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Draft Combine Updates: Friday

May 16th, 2014 at 2:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

We gathered a slew of reports connecting draft prospects with teams yesterday on the first full day of the Chicago draft combine, and we’ll do the same today with this post. The latest updates will be on top as we follow the action throughout.

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders adds the Pistons, Kings and Suns to the list of teams interviewing Noah Vonleh (Twitter link).
The Pistons met with Rodney Hood, Ellis tweets, and the Thunder also met with him, Holmes notes (on Twitter).
Thanasis Antetokounmpo sat down with the Nets, Knicks, Pacers, Cavs, Wizards and Pelicans, according to Woelfel (Twitter link).

2:00pm updates:

The Pistons have met with Smart and Zach LaVine, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, respectively (Twitter links).
Smart is also among the players interviewing with the Celtics tonight, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, and the C’s spoke with Aaron Gordon, too, fellow Globe scribe Baxter Holmes notes (Twitter links).
Gordon also met with the Magic, who are set to meet with James Michael McAdoo, as well, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
Tyler Ennis is meeting with the Bucks today after interviewing with the Bulls on Thursday, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times and Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com report (Twitter links).
Jarnell Stokes already worked out for the Raptors, according to Wolstat (on Twitter).

12:02pm updates:

Dante Exum‘s interview with the Magic went well, he said, adding that the team would like to bring him to Central Florida for a workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins, in a full piece, added Marcus Smart to the list of top prospects who’ve interviewed with the Magic.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed a fondness for Smart today in an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz on the network’s coverage of the combine, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (on Twitter).
Gary Harris told Katz he met with the Raptors, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Pistons, as Zagoria once more passes along via Twitter.
The Raptors will interview Jordan Adams today, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who says the team also spoke with James Young (Twitter links).
Zagoria adds the Sixers, Spurs, Clippers, Mavs, Nuggets, Warriors and Bulls to the list of teams that Kyle Anderson either met or is slated to meet (Twitter link).
Markel Brown said he’ll talk with the Celtics today, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).

Latest On Knicks Coaching Search

May 16th, 2014 at 2:24pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:24pm: Phil Jackson and Mike Dunleavy Sr. met this morning, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. The two have had occasional casual meetings for a while, but today’s encounter was more than just a friendly get-together, Berman hears. It’s still unclear whether Jackson considers Dunleavy a strong candidate, a source close to Dunleavy tells Berman.

8:52am: There were no indications as of Thursday afternoon that the Knicks would consider Mark Jackson for the coaching vacancy, but apparently that’s changed, as Marc Berman of the New York Post hears that the former Warriors coach is on New York’s tentative list of candidates. The Knicks are also likely to interview Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis and Bucks assistant Jim Cleamons, assuming they get permission from their respective teams, and Knicks president Phil Jackson is high on Pacers assistant Nate McMillan, too, Berman writes.

Berman echoes earlier reports that the Knicks are eyeing Thunder guard Derek Fisher to coach the team. Still, a source tells the Post scribe that there’s concern about a bidding war between the Knicks and Lakers over Fisher, who plans to retire from playing when Oklahoma City’s postseason run ends. Fisher has expressed less than full-throated enthusiasm about coaching next season, as Berman notes.

Phil Jackson is OK with hiring an established coach who doesn’t specialize in the triangle, but he’d want someone willing to adopt at least a semblance of the triple-post offense, according to Berman. That conflicts somewhat with Thursday’s prevailing wisdom that the Knicks were focused mainly on young coaches with ties to the Knicks president. Other candidates who appear to be in the mix include Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue and Lakers D-League assistant Luke Walton.

And-Ones: Draft, Bulls, Pacers

May 7th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Solomon Jones has signed on with Dongguan Snowwolf in the NBL, and will play the next few months in China, reports Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Jones played in 17 games with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA D-League this season. In 17 games, Jones averaged 8.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. He also appeared in 11 games for the Magic this year, averaging 1.3 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 7.7 minutes per contest. Jones will likely be considered for an NBA Summer League roster spot this summer, opines Pilato.

Lakers Eye Jackson; Warriors Targets Emerge

May 7th, 2014 at 2:24pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:24pm: The Warriors haven’t reached out to Stan Van Gundy yet, Wojnarowski tweets. Van Gundy has support in “several corners” of the Warriors organization, Wojnarowski notes, but the lack of contact with him suggests the team views Kerr as its top priority for now, having already spoken with him, as we passed along below.

12:47pm: Sources tell Kawakami that Kerr isn’t necessarily the team’s top choice, though that could change, given the compressed time frame as Kerr reportedly nears a decision on where he’d like to coach (Twitter links).

WEDNESDAY, 12:05pm: Kerr appears to be the team’s No. 1 option, according to Kawakami, who believes Pacers assistant Nate McMillan is also on the Warriors short list of candidates that they’d consider if Kerr chooses to coach elsewhere.

TUESDAY, 5:39pm: The Warriors have already contacted Kerr about the job, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

4:36pm: ESPN’s Chris Broussard suggests the Thunder as a possible destination for Jackson if Oklahoma City lets go of coach Scott Brooks (video link).

4:02pm: Kerr is indeed interested in the Warriors job, as Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group hears (Twitter link).

3:58pm: The Warriors likely have interest in University of Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie and Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group, who hears the Warriors aren’t in a rush to pick their next coach.

3:34pm: Mike D’Antoni and Mike Dunleavy Sr. are interested in the Warriors job, USA Today’s Sam Amick reports.

3:21pm: The Warriors have Steve Kerr and Stan Van Gundy at the top of their list to replace the fired Mark Jackson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who also names Fred Hoiberg as a candidate. The team will consider asking the Bulls for permission to speak with Tom Thibodeau, Wojnarowski adds. Jackson, meanwhile, is a candidate for the Lakers coaching vacancy, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Kerr, who’s zeroing in on the Knicks job, is tight with Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob and his son, assistant GM Kirk Lacob, but whether Golden State truly considers him a candidate is unclear, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Kerr prefers to move along toward the Knicks job, but he will give the Warriors some thought, according to Wojnarowski.

The Warriors are likely to reach out to former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, too, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).

Andrew Bynum To Miss Rest Of Playoffs

May 7th, 2014 at 11:02am CST by Chuck Myron

Andrew Bynum will not play for the Pacers for the remainder of the playoffs, the team announced, noting that the center will “not be with the team” going forward. That he will no longer play this season is no surprise, since he hadn’t made an appearance on the court since March 15th as he’s dealt with ongoing knee trouble. Still, the team’s seeming dismissal of Bynum is noteworthy.

“We want to thank Andrew and our medical staff for trying to get the issues with his knee resolved,” as Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in a statement from the team. “We wish him the best in the future.”

Bynum will remain on the team’s roster, though his contract expires June 30th. The Pacers signed the former All-Star for $1MM on February 1st, but he only played in two games. He’s nonetheless attended practices and games, though he hasn’t been around the team since its first-round series against the Hawks, as Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star points out (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Sterling, Stackhouse, Warriors, Jazz

May 6th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Charlie Adams

The NBA’s legal strategy for ousting Donald Sterling has been revealed, writes Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. According to Rovell, the NBA constitution states that grounds exist to remove any owner that “fail(s) or refuse(s) to fulfill its contractual obligations to the Association.” Among other “morals clauses,” Sterling has signed a document stating he would not “take any position or action that will materially and adversely affect a team or the league,” says Rovell. There’s still expectation that Sterling or his wife will fight the NBA in court, but the league at least has a starting point for Sterling’s removal. Here’s tonight’s look around the NBA:

The Knicks will interview Jerry Stackhouse for a position within the organization, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. It’s not entirely clear what position Stackhouse will interview for, but he expressed interest in coaching at some capacity. It seems highly unlikely his interview would be for anything more than an assistant position, given New York’s strong pursuit of Steve Kerr.
Many around the league think that if the Pacers lose to the Wizards and Roy Hibbert continues to struggle, Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird will “do everything he can” to trade the All-Star center, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard. Broussard made his comments on the Mike & Mike Show (Audio link).
The Jazz will work out draft prospects Taylor Braun, Akil Mitchell, Bryce Cotton, Mike Moser, Stephen Holt, and Ronald Roberts Jr, the team announced (via Twitter).
James Nunnally has signed a contract to play for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico, the team announced (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Nunnally spent most of 2013/14 in the D-League but did see NBA action on 10-day deals with the Hawks and Sixers.
Each member of Mark Jackson‘s coaching staff has been relieved of their duties, the Warriors announced (hat tip to Diamond Leung of Bay Area News).
The decision to fire Jackson means that Warriors‘ management will face pressure to win big next season in order to prove they made the right call, opines Tim Kawakami of Mercury News.
In his latest Insider piece, Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks the top point guard prospects in the 2014 draft. To no surprise, Dante Exum sits atop his list. Hoops Rumors’ Zach Links recently profiled the Australian slasher.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Mavs To Pursue ‘Melo, Tyson Chandler

May 6th, 2014 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs are optimistic that they’ll be on the list of teams that Carmelo Anthony plans to meet with this summer and that he’ll give them legitimate consideration, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas will also try to acquire another Knick, with Stein asserting that they’ll be first in line should New York make Tyson Chandler available via trade. The Mavs will attempt to court LeBron James, too, though Stein suggests that’s a longshot effort.

Dallas only has about $28.2MM in commitments for next season, but that doesn’t include the roughly $2MM non-guaranteed portion of Samuel Dalembert‘s contract or new deals for Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Vince Carter and Devin Harris. The team has expressed interest in keeping all of them, and the team’s “working assumption,” according to Stein, is that Nowitzki will sign for $10-12MM per year. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room for a max offer to Anthony, who can draw a starting salary of up to $22,458,401. Still, Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com wrote Monday that the Mavs wouldn’t have interest in ‘Melo if he demands his max.

While the Mavs could net Chandler as part of a sign-and-trade involving Anthony, that would be extremely difficult, given Chandler’s salary of nearly $14.6MM next season. The reacquisition of the center who was the defensive anchor of the Mavs’ 2011 title team would probably preclude Anthony from heading to Dallas, and it would make it difficult for the Mavs to accommodate any other marquee free agent this summer. Stein reiterates McMahon’s report from yesterday indicating that the Mavs will likely target Luol Deng but take a pass on any pursuit of Lance Stephenson.

The Mavs have some concern about their ability to keep a couple of their own free agents, too, according to Stein. They’re worried that they’d have to cut deeply into their cap flexibility to fend off suitors for Vince Carter and, in particular, Shawn Marion. Carter and Marion have expressed their preference to re-sign, though such statements are commonplace for soon-to-be free agents at this time of year, and they don’t always translate into a new deal that keeps them in place.

Mavs Rumors: Bledsoe, Stephenson, ‘Melo, Dirk

May 5th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mavs GM Donnie Nelson promises an “action-packed summer,” but he indicated today that he’s pleased with the roster as is, notes Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter links).

“I think if we had the same cast or crew come and lace ’em up next year, I’d feel real good about our chances,” he said.

Fellow ESPNDallas.com scribe Tim McMahon doesn’t buy it, writing that the Mavs front office knows it needs significant improvement to contend. There’s more from McMahon’s piece amid the latest on the Mavs:

McMahon throws Eric Bledsoe‘s name into the mix of likely targets that already included Marcin Gortat and Luol Deng, though he acknowledges that it’ll be “extremely difficult” to pry Bledsoe, or even Gortat, away from their respective teams. The Mavs are unlikely to make a run at Lance Stephenson, according to McMahon.
The Mavs would like to get involved in the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, but not if he demands a max contract, McMahon writes.
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs have made it clear that they fully intend to strike a new deal this summer. Nowitzki acknowledged today that he doesn’t think it will resemble Kobe Bryant‘s massive two-year, $48.5MM extension, but he does want the team to respect his continued on-court prowess in negotiations, as Gutierrez observes (Twitter links). McMahon, in his piece, suggests Nowitzki is likely to sign a three-year, $30MM deal.
Shawn Marion, who turns 36 on Wednesday, plans to play two more seasons, tweets Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com, noting that while there’s strong mutual interest in a return to the Mavs, the forward will also think about signing elsewhere. Still, he intends to retire as a Mav one way or another, Gutierrez notes (Twitter link).
Soon-to-be free agent DeJuan Blair is hopeful that he’ll re-sign with the Mavs this summer, as Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram chronicles.
We passed along news of the Mavs’ mutual interest in Devin Harris earlier today.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Woodson, Celtics

April 27th, 2014 at 10:23am CST by Eddie Scarito

Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press thinks that the Pistons should focus on finding a GM before concentrating on filling their vacant head coaching position. By waiting until after the playoffs, the franchise could see the pool of available coaches grow. Ellis notes that if their teams get bounced out of the playoffs in the first round, Pacers coach Frank Vogel, Thunder coach Scott Brooks and Warriors coach Mark Jackson could get lose their jobs and become possibilities for Detroit.

Central Rumors: Boozer, Billups, Pistons, Pacers

April 25th, 2014 at 2:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Central Division representatives in the playoffs are in a world of hurt, with the Pacers stunningly behind the sub-.500 Hawks in their series and the Bulls facing an 0-2 deficit and heading to Washington for their next two games. Here’s more from a division that’s seen better days:

Carlos Boozer‘s anger at Tom Thibodeau over a lack of fourth quarter playing time has intensified in the playoffs, a source tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Still, it hasn’t become a problem in the locker room, Cowley writes, praising Thibodeau for deftly handling the situation and pointing to the coach’s comfort with the Bulls as another reason to suggest he won’t head elsewhere this summer.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com answers Chicago-centric questions in his latest mailbag column, and also suggests that Chauncey Billups undermined former Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks in an effort to curry favor with ownership. Billups has expressed interest in a front office role with the Pistons.
The schedules of many potential Pistons front office candidates make it a tough week for the team to make progress on its search for a GM, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Ellis gets the sense that the Pistons aren’t too concerned with having someone in place in time for the draft and free agency.
Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard dismisses the notion that Frank Vogel‘s job is on the line in the playoffs, but Vogel should take the fall if the team goes out early and he doesn’t bench struggling center Roy Hibbert, opines Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star.