Warriors Plan To Keep Klay Thompson
Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob acknowledged before the trade deadline that the team had received inquiries about Klay Thompson, and while he said then that the team wasn’t anxious to move him, he was even more forthcoming today in expressing his desire to keep the shooting guard. Thompson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer that would keep him from restricted free agency next year, and Lacob promised on 95.7 The Game that the team would get a deal done, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
“We are going to re-sign Klay Thompson,” Lacob said. “I will say that unequivocally.”
It’s unclear whether he’s talking about an extension or a new contract next summer, but Lacob’s comment demonstrates the team’s level of commitment to the sharpshooting 24-year-old. The remark also puts pressure on GM Bob Myers, since Thompson’s representatives at BDA Sports Management will know going into negotiations that Myers’ boss wants to come away with a deal.
The Warriors wound up with a bargain with they signed Stephen Curry to a four-year, $44MM extension in 2012 amid concerns about his oft-injured ankles. Curry has remained largely healthy since and blossomed into a superstar. His backcourt mate has made strides, too, as Thompson’s 18.4 points per game and 41.7% three-point shooting this season are both career highs.
Lacob has appeared impatient this season amid rumors of upheaval surrounding the coaching staff. His strong desire to keep Thompson is in sharp juxtaposition to his lack of promises for coach Mark Jackson, who, like Thompson, is set to head into the final season of his contract in 2014/15.
And-Ones: Ratings, Kerr, Kings, Sixers
All five of the teams in the NBA’s three largest media markets saw declines in local ratings during the regular season, and local ratings fell about 5% leaguewide, report John Ourand and John Lombardo of Sports Business Journal. The news belies an otherwise rosy financial picture for the league, with the latest salary cap projection for 2014/15 coming in at $63.2MM, a more than 7.7% hike from this season. Here’s the latest from the Association:
- Steve Kerr is concerned with the failure of the Knicks to capitalize on their resources in the James Dolan era, and Kerr intends to do his research before taking any offer from the team, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- Former New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is likely to become Kerr’s agent, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports.
- Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro isn’t ruling out the idea of trading the team’s first-round pick, and he’ll also try to trade for a second-round pick, as he told reporters, including Ailene Voisin and Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (All Twitter links).
- Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News would be shocked if Arnett Moultrie were back with the Sixers for 2014/15. Cooney sizes up the future for each Sixer and looks ahead to the draft, noting that Brett Brown is enamored with Dante Exum.
- The Warriors‘ purchase of land in San Francisco for a new arena appears to end any hope that they’ll remain in Oakland, writes Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group. “I wish them well,” Oakland city councilman Larry Reid said. “It was my hope that the Warriors would build a new arena in Oakland, but there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do.”
- Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune provides a taste of the local antipathy toward leading Jazz coaching candidate Jim Boylen.
Pacific Rumors: Griffin, Warriors, Lakers
Before drafting Blake Griffin with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, the Clippers gave him a personality test to better understand his mind, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. That test pegged the power forward as a classic perfectionist who tackles uncertainty with hard work. Head coach Doc Rivers learned of Griffin’s tireless work ethic when he came to Los Angeles and he is quite appreciative of it. More out of the Pacific Division..
- The Warriors have abandoned their former Piers 30/32 plan and instead have bought land a little further south, according to Joe Eskenazi of SF Weekly. The new proposed move will still put them in San Francisco and should take place in 2018/19.
- Even though Jim and Jeanie Buss say the family is committed to keeping the team, a “yes” vote by four Buss siblings could force the sale of the Lakers, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. If that happens, the Chicago investment group Guggenheim Partners, owner of the Dodgers, would eagerly jump into the bidding. The group envisions employing former Lakers star Magic Johnson as the ceremonial face of the franchise, a role he currently holds with the Dodgers.
- When Rivers was asked about J.J. Redick‘s claim that the Clippers coach was the reason he came to L.A., Rivers quipped, “You sure it wasn’t that $6 or $7MM?,” tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
Coaching Rumors: Warriors, Wolves, Knicks
The week began with the creation of a pair of coaching vacancies, as the Knicks fired Mike Woodson an hour before Rick Adelman announced his retirement from the Wolves. There will probably be other jobs opening up, but Jermaine O’Neal gets the sense that Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob isn’t down on Mark Jackson, as the veteran center tells USA Today’s Sam Amick.
“When I speak to Joe, he likes what we have,” O’Neal said. “But hey, it’s a different era right now. We have a new breed of owners in our league and their patience is a lot shorter. So I don’t know ultimately what his plan is — that’s up to him. He pays the bills. He can do whatever he wants to do with his team. But from the conversations I’ve had with him, he likes Mark.”
Here’s more on the Warriors and other coaching news from around the league:
- Andre Iguodala has Jackson’s fate on his mind as the Warriors go through the playoffs, observes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. “We’re trying to save our coach,” Iguodala said. “Every game is pressure for us.”
- Fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Tim Kawakami suggests that Steve Kerr and Fred Hoiberg would top the Warriors‘ list of targets if the team parts ways Jackson (Twitter link). Jackson would “almost surely” want an extension that includes a pay raise if the team decides to keep him, Kawakami writes.
- Adelman said he made his decision to retire in part because he didn’t think it would help the Wolves to have both him and Kevin Love on expiring contracts next season, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes. Adelman also said he probably would have retired regardless of his wife’s health, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter links).
- Flip Saunders hinted that the Wolves will prioritize coaching candidates who’d continue to run an offense similar to Adelman’s, Zgoda tweets.
- The Knicks will encourage whomever they hire to replace Woodson to re-hire longtime assistant coach Herb Williams, who was let go along with the rest of the team’s coaching staff today, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News casts doubt on the report, suggesting that the idea that team wants Williams back comes from neither Phil Jackson nor Williams (Twitter link).
Western Notes: Spurs, Kings, Nuggets
With the salary cap projected to increase by $5MM next season, this could help the Spurs re-sign both Boris Diaw and Patrick Mills, writes Dan McCarney of SpursNation. Diaw averaged 9.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 25.0 minutes per game. Mills provided 10.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 18.9 minutes a night. Both players are unrestricted free agents.
More from out west:
- Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee breaks down the Kings‘ payroll and salary cap numbers for the team.
- Nuggets coach Brian Shaw just completed his first season as an NBA head coach, and guided the team to a 36-46 record. In an article by Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, he reflects on the season as well as gives his thoughts on the state of the franchise going forward.
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com examines the relationship between Warriors coach Mark Jackson and team owner Joe Lacob. Berger also believes that the team might have to advance deep into the playoffs to retain his job beyond this season.
Western Notes: Jefferson, Lakers, Jackson
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com thinks that the modern NBA is marked by owners who unnecessarily intrude on basketball affairs, citing the pressure Warriors owner Joe Lacob has put on coach Mark Jackson. More from the Western Conference:
- Richard Jefferson tells Mike Sorenson of Deseret News that he will be looking to join a playoff team when the Jazz veteran becomes a free agent this summer. “When you get to be almost 34 years old, you do want to play in the playoffs,” Jefferson said. “If that opportunity doesn’t present itself, then being here in Utah with a great group of guys and a quality coaching staff and the amazing fans…that would be something that would be high on my list.’’
- Lakers executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss tells Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times [subscription-only] that his family faces a crucial time in running the storied franchise. “If we’re not back on the top — and the definition of top means contending for the Western Conference, contending for a championship — then I will step down because that means I have failed,” said Buss. “I don’t know if you can fire yourself if you own the team … but what I would say is I’d walk away and [let the Buss family] figure out who’s going to run basketball operations because I obviously couldn’t do the job.”
- Despite the strong words, Buss reiterated that his family has no plans to sell the team. “There’s no question in my mind we will accomplish success.” said Buss. “We’re not selling the team. It’s not what we were raised to do. My dad groomed us for basically 20 years to do what we’re doing.”
Poll: Which Contenders Could Panic?
There are a handful of teams that have built towards a window of title contention that they hope to see pay off this postseason. When expectations are high, failure can motivate ownership and management to make drastic moves to a team’s roster or coaching staff. Teams have gone from planning for the Finals to pressing the panic button before, and it’s possible again this year.
While big changes could be coming to a lot of this year’s playoff teams, some of that depends more on the players’ free agency decisions than any philosophical shifts from the team. For instance, the Heat could lose LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh in free agency, but that wouldn’t be because of a lack of commitment from Miami’s front office to their big three. We’ll focus on some of the teams that would have to incite a truly drastic change from the front office, specifically those that have been more active in both the market and rumor mill:
- Pacers. Indiana barely held onto the one seed in the East, going 15-13 down the stretch. The moves that resulted in the loss of Danny Granger and the addition of Evan Turner, Andrew Bynum, and Lavoy Allen have not paid off thus far. Lance Stephenson has cooled off after his breakout start to the season, and will become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Frank Vogel has seemed like one of the more untouchable coaches in the last couple years, but a total collapse could put even his job in jeopardy.
- Warriors. Coach Mark Jackson might have the most riding on this postseason of any NBA professional. Loud rumblings and staff turnover have clouded Jackson’s status with a team that expected to become a contender by adding Andre Iguodala last summer. Harrison Barnes has been extremely inconsistent, and his name surfaced in trade deadline rumors. David Lee‘s contract is considered essentially untradeable, but if the Warriors wanted to radically shake things up, Klay Thompson‘s rookie deal would be a highly valued trade asset.
- Clippers. Los Angeles has bolstered its roster under the direction of Doc Rivers, adding rotation pieces like Granger, J.J. Redick, Glen Davis, and Jared Dudley to the core of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan. Any blockbuster moves would likely center around the frontcourt if the front office became convinced that the Griffin/Jordan pairing can’t hold up against the league’s best interior players.
- Nets. First-year coach Jason Kidd and the Hall-of-Fame-heavy roster struggled mightily early in the year before turning things around and earning the sixth seed in the East. The Nets have very limited flexibility after ballooning their salary sheet and relinquishing trade assets in a slew of splashy moves since owner Mikhail Prokhorov bought the team. Brook Lopez has frequently been the subject of trade rumors, and the team took off when Lopez was sidelined with his latest injury. There isn’t much speculation in Brooklyn at the moment, but we know Prokhorov isn’t afraid to swing for the fences.
What do you think? Which of these teams is most likely to disappoint in the playoffs, and then react with radical front office moves?
Poll: Which Contenders Could Panic?
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Indiana Pacers 67% (392)
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Los Angeles Clippers 15% (86)
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Golden State Warriors 9% (55)
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Brooklyn Nets 9% (54)
Total votes: 587
Western Notes: Calathes, Jackson, D’Antoni
Grizzlies point guard Nick Calathes has issued a statement to Sam Amick of USA Today on his suspension. “I deeply regret my actions and apologize to my teammates and the organization for my poor judgment,” says Calathes. “Let me be clear: I never took any medication whatsoever for a performance-enhancing reason. I don’t agree with this outcome, and I will come back a better player and person when I return.” Here’s more from out West:
- Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group says that it has been emphasized to him that no decision on Mark Jackson‘s future with the Warriors has been made (via Twitter). That would support the perception that Golden State’s performance in the playoffs could largely determine whether he is the coach beyond this year.
- Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss are expected to meet with Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni within the next two weeks to discuss his future with the team, per Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.
- Tyrone Corbin‘s agent has joined the Jazz in refuting the report that a decision had already been made to let him go, per Jody Genessy of Deseret News.
- The Clippers are poised to make a deep playoff run, and Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune credits Doc Rivers, who has improved the roster through acquisitions and development as both head coach and senior vice president of basketball operations.
Western Notes: Leonard, Jazz, Bledsoe, Nash
Kawhi Leonard is up for a rookie scale extension this summer, but it appears he envisions a long-term future with the Spurs, based in his comments to Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. Gregg Popovich believes the small forward will become the face of the franchise once Tim Duncan retires.
“I’ve been working hard to be one of the focal points in the NBA, one of the top guys. For him to say that and see that I could be the face, it just brings joy to me,” Leonard said. “I’m just happy that someone else sees it other than myself.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin is on shaky ground in Utah, but soon-to-be free agent Gordon Hayward said Corbin did a “tremendous job” considering the circumstances this year, observes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Eric Bledsoe has been non-committal in his public statements about the notion of re-signing with the Suns this summer, though teammate and neighbor Ish Smith is confident Bledsoe will return, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The Suns have said they intend to match any offer for Bledsoe, a restricted free agent.
- Steve Nash is fine with a reduced role on the Lakers next season, one he expects will be his last in the NBA, notes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. “They can’t rely on me, frankly,” Nash said. “Hopefully, I come back and play 82 games next year and the sky is the limit. But they can’t rely on me if they don’t know what I’m going to bring, so they got to evaluate those guys for next season.”
- There’s a “strong possibility” the Jazz will have a one-to-one affiliation with the D-League’s Idaho Stampede next season, reports Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (on Twitter). The Jazz shared the Bakersfield Jam with four other NBA teams this season.
- The Warriors recalled Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League today, the team announced. Golden State has been shuttling him back and forth to help the Santa Cruz Warriors in the playoffs, and Kuzmic had 23 points and 18 rebounds in Thursday’s win.
- Santa Cruz beat the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, who announced Thursday that the Rockets had assigned Isaiah Canaan and Robert Covington to play in the game (Twitter link). Houston brought them back to the big club today, the Rockets announced via Twitter.
And-Ones: ‘Melo, Grizzlies, Stotts, Frye
The intersection of exit interviews for teams that missed the playoffs and a steady stream of draft-related news has made for a busy Thursday around Hoops Rumors. We’ll catch up on the latest from around the league here:
- Carmelo Anthony suggested today that he’s considered opting in for 2014/15, but he believes he’s better off hitting free agency this summer rather than waiting, according to Scott Cacciola of The New York Times (Twitter link).
- Zach Randolph‘s failure to make the All-Star Game and trigger a $438,333 bonus that had been considered likely gave the Grizzlies the flexibility to claim Beno Udrih off waivers without going into tax territory, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains in a piece for the Score.
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts appears nervous about his future with the club, which has yet to pick up its option on him for next season, as The Oregonian’s Jason Quick observes, wondering if the coach’s fate will be tied to the team’s postseason performance.
- Channing Frye has a $6.8MM player option for next season, but whether he opts in or not, Ryan McDonough would like to have him back, as the Suns GM said Wednesday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, notes Dave Dulberg of ArizonaSports.com. Frye wants to negotiate an extension with the team.
- The league is considering a proposal that would tie an increased NBA age minimum to better D-League pay, sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Some D-Leaguers could earn between $100K and $200K per year under the plan, Deveney tweets.
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps said in a press conference Wednesday that he likes the team’s core and wants to see more of those players on the court together after an injury-plagued 2013/14, notes Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. Demps also said it would be unfair to judge coach Monty Williams, given all the injuries.
- Williams indicated Thursday that he’d like to see the Pelicans make a move to bolster their defense, particularly in the paint, as Eichenhofer writes in a separate piece.
- The Warriors have assigned Ognjen Kuzmic to the D-League, the team announced. The rookie center will assist the Santa Cruz Warriors in their playoff game tonight, fresh off his best performance of the year for Golden State on Wednesday.