Pacific Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Karl, Kings
It was reported earlier this year that Chauncey Billups would retire if he didn't re-sign with the Clippers, but the veteran guard made it very clear today that he's definitely returning next season and will consider other clubs. When asked if he would consider taking his talents to South Beach, the 36-year-old answered in the affirmative and indicated that he is "wide open" to possibilities this summer. Here's more out of the Pacific..
- Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times explains the decisions facing the Lakers on possible qualifying offers for the team's four potential restricted free agents. Pincus' educated guess has Robert Sacre and Darius Morris back next season, Andrew Goudelock as a maybe, and Devin Ebanks seeking employment elsewhere.
- Brian Shaw is rumored to be the Clippers' top head coaching candidate, but Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com doesn't rank the Pacers assistant among his choices for the top three best fits for the L.A. job. The three best candidates in terms of potential and fit are George Karl, Jeff Van Gundy, and Lionel Hollins, Buha writes.
- A bankruptcy judge approved the sale of 7% of the Kings to new majority owner Vivek Ranadive, turning back a last-minute bid by limited partner Bob Cook to buy the share back, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. The purchase of the share, formerly owned by Cook, means Ranadive and his partners will now control 72% of the club.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Hoops Links: Petrovic, Leonard, Battier
Twenty years ago this week, tragedy struck on the Autobahn when a car crash took the life of rising star Drazen Petrovic. Beloved from Zagreb to East Rutherford for his willingness to shoot from anywhere on the court and infectious enthusiasm, Petrovic's premature death shook the basketball world to its core.
Since it has been two decades since his passing, there are some readers of this website who were not old enough to remember Draz's glory days in New Jersey and his impact on the game around the world. A good place to start for those of you who want to learn more about the Hall of Famer would be a viewing of the 30 for 30 production Once Brothers, which profiles the relationship between the Petro and Vlade Divac. Before you start watching it on YouTube, take a look at the best stuff from around the basketball blogosphere this week..
- All Ball shared a highlight reel of No. 3's greatest moments.
- Meadowlands Matters remembered Willis Reed's reaction to Draz's passing.
- Deutsche Welle reflected on the touching story of Petrovic and Divac.
- Pounding The Rock says Kawhi Leonard is taking after his coach.
- Hot Hot Hoops wondered what Shane Battier's problem is.
- Peachtree Hoops reviewed the season that was for Al Horford.
- Hardwood Paroxysm talks team offensive rebounds.
- Rufus On Fire broke down Charlotte's offseason needs.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Draft Notes: McLemore, Saric, Nogueira
If today's reports are to be believed, then things aren't looking so great for Nerlens Noel. The Cavaliers, under pressure from owner Dan Gilbert to make the playoffs this year, could be leaning against drafting Noel since he will be sidelined for several months as he recovers from an ACL tear. On top of that, the Kentucky big man's injury could be worse than once thought with one observer saying that he could fall to the No. 6 pick or lower. Here's more draft news..
- The Suns greatest needs are perimeter shooting and athleticism, which is why Ben McLemore would be the perfect pick for them at No. 5 in the opinion of the Arizona Republic's Paul Coro. However, he could very well be off the board by the time Phoenix picks. The Magic could be a fit at No. 2 as well as the Bobcats at No. 4.
- Dario Saric's reported decision to withdraw from the draft has drawn the ire of some league scouts, writes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. A scout of one team picking in the teens opined, “[Saric was] not as accessible as he needed to be during the draft process; information hasn't been forthcoming outside of one draft blog. We can't draft a guy like that without getting him in our gym and without a physical or interview."
- Lucas “Bebe” Nogueira is looking more and more like a first round draft pick, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. The big man needs to add some size but he is modeling his game after Marcus Camby, who came into the league at 223 pounds in 1996.
Hoops Rumors Originals
As we get set for Game 2 of the Finals, here’s a look back at the trophy-worthy original analysis from the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Luke Adams previewed the summer ahead of the Knicks.
- The Spurs have been one of the NBA’s premier teams in recent years, thanks to some incredibly smart planning by the front office. Luke examined their construction in chronological order.
- We all know how the Heat’s core came together, but Luke ran down the formation of the entire club as they go for their second title in the Big Three era.
- Alex Lee asked if Paul George will win an MVP award someday and only ~33% of you said yes.
- Most Hoops Rumors readers see the Spurs beating the Heat.
- With a tweak here and there, Luke sees the Thunder at the top of the Western Conference next year.
- Luke ran down the longest tenured coaches in the NBA. George Karl had the No. 3 spot before his dismissal.
- Here’s a look at the potential implications of the meager salary cap bump that we’ll see for next season.
- The Warriors will have an interesting offseason ahead and Luke gave us a preview.
- Did you miss this week’s chat? Check out the transcript here.
- Here’s a refresher on our commenting policy.
Jason Kidd Pursuing Nets Coaching Job
Less than two weeks removed from his retirement, Jason Kidd is seeking to become the next head coach of the Nets, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The guard's candidacy is already being discussed within the highest levels of the organization.
Kidd has been talking with associates about the possibility of making the immediate leap from playing to a head coaching job and has been working to identify a staff of assistant coaches who could help him overcome the significant learning curve, sources said. Right now, Brian Shaw is viewed as a leading candidate for the Nets' job, but they'll have to fight it out with the Clippers and Nuggets in order to secure him. Kidd would be an extremely bold choice for the Nets but it would certainly satisfy the organization's desire for a big splash this summer.
Week In Review: 6/3/13 – 6/9/13
George Karl was the 2012/13 Coach of the Year, but it wasn’t enough to keep his job in Denver. The Nuggets canned the high-profile coach and will now have two major spots to fill, along with the vacant GM job. Here’s more from the week that was..
- The Rockets are going to go after Chris Paul as well as Dwight Howard.
- Some bad news for Nerlens Noel: the Cavs may not want to take him with the No. 1 pick as they are looking to win right away. Meanwhile, his ACL could be worse than originally thought, hurting his draft stock.
- Kevin Durant is now going to be represented by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation venture.
- The Bucks offered Monta Ellis a two-year extension.
- Jason Kidd decided to call it a career.
- The Jazz talked to Jerry Sloan about returning.
- The Nuggets are eyeing lots of potential coaching candidates, including Lionel Hollins, Brian Shaw, and Nate McMillan.
- The Nets are seriously considering Shaw.
- Kobe Bryant hinted that he will outplay his current contract which takes him through the 2013/14 season.
- The Bucks and Wizards discussed a deal involving Ersan Ilyasova and the No. 3 pick.
- The Magic are thinking about moving down from the No. 2 pick.
- There are new names in the 76ers coaching search.
- Maurice Cheeks is the frontrunner in Detroit.
- J.R. Smith turned down his player option but he’s likely to stay in New York.
- The Kings interviewed David Morway and are still looking to woo Larry Bird.
- The Suns are thinking about adding a third first-round pick this year.
- Some people think Sergey Karasev has a draft promise, but he denies it.
- Manu Ginobili could retire after the Finals.
- Ditto for Tracy McGrady.
- Richard Jefferson exercised his option.
- Dario Saric could pull out of the draft.
- Jeremy Pargo will play in Russia.
Rockets To Chase Both Howard & Paul
While the Rockets have been heavily tied to Dwight Howard for several months, he's not their only free agent target this summer. The team is also planning a similar and simultaneous pursuit of Clippers guard Chris Paul, a person with knowledge of the club’s thinking told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Another individual familiar with the team’s plans termed the two stars as “targets No. 1 and 1A.” The difference, of course, is there have been far more indications that Howard will be receptive to the Rockets’ recruiting efforts. Meanwhile, it's too early to know if Paul is disinterested or just keeping his thoughts on Houston private.
James Harden has spoken with Howard about the Rockets and playing in Houston, but he is even closer to Paul thanks to their time together with USA Basketball. It still seems as though Howard is a more likely get for Houston than CP3 given the big man's fondness for coach Kevin McHale.
An individual with knowledge of Howard's thinking also says that he would be open to signing a four-year deal as he would be able to re-up as the NBA gets more TV money and, potentially, a fresh Collective Bargaining Agreement. They'll have to free up cap room to land D12 as well and a Thomas Robinson deal has been pointed to by many as the easiest way to make space. However, a person with knowledge of GM Daryl Morey's plans says there are about "20 other ways" that the finances can be worked out.
Nerlens Noel Could Slip In Draft
Earlier today, we heard that the Cavs might not be looking to draft Nerlens Noel as they are under pressure to win in 2013/14, and there could be even more bad news for the Kentucky big man. Sam Amico of FOX Sports (via Twitter) hears that the buzz around the NBA is that Noel's ACL is worse than initially thought. However, there is no confirmation from league doctors just yet.
One source predicts (link) that if Noel's knee is red-flagged by NBA doctors, he could slide to the No. 6 pick and perhaps even lower. That's a considerable drop for the center who was once thought to be the slam-dunk top choice in the 2013 class.
The league has already evaluated Noel but individual teams will also have their own medical people examine him when he's brought in for interviews. It's possible that medical opinions can vary from one team to another, but if his ACL looks like it can be troublesome beyond one season, Noel's stock will take a considerable tumble.
Lawrence On Messina, Nets, Pacers
Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News has tons of interesting bits in his latest column and we have the highlights..
- There has been talk about the Nets looking for a “fresh face" rather than going with an established coach and Italian coach Ettore Messina would fit the bill, along with Pacers assisstant Brian Shaw. A group of Russian Nets executives who report to Mikhail Prokhorov is quite familiar with Messina, which could help his candidacy. Communication also won't be an issue for Messina as he speaks English fluently. “Players will find that Ettore has the technical mind to do the job, he can do the X’s and O’s, so strategically, it would not be hard for him at all,’’ said Spurs GM R.C. Buford.
- The Pacers know they need outside shooting help and would love to add Kyle Korver or J.J. Redick. Both players, of course, will be free agents on July 1. The club's other free agents, Tyler Hansbrough and D.J. Augustin, are expendable, which can give them some extra breathing space this offseason.
- David Stern plans to step down from the competition committee – which has the power to make rules changes – once he's done being commissioner. Lawrence's bet, however, is that he’ll still be used by the committee as a consultant.
- Lionel Hollins wants to paint Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger like the bad guy if he doesn’t get a new deal in Memphis, but people in the NBA feel that he hasn’t done anything to bounce Hollins and get the job for himself. The Memphis front office doesn’t want Hollins back unless it’s on the cheap and he starts buying into the club's statistical analysis.
- New Raptors GM Masai Ujiri wants to hire Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman to be his top assistant. Weltman and former Knick president Scott Layden were up for the Suns gig that went to Ryan McDonough.
Suns Have Explored Adding Draft Pick
The Suns have two first round picks, but that may not be enough to satisfy them in the upcoming draft. General Manager Ryan McDonough spoke openly about exploring the addition of another first-round pick beyond their No. 5 and No. 30 slots, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
“We’ve talked to a few teams about getting in the draft at different ranges,” McDonough said. “We have good assets to do that. We have to evaluate all of these guys, figure out where they’re going to go. And then if we can get in at a particular range where a guy is undervalued, we’ll try to get in and get him there.”
The Suns are still doing their homework on the No. 5 pick and recently spoke with UNLV forward Anthony Bennett. Bennett was unable to workout for the club, however, thanks to a rotator cuff injury.