Nets Rumors: Blatche, Shaw, Bogdanovic
It was an eventful weekend for the Nets, who fell to the Bulls in the first round's only Game Seven, then announced that interim coach P.J. Carlesimo wouldn't be retained as the team's permanent coach going forward. This year's offseason won't be as eventful as last year's for the Nets, but it still figures to be a crucial one. Here are a few updates out of Brooklyn as the club looks ahead to its coaching search and to free agency:
- If it's up to free-agent-to-be Andray Blatche, he'll be a Net again next year, as he told reporters, including Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. "I can’t tell you 100% yet. But that’s the plan for me," Blatche said. "I like it here, I got my second chance here and I’m loyal to being here. We just have to see what happens."
- Pacers president Donnie Walsh told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that Pacers assistant Brian Shaw will be permitted to speak to the Nets about their head coaching vacancy once Indiana's season is over. Based on Bondy's report, it's not entirely clear if the Nets have already asked to speak to Shaw or whether Walsh simply expects Brooklyn to reach out.
- The Nets are hoping to add 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic to their roster for the 2013/14 season, according to GM Billy King (Twitter link via Bondy). Previous reports have indicated that Bogdanovic, who was drafted 31st overall two years ago, has an NBA out this summer on his contract in Europe.
- Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post thinks current Celtics coach Doc Rivers would be an ideal fit in Brooklyn, and suggests that King ought to at least explore the possibility of prying Rivers away from the Nets' division rival.
Odds & Ends: Pistons, Kings, Draft, Balkman
Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game reported in March that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting a tournament-style format this year, and the league confirmed the news today. The games will take place between July 12th and July 22nd, and while the move promises excitement, the contests won't necessarily have much meaning. Damian Lillard won the circuit's co-MVP honors last summer to kick off his Rookie of the Year campaign, but the other co-MVP was Josh Selby, who's been out of the NBA since March. While we wait to see how the revamped summer league shakes out, there's plenty of other NBA news:
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press compares Nate McMillan and Lindsey Hunter, the presumptive frontrunners for the Pistons coaching vacancy. The team is still expected to consider a wide range of candidates, and that list includes Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Heat assistant David Fizdale, according to Ellis.
- Dale Kasler, Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee lay out the myriad contingencies still remaining in the Kings saga after the NBA's relocation committee recommended this week that the team stay in Sacramento.
- Four HoopsWorld writers have Nerlens Noel penciled in as the No. 1 pick, but Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com has the Kentucky center at No. 2, behind Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore.
- Renaldo Balkman has signed to play for Brujos de Guayama in Puerto Rico, Luis Modestti reports (translation via Sportando). The former Knicks first-round pick received a one-year ban from playing in the Philippines earlier this season after choking a teammate.
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com appeared on KESN-FM in Dallas this week, and pegged the Mavericks' chances of signing Dwight Howard at 10%, according to a Dallas Morning News transcription. Stein thinks Howard is still most likely to re-sign with the Lakers.
- Jeff Caplan of NBA.com takes an optimistic view of Howard's future with the Lakers, believing Howard will re-sign and, freed of speculation about his next destination, fulfill his promise as a superstar.
Sixers Have Contacted Brian Shaw
The Sixers have contacted Pacers' associate head coach Brian Shaw about their vacant head-coaching position, a source tells Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. Because the Pacers are in the playoffs, Shaw will interview for the position when the time is appropriate, which presumably means that he won't sit down with the 76ers until the Pacers' season is over.
A source tells Lynam that although Shaw is ready to coach his own team, he is cautious and looking for the right job. While he has previously interviewed for nine head coaching positions and been passed over on most of them, that has not been the case with every opening. A year ago, Shaw was offered the Bobcats' job but for various reasons, he didn’t think it was the “right” fit. Charlotte instead wound up with Mike Dunlap, who was fired earlier this month.
Shaw is believed to be at the top of Philly's wish list along with Warriors assistant Michael Malone. They're not alone in their fondness for the Pacers assistant, however, as many people believe that he would be Phil Jackson's choice if the Zen Master winds up running an NBA club.
Kyler On Blatche, Daye, Landry, Pacers, Spurs
History was made this morning, as Jason Collins publicly came out as the first active male athlete to announce that he's gay. Collins, who hopes to continue his playing career, will be a free agent this summer, looking for a contract from a team in need of frontcourt help. In his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler looked at a few other big men facing free agency, exploring what their respective futures might hold. Let's check out the highlights….
- Andray Blatche is still being paid by the Wizards through next season, so he won't necessarily be seeking the highest salary offered this summer. However, if he can secure a multiyear deal, he may lean toward that opportunity, says Kyler.
- Although he's eligible for restricted free agency, Austin Daye is unlikely to receive a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies. Kyler doesn't expect the ex-Piston to be back in Memphis next season.
- Carl Landry remains likely to opt out of his last year with the Warriors in search of a longer-term contract.
- The Pacers won't hold full Bird rights on David West, but West's Early Bird rights will be more than enough to make him a competitive offer. Kyler thinks West and the Pacers are likely to work out a deal fairly quickly that will keep the power forward in Indiana.
- Kyler notes that trading Danny Granger would help give the Pacers the flexibility to bring back both West and Tyler Hansbrough, who is eligible for restricted free agency. Kyler expects the Pacers to issue a qualifying offer to Hansbrough and match any reasonable offer.
- Antawn Jamison is unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers, and if Earl Clark returns, it will have to be for not much more than the $1.24MM he made this year, says Kyler.
- Boris Diaw, who has a player option, and Matt Bonner, whose deal is only partially guaranteed, both figure to be back with the Spurs next season. However, Kyler says DeJuan Blair is "done in San Antonio," which echoes what we heard yesterday.
Odds & Ends: NBPA, James, Datome, Love
- Knicks guard Jason Kidd credits Kenyon Martin for "saving our season," writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. It is difficult to imagine where New York would have been without Martin's contributions, especially as the team has dealt with plenty of injuries in their frontcourt.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post outlines the top ten legacies that are on the line during the NBA playoffs.
- Jon Humbert of KOMO tweets that the Longshore Union filed an appeal over the land use challenge for the Seattle arena. Last month, a report from The Seattle Times (via the Associated press) said that the Longshoremen have been in staunch opposition of an arena being built near the Seattle waterfront, due to the congestion of the area that would be caused by athletic events.
- Mike James proved to be a viable pickup for the Mavericks this season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 APG while helping the team finish 15-8 over their final 23 games. Although James said recently that he'd like to play two more seasons with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas discusses why the Amityville product doesn't figure to be in the team's long-term plans.
- Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is expected to travel to Rome next week to scout Gigi Datome, according to Sportando.net (hat tip to Il Corriere dello Sport).
- Following up on a hypothetical trade proposed by Grantland's Bill
Simmons, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com examines the possibility of
the Bulls trying to trade for Kevin Love, exploring whether a package of
Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and
Charlotte's first-round pick would be more than Chicago would be willing
to give up. - Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the evolution of Paul George into an All-Star and a leader in the Pacers locker room.
Kyler’s Latest: Korver, Bulls, Allen, Bucks
In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld on Monday, Steve Kyler explored the upcoming free agencies for a number of point guards on playoff teams. Today, Kyler turns his attention to the shooting guards in the postseason who could be hitting the free agent market this summer. Let's round up the notable tidbits from his piece….
- The Hawks could have interest in retaining Kyle Korver, but he also won't be the team's top priority, so Korver could accept a multiyear offer from a rival suitor before Atlanta is ready to finalize anything with him. I touched on this when I examined Korver's free agent stock last month.
- Marco Belinelli may not be back in Chicago next season, since the Bulls will be looking to upgrade the two-guard spot, according to Kyler.
- Tony Allen has good relationships with Zach Randolph and Lionel Hollins, which could be a factor if he's deciding whether or not to re-sign with the Grizzlies. However, he'd want to know whether Randolph or Hollins are part of the front office's long-term plan in Memphis, says Kyler.
- Kyler suggests that Lance Stephenson and Willie Green, who have non-guaranteed contracts with the Pacers and Clippers respectively, could make for interesting trade chips if their teams decided to pair them with another asset.
- One of the Bucks' reasons for acquiring J.J. Redick at the trade deadline was to give the team insurance in free agency, so that the team can still retain two starting guards if one of Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, or Redick receives an offer Milwaukee doesn't want to match.
Central Notes: Brown, Cavs, Bucks, Shaw
The Bucks lost again in Miami last night, falling behind 2-0 to the Heat in their first round series, but the Central's other two playoff teams are still in decent shape. The Bulls are heading to Chicago having split two games with the Nets in Brooklyn, while the Pacers will look to take a 2-0 series lead on the Hawks tonight. As we look forward to that game, let's check in on a few more Central Division items….
- According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), had the Cavaliers' position not been available, Mike Brown likely wouldn't have pursued another coaching job for next season, even though he would have drawn interest and perhaps received offers.
- The Cavs can't worry about what effect hiring Brown will have on their potential down-the-road pursuit of LeBron James, since Brown is the right fit for the current team, says Sam Amick of USA Today. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had some thoughts earlier today on the Cavs' future, which he doesn't believe will include a reunion with LeBron.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com wonders what the Bucks were thinking when they gave up a young asset in Tobias Harris to acquire a rental (J.J. Redick) that interim coach Jim Boylan is barely playing in the postseason. I think Ziller undersells the likelihood of Milwaukee re-signing Redick using his Bird rights, which the team also acquired in the deal. But Redick's lack of playing time so far against the Heat has indeed been surprising.
- No teams have contacted the Pacers yet to ask permission to interview assistant Brian Shaw for a head coaching opening, tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. It's possible that clubs are simply waiting until after Indiana is out of the postseason, which is Donnie Walsh's preference.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Brown, Shaw
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- The Lakers have been told they'd get "some" relief from the $6.5MM-$7MM they owe new Cavs coach Mike Brown, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, a league source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) that L.A. won't know how much money they'll save until the Cleveland deal is finalized.
- To date, the Lakers maintain that Mike D'Antoni will return as coach next season, but Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times wonders if getting money back on Brown's contract could change their position. However, the actual decision may be tied to what center Dwight Howard wants to do in July and how he feels about D'Antoni.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter) writes that Pacers assistant Brian Shaw deserves a lot of credit for Paul George's improvement and wouldn't be surprised if he gets consideration for a head coaching job soon. Shaw was in the mix for a number of jobs last offseason and it stands to reason that he'll be considered once again this summer as there will be a number of vacancies.
Central Links: George, Pacers, Bulls, Bucks
As the Cavs work toward officially re-hiring Mike Brown as their new head coach, here are a few more Tuesday updates out of the Central Division:
- Paul George was named the NBA's Most Improved Player of 2012/13 earlier today, and Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star tweets that a contract extension could be next for the 22-year-old. George will be entering the final year of his rookie deal this summer, making him extension-eligible, and Pacers owner Herb Simon "will be paying up," according to Wells.
- David Morway, the former Pacers GM who played a crucial role in Indiana's rebuilding process, talked to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld about the process of rebuilding an NBA franchise, suggesting that there isn't necessarily one specific way to approach the task.
- As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes in his latest column, two key contributors to the Bulls' Game Two win in Brooklyn last night, Tom Thibodeau and Nazr Mohammed, had been pursued by the Nets in the past.
- Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel doesn't expect the draft, free agency, or a new coach to make a huge impact for the Bucks, and wonders if a new ownership group would provide the sort of shake-up the franchise needs.
Paul George Wins Most Improved Player
TUESDAY, 9:17am: George has officially been named the NBA's Most Improved Player for 2012/13, according to a Pacers press release. Greivis Vasquez was the runner-up, while Larry Sanders, Nikola Vucevic, and Jrue Holiday rounded out the top five vote-getters.
MONDAY, 9:40pm: Paul George of the Pacers will be named the NBA's Most Improved Player, sources confirm to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (Twitter link). The Pacers called a "major" press conference for tomorrow, which initially led Kennedy and others to speculate that it is to announce that George has won the award.
George stepped into the shoes of the injured Danny Granger, the 2009 Most Improved Player who missed all but five games this year, and took over as Indiana's leading scorer this season. His points per game soared to 17.4 from 12.1 last season, and his rebounding and assist production also saw healthy jumps. Still, his shooting and three-point accuracy declined as the Pacers leaned more heavily on him, and his PER held nearly steady at 16.8, after he posted a 16.5 in that category in 2011/12.
George, in his third season out of Fresno State, also made his first All-Star Game this year, and was a part of Indiana's tough defense that gave up 90.7 PPG, second only to the Grizzlies. The 22-year-old opened up the postseason yesterday with a triple-double against the Hawks, though the votes were taken before the playoffs began. He'll be eligible for an extension to his rookie-scale contract this summer.
There are always plenty of candidates for the award, and this year was no exception. Larry Sanders, Greivis Vasquez, J.J. Hickson and Jrue Holiday all made intriguing cases, and we'll see just how close they came when the league reveals the voting.