Central Rumors: Cavs, Mayo, Bulls, Belinelli
After three games in both Eastern Conference Semifinals, the pair of Central Division representatives are in opposite positions. The Pacers are up 2-1, with a chance to push the Knicks to the edge with a win in Game Four at Indiana. The Bulls find themselves at the wrong end of a 2-1 series score against the Heat, with a virtual must win Monday night in Chicago. Here's more on the Bulls and a division rival that would probably welcome even an 0-3 playoff deficit these days:
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald doesn't expect the Cavaliers to spend freely this summer, but suggests the team might make a run at O.J. Mayo.
- In her latest mailbag for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mary Schmitt Boyer discusses Anderson Varejao's health and future in Cleveland, potential Cavs offseason moves, and more.
- The Bulls play defense with attitude, and that's what separates Tom Thibodeau from the similarly defensive-minded Mike Brown, as The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw opines.
- In his NBA Saturday piece, HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham speculates that Nate Robinson and Marco Belinelli will command multiyear deals as free agents this summer. Brigham thinks that makes it unlikely the Bulls will re-sign them, given the team's incentive to clear cap space for next summer.
- David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune agrees that the Bulls have their eyes on 2014, though he believes re-signing Belinelli would be a worthwhile investment. Haugh also advises the team to wait until 2014 to amnesty Carlos Boozer.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Thompson, Ellis, Hollins, Turkoglu
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski looks back to June 2011, when Warriors' GM Bob Myers had worries about not being able to select Klay Thompson knowing that either the Spurs could possibly trade up in the draft to get him or that the Bucks were planning to select him with the 10th overall pick. As it would turn out, San Antonio would wind up trading for the 15th pick (Kawhi Leonard) and the Kings landed the 10th pick to select Jimmer Fredette, leaving the sharpshooting Washington State forward right into the hands of Golden State. Here are a few more miscellaneous notes to share along this evening:
- AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops fills us in on the "best of the bunch" in terms of international prospects in this year's draft.
- The 76ers aren't expected to hold most of their interviews for their head coaching search until after the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp, writes Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com, although there is a possibility that the team could conduct some during camp.
- According to this report by the Detroit Free Press, the Pistons are widely known to be seeking perimeter help heading into the draft but could look to add more to their frontcourt.
- Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that the Lakers have granted the Cavaliers permission to interview Phil Handy about joining Mike Brown's coaching staff in Cleveland.
- When asked about the trade that sent Monta Ellis to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson told reporters that letting Ellis go helped change the culture of the team, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (Sulia link).
- ESPN's Chris Broussard tweets that Lionel Hollins will be highly coveted if the Grizzlies opt to not re-sign him this summer, adding that the Nets would figure to be among the interested teams.
- Heat owner Mickey Arison engaged in some civil discourse with a fan on Twitter regarding the possibility that Seattle loses out on their bid for the Kings (credit goes to SportsRadioKJR.com). Arison made it clear that he believes that the city of Sacramento has done enough to warrant keeping the team, and refuted the notion that Seattle had put forth the same effort in 2008 before the Sonics franchise ultimately moved to Oklahoma City.
- John Denton of NBA.com writes that Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu understands the current youth movement of the franchise and that his time in Orlando could be over within the next coming months.
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) reports that Lakers big man Pau Gasol will be held out of basketball activities for the next three months after undergoing an operation on his knee today.
Cavs Interested In Tony Allen
Mixed among his notes on the Cavaliers and other NBA topics, Bob Finnan of The News-Herald writes that it appears Cleveland has interest in signing Grizzlies shooting guard Tony Allen as an unrestricted free agent this summer. As Finnan notes, Allen would likely shore up Cleveland's defense, which allowed 106.9 points per 100 possessions, tied for fourth worst in the league. Owner Dan Gilbert alluded to new coach Mike Brown's "much-needed defensive-first philosophy" when Brown was hired last month.
Allen, named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team last season, is the main perimeter stopper for the Grizzles, who allowed the second fewest points per 100 possessions in the league this year. He has expressed a desire to remain with Memphis, and earlier this season, he brought up a conversation he had with Zach Randolph about staying with the Grizzlies until they both retire. Still, Allen isn't unwilling to test free agency, telling Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth in February that, "I'd like to stay but whatever happens I'm cool with it."
Allen struggles with his shot, as Finnan points out, and this year he made just 12.5% of his three-point attempts. Despite 44.5% shooting from the field overall this season, he's made 47.5% of his career field goal attempts, displaying an ability to maximize his offensive strengths. Allen is making $3.3MM this season, but an unnamed Eastern Conference general manager told Chris Mannix of SI.com in March that he believes the 31-year-old is in for a slight raise, with a three-year contract at $4MM annually.
The Grizzlies created financial flexibility with a pair of trades this season, but accommodating that sort of contract for Allen this summer would once more make it difficult for the team to maneuver, as our Luke Adams detailed last month. Adams believes Allen will come back to Memphis, perhaps at a slight discount, but the Cavs, with ample cap space this summer, could make that decision difficult with an above-market offer. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cleveland GM Chris Grant try to overpay for a player who fits the team's renewed commitment to defense.
Eastern Notes: Rose, Cavaliers, 76ers
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer provides a breakdown of the Cavaliers' key free agents and lists who he'd keep as well as let go.
- Tom Moore of Philly Burbs thinks that landing a proven head coach for the 76ers will be challenging without a star or the ability to attract a big time free agent.
- Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston writes that Doc Rivers' job will become infinitely more difficult without Kevin Garnett, who has been a vocal leader and loyal supporter of the nine-year Celtics coach.
- Paul Pierce says that it will be up to GM Danny Ainge to determine whether or not Boston's core should be dismantled this summer, writes Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press.
Boyer On Cavs, Mike Brown, Oden
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer answered a handful of questions from Cavaliers fans earlier, pointing out that the team will most likely build through the draft and trades. If they were to find someone in free agency, Boyer opines, the Cavs definitely don't want to overpay in order to land their target. She also doesn't see Dwight Howard being a real option, nor does she think Kevin Love or LaMarcus Aldridge will be available on the trade market. You can find more of her noteworthy points below:
- With four draft picks in June, Boyer thinks that the team will look to package some picks in order to move up or make a trade.
- Mike Brown appears to be putting his wish list of prospective assistant coaches together, and although former assistant John Kuester has been mentioned, it's not clear if he's interested.
- Though mutual interest remains between the Cavs and Greg Oden, the team won't be willing to give him an opportunity at just any price.
- The team is in full support of Anderson Varejao and wants to see him fully healthy and ready to play as soon as possible.
Latest On Pistons, Bobcats Coaching Searches
3:21pm: The Bobcats have also requested permission to interview Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Sampson's Rockets remain active in the postseason, though the team is one loss away from elimination.
2:19pm: According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), Pistons GM Joe Dumars met with McMillan last week. Ownership is expected to be involved in today's formal interview, says Wojnarowski.
1:02pm: While the Cavaliers struck quickly to fill their head coaching opening, two other Eastern Conference lottery teams appear to be moving at a more deliberate pace. The Pistons have begun to interview candidates, according to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News, who tweets that Lindsey Hunter interviewed with the team yesterday, while Nate McMillan will do so today.
McMillan and Hunter appear to be the early favorites for the Pistons' coaching job, but they're unlikely to be the only candidates interviewed by the club. With 14 teams still alive in the postseason, teams searching for a new head coach may have to wait until later in the spring to seek permission to interview assistants on those playoff clubs.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats have asked for the Cavaliers' permission to talk to assistant coach Nate Tibbetts, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). If that story sounds familiar, it may be because the Bobcats interviewed the Cavs assistant a year ago, before eventually hiring Mike Dunlap.
The Bobcats seem to be revisiting a number of past candidates, having also been linked this month to Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and former Lakers assistant Quin Snyder, both of whom were interviewed by Charlotte last spring.
Cavs Rumors: Trades, Speights, Livingston, Miles
The Cavaliers missed the playoffs and have already hired Mike Brown as their new coach. The draft lottery, in which they'll have a 15.6% chance at the top pick, is more than three weeks away. Still, the rumor mill is far from dry in Cleveland. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald rounds up the latest:
- Finnan doesn't believe rumors that the Cavs are willing to part with young talent like Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson in return for All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love, in part because Cleveland would have to give up too much to swing such a deal.
- Finnan thinks Marreese Speights might not fit the Cavs culture, and the scribe believes the team is hoping Speights turns down his $4.515MM player option for next season.
- A source tells Finnan that Shaun Livingston will likely ask for $3MM to $4MM this summer and settle for $2MM to $2.5MM.
- It's no longer a given that the Cavs will bring back C.J. Miles next season. His $2.225MM contract for 2013/14 is fully non-guaranteed.
- John Kuester has been expected to join new Brown's staff, but sources tell Finnan he might be reluctant to coach again in the NBA after negative experiences as head coach of the Pistons and as an assistant with the Lakers.
- Donyell Marshall, a player under Brown from 2005 to 2008, has likely inquired about a position on Brown's coaching staff, according to Finnan, who suggests Eric Snow, Jamahl Mosley, Nate Tibbetts and Alex Jensen as other possible assistant coaching candidates for the team.
Odds & Ends: Brown, Turkoglu, Celtics, Cavs
The Cavaliers bringing Mike Brown back as coach in an effort to woo LeBron James in the summer of 2014 is just the latest example of the NBA being a player's league, writes Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops. Of course, Brown was fired three years ago in an effort to appease James, but since the star appears to be fond of him once again, Cleveland hopes that the hire will be enough to move the needle in their direction. Here's more from around the league..
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel outlined the issues facing the Magic this offseason. One of Orlando's toughest tasks will be finding a taker for Hedo Turkoglu and his $12MM salary for next season. Only half of the veteran's salary is guaranteed, however, and the club is expected to waive him if they cannot work out a trade.
- In time, aging Celtics veterans Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry will have to evaluate their futures in the league, writes Tom Layman of the Boston Herald. If the C's wind up getting eliminated in the first round by the Knicks, they may be forced to make significant changes this offseason.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer looked at the journey that Brown took from being the head coach of the Lakers to rehired by the Cavs.
Eastern Notes: Dalembert, Adetokunbo, Cavs
We rounded up a few Western Conference notes earlier today, so let's head east and check in on the other conference….
- Although Samuel Dalembert has expressed some interest in signing with the Heat this summer, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn't see Dalembert as more than a "fallback option" for Miami. Winderman isn't sure whether Dalembert would fit the Heat's culture, and thinks any interest from Miami would come later in free agency, if at all.
- The Pistons are expected to scout Greek prospect Giannis Adetokunbo for the first time this weekend, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Hopefully they'll have better luck than scouts for the Spurs, Heat, Hawks, and Grizzlies — Sportando contributor David Pick reports they failed to secure game passes to watch Adetokunbo today and were refused credentials. Representatives from the Cavs and Jazz did get in, however (Twitter links).
- New Cavs head coach Mike Brown has a long list of potential assistant candidates, and will begin getting in touch with them next week, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the merits of hiring Brian Shaw for the Sixers, noting that as of earlier this week, the team had yet to set up any interviews with potential coaching candidates.
Amico On Jackson, Bobcats, Shaw, Suns, Cavs
Sam Amico's latest notes column for FOX Sports Ohio is chock-full of interesting NBA tidbits, including one rumor suggesting that Michael Jordan is considering offering Phil Jackson a piece of the Bobcats and total control over the team's basketball operations. Amico pumps the brakes on the story a little, writing that a rival GM cautions it's merely a rumor being whispered around the league for now, rather than anything concrete. Still, it certainly makes for an interesting talking point. Here are a few more highlights from Amico's piece:
- If Jackson were to be hired in a front-office role, many people around the NBA believe he'd hire Pacers assistant Brian Shaw as his team's head coach.
- One opposing GM on the Bobcats' coaching opening, which Amico notes has some appeal: "That’s not a dire situation by any stretch. People are railing Michael Jordan, but that team has the youth and assets to make a quick turnaround. A lot of teams oversell that idea. The Bobcats don’t sell it all. But (Jordan) actually has them set up nicely. It’s just about making the right moves from here."
- Expect the Suns to make a serious run at a top free agent, according to Amico, who names Josh Smith and Al Jefferson as potential Phoenix targets.
- The Cavaliers are open to trade talks involving anyone but Kyrie Irving, says Amico, echoing what we heard from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard earlier today. Amico clarifies that the Cavs aren't necessarily actively shopping anyone, but that GM Chris Grant will field calls, since he's more confident in building the team via trade than via free agency.