Coaching Notes: Gentry, Walker, Van Gundy
A few coaching rumors from around the NBA and D-League.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweeted confirmation that former Suns head coach Alvin Gentry will be interviewing with the Bobcats for their open head coaching position. The Bobcats recently fired Mike Dunlap after one season on the job, while the Suns let go of Gentry earlier in the year.
- According to a tweet from Yahoo! Sports reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the head coach of the Idaho Stampede (the Trail Blazers D-League affiliate), Barry Rohrssen, will be leaving the team and returning to the University of Pittsburgh's coaching staff.
- JournalTimes.com reporter Gery Woelfel tweets that a source close to Stan Van Gundy says it's unlikely the free agent head coach takes the Bucks open job.
- Knicks assistant coach Darrell Walker will interview for the Pistons open head coaching position, according to a tweet from SI.com's Chris Mannix.
- The Pistons have also hired Phil Jackson in an advisory role to select their next head coach, reports NBA.com's Keith Langlois.
Mike Silverman To Represent Dewayne Dedmon
The University of Southern California's Dewayne Dedmon announced he'd be entering the NBA draft last week, and today he found his representation.
According to HoopsHype, Dedmon's agent will be Mike Silverman. A seven-footer who started 29 of his team's 31 games last season, Dedmon averaged 7.0RPG and 6.7 PPG.
Poll: Who Will Be The Number One Pick?
Now that the college basketball season is officially over, who do you think will be selected with the number one overall pick in this summer’s draft?
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Harris, Zeller, Machado
A few random notes from around the NBA:
- In an interview with 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles, Pau Gasol says he'd like to stay with the Lakers long-term but understands why his name is always popping up in trade rumors, writes L.A. Times reporter Eric Pincus.
- Second year Magic forward Tobias Harris reflects on the new opportunity he's had since being involved in a mid-season trade from the Bucks for J.J. Redick, writes Orlando Sentinel reporter Brian Schmitz.
- Cavaliers forward Tyler Zeller isn't sure what his younger brother, Cody Zeller, is going to announce at his press conference, but wouldn't be surprised if the potential lottery pick decides to go back to school, reports the Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Mary Schmitt-Boyer.
- Ridiculous Upside's Keith Schlosser wonders if some other NBA teams may have been interested in Scott Machado before he was plucked by the Warriors.
Western Notes: Mavericks, Warriors, Dragic
A few notes from around the NBA's Western Conference on this Tuesday night.
- Dallas Morning News reporter Eddie Sefko believes the Mavericks need to target a big man with their cap space this summer. The wish list includes Dwight Howard, Al Jefferson, Andrew Bynum, and Nikola Pekovic.
- MercuryNews.com columnist Mark Purdy writes that Warriors general manager Bob Myers is always thinking about the future as much as he's thinking about the present.
- The Suns are headed for what will likely be their worst record since their very first year in the league, back in 1968/69, but last summer's major free agent signing, Goran Dragic, has been a silver lining for the team, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Rick Adelman Considering Retirement
Last week, Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman won his 1000th game, joining an extremely small group filled with some of the best coaches in basketball history.
But according to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper, Adelman is likely to retire during the offseason if doctors aren't able to make a diagnosis and then successfully treat his wife's ongoing illness.
Adelman took a leave of absence from the team earlier this season, and says he won't do the same thing again next season, despite having two more years left on his contract.
Hickson, Trail Blazers Likely To Part Ways
According to a report from The Oregonian's Jason Quick, the Trail Blazers and center J.J. Hickson, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, will part ways at the end of the season.
With roughly $11.8MM in cap space this summer, Portland is preparing to spend it on a defensive-minded starting center. Hickson isn't that player, according to the team's general manager Neil Olshey.
“For us to make a jump next season, J.J. can’t be our starting center,’’ he said. “I’m not saying he can’t be part of the roster. But we need to find a starting-caliber center who protects the rim and gets defensive rebounds at a high rate and that has a presence. And we have to do a better job at defending the paint. So you have to ask: Is it likely there is enough minutes to commit the kind of dollars J.J. will command, when clearly there are other positions that need to be upgraded? Probably not.’’
Conversely, Hickson would like to be a starter somewhere, and at just 24 years old he'll also be looking for a pay grade increase from the $4MM he's making this season.
Poll: Who’s The NBA’s Cinderella?
With the NBA playoffs around the corner, which team has the potential to drastically excede their expctations with a trip to the NBA Finals? Does one even exist?
Odds & Ends: James, Clark, Sixers, Collison
When Heat general manager Pat Riley spoke out against Celtics general manager Danny Ainge last week, it was a calculated move on his part to keep LeBron James around after 2014, writes the Daily News' Mitch Lawrence.
- Mavericks point guard Darren Collison wants to be the team's starter, writes Dallas Star-Telegram reporter Dwain Price.
- InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina writes that Lakers forward Earl Clark has rediscovered his role with the team with some great play recently.
- On Philly.com, the Sixers are gearing up for a busy offseason.
Central Notes: Scott, Frank, Rose, Pistons
- David Mayo of MLive.com writes that Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank realizes his team's poor season could cause him to lose his job.
- Hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram gives his thoughts on Derrick Rose, and how the Bulls are handling their best player's return.
- A few Pistons writers on MLive.com give their views on what the team should do with its personnel this summer.