Pacific Notes: Lakers, LeBron, Suns, Warriors
The Lakers haven’t been in a rush to find a replacement for Mike D’Antoni since the team still maintains hope that they have a shot at signing one or more superstars this summer, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Management fears hiring a particular coach right now might dissuade superstars such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James from signing in LA this summer, hears Amick. Let’s take a look at more from around the Pacific:
- Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders sees the Suns as a much more viable trade partner for the Wolves in a Kevin Love deal than the Bulls. Phoenix has Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and three first-round picks in this year’s draft (No. 14, No. 18, and No. 27) to offer.
- Today’s Suns workout included UCLA’s Kyle Anderson and Travis Wear, Syracuse F C.J. Fair, Ohio State forward LaQuinton Ross, Cal guard Justin Cobbs, and Oregon forward Mike Moser, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
- The Warriors don’t have any selections in the 2014 draft, and it’ll be difficult for the team to purchase or trade for one, says director of scouting Larry Riley on KGO-TV (h/t Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group). In 2011, the W’s bought second-round pick Jeremy Tyler for $2 million, and last June, they traded for the rights to first-round pick Nemanja Nedovic.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Clippers, Thompson
Mark Jackson told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he has no regrets about the way things played out with the Warriors. “Listen, there are no regrets,” said Jackson. “I think about the three years there. I think about the opportunity that was presented to me by the ownership, by management. I think about the relationship with incredible players and what they were able to accomplish in three years and where that organization was and where it is today; you’ve got a lot to be proud of. Ownership, management, players, fans — it’s in a great place. There are absolutely no regrets.” More out of the Pacific Division..
- Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt confirmed to Allon Sinai of the Jerusalem Post that he has had conversations with the Warriors about a job on Steve Kerr‘s staff. Blatt is reportedly being considered by Wolves coach/president Flip Saunders for an assistant coaching role that would groom him for the head coaching job. The Cavs, meanwhile, are looking at Blatt as a head coaching candidate.
- Warriors standout shooting guard Klay Thompson spoke with Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle about a variety of topics concerning the Warriors. Thompson spoke glowingly of new head coach Steve Kerr and said that he’d love to sign an extension with the club before the start of next season.
- Before tipoff of Game 2, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters, including Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press, that while Donald Sterling hasn’t signed off on the sale of the Clippers yet, he believes that the ordeal is almost over. He added that there is “absolutely no possibility” of rescinding the lifetime ban or the $2.5MM fine he handed down to Sterling following his racist remarks.
Atlantic Notes: Cartwright, Walton, Sixers
Bill Cartwright is waiting to hear from either Phil Jackson or Steve Kerr about an assistant coaching position, writes Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News. According to the article, Cartwright had met with Jackson back in April about joining the Knicks bench if Kerr was hired as coach. On his lack of recent contact with Jackson, Cartwright said, “We’re waiting for them to make a decision, obviously about the head coach and there’s nothing going on.” On possibly working as an assistant under Derek Fisher, Cartwright said, “That’s a Phil question, not my question. I’m looking to coach. There’s really nothing more to say, outside of that. I’m looking to coach.”
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Luke Walton also hasn’t heard from Jackson since Kerr spurned the Knicks for the Warriors, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Jackson was possibly interested in bringing in Walton to help coach the triangle offense, and according to Begley, Jackson said that Walton would make a great head coach someday.
- With an abundance of picks in this year’s draft, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie needs to take a bold approach to jump start the team’s rebuilding process, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
- The Knicks worked out Johnny O’Bryant, Semaj Christon, DeAndre Kane and Akil Mitchell, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Western Rumors: Love, Saunders, Thompson
Quin Snyder was just introduced as the new head coach for the Jazz, expressing his excitement to develop the young Utah roster and forge a defensive identity, reports Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Here’s more from out west, including another coaching press conference in Minnesota:
- At his first press conference as coach for the Wolves, Flip Saunders said that part of the reason he was the best fit in Minnesota was his ability to be flexible considering the potential roster overhaul that could take place in the event of a Kevin Love trade. “What we did not want to do is bring in a coach who was going to be pigeonholed on a certain style of play with the players we have,” Saunders told reporters including Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune, “and then all of a sudden maybe that changes. [The decision] was made based on what’s best for us as a team, whether we make trades or we don’t.”
- Saunders added that he isn’t interested in taking a competitive step back, an indication that any trade made would have the aim of short-term improvement, not a rebuilding effort.
- Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune thinks that Saunders made the right decision in taking the Wolves coaching job, but doesn’t think the organization with a track record of instability is any better off.
- Klay Thompson told Russian blogger Mete Aktas that he would like to remain with the Warriors for the long haul, but knows that rumors surrounding him are inevitable (Translation via Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group). “Your job is never secure in this league unless your name is LeBron James or Steph Curry,” said Thompson. “I hope [staying with Golden State] happens, but it is a fact that you never know what will happen in the NBA.”
- Thompson added that he was shocked by Mark Jackson‘s firing when it happened, but is comfortable moving forward with new coach Steve Kerr.
And-Ones: Blatt, Warriors, Mavs, Draft
We heard earlier today that Flip Saunders was likely to pursue renowned European coach David Blatt to join his coaching staff, but the Wolves aren’t the only club with Blatt on their radar. Steve Kerr and the Warriors are in discussions with the offensive guru, relays Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who adds the pair met earlier today to discuss the job. Here’s more from around the league:
- The Mavs might be likely to make a run at a big free agent this summer, but Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News thinks the team should temper expectations and explains why Luol Deng is realistic fit for Dallas.
- Tomas Satoransky, a 2012 second-round pick by the Wizards, has received an invite to play for Washington’s summer league team, writes Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com. Satoransky played well in Spain last season, and the club might be interested in adding him to their roster next season if he proves he’s capable of competing in the NBA.
- Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal takes a look at why centers and taller forwards have a hard time landing a head coaching gig in the NBA.
- Lance Stephenson is set to hit the open market this summer, and John Zitzler of Basketball Insiders recaps the young guard’s career to this point and explores what the future has in store for him.
- The latest mock draft from HoopsHype has Joel Embiid as the first player selected off the board, followed by Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker respectively.
Wolves Find Celtics Unappealing Suitor For Love
THURSDAY, 7:55am: The Celtics have yet to make an offer for Love, though they are prepared to do so, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. It’ll almost certainly include the No. 6 pick, though Ainge has been in contact with two teams in the top five about moving up, Murphy adds.
WEDNESDAY, 11:48pm: Kevin Love is willing to consider a long-term deal with the Celtics, sources tell Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com, but the Wolves aren’t thrilled with what the Celtics can offer, MacMullan hears. The Wolves privately maintain they’ve received better offers from Bulls and others, according to MacMullan.
Minnesota owner Glen Taylor is reluctant to deal with Boston, stung by the divergent fortunes of the Celtics and Wolves following the 2007 Kevin Garnett trade, MacMullan writes. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has hard feelings about Flip Saunders, who holds the same title in Minnesota, feeling as though Saunders undermined former Wolves boss Kevin McHale, Ainge’s longtime teammate, as MacMullan details. There are basketball-related stumbling blocks, too. Minnesota, like most others, is enamored with Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker, but Boston’s pick, at No. 6 overall, isn’t as nearly as attractive as one in the top three, MacMullan notes. Still, the Wolves aren’t interested in trading with the Cavs, either, according to MacMullan, in spite of Cleveland’s possession of the No. 1 overall pick.
Taylor would be willing to re-sign Love for the max if he changed his mind about wanting out, and he’s otherwise not eager to take a drastic step down in a trade involving Love, MacMullan writes. MacMullan lists the Celtics, Bulls, Warriors, Suns, Lakers and Rockets as teams that will make a run at trading for Love. Certainly every team in the league has some level of interest in the Second Team All-NBA power forward, but MacMullan appears to indicate that those six are the clubs poised to make the most aggressive pushes.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported about two weeks ago that Boston was becoming more and more appealing for Love, who, with agent Jeff Schwartz in tow, made a high-profile visit to the city this past weekend. Still, Love is not yet a free agent. The Wolves will have the final say over where he plays next season, and it doesn’t look like they’re as high on the Celtics as Love is.
And-Ones: Wolves, Jazz, Warriors
With Donald Sterling reportedly agreeing to allow the sale of the Clippers, the league focus can shift to where it belongs this time of year: the NBA Finals. The Heat are in San Antonio tomorrow night for Game One. Until then, let’s look at what else is going on around the Association:
- Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 is confident the Timberwolves will hire a new coach before the NBA Draft on June 26 and expects the announcement to happen in the next week or two. (Twitter links) This timeline makes sense, as we know the Wolves intend on trying to sell the new hire to Kevin Love but could still trade him, presumably in a deal that involved draft picks, before June 26 should it not work out.
- A one-to-one affiliation between the Jazz and the D-League’s Idaho Stampede is likely to be announced soon, reports Gino Pilato of the D-League Digest. This news comes several months after the Blazers decided to end their relationship with the Stampede. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are poised to become the only D-League team with multiple affiliations.
- With Steve Kerr hired to restore order in Golden State after the firing of Mark Jackson, it’s time for the Warriors to “let peace and harmony reign,” opines Marcus Thompson of the Mercury News.
Durant, James Lead All-NBA First Team
1:02pm: Haynes clarifies to Hoops Rumors that Lillard’s bonus comes from his shoe endorsement deal, not his NBA contract, so his cap hit remains the same for next season.
12:07pm: Lillard receives a $250K bonus for his third-team selection, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes doesn’t specify whether it was counted as a likely or unlikely bonus, but since Lillard signed the rookie scale contract just after going No. 6 overall in the 2012 draft, it’s almost certainly an unlikely bonus, meaning his cap figure for next season will receive a bump, just as with Noah.
11:27am: Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Joakim Noah, Chris Paul and James Harden make up the All-NBA First Team, the league announced. Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Dwight Howard and Tony Parker are on the second team, while the third team is Al Jefferson, Paul George, LaMarcus Aldridge, Goran Dragic and Damian Lillard. The selection means George will earn roughly 27% of the salary cap next season, rather than 25%, as a result of the Derrick Rose Rule provision in his extension that kicks in for 2014/15.
Durant, the league’s MVP, was a unanimous first-team selection, while James received first-team nods from 124 of the 125 media voters. Curry was the highest vote-getter who failed to make the first team, collecting 65 first-team votes. The rest of the second team combined to receive just 30 first-team votes.
Carmelo Anthony came closest to making the teams among those who didn’t, followed by John Wall, Tim Duncan, DeMar DeRozan and Anthony Davis. A total of 22 players received first-team votes, while 39 got votes for at least one of the teams.
Noah’s first-team nod gives him a $500K bonus that was originally deemed unlikely. It’ll be added to his cap figure, but it probably won’t be enough to tip the Bulls over the luxury tax line this season, as they scrambled to make late season moves to avoid any scenario in which they would have to do so. The bonus will nonetheless impinge on Chicago’s cap flexibility for the summer ahead, since it will be counted as likely for 2014/15 and be a part of Noah’s cap hit, taking it from $12.2MM to $12.7MM.
And-Ones: Knicks, Dirk, Pacers
Knicks president Phil Jackson is flying to Turkey in mid-June for his son’s wedding and “desperately wants” to have the team’s head coaching search wrapped up before his trip, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Though Jackson recently admitted a natural interest in coaching the team himself, he conceded that he physically wouldn’t be able to handle it. To further ice the notion that Jackson could return to the sidelines, Berman reports that Jackson will need a second knee replacement in the future.
You can find more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below:
- Per Berman, a source within Mark Jackson‘s inner circle says that the former Golden State head coach may be reluctant to coach the Knicks with too heavy an influence coming from the president’s office.
- In response to tonight’s report that Dirk Nowitzki will be among the Rockets’ free agent targets this summer, Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW says that the 35-year-old Mavericks forward won’t be leaving Dallas this summer.
- Pacers president Larry Bird isn’t looking to make any major shakeups to the current roster; however, he did suggest that the Indiana could look to trade into the first round of this year’s draft as a means of improving the team, according to a report from the Associated Press.
- Yesterday, we passed along that Alvin Gentry was scheduled for a second interview with the Jazz today. Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times clarifies that Gentry flew to Utah today and will actually have his second interview tomorrow. Also, sources tell Turner that the Warriors want Gentry to join Steve Kerr‘s coaching staff as an associate head coach (Twitter links).
- Free agent Greg Stiemsma would love to return to the Timberwolves, as he tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). That probably won’t happen, since the team will priortize point guards and wing players, according to Wolfson.
- Following a pre-draft workout on Sunday, T’wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders told reporters that he expects Kevin Love to play in Minnesota next season, writes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv’s David Blatt and former Lakers assistant/current CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina are two international head coaches who warrant consideration for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy, opines Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
Draft Notes: Dixon, Saddler, Perry
Former Memphis point guard Michael Dixon will work out for the Celtics tomorrow, tweets David Pick of Sportando, who made note of a few more upcoming auditions for some of this year’s draft entrants. You can find more of those – along with this evening’s draft-related links – below:
- Agent John Spencer confirmed that former Duke guard Andre Dawkins will work out for the 76ers on either June 11 or 13, according to Tyler R. Tynes of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- P.J. Hairston will participate in a private workout for the Knicks on Thursday, which makes it clear that New York will try to maneuver their way into the first round of the draft this year, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Goodman doesn’t think Hairston will slip past the 15-20 slots on draft night (Twitter link).
- Nick Wiggins – older brother of the highly-touted Andrew Wiggins – is set to work out for the Jazz on Thursday, tweets Tariq Sbiet of North Pole Hoops (hat tip to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun).
Earlier updates:
- Delaware standout Devon Saddler is scheduled for a workout with the Warriors on June 13th.
- Youngstown State’s Kendrick Perry – following a strong audition for the Celtics – has the Jazz and Mavericks next up on his list of NBA workouts.
- Utah will also take a look at San Diego State’s Xavier Thames sometime this week.
- Jerami Grant, Joe Jackson, Ronald Roberts Jr. and Cam Bairstow are among the draft prospects working out for the Suns today, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Agent Keith Kreiter adds the Nuggets to the list of teams set to work out Chris Udofia (Twitter link).
- Add Gary Harris and Doug McDermott to the list of players who will audition for the Lakers tomorrow, per Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (via Twitter).
- 6’6 guard James Bell was among the handful of prospects who performed for the Jazz yesterday, notes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.