Poll: Who Will Doc Rivers Coach Next Season?
With the future between Doc Rivers and the Celtics up in the air right now, we ask which team you believe Rivers will lead next season.
Odds & Ends: Rivers, Pekovic, Bucks
A few random notes from around the league on this busy Wednesday evening between Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.
- With Doc Rivers and the Celtics seemingly at a standstill, other teams around the league might have their ears perked at the idea of one of Rivers becoming a free agent. The Magic might be one of those teams, writes Orlando Sentinel reporter Brian Schmitz.
- ESPN Boston reporter Chris Forsberg opines on the impact Rivers leaving Boston would have on the Celtics, and it isn't positive.
- The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda tweets an ambiguous statement from Timberwolves President Flip Saunders on his biggest offseason priority, re-signing free agent center Nikola Pekovic. The two didn't meet in Europe, as was planned last week.
- Charles F. Gardner from JSOnline.com reports that the Bucks will not bring back five of their assistant coaches from last season.
Draft Notes: Blazers, Nets, Hawks, Pacers
A few notes regarding draft prospects and the various teams they're meeting with throughout the league.
- Maryland center Alex Len reportedly worked out with the Trail Blazers last week, reports OregonLive.com's Sean Meagher. Standing seven feet tall, Len would provide Portland with stabilizing rim protection, something they sorely lacked last season.
- The Nets worked out several wing players who've shined at making plays off the dribble, including Reggie Bullock, Tony Snell, and Archie Goodwin, according to the New York Post's Fred Kerber.
- The Hawks are set to work out St. Joseph's C.J. Aiken, a 6'9" forward who's already worked out for several NBA teams and is projected to go undrafted, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Tyler Tynes.
- According to an official release from the team, the Pacers will hold a work out for Iowa State's Will Clyburn, Virginia Commonwealth's Troy Daniels, North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie, Missouri's Alex Oriakhi, Syracuse's James Southerland, and Ohio State's DeShaun Thomas.
- The Bucks will work out Tony Mitchell, James Ennis, Solomon Hill, Adonis Thomas, Trey McKinney Jones, and Steven Pledger, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.
- The Timberwolves are scheduled to work out six players on Thursday, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.
Western Notes: Hollins, Jackson, Kings
A look at a few notes from around the NBA's Western Conference.
- Darnell Mayberry of NewsOk.com grades second year point guard Reggie Jackson. It was his inspired play during the season that allowed the Thunder to trade Eric Maynor at the deadline, and further their already fortunate roster flexibility.
- In an interview with Andre Johnson of MemphiSport.com, Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins discusses his future as a head coach, and how various rumors during the Grizzlies' playoff run had no impact on their play.
- Alex Kramers of TheKingsBlog.com takes a look at the Kings' second round picks from the past and details how the team might use its 36th overall pick in this year's draft.
Raptors Offer Five-Year Deal To Masai Ujiri
The Raptors have extended a contract offer to Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri, reports ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. The deal is for five years, $15MM (nearly $3MM annually), and it's a certainty that the Nuggets won't be able to match the offer, according to Broussard's sources.
Ujiri met with Toronto over the past weekend, and his current contract with Denver is set to expire on June 30. Ujiri is coming off a season in which he constructed a roster that finished as the best regular season Nuggets team in franchise history (since they joined the NBA), and for his efforts he won the league's 2013 Executive of the Year award.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Bobcats, Pistons
A few notes from around the NBA's Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics have a plethora of questions to answer this summer, with their most pertinent being what to do with Paul Pierce. ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg looks at all of them, then gauges what the team's plan of attack should be.
- Bobcats new head coach Steve Clifford is pleased with his new roster, even though it's the same group that struggled heavily the past two years, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- The Pistons are still searching for a head coach to fill the void that was created after Lawrence Frank's recent firing, writes DetroitNews.com's Vincent Goodwill.
Lakers Notes: Howard, 2014 Free Agency, Kupchak
Their season might have ended in extreme disappointment, but things are never boring for long in Los Angeles when it comes to the Lakers. Here are a few bits of news with how the team plans to bounce back in the future months.
- InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina evaluates several scenarios for Dwight Howard this summer, diving into the pros and cons for each team he could conceivably sign with.
- Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak would like for Howard to make his decision as quickly as possible, but realizes the All-Star center will become a free agent on July 1st and understands his team has as likely a shot at signing him as any of the other contenders, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
- Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Bresnahan writes about the summer of 2014, when several key players will be eligible for free agency. The Lakers will be primed to strike with their cap space then, too.
Northwest Notes: Malone, Blazers, Timberwolves
A few notes from around the NBA's Northwest Division.
- Hall of Fame forward Karl Malone announced on the radio today that he would be taking on a part-time coaching gig with the Jazz, tweets Deseret News reporter Jody Genessy. Malone will primarily focus on helping the team's big men develop.
- The Trail Blazers will began holding pre-draft workouts and interviews this week, writes The Oregonian's Joe Freeman. Portland holds the number 10 overall pick as well as three second round selections. They're sure to be a busy team leading up to draft night.
- Marcus Fuller of TwinCities.com spoke with Timberwolves president Flip Saunders about Andrei Kirilenko, upcoming draft needs, and the status of restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic.
D’Antoni, McMillan Won’t Coach In 2016 Olympics
THURSDAY, 2:43pm: Like D'Antoni, 2012 Team USA assistant Nate McMillan also won't return to Mike Krzyzewski's staff for the 2016 games in Rio, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
When we first heard word that Coach K would be returning to coach Team USA for the '16 Olympics, Pete Thamel of SI.com noted that Jim Boeheim had said he was likely to remain on the coaching staff, but that not all of Krzyzewski's assistants would be back. With D'Antoni and McMillan out of the mix, the team figures to be in need of at least a couple new coaches.
WEDNESDAY, 6:04pm: Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni will not return to his role as assistant coach of the United States men's basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.
D'Antoni chose to discontinue his role due to the four-year commitment, and how much of a strain it takes on his family life. He'd been with the team since 2006.
D’Antoni, McMillan Won’t Coach In 2016 Olympics
THURSDAY, 2:43pm: Like D'Antoni, 2012 Team USA assistant Nate McMillan also won't return to Mike Krzyzewski's staff for the 2016 games in Rio, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
When we first heard word that Coach K would be returning to coach Team USA for the '16 Olympics, Pete Thamel of SI.com noted that Jim Boeheim had said he was likely to remain on the coaching staff, but that not all of Krzyzewski's assistants would be back. With D'Antoni and McMillan out of the mix, the team figures to be in need of at least a couple new coaches.
WEDNESDAY, 6:04pm: Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni will not return to his role as assistant coach of the United States men's basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.
D'Antoni chose to discontinue his role due to the four-year commitment, and how much of a strain it takes on his family life. He'd been with the team since 2006.