Latest On Kevin Love
10:22pm: Knicks president Phil Jackson has been plotting to acquire Love via trade, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks’ interest in Love for next summer has been known, but they could try and get him sooner if he’s made available.
4:58pm: The Celtics have emerged as an increasingly intriguing destination for Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Celtics’ draft position coming out of Tuesday night’s lottery could have a big impact on the feasibility of a deal with Minnesota.
If the C’s get their projected No. 5 slot, that could be a big asset in landing Love. If they move up and get a top three spot, that would make the decision harder for GM Danny Ainge. Love’s representatives with Excel Sports are pushing Timberwolves president Flip Saunders to find a trade acceptable to them before the beginning of summer free agency in July – preferably by the June 26 NBA draft, league sources say. As we learned earlier, Love has let the T’Wolves know that he won’t be signing an extension with them.
The Rockets are planning an aggressive pursuit for Love and the Warriors, Lakers, and Suns were mentioned as landing spots in Wojnarowski’s report from earlier. The Rockets are also in the mix since Kevin McHale has ties to Love.
And-Ones: Jackson, Pistons, Izzo, Lakers
The playoffs haven’t been pretty for the Pacers so far, but they clawed their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and today they reminded the Heat that they’re ready to give them another tough fight. The Pacers took Game 1 107-96 behind 24 points and seven assists from Paul George and 19 points and seven boards from David West. Here’s tonight’s look around the NBA..
- Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson told Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter) that he’s yet to hear from an NBA team about a coaching job. He went on to say that he’s “relaxing and enjoying life.”
- Despite a report to the contrary, the Pistons never offered the head coaching job to Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Michigan coach John Beilein was also on the list, but didn’t get much further. Of course, Stan Van Gundy wound up signing on as coach and president of basketball operations.
- With the Lakers season in the books, Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at MarShon Brooks‘ time in L.A. Ever since breaking into the league as a promising rookie for the Nets, Brooks has played for three different teams in two seasons. While Kent Bazemore, the other asset coming over in the Steve Blake deal, hit it off with the Lakers, Brooks never found his groove.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, JVG, Love
The Nets don’t have a ton of wiggle room this offseason, so they’ll have to explore some unorthodox ideas if they want to make a major overhaul. Last week, it was reported that Brooklyn is open to the idea of moving star guard Deron Williams. Williams just finished a hugely disappointing season, his fourth with Brooklyn and the second on his five-year, $99MM contract, so they might not find the kind of return they’re hoping for. More out of the Atlantic..
- The Celtics are slated to come away with the No. 5 pick in Tuesday night’s lottery, but the ping pong balls haven’t always equaled success for them, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Seventeen years ago, Boston brass gathered in Secaucus, N.J., with the best chance of landing the consensus No. 1 overall pick, Tim Duncan. The Celtics instead finished with two of the top six picks and selected Colorado guard Chauncey Billups third and Kentucky swingman Ron Mercer sixth.
- Earlier today on ESPN Radio, Jeff Van Gundy reiterated that he would be happy to speak with Phil Jackson if he comes calling, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “If Phil Jackson ever wanted to talk basketball with me, which, listen, who knows if that’s true, but if he ever did, of course I would take the time, because I’m sure I could benefit from the conversation,” the former Knicks coach said.
- The good news for Knicks fans is that Kevin Love wants out of Minnesota. The bad news is that the Knicks are going to have a whole lot of competing suitors for him, Begley writes. On top of that, Love is sick of losing and wants to contend immediately. The Knicks, as currently constructed, wouldn’t fit the bill.
Wolves Mull Love Trade, Eye Mitchell For Coach
3:05pm: The Rockets are also planning an aggressive pursuit of Love, according to Wojnarowski (on Twitter). Kevin McHale has a strong bond with the UCLA product.
10:35am: Love has made it clear to the Wolves that he intends to become an unrestricted free agent after next season and has no interest in a contract extension this summer to stay in Minnesota, write Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The article also notes that Love has stated his willingness to accept a deal to the Bulls and Warriors. Sources have told ESPN.com that the Warriors have emerged as a top contender for Love should Minnesota relent and decide to trade him. Golden State doesn’t have a stash of draft picks to offer the Wolves like Phoenix or Boston could offer, but the Warriors could assemble a trade package featuring forwards Harrison Barnes and David Lee, according to the article.
8:56am: It appears that the Timberwolves will seriously consider trading Kevin Love, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. “For the first time, [Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders] sounds like looking at deals for [Love] is an option,” a rival executive told Wojnarowski. Love has an early termination option in his contract that he can exercise next summer. This is putting pressure on the Wolves front office to improve the team enough to convince Love to stay, or trade him for assets instead of risking losing him for nothing. This also comes on the heels of the reports that Minnesota was looking at power forwards in the upcoming draft.
The article also notes that the Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, and Suns are all strong candidates to partner with in a trade for Love if the Wolves decide to move him. Boston and Los Angeles plan to make high-lottery picks in the 2014 NBA Draft available in offers for Love, sources told Wojnarowski.
No team is likely to trade for Love without an assurance that he’ll commit to a five-year, $100 million maximum contract extension, notes Wojnarowski. Despite a belief that Love prefers Los Angeles or New York as potential destinations, he’s open to deals in other markets where he can be part of an immediate contender, the article says.
Wojnarowski is also reporting that Sam Mitchell has emerged as a serious candidate for the franchise’s head coaching job. Mitchell reportedly left a good impression with Saunders in a recent meeting. Mitchell has a strong history with Minnesota, where he had two stops as a player, and Mitchell played for Saunders during his second stint.
The Wolves have also contacted several top college coaches, including Florida’s Billy Donovan, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, and Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg, Wojnarowski notes, but those coaches weren’t inclined to seriously consider the position. The general belief that the Wolves will have to trade Love has made coaches leery of the franchise’s future, according to the article.
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Bobcats, Pistons
Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times thinks Lance Stephenson or Thabo Sefolosha would be good backup targets for the Bulls if Chicago makes a failed attempt at signing Carmelo Anthony in free agency.
More from the east:
- The Bobcats could have two first-round draft choices this summer. They own the Trail Blazers pick at number 24, and if the Pistons pick falls outside of the top eight it goes to Charlotte as well. Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer looks at who the team might select with their picks.
- The Pistons are looking at players who can shoot three-pointers in the draft, notes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Two players on their radar are Doug McDermott and Nik Stauskas, according to Ellis.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines the possibility of Mark Jackson coaching the Knicks.
- Despite all the focus on the upcoming NBA Draft, Celtics GM Danny Ainge still thinks the team’s biggest focus will be on improving the existing players on their roster, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.
- Time will tell if Stan Van Gundy and Pistons owner Tom Gores can co-exist, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. The article examines the personality differences between the two men and how it may affect their relationship.
- The biggest impediment in the Cavaliers coaching search might be owner Dan Gilbert‘s reputation, writes Mitch Lawrence of The New York Daily News. Gilbert is known as a non-stop screamer and the very definition of a hands-on owner, and that was one of the primary reasons that Kevin Ollie denied interest in the position, notes Lawrence.
League Primed For Pre-Draft Trading Surge
League executives and scouts tell Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that there could be an unusually high number of pre-draft trades this year. Howard-Cooper’s sources say that some of the lottery teams have grown impatient with continued struggles, and would rather acquire proven talent than wait on the development of more young players. These “aggressive sellers” have enough interest from teams looking to add assets that a spike in pre-draft trading is a distinct possibility.
One potential seller is the Celtics, currently projected to pick at No. 5. GM Danny Ainge has regularly commented on the weaknesses of the 2014 class. Ainge has said that he doesn’t want to endure another losing season, and is willing to trade the team’s first round pick. He has also acknowledged that Boston needs to improve sooner rather than later to convince his star point guard, Rajon Rondo, to remain with the team beyond his current contract. Cleveland, projected at No. 9 currently, has used four top-4 selections in just three drafts following the departure of LeBron James. GM David Griffin is looking to move from “asset accumulation mode” to “target acquisition mode,” which could signal a willingness to deal away draft picks.
It should be noted that this past trade season was expected to include heightened activity, but after some early-season deals, the deadline came and went without any true blockbuster moves. No first round picks changed hands in-season, either. Many have pointed to the tightening cap and tax restrictions from the CBA as a reason many teams have been unwilling to part with draft picks for high-priced veterans. However, uncertainty about teams’ final lottery position for a hyped 2014 draft class could also have been a factor in cooling the market for draft picks. After the lottery settles the final draft order, teams will have a much clearer idea of which players will be available for any potential pick, which could make the prospect of moving up in the draft more appealing.
Atlantic Notes: Dunleavy, Felton, Nurse
There aren’t any teams from the Atlantic Division remaining in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening along the east coast. Let’s take a quick look at the latest from around the division:
- Mike Dunleavy met with Phil Jackson to discuss the Knicks head coaching job, sources confirmed to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Dunleavy isn’t the leading candidate, Broussard says, but he remains a possible hire nonetheless.
- Reports have surfaced that Jackson notified Raymond Felton that the Knicks intend to trade him this summer, and Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal examines whether or not that would be a good move for the team.
- Former Celtics shooting guard Von Wafer has signed a contract to play in China, reports Enea Trapani of Sportando. Wafer hasn’t played in NBA game since 2011/12, when he appeared in 33 contests for the Magic.
- There are rumors suggesting that Raptors assistant coach Nick Nurse might be heading to Golden State next season to join Steve Kerr‘s staff, but Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reveals that Nurse is still under contract with Toronto for next season (Twitter link). Still, as Wolstat points out in another tweet, coaches are generally let out of their contracts if they’re offered a better position elsewhere.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Ross, Adams, Gordon, McAdoo
Celtcis GM Danny Ainge tells Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that he isn’t sure that the team could find a premier scorer in this year’s draft. “There are a lot of good players in this draft, guys that can be starters and guys that can play major roles on really good teams,” Ainge said. “But I’m not sure that there are those 20-to-25-point-a-game guys.” Here’s more from the draft:
- Adi Joseph of USA Today notes some of the more remarkable measurements taken at the combine. Joseph thinks LaQuinton Ross‘s draft stock will take a hit due to his poor conditioning being evident in drills and tests
- UCLA guard Jordan Adams interviewed with the Magic at the combine today, reports Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
- NBA scouts are high enough on Aaron Gordon for Paul Coro of azcentral.com to consider the forward a “surefire” lottery pick.
- Numerous NBA sources lead Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com to believe that James McAdoo could slide out of the draft completely. McAdoo is currently projected as a late second-rounder.
- Noah Vonleh has been generating positive buzz during the combine, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets that he hasn’t gotten the sense that Julius Randle is in danger of being surpassed by the fellow big on teams’ draft boards.
- Mark Deeks of Hoop365.com looks at the factors leading a player like the 7’5″ Sim Bhullar to leave school early and declare for the draft, despite not being projected to be selected.
- While some of the scouting benefits of the pre-draft combine are diminished when elite prospects skip the event, Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer says that the gathering still holds value as a networking event for front office executives looking to discuss trades and make hires.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Ariza, Rondo, Wizards
Trevor Ariza is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the Wizards have a good chance to re-sign the forward, notes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Ariza said, “My family is definitely the most important thing to me before basketball, everything. That plays a big factor into a log of things. But when you build something with people that’s hard to let go, too. What we built in this locker room this season, this is a beautiful thing to me. I really enjoyed playing with those guys. I love those dudes like they’re my brothers.” Ariza averaged 14.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG and shot a career-high 40.7% from three-point range this season.
More from the east:
- The Wizards have a number of decisions to make this offseason, and besides John Wall and Bradley Beal, little else is guaranteed to be the same next year, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Team owner Ted Leonsis said that he won’t make any decisions until the “raw emotion” of the season has faded. This includes whether or not the team re-signs coach Randy Wittman, whose contract expires this summer.
- Andre Miller said that he believes he has a few more years left in him and that he’d love to finish his career with the Wizards, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
- Rajon Rondo might be more available than ever via a trade, writes Brian Robb from CelticsHub.com. The Celtics might be compelled to move the point guard this summer when his value will be higher than it will be during the season, opines Robb.
- The Bobcats-to-Hornets name change will officially take place on May 20th, the team announced (Twitter link).
- Unless the Pelicans land one of the top five picks in the lottery, their first-round pick goes to the Sixers. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer looks at some of the players the Sixers might target with that selection.
Draft Combine Updates: Friday
We gathered a slew of reports connecting draft prospects with teams yesterday on the first full day of the Chicago draft combine, and we’ll do the same today with this post. The latest updates will be on top as we follow the action throughout.
- Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders adds the Pistons, Kings and Suns to the list of teams interviewing Noah Vonleh (Twitter link).
- The Pistons met with Rodney Hood, Ellis tweets, and the Thunder also met with him, Holmes notes (on Twitter).
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo sat down with the Nets, Knicks, Pacers, Cavs, Wizards and Pelicans, according to Woelfel (Twitter link).
2:00pm updates:
- The Pistons have met with Smart and Zach LaVine, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, respectively (Twitter links).
- Smart is also among the players interviewing with the Celtics tonight, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, and the C’s spoke with Aaron Gordon, too, fellow Globe scribe Baxter Holmes notes (Twitter links).
- Gordon also met with the Magic, who are set to meet with James Michael McAdoo, as well, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
- Tyler Ennis is meeting with the Bucks today after interviewing with the Bulls on Thursday, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times and Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com report (Twitter links).
- Jarnell Stokes already worked out for the Raptors, according to Wolstat (on Twitter).
12:02pm updates:
- Dante Exum‘s interview with the Magic went well, he said, adding that the team would like to bring him to Central Florida for a workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins, in a full piece, added Marcus Smart to the list of top prospects who’ve interviewed with the Magic.
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed a fondness for Smart today in an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz on the network’s coverage of the combine, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (on Twitter).
- Gary Harris told Katz he met with the Raptors, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Pistons, as Zagoria once more passes along via Twitter.
- The Raptors will interview Jordan Adams today, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who says the team also spoke with James Young (Twitter links).
- Zagoria adds the Sixers, Spurs, Clippers, Mavs, Nuggets, Warriors and Bulls to the list of teams that Kyle Anderson either met or is slated to meet (Twitter link).
- Markel Brown said he’ll talk with the Celtics today, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).