Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Love, Suns
Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com writes that the Warriors must be salivating over the idea of seeing Wolves star Kevin Love in blue and gold. A trade match is far from likely, but it’s no more inconceivable than the events of a last summer, when the Warriors found a way to dump the bloated salaries of Andris Biedrins and Richard Jefferson and came away with Andre Iguodala. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division..
- No surprise here – Mark Jackson‘s ESPN deal includes language that will allow him to discuss coaching vacancies with team and break his deal if he chooses to fill one, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Warriors, of course, dismissed Jackson this offseason before hiring Steve Kerr.
- Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News is also tempted to dream, but he doesn’t believe that the Warriors are likely to land Love. To acquire Love, the Warriors either need the Wolves or a third team to be big fans of David Lee and his bloated contract.
- The Suns‘ best two players are point guards and the draft will have at least five first-round picks who are projected as eventual starting point guards. Still, the Suns won’t rule out a PG, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Eric Bledsoe is a restricted free agent and Goran Dragic can opt out of his contract next year. They could also use a third point guard for the short-term and a rookie point guard could spend significant time with the team’s new D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam.
Grizzlies Eyeing Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau?
Earlier today, the Grizzlies announced that they have parted ways with CEO Jason Levien and assistant GM Stu Lash. Reportedly, the shakeup may not stop there.
The futures of coach Dave Joerger and exec John Hollinger are also up in the air. Sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com that owner Robert Pera expressed internal dismay with Joerger early in the season and contemplated firing him before the Grizzlies steadied themselves. The Grizzlies announced that longtime team executive Chris Wallace has been re-installed as head of basketball operations “for the time being,” but Stein hears that Grizzlies general counsel Dave Mincberg will take a more prominent role in the team’s decision-making going forward.
Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal (on Twitter) spoke with Wallace who told him that Joerger is and will remain the coach. However, Bill Simmons of ESPN (on Twitter) hears that if the Grizzlies totally clean house, Pera will look to work out a trade with the Bulls for Tom Thibodeau and give him a role similar to what Stan Van Gundy now has with the Pistons. If the Bulls traded Thibodeau, they would turn around and hire Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg as their next head coach, Simmons tweets. By dealing Thibs, the Bulls can add extra assets that can help them in the chase for Wolves star Kevin Love.
Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Fisher, Woodson
Celtics GM Danny Ainge wants to turn things around this summer but he’s not putting a ton of pressure on himself, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. “I understand that we have an opportunity [this summer], but we’ve still got to find trading partners. I don’t think people understand how difficult trades can be sometimes,” Ainge said. Here’s more out of the Atlantic, including an update on the Knicks‘ coaching search..
- Derek Fisher confirmed today that he won’t speak with Phil Jackson about the Knicks‘ head coaching job until the playoffs are through, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. “Obviously (Jackson) is busy in terms of trying to make the changes he needs to make there, but I have a day job as well and I think he respects that more than anybody,” Fisher told reporters in San Antonio. “He taught me a lot about how to operate during this time of year.”
- Former Knicks coach Mike Woodson told ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike that he would like to coach again in the NBA “extremely quick,” tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY. While other coaches who got the axe this offseason, like Mark Jackson, are content to do other things, Woodson is champing at the bit to get back in the game.
- As they enter an offseason of uncertainty, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks at five questions the Nets must answer. Aside from the obvious – the uncertain futures of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce – the Nets also have to worry about keeping free agent Shaun Livingston. After the season he had, the mini mid-level exception of $10MM over three years might not be enough to keep him in Brooklyn.
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien Steps Down
2:29pm: The Grizzlies announced via press release that “following discussions with management, the decision was made for” Levien and Lash to “depart the organization.” GM Chris Wallace, who saw his authority neutralized under Levien’s regime, will “assume interim responsibility” for the team’s basketball operations.
“Our franchise has made tremendous strides over the last few seasons and we thank Jason for his hard work and dedication and wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors,” said Grizzlies owner Robert Pera. “Rest assured that we remain as committed as ever to bringing a championship to this great city and we are confident that when the new season begins our fans will be excited about both our roster and the direction of our organization.”
1:40pm: Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien is poised to resign after assistant GM Stu Lash was dismissed, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the futures of coach Dave Joerger and executive vice president John Hollinger are uncertain after a clash between owner Robert Pera and current management (link).
Levien, a former agent and 76ers minority owner, was named CEO in November 2012. Levien hired Lash and Hollinger, a former Nets beat writer and ESPN scribe, to high-ranking front office roles shortly after taking the reigns in Memphis.
Tensions are high in Memphis after the Grizzlies won 50 games and pushed the Thunder to a seven-game series but ultimately lost. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Grizzlies’ roster this summer as well, as Zach Randolph has a player option worth $16.9MM. For the star forward, that number would signify a pay cut from the $18.2MM he earned last season.
The Grizzlies figure to have lots of flexibility even if Randolph exercises his option, as Chuck Myron wrote earlier this month. What isn’t clear is who will be allocating those dollars.
NBA To Hold Sterling Hearing June 3rd
The NBA announced that it has “initiated a charge today seeking to terminate the ownership of Donald Sterling” in the Clippers (full statement courtesy of Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times on Sulia). The league’s Board of Governors will convene on June 3rd for a hearing on Sterling and if 3/4 of the vote goes against him, he will be ousted.
The NBA Constitution provides Sterling with the opportunity to respond to the charge by May 27, as well as the right to appear and make a presentation at the special meeting of the Board of Governors, according to the statement. The hearing will be presided over by Wolves owner Glen Taylor, who is the NBA Board of Governors Chairman.
“Mr. Sterling’s actions and positions significantly undermine the NBA’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion; damage the NBA’s relationship with its fans; harm NBA owners, players and Clippers team personnel; and impair the NBA’s relationship with marketing and merchandising partners, as well as with government and community leaders,” the statement reads. “Mr. Sterling engaged in other misconduct as well, including issuing a false and misleading press statement about this matter. All of these acts provide grounds for termination under several provisions of the NBA Constitution and related agreements.”
Pistons Rumors: SVG, Coach, Beyer
The latest out of Detroit..
- For the most part, Stan Van Gundy wants to evaluate Pistons players in camp before making any serious moves, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. “I’m not going to do anything rash. If you see any of our roster guys moved before the season, I hope you’ll look at it and go, ‘Well, that’s a no-brainer, they had to do it.’ But anything that’s close, I want to get a look at these guys,” said Detroit’s new head coach and president of basketball operations.
- Zach Lowe of Grantland (on Twitter) hears from Van Gundy that he’s only interested in GM candidates who have had a GM job full-time. That limits the possible pool of candidates the Pistons could focus on.
- The Pistons have been granted permission to talk with Bobcats assistant Bob Beyer for their coaching vacancy, tweets Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Wizards Rumors: Gortat, Ariza, Porter
The Wizards are interested in re-signing Trevor Ariza as well as Marcin Gortat, but there’s concern that they’ll prove too expensive to retain, Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote last week. Meanwhile, executives around the league told Zach Lowe of Grantland that they believe Gortat and Ariza will cost a combined $15-20MM in annual salaries. Here’s the latest out of D.C., where we could see some big checks written this summer..
- Ariza is a free agent this summer but he continues to be extremely complimentary of the Wizards, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I think trust,” Ariza said, when asked what was most important to him. “Having trust in where you are, with your organization, with your teammates, is No. 1. “And how comfortable you are, how comfortable my family is, and this year, my family has been extremely comfortable. We loved our neighborhood that we lived in. The organization has been great. My teammates, we hang out all the time, so I think this is a really good destination. Free agents would be crazy not to want to come here.”
- Free-agent-to-be Gortat reiterated his affinity for the Wizards, this week, writes Brandon Parker of the Washington Post. Gortat was hesitant to come to D.C. in the Suns trade but ultimately felt at home in his new surroundings.
- When asked if this was a “lost season,” Wizards rising sophomore Otto Porter said that he saw his rookie campaign as a “learning season,” Lee tweets. Porter struggled during his first NBA season and the club even considered sending the No. 3 overall pick to the D-League.
Wolves Won’t Trade Kevin Love Before Draft
The Timberwolves won’t trade All-Star forward Kevin Love before the draft on June 26th, owner Glen Taylor tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Taylor went on to say that he hasn’t discussed trading Love recently with team president Flip Saunders and said Love has not asked for or told the team to trade him.
It was reported yesterday that Love hadn’t demanded a trade out of Minnesota but his unwillingness to sign an extension certainly makes that a possibility. While Taylor is apparently holding on to hope that he can keep Love for the long term, it’s hard to see the club not exploring trade possibilities.
Meanwhile, since dealing Love would obviously signal a rebuilding process in Minnesota, one would imagine that the T’Wolves would look for a top pick in this year’s talent rich draft in return. I would venture to say that Taylor’s statements are an attempt at a poker face in response to the rumors, but he is also probably holding out hope that he can make Love have a change of heart.
The Warriors, Lakers, Suns, Knicks, and Celtics have all been cited as possible landing spots for Love.
Wolves Notes: Love, Draft, Coach
Kevin Love has told the Timberwolves that he won’t sign an extension with them and teams are already circling the wagons. The Warriors, Lakers, and Suns are among the teams with interest and the Celtics are said to be an increasingly intriguing destination for the All-Star. Meanwhile, Knicks president Phil Jackson has been plotting to acquire Love via trade, so they can be added to the list of possibilities as well. Here’s the latest out of Minnesota..
- If the T’Wolves trade Love and rebuild, it could change their draft situation over the next couple of years, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. The Wolves owe the Suns a first-round draft pick, but it’s top 13 protected in 2014 and top 12 protected in 2015 and 2016. If that happens, the Suns wind up with the Wolves’ 2016 and 2017 second-round picks.
- The Wolves are believed to have met with a number of 2014 NBA Draft prospects at the NBA Draft Combine that are out of their range with their expected 13th pick, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. This could be due diligence on the Wolves’ part, or this could be the beginning stages of accepting that it’s time to move Love while they can still return some value for him and somewhat control the process.
- There’s a right way and a wrong way to trade Love, writes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. For starters, Minnesota shouldn’t move the forward before hiring their next coach.
Latest On Knicks Coaching Situation
Late last night, Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com reported that Phil Jackson is in no rush in his coaching search and wants to speak with Derek Fisher before making a hire. Fisher, of course, is currently preoccupied with the Spurs as his Thunder get set to square off in the Western Conference finals.
Meanwhile, Stein and Shelburne now add that sources say Jackson has not ruled out a sit-down with Knicks fan favorite Mark Jackson, who has rejoined ESPN as a broadcaster after his dismissal by the Warriors. It has been said that the Zen Master would prefer a young coach whom he could groom but Jackson comes with an impressive resume from his time in Golden State and has fans within the Knicks organization. Marc Berman of the New York Post first reported that the Knicks prez would consider the former Warriors coach.
Former NBA head coach Kurt Rambis and current D-League developmental coach Luke Walton are on Jackson’s short list as well, but sources say Rambis and Walton are more likely regarded as potential assistants. Bill Cartwright, another one of Jackson’s former players with head coaching experience, got an interview to be on Steve Kerr‘s hypothesized Knicks staff and Rambis and Walton would probably be looked at in the same light.