Knicks Will Not Pursue Allen Iverson
The Knicks, while in need of shoring up their backcourt, will not consider talking with Allen Iverson as they deem the former Sixers star too big of a gamble, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Creative Artists Agency client made an appearance on Wednesday night in Philadelphia during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals where he expressed his desire to get back into basketball. Iverson, 37 in June, has a history with Knicks head coach Mike Woodson as Woodson was an assistant coach to Larry Brown for two seasons while Iverson was with the Sixers.
Iverson last played professionally in 2010/2011 when he signed a two-year, $4MM contract to play for Turkish club Besiktas Cola Turka, the same franchise Deron Williams later called home during the 2011 NBA lockout. He managed to average 14.3 PPG and 4.7 APG in seven league games before returning to the United States in January 2011 after a calcium deposit in his calf required treatment from Dr. James Andrews. While Iverson thought he would be able to return to Turkey in time for the playoffs, the former Georgetown star has not seen the court of a professional game since suffering the injury.
Even if Iverson is not the answer, the Knicks still need to find help to build backcourt depth heading into next season. Knicks GM Glen Grunwald expressed the team's commitment to re-signing Jeremy Lin during Friday's conference call to announce Woodson's new contract, but the former Harvard star's return is not a guarantee. Berman suggests the Knicks will look to lesser guards to sign with the team's $2MM lower exception including Raymond Felton, Derek Fisher and Gary Neal. There is concern that if Steve Novak's Bird rights aren't restored then the Knicks won't be able to afford to retain him or J.R. Smith, who is presumed to be gone if he doesn't pick up his $2.5MM player option for next season.
Cavs Notes: Nicholson, Beal, Irving
Here's the latest news and headlines out of Cleveland from The News-Herald's Bob Finnan…
- While much of the buzz surrounding Andrew Nicholson has the former St. Bonaventure star heading to the Celtics or the Thunder, the Cavs are giving the 6-foot-9 power forward a hard look as they determine their plans for the No. 24 pick in the draft, reports Finnan. The team visited Nicholson at his college campus and worked him out to see if he would be a good fit for the rebuilding squad. Checking in at 240 pounds, the big bodied Nicholson has been compared to former Xavier star David West.
- Finnan says the Cavs would love to have former Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal if they end up with the No. 3 pick in the draft especially considering their lack of depth at the position. While listed at 6-foot-5 and a lot closer to 6-foot-3, Beal makes up for a lack of ideal height for a shooting guard with his athleticism that translated to 6.7 rebounds per game for the Gators. Ryan Blake, senior director of NBA scouting operations, predicts that if the Cavs draft Beal, he'll fit in perfectly as the starting two guard for the Cavs to form an imposing backcourt with Kyrie Irving.
- The evolution of Irving as an NBA player excites all those involved with the Cavs organization especially considering he's already one of the top point guards in the league, writes Finnan. "I was always such a shy guy," Irving said. "I came to practice three hours early getting my shots up because I was so nervous to come in, and I wanted to make everything perfect. Everybody knows I am the hardest critic on myself." While winning Rookie of the Year honors may lead to a celebratory offseason for some players, Irving plans to come into camp in even better shape than last season with hopes of taking his game to the next level.
Winderman On Bosh, Odom, James
The Heat will get underway in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday against the Celtics after Boston knocked off the Sixers in Game 7 of the Conference Semifinals on Saturday evening. The series marks a rematch of sorts as the two teams faced each other in the playoffs last season when they met during the Conference Semifinals with the Heat winning the series 4-1. Let's check in with the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman for the latest news out of South Beach.
- Winderman is unsure of Chris Bosh's status for the Eastern Conference Finals and thinks the Heat aren't expecting anything out of the former Georgia Tech big man against the Celtics. Without Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have stepped up their play to the next level and have seen improved efforts from the role players around them. While the Heat should be OK against the Celtics without Bosh, there's little chance that the squad could take down the Thunder or the Spurs without him in the NBA Finals.
- Don't count on the Heat acquiring Lamar Odom during the offseason, writes Winderman, as the former Lakers Sixth Man of the Year probably won't come cheap even after a disastrous season in Dallas. Odom would have to be bought out by the Mavs and then willing to take a heavy discount to take his talents to South Beach. Look for the former Rhode Island star to return to the Lakers or sign with the Knicks as he needs to find an environment that he is familiar with so he can revive his career.
- Winderman says it doesn't make any sense to compare James and Wade in terms of who is the better leader or who is the best player on the team. As we've seen over the course of the past week, the success of the Heat is predicated on both players working in unison at a high level. Simply put, it doesn't matter who the face is of the franchise is if the team is winning games.
Latest On Jerry Sloan’s Bobcats Candidacy
Former Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan met with Bobcats owner Michael Jordan and other members of the Bobcats front office on Friday to discuss the team's head coaching vacancy, reports Brad Rock of the Deseret News. Sloan stated that the Bobcats did not offer him the position but did not discount the possibility that the two sides could be a match even though the Bobcats only won seven games during the 2011/2012 season. Let's check in on the latest Sloan-related news and rumors as we head into Memorial Day Weekend.
- Sam Amick of SI.com (via Twitter) had the opportunity to speak with Sloan after his interview with the Bobcats and says the Hall of Fame coach isn't sure whether the franchise is leaning a particular way with other candidates to consider. "Everything went fine. There wasn't any job offers or anything like that. We visited. He asked me a lot of questions and I asked him a lot of questions. I think they're gonna interview some other people. I don't know."
- Dana Greene of ABC4.com wonders if Sloan is a good candidate for the Bobcats given his age and desire to work with "old-school players." Former Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa says Sloan has the desire to improve a bad situation. "Jerry Sloan is all about discipline, hard work, and getting players to become better. The NBA needs someone like Jerry Sloan, especially a team that needs a new energy level, a new knockout punch. That's Jerry Sloan."
- Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype says (via Twitter) he'd love to be inside of Jerry Sloan's head as he sits through interviews with the Bobcats to better understand why the coach who has accomplished all but winning an NBA championship would be interested in heading up a reclamation project in Charlotte.
Bianchi On Shaq, Brian Shaw, Stan Van Gundy
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel eloquently deconstructs the candidacy of Shaquille O'Neal for the Magic general manager position in his latest column. Not only does his admonish the media for making Shaq's interest in the position far greater than it ended up being but he also gets in a dig at the future Hall of Famer for removing his name from consideration by stating "This is not a job I have an interest in pursuing." Bianchi says that's the equivalent of him stating he'd have no interest in pursuing Bill Simmons' gig at ESPN or in simpler Hoops Rumors terms, Paul Silas claiming no interest in coaching the 1995/1996 Bulls.
Bianchi says Brian Shaw is his odds-on pick as the most likely candidate to become the next head coach of the Magic. Shaw nearly succeeded Phil Jackson after his retirement from the Lakers last offseason but fell short of landing the job as Mike Brown beat him out for the position. The former guard spent the 2011/2012 season as Frank Vogel's associate head coach for the Pacers, who finished the regular season with a 42-24 record and kept the second round of the playoffs heavily competitive against the Heat.
Bianchi predicts it won't be long before Stan Van Gundy is once again sweating on the sidelines while drawing up plays in the huddle, especially when he's getting support from former top executives like Steve Kerr. "If I need a coach, I'm getting on the phone with Stan Van Gundy. He's one of the best in the league." Look for SVG to rebound with a team like Clippers or Trail Blazers if he's interested in coaching this upcoming season rather than settle for a lesser job with the Bobcats.
Isiah Thomas Looking To Return To Basketball
Former Florida International head coach Isiah Thomas wants to return to either college basketball or the NBA after being relieved of his duties at FIU in April. In a phone conversation with Scott Powers of ESPNChicago.com, Thomas said that he isn't done with his post-playing career in basketball after finishing with a 26-65 record over three seasons with the Panthers.
"I definitely want to be in basketball again whether it be coaching or as a general manager," Thomas said. "My gift is basketball. I would love working with the kids. If it's the right college program, I would consider it. If it's the right GM job or coaching job in the NBA, I would consider it. I love the game. I just want to be in the game."
Thomas, 51, acknowledged that his name consistently comes up whenever an opening with the Knicks is mentioned in the media after forging a strong relationship with owner James Dolan during his tenure with the team. The former Pistons "Bad Boy" served as the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Knicks in which he struggled significantly both on and off the court. Even with the setbacks, Thomas still has a strong view of the Knicks given that many of his friends still work for the franchise.
"I have great friends in the organization," said Thomas. "A lot of them I gave them their first job opportunities in the NBA. The owner and I have a very good relationship. It's an organization I will always root for and will always want them to do well because they're all personal friends of mine."
While it's unlikely Thomas will find his phone ringing for the general manager opening in Orlando or the head coaching job in Charlotte, he should be able to find work as an assistant coach at a collegiate program on the rise or perhaps as a lower-level executive for a middling NBA franchise.
Reactions To Mike Woodson’s Extension
We reported earlier this evening that the Knicks had finalized a multiyear contract extension with head coach Mike Woodson. While the financial terms for the contract have yet to be announced, the length of the deal will keep Woodson in the Big Apple through the three years remaining on the contracts of Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. We'll keep track of the latest reactions to the news of Woodson's extension here.
- Howard Beck of The New York Times says Woodson should be praised for holding the Knicks accountable on defense but not on offense (via Twitter).
- Woodson was the best candidate for the Knicks head coaching job and New York made the right choice by retaining him, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Jared Zwerling.
- During the conference call announcing his extension, Woodson stated his excitement with owner James Dolan's decision to keep him around for a few more seasons. "I'm very, very excited about coming back and being the Knicks head coach. CAA is representing me now and I know expectations are very high."
- Harvey Araton of The New York Times says the Knicks made the logical choice in electing to bring back Mike Woodson as the team's head coach.
- Knicks GM Glen Grunwald said during the conference call that Woodson was given the first opportunity to win the job and impressed the organization during interviews. “We told Woody he would get the first crack at the job and he hit it out of the park.”
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News opines that while Woodson earned the job, the Knicks still should have given Phil Jackson a call (via Twitter).
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops believes Phil Jackson would have been interested in at least talking about becoming the next head coach of the Knicks.
Magic To Interview Jeff Bower for GM Opening
The Magic will interview former Hornets GM Jeff Bower next week for the team's open general manager position, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). Bower is on a lengthy list of candidates the Magic are pursuing after mutually parting ways with Otis Smith earlier this week. Magic CEO Alex Martins and Bower have worked together in the past as Martins previously served as the Hornets' senior vice president of marketing and branding.
Bower, 51, served as the general manager of the Hornets for a total of six seasons over two separate tenures. His career highlights include drafting Chris Paul in 2005 and rebuilding the franchise amidst the struggles of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Bower was relieved of his duties in 2010 after spending the 2009/2010 season as the team's head coach in the wake of Byron Scott's firing at the beginning of the season.
While the Magic organization has stated its desire to hire a general manager with championship experience, Bower could be a good fit for the franchise given his experience working with a superstar player in CP3. Beyond spending 14 years with the Hornets wearing multiple hats, Bower has experience as an assistant coach on the collegiate level at Marist and Penn State. If hired, Bower will be tasked with finding a replacement for former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy and find a way to convince Dwight Howard to sign an extension to stay in Orlando.
Clippers Notes: Paul, Del Negro, Griffin, Young
Earlier today we passed along what we heard from the Clippers following their elimination from the playoffs last night. The news from L.A. continues to come in, so let's check in again, with the latest updates on top and earlier items below the jump:
- Chris Paul, who's indicated before that he'll sign a long-term extension with the team, was giving GM Neil Olshey suggestions on moves to improve the team in the wake of its sweep at the hands of the Spurs, writes Matt Stevens of the Los Angeles Times. Olshey takes that as a sign his star is "all in" heading into the final year of his contract.
- Speaking to reporters today, Olshey was non-committal on whether the team will pick up its option for coach Vinny Del Negro for next season, as Stevens writes in a separate piece. The report also examines the future for Blake Griffin, who's eligible for an extension to his rookie contract this summer.
- Sam Amick of SI.com this morning rounded up the questions surrounding Paul, Griffin, Del Negro and the future of the franchise.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Bucks, Heat, Nicholson
Here's the latest news and headlines from around the NBA…
- There are five ways the Knicks' Big 3 can improve in their second season together, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Bradley Center will be now known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center in a step toward getting the Bucks a new arena in the near future.
- The Heat's success is predicated on strong play by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but also relies on a different role player stepping up each night, suggests Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Thunder and the Celtics are the two most likely teams to draft St. Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson.
- Teams from smaller markets are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to winning an NBA championship, writes Richard Florida of The Atlantic.
- HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham gives his take on the top five comebacks in NBA playoff history.
- Commissioner David Stern filled the NBA's Competition Committee with his own people so that changes can be made to existing rules, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.
- Kurt Helin of NBC's ProBasketballTalk blog says Mo Williams expects to pick up his player option of $8.5MM for the 2012/2013 season.
- Mike D'Antoni isn't up to much these days after resigning as the Knicks head coach in March, writes SI.com's Jack McCallum.