Draft Notes: Burke, Kings, Gobert, Karasev
The buzz on the smaller point guards in the 2013 Draft has not been positive, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Michigan's Trey Burke is widely regarded as the top one-guard in this year's class, but he's getting a lot of criticism for being too slow at the next level. Despite his lack of a fifth-gear, Burke's still likely to land somewhere in the top ten. Here's more on the draft..
- Here's a surprising bit of news: the Kings, who own the No. 7 pick, are showing interest in French center Rudy Gobert, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Most mock drafts have him as a late lottery/mid-first round pick, but none have him pegged for the top ten.
- More from Kyler, who writes that reviews are mixed on Sergey Karasev's performance this weekend in Las Vegas. Two big concerns from NBA teams were his rather slender frame and his overall feel for the game. The guard/forward is pegged as a late first-round pick in most mock drafts.
- Vegas wasn't an ideal setting for Karasev, writes Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Karasev had visa issues in Russia and wasn't able to get to Vegas until after midnight on the day of the event and was clearly sluggish from the long trip. Ford sees his draft range Karasev's draft range starting with the Timberwolves at No. 9 and the floor being the Nets at No. 22.
- Prospect Steven Adams is in Oklahoma City and worked out for the Thunder today, writes Royce Young of DailyThunder.com. The Pitt center made it clear that he'd like to land in OKC, saying in a Facebook video: “I’d love to be drafted here, man, straight up." Adams could be on the board when the Thunder draft at No. 12, but it's not a certainty.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) pegs the odds of the Cavs dealing the No. 1 pick at just 10% based on the overall lack of interest in it.
- Point guard prospect Isaiah Canaan will work out for the Knicks and Nets soon, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The Murray State product is projected to go towards the end of the first round or early in the second.
- Cody Zeller impressed in his workout for the Jazz, writes Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz pick at No. 14.
- Today, the Blazers worked out guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, forward Jared Berggren, guard Sherwood Brown, forward Brandon Davies, guard Abdul Gaddy, and guard Elijah Johnson, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
Coaching Rumors: Karl, JVG, Clips, Hollins, Nets
After we heard yesterday that there are some question marks surrounding George Karl's future in Denver, TNT's David Aldridge echoes that report, writing that the head coach is "antsy" about his current situation. According to Aldridge, the Nuggets don't plan to exercise the 2014/15 option on Karl's contract, which means he'll be on an expiring contract in '13/14.
"They want to play it out and see where they're at," one league source tells Aldridge. "And they're not going to budge on that."
As Aldridge notes, the Nuggets don't appear to actively be seeking a replacement for Karl, but if he wants to leave for a more lucrative opportunity when his current deal runs out, the team may not be inclined to stop him.
Here are a few more of the latest coaching-related rumblings from around the league:
- Jeff Van Gundy and the Clippers talked multiple times about the team's head coaching job, but discussions are now dormant, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Van Gundy was reportedly at or near the top of L.A.'s wish list, but it doesn't sound as if he's a serious candidate at this point.
- Two of the Nets' top coaching targets may become available for interviews within the next few days, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes, pointing to Lionel Hollins and Brian Shaw. In fact, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), the Nets formally requested permission today to interview Hollins.
- The newly-retired Jason Kidd has interest in coaching, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Vitaly Potapenko, who was a Cavaliers lottery pick way back in 1996, will return to Cleveland as an assistant coach to Mike Brown, tweets Wojnarowski.
Draft Notes: Knicks, Larkin, Hardaway Jr., Bucks
Otto Porter, Victor Oladipo, Ben McLemore, and Anthony Bennett will likely be among the candidates visiting with the Wizards in the second or third week of June, when the team will look at candidates for the No. 3 overall pick, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. For now, the team is concentrating on targets for its pair of second-round pick, and Lee lists more than a dozen such players scheduled for workouts with the team next week. The Wizards' pick may very well come down to a decision between who is left over between Porter and Nerlens Noel, but they'll leave no stone unturned when it comes to their top pick. Here's more draft news..
- Former Miami point guard Shane Larkin won’t work out for the Knicks, his agent told Adam Zagoria of SNY. “Currently, Shane’s not scheduled to work out for the Knicks,” agent Steve McCaskill said. “And we don’t have any intentions of scheduling one. We don’t feel like he’s going to be on the board when they select.” The Knicks have the No. 24 pick in the draft and while some view Larkin as a mid-round talent, it's worth noting that DraftExpress currently has him going at No. 23 to the Pacers.
- Tim Hardaway Jr. auditioned for the Bucks and told reporters, including Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, that he has already worked out for the Bulls and T'Wolves. The Michigan product is widely viewed as a fringe first-round talent.
- Murray State's Isaiah Canaan says he has already worked out for the Spurs and he has more workouts scheduled with the Pacers, Knicks, Cavs, Suns, Mavs, and Jazz, Gardner writes. Canaan, who auditioned for the Bucks, could be a candidate for the club's No. 43 selection.
- Former Creighton and Rutgers big man Gregory Echenique will work out for the Wizards, Suns, and Nets in the coming weeks, Zagoria writes. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound center has already worked out for the Celtics, Timberwolves, and Trail Blazers. At this time, Echenique figures to be a second round pick at best.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Several Candidates Emerge For Nuggets GM Job
Nuggets team president Josh Kroenke's strong relationship with Masai Ujiri was the primary force behind the outgoing Denver GM's hesitation to accept Toronto's five-year, $15MM offer to jump to the Raptors front office, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Nuggets were willing to give Ujiri a deal worth $1.2MM a year, according to USA Today's Sam Amick. Still, none of it was enough to convince Ujiri to stay, and now the Nuggets are the team looking for a new GM. There's early talk about several who could eventually get the job, as we detail below:
- Nuggets assistant GM Pete D'Alessandro and director of player personnel Mike Bratz are viable options, sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
- Wojnarowski speculates that the Nuggets could promote D'Alessandro or go after Cavaliers assistant GM David Griffin. The Nuggets offered Griffin the job in 2010, but he turned them down, leading Denver to turn to Ujiri.
- Other executives who figure to be top candidates include Gersson Rosas of the Rockets, Bobby Marks of the Nets, Tim Connelly of the Pelicans, Wes Wilcox of the Hawks and Scott Perry of the Magic, according to Wojnarowski.
- The Nuggets could have some competition if they want to go with D'Alessandro, since Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, the leading candidate to take the GM job in Sacramento, would like to hire him to work in the Kings front office, Amick reports (Twitter link).
- Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk interviewed well with the Kings, Amick tweets, arguing that Schlenk could be a fit in Denver if it doesn't work out for him in Sacramento.
- Assistant GMs Tommy Sheppard of the Wizards and Jeff Weltman of the Bucks have ties to the Nuggets and bear watching as the Nuggets' search takes place, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Nets Reach Out To Jeff Van Gundy
The Nets have reached out to Jeff Van Gundy about their coaching vacancy, a source tells Mark Heisler (via Twitter). For his part, Van Gundy told Josh Newman of SNY (Twitter link) via text that he isn't willing to discuss potential opportunities at this time.
"I don't just talk about jobs. If [Nets GM Billy King] wants to talk about who he has talked to, then that's up to him," said the coach.
We learned this week that JVG is atop the Clippers' wish list, along with Brian Shaw. Van Gundy, who has said in the past that he is content with his current position as an analyst and color commentator for ABC, is believed to have interest in the job. His level of interest in the Nets job – which Heisler says is only in an "introductory" phase at this time – is unknown, but he didn't say no to the Nets either.
Back in January, Sam Amick of USA Today reported that Van Gundy missed coaching and was expected to explore potential opportunities beginning this summer. His brother, Stan Van Gundy, says that he's not looking to coach in 2013/14, however.
Coaching Rumors: Clippers, Shaw, Nets, Hollins
Although there are still a handful of NBA head coaching jobs available, the openings in Brooklyn and Los Angeles stand out, based on the regular-season success the Nets and Clippers had this past season. Neither team appears to have made significant progress in its search so far, but that could change soon. Here's the latest on the Nets' and Clippers' respective searches:
- The Clippers have reached out to Brian Shaw and Jeff Van Gundy, who are reportedly atop the team's wish list, and both men appear to have interest in the job, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- According to Turner, Alvin Gentry has also been in touch with the Clippers and expressed interest in the job. Jerry Sloan's representatives called the Clips as well, but he has since "backed away" from pursuing the opening, says Turner.
- All the Clippers' discussions so far have been preliminary, with no formal interviews set up yet, writes Turner.
- Neither the Clippers or Nets seem to be making any headway with Lionel Hollins. Turner reports that L.A. has yet to speak to the Grizzlies coach, while Fred Kerber of the New York Post says Hollins isn't necessarily the odds-on favorite for Brooklyn.
- The Nets aren't among the teams who have called the Pacers about Shaw, according to Kerber, who hears from a source that Brooklyn may be inclined to favor a candidate with previous head coaching experience. "I think they have high regard for [Shaw]," the source said. "But with that roster and owner, my gut says they would want an established guy."
Odds & Ends: Jackson, Drew, Allen, Hollins
Although Phil Jackson recently criticized Mike D'Antoni and seemed skeptical about the thought of Dwight Howard wanting to re-sign with the Lakers, the eleven-time NBA champion coach appeared to backtrack on those comments during an appearance on the Willard and Thompson Show on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles (Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News). Also, Jackson reiterated that he has no plans of coaching again and explained how he's still somewhat connected with his former team: "I’m playing a role regardless whether I’m hired and on the staff and part of the payroll, I’m here to be a sounding board and personal companion to my fiance, who’s the chief operating officer I guess you would say of the Lakers. As they ferry their way through these contract problems they have and the whole mess they have right now in the organization, I’m listening. There’s not a whole lot I’m doing. But my role right now is to be attentive and supportive.”
Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes:
- The Pistons and former Hawks coach Larry Drew appear to have some mutual interest in an interview for Drew, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Drew is believed to be one of two finalists for the Bucks' coaching opening, along with Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson.
- Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets that Heat guard Ray Allen hasn't thought about whether or not he'll pick up his $3.23MM player option this summer.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo tweets that the Nets, Clippers, and Bucks have not contacted the Grizzlies for permission to talk to Lionel Hollins as of yet. Coincidentally, we relayed a report yesterday which indicated that the 59-year-old coach doesn't expect to be granted permission to speak with other teams before his contract expires on June 30.
- In light of the rumblings that the Nuggets might not match the Raptors' five-year, $15MM offer to Masai Ujiri, SBNation’s Tom Ziller makes the argument that coaches and general managers should be paid more.
- Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com reviews Gerald Wallace’s season in Brooklyn. Just over a month ago, Wallace had alarmingly admitted that he didn’t “have a clue” as to what his role on the team was, but as of today the veteran forward seemed to be encouraged about what his future holds with the Nets: "All in all I think this was kind of a down year for me, but I feel comfortable and excited about the way I finished the season," Wallace says."I'm going into the summer knowing the things I can do to get better."
- Marcus Thompson of Mercury News reported that Warriors big man David Lee had surgery to repair a torn right hip flexor today and is expected to begin rehab within the next two weeks.
- According to Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post, Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari had a slight setback in rehab and won't have surgery on his ACL for another two weeks. Consequently, an expected return date of January 1 has now changed to late January or February.
Coaching Rumors: Pistons, Hollins, Kings, 76ers
A handful of the NBA's head coaching vacancies have been filled this week, with the Suns, Bobcats, and Hawks all deciding on new head coaches. Still, plenty of jobs remain open, including higher-profile positions in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Let's round up the latest rumblings on the Association's coaching carousel….
- Sam Amick of USA Today follows up on his earlier report (linked below), tweeting that the reason the Kings may move quickly to hire Malone is a fear he'll be gone if they wait. Malone is expected to interview with the Clippers soon, according to Amick (via Twitter). Amick adds that the Kings have yet to contact Chris Mullin about the team's GM position.
Earlier updates:
- The Pistons have interviewed Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin for their head coaching opening, reports CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes. While Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks are viewed as the favorites in Detroit, Griffin's extensive phone interview with GM Joe Dumars was "impressive," a source tells Haynes. The Bulls assistant also interviewed for the Suns job before Phoenix hired Jeff Hornacek.
- Although the Nets are among the teams hoping to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Grizzlies coach told reporters, including Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, that he's not sure Memphis will grant rival suitors permission to talk to him before his contract expires on June 30th.
- Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group backs up Peter Vecsey's report that Michael Malone appears likely to be hired as the Kings' next head coach. Sam Amick of USA Today is hearing the same thing, noting that the team could bring Malone aboard before hiring a general manager, which would be an unorthodox approach.
- Amick also passes along an update on the Kings' search for a new head of basketball operations, reporting that the team has interviewed Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk and will likely interview Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace later this week. The Thunder denied Sacramento permission to speak to OKC's assistant GM Troy Weaver, while Spurs GM R.C. Buford isn't expected to have interest in the Kings job, according to Amick.
- The 76ers continue to move slowly in their coaching search, and have yet to formally interview a candidate for the job, says John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Lionel Hollins Hopes To Remain With Grizzlies
The Grizzlies' 2012/13 season ended last night in Memphis, and now that the team has been eliminated, rival clubs in search of a head coach figure to waste no time in pursuing Lionel Hollins. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Clippers and Nets are expected to request permission to speak to Hollins shortly, while Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports adds the Bucks to list of the teams hoping to talk to the Grizzlies coach.
For his part though, Hollins would prefer to remain in Memphis and continue on as the Grizzlies' coach, sources tell Spears. Hollins confirmed as much in a text to Spears: "I hope things get worked out quickly. I love our team and the possibilities."
Although there seemed to be a disconnect between Hollins and the team's new management group earlier in the season, Memphis would like to work something out with the coach, according to both Spears and Stein. Hollins will meet with Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien this week to discuss the coach's future, though it's unclear if the club will offer an extension at that point, says Spears. The Grizzlies do have the right to deny other teams permission to speak to Hollins until his current contract expires on June 30th.
While the Grizzlies would like to keep Hollins, it's unclear if they'd be able to compete with a big-money offer from a rival suitor. An aggressive offer from the Nets and owner Mikhail Prokhorov would be the "worst-case scenario" for Memphis, according to Stein. Either way, Hollins looks like he'll receive a nice raise on a '12/13 salary that Spears says was worth $2.3MM. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says there's a growing sense Hollins could end up somewhere besides Memphis due to his increasing price tag.
If the Grizzlies were to lose Hollins, assistant coach Dave Joerger would receive "strong consideration" to replace him, writes Stein. As for the Clippers and Nets, both teams are expected to pursue Brian Shaw among other candidates, while Kelvin Sampson and Larry Drew are reportedly finalists for the Bucks' opening.
Update On NBA Coaching Searches
Nearly a third of the NBA's teams have actively sought out a new head coach since the regular season ended last month, and it's possible that we could see even more clubs decide to make a change in the coming weeks. The Kings' new ownership group may fully overhaul the front office and coaching staff, while the Raptors' new head of basketball operations could decide to replace Dwane Casey.
A pair of teams have hired new coaches, but most of the clubs making a change are still pursuing and interviewing candidates. Here's an update on the NBA's offseason coaching carousel:
Atlanta Hawks
Out: Larry Drew
In: TBD
Larry Drew technically remains under contract with the Hawks, but according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter link), he hasn't been in touch with the team recently and is proceeding as if he won't be back. Stan Van Gundy had initially been linked to the Hawks' opening, but says he won't coach next season. That could be good news for Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, who is viewed by some insiders as the favorite for the Atlanta job. CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina is also reportedly being considered.
Brooklyn Nets
Out: P.J. Carlesimo
In: TBD
The Nets seem to be thoroughly researching potential candidates before reaching out to them, with a recent report suggesting that Phil Jackson was the only target approached by the team so far. Part of the reason for the deliberate pace may be the fact that two names viewed as likely top candidates, Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins, remain active in the postseason.
Charlotte Bobcats
Out: Mike Dunlap
In: TBD
When the Bobcats were seeking a a new head coach a year ago, their search was expansive and lasted several weeks. A year later, it appears that will be the case again. Kelvin Sampson, Alvin Gentry, and Elston Turner are among the candidates that have been interviewed by Charlotte so far, but the frontrunner may be Quin Snyder, who interviewed for the position last year as well. Chris Broussard reported last week that Snyder may be the preferred choice of Bobcats GM Rich Cho.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Out: Byron Scott
In: Mike Brown
The Cavs moved quickly to lock up Mike Brown, hiring him within a week of officially firing Byron Scott.
Detroit Pistons
Out: Lawrence Frank
In: TBD
When Jackson was brought in as a pro-bono consultant for the Pistons' coaching search, it raised questions about whose voice would dominate the process: Jackson's or GM Joe Dumars'. If the Zen Master has more sway, the team may push hard for Shaw, a former Jackson assistant. Dumars is believed to favor Maurice Cheeks or Nate McMillan. Budenholzer, Lindsey Hunter, Darrell Walker, and J.B Bickerstaff have also reportedly met with the Pistons.
Los Angeles Clippers
Out: Vinny Del Negro
In: TBD
According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the Clippers are shooting for the big names before fully getting their search underway. That list would include Van Gundy, Hollins, and Shaw, at the very least. The Clips have also been linked on several occasions to Gentry, Scott, and Michael Malone, and are said to be high on McMillan.
Milwaukee Bucks
Out: Jim Boylan
In: TBD
The latest report on the Bucks indicates the team has narrowed its focus to three finalists: Drew, Sampson, and Steve Clifford. All three are scheduled for second interviews with Milwaukee on Tuesday or Wednesday, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the team made a decision by the end of the week.
Philadelphia 76ers
Out: Doug Collins
In: TBD
Several names, including Shaw, Sampson, and Michael Curry initially surfaced in the Sixers' search, but GM Tony DiLeo has since been replaced by Sam Hinkie. At the moment, Hinkie seems more focused on structuring the front office than naming a new coach, so it's unclear what the timetable is for a Sixers hire, or which candidates Hinkie is considering.
Phoenix Suns
Out: Lindsey Hunter
In: Jeff Hornacek
The Suns and Jeff Hornacek reached an agreement yesterday, ending Phoenix's search.