Eastern Links: Price, Knicks, Hinkie
Former NBA star Mark Price is in the process of joining Steve Clifford's coaching staff on the Bobcats, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Price – who had previously worked with Clifford on the Magic – figures to be an integral part of helping the team's overall shooting percentages improve. Bonnell adds that Stephen Silas will be retained and Bob Beyer is expected to join the team as another assistant. Here are some more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference this evening:
- Patrick Hayes of the Detroit Free Press identifies what the reasonable expectations are for Kyle Singler, Jonas Jerebko, Khris Middleton, and Kim English going into next season for the Pistons.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York relays a list of players who participated in a free agent mini-camp hosted by the Knicks today, which included Keith Gallon, Malcolm Grant, Ricky Harris, Terrence Jennings, Ahmad Nivins, Dustin Salisbery, Tony Taylor Jr., and Brandon Webster.
- While some may find it puzzling that the 76ers haven't decided on hiring a coach yet, one source tells Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that GM Sam Hinkie has a plan in place and knows what he's doing. Though he could not be reached for comment, Hinkie is expected to address the media on the night of the draft.
Western Notes: Wolves, Mavericks, World Peace
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes that the Timberwolves will likely trade either J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour by draft night. In the same piece, Zgoda notes that GM Flip Saunders is impressed with Victor Oladipo. Minnesota – currently slated to draft ninth overall – would have to swing a deal into the top five in order to have a chance at the former Hoosier star, though Zgoda doesn't think the team has enough assets to accomplish that. Here are more news and notes from the Western Conference tonight:
- The Grizzlies interviewed Ed Pinckney today and are another team among those monitoring Doc Rivers' situation with Boston, says USA Today's Sam Amick (Twitter links).
- While recalling the Mavericks' decision to break up their championship roster, coach Rick Carlisle described it as "gut-wrenching." This summer, Dallas will have another chance to reap the rewards from that tough decision, and Carlisle seems determined to get things done: "We're going to be active in free agency…We're an aggressive franchise by nature; our owner (Mark Cuban) is. And that's good. We're going to put together a good team" (A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com)
- Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been working out at the IMG Academy and reportedly looks great, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld.
- Matt Moore of CBS Sports isn't so sure George Karl would be a good fit with the current Grizzlies roster. Going off of reports that Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins are in the lead for the Nuggets' job, Moore thinks Shaw would be an ideal fit, whereas Hollins would have more of a challenge with Denver's youth.
- Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK explains why Mason Plumlee would be a solid pick for the Thunder with the 12th overall pick.
- Janis Carr of the OC Register (Subscribers only) takes a closer look at Mark Madsen's coaching opportunity with the Lakers' D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
Eastern Notes: Rose, Bosh, Kidd
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be excited as he described the progress that Derrick Rose has made, saying that the superstar point guard's speed and explosiveness have come back to the point to where he's comfortable and confident (Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago):
"I worked him out about a week ago…Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence.(Reporters) may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he's there now. He feels great, and that's the most important thing."
Here are more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Heat forward Chris Bosh downplayed the idea that he's bothered by talk about him being the most expendable of Miami's "Big Three," also mentioning that he wouldn't want to be the lead player on a team with a lesser situation (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports).
- Though Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy once doubled as a player-coach, don't expect Nets coach Jason Kidd to follow suit, as he told reporters that he has no intention of ever playing another minute (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Twitter).
- Patrick Ewing, recently hired as an associate head coach for the Bobcats, thinks that it'll be a tough challenge for Kidd to make the transition from being an NBA player directly into becoming a head coach (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York).
- Former Knicks and Nets forward Shawne Williams looked good during a workout today and will audition for several NBA teams soon, tweets Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that while the presence of Dion Waiters on the Cavaliers may compound the team's interest in drafting Ben McLemore, the former Syracuse standout could thrive in a reserve role as a primary ball handler in the second unit.
- Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com reviews today's draft workout hosted by the Pacers, which included Deshaun Thomas, Will Clyburn, Alex Oriakhi, James Southerland, and Troy Daniels. C.J. Leslie was present, but did not participate in the workout.
Noel Signs With Andy Miller, Frank Catapano
8:14pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that Noel has hired Frank Catapano in addition to Miller as a co-representative.
7:56pm: Potential number one overall pick Nerlens Noel has chosen Andy Miller to be agent, confirms Darren Heitner of Collegiate Sports Advisors. Heitner notes that the signing had first been mentioned as a possibility by SponsorshipX (Twitter links). Miller also confirmed the news to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Miller – who is affiliated with the ASM Sports agency – represents 38 NBA players, notably Kevin Garnett, Serge Ibaka, Ersan Ilyasova, Kyle Lowry, Jamal Crawford, Chauncey Billups, and Larry Sanders.
The Cavaliers – who have the first overall pick this year and are considering Noel – have familiarity with Miller, as two of his current clients also include Daniel Gibson and Marreese Speights, who both suited up for Cleveland this past season.
George Karl On Grizzlies, Clippers, Nuggets
George Karl told reporters yesterday that he has been talking with the Grizzlies and Clippers about their head coaching jobs respectively. With that being said, the former Nuggets coach doesn't think that anything will get done by this week – and if it does, he says, it'll involve another head coaching candidate. Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post has other notable comments to share from Karl, of which you can read below:
On his meeting with Josh Kroenke upon being let go:
"Josh was nice and complimentary, said he'd honor my contract and the coaches. The conversation was on the decision, and I said, 'I think I should tell you, I think it's very stupid.' And since then, I don't understand it."
"I stopped myself — I could've rambled for two hours. I didn't want that argument. Basically I've had two meetings with Josh Kroenke. We met on Sunday (before the firing), and it lasted about an hour and I thought it was a positive meeting, very constructive, a lot of thoughts…I agree with them 100 percent that losing in the playoffs was disappointing and I could've done a better job. But Kenneth Faried (being hurt), he was never Faried the whole (playoff) series."
On the notion that he demanded a contract extension:
"I didn't demand an extension — I said to Josh, 'I will coach this team next year, I'm excited about coaching this team next year, but in the last year of a contract, there are things that could happen. I didn't say they would happen, I said they could happen. I said I didn't think I deserved a three-year extension, but it's a signed contract (with an option), so let's compromise. I don't think I deserved to get my option picked up, even if we won in the first round (of the playoffs), but there's a middle ground."
On the argument that he didn't play young players:
"…It shouldn't be that I didn't play young players, it's I didn't play young players enough, because we played a lot of young players — Kenneth Faried, Kosta Koufos, Evan Fournier at the end of the year, Ty Lawson…
"I think all of our young players are in a good place except for maybe Jordan Hamilton. He's the only guy I can say, 'OK, he might have should've been given more minutes.'
On not playing Javale McGee more and his lack of fit with Faried:
"I'm sorry, I've never had management tell me that money's important (for playing time). Every team I've ever coached, it was, 'It's your job to distribute minutes.' I think JaVale built a foundation that next year is going to be very good with him. I don't think our relationship was in a bad place. It wasn't in a great place, but it wasn't in a bad place. … I felt pretty good that JaVale, with a good summer with us, probably would have been the starter next year. But in the same sense, I don't think JaVale and Kenneth fit. They have similar limitations. I still think having a passing point guard for JaVale, like Andre Miller, is an asset."
Thoughts on the Nuggets' season:
"We won 57 wins and are in a great place. Continuity, consistency, togetherness all are so much more valuable than they have on their priority list than playing JaVale McGee or the young players…And I never had a meeting where that disappointment (on not playing young players) was voiced to me. I never had that meeting. I heard through whispers. I'm sorry that 57 wins doesn't make you happy."
"I think it was a special season because of the connection this team has with each other and with the coaching staff and with the city. The fans like this team. The staff likes each other. And to blow up that connection is, in my opinion, extremely disrespectful to coaching."
Odds & Ends: Dumars, Will Bynum, Camby, Pierce
When Pistons general manager Joe Dumars traded Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson's expiring contract in 2008, the cap space it later created was ultimately used on the free agent signings of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon during the summer of 2009. At the time, Villanueva agreed to an offer worth $35MM over five seasons, while Gordon signed on for $55MM over five seasons. Unfortunately, Villanueva's scoring averages and minutes dipped every season since then, whereas Gordon struggled to consistently regain the form that had made him an enticing commodity in Chicago and was later traded to Charlotte. Now set to be equipped with significant cap room this offseason, Dumars implied that he'll be very conscientious about what he'll do with the flexibility:
"What we don’t want to do is use all of it for the sake of it. You want to use it wisely" (Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News relayed the quote via tweet).
Here's more from around the Association:
- Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears that the Knicks and Lakers have expressed interest in Pistons free agent point guard Will Bynum (Twitter link).
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York reports that Marcus Camby has no plans of retiring and is currently preparing to return next season with a bigger role in the Knicks' rotation.
- While the Celtics ponder over whether or not to pick up the last year of Paul Pierce's deal or buy him out for $5MM, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News heard from one Eastern Conference GM that people in Pierce's camp are readying themselves for free agency. Hoopsworld's Eric Pincus has heard rumblings that if the veteran forward is let out of his contract with Boston, he'd have interest in joining the Clippers (Twitter link).
- Warriors center Festus Ezeli underwent successful surgery yesterday to reinforce the MCL and PCL in his right knee, as per the team's official website. The timetable for recovery is expected to be a minimum of six to nine months. With Ezeli out, Andrew Bogut plagued by injuries, and Andris Biedrins seemingly lost in the fold, Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area tweets that Golden State is clearly in the market for a big man.
- Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.net tweets that former 2011 second round pick Davis Bertans (whose draft rights are currently owned by the Spurs) suffered a torn ACL but should be able to return later this year. The 6'10 forward is in the second of a three-and-a-half year deal with KK Partizan of the Serbian League.
Odds & Ends: Brewer, Shaw, Larkin
Despite his limited role in Oklahoma City, Ronnie Brewer sounded open about a possible return to the Thunder: "I'm still very young and still have a lot of basketball left in me so if it's here or somewhere else I'll continue to play basketball. This is a great organization and (has) great players, great coaches, great fans. So hopefully I can continue to play here” (Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman reports). Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous notes:
- Though George Karl's coaching style may fit well with GM Sam Hinkie's focus on analytics, Grantland's Zach Lowe says that one name to look out for with regard to the 76ers' head coaching vacancy is Chris Finch, who is currently an assistant to Kevin McHale with the Rockets and the head coach of Great Britain's national team. Lowe gets the sense that Hinkie is looking to build a strong relationship with a first-time NBA coach, and Finch – who also served as a coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers – was reportedly able to develop a good working relationship with Houston team brass while handling his responsibilities in the NBDL.
- As far as the Nets' coaching search goes, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News cites a source who says that Brooklyn is seeking a "fresh face," which may indicate that Brian Shaw is ahead of Lionel Hollins on their wish list.
- When it comes to Kris Humphries and the Nets, Roderick Boone of Newsday tweets that both parties would welcome a trade.
- Shane Larkin looked very impressive in his workout with the Jazz today, according to Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that center prospect Jason Washburn made an impression during his visit with Utah as well.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee says that one name to look out for as a possible assistant coach for Michael Malone's staff is Roy Rogers, who worked as an assistant for Lawrence Frank on the Pistons last season and is credited for playing a vital role in Andre Drummond's development.
- Marcus Thompson II of Mercury News notes that Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes of the Warriors will participate in Team USA's minicamp in July.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News opines that the era of retread coaches in the NBA is over.
- Gene Wang of The Washington Post briefly profiles Khalif Wyatt following the 6'4" guard's workout with the Wizards earlier today.
Cheeks A Frontrunner To Become Pistons Head Coach
11:00pm: Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reported that a deal between Maurice Cheeks and the Pistons could materialize over the weekend. Ellis opines that when Nate McMillan - who was also a candidate for Detroit's head coaching position – surfaced in speculation regarding the Nuggets' vacancy earlier, it gave the indication that the Pistons had already made their decision on Cheeks.
7:40pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that Maurice Cheeks has emerged as a strong frontrunner to become the Pistons' next head coach. He also mentions that ownership and management came to the consensus on Cheeks, and that discussions on a contract could begin soon. Earlier this evening, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News said that Cheeks was his best guess to be Detroit's top choice and just reported that a deal could get done tonight (Twitter links).
Before he became an assistant with the Thunder in 2009, Cheeks was the head coach of the 76ers from 2005 to 2008, where he compiled a record of 122-147 in just a little over three seasons in Philadelphia.
Stern On The State Of The NBA
Earlier tonight, NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver participated in a pre-Finals press conference. While there were plenty of reporters who live-tweeted several of the responses during Stern's question and answer session with the media, Hoopsworld's Yannis Koutroupis released a more complete transcript of Commissioner Stern's comments. You can read some of the highlights below.
- Stern said that he has the "best job in the world" and that there is still much to be done in the months leading up to his retirement, also reiterating his faith in Silver as his successor.
- As for instant replay, the concept of off-site review (as it's done in the NHL) is under consideration, and Stern will bring up the topic at the Competition Committee in San Antonio next week. Silver added that having officials in a broadcast booth somewhere to assess replays could even speed up the overall review process.
- On the topic of flopping, Stern implied that it's still a complex challenge to deal with. While many of the flops of have been reviewed, the approach has been to punish even the most egregious flops very gently. While he said that suspensions could eliminate it altogether, Stern said that it'd be too severe of a punishment but concluded that it would be up to the Board and Competition Committee to handle.
- He will bring up the topic of resting players during upcoming board meetings with the owners, citing that it has a variety of layers to it and merits discussion.
- Stern adamantly downplayed the effect of flopping fines: “It isn’t enough. It isn’t enough. You’re not going to cause somebody to stop it for $5,000 when the average player’s salary is 5.5 million."
- Regarding the more punitive tax penalties that loom over the next several years, Stern believes that the rules and exceptions put in place have been accommodating and allowed teams to gradually adjust accordingly: "So we, trying to deal with the entire situation, said let’s do it slowly, so we’ll build up to it, so that the luxury tax doesn’t click into the highest level until the third year to allow teams to do what they’re going to do. And let’s allow an amnesty for one player who is then on the roster. And let’s have a stretch, so if you cut a player you can do that. You can stretch it out twice the length of the contract plus one."
- Stern referenced New York's decision to not match Jeremy Lin's contract offer, with Chicago's decision to let Omer Asik sign with Houston, the coaching changes, and decisions based around the salary cap as evidence that teams are starting to become more conscientious with management.
- Expanding more on the topic of coaching changes, Stern alluded to it as "a natural consequence" of trying to assemble a roster along with the pressure felt by the general manager of being able to compete. Overall, he sees it as an important part of the overall pressure of a system in the NBA, where teams that aren't competitive and/or struggle financially have no choice but to do what they can to improve.
Odds & Ends: Clippers, Collins, Shaw, Karl
Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that Lionel Hollins met with the Clippers today and engaged in a lengthy conversation about their head coaching job. Turner also relays that Brian Shaw is expected to interview with team brass on either Monday or Tuesday next week (Twitter links). As for George Karl, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that while the Clippers haven't spoken to him directly, they have been in contact with his representative. Both ESPN's Marc Stein and Shelburne report that Karl and Shaw have emerged as the team's top two candidates for the job.
As we gear up for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, here are a few miscellaneous notes to share from around the league tonight:
- As far as his next contract goes, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki says that it'll probably be a two- or three-year deal (Jon Machota of SportsDayDFW).
- Sam Amick of USA Today hears that the Grizzlies reached out to Karl almost immediately after he was let go in Denver today. The Nuggets had to grant permission to Memphis in order to reach out to Karl because the severance agreement hasn't been finalized and the 62-year-old coach is still under contract.
- Amick notes that the Grizzlies had their sights set on assistant Dave Joerger as their top candidate to replace Hollins, but made that option contingent on whether or not Karl would become available.
- Sportando.net's Emiliano Carchia tweets that former NBA player Andres Nocioni is in talks regarding a contract extension with Baskonia, a Spanish ballclub that participates in the ACB and Euroleague.
- Flip Saunders confirmed on KFAN radio in Minnesota that the Timberwolves currently have Victor Oladipo ahead of Ben McLemore on their draft board, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
- ESPN Insider Chad Ford says that many teams are bummed that Dario Saric is considering withdrawing his name from this year's draft, adding that several NBA executives had him ranked in their top five or top seven prospects. He also mentions that there are other teams who had no intention of drafting Saric that aren't thrilled with the news either, considering the notion that the draft gets weaker when talent leaves. Interestingly enough, Ford says he wouldn't be surprised if some NBA teams that are currently in Italy for the Eurocamp will try to travel to Croatia in order to make an attempt to persuade Saric to keep his name in consideration this year (All Twitter links).
- Ricky Ledo's agent, Seth Cohen, tells SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria that his client will not work out for the Thunder (Twitter link).
- For whatever it's worth, Shaquille O'Neal said that he and Chris Webber would like to own the Kings (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram noted the comment via Twitter).