Odds & Ends: Stern, Michael Curry, Zarren
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) hears that David Stern was an active participant in yesterday's vote over Sacramento/Seattle at the Board of Governors meeting. It's worth noting that despite an offer north of $625MM as well as the $115MM relocation fee that would have been included by the Seattle group, Stern was able to sway the vote in Sacramento's direction, even though it appeared that more owners were in favor of Seattle's offer (All Twitter links). Here are a few more miscellaneous tidbits from around the Association tonight:
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweets that the 76ers are expected to interview lead assistant coach Michael Curry for their head coaching job next week.
- Steve Bulpett of BostonHerald.com hears that Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren turned down Philadelphia's offer to make him their general manager before the Sixers turned to Sam Hinkie.
- Although potential number one pick Nerlens Noel wouldn't be ready to start the regular season of his rookie campaign, the highly touted draft prospect is targeting a debut around Christmas, writes Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com.
- Noel's injury is just one reason why teams might not be too high in landing the number one draft slot this year, writes Lloyd. In that same piece, Lloyd cites one league executive who thinks that a team might be better off drafting whoever falls to the third or fourth pick rather than handle the risk of drafting first overall.
- Georgetown's Otto Porter spoke glowingly about being a potential fit for the Cavaliers, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer.
- Shabazz Muhammad opened up about the controversy surrounding his listed age and briefly told David Mayo of MLive.com about how he'd fare with the Pistons if they drafted him.
- Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob says that he won't have a problem finding a replacement for Vivek Ranadive's current share with Golden State once the Sacramento situation is resolved, says Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News (via Twitter).
- Jerry Stackhouse is in Chicago and plans to meet with possible draftees tomorrow to brief them on the NBPA, tweeted Hoopsworld's Steve Kyler.
Jerry Sloan Not Interested In Bucks
According to TNT's David Aldridge, Hall of Famer and former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan decided that he wasn't interested in the Bucks' head coaching vacancy. We made note that Sloan met with Milwaukee on Monday and that he had garnered "serious consideration." This likely won't mean the end of his name being generated on the rumor mill in the near future, as we heard last week that the 71-year-old coach had been fielding exploratory talks with other teams as well.
Sloan's 26-year NBA coaching career includes three seasons in Chicago and 23 in Utah. Should he find himself back next season at the helm of an NBA bench, the native Illinoisan would become the longest tenured active coach in the NBA. The Nuggets' George Karl is currently the most seasoned active coach in the league, having just finished his 25th season this year.
Billy Hunter Files Lawsuit Against NBPA, Fisher
Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News Sports tweeted that former player's union executive director Billy Hunter has filed a lawsuit against the NBPA, union president Derek Fisher, and Jamie Wior (Fisher's publicist), claiming defamation and a breach of contract. Ken Berger of CBS Sports elaborated further on the matter, reporting that the suit includes allegations accusing Fisher and Wior of secretly conspiring with "certain owners" (not identified in the suit) to negotiate the conclusion of the 2011 lockout and that their actions ultimately led to the termination of Hunter's contract with the NBPA.
Hunter's lawsuit contends that Fisher "actively manipulated the investigation" conducted by the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison law firm "by making false statements impugning Hunter's character." The document also questions why Hunter's employment contract from 2010 was deemed invalid by the Paul-Weiss firm considering that Fisher – whose signature on Hunter's termination letter indicates that he had authorization to hire Hunter – had signed it.
Expanding on the accusation that Fisher had secretly worked with several NBA owners in order to end the lockout, the lawsuit includes that Hunter received a telephone call from "one of the highest paid players and his agent" nearly a month before the actual agreement was reached and was notified that a deal had already been agreed upon with the owners. At that point, it is alleged that Hunter was then told by the player and agent to accept the terms and end the lockout. Hunter's party also contends that Fisher had negotiated the 50-50 split of league revenue "without consulting with Hunter or the Executive Committee."
Among some of the rest of the charges listed in the lawsuit, Fisher is accused of "(inserting) himself into the collective bargaining process to the detriment of the union" and that he "was incentivized to complete a deal as quickly as possible given his limited playing career and need to secure his future job prospects by staying on good terms with the NBA and team owners." It also brings into question the active role of Jamie Wior, who Hunter asserts had no authority to become involved with or assist Fisher with the negotiations of the CBA. At the very minimum, Hunter is seeking the rest of the money owed to him at the time his contract was terminated, not including compensatory and punitive damages.
Odds & Ends: Thompson, Ellis, Hollins, Turkoglu
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski looks back to June 2011, when Warriors' GM Bob Myers had worries about not being able to select Klay Thompson knowing that either the Spurs could possibly trade up in the draft to get him or that the Bucks were planning to select him with the 10th overall pick. As it would turn out, San Antonio would wind up trading for the 15th pick (Kawhi Leonard) and the Kings landed the 10th pick to select Jimmer Fredette, leaving the sharpshooting Washington State forward right into the hands of Golden State. Here are a few more miscellaneous notes to share along this evening:
- AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops fills us in on the "best of the bunch" in terms of international prospects in this year's draft.
- The 76ers aren't expected to hold most of their interviews for their head coaching search until after the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp, writes Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com, although there is a possibility that the team could conduct some during camp.
- According to this report by the Detroit Free Press, the Pistons are widely known to be seeking perimeter help heading into the draft but could look to add more to their frontcourt.
- Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that the Lakers have granted the Cavaliers permission to interview Phil Handy about joining Mike Brown's coaching staff in Cleveland.
- When asked about the trade that sent Monta Ellis to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson told reporters that letting Ellis go helped change the culture of the team, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (Sulia link).
- ESPN's Chris Broussard tweets that Lionel Hollins will be highly coveted if the Grizzlies opt to not re-sign him this summer, adding that the Nets would figure to be among the interested teams.
- Heat owner Mickey Arison engaged in some civil discourse with a fan on Twitter regarding the possibility that Seattle loses out on their bid for the Kings (credit goes to SportsRadioKJR.com). Arison made it clear that he believes that the city of Sacramento has done enough to warrant keeping the team, and refuted the notion that Seattle had put forth the same effort in 2008 before the Sonics franchise ultimately moved to Oklahoma City.
- John Denton of NBA.com writes that Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu understands the current youth movement of the franchise and that his time in Orlando could be over within the next coming months.
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) reports that Lakers big man Pau Gasol will be held out of basketball activities for the next three months after undergoing an operation on his knee today.
Knicks Links: Stoudemire, Shumpert, Chandler
The Knicks and Pacers have each gotten the best of each other once during the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with the series tied at one game apiece heading into Saturday. Another factor will likely be thrown into the equation soon, as Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports that Amare Stoudemire is expected to make a return for Game 3. The 6'11 forward – who has been recovering from knee surgery – says he expects to play at a high level and figures to be under a 10-15 minute limit under the discretion of coach Mike Woodson. Here's more out of Manhattan tonight:
- Adi Joseph of USA Today discusses why Amare's return might not necessarily help the team against Indiana, arguing that it could cause the Knicks to go away from the small lineups that have been successful for them.
- Almost a year ago, then-promising rookie Iman Shumpert suffered a debilitating ACL injury during the first round of the playoffs that sidelined him for several months. Zach Schonburn of the New York Times compares the 6'5 sophomore guard's rust and timid return in January to now, arguably playing his best basketball as a Knicks player since being drafted at such an important time of the year.
- Newsday's Jim Baumbach notes Tyson Chandler's struggles with Roy Hibbert so far in the series and that the 7'1 center is trying to get his conditioning and timing back.
Western Notes: McDonough, Hunter, Wright
Not long after being officially introduced as the Suns' new general manager, Ryan McDonough addressed the topic of his head coaching search, saying that several people on his list of ideal candidates for the job have matched up with the list that had been in place before he was hired, adding that Lindsey Hunter still remains as "one of the top guys" (Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic via USA Today). McDonough also underscored the draft as a franchise's "lifeblood" for "sustainable success" and was complimentary of some of the current players on the roster. Here's more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Both Kevin Sherrington and David Moore of SportsDayDFW put themselves in Mark Cuban's shoes and give their theoretical free agent pitches to Chris Paul. Sherrington points to the differences in the Clippers' and Mavericks' ownership, while Moore emphasizes the opportunity to play with a shooter like Dirk Nowitzki and for a proven coach in Rick Carlisle.
- Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW has his doubts about the Mavericks keeping Brandan Wright, noting that coach Rick Carlisle had issues with Wright's rebounding and inconsistency. With only six players under contract for next season as of right now, Cowlishaw expects the makeup of the team to be drastically different.
- Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News makes the argument that the Warriors are a much more dangerous team now than they would have been with a healthy David Lee.
- Lee told CSN Bay Area's Ric Bucher that he plans to return to action again this postseason and hasn't ruled out the possibility of getting surgery to repair his torn right hip flexor once the season is over (Sulia link).
- Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com describes Masai Ujiri's journey toward becoming one of the league's top executives after humble beginnings ten years ago.
Ainge on Pierce, Rivers, Garnett, Barbosa
Danny Ainge made his final weekly appearance on 93.7 WEEI's Salk and Holley Show to share his thoughts on the team heading into the offseason. Ben Rohrbach of WEEI passed along the highlights of the interview, notably mentioning that Ainge feels that Paul Pierce has "a lot of basketball left in him" and that he thinks Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers will be back next season. You can read more about Ainge's comments below:
- Determining the future of Pierce will be the first difficult decision Ainge will have to make this summer.
- He downplayed recent rumors which suggested that he and Rivers are questioning whether they can continue to coexist or not: "(Those rumors) are silly. Those are a waste of time to even acknowledge…I think I have the best coach in the NBA, and I'm not the least bit tired of hearing his voice…I think Doc'll be coaching the Celtics (next year)."
- Garnett will be given some time to himself before the team approaches him about next season: "I'll touch base w/him some time next week…He needs time to chill and contemplate his life. I do anticipate KG will play."
- On a side note, Leandro Barbosa has been rehabbing at the team's facility, leading Rohrbach to wonder if Boston will consider bringing him back to the team next season.
- Rajon Rondo has "looked good" as he continues to recover from his ACL injury and should be ready to go by training camp.
- Ainge thinks that the team is more than one player away from contending (unless it's a great player) and added that it would be tough to become a championship team with the way the Celtics are currently constructed.
Ujiri Hopeful About Iguodala Returning
Fresh off from receiving his Executive of the Year award, Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri says that he's very optimistic that Andre Iguodala re-signs with Denver and that the team wants him back, tweets Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. A few days ago, we also relayed that team president Josh Kroenke expressed his desire to keep the 6'6 forward as part of Denver's future moving forward.
Despite a disappointing first round exit for the Nuggets, Iguodala was very productive in six games against Golden State, averaging 18.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.0 SPG while shooting 50% from the field overall and an excellent 48.3% from long range on nearly five three-point attempts per game. It will be interesting to see how those numbers factor into determining Iguodala's worth in the free agent market this summer.
Ferry, Hawks Mulling Decision On Larry Drew
MONDAY, 2:07pm: As Ferry weighs the next move for the Hawks, Drew and his coaching staff in Atlanta have begun exploring other employment opportunities, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Spears hears from one source close to the staff who believes there's a "slim chance" Drew and his coaches will be retained.
SATURDAY, 7:50pm: Earlier this afternoon, we briefly heard that the Hawks planned to hold off on decisions regarding personnel (including the head coach) for a few days. According to an ESPN report (via the Associated Press), Hawks GM Danny Ferry went on record saying that he isn't ready to make a decision on whether he'll retain Larry Drew beyond this season:
"We're going to take some time, give it some distance, give it some space from the season, from the playoffs, from the emotions of that…Then we'll make decisions that we feel are best in the short-term and long-term interests of the team."
Drew – recently rumored to be interested in the 76ers' head coaching vacancy - has compiled a 128-102 record in three seasons as Atlanta's head coach. After the Hawks were dealt their second consecutive first-round playoff exit this year, Drew gave credit to his team's overall performance this season considering that many on the team's roster are headed for free agency. He also said that he's not sure about whether or not his future involves a continued tenure in Atlanta:
"I thought we had a really good season given what our circumstances were. They weren't the best…Whether I'm back here or not, I don't know. The one thing I will say is I've had a great run here."
Considering that the Hawks only have three players guaranteed to be under contract next season, I'd be surprised if Ferry didn't make a decision on the head coaching situation soon, especially before scouring free agency this summer and determining the players who would be a good fit.
Eastern Notes: Rose, Cavaliers, 76ers
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer provides a breakdown of the Cavaliers' key free agents and lists who he'd keep as well as let go.
- Tom Moore of Philly Burbs thinks that landing a proven head coach for the 76ers will be challenging without a star or the ability to attract a big time free agent.
- Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston writes that Doc Rivers' job will become infinitely more difficult without Kevin Garnett, who has been a vocal leader and loyal supporter of the nine-year Celtics coach.
- Paul Pierce says that it will be up to GM Danny Ainge to determine whether or not Boston's core should be dismantled this summer, writes Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press.