Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: LeBron, Love, Garnett, Donovan

May 22nd, 2014 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

People around the league told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that didn’t think the Cavs had any shot at re-signing LeBron James going into Tuesday’s draft lottery, but Cleveland’s third lottery victory in four years casts the idea in a new light, Lloyd figures. The Cavs have long believed that acquiring Kevin Love would be central to the team’s pursuit of the four-time MVP, and they thought all season that the Wolves would eventually trade their power forward. Still, Lloyd has heard from no one who believes that Love would stay in Cleveland long-term if the team can’t land James, so trading for Love before knowing what James wants to do would be a supreme gamble. There’s more on the Love sweepstakes amid the latest from around the NBA:

The Warriors are confident they can wind up with Love, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle hears. Love is reportedly high on Golden State, and the team has been resourceful in acquiring players in spite of a lack of cap flexibility, Simmons notes.
Next season’s $12MM salary and a productive stretch run lead Tim Bontemps of the New York Post to believe that Kevin Garnett will return next season for the Nets, even though he hasn’t dismissed talk of retirement.
Billy Donovan admitted contact with a couple of NBA teams, but he said he’s content as the coach at the University of Florida and “all but guaranteed” he’ll remain there for next season, observes Mark Long of The Associated Press (Twitter links; hat tip to Marc Stein of ESPN.com). The Wolves reportedly sought him for their vacancy earlier this spring.
The Warriors were one of five teams that reached out to Steve Kerr about their coaching vacancies, as Kerr said on ESPN Radio’s The Dan Le Batard show, tweets Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. The Knicks and Jazz were his other known suitors.
Draft hopeful Andre Dawkins will work out for the Bulls, Suns, Hornets, Pacers, Pistons and Mavericks, his agent tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Dawkins is No. 92 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, but Chad Ford of ESPN.com doesn’t have him among his top prospects.

Western Notes: Wolves, Fournier, Warriors

May 21st, 2014 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor says the team doesn’t intend to trade Kevin Love, reports Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “Actually, I haven’t had any offers. I’m waiting!” GM Milt Newton joked. According to the article, Newton also said that now that the draft lottery was completed it would accelerate the team’s search for a new head coach.

Draft Notes: Minimum Age, McDermott, Bulls

May 20th, 2014 at 6:16pm CST by Alex Lee

We’re less than an hour from the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery, where, if you buy into the hype, the fate of a handful of the league’s more unfortunate franchises hangs in the balance. This morning, our Chuck Myron outlined the odds each participant has of landing a top-three pick. Beyond that, the ping pong balls will also dictate the destination for some of the draft’s conditional selections, as listed in our reverse standings.

Let’s take a look at some other NBA draft-related notes leading up to tonight’s festivities in New York City:

Speaking to the press before the lottery, Adam Silver reiterated his preference to raise the age limit of draft-eligible players from 19 to 20, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Silver added that the NCAA must be involved in the discussions, citing an improving relationship with NCAA front man Mark Emmert, tweets Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Silver met with seven of the draft’s top players before the lottery tonight and expects this class to be a bit more meaningful to him, tweets Moore. “This class has a special place in my heart. It’ll be my first as commissioner,” Silver said.
Creighton’s Doug McDermott expected to meet with the Cavaliers in Chicago during last week’s NBA Draft Combine but ultimately did not, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. The sharpshooter does expect to work out in the near future for Cleveland, who will hold the ninth pick unless they get lucky tonight.
Although the Bulls will be armed with two first round picks in June’s draft, they are unlikely to use both selections themselves and are a good bet to be active between now and then, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Jonathan Givony of Draft Express published his latest mock draft which, although it is bound to change depending tonight’s results, is complete with new and improved formatting and features.

Grizzlies Eyeing Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau?

May 19th, 2014 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Bobcats, Pistons

May 18th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

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.

And-Ones: Aldridge, Assistants, Cavs

May 17th, 2014 at 1:41pm CST by Cray Allred

Clippers players told reporters, including Dan Woike of The Orange County Register, that they’re unsure what they would do if Donald Sterling isn’t removed from ownership by next season. Still, they expressed hope that the issue will be resolved sooner rather than later. “It appears that this will be a long process. Things will be in flux for a while,” J.J. Redick said. “I can’t imagine a scenario where we start the season next year and he’s the owner and all is kosher.” Here’s more from around the league:

The players union won’t demand a timetable on Sterling’s ouster as long as the league is acting “in good faith” on its promise to remove the Clippers owner, acting union executive director Ron Klempner told reporters, including Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link).
Extending LaMarcus Aldridge is the Blazers’ first priority moving forward, as Portland GM Neil Olshey tells Erik Gundersen of The Columbian (Twitter link).
Bobcats assistant coach Bob Beyer is a strong candidate to become Stan Van Gundy‘s top assistant on the Pistons bench, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Andy Greer and Nick Nurse are possibilities to become Steve Kerr‘s assistant coaches with the Warriors, per another Wojnarowski tweet. Greer and Nurse are currently on staff as assistants with the Bulls and Raptors, respectively.
Mark Jackson won’t be a serious candidate for the Cavs head coaching job, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com hears.
James Posey could be an assistant coaching candidate for the Cavs, Pluto writes. Posey has been an assistant with Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, and GM David Griffin holds him in high regard.
Pluto adds that Griffin would love to find a shooter in the draft, and mentions Doug McDermott, Nik Stauskas, and Rodney Hood as intriguing prospects where the Cavs will be drafting.
In a series of tweets, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News casts doubt on an earlier report that Phil Jackson had “low balled” Kerr. Isola insinuates that if the Knicks played “hardball” with Jackson’s only coaching target, it would have been a result of ownership’s influence, not Jackson’s.
In another tweet, Isola relays an accusation from a person involved in the Kerr talks that Knicks owner James Dolan “sabotaged” the negotiations.
Chris Mannix of SI.com weighed in with a tweet of his own, agreeing with Isola that a tough negotiation strategy would have come from Knicks ownership, not Jackson.

Draft Notes: Smart, Adams, Vonleh, Gordon

May 16th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Marcus Smart doesn’t regret returning to college for his sophomore season, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Smart said, “The reason I came back is my freshman year was the first time I played point guard. I wanted to embrace that role and become a better point guard, learn the position before I take my talents to the NBA where guys have been playing that role their whole life.“

Draft Combine Updates: Friday

May 16th, 2014 at 2:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

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).

Draft Combine Updates: Thursday

May 15th, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Chicago draft combine is underway, and teams can meet with up to 18 players. With 30 teams, that means there could be as many as 540 interviews this week. We’ll try to keep track of as many as possible here, and we’ll update this post throughout the day as news filters in. Here’s the latest:

Ennis will meet with the Bobcats and at least four other teams in addition to the organizations listed below, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Vonleh interviewed with the Wolves, Bucks, Lakers, and Blazers, tweets Robbins, who adds that the big man is scheduled to meet with the Sixers.

Earlier updates:

LaVine shot very well, and Seth Davis of SI.com hears that he may have helped his stock more than any other prospect today (Twitter link; H/T Wolstat).
In Exum’s extended quotes transcribed by Sean Deveney of The Sporting News regarding the point guard’s willingness to pressure certain teams not to draft him, Exum said he doesn’t see any of his potential destinations as a bad fit, and is willing to play behind an established point guard.
LaQuinton Ross will work out for the Cavs on Monday, tweets Jason Lloyd of Akron Beacon Journal.
The Raptors plan to meet with K.J. McDaniels, McDermott, Payton, Anderson, McDaniels, and possibly Hood, reports Wolstat (via Twitter).
Hood will meet with the Bulls on Friday, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
Randle interviewed with the Cavs and will do so with the Bucks, too, as the Plain Dealer and Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel note (Twitter links).
Patric Young spoke with the Pelicans and has a sit-down with the Grizzlies scheduled, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
Blakely adds Hood and Noah Vonleh to the Celtics interview list, while Randle and T.J. Warren are talking to Boston, too, according to Holmes (All Twitter links).
Vonleh says he also has an interview scheduled with the Magic, Robbins notes, adding that Orlando wanted to interview Stauskas, but his meeting schedule is too full (Twitter links). The Magic sat down with Randle on Wednesday, Robbins adds (on Twitter).
Aaron Gordon met with the Sixers on Wednesday, Pompey tweets.
Exum will also interview with the Kings, according to Howard-Cooper (on Twitter).
Julius Randle is meeting with the Sixers today, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Doug McDermott said he met Wednesday with the Bulls, Hawks and Timberwolves, Robbins observes, and McDermott added that he’s looking forward to a meeting with the Cavs, as Robbins and the Plain Dealer observe (Twitter links).
Rodney Hood is set to interview with the Wolves tonight, Zgoda tweets. Hood interviewed with the Bobcats on Wednesday, as Bonnell details (Twitter links).
Kyle Anderson met with the Celtics and he’ll also see the Wolves tonight, Washburn and Zgoda note (Twitter links).
The Pistons met with Glenn Robinson III on Wednesday, as he tells Langlois (Twitter link).
Add the Celtics and the Bucks to Exum’s interview agenda, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe and Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel report (Twitter links). Exum thinks he’ll sit down with the Cavs, too, the Plain Dealer notes (on Twitter).
The Wolves will interview Lavine on Friday after having spoken with James Young on Wednesday, Zgoda tweets.
The Bobcats have expressed interest in P.J. Hairston, as he tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
Dante Exum‘s wingspan measured out at nearly 6’10”, and he’ll draw consideration for the No. 1 overall pick from some teams, ESPN’s Chad Ford said on the network’s combine coverage today, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (Twitter link). He denied that he’s angling for the Lakers in the draft, but he wouldn’t rule out pressuring some teams not to take him, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Exum met with the Sixers, Pistons and Suns on Wednesday, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Jazz will also speak with him, report Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel and Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune (All four Twitter links).
Marcus Smart has interviewed with the Rockets, Raptors, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Cavs, Jazz and Bucks are also on his agenda, as the Plain Dealer, Falk and Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times report (All Twitter links). The Timberwolves won’t interview Smart in Chicago, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears the team is hoping to get him to come to Minnesota for a workout (Twitter link).
Ontario native Tyler Ennis is excited about the idea of playing for the Raptors and has interviewed with them, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. He’s also met with the Bobcats, Kings, Suns, Thunder and Nuggets, according to Kennedy (on Twitter).
Nik Stauskas has met with or will meet with the Kings, Pistons and Raptors, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (All Twitter links).
The Nuggets, Spurs, Warriors and Nets have met with Shabazz Napier, Kennedy tweets.
The Hawks, Spurs, Thunder, Raptors, Magic, Cavs and Timberwolves met Elfrid Payton, Kennedy reports (Twitter link).
Zach LaVine interviewed with the Celtics, among others, Wednesday, he tells Blakely (Twitter link).
Russ Smith sat down with the Suns, Celtics and Blazers, according to Kennedy (via Twitter).

Coaching Rumors: Kerr, Ollie, Thibodeau

May 15th, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Cray Allred

Stephen Curry went on the record in his support of new Warriors coach Steve Kerr, telling Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group he’s on board despite the star’s frustration with the firing of Mark Jackson. “I just want to see [Kerr] build that relationship with the players. To be able to get the most out of us,” Curry said. “We’re in good hands. I’m not worried about that. He just has to develop his coaching style. I agree with the decision [to hire Kerr].” Here’s more on the coaching front:

Sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that Phil Jackson isn’t ready to consider himself as a candidate for Knicks coach in the wake of Kerr declining to join the Knicks.
Jerry West thinks Jackson should coach the Knicks if his health will allow, he told Marc Berman of The New York Post. West added that Jackson will have to change his demeanor as an executive to be as successful as he was as a coach.
West acknowledged to Berman that Stan Van Gundy was the Warriors‘ first head coaching choice over Kerr.
Kerr tells Berman in a separate piece that he received Jackson’s blessing to meet with the Warriors while deep in discussions with the Knicks, and that the Zen Master wasn’t bitter with his eventual decision to choose Golden State over New York.
Kevin Ollie is having his resolve to stay at UConn tested by strong interest from an unnamed NBA team, a league source tells Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “A team has come at him hard,” the source said. “He’s always preferred UConn. But he may have a decision to make.”
Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com expects speculation around Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau to linger until the coach signs another extension with Chicago, even though Thibodeau has three years remaining on his current deal. Both Thibodeau and GM Gar Forman declined to comment on rumblings of tension between the coach and front office, increasingly fueled by other teams’ plans to pursue Thibodeau.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak continued to downplay Kobe Bryant‘s influence on L.A.’s coaching search, telling Andy Katz of ESPN.com the star’s wishes to be involved won’t be catered to. “He really won’t weigh in on something like this,” said Kupchak. “I’m not even sure that we’ll talk to him prior to interviews.”