And-Ones: Cavs, LeBron, Monroe
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is open to hiring a “big-name team president” who would have authority over GM David Griffin, but the team has not been considering David Blatt for that role, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Cleveland will also explore trading Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson this summer, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Neither are on the trading block, but Amico adds that the Cavs are listening and evaluating their options.
Here’s are some more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight:
- One NBA team president said that Pat Riley appeared nervous when talking about keeping LeBron James during his media presser today, adding that more teams will now be in pursuit of the superstar forward (Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports via Twitter).
- ESPN’s Chris Broussard says that the Cavs should have met with LeBron in free agency first before making a coaching hire, implying that David Blatt’s lack of NBA coaching experience doesn’t help their case of luring the Akron native back home (Twitter link).
- According to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, Pistons coach/president Stan Van Gundy has been in consistent contact with restricted free agent forward Greg Monroe and Monroe’s agent, David Falk.
- The Hawks, Pelicans, and Wizards are expected to be potential suitors for Monroe this summer, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. While Stan Van Gundy maintains that keeping Monroe is a “high priority,” he also appears prepared for other scenarios. “We have ideas on who might offer (Monroe) what…You weigh what’s out there because once you give him a qualifying offer, he can sign it or get an offer sheet. What level of an offer would we match? We’re prepared for that and doing due diligence for people who want to sign-and-trade for him.”
- Tom Moore of Calkins Media (via Twitter) hears that a Southeast Division team offered the 76ers more in a trade package than the Pacers did for Evan Turner; that team didn’t hear back from Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie before the trade deadline ended and Turner was eventually dealt to Indiana.
- Le Mans of the Ligue Nationale de Basket has signed former NBA guard Rodrigue Beaubois, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’2″ guard’s deal reportedly includes an opt-out clause that will allow him to sign with an NBA team before July 25.
Warriors, Gentry Reach Agreement In Principle
10:47pm: Agent Warren LeGarie tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that Gentry has agreed in principle to join the Warriors’ coaching staff. The deal will run for three seasons (Twitter links).
9:36pm: Gentry’s choice will ultimately come down to money and security, tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who adds that Gentry had a deal in place with the Lakers last summer before the Clippers offered him more money.
8:25pm: The Warriors are expected to make a lucrative offer to convince Alvin Gentry to leave the Clippers and become a highly-paid associate head coach in Golden State, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Gentry served the same role under Doc Rivers in Los Angeles last season.
Earlier tonight, David Pick of Eurobasket.com (via Twitter) heard that Gentry would be heading to Golden State as an assistant. The 59-year-old coach has been a target for a few head coaching vacancies around the league recently, garnering consideration from the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Jazz. Earlier this month, we relayed the Warriors’ interest in hiring Gentry as an associate head coach.
It’s worth noting that the Warriors had previously targeted David Blatt for an assistant role on Steve Kerr’s staff; though now with Golden State reportedly zooming in on Gentry, it seems clearer that Blatt is currently deep in the process of becoming the next head coach in Cleveland while the Warriors have moved on to plan B.
Draft Notes: Lakers, Grizzlies, McDermott
We’ll keep tabs of tonight’s draft-related links below:
- The Lakers will work out Aaron Gordon, P.J. Hairston, Elfrid Payton, Marcus Smart, and Nik Stauskas, tweets Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
- Tomorrow’s draft workouts for the Grizzlies will include Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson, Deonte Burton, Fuquan Edwin, James McAdoo, and Kendall Williams, per the team’s official website.
- Interestingly, the Lakers have been trying to get Doug McDermott in for a second workout but have been unsuccessful, tweets ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
- Former University of Michigan standout Mitch McGary is slated to work out for the Bucks tomorrow, reports Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
Western Notes: Thompson, Sterling, Gay
With Andrew Bogut, Stephen Curry, and Andre Iguodala slated to make $10.6MM or more each next season and through 2016/17, a lucrative contract could be hard to come by for Klay Thompson in Golden State, writes Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. Keeping that in mind, one source tells Wojnarowski that Thompson would be open to being traded to the Timberwolves because it would increase his chances of receiving a max contract.
Klay’s father – former NBA champion Mychal Thompson – offered his thoughts on ESPN 710 radio today, suggesting that Klay would actually be unhappy in Minnesota. “If this (Kevin Love trade) happens, I will have to talk (Klay) down from the ledge” (Twitter link via Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).
As Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune further transcribes from Mychal’s radio appearance, Klay’s disappointment would stem from missing out on the opportunity to play alongside Love on the Warriors.
Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Later in his piece, Zgoda says that Bill Duffy – Klay’s Thompson’s agent – will surely push for a max deal on his client’s next contract.
- According to Donald Sterling’s lawyer, Donald’s mental competency has now been examined by other doctors and “the results are different,” tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- DeMarcus Cousins told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that he reached out to Rudy Gay about staying on board with the Kings (Twitter link). Gay has a player option for 2014/15 worth just above $19.3MM.
- Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger said that Nick Calathes will be back with the team next season, according to a tweet from Rob Fischer of FOX Sports (hat tip to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal). Calathes’ contract is non-guaranteed for the 2014/15 season.
- Knicks director of player personnel Mark Warkentien and Pacers vice president of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie are drawing interest from Memphis as potential add-ons to the Grizzlies front office, hears Chris Vernon of 92.9 ESPN (Twitter link).
Anthony Morrow To Opt Out
The Pelicans confirmed today that Anthony Morrow will opt out of his contract on July 1st and is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer, reports John Reid of NOLA.com. The 6’5 shooting guard earned a little over $1MM in 2013/14 and had a player option worth about $1.1MM for 2014/15. We heard in late May that Morrow was expected to decline his player option; however, he was reportedly still undecided earlier this month.
The two sides have mutual interest in negotiating a new contract, but just how much the Pelicans are willing to offer to keep Morrow remains to be seen. Reid notes that the Pelicans are entering the summer with at least $7MM in cap space and are aggressively looking to improve their roster.
This past season, Morrow posted 8.4 PPG in 18.8 MPG, playing in 76 games and making nine starts. The 28-year-old guard shot 45.8% from the field and 45.1% from long distance, making him the league’s fourth-best three point shooter in 2014/15. With that type of shooting performance, plenty of teams could come calling for Morrow this summer; Reid opines that Morrow could garner an offer that exceeds $3MM annually for up to three seasons.
Embiid Injury Fallout
Here’s the latest surrounding Joel Embiid following today’s announcement about his foot injury:
- Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix points out that 76ers GM Sam Hinkie was part of the Rockets staff when Yao Ming’s playing career was derailed by a similar foot injury; naturally, one would be inclined to wonder if that will have an impact on Philadelphia’s thought process during the draft if Embiid is available (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- After polling NBA teams, ESPN Insider Chad Ford says that Embiid is currently projected to go in the 3-6 range. That could all change once teams get a hold of his medical reports, Ford adds (Twitter link).
- A source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that the Cavaliers won’t make a firm decision on their number one pick until they get Embiid’s results following his surgery.
- The Cavs’ doctors shared the results of Embiid’s physical with the Bucks’ medical staff, who in return exchanged their results of Jabari Parker’s physical, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
- Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston that Embiid’s injury wouldn’t discourage the team from selecting him if he became available at their number six spot on draft night. “We try to think long term that, if a guy has to miss a couple months, that shouldn’t deter us from taking him if he’s going to be the best player long term.”
- CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely hears that the Celtics will give serious thought to possibly trading up in the draft to secure Embiid.
- One NBA general manager told Sean Deveney of Sporting News that while Embiid is still a top 10 pick, his injury risks outweigh the possible benefits of selecting him in the top five. “I think there is a point at which you use a pick on him, where you’re hoping maybe these are just fluke things that are not going to be recurring…But that point is not in the Top 5 or so. You can’t use a Top 5 pick. I think there are too many other good options there to think about using the pick on one who has these injury problems.”
Rockets Likely To Decline Parsons’ Option
WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Rockets are leaning toward turning down their option on Parsons, but the team has yet to finalize its decision, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Houston is nonetheless likely to decline the option, unless it gets the sense that he’ll receive offers it deems too high, Feigen hears. The willingness to make Parsons a free agent this summer indicates the team’s confidence in its ability to sign a marquee free agent this summer, as Feigen observes. Houston would have to clear a significant amount of salary off its books to make that happen, but the Rockets like their chances of moving Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, since they would be looking for cap flexibility rather than players in return, Feigen reports.
TUESDAY, 9:35pm: The Rockets plan to decline Chandler Parsons‘ fourth-year team option and make him a restricted free agent this summer, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski ofYahoo Sports. Parsons’ 2014/15 option is worth $960K, and if Houston decided to ultimately pick up that option, the 6’9 forward would hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2015. The team is said to be wary of allowing Dan Fegan – Parsons’ agent – the ability to land his client a monster contract on the open market next year, and by letting Parsons hit restricted free agency this July, Houston could simply match an offer sheet and keep him on a long-term deal.
Interestingly, Wojnarowski points out a few other distinct advantages that Houston has by letting Parsons hit free agency now. The Rockets reportedly have their sights set on chasing after big time free agents who have the option of opting out of their deals this summer, including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and Dirk Nowitzki. In one scenario, Wojnarowski writes that the Rockets could secure a max free agent to play alongside Dwight Howard and James Harden, and then subsequently re-sign Parsons to a new contract below the max-level range. Wojnarowski also hears that the Rockets are also pursuing Timberwolves star Kevin Love in trade talks, adding that Parsons could alternately be used as a bargaining chip in a potential sign-and-trade with Minnesota.
Selected 38th overall in 2011, Parsons has not only proven to be one of the most promising young players at his position, but one of the best value players in the entire league. In 74 games this past season, the former Florida Gator averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.2 SPG in 37.2 MPG while shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.0% from long distance. After earning roughly $890K in 2013/14, Parsons – according to a league executive – could command as much as $12MM or $13MM annually on his next contract.
Houston will have until June 30 to formally decline the option. At the very least, says Wojnarowski, doing so clears the way for Parsons to receive an enormous payday now and creates a better climate for the Rockets to negotiate an extension with their prized young forward.
And-Ones: Knicks, Dirk, Pacers
Knicks president Phil Jackson is flying to Turkey in mid-June for his son’s wedding and “desperately wants” to have the team’s head coaching search wrapped up before his trip, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Though Jackson recently admitted a natural interest in coaching the team himself, he conceded that he physically wouldn’t be able to handle it. To further ice the notion that Jackson could return to the sidelines, Berman reports that Jackson will need a second knee replacement in the future.
You can find more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below:
- Per Berman, a source within Mark Jackson‘s inner circle says that the former Golden State head coach may be reluctant to coach the Knicks with too heavy an influence coming from the president’s office.
- In response to tonight’s report that Dirk Nowitzki will be among the Rockets’ free agent targets this summer, Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW says that the 35-year-old Mavericks forward won’t be leaving Dallas this summer.
- Pacers president Larry Bird isn’t looking to make any major shakeups to the current roster; however, he did suggest that the Indiana could look to trade into the first round of this year’s draft as a means of improving the team, according to a report from the Associated Press.
- Yesterday, we passed along that Alvin Gentry was scheduled for a second interview with the Jazz today. Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times clarifies that Gentry flew to Utah today and will actually have his second interview tomorrow. Also, sources tell Turner that the Warriors want Gentry to join Steve Kerr‘s coaching staff as an associate head coach (Twitter links).
- Free agent Greg Stiemsma would love to return to the Timberwolves, as he tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). That probably won’t happen, since the team will priortize point guards and wing players, according to Wolfson.
- Following a pre-draft workout on Sunday, T’wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders told reporters that he expects Kevin Love to play in Minnesota next season, writes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv’s David Blatt and former Lakers assistant/current CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina are two international head coaches who warrant consideration for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy, opines Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
Larry Brown Not Interested In Coaching Lakers
Former NBA head coach Larry Brown told Sam Amick of USA Today that he isn’t interested in coaching the Lakers and stressed his desire to continue coaching at Southern Methodist University. Yesterday, we heard that the Lakers were planning to reach out to Brown at some point.
“I’ve always kept in touch with (Mitch Kupchack); I admire the (heck) out of him…(But) we’re not talking about coaching the Lakers. I’ve read some of the names. They’ve got a long list of good people to choose from, and I’m here at SMU. I want to win a national championship.”
After winning a championship with the Pistons in 2003/04 and pushing the Spurs to a Game 7 in the 2004/05 NBA Finals, Brown was never able to reach the same plateau of success during his next stops in New York and Charlotte. The dregs of a 23-59 season in 2005/06 were exacerbated by tension that boiled over between Brown and the Knicks organization that summer, ultimately leading to Brown’s bitter exit from the team after just one year. Brown later found his way to the Bobcats in 2008, and led the team to their first playoff berth in franchise history in 2009/10. Things didn’t necessarily end well there either, as Brown and his entire coaching staff parted ways with Charlotte only 28 games into the 2010/11 season.
Since being hired as SMU’s head basketball coach, Brown seems to have found his comfort zone again. Following a 15-17 record in 2012/13, the 73-year-old coach led the Mustangs to a 23-9 record in addition to an appearance in the NIT championship game.
“I’m just so thankful SMU gave me this chance…We have made such progress. We’ve got a bunch of young kids already committed for the future and I’d love to finish it out here. … I’d love to see (the Lakers) get a great coach, because I love Mitch and I love that franchise. But I’m thrilled where I am. I feel so fortunate I’ve had this chance…We’re moving forward (at SMU), so I’m OK.”
Iannazzone’s Latest: Dolan, Jackson, Carmelo
Earlier tonight, we briefly noted how James Dolan emphasized Phil Jackson‘s autonomy in running the Knicks’ head coaching search. In addition to saying that he had no idea who Jackson is talking to at this point, Dolan – in an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa – intimated that the only instance in which Phil would have to “check back” with him is when the negotiations begin to involve money, transcribes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Otherwise, the Madison Square Garden chairman reiterated his laissez-faire approach to the process.
“I have not asked him about the coaching search on purpose. I have not asked him about it. I just told him I’m here for you if you need me. If you don’t need me, that’s fine, too. I got lots to do.”
Here’s more from Iannazzone’s piece:
- As for Carmelo Anthony‘s potential opt-out this summer, the Knicks owner maintained that Jackson will have full control in handling the situation. “I made a commitment to Phil that he was going to run it…Unless he asks me to help, it’s his to run.”
- Dolan said that the Knicks will be easier to run with Jackson in charge now, citing the success of the NHL’s New York Rangers under president and general manager Glen Sather, who also operates under Dolan’s ownership. “I’m very happy that Phil’s with us now because I think he brings the same thing (that Glen brings) to the table…I think he can do the job, and I’m looking forward to watching what he does.”
- Steve Mills, per Dolan, has appeared to find his niche while working as the team’s general manager alongside Jackson. “(Phil) and Steve are working really well together. That was a big piece for me because there are a lot of the pieces of the operation that have to be run. I knew that Phil wasn’t going to have the time for it…Having Steve in there, things like the D-League and the development of players and everything down to the medical staff, (etc). Phil has a great guy underneath him, actually right next to him. I think I got the right team in place managing it. We’ll see how it turns out.”