Eastern Rumors: ‘Melo, Griffin, Pistons, Saric
A source tells Ian Begley of ESPN.com that Carmelo Anthony would “embrace” playing for Mark Jackson, but that doesn’t mean he only wants to play for Jackson or would feel uncomfortable playing for anyone else, Begley cautions. Knicks president Phil Jackson hasn’t ruled out hiring the former Warriors coach, but it doesn’t appear as though there are plans for an interview. Jackson appears to be a leading candidate for the Cavs job, though no interview has been scheduled with Cleveland, either. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Adrian Griffin impressed the Cavs during his interview for the team’s coaching job this week, with one source telling Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that the performance as “fantastic” (Twitter link).
- Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden, former Heat GM Randy Pfund and former Pelicans GM Jeff Bower are among the candidates for the Pistons GM job, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Stu Jackson, who’s completed an interview for the job, and Otis Smith are the previously reported names.
- Dario Saric reportedly would come to the NBA for next season if the Celtics or Lakers were to draft him, but the C’s consider him a candidate for their pick at No. 17, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, indicating that he’s not in the mix to go at No. 6.
- Marcin Gortat is likely in line for $10-12MM salaries while Trevor Ariza will look for $8-9MM as both Wizards hit free agency this summer, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
Draft Rumors: Exum, Warren, Young
The allure of Dante Exum is prompting the Sixers to think about trading Michael Carter-Williams, and it appears as though Exum will indeed be available when Philadelphia picks third overall next month. Exum isn’t in the mix for the Cavs at No. 1 overall, and while the Bucks are high on him, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in an Insider-only piece, the uncertain future of GM John Hammond and his staff makes it less likely the point guard ends up in Milwaukee. Here’s more draft-related news:
- Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com adds the Hawks and Suns to the list of teams that have workouts scheduled with T.J. Warren (Twitter link).
- Patric Young is performing for the Suns today and will work out for the Spurs on Friday, Goodman tweets.
- Dwight Powell is auditioning for the Thunder today and will do so for the Suns and Wolves later this week, Goodman reports (on Twitter).
- The Hawks worked out Jahii Carson, as the Arizona State sophomore revealed on Twitter (hat tip to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). He’s auditioning for the Suns today, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. He’ll join Isaiah Austin, whom the Suns are also working out today, Goodman hears (Twitter link).
- Khem Birch worked out for the Sixers on Monday and will do so for the Heat next week, according to Goodman (Twitter link).
- Ronald Roberts Jr. will show off for the Raptors, Sixers and Pistons this week, reports Tyler R. Tynes of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Javon McCrea is working out with the Bulls today and the Sixers and Raptors next week, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv has learned (Twitter link).
Draft Rumors: Embiid, Parker, Wiggins, Ennis
Several around the league believe Joel Embiid will only work out for the Cavs and Bucks as confidence grows that he won’t slip to the Sixers at No. 3, according to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins will likely audition only for the teams with the top three picks, a source tells Holmes, though that’s much less noteworthy than the Embiid news, which signals that concerns about the health of his back are abating. Still, it appears as though Nuggets GM Tim Connelly would prefer Parker to Embiid and Wiggins if he somehow managed to have a choice, observes Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Here’s more from a busy afternoon of draft-related news:
- Toronto native Tyler Ennis will work out for the Raptors on Thursday, the team announced.
- Glenn Robinson III is auditioning for the Hawks today and the Hornets later this week, and he expects to do so for the Spurs, Bulls and Bucks sometime soon, as he tells MLive’s Brendan F. Quinn (hat tip to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution).
- Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com adds T.J. Warren, Cleanthony Early and K.J. McDaniels to the players working out on June 3rd for the Celtics (Twitter link).
- The Bulls will play host to workouts for Jordan McRae, Devyn Marble and C.J. Fair on Wednesday, Goodman tweets, adding their names to Rodney Hood‘s, which Goodman reported Monday.
- Marble pulled out of his workout with the Bucks today, but the two sides will reschedule, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (on Twitter).
- The Suns are auditioning Keith Appling, Alec Brown, Deonte Burton, Artem Klimenko, Jakarr Sampson and Jamil Wilson today, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Appling will also show off this week for the Pistons, Raptors and Wolves, agent Michael Silverman tells Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News.
- The Knicks will work out Ian Chiles, a source tells Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia.
- Xavier Thames auditioned for the Heat today, and he’s set to do so with the Bucks, Bulls, Celtics, Hornets, Knicks, Jazz, Mavericks and Pacers, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Draft, Celtics, Pistons
Joel Embiid‘s medical worries make it a risk for the Sixers to select the talented Kansas big man with the third pick, opines Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey acknowledges that if healthy, Embiid might turn out to be the best player in the draft, but Philadelphia would be safer selecting Julius Randle or Noah Vonleh if Embiid is still available when they pick.
More from around the league:
- Each of the three former Michigan players who are draft prospects took a different approach to the combine week and each emerged with an upward trend, writes Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press. Guard Nik Stauskas is a lottery candidate while Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III could be first round picks.
- Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald makes the case for the Celtics selecting Marcus Smart with the sixth overall pick in this June’s NBA Draft.
- Now that the Hornets own the Pistons first round pick, Detroit’s focus will turn to finding productive players in the second round, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Ellis looks at some of the franchise’s past second round successes and breaks down which players might be available with the 38th overall pick.
- The Pelicans gave away too much in the trade for Jrue Holiday last year, opines Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. This puts added pressure on the team to get production out of Pierre Jackson next season, who is in essence this year’s draft choice for the team, notes Smith.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Van Gundy, Jazz, Blazers
The Grizzlies might have interest in hiring Jeff Van Gundy to be their coach and head of basketball operations in a deal similar to the one that Stan Van Gundy received from the Pistons, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. This would be in the event that current coach Dave Joerger takes the Timberwolves coaching position, an occurrence that Stein’s sources classify as an “inevitability.” The article also notes that team owner Robert Pera doesn’t want Joerger back no matter what happens with Minnesota.
More from out west:
- Alvin Gentry and Adrian Griffin are at the top of the list of candidates the Jazz are considering to become their next head coach, writes Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- With only two roster spots potentially open, Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey will have to get creative if he wants to upgrade his roster this offseason, writes John Canzano of The Oregonian. Olshey will also have to decide if C.J. McCollum is a rotation player, and to convince LaMarcus Aldridge to re-sign with the team when he becomes a free agent after next season, notes Canzano.
- The Lakers had a large presence at the BDA Sports pre-draft workouts of Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. The Lakers have the seventh overall selection in this year’s NBA Draft. Gordon is currently projected to be a top-ten pick, and LaVine is projected as a middle of the first round selection.
- What the Jazz need most in the draft is to find a “generational star,” writes Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune. The article looks at the team’s draft options with the fifth overall pick.
- With all the turmoil in their front office, the next coach the Grizzlies hire will need to bring some stability to the franchise, writes Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal.
Pistons To Interview Stu Jackson For GM Position
Stu Jackson, the NBA’s former executive vice president of basketball operations, will interview for the Pistons vacant GM position, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Jackson is scheduled to meet with the new coach and president of basketball operations, Stan Van Gundy, early next week, notes Haynes.
In addition to his former position with the league office, Jackson had also coached the Knicks during the 1989/90 season and the first 15 games of the 1990/91 season. He coached the Grizzles for part of the 1996/97 season. His lifetime NBA coaching record is 58-78. Jackson also coached the University of Wisconsin Badgers for two seasons, compiling a record of 32-25 during his time in Madison.
Haynes notes that Van Gundy is also expected to reach out to the Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden to discuss the opening, but Otis Smith is still considered the favorite for the position, according to the article.
Pistons Notes: Malone, GM, Draft, D-League
The Pistons resolved their front office and coaching situations with a single move last week, hiring Stan Van Gundy as president of basketball operations as well as head coach. Still, the honeymoon didn’t last long, as Tuesday’s lottery forced the team to hand its first-round pick over to Charlotte. Here’s the latest from the Motor City:
- The Pistons are set to hire Brendan Malone as an assistant coach, a source tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The 72-year-old resigned a week before this past season began from his gig as the lead assistant for the Kings and head coach Michael Malone, his son. Brendan Malone served as an assistant to Chuck Daly during Detroit’s Bad Boy era.
- Van Gundy is about halfway through the interview process in his search for a GM, as he said to Matt Dery on WMGC-FM in Detroit. Free Press scribe Kirkland Crawford rounds up Van Gundy’s remarks.
- Detroit’s new one-to-one D-League affiliation makes it less likely the Pistons will select an overseas “draft-and-stash” player at No. 38, since the front office would probably prefer any remedial work be done close to home, MLive’s David Mayo suggests. Mayo addresses that and more in his mailbag column.
Draft Rumors: Harris, Young, Robinson, Smart
NBA executives are gathered in Southern California for a series of workouts involving draft hopefuls, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com passes along some intel in an Insider-only piece. Gary Harris has used hot shooting to impress and he’s a likely top-10 pick, Ford believes. He’ll work out for the Celtics and Bulls. among other teams, according to Ford. James Young is drawing interest from a slew of teams, including the Hornets, Sixers, Nuggets, Magic, Timberwolves and Suns, while many clubs are high on Glenn Robinson III after he performed well in a workout for the Bulls this past Monday, Ford writes. Here’s more on the draft:
- Marcus Smart has workouts scheduled with the Magic and Celtics, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times adds the Nuggets to the list of teams that interviewed Aaron Gordon at last week’s draft combine in Chicago.
- The Clippers, Pacers, Pistons and Wizards are among the clubs interested in Virginia swingman Joe Harris, Woelfel writes in the same piece, reiterating that the Bucks are eyeing him, too. Harris spoke to Zach Links of Hoops Rumors recently for our Prospect Profile series.
- Chane Behanan will work out for the Mavs next month, Goodman also tweets.
And-Ones: LeBron, Love, Garnett, Donovan
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.
Central Notes: LeBron, Cavs, Hammond, Pistons
The Cavs appear to face an uphill battle if they’re to sign LeBron James this summer, but they still intend to try, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who points to the team’s interest in Heat assistant David Fizdale as evidence. Still, Fizdale tells Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel that he’s had no contact with Cleveland and that his only ties to the team were through Mike Brown, whom the team fired last week (Twitter link). Here’s more on Cleveland’s coaching search and the team’s rivals from the Central Division:
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is enamored with Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, though Billups, who’s yet to retire from playing, prefers a future as an NBA GM as opposed to a coach, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins and Mark Jackson are more likely candidates for Cleveland’s head coaching vacancy, Boyer believes.
- Adrian Griffin seemed like the early favorite for the Cavs coaching job, but it’s unclear whether he’s a high on Cleveland’s list, as Boyer writes in the same piece.
- Bucks GM John Hammond will remain with the team at least through the draft, Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens said Tuesday, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel observes. Edens gave no assurances that the GM will last longer than that in spite of Hammond’s contract, which runs for two more seasons, Gardner notes.
- The Pistons and Hornets had discussions about a deal during the season that would have allowed Detroit to keep its first-round pick regardless of where it ended up in the order, but they never got serious, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Charlotte wound up with Detroit’s first-rounder for next month when the Pistons fell to ninth in Tuesday’s lottery.
- Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson are among the players the Pistons will consider with the 38th overall pick, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (on Twitter).
- We rounded up more on the Cavs earlier today.