division title. When the season began, many had Toronto pegged as a team likely to tank, when phrases like “Riggin’ for Wiggins” were being thrown around.
Central Notes: Villanueva, James, Bulls
The Pacers lost to the Heat last night, losing their grip on the one seed in the East. Here’s the latest from the Central Division:
- Charlie Villanueva‘s role as an impact player has evaporated in recent years with the Pistons, and he tells Vincent Good Will of The Detroit News that he hopes his abilities will keep him in the league as he approaches free agency. “People haven’t seen me play in a while, [so] of course it’ll be tough,” said the 29-year old. “If I have to work out [for teams] to show I still have a lot of basketball left, I’ll do it. Whatever it takes. For sure, though, a lot of teams haven’t seen me play.”
- Recent Bulls addition Mike James had to recover from a mid-season MCL sprain to find his way back onto an NBA roster, but the 39-year-old tells K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune his confidence never waned. “I just stayed motivated,” James said. “I kept believing in myself, knowing I still can play this game. When the opportunity comes, I know I can still stop someone and put the ball in the hole.”
- Tom Thibodeau told Johnson that James, Louis Amundson, and Ronnie Brewer were primarily brought in to boost Bulls practices. “It gives you more depth and energy in practice,” said Thibodeau, “and insurance if you take on an injury. That they’ve all been here before is a plus.”
- We rounded up the Cavs notes earlier today.
Cavs Rumors: Hawes, Miles, Bennett
While it is unlikely the Cavs re-sign Luol Deng, whom they acquired in a mid-season trade, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer says that his impact has proven that the team needs to add a productive small forward next year. Here’s more from Cleveland:
- Pluto says that if interim GM David Griffin lasts beyond this season, he will make a strong push to re-sign free agent Spencer Hawes.
- Pluto adds that the Cavs would like to re-sign C.J. Miles, who will also become a free agent this summer.
- The Cavs are expected to retain rookie Matthew Dellavedova, whose contract is non-guaranteed next year, per the Plain Dealer scribe.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio looks at the Cavs options heading into the offseason. They could reboot once again, or stay the course with the current foundation players and personnel.
- The Cavs will likely include all of this year’s rookies on their summer league roster, coach Mike Brown tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. “We’ve talked about it, but there’s nothing formal that we’ve put forth yet,” Brown said Friday. “I think it’s good for first- and second-year guys to go and play with that type of experience.”
- 2013’s No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett would be included in that group, and Brown tells Boyer it could go a long way in helping the under-performing rookie’s development. “I think it’s going to be huge for him, not just summer league, but the time he spends in the weight room, the time he spends conditioning, the time he spends on the floor working out,” Brown said. “[Summer league is] a lot of games in a short amount of time. Because of who he is, guys are going to be coming after him. The ball’s going to be in his hands. It’s going to give him an opportunity to go out there and showcase his abilities.”
Atlantic Rumors: Odom, Young, Thomas
The Knicks beat a tough opponent in the Raptors last night, but didn’t get any help from their division mates, as the Nets fell to the Hawks. New York is now on the brink of playoff elimination. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Part of the Knicks strategy in signing Lamar Odom would be to add trade flexibility, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. The thinking is that an additional non-guaranteed year on Odom’s contract would allow Phil Jackson to include him as a cap consideration in a potential deal down the road.
- While Thaddeus Young has become optimistic about the Sixers future, he tells Jason Smith of CSNPhilly.com that he still wonders whether he will be traded in the offseason all the time. “One thing I’ve always said: Just like upstairs, they put their GM hats on,” said Young. “I put mine on also. It’s not just about basketball. It’s about me as a player. This is a business, and it’s about doing what’s best for my family. It may be here, or it may not be here.”
- Adonis Thomas is playing out the season on a 10-day contract with the Sixers, and tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he thinks he’s making a good impression. “I just wanted to stay aggressive,” Thomas said after his first Sixers appearance. “I think I did a great job. Coach [Brett Brown] put me in there. One of the biggest things they want me to do is be aggressive no matter how much time you get. Just go in there and give your all.”
Bulls Sign Lou Amundson
11:59am: The team has formally announced the signing on its website.
THURSDAY, 8:54am: It’ll be a straight rest-of-season contract, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM, indicating that it won’t extend into 2014/15. The signing will take place later today, Charania notes.
WEDNESDAY, 9:03pm: In addition to bringing on Mike James, the Bulls will fill out their roster by signing Lou Amundson in the near future, a league source tells Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. Amundson will be signed for the remainder of the season, and will be available for the playoffs.
James’ signing is set for Thursday, but it is unclear yet when Amundson will sign. The eighth-year big was waived in December by the Pelicans, and hasn’t played in the NBA since, despite rumored interest from the Wizards. Amundson has career averages of 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
If Admundson’s signing goes through, Chicago’s roster will be set for their postseason run. After waiving Erik Murphy and bringing in Jimmer Fredette, Ronnie Brewer, and now James and Amundson, the Bulls are set to reach the 15-man roster limit after spending part of the year under the 13-man minimum. It’s believed that the Bulls will avoid paying the luxury tax this season, regardless of whether Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson earn their potential salary bonuses. Trading away Luol Deng and having Murphy’s waived contract claimed by the Jazz dropped the team’s salary obligations enough to create room for the influx of new faces.