Western Notes: McMillan, Kings, Kaman, Pekovic
When I asked yesterday which playoff team down 2-0 in the first round had the best chance of coming back and advancing, over half of you picked the Grizzlies. Memphis delivered on the first step of that comeback last night, holding the Clippers to 82 points en route to a Game Three win.
Meanwhile, the Rockets only received about 5% of the votes in that poll, but their chances likely improved with word from the Thunder that Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. As we wait for official word on a timetable for Westbrook's return, let's check out a few notes from around the Western Conference:
- Nate McMillan may be a top contender for the Pistons' head coaching opening, but Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press says there's a "belief around the league" that McMillan will wait to see what happens with the Kings, since he could also be a strong candidate there if the franchise moves to Seattle.
- The NBA's relocation committee is expected to make a recommendation to the Board of Governors next Monday on whether or not to approve the sale and relocation of the Kings. However, an official vote by league owners may not come until May 13th, as Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee outline.
- While Chris Kaman has said he'd like to return to Dallas next season, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks the veteran big man just doesn't want to close any doors. MacMahon predicts Kaman will have to take a pay cut this summer, and will end up signing a one-year contract with a team besides the Mavericks.
- Speaking to Mondo.rs (translation via HoopsHype), Nikola Pekovic reiterated a desire to re-sign with the Timberwolves this summer, adding that he has no intention of leaving the NBA to return to Europe.
- Andre Iguodala's performance in this year's postseason could go a long way to exhibiting whether or not he's worth a long-term, big-money contract, according to Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post.
Hunter To Interview With Pistons, Still Considered By Suns?
THURSDAY, 5:16pm: Paul Coro of AZ Central confirms that Hunter will be interviewed by the Pistons for their head coaching job, though there remains a possibility that he could return to the Phoenix.
As per Suns president of basketball of operations Lon Babby, Coro writes that Hunter is still seen as a strong candidate to keep his position despite the recent departure of Lance Blanks, the former GM who appointed Hunter as the interim coach this past season.
“From talking to (Babby), I do feel that way…I think he still feels I’m a strong candidate. Although Lance and I were really close, I felt like I was equally respected in the organization by all parts. I was hurt for my friend but I wasn’t concerned about anything.”
WEDNESDAY, 6:45pm: The Suns are likely to grant interim coach Lindsey Hunter his request for permission to interview for the Pistons coaching vacancy, reports Matt Dery of 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit (Twitter link). Hunter appears on shaky footing in Phoenix following the departure of GM Lance Blanks. Suns also recently made a pitch to Mike Brown, who wound up returning to coach the Cavaliers, so Hunter may simply be trying to get out ahead of an impending dismissal.
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggested two days ago that Hunter could become a candidate in Detroit, noting his ties to the organization that include a close relationship with president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, a former teammate of Hunter's during their playing days. Hunter spent the majority of his career as a player with the Pistons, who drafted him 10th overall in 1993. He was a member of their 2004 NBA championship team.
A report surfaced earlier this week naming Nate McMillan the front-runner for the Pistons opening, but McMillan later said he hasn't had contact with any team. Dumars is in charge of the search, but it doesn't sound like he's in any rush to make a decision.
Nate McMillan Front-Runner To Coach Pistons?
7:53pm: McMillan also tells The Plain Dealer that the Cavs have not spoken to him about their opening.
7:35pm: McMillan tells Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune that neither he nor agent Lonnie Cooper has had contact with an NBA team about its coaching position (Twitter link).
6:55pm: Sources tell Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News that Nate McMillan has emerged as the frontrunner for the Pistons head coaching vacancy. The Pistons are seeking a proven coach, and it seems McMillan, whose record in 478-452 with the Blazers and Sonics, fits the bill for them. Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News heard last week that McMillan was a potential candidate.
McMillan has apparently expressed interest in the Cavs head coaching job as well, and he's been expected to interview for the Sixers opening. McMillan said in March that he's "definitely looking to get back into coaching" and expressed interest in coaching the Kings if they moved to Seattle and parted ways with Keith Smart. McMillan's name came up when the Nets and Lakers changed coaches in the middle of this past season. He interviewed with the Bobcats last summer.
The 48-year-old former point guard last coached in the NBA with the Blazers, who fired him at the trade deadline in March 2012. He's coached parts of 12 seasons in the NBA, but has only once taken a team past the first round of the playoffs, with the Sonics in 2004/05. He was an assistant coach on Team USA's Olympic squads in 2008 and 2012, both of which won gold medals.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Nets, Pistons, Knicks
After a dominant performance in Game One of their series against the Bulls, the Nets are in action again tonight as they try to take a 2-0 lead before the series heads to Chicago. As we look forward to that game, let's check in on a number of Monday items out of the Eastern Conference….
- As the Cavaliers search for a new head coach, owner Dan Gilbert had dinner with Mike Brown last night, as first reported by Cleveland's WKYC. According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the meeting was a positive one, though Brown hasn't been offered the job. The two sides agreed to deliberate and talk again later this week, perhaps as soon as today, reports Broussard.
- While the Cavs also reached out to Phil Jackson, that's viewed merely as due diligence, according to Broussard, who says Jackson is more interested in a front office role. Steve Kerr says the some thing of Jackson, telling Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he's not sure whether the Zen Master is physically up to the challenge of diving back into coaching.
- While Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov would like to see his team add another star, Brooklyn's current cap situation won't make it easy to do so, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
- In a pair of tweets, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hints that Detroit isn't exactly a prime destination for free agents, and that the Pistons are more likely to try to use their cap space on trades this summer.
- In a column for the Detroit News, Terry Foster expands on the same point Ellis is making, pointing out that even though owner Tom Gores may be ready to spend, that doesn't mean free agents will begin flocking to the Pistons.
- Head coach Mike Woodson is happy that the Knicks' roster-building approach last offseason involved bringing aboard a handful of aging, but productive, veterans, as he tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. "We were able to do all these things thanks to ownership allowing us and field these guys who would be serious about winning a title," Woodson said. "I’m happy with the guys we chose, absolutely."
Central Notes: Scott, Bucks, Cavs, Pistons
Two of the league's three current head-coaching vacancies are with Central Division teams, and this morning we rounded up the latest on the Cavaliers' search. There's plenty of other news from Cleveland and the rest of the Central today, so let's dive in:
- Former Cavaliers coach Byron Scott will be a candidate for the Bucks job if the team elects not to retain Jim Boylan, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
- The Cavs possess four draft picks this year, but they'll likely try to package their second-rounders, at 31st and 33rd overall, to move up in the first-round, where they have picks No. 19 and, pending the lottery, No. 3, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer agrees, and also believes it's possible the Cavs could offer both of their first-rounders in an effort to land the No. 1 overall pick.
- The Pistons may trade their pair of second-round picks (38th and 56th overall) for a late first-rounder, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press believes, perhaps targeting a team reluctant to shell out the guaranteed money required to sign first-round picks.
- MLive's David Mayo surmises that the Pistons structured Lawrence Frank's contract to end in 2014, when they were scheduled to have ample cap space. Freeing themselves from the contracts of Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince to create room this summer accelerated Frank's exit, Mayo opines.
Atlantic Links: Curry, Sixers, Celtics, Iverson
Yesterday was the first day since 1974 that two pro basketball teams held playoff games in New York, and the Knicks and Nets made the most of it. Both came away with victories and 1-0 series leads. The other three teams in the Atlantic Division are making noise off the court, as we detail here.
- Sixers players have spoken positively about assistant coach Michael Curry, who appears ready to become a head coach again after his unsuccessful stint leading the Pistons in 2008/09, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Curry will interview for the head job with the Philadelphia and may do so with the Cavs, but he doesn't appear to be a candidate for Detroit, Goodwill adds (Twitter link).
- John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Sixers should embrace rebuilding and resist the urge to spend significant cash on free agents this summer in a quick-fix effort.
- With Doug Collins no longer in a position to dictate the direction of the team, the time is right for the Sixers to pursue a marquee general manager, argues fellow Inquirer scribe Bob Ford.
- Ray Allen is pleased that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has given him the license to post up smaller defenders, something he said Celtics coach Doc Rivers did not allow him to do, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- Washburn has heard rumors that the Celtics considered signing Allen Iverson this season, but he says there's no truth behind them.
- HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston looks back on the tenure of Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, concluding that the team shouldn't fire him. If Toronto wants to make a change to its front office, it should give more responsibility to Ed Stefanski, its executive vice president of basketball operations.
Pistons Notes: Dumars, Coach, Sampson
Last night, we learned that Stan Van Gundy isn't interested in becoming the next coach of the 76ers, Cavaliers, or Pistons, the three teams with coaching vacancies. Detroit let Lawrence Frank go at the end of the season, bringing an end to his tenure which saw the club go 54-94 across two seasons. Here's a look at the latest out of The Palace as they get set for what should be a very interesting offseason..
- Joe Dumars will be in charge of finding the next coach of the team, but he won't rush his search, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. There's no hurry for Dumars as potential candidates – such as Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson– are in the playoffs.
- The foundation is set for Dumars to improve the fortunes of the Pistons, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. The Pistons have flexibility, young players and play in a fairly desirable market, which can't be said for other clubs in similar positions. One league executive told Goodwill that Dumars is still heavily respected by players and agents around the league and that he represents "organizational strength" despite the Pistons not being a big-market team.
- Without mentioning him by name, former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy blasted Dumars for making Frank the scapegoat for the club's problems, writes Brendan Savage of MLive.com.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Noel, Stan Van Gundy, Curry
The future of the Kings was far from the only issue on the table at the NBA's Board of Governors meeting this week. USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt rounds up the other issues that owners discussed, including human growth hormone testing for players, the effect of widespread reliance on three-pointers, and the possibility of a joint bid for the 2015 All-Star Game between New York and Brooklyn. Here's more from the Association on the eve of the playoffs:
- Magic GM Rob Hennigan has demonstrated a reluctance to pick up players with question marks surrounding their health, but Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel hears they wouldn't hesitate to draft top prospect Nerlens Noel, who tore his left ACL in February.
- Schmitz also hears Stan Van Gundy has no interest in becoming the next coach of the Cavaliers, Sixers or Pistons, the three teams with current coaching vacancies. The former Magic coach has been linked to the openings in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
- Sixers assistant coach Michael Curry will interview for the head job in Philly, but a source tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that interest from other teams will be high.
- Jamaal Tinsley started 32 games in place of the injured Mo Williams for the Jazz this season, and the 35-year-old Tinsley is convinced he has plenty left, telling Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune he "realistically" thinks he can play for another three or four years in the league (Twitter link).
- A report earlier this season suggested Omri Casspi was thinking about returning to play in his native Israel, but he tells Walla Sport that as long as he receives an offer from an NBA club, he won't play overseas next season (translation via HoopsHype).
- Mike Dunlap is rumored to be in danger of losing his job with the Bobcats, but the team is in no hurry to make its decision about him, preferring to listen to exit interviews and watch the coaching market develop first, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Warriors GM Bob Myers told Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group that he had every confidence Stephen Curry would remain healthy when he signed the point guard to his four-year, $44MM extension last fall.
Odds & Ends: Wilcox, Kings, Pistons, McGrady
So far, Hoops Rumors readers have indicated in this morning's poll that Spurs/Lakers is the most-anticipated first round series of the NBA playoffs, with Celtics/Knicks and Thunder/Rockets rounding out the top three. We'll have to wait until Sunday for those two Western series to get underway, but Boston and New York will be the first two teams to begin their series on Saturday afternoon. As we look forward to what should be an exciting postseason, let's check in on a few odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Washington junior C.J. Wilcox has decided to return to school for his senior season, tweets Percy Allen of the Seattle Times. Wilcox was ranked 37th among this year's prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
- Michael McCann of SI.com (Twitter link) hears that, as commissioner David Stern has indicated publicly, expansion to 31 teams truly hasn't been discussed as an option by the NBA. As such, there will be no happy ending to the Kings saga for both Sacramento and Seattle basketball fans.
- With Lawrence Frank out as Pistons coach, GM Joe Dumars will be running the team's search for a new coach, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News has heard Nate McMillan, Kelvin Sampson, Jerry Sloan, and Heat assistant David Fizdale mentioned as potential candidates (Twitter link).
- Sixers assistant Michael Curry will interview for Philadelphia's head coaching position while keeping an eye on other openings, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. In Doug Collins' exit interview today, he recommended Curry as his replacement.
- Tracy McGrady is a Spur at the moment, but his 2012/13 Chinese team, the Qingdao Double Star Eagles would like to re-sign him for next season, according to a Hupu.com report (English link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
- Carchia also passes along word that Latvian forward Janis Timma has decided to enter the 2013 NBA draft, according to his agent. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com ranks Timma 27th among 1992-born international prospects.
Lawrence Frank Out As Pistons Coach
The Pistons have notified Lawrence Frank that he won't be retained as the team's head coach for the 2013/14 season, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com first tweeted word that Frank was out as coach of the Pistons.
The decision had been expected for some time, particularly after Pistons owner Tom Gores expressed his disappointment earlier this week about how the club's season had played out. Gores did praise the way Joe Dumars and basketball operations had set the franchise up financially, but his comments didn't include many accolades for Frank's performance.
In two seasons with the Pistons, Frank led the team to a 54-94 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs either year. He'll still receive his salary for the 2013/14 season, since it was guaranteed for an amount in the neighborhood of $3.5-4MM.
We heard yesterday that Frank had informed the Pistons he didn't want to return to the club unless the team exercised its 2014/15 option on him as well. Frank didn't want to commit to the Pistons going forward unless the team was willing to commit long-term to him, due in part to the fact that his wife has been ill, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported today.