Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Afflalo, Nuggets, Rockets
The Magic appear to have heavy interest in acquiring Eric Bledsoe in return for Arron Afflalo, according to Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com, who delivers his latest mock draft. That jibes with the notion that the Clippers are holding out for an additional asset in the rumored trade proposal, which would also send Caron Butler to Orlando. Kotoch adds that Cavs executive Zydrunas Ilgauskas is pushing Cleveland to take Alex Len first overall. Here's more from around the NBA:
- The Nuggets plan for most of their interviews for a new GM to occur once the team hires a coach, reports Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Wednesday's scheduled meeting with Lionel Hollins will be the first formal interview the team will conduct for the coaching job, and it's unclear when any other candidates will be interviewed, Dempsey notes.
- Nuggets president Josh Kroenke tells Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post that he wouldn't have allowed a team other than the Raptors to have permission to speak with former GM Masai Ujiri. Kroenke admits he put himself in a difficult position because of his friendship with Ujiri, who had a soft spot for the Raptors organization for which he worked once before.
- The Rockets have paid the luxury tax just once in the 15 seasons its been in existence, but owner Leslie Alexander tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he'd be "thrilled to pay a tax if we have a championship-caliber team."
- Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News glances at the personnel decisions facing the Spurs this summer once the Finals are over.
- Tyson Chandler tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that he tried all season long to convince former teammate and new Nets head coach Jason Kidd not to end his playing career. Chandler doesn't believe Kidd's 10-game scoreless streak in the postseason influenced his decision.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com checks in with free agent center Jerome Jordan, who'll be playing in summer leagues for both the Knicks and Pacers and will also take part in mini-camps with the Spurs and Mavericks.
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun figures the Raptors may carry only 13 players next season, given their proximity to tax territory (Twitter links).
Lakers Not Ruling Out Sign-And-Trade Of Dwight
The "overriding expectation persists" that the Lakers won't faciliate a sign-and-trade of Dwight Howard this summer, but the team hasn't completely dismissed the idea, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The Lakers are willing to listen to just about any idea, and there are indications the Lakers wouldn't dismiss a formal offer from the Clippers of Eric Bledsoe and Blake Griffin for Howard, the ESPN scribes report.
Stein and Shelburne hear the Rockets are likely to offer Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin for Howard in an attempt to open enough cap space for both Howard and Chris Paul. Though Asik, a cheaper basket protector than Howard, and Lin, who thrived with the Knicks under current Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni, may be enticing figures for the Lakers, L.A.'s brass would ultimately prefer not to take on any salary if Howard walks.
The Lakers have maintained a dialogue with Howard's representatives throughout the spring and are still confident they can re-sign the Dan Fegan client, even though Howard is intent on listening to pitches from other teams. The team's main priority, beyond re-signing Howard, is reducing its luxury tax bill and positioning itself for the summer of 2014. As it stands, no Laker aside from Steve Nash is signed beyond next season.
Odds & Ends: Clippers, Afflalo, Karl
The Celtics–Clippers saga continues with Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski saying that Eric Bledsoe had been a part of discussions between the two teams until Saturday morning (Twitter). The Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett mentioned earlier that Doc Rivers might feel uncomfortable returning to the Celtics after this flirtation with the Clippers, but Wojnarowski said within the Celtics it hasn't been acrimonious between team and Doc (Twitter).
ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne thinks the Clippers should dare the Celtics to cut Paul Pierce (he's owed $15.3MM if he's not waived before June 30th), and see if Kevin Garnett and Rivers will really hold to their promise to only be moved from the Celtics as a tandem (Twitter). Shelburne goes on to cite an objective league source who proposed the Clippers keep DeAndre Jordan and Bledsoe, sign Pierce after he's waived, and trade Caron Butler and a pick for Garnett (Twitter).
Shelburne also says that the Clippers have been "shaking every tree" looking for a third star to complement Blake Griffin and Chris Paul if he re-signs this summer (Twitter). According to Shelburne, the Clippers have expressed interest in Danny Granger and Arron Afflalo already as a possible third threat on their roster.
Here are some more tidbits about the Clippers and Celtics as well as other teams around the league on this rumor-filled Saturday night with a huge game 5 in the NBA Finals tomorrow.
- Shelburne also reports there's nothing yet between the Clippers and Lionel Hollins (Twitter), which means it probably won't happen until the Rivers talks die for good.
- Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times on the impasse surrounding the Clippers–Celtics talks, and Marc Stein and Shelburne at ESPN.com have updated their post about the ongoing trade talks between the Clippers and Celtics.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel with some more about Magic off-guard, Arron Afflalo, who tweeted out tonight that he was "listening and observing" with all the Clippers rumors.
- Lost amid the Garnett and Doc trade rumors is the very real possibility the Celtics waive Pierce and he joins the Clippers or Lakers since he grew in Los Angeles' tough Inglewood neighborhood, writes ESPNLA.com's Arash Markazi.
- Markazi also thinks the Clippers should pull the trigger on the Doc and Garnett deal despite losing Bledsoe because he feels Rivers is an improvement over proposed coaching hires, Hollins or Brian Shaw (Twitter).
- Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal reports the Grizzlies will interview George Karl for their head coaching vacancy on Tuesday.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Rockets will be looking to spend big in free agency this summer. They'll obviously target free agents, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, but they're also looking to add more veterans to such a young team.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer talks about whether the Cavs made a mistake hiring Mike Brown so soon with so many available coaches this offseason.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio chatted with former Celtics great, Dave Cowens, about what Jason Kidd needs to do differently now that he's no longer playing, but instead is the Nets' new head coach.
- Kidd did a Q&A with Steve Serby at the New York Post about his new coaching job.
- Speaking of the Nets, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com spoke to their point guard Deron Williams about a rivalry "forming" between the Knicks and Nets.
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes about Nets GM Billy King taking a risk on Kidd as a coaching hire despite his lack of coaching experience because Kidd is close to the Nets' point guard, Williams.
Amico On Cavs, Magic, Granger, Bucks, Cousins
Earlier this afternoon, I asked for your thoughts on which prospect would be drafted first overall two weeks from tonight. While I provided five names in the poll, it appears I omitted one more viable option, as Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports that Anthony Bennett is also under consideration for the Cavaliers at No. 1 overall. While several opposing GMs tell Amico that they don't believe Cleveland would draft Bennett (or Alex Len) first overall, the Cavs aren't tipping their hand, so plenty of options still remain in play. Here's more from Amico's latest collection of NBA news and notes:
- One source says that the Cavs have been working on "something major," but no details were given due to the magnitude. While that may not reveal much, Amico relays from the same source that Cleveland has talked to one particular team several times about the number one pick, although discussions have only been exploratory at this point (Twitter links).
- Amico also tweets that the Cavaliers are lukewarm at the idea of taking Victor Oladipo or Anthony Bennett with their first overall pick and are going back and forth between Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore.
Earlier updates:
- The Sixers are high on Michael Carter-Williams, who they believe could contribute at both guard positions, according to Amico. With Carter-Williams drawing some interest from teams in the top 10, it remains to be seen whether he'll be available for the Sixers at No. 11.
- While the Magic have explored trades involving the second overall pick, they're "far from desperate" to move it.
- Depending on how their pursuit of Dwight Howard goes, the Rockets may be interested in making a bid for trade candidate Danny Granger.
- The Bucks and Bobcats have engaged in discussions involving Milwaukee's 15th overall pick, says Amico.
- If DeMarcus Cousins was available at one point, he isn't any longer. New Kings coach Michael Malone is excited about working with the young big man.
Field Of Suitors For Dwight Howard Widening?
The field of potential suitors for Dwight Howard has "widened considerably," sources tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). According to Kyler, the Lakers, Hawks, Rockets, Mavericks, Spurs, and Nets are all expected to pursue the All-Star center this offseason.
We've heard plenty about the interest that a handful of those teams have in Howard — the Lakers remain optimistic about re-signing him, while the Hawks, Rockets, and Mavs are all seeking an impact player and have a good chance to create room for a maximum contract offer. The Spurs and Nets, on the other hand, haven't been mentioned in the Howard discussion with the same amount of frequency, though I think there are reasons for that.
In the Nets' case, while we've heard they still maintain interest in Howard, they also have $86MM+ in salary commitments for next season. Without the cap space to sign D12 outright, they'd need to complete a sign-and-trade, and ultimately end up below the tax apron, which figures to be in the neighborhood of $75.6MM. Given the amount of undesirable contracts on the roster, it's hard to envision a scenario in which the team is able to make something work, even if Kyler tweets that they're "willing to do whatever it takes."
As for the Spurs, they've been linked to Howard multiple times by Kyler's fellow writers at HoopsWorld. Their path to cap room is easier, but they still likely won't have quite enough space for a max offer. Clearing the necessary cap room would also figure to mean parting ways with Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter, unless those players were inclined to agree to significant home discounts. On top of that, I'm skeptical that a team whose chemistry is arguably unmatched around the league would risk making such a big commitment to Howard, considering the circus that's followed him around the last two seasons.
Even if the Nets and Spurs are long shots for Howard, we've heard that he'll be willing to listen to pitches from just about any interested team, so plenty of clubs will have the chance to at least kick the tires this summer.
Rockets, Hawks, Kings Fined For Tampering
TUESDAY, 4:01pm: The third team fined for tampering was the Kings, according to Amick. Sacramento confirmed as much, telling USA Today that the team "accepts the league's decision regarding this matter, and regrets any infraction of the policy."
Stein tweets that the violation occurred when head coach Michael Malone mentioned Paul during his introductory press conference.
MONDAY, 5:29pm: The NBA has sent out a leaguewide memo notifying teams that three clubs have been fined for violating the Association's anti-tampering policy, according to Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Amick and Zillgitt report that the Hawks were one of the three teams penalized, while ESPN.com's Marc Stein says the Rockets were another.
According to the USA Today report, the NBA memo read in part: "The conduct at issue involved statements by a team employee to the media, a team email to prospective season ticket purchasers, and articles posted online on a team website, each related to players who are currently under contract to other teams but who will become free agents this summer."
The email sent to prospective season ticket purchases is a reference to a letter sent out by the Hawks, in which Chris Paul and Dwight Howard were specifically named as potential free agent targets for the team. According to Stein, the articles posted on a team website refers to material on the Rockets' official site. Houston was fined a "small" amount for the infraction, says Stein.
The identity of the third team fined isn't known.
Rockets To Chase Both Howard & Paul
While the Rockets have been heavily tied to Dwight Howard for several months, he's not their only free agent target this summer. The team is also planning a similar and simultaneous pursuit of Clippers guard Chris Paul, a person with knowledge of the club’s thinking told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Another individual familiar with the team’s plans termed the two stars as “targets No. 1 and 1A.” The difference, of course, is there have been far more indications that Howard will be receptive to the Rockets’ recruiting efforts. Meanwhile, it's too early to know if Paul is disinterested or just keeping his thoughts on Houston private.
James Harden has spoken with Howard about the Rockets and playing in Houston, but he is even closer to Paul thanks to their time together with USA Basketball. It still seems as though Howard is a more likely get for Houston than CP3 given the big man's fondness for coach Kevin McHale.
An individual with knowledge of Howard's thinking also says that he would be open to signing a four-year deal as he would be able to re-up as the NBA gets more TV money and, potentially, a fresh Collective Bargaining Agreement. They'll have to free up cap room to land D12 as well and a Thomas Robinson deal has been pointed to by many as the easiest way to make space. However, a person with knowledge of GM Daryl Morey's plans says there are about "20 other ways" that the finances can be worked out.
Odds & Ends: Brewer, Shaw, Larkin
Despite his limited role in Oklahoma City, Ronnie Brewer sounded open about a possible return to the Thunder: "I'm still very young and still have a lot of basketball left in me so if it's here or somewhere else I'll continue to play basketball. This is a great organization and (has) great players, great coaches, great fans. So hopefully I can continue to play here” (Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman reports). Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous notes:
- Though George Karl's coaching style may fit well with GM Sam Hinkie's focus on analytics, Grantland's Zach Lowe says that one name to look out for with regard to the 76ers' head coaching vacancy is Chris Finch, who is currently an assistant to Kevin McHale with the Rockets and the head coach of Great Britain's national team. Lowe gets the sense that Hinkie is looking to build a strong relationship with a first-time NBA coach, and Finch – who also served as a coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers – was reportedly able to develop a good working relationship with Houston team brass while handling his responsibilities in the NBDL.
- As far as the Nets' coaching search goes, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News cites a source who says that Brooklyn is seeking a "fresh face," which may indicate that Brian Shaw is ahead of Lionel Hollins on their wish list.
- When it comes to Kris Humphries and the Nets, Roderick Boone of Newsday tweets that both parties would welcome a trade.
- Shane Larkin looked very impressive in his workout with the Jazz today, according to Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that center prospect Jason Washburn made an impression during his visit with Utah as well.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee says that one name to look out for as a possible assistant coach for Michael Malone's staff is Roy Rogers, who worked as an assistant for Lawrence Frank on the Pistons last season and is credited for playing a vital role in Andre Drummond's development.
- Marcus Thompson II of Mercury News notes that Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes of the Warriors will participate in Team USA's minicamp in July.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News opines that the era of retread coaches in the NBA is over.
- Gene Wang of The Washington Post briefly profiles Khalif Wyatt following the 6'4" guard's workout with the Wizards earlier today.
Odds & Ends: Hollins, Nets, Allen, Raptors, Pacers
Game One of the NBA Finals will be ending about 24 hours from now, and while the Spurs will provide more evidence for the rest-versus-rust debate, many expect them to find their rhythm before long. The majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in today's poll say San Antonio will beat the Heat. While we wait to see if they're right, here's more from around the NBA:
- The Grizzlies rebuffed the Nets when they asked for permission to interview Lionel Hollins the day after the Western Conference Finals ended, but Memphis would likely grant that permission now if Brooklyn inquired again, TNT's David Aldridge hears (Twitter link).
- Ray Allen feels his return to the Finals with the Heat provides a measure of vindication for his decision to sign with Miami last summer, observes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun looks at what Tim Leiweke and Masai Ujiri have done and said since arriving in town and concludes that the Raptors will soon be rebuilding.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, writing for USA Today, details five key questions the Pacers must answer this summer.
- The shakeup continues for the Kings, as Jerry Reynolds will step down as the team's director of player development, he tells Chris Riva of KCRA-TV.
- The Knicks worked out Deshaun Thomas today and will get another look at him Friday, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link), who also notes that Cody Zeller will work out Thursday for the Suns. Thomas will also work out later this month for the Timberwolves, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, apparently clearing up earlier confusion involving Adonis Thomas.
- The Sixers auditioned Steven Adams, Colton Iverson, Alex Oriakhi, Mouhammadou Jaiteh and Jamelle Hagins today, tweets Jake L. Fischer of SLAM Online.
- Ray McCallum, who will work out sometime this month for the Pistons, has also worked out with the Spurs, Rockets and Pacers, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Pacific Notes: World Peace, Howard, Kings, Suns
Let's round up any and all links from the West's Pacific division in this post tonight:
- Confirming Jason Jones' report from earlier, the Kings announced the firings of assistant coaches Jim Eyen, Alex English, and Clifford Ray via press release. However, former assistant Bobby Jackson will be retained in some fashion, but will not serve as an assistant under Michael Malone.
Earlier updates:
- The Lakers have granted the Hawks and Bobcats permission to speak to Darvin Ham, currently an assistant in L.A., about joining their staffs, tweets Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.
- Metta World Peace will continue to defer to his agent, Marc Cornstein, on what he should do about his $7.7MM player option with the Lakers in 2013/14, writes Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, who exclusively spoke with the veteran forward. World Peace has until June 25 to make a decision. If he exercises his option, he will force the Lakers to make a decision on whether or not to use the amnesty provision on him.
- While the Lakers certainly have a built-in advantage when it comes to signing Dwight Howard, there are plenty of factors that make him obtainable for other teams, writes ESPN salary cap guru Larry Coon. In this Insider only piece, Coon breaks down what it will take for Howard to land with the Rockets or Mavericks, both of which are considered realistic destinations.
- It looks like new Kings head coach Michael Malone will not retain any assistant coaches from Keith Smart's staff from last season, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. According to the team's media guide, Smart's staff consisted of assistants Alex English, Jim Eyen, Bobby Jackson and Clifford Ray.
- Suns managing partner Robert Sarver understands that his team's rebuilding process could be long and painful, writes Paul Coro for USA Today. With the No. 5 pick in a draft that seems devoid of high-end talent, and not enough star power to lure one of the big-time free agents, franchises like Phoenix need this patient approach to avoid the pitfalls of trying to rebuild too quickly.