Bulls Interested In Alvin Gentry
12:17am: Some are skeptical the Bulls will land Hoiberg, Beck tweets, which jibes with what Kyler reported earlier.
WEDNESDAY, 11:54am: Hoiberg is Chicago’s top choice, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck writes, though he hears from one source who considers Gentry the favorite to end up in the Bulls job (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 10:02am: Warriors assistant coach Alvin Gentry would be among the front-runners for the Bulls head coaching job if the team were to part ways with Tom Thibodeau after the season, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who writes in his NBA AM piece. Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg has appeared to be Chicago’s top Thibodeau alternative, as multiple reports have indicated, but Kyler hears that Hoiberg may not be willing to jump to the NBA, given the condition of his heart. The 42-year-old underwent open heart surgery last month to replace his aortic valve, the school announced then.
Gentry is a contender for the Nuggets vacancy, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported last month, not long after a pair of reports identified him as a likely candidate. The Magic are considering Gentry, too, Kyler reported earlier. The former Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns bench boss is still working with the Warriors in the playoffs and has expressed affection for his place in Golden State even as he’s said he’d like to be a head coach again. He’s 335-370 over parts of 12 seasons as an NBA head coach, but he went 158-144 with Phoenix, his last stop.
Grantland’s Zach Lowe heard from people close to Tom Thibodeau who were convinced the Bulls would fire their coach at season’s end, as Lowe reported last month, but that scenario would be somewhat unrealistic given the two years left on the coach’s contract, Kyler writes. The sides could part ways as part of a de facto trade in which another team that wants to hire Thibodeau gives the Bulls compensation for letting him out of his contract, and the Magic would be willing to give up assets to Chicago in such an arrangement, sources tell Kyler. Indeed, the Magic job would be Thibodeau’s to turn down if he becomes available, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times reported earlier. Orlando would likely be willing to surrender a second-round pick or two, according to Kyler. Kyler had earlier questioned the Magic’s willingness to surrender too much for the chance to bring Thibs aboard. Thibodeau is expected to command an annual salary of $7-8MM, and the Magic would be willing to pay that, sources also tell Kyler.
It’s believed Thibodeau is the front-runner for the Nuggets job, too, according to Kyler, though there has been doubt about whether he’s a fit for Denver’s plan to return to a high-tempo approach. The Pelicans also regard Thibodeau highly as the future of Monty Williams remains unresolved, Kyler writes.
Jimmy Butler likes Thibodeau, but his decision in restricted free agency this summer wouldn’t be tied to the team’s coach, sources close to Butler tell Kyler. However, Derrick Rose is among a number of Bulls who would have a “significant problem” if the team pushed out Thibodeau, Kyler writes, echoing Wojnarowski’s recent report. Rose’s backing of Thibodeau wouldn’t prevent the coach’s departure, Wojnarowski wrote, and Rose is under contract through 2016/17.
Draft Rumors: Porzingis, Wood, Dawson
At least one GM is among the multiple executives who believe Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis has a shot to be drafted as highly as No. 2, reports Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The head of basketball ops for another team said that he’s a “lock” for the top five and that it wouldn’t be surprising to see him go within the top three, adding that he’d draft him in front of Jahlil Okafor, the Duke center who occupied the top spot in projections for most of the season. The 19-year-old is No. 5 in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com rankings and No. 8 with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Here’s more as draft rumors kick into high gear:
- Christian Wood, a power forward out of UNLV, is hoping to follow in Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s footsteps as a ball-handler with unusual height and length, Howard-Cooper writes in the same piece. The Bucks intend to interview Wood, Virginia small forward Justin Anderson and others today, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
- Both the DraftExpress team and Ford go in depth on the measurements from the combine, with Ford, in his Insider-only piece, noting that most top prospects sized up well and that this year’s draft class is among the longest groups in memory in terms of both height and wingspan.
- Michigan State power forward Branden Dawson has interviewed with the Wizards, Clippers and Pelicans at the draft combine, as he told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Ellis, in the same report, adds Stanley Johnson, Frank Kaminsky and Rashad Vaughn to the list of prospects with whom the Pistons have spoken.
- Terry Rozier met with the Pistons, too, as well as the Mavs, Suns, Knicks and Spurs, reports Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
- The Sixers, Lakers, Cavs and Bucks have interviewed Cameron Payne, Kyler also tweets. Payne spoke with our Zach Links recently about his draft prospects.
- Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds the Hornets and Warriors to the list of teams speaking with Rakeem Christmas (Twitter link).
Western Notes: Kerr, D-League, Asik
Steve Kerr dished to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group about the dynamics of the coaching staff he assembled after he took over as head coach of the Warriors last year. The group includes Alvin Gentry, in whom the Bulls reportedly have interest for their head coaching job should Tom Thibodeau no longer be there. The Nuggets and Magic are also reportedly eyeing Gentry.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Sacramento picked up its team option on D-League coach David Arseneault Jr., the Kings announced.
- Despite his ineffectiveness during the Pelicans‘ playoff series against the Warriors, Omer Asik remains in the organization’s plans, and the team still wishes to re-sign the unrestricted free agent, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. ”It’s not the time to talk about it right now,” Asik said about heading into free agency this summer. “But I think there is good stuff going on here. It’s a young team and the future is good.”
- If the Clippers advance to the conference finals it would be the first time in the history of the franchise, Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press Telegram writes. But coach/executive Doc Rivers refuses to look ahead, and is instead focused on notching one more victory over the Rockets to close out the series, Morales adds. “No, no, I think that’s a silly thought,” Rivers said. “We haven’t done it, so for us, we’ve gotta stay focused. We’ve gotta win the series, and that hasn’t happened yet. Honestly, they can say nine more wins and one more win. At the end of the day, that’s fine. But once you get to the individual game, to me that’s where you have to have your focus.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Rivers, Clippers, Warriors
Austin Rivers is picking the right time to play the best ball of his NBA career, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Considered a bust in New Orleans, Rivers was traded to the Celtics and then the Clippers during the season. He has responded with a stellar playoff performance, particularly in the second round against Houston. Kennedy reports that the Pelicans considered using their stretch provision on Rivers last summer to clear some cap room for the Omer Asik trade. New Orleans declined to pick up Rivers’ fourth-year option, deciding he wasn’t worth another season at $3.1MM. That decision should be a financial bonanza for Rivers, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer in the wake of his playoff heroics.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers are in unfamiliar territory as a championship contender, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Several roster moves have produced the turnaround, but bringing Doc Rivers and his championship pedigree to Los Angeles may have been the most important. “Doc has always been preaching about the way we need to play in order to win a championship, and I think we can finally see it,” said Glen Davis. “I think beating San Antonio woke us up. I think the Spurs woke up this sense of urgency we’ve always had inside of us, and now it’s paying off against the rest of these teams.”
- The Clippers have also benefited from a change in ownership, notes Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram. During the 2014 playoffs, the team had a major distraction in the wake of racially charged remarks from former owner Donald Sterling. “Obviously, last year I thought I protected them from doing all the extra stuff,” Doc Rivers said. “But it was still, you know, they still had it. And so now this year they get to play basketball. I think that’s been big for them.”
- Vultures are starting to surround the Warriors, warns Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group, and that could lead to changes in the offseason. Golden State trails its series with Memphis, 2-1, heading into tonight’s game, and an early playoff exit could justify the team’s critics, even after a 67-win regular season. Thompson points to Andrew Bogut‘s lack of offense at center, the heavy scoring burden on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and the difficulty free-agent-to-be Draymond Green is having with guarding larger opponents.
Warriors Notes: Green, Myers, Iguodala
Mary Babers-Green, the mother of Draymond Green, reiterated that her son likes playing in Golden State and that where she lives won’t be a major factor in his decision, Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal writes.
“I want him to stay in the place that will be the most productive for his career, and I want what makes him happy,” said Babers-Green, who lives about 70 miles away from Detroit. “The Bay loves Dray, and Dray loves the Bay. I’ve got NBA TV.”
It was previously reported that the 25-year-old had “significant interest” in signing an offer sheet with the Pistons this summer. President of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy hinted that Detroit was interested in signing the Michigan State product. However, GM Bob Myers made it clear that Green is in the Warriors’ long-term plans and the team intends to match any offer sheet he signs. “We really like him,” Myers said. “We believe he’s a core member of our team and we believe he’s a big part of our future.”
As Draymond Green and the Warriors take on the Grizzlies in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, here’s more from Golden State:
- Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders believes Green could command a maximum salary contract this offseason. Nearly two-thirds of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in my poll earlier this season do not believe Green is worth the max.
- Retaining Klay Thompson and hiring coach Steve Kerr were the two moves that allowed the Warriors to reach their level of success this season, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com opines. Myers won executive of the year after the team’s 67 win campaign. Last month, I examined the transactions that Myers made in order to put a championship contender on the floor and Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors documented the former agent’s draft history in Golden State.
- Andre Iguodala accepted a reserve role for the Warriors this season, but the guard still tries to have the same mentality as he did when he was a starter, Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group writes. “You try to do the same; you try to be on the attack at all times. It’s a little bit of a different dynamic with the role and everything, but you still want to be an impact player,” the Arizona product said. Iguodala made slightly less than $12.3MM this season, which is the second highest salary of any non-starter in the league, behind teammate David Lee, who made slightly more than $15MM.
Draft History: Bob Myers
The 2015 NBA draft is less than two months away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. The exact draft order won’t be known until the May 19th lottery, when the simple bounce of a ping-pong ball can alter the fate of a franchise. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.
With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll begin with a look back at the calls made by the NBA Executive of the Year, Warriors GM Bob Myers…
Warriors (April 2012-Present)
2012 Draft
- No. 7 Overall — Harrison Barnes: 241 games, 6.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.4 APG. .440/.373/.733.
- No. 30 Overall — Festus Ezeli: 124 games, 3.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.9 BPG. .487/.000/.579.
- No. 35 Overall — Draymond Green: 240 games, 6.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.1 APG. .412/.321/.685.
- No. 52 Overall — Ognjen Kuzmic: 37 games, 0.9 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.2 APG. .520/.000/.600.
Notable players passed over: Andre Drummond (No. 9) and Khris Middleton (No. 39).
2013 Draft
- No. 30 Overall — Nemanja Nedovic *: 24 games, 1.1 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.5 APG. .205/.167/.875.
* The Warriors traded cash and a 2014 second-rounder (No. 53 Alessandro Gentile) to the Wolves for Malcolm Lee and the No. 26 overall pick (Andre Roberson). Golden State then dealt the rights to Roberson to the Thunder for the No. 29 overall pick (Archie Goodwin) and cash. The Warriors then completed this chain of events when they dealt the rights to Goodwin and Lee to Phoenix for the rights to Nedovic.
Notable player(s) passed over: Rudy Gobert (No. 27).
2014 Draft
- The No. 23 Overall Pick (Rodney Hood) was dealt to Jazz as part of three-team sign-and-trade arrangement that brought Andre Iguodala to Golden State.
Notable players available at draft slot: Shabazz Napier (No. 24), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).
Western Notes: Jokic, Afflalo, Aminu
Mavs forward Al-Farouq Aminu has indicated that he’ll turn down his minimum-salary player option with the team for next season, but both sides have indicated a willingness to rekindle their relationship next season. When discussing his feelings regarding returning to Dallas in a radio interview with KRLD-FM 105.3 (hat tip to the Dallas Morning News), Aminu said, “People are still playing now, so it’s hard to tell, but I really want to. … Nobody likes moving and different things like that. I’ve been in L.A. then I went to New Orleans and now here. It’s always better to stay where you’re at but things happen. But it would be nice.”
Here’s more from the NBA’s Western Conference:
- When asked what positives he would pitch about playing in Dallas to prospective free agent targets, Aminu said, “I guess it’s what I went through last year when I was coming to play here. It’s a great city. It doesn’t get that cold, which is nice. Also, the practice facility is in the arena is close, as well as the airport, so it’s not a lot of long hours you have to drive back and forth to places. It does become a drag. You’re going to play with great players. Obviously you’re probably going to win and then you’re going to have a chance at a championship.”
- Nuggets 2014 second-round pick Nikola Jokic is seeking a long-term deal from Denver or else he’ll remain overseas, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (via Twitter). There are reports that the Nuggets intend to ink the big man prior to the NBA summer league commencing.
- Blazers guard Arron Afflalo has to make a decision this offseason regarding his player option worth $7,750,000, and Sean Meagher of The Oregonian examines the pros and cons of the 29-year-old returning to Rip City in 2015/16.
- Sam Amick of USA Today looks at the path Warriors star Stephen Curry has taken from being the No. 7 overall selection in the 2009 NBA draft to winning the league’s MVP award this season.
Western Notes: Pelicans, Curry, Batum
The Pelicans would prefer to re-sign all of their free agents this offseason which would allow them to stay over the cap and use the full mid-level exception to sign another veteran player, Zach Lowe of Grantland.com writes. New Orleans currently has $40,582,846 in guaranteed salary and another $16,699,815 in non-guaranteed funds committed for the 2015/16 campaign. Pelicans players who will become unrestricted free agents this summer include Omer Asik, Luke Babbitt, Jimmer Fredette, and Dante Cunningham.
Here’s more out of the NBA’s Western Conference:
- 2014/15 NBA most valuable player Stephen Curry didn’t initially want the Warriors to draft him, and instead was hoping to go to the Knicks who were selecting one pick later than Golden State, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes. “The Knicks had [pick] eight and we thought in New York he’d be a great fit. We really wanted him to drop to eight,” Curry’s agent Jeff Austin said. “Once we got to seventh, we were like, ‘C’mon man, don’t pick him with [Golden State].’ At the time, the Warriors were not in our mind as a preferred destination.“
- The Blazers could look to deal Nicolas Batum and his expiring contract worth $12,235,750 this offseason, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com writes. When asked about the possibility of being traded, Batum said, “If that happens, it happens. That’s the business, I understand that. I mean, I can’t control that. All I can control is what I put on the court. I know what I am going to do this summer is try to get better.” If Portland is able to unload Batum the team could target Mavs forward Al-Farouq Aminu, Young speculates. Aminu has a player option worth $1,110,602 that he intends to opt out of this summer.
- Dwight Howard is happy being a member of the Rockets, but he admitted that the venom fans spewed at him as a result of his free agent decisions still weigh on him, Kristie Reiken of The Associated Press relays. “Sometimes it hurts,” Howard said. “It used to hurt a lot more as I went from this guy that everybody likes to everybody hated me because I wanted to play basketball on another team. And I’m like: ‘Hey listen it’s really not that serious. If I stopped playing today, your life is going to be the same, my life is going to be the same, it’s just I’m not going to be playing basketball. So why should it matter what I decide?’“
Stephen Curry Wins MVP
MONDAY, 10:03am: Curry has indeed won the MVP, the league announced via press release. He garnered 100 out of 130 first-place votes. Harden, the second-place finisher, received 25, while the other five went to LeBron James, who came in third. Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and Chris Paul followed in the voting among media members. To see each voter’s ballot, click here.
SUNDAY, 6:33pm: Stephen Curry will be named the league’s Most Valuable Player, reports CSNBayArea.com’s Monte Poole, who cites multiple league sources. The official announcement, Poole writes, is expected to be made between Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference semifinals series between the Warriors and the Grizzlies.
Curry, 27, would become the first Warrior in the franchise’s 53-year California history to win the award, Poole notes. Curry, who led the Warriors to an NBA-best 67-15 regular season record, was the top vote-getter in this year’s All-Star Game, which he started in for the second straight season. Curry will be only the second Warriors player to win the NBA MVP award, tweets Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears, who noted that the other was Wilt Chamberlain of 1959/60 Philadelphia Warriors.
After the Warriors’ Game 1 win, Curry was asked if he expected to win the MVP. Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group transcribed the post-game interview.
“I honestly have no idea,” Curry said. “It’s obviously just — in the middle of a playoff series, it’s hard to kind of separate yourself with other things that may or may not happen. Obviously I know what the situation is, and just trying to focus on the game, and if I get a call tomorrow, I’ll definitely be happy, and there will be a lot of people that can be proud of that moment, as well, and we’ll enjoy it. But right now I’m happy we won Game 1. I’ll wake up tomorrow a fresh new day, and we’ll see what happens.”
The slick-shooting sixth-year point guard averaged 23.8 points per game, which was good for sixth in the league. He also averaged 7.7 assists (sixth in the league) and 2.04 steals (fourth in the league). He shot 44.3% from 3-point range (fourth). His 91.4% on free throws was tops in the league. The runner-up in the voting, reports Poole, citing sources, was Rockets star James Harden.
The award is further confirmation of Curry’s status as one of the game’s best values. The Warriors signed him to a four-year, $44MM extension in the fall of 2012 amid concerns over his ability to avoid then-persistent ankle injuries. He’s missed only 10 games in the three years since and is making just a little more than $10.629MM on the backloaded deal.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Green, McNeal, Paul
The Lakers should forget about free agent Rajon Rondo and stick with Jordan Clarkson as their point guard, contends Howard Ruben of Bleacher Report. The rookie out of Missouri showed poise from the time he took over the position, Ruben writes, making Rondo unnecessary. Clarkson is a much more affordable alternative, with a non-guaranteed salary of $845K for next season. Ruben also notes that Los Angeles has a shot to draft D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, either of whom could be a long-term answer at point guard.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Whether they’re able to keep him this summer or not, the Warriors understand the value of Draymond Green, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Green has been a force for Golden State both offensively and defensively this season, as he showed by frustrating the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis in a first-round sweep. “He does everything; he’s a jack of all trades,” coach Steve Kerr said of Green. “On top of that, he’s one of our leaders and the guy who talks the most trash to the other team, to the refs, to his teammates, to me. He’s kind of our life line.” Green is almost certain to command a max deal this summer, but he can cement that by continuing to shine in the playoffs.
- Jerel McNeal hopes to continue his NBA career after earning a late-season spot on the Suns‘ roster, writes Matt Petersen of NBA.com. After an outstanding season with Bakersfield in the D-League, Phoenix signed McNeal to a 10-day contract April 1st, then rewarded him with a two-year deal April 11th, although no money is guaranteed beyond this season. “I’ll probably end up doing Summer League with Phoenix and just use that as another opportunity to show what I can do and go do what the coaching staff asks,” McNeal said. “I’ll do whatever I need to do to stick around.”
- Chris Paul gave the Clippers the kind of moment they were hoping for when they traded for him in 2011, according to Ben Golliver of SI.com. Playing with an injured hamstring, Paul scored with 1 second left to defeat the Spurs in Game 7 of their playoff series. It was a breakthrough moment for Paul, who has often been the target of criticism for his playoff performances. The hamstring problem may force Paul to miss Monday’s opener of the Rockets series, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.