Phil Jackson Interested In Return To NBA
It's been nearly two years since Phil Jackson's Lakers were eliminated from the postseason by the eventual-champion Mavericks, effectively ending Jackson's coaching career. But after two seasons off, Jackson has become "increasingly interested" in working in the NBA again next season, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.
Stein and Shelburne clarify that Jackson may not be interested in returning in a coaching capacity, since he's more intrigued by the possibility of joining a front office and running a franchise. According to the duo's sources, Jackson is interested in the "opportunity to oversee an organization" like Pat Riley in Miami, or Larry Bird's former role with the Pacers. There was some speculation earlier in the year that if the Seattle ownership group landed the Kings, they may also pursue Jackson for a prominent front office position.
Jackson's interest in a front office role doesn't necessarily mean he has ruled out coaching opportunities. Although he told SheridanHoops.com in January that he had no intention of coaching again, that won't stop teams, such as perhaps the Nets and Cavaliers, from approaching the 11-time champion about potential vacancies this summer. A return to the Lakers, however, is highly unlikely, according to the ESPN.com report.
If no opportunties arise that Jackson views as ideal fits, remaining retired is also a possibility for the Zen Master, according to Stein and Shelburne.
Central Notes: Dumars, Frank, Bulls, Scott
As we wait to see if the Central's top two teams, the Pacers and Bulls, will meet in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, here's the latest out of the division:
- As Vince Ellis writes in a pair of pieces for the Detroit Free Press, Pistons owner Tom Gores didn't exactly give coach Lawrence Frank and GM Joe Dumars ringing endorsements, noting his disappointment that the team fell short of playoff contention this season. "I will say I expected better results," Gores said. "I met with Joe and Lawrence (on Sunday) and I let them know that. They’re great guys that know their business, but I’m here assessing everything. My job is to move this franchise forward."
- In Ellis' view, Frank appears to be on the way out in Detroit, but Dumars likely "isn't going anywhere." Gores did express excitement about the way Dumars and the Pistons' basketball operations had set the franchise up financially, with plenty of cap room available this summer.
- Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press argues that Dumars has earned at least one more year with the Pistons.
- In his latest mailbag for CSNChicago.com, Aggrey Sam addresses the future of Luol Deng in Chicago and speculates on whether or not Nate Robinson will be back with the Bulls next season.
- Kyrie Irving told reporters last night, including Rick Noland of the Chronicle-Telegram, that he "absolutely" wants to see Byron Scott return as the Cavaliers' head coach in 2013/14.
Central Notes: Frank, Pistons, Cavs, McMillan
The Bulls squared off against the Heat in Miami today on national TV, but couldn't match the performance they gave in their last meeting. The Bulls snapped Miami's 27-game winning streak last month and couldn't come away with the W this time, even though Carlos Boozer finished with 16 points and 20 rebounds. Here's more out of the Central..
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press weighs the issues surrounding the uncertain future of Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, and points to owner Tom Gores' public endorsement of the way team president Joe Dumars has cleared cap space as reason Dumars might return.
- Nate McMillan would be a candidate to take over the Cavs if they part ways with Byron Scott, but he'll also be in the mix if the Kings move to Seattle, notes Bob Finnan of the News Herald. McMillan has previously indicated that he would be interested in returning to Seattle to coach.
- Meanwhile, Scott says that the rumors about his job security don't bother him, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Newspapers (on Twitter).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Cavs Notes: Thompson, Scott, Ellington, Gibson
Aside from shedding light on Tristan Thompson as arguably the Cavaliers' most valuable player (aside from Kyrie Irving), Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer makes the case that Cleveland will have to add a couple of experienced and productive veterans through trades or free agency if they are to make significant progress in 2013-14. We've got a few more notes to share out of Ohio tonight:
- Pluto finds it odd that Irving didn't comment on Byron Scott, especially considering that Thompson gave the head coach a strong vote of confidence. Even if Irving was wary of saying the wrong thing, it didn't seem to indicate that all was well between the two.
- The team will offer restricted free agent Wayne Ellington some type of contract for next year, and although they'd like for Marreese Speights to exercise his $4.5MM player option, they'll also take a look at the type of offers he'll get if he declines.
- After an injury-riddled season and one of his worst statistically, Daniel Gibson tells Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer that he doesn't want to end his tenure with the Cavaliers this way and would be willing to consider any offer that they'd give him this summer.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer (also of The Plain Dealer) answered a bunch of questions from her readers about the Cavs, saying that the team should look to add a defensive specialist this summer and isn't sure whether or not Byron Scott will be back. Boyer doesn't think Scott should be fired, and believes that the team will make the playoffs if they are healthy next season.
- Cleveland has four draft picks in June, and Boyer doesn't foresee them ultimately adding four rookies to an already young roster. With that being said, she expects some of those picks to be shopped.
Odds & Ends: Millsap, Martin, Mejri, Blazers
The Bulls might not have Derrick Rose, but they proved again Thursday that they can beat anybody, giving the Knicks their first loss after 13 wins in a row. This comes just a few weeks after Chicago stopped the Heat's epic 27-game streak, and it seems like the Bulls will be a tough out no matter who they draw in the playoffs. There's plenty of intrigue involving off-court matters as well, and here's the latest:
- Friday's matchup with the Timberwolves could be Paul Millsap's last home game as a member of the Jazz, and the soon-t0-be free agent reflected on his time in Utah, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News details. "I owe a lot to this community," Millsap said. "I owe a lot to this organization."
- Cartier Martin probably won't have much leverage when it comes to choosing a team as a free agent this summer, but he expressed a desire to re-sign with the Wizards, notes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
- HoopsHype's Jorge Sierra looks at Tunisian center Salah Mejri, who continues to draw interest from NBA teams after coming close to signing last year. Still, agent Bouna Ndiaye tells Sierra that he and Mejri will look to European clubs first before considering the NBA.
- The Oregonian's Joe Freeman reviews the first year of the Trail Blazers' exclusive partnership with the D-League's Idaho Stampede. Portland made a half-dozen assignments with four different players, and planned to make even more use of their affiliate.
- Greg Esposito of Suns.com chronicles the many travels of Suns point guard Diante Garrett, who spent Thursday night on his latest trip to the D-League, putting up a team-high 23 points for the Bakersfield Jam in a playoff loss to the Austin Toros.
- Cavs power forward Kevin Jones is no stranger to the D-League either, having been assigned to the Canton Charge six times this season, but he's begun to see consistent time for the big club, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal points out.
Casspi Would Be ‘Really Happy’ To Return To Cavs
It seems unlikely Omri Casspi will be back with the Cavaliers next season, given that we've heard he's no longer in the team's plans and could be headed to to play in Israel. There were conflicting reports early this season about whether he had requested a trade, but Casspi tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer that he wouldn't mind a return to Cleveland as a free agent this summer.
"One thing I learned is to not think about the future too much,'' Casspi said. "Take it one day at a time, one game at a time, play hard when you get the opportunity on both ends of the floor. That's what I'm trying to do. Whatever happens happens. I'll be really happy to be back. If not I'll find my way through the league. I'm happy that there's a lot of teams interested. Everything happens for a reason.''
Casspi would become a restricted free agent in the offseason if the Cavs extend a $3.3MM qualifying offer to him, but that probably won't happen, Boyer writes. If it doesn't, Casspi would become an unrestricted free agent. The former first-round draft pick's assertion that "there's a lot of teams interested" seems to conflict with what transpired around the buyout deadline, when the Rockets appeared to be the only team with legitimate interest. Of course, teams will have more flexibility in the summer, so it's possible more clubs could come after Casspi. The Israeli native may also have been referring to interest from overseas teams.
Casspi has seen his playing time and most of his other numbers decline in each season following his rookie campaign. That year, he averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game for the Kings, who drafted him 23rd overall in 2009. He's down to 3.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 10.8 MPG this season.
Traded 2013 Draft Picks Still Up In The Air
With just a handful of games remaining in the 2012/13 regular season, most traded 2013 draft picks that included some sort of protection have been locked in, with teams' records ensuring those picks will either change hands or stay put. The Bulls, for instance, obviously aren't getting the Bobcats' top-12-protected pick, while the Jazz know definitively that they will receive Golden State's top-six-protected first-rounder.
There are still a handful of picks whose fate remains up in the air, however. For instance, the Suns and Cavaliers are watching the Lakers' place in the standings anxiously, since Phoenix will get L.A.'s pick if the Lakers miss the playoffs, while the Cavs will grab it if the Lakers earn a postseason berth. With the help of our projected draft order, here are the details on that pick and the rest of the selections that still may or may not change hands:
Team: Raptors (30-48)
Protection details: First-round pick sent to Thunder if not between 1-3 or 15-30.
Projected landing spot: 10th
Current outlook: The Raptors have a chance to jump into the top three in the draft lottery to keep their pick, but it's a real long shot. Assuming they finish with the league's 10th-worst record, the Raps' odds of landing a top-three pick will be about 4%.
Team: Trail Blazers (33-45)
Protection details: First-round pick sent to Bobcats if not in top 12.
Projected landing spot: 12th
Current outlook: With Dallas five games ahead of them in the standings, the Trail Blazers will finish with no better than the league's 12th-worst record. That bodes well for their chances of keeping their first-rounder, since the odds of the 13th and/or 14th teams leapfrogging the Blazers in the lottery (pushing them out of the top 12) are only about 4%.
Team: Lakers (42-37)
Protection details: First-round pick sent to Suns if in top 14. If not in top 14, Cavaliers can swap Heat first-round pick with Lakers first-rounder; Lakers then send Heat pick to Suns.
Projected landing spot: 15th
Current outlook: A game up on the Jazz, the Lakers are in the driver's seat in the race for the final Western Conference playoff spot, but they'll host the Warriors, Spurs, and Rockets in their last three games, so it won't be a cakewalk. The Jazz hold the playoff tiebreaker and finish with games against the Timberwolves (twice) and Grizzlies. John Hollinger's playoffs odds give the Lakers 73.5% odds to earn the 8th seed, but this could still go either way.
Team: Trail Blazers (33-45)
Protection details: Second-round pick sent to Nuggets if not in top 40.
Projected landing spot: 42nd
Current outlook: Unlike the team's first-rounder, Portland isn't likely to keep this pick. Even if the Blazers' losing streak continues and they don't win another game this season, two of the Raptors, Sixers, and Timberwolves would have to finish the year with a handful of wins to push Portland's pick into the top 40. That means the Nuggets will probably receive it.
Team: Clippers (52-26)
Protection details: Second-round pick sent to Pistons if not in top 55.
Projected landing spot: 55th
Current outlook: The Clippers are a half-game up on the Knicks in the NBA standings and are within a game of the Grizzlies and two games of the Nuggets, so this pick remains unsettled. If the Pistons land it, it'd be one more very small asset in an offseason where the team is expected to have a lottery pick and a ton of cap space.
Team: Grizzlies (53-25)
Protection details: Second-round pick sent to Lakers if not in top 55.
Projected landing spot: 56th
Current outlook: A late-season loss or two for the Grizz could mean this pick ends up in the top 55 and remains in their control, but I don't think either team is losing much sleep over it.
Central Notes: Cavs, Scott, Maggette, Rose
Last night, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving was asked if he'd be disappointed to see coach Byron Scott go and essentially issued a no comment. Scott is definitely on the hot seat as the season comes to a close, but will he survive? Here's more on that and other notes out of the Central..
- Scott could be hanging on to his job with his fingertips, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald (on Twitter). While many people are weighing in on whether Scott should keep his job, the only opinions that truly matter are those of Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert and GM Chris Grant. However, they're not saying anything publicly either. If they make a move, Finnan suggests that Nate McMillan and Stan Van Gundy would be strong candidates.
- Tom Van Riper of Forbes released a list of the NBA's most overpaid players and ranked the Pistons' Corey Maggette sixth. Van Riper notes that Maggette has never played a full 82-game season in his 14-year career and even though he can score, he has career averages of 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 45% shooting. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony is at the very top of the list, which is especially surprising given his recent play.
- Derrick Rose still isn't ruling out playing this season, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The guard also says that playing on a minutes limit wouldn't bother him.
Odds & Ends: Scott, Irving, Nowitzki, Gordon
There's a lot of concern over Danilo Gallinari's season-ending injury, but Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post doesn't think it puts much of a dent in the Nuggets' playoff chances. Most Hoops Rumors readers believe the Nuggets had no chance of a title anyway, though our readers picked Denver as the most likely "Cinderella" team to make the NBA Finals this year. Here's more from around the Association..
- When asked whether he supports Byron Scott and would be disappointed if he were fired, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving said he did not want to address the topic at this time, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Scott is one of many NBA coaches perceived to be on the hot seat after the season and a lack of support from Irving could hurt his case.
- Dirk Nowitzki reiterated his desire to stay with the Mavericks, but also says that he wants to play for a championship again in his final couple of years, tweets Dwain Price of the Star Telegram.
- The Hornets will probably still be open to trading Eric Gordon this summer, sources tell John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer gives his take on end-of-season awards with the final night of the regular season just 10 days away. Not surprisingly, he has LeBron James winning his fourth MVP award in five years.
- Kobe Bryant says that he doesn't want to play point guard just to extend his career, but he has looked awfully good doing it, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
Samardo Samuels Signs To Play In Israel
Former Cavaliers power forward Samardo Samuels has signed with Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem, David Pick of Eurobasket reports. The move had appeared close since earlier this week. Samardo's deal will cover two months and pay him $50K, excluding any extra cash he may earn with the team in postseason play. That pales in comparison to the $356,833 worth of prorated minimum salary he garnered for a partial season in the NBA with Cleveland this year.
The Cavs waived Samuels in January, right before his contract would have become fully guaranteed for the season. He was in the third year of a deal he signed with the team after going undrafted out of Louisville in 2010. Samuels averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game for Cleveland this year, a decline from the 7.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG he put up in 18.9 minutes per contest as a rookie. Despite interest from the Nets and Thunder, and later the Grizzlies, Samuels signed in the D-League shortly after his release from the Cavs and notched 19.8 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 32 games for the Reno Bighorns.
Hapoel Jerusalem had Craig Smith, another ex-NBA power forward, on its roster until he experienced a falling out with head coach Sharon Drucker, prompting the team to cut Smith loose in March. Among the other players the team considered before deciding on Samuels were Othello Hunter, who spent parts of two seasons with the Hawks in 2008/09 and 2009/10, and Rick Jackson, who was in camp this past fall with the Warriors.