And-Ones: LeBron, Wittman, Levien, Dunleavy Sr.
LeBron James didn’t have much to say about the Cavaliers’ recent NBA Draft lottery coup or the speculation that he could decide to return to Cleveland if he opts out this summer, telling Charlie McCarthy of FOX Sports Florida, “I heard about it but I don’t really have thoughts about it. … I’m in the middle of the conference finals, I’m not worried about draft lotteries, draft conversations. That’s the last thing on my mind.
Interestingly enough, LeBron added, “(The Heat aren’t) the most talented team, I don’t think, in the NBA. ... There are other talented teams. We have some very, very high IQ basketball players. I think IQ is more important than talent.”
With that aside, here’s more of this evening’s miscellaneous news and notes:
- The Wizards haven’t been in a rush to make a decision on Randy Wittman‘s future, and a source tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that there is no current timetable to get something done. Wittman, who led the team to its first playoff series win since 2004/05, was given strong endorsements from John Wall, Bradley Beal, Andre Miller, and several other team veterans after the season had ended.
- Although former Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien’s recent resignation sent shockwaves around the league, sources tell Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that tension between Levien and team owner Robert Pera had actually been building for months.
- On ESPN Radio’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Mike Dunleavy Sr. said that he hopes he has a shot at the Knicks head coaching job, adding that he’s very familiar with the triangle offense: “I played in the triangle system down in Houston, it was kind of left over from when Tex Winter coached there. All my teams, I’ve run it as a transition set. … Maybe I’m the outside guy from the other guys that [Phil Jackson will] talk to, former players who played in the system and other guys who coached under him in the system. But at least I do know the system. I have run it” (H/T to Al Iannazzone of Newsday).
- Timberwolves star Kevin Love may be the NBA’s most valuable player available for trade since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar requested out of Milwaukee in 1974, explains Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insiders only).
And-Ones: Cavs, Nets, T’Wolves
There are plenty of head coaching options for the Cavaliers to consider, as the league’s current list of free agent coaches includes Mike D’Antoni, Lionel Hollins, Mark Jackson, and George Karl. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio briefly profiles each of the above-mentioned candidates according to their chances of landing in Cleveland next season. Additionally, Amico mentions Alvin Gentry, Jerry Sichting, Mark Price, Alex Jensen, and Steve Kerr as other names to keep in mind.
Here are some more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight:
- Despite talk that Kevin Garnett could potentially retire after this season, with Paul Pierce slated to hit unrestricted free agency, all signs point toward both returning to the Nets next year, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
- Timberwolves brass will be heading to Chicago tomorrow in preparation for the NBA’s pre-draft combine and are expected to request interviews with many players, including Michigan State’s Gary Harris, Michigan’s Nik Stauskas, Kentucky’s James Young, Creighton’s Doug McDermott, and Duke’s Rodney Hood, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- In the same piece, Zgoda writes that the Wolves are looking to acquire their own D-League affiliate.
- Don’t be surprised if LeBron James chooses to distance himself from Roger Mason Jr.‘s recent comments about boycotting the 2014/15 season if Donald Sterling still owns the Clippers, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
- Assuming he re-signs with the Thunder in 2016, Kevin Durant could earn somewhere around $143.75MM over five years, as Berry Tramel and Jon Hamm of NewsOK explain.
- During an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Magic Johnson revealed that he declined an offer from Pistons owner Tom Gores to be part of his ownership group in Detroit (H/T to The Detroit News). Magic had been responding to the claim from Donald Sterling that the former Lakers star had been conspiring to purchase the Clippers.
Coaching Rumors: Warriors, Knicks, Jazz
Now that Stan Van Gundy has reached an agreement with the Pistons, the Warriors are again in pursuit of Steve Kerr for their head coaching job, writes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. Although plenty of signs point to Kerr being the favorite to land with the Knicks, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News alludes to reports that New York remains steadfast in offering a four-year deal, rather than the five-year agreement that Kerr’s representatives are looking for. Keeping in mind that Golden State had been reportedly willing to offer Van Gundy a five-year deal, the Warriors’ latest pursuit may be enough to cause the Knicks to eventually meet Kerr’s asking price.
Here’s more out of the NBA’s coaching carousel tonight:
- Sources have told Isola that Kerr is concerned that the team has cycled through seven head coaches and GMs since Dolan took control of the franchise; those reservations likely have upset the Madison Square Garden chairman,
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News that the front office is getting closer to beginning their interview process for a new head coach but declined to elaborate on any specific names linked to the job: “I’m optimistic and I think there’s a good talent pool of coaches available…Because we don’t know right now, there’s no one else that really knows. All the speculation is very premature…We’re getting closer to moving to the part where we’ll reach out.”
- Expect the Timberwolves’ coaching search to wait until next week’s lottery, where landing in the top three could be enough to change Kevin Love‘s feelings about the team’s future as well as the team’s coaching prospects, opines Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune..
- When asked if the Warriors considered Jerry Sloan for their head coaching job, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reminded that team co-owner Joe Lacob is targeting someone relatively young (Twitter link). Sloan turned 72 this past March.
- No one has requested permission to speak with Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry about head coaching openings, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. According to Spears, Doc Rivers isn’t opposed to his assistants participating in interviews during the playoffs.
- There are some notable complications that will arise should the Lakers attempt to dangle trade assets in their pursuit of Tom Thibodeau, details Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Marvin Williams
Back in February, the Jazz reportedly rejected at least one trade proposal for Marvin Williams that would have netted them a late first round pick in this year’s loaded draft. Around that time, the 6’9 forward also mentioned that he liked Utah and hoped to be a part of the team’s future. However, it’s worth mentioning that Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio most recently listed Williams as one of a handful of free agents who appear unlikely to be back with their respective teams. To get an idea of his current value, let’s take a look at how his NBA career has fared up to this point.
Judging by the improvements made over his first three seasons in the league, Williams steadily climbed toward fulfilling the potential envisioned when the Hawks selected him second overall in 2005. Over that span, his scoring numbers jumped from 8.5 to 14.8, his rebounding average increased from 4.3 to 5.7, his overall shooting averages improved from 44.3% to 46.2%, and he got to the line 5.1 times per game in his third year, up from his 3.2 FTA as a rookie. Although he didn’t see marked improvements in any of the aforementioned categories during his fourth season – he posted 13.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.5 FTA and 45.8% shooting overall, respectively – Williams began to show promise from long distance, connecting on 35.5% of his attempts from three point range. With all this in mind, the Hawks rewarded Williams during the 2009 offseason with a five-year deal worth about $37.5MM.
Following that contract extension, Williams’ production over the next three seasons was more characteristic of a solid role player rather than a former second overall pick: 10.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and roughly 2.6 FTA in his next 203 games. The Hawks would eventually deal him to Utah in exchange for Devin Harris during the 2012 offseason, and Williams’ numbers dipped even further. In 2012-13, he averaged 7.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and shot 42.3% from the field in 23.7 minutes per game. The 2013/14 season was a modest bounce back year for Williams, as he put up 9.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and delivered on 43.9% of his overall field goal attempts in 25.4 MPG.
To get a rough idea of what type of contract Williams could be looking for, we can examine some of the deals that a few other wing players around the league earned last summer. Blazers guard-forward Dorell Wright signed a two-year deal worth $6MM following a 2012/13 season in which he averaged 9.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and shot 39.6% from the field in 22.6 MPG. Last summer, Martell Webster re-upped with the Wizards for four years and $22MM after posting 11.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and shooting at a 44.2% clip in 28.9 MPG. The Timberwolves inked Corey Brewer to a three-year, $14.1MM deal after the former Florida standout produced 12.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 42.5% shooting in 24.4 MPG for the Nuggets. Keeping this in mind, it would seem fair to assume that Williams would set his asking price somewhere between $3MM-$6MM annually.
Throughout the season, there was ample indication that the Jazz hoped to make Williams part of their future. He is known to be well-liked by his teammates in Utah and, as mentioned earlier, the front office decided against trading the former UNC product for a draft pick in order to have a chance at retaining him this summer. Those factors probably won’t be enough to dissuade Williams from testing the waters, however. The Tandem Sports & Entertainment client will turn 28 in June, which should make him an intriguing option for other teams that are scouring the free agent market for a combo forward. A chance at more minutes on a more competitive team could be too enticing to pass up, especially if that team can offer him close to the same amount of playing time he received during his first few seasons in the league.
And-Ones: LeBron, Hollins, T’Wolves, Klimenko
During an interview on Jim Rome on Showtime, NBPA vice president Roger Mason said that the players would boycott next season if Donald Sterling is still in place, adding that he had spoken about it with Heat superstar LeBron James:
“If it’s not handled (by) the start of next season, I don’t see how we’re playing basketball…Leaders of the teams, they’re all saying the same thing, ‘If this man is still in place, we (are not) playing’…LeBron and I talked about it…He (isn’t) playing if Sterling is still an owner.” (interview transcribed by James Herbert of CBS Sports).
Here are some more noteworthy links to pass along this evening:
- With Stan Van Gundy and Steve Kerr looking like distinct possibilities for the Warriors’ head coaching position, the team should shift their focus toward Lionel Hollins, says Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. As we noted a few days ago, Hollins is scheduled to interview with Golden State on Thursday.
- The Warriors are reportedly seeking an offensive-minded coach, and although Hollins’ defense-first mentality wouldn’t make him the most ideal fit for the job, Thompson hears that Hollins would look to bring on a respected offensive mind as one of his assistants, and would likely consider former Kings coach Paul Westphal for that particular position.
- The Timberwolves haven’t had any contact with Kerr and don’t seem to be considering him for their head coaching opening, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
- Agent Bill McCandless says that draft prospect Artem Klimenko has reached a buyout agreement with Avtodor of the Russian Super League. The 7’1 center is scheduled to travel to the U.S. next week to work out for six to eight teams before the start of Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy (Twitter links via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype).
- 2013 summer league standout Jack Cooley will participate in mini-camp workouts with the Spurs, Nets, Cavaliers, and Jazz, says RealGM’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
- Elston Turner has received an invite to work out for the Warriors in June and will participate in the upcoming NBA Summer League, writes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (H/T to Il Messagero).
- Suns guard Archie Goodwin was arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in his hometown of Little Rock, according to a report from the Associated Press. Goodwin recently completed his rookie season in Phoenix and will be due in court on June 3.
And-Ones: Boylen, Silver, Diogu
You can find tonight’s miscellaneous notes worth passing along below:
- While it’s anyone’s guess as to who the next head coach of the Jazz will be, it’ll be surprising if the team ultimately decides to hire Jim Boylen, as Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News explains.
- Following Adam Silver’s decisive ruling over Donald Sterling, J.A. Adande of ESPN wonders how much this enhances Silver’s credibility with the players and how it’ll factor in during the next round of collective bargaining.
- Ike Diogu has signed on with Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican league, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Earlier this month, the Knicks mulled signing the 6’8 forward to a deal that would have extended into next season.
- Emerson College has become a breeding ground for front office positions around the NBA, details Liam Boylan-Pett of SB Nation. Thunder GM Sam Presti and Magic GM Rob Hennigan are among the school’s most recent notable alumni.
More Clippers/Sterling Fallout
There are more noteworthy quotes to pass along tonight regarding the reaction to Donald Sterling’s punishment, and what this could mean for the future of the Clippers organization, and we’ll continue to relay the latest below:
- Based on what he’s heard out of Seattle and other cities, the NBA is only looking to find a new owner for the Clippers, not move them, tweets ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi.
- Rochelle Sterling – wife of Donald Sterling – is in attendance at tonight’s Clippers-Warriors game but is watching from a suite, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA. Earlier today, league commissioner Adam Silver told the media that no decision has been made regarding Donald Sterling’s family: “This ruling applies specifically to Donald Sterling and Donald Sterling only” (Associated Press). In the same piece, it’s said that top Clipper executives aren’t likely to be shuffled in the short term, particularly while the team is still competing in the playoffs.
- Former boxing star Oscar De La Hoya has emerged as another potential investor that would like to join Mayweather in his attempt to purchase the team, reports Bob Velin of USA Today.
Earlier updates:
- Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe and Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer are among the investors that Floyd Mayweather Jr. alluded to when speaking of his interest in buying the Clippers, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.
- NBPA vice president Roger Mason Jr. tells Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News that in addition to Donald Sterling’s ban, he expects Sterling’s family to be stripped of team ownership (Twitter link).
- Clippers head coach and senior VP of basketball operations Doc Rivers says that Commissioner Adam Silver was fantastic today and made the right decision, adding: “we’re all in a better place because of this.” He later said that he couldn’t remember the last time he actually spoke with Donald Sterling (All Twitter links via Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe).
- Rivers said he didn’t hear Sterling say anything racist before this incident and joined the organization “on good faith.” When asked about his future with the Clippers, Rivers had this to say: “I haven’t thought about leaving or staying…(but) Adam’s decision, if there was one, made mine easier” (All Twitter links from Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).
- “Is this over? No, it’s not over. But it’s the start of a healing process we need,” said Rivers, according to a tweet by Scott-Howard Cooper of NBA.com.
- When asked if he would still work for Sterling, Rivers replied “I don’t know If I am.” He also told reporters that the locker room was silent when he delivered the news of Sterling’s punishment to the players (Twitter links via Arash Markazi of ESPN LA).
- Entertainment mogul David Geffen – who made an attempt to buy the Clippers several years ago – is still reportedly interested in making a bid, a source tells Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal.
- Boxing megastar Floyd Mayweather Jr. tells Bob Velin of USA Today that he and some other investors would be interested in purchasing the team as well: “I can’t come in here talking about Mayweather only (acquiring) 3% or 4% (of the team)…”I (have) to get a solid percentage…But do we want to buy the Clippers? Yes we do. We’re very, very interested in buying the Clippers.”
Eastern Notes: Kerr, Bobcats, Bulls
Here are a few links to pass along out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- As he continues to consider accepting the Knicks’ head coaching job, Steve Kerr is currently doing his own research on the organization to make sure there are no red flags, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Josh McRoberts – who can opt out of his contract this summer – said his preference is to keep playing for Bobcats head coach Steve Clifford for many years, but money will likely be the biggest factor, opines Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Bonnell also writes that swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts seems the best fit to re-sign among the team’s soon-to-be free agents.
- With the Bulls now eliminated from playoff contention, the team will presumably turn their attention toward addressing the future of Tom Thibodeau, opines Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
- Derrick Rose began taking some contact on his surgically repaired right knee on Monday, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. He’s still expected to begin next season at full strength.
- In addition to evaluating how certain prospects may transition into the NBA, the Pistons – equipped with their own D-League team in Grand Rapids starting next season – will also be scouring this year’s draft pool for prospects to develop in the NBDL, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
Lowe’s Latest: Rivers, Jackson, Kerr
If Doc Rivers were to get out of his contract with the Clippers, he would immediately emerge as the front-runner for any head coaching opening in the league this summer, writes Zach Lowe of Grantland. One potential opportunity is the Warriors, who are embroiled in a tumultuous situation with head coach Mark Jackson. As Lowe chronicles, tension between Jackson and the organization has been brewing for quite a while.
Multiple league sources confirmed to Lowe the gist of a report from ESPN’s Chris Broussard that explained how former Warriors assistant Darren Erman had been fired for secretly recording coaches’ conversations. Those same sources added that Erman was concerned that Jackson and those loyal to Jackson were insulting him to other players behind his back. Lowe also says that Golden State’s front office is fond of Erman and was upset at having to let him go. Nonetheless, Brian Scalabrine‘s recent demotion and Erman’s firing has only added to the chaos in Golden State.
As we relayed from Lowe earlier, the consensus around the league is that Jackson will not return to the Warriors next year unless he leads them on a longer-than-expected playoff run. Though Jackson could still save his job, Lowe says that it’d be smart to bet that the team will have a new head coach next year.
Here’s more from Lowe’s latest column:
- Golden State still hasn’t made a final decision on Jackson and has not reached out directly to any potential candidates, sources tell Lowe.
- Scalabrine’s demotion was a compromise between the front office and Jackson, who initially made a show of firing him in front of other players and coaches even though he had no real grounds to do so.
- Jackson reportedly asked Warriors adviser Jerry West not to attend most practices and team activities.
- If the Warriors decided to replace Jackson, they would still consider other big names beyond Rivers, which is why — according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein — the Knicks tried to expedite their attempt to hire Steve Kerr this week. New York understands that two or three appealing opportunities could emerge after postseason eliminations, and that Kerr would be a potential candidate for some of those teams.
- Front office and ownership sources around the league think there’s a decent chance the Clippers will be the first NBA franchise to sell for $1 billion, Lowe writes, echoing an earlier report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Mike D’Antoni Won’t Leave Lakers For Marshall
APRIL 23RD: D’Antoni told Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick that he won’t take the job, reports Chuck McGill of the Charleston Daily Mail. Borzello confirms that it’s unlikely D’Antoni ends up at Marshall next season. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com refutes the part of McGill’s report indicating that D’Antoni has met with Lakers co-owner Jim Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak several times regarding his future with the club (Twitter links). Shelburne says that they haven’t met with him outside of the team’s exit interviews last week, and that his return for next season remains undecided.
MARCH 27TH: 10:16pm: There is mutual interest between D’Antoni and Marshall, a source tells Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports, who also hears that there are donors willing to pony enough up money to woo the current Lakers coach back to his alma mater.
7:09pm: Marshall University has reportedly reached out to Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni to gauge his interest in coaching the team next year, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman and Marc Stein. The program is looking to replace former head coach Tom Herrion, who was recently fired after four seasons. This isn’t the first time that Marshall has pursued D’Antoni to coach their team, and sources tell Goodman and Stein that the latest inquiry was made because the school always “(sounds) him out” any time they have an opening. The 62-year-old coach D’Antoni attended Marshall from 1970 to 1973 before being selected in the second round of the 1973 NBA Draft and continues to be held in high regard by his alma mater.
Though Marshall’s interest coincides with D’Antoni’s uncertain future in Los Angeles, Goodman and Stein hear that it’d be highly unlikely for the embattled coach – who is still under contract for two more years after 2013/14 (one season guaranteed) – to make a move to the collegiate level even if the Lakers parted ways with him this summer.
After leading Phoenix to at least 54 wins each year and topping the 60-win mark twice between 2004 to 2008, D’Antoni has struggled to consistently replicate that success in New York in Los Angeles, respectively. Once coined an “offensive genius” by LeBron James and an “offensive mastermind” by Kobe Bryant, D’Antoni holds just a .430 winning percentage since 2008/09 and is yet to win his first playoff game in nearly six years.