D-Fenders Make MacKinnon Head Coach
The Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers' D-League affiliate, have named Bob MacKinnon as their head coach, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
MacKinnon will replace former Laker center Mark Madsen at the position (Madsen was recently hired by the Lakers to serve as a player development coach on Mike D'Antoni's staff), and serve as the sixth head coach in the franchise's history.
In a statement, D-Fenders President and Chief Executive Joey Buss cited MacKinnon's ability to develop young talent that could someday contribute for the Lakers as a key reason for why the organization chose to hire him.
Knicks Notes: Udrih, Brown, Hardaway Jr.
A few notes on the Knicks, a team still in pursuit of more players and finding roles for those already under contract.
- ESPNNY.com's Jared Zwerling tweets that Bobby Brown's workout with the team went well, but no offer has been made, and free agent point guard Beno Udrih is still a priority.
- The New York Post's Marc Berman reiterates Zwerling's report, tweeting the "Knicks may get their man," with regards to Udrih.
- Berman also tweeted that Andrea Bargnani's preference of socializing with European/foreign players could have an impact on the team's decision to sign Udrih.
- Rookie guard Tim Hardaway Jr. says he will be completely healthy in time for the start of training camp, reports ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley. Hardaway Jr. also believes he can fill in for the injured reigning Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith.
Eastern Notes: Knight, Pierce, McMillan
A few notes from around the Eastern Conference.
- Despite struggling in his second season as a professional with the Pistons, then getting traded to the Bucks for Brandon Jennings, University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari still believes Brandon Knight can be a successful point guard in the NBA, writes the Detroit Free Press' Perry A. Farrell.
- Doc Rivers says Paul Pierce was extremely hurt after the Celtics traded him to Brooklyn, but that the move could give him a boost, writes Newsday's Roderick Boone.
- Pacers.com writer Scott Agness writes that former Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan believes he's in a great place with the Pacers next season. After spending a year out of the league, McMillan will be on Indiana's sideline in 2014 as an assistant coach.
Poll: Who Is The Best Free Agent Remaining
Earlier today on Twitter, Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy listed over a dozen notable unrestricted free agents who've yet to sign with a team. Who do you think is the best player left?
Notes On Greg Oden
In wake of his decision to sign with the Heat yesterday, here are a few more notes to pass along regarding Greg Oden.
- Sam Amico from FoxSportsOhio.com writes that very few teams in the league had any actual interest in Oden's services, quoting a general manager who said, "If we got him, great…But if not, we sure weren’t gonna cry about it. I don’t think anyone is looking at him as anything more than an emergency backup. That’s nice to have, but it’s not like it’s impossible to find.”
- USAToday offers several reasons why Miami's decision to sign Oden was a good one that'll pay off dividends in the future.
- ESPN's play-by-play announcer Mark Jones tweets that after Miami, the Spurs and Mavericks were Oden's second and third choices.
Odds & Ends: Free Agents, PEDs, Diawara
A few random notes from around the league on this Saturday afternoon.
- Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy let off several tweets detailing notable free agents still up for grabs on the open market. Lamar Odom, Richard Hamilton, Sebastian Telfair, and Leandro Barbosa are included on the list.
- The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi has a column on PED use in the NBA, and why the league doesn't take swifter action against possible users.
- Yakhouba Diawara, a four-year NBA veteran who last appeared with the Heat in 2010, recently worked out for Doc Rivers, and he has an audition set for next week with Miami, according to Alexandre Lacoste of Catch-and-Shoot.com
Carmelo Anthony Talks Free Agency, Knicks
In a question and answer session at his annual basketball camp earlier today, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony acknowledged that the "window is closing" on his shot at a championship, according to ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley.
The 10-year veteran's words were telling and unexpected, considering Anthony is still in the prime of his career, only 29 years old, and could be entering the last season of his current contract in New York.
Next summer Anthony will face the option of opting out of his current deal and signing with another team, or re-signing with the Knicks. Should Anthony opt out and re-sign with New York, he's eligible for a five-year, $129MM deal. With another team he could only sign for $95MM over four years, a difference of roughly $33.2MM.
While speaking with his campers, Anthony also said he was in peak shape, even better than last summer when he played in the Olympic games. He also indicated that his shoulder was feeling much better after tearing it in the playoffs. Anthony is coming off a season in which he won the first scoring title of his career, averaging 28.7PPG.
Odds & Ends: Billups, Brown, Stephenson, Siva
A few random notes from around the league.
- Chauncey Billups is about to enter his 17th season in the NBA, and his second stint with the Pistons. But even after all he's accomplished, Billups still believes he has something to prove to himself, writes Yahoo! NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.
- According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Bobby Brown has agreed to a one-year deal with a team in China. The deal has an opt-out clause that'll allow Brown to join the NBA if he can strike a deal with a team in the next two weeks.
- In an interview with Michael Pointer on IndyStar.com, Lance Stephenson answers a few questions about his upcoming season with the Pacers, including the likelihood that he'll come off the bench.
- Even though they just traded for Brandon Jennings and signed Chauncey Billups, the Pistons will still likely sign their second-round pick, Peyton Siva, tweets DetroitNews.com's Vincent Goodwill.
Western Notes: Grizzlies, D’Antoni, Mullens
A few notes from around the Western Conference.
- The Commercial Appeal's Geoff Calkins writes that Mike Miller's decision to sign with the Grizzlies, over several other contending teams, proves that Memphis is a destination free agents will start to consider.
- Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni still doesn't understand why Dwight Howard decided to leave Los Angeles, writes ESPNLA.com's Dave McMenamin.
- Eric Patten from Clippers.com writes about what Byron Mullens might be able to give the Clippers next season as their backup center.
Knicks Interested In Delonte West?
The Knicks are interested in Delonte West, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley, who reports that the free agent guard's representatives have been in discussion with the team.
The 30-year-old West did not play in the NBA last season, with his last run in the league coming on a 44-game stint with the Mavericks in 2011/12. He averaged 9.6 PPG during that stretch, his highest in three years.
West is an eight-year veteran with significant baggage off the court, and New York is just in the preliminary stages of discussion. Conversely, fellow ESPNNY.com scribe Jared Zwerling tweeted it's "highly unlikely" the Knicks sign West, as they're searching for a big man.