Clippers Rumors

Western Notes: Tucker, Draft, Spurs

June 15th, 2014 at 11:38am CST by Eddie Scarito

P.J. Tucker is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but is expected to be back with the Suns, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Speaking about the free agent process, Tucker said, “It’s always kind of crazy. You don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t think teams know all the time when another team is going to jump out there. I’m excited to go through it. I don’t know what their (the Suns’) direction is. I know I had great years and that they like me, but they might look another direction. It’s a business. Always has been, always will be. Maybe they draft a player who they think can do what I do at my position. Maybe they move on, maybe they don’t. I don’t know. I’m excited to see, though.“

And-Ones: Divac, NBPA, Silver

June 14th, 2014 at 10:32pm CST by Charlie Adams

Vlade Divac is interested in eventually becoming an NBA GM, reports Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Divac says he’s already spoken with the Kings about a job in their front office but that the team hasn’t made him an offer yet. Here’s more from around the NBA:

The players union interviewed six candidates for their vacant executive director position on May 16th, with six more interviews scheduled in late June, and around six more in mid-July, reveals Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter).
Adam Silver sat down with Rachel Nichols of CNN to recap the Donald Sterling fiasco and discuss how to handle the debacle going forward (video link).
Peter Keating of ESPN.com argues that tanking doesn’t work and provides metrics to back up his claim (Insider link). Keating also presents different ideas to punish teams that intentionally lose to improve their draft position.
Tom Moore of Calkins Media looks at a variety of options Sixers GM Sam Hinkie could consider if he decides trading up to the No. 1 spot in the draft is necessary to secure Andrew Wiggins.
Mike McGraw of The Daily Herald thinks that Carmelo Anthony would be a much better fit for the Bulls than Kevin Love would be, even if Love is arguably the better player.
Adi Joseph of USA Today takes a look at draft needs for the Thunder and Blazers.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

NBA Poised To Countersue Donald Sterling

June 13th, 2014 at 8:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:40pm: A confidant of Donald Sterling claims the investigative firms already have uncovered allegations of racial discrimination by NBA officials that are as bad as comments Sterling made suggesting he did not want to see blacks at Clippers games, reports James Rainey of The Los Angeles Times.

11:58am: There’s a “good chance” that the NBA will file a countersuit against Donald Sterling, who’s pushing forward with a $1 billion lawsuit against the league, sources tell Michael McCann of SI.com. The league is set to respond to Sterling on June 23rd, according to McCann. It’s unclear precisely what the league would seek from Sterling in the suit.

Donald Sterling has hired four private investigation firms to try to uncover evidence of misconduct among the NBA and owners of the other 29 clubs, as Tami Abdollah of The Associated Press and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com report. The firms received budgets in excess of $100K to pore over the league’s finances and its compensation for David Stern and Adam Silver, examine previous allegations of discrimination, and look into whether any other owners have made insensitive remarks, Abdollah writes. The league is prepared to argue that it has a strong record of promoting diversity in the workplace, a source tells McCann.

Sterling’s lawsuit against the NBA seeks only monetary relief, and it’s not directly aimed at allowing him to remain as owner, as McCann points out. Sterling’s attempt to continue to control the Clippers centers on a probate court hearing next month that will determine whether his wife acted within her rights to unilaterally agree to sell the Clippers to Steve Ballmer via the Sterling family trust, as previous reports have detailed.

If the court rules that Shelly Sterling did not have that right, the NBA will seek to strip control of the Clippers from the Sterlings, as McCann details. The league would likely invoke a clause in its constitution that would allow the NBA to take over the franchise itself if three-quarters of the league’s other owners vote to take the team away from the Sterlings, according to McCann. The league would then look to sell the team to new ownership, and sources tell McCann that the NBA might invite other bids rather than simply turn the team over to Ballmer. The proceeds from the sale, minus expenses the NBA incurred as it conducted the bidding, would still eventually wind up going to the Sterlings, McCann writes.

Western Notes: Clippers, Jones, Adams

June 13th, 2014 at 8:09pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers won’t allow the ownership and legal situation involving Donald Sterling impact their offseason moves, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Reynolds points out the situation is different from the one in New Orleans a few years ago when the league ran the team. Of the situation, commissioner Adam Silver said, “It’s not a level of concern for us. Doc Rivers is the head of basketball operations of the Clippers. We’ve installed Dick Parsons as the interim CEO. He’s on the same page as Doc. They’re working together. Dick Parsons has the absolute authority from the league office to operate the Clippers in the best interest of the organization.“

Latest On Clippers, Sterlings

June 11th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

Donald Sterling’s on-again, off-again battle with the NBA is apparently on again, as the banned Clippers owner apparently intends to push forward with a lawsuit against the league. We’ll pass along updates as they come in, with the latest on top:

Shelburne clarifies that the September 15th deadline is outlined in Ballmer’s purchase agreement as the date by which the sale must close. Ballmer would have the option of pulling out of the deal if the sale hasn’t been finalized by that date, but he’s given no indication he would do so, sources tell Shelburne.

Earlier updates:

Shelly Sterling’s deal with Ballmer allows her the option to retain up to a 10% stake in the team that would be controlled by a charitable foundation she runs, report Nathan Fenno and James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times. She has until June 15th to decide whether to take that option or sell 100% of the club, Fenno and Rainey add. Ballmer would have some input on the foundation, but Shelly Sterling would serve as chair, according to the Times scribes. Ballmer would have the majority interest in the Clippers either way, but the league was reportedly unwilling to OK the sale of the Clippers unless the Sterlings divested themselves of the entire team.
Shelly Sterling’s request to expedite her probate court hearing was denied, as Donald Sterling attorney Bobby Samini tells Shelburne (Twitter link). The hearing, which will determine whether Shelly Sterling has the power to sell the Clippers without her husband’s consent, will take place from July 7th through 10th, and that’s in advance of a previously scheduled Board of Governors meeting, Shelburne tweets. The NBA could vote to approve the sale to Steve Ballmer during that meeting if the court sides with Shelly Sterling.
The documents Shelly Sterling filed in court today asked that the hearing be sped up so that the sale of the team to Ballmer could close before September 15th, according to Shelburne (Twitter links). It’s unclear if that deadline is league-imposed or otherwise, but the NBA has threatened to revive its plans to convene the Board of Governors in a special meeting to vote on forcibly stripping the team from the Sterlings.
Commissioner Adam Silver expressed some anxiety about the timetable in an interview with ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike” today (transcription via ESPN.com). “To me, I’m concerned it’s going to delay Steve Ballmer taking over the Clippers,” Silver said. “The team is sort of a little bit in limbo right now. We have Dick Parsons in right now as the interim CEO. He’s a terrific guy. But of course, I can understand from a player’s perspective — they’re going into a draft, they’re going into free agency. The guys want to know where they stand. So we’d like everything to just be clear, so everybody understands how this team is moving forward. That’s my concern, that it just seems unsettled.”
Donald Sterling would have to challenge his wife in probate court if he were to mount an effective fight against the league, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Max Blecher, one of his attorneys, suggested that he indeed intends to go after Shelly Sterling in probate court, Shelburne adds (Twitter link). Shelly Sterling plans to seek an emergency probate court order to expedite the hearing, Shelburne also tweets.
Shelly Sterling receives the title of “owner emeritus” of the Clippers, two tickets to all Clippers home games and five parking spots as part of her $2 billion deal to sell the team to Steve Ballmer, reports Scott Cacciola of The New York Times. Sterling also gets three championship rings if the Clippers win a title, Cacciola adds.
Shelly Sterling’s lawyer was aware when Donald Sterling underwent neurological testing in May of a provision in the Sterling family trust that would allow her to take over if Donald Sterling was found incapacitated, Cacciola writes. Still, Shelly Sterling attempted to persuade her husband to agree to sell the team before she resorted to using the clause in the trust, according to Cacciola.
Ballmer felt from the start that he’d have to make a bid that was far and away the best one in order to ensure he’d land the Clippers, Cacciola hears. Shelly Sterling made keeping the team in Los Angeles a condition of her deal with Ballmer, the Times scribe adds.
Ballmer’s initial bid was $1.925 billion, and Shelly Sterling pushed him to add the $75MM that brought it to $2 billion, according to Cacciola. He didn’t know until after that point about the clause in the Sterling family trust that allowed Shelly Sterling to unilaterally arrange for the sale, Cacciola reports.

Pacific Notes: Sterlings, Scott, Gay

June 10th, 2014 at 9:38pm CST by Cray Allred

Shelly Sterling will ask a judge to make an expedited decision regarding Donald Sterling’s mental capacity so that she can move forward with the Clippers sale, now that her husband is no longer willing to comply with the sale, per a report from Tami Abdollah of The Associated Press. If Shelly is not successful in court, the NBA will reschedule a hearing to take a vote to terminate Donald Sterling’s ownership, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com. The league canceled the original hearing when Shelly Sterling arranged for a voluntary Clippers sale by the Sterling family trust. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

One of Donald Sterling’s lawyers tells James Rainey of The Los Angeles Times that they will try to prolong the court decision regarding his client’s mental health.
On ABC’s broadcast for Game 3 of the Finals, commissioner Adam Silver stated that the league will wait for the Sterlings’ court case to resolve before taking their next step. “This is now a dispute between the Sterlings,” Silver said. “We’re on the sidelines.”
On the heels of his second interview with the Lakers, Byron Scott tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he still views himself as the front-runner for the job. Scott again banked on his relationship with Kobe Bryant as an advantage for his candidacy. “Again, I think I’ve got a hand up on (the job) because of our relationship,” said Scott. “We get along extremely well. Kobe knows all about me and what I’m about. He knows that I’m an old-school coach who’s very demanding on the defensive end and knows that defense and rebounding wins championships, so I think from that point of view we see eye to eye.”
The Lakers didn’t give Scott any clarity on the nature of their coaching search during his second interview, a source tells Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.
Rudy Gay met with the Kings as planned today to hear Sacramento’s pitch for him to pick up his $19.3MM player option, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.

Donald Sterling To Resume Lawsuit

June 9th, 2014 at 8:58pm CST by Charlie Adams

Donald Sterling‘s attorney, Max Blecher, says that Sterling has pulled his support from a deal that would sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and will resume his pursuit of the $1 billion federal lawsuit he had filed against the NBA, reports Tami Abdollah of The Associated Press. Sterling had agreed to drop the suit, but has since had a change of heart because the NBA refused to lift the hefty fine and lifetime ban placed on the disgruntled owner, says Abdollah.

Commissioner Adam Silver had confidence that the Sterling saga would soon come to an end, despite Sterling’s alleged second thoughts on following through and complying with the sale of the Clippers. Silver maintained on Sunday that there is absolutely “no possibility” he will lift the ban or rescind the fine that was doled out as punishment for racist remarks Sterling made in April.

This latest chapter of the Sterling fiasco will presumably push back the Clippers’ change in ownership even further since Silver stated in the previously linked report that he wouldn’t proceed with finalizing Ballmer’s acquisition of the team until the lawsuit is resolved. Given the unpredictably of Sterling’s actions throughout this mess so far, it’s hard to say how long it will be until there’s any resolution.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Clippers, Thompson

June 8th, 2014 at 8:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Mark Jackson told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he has no regrets about the way things played out with the Warriors. “Listen, there are no regrets,” said Jackson. “I think about the three years there. I think about the opportunity that was presented to me by the ownership, by management. I think about the relationship with incredible players and what they were able to accomplish in three years and where that organization was and where it is today; you’ve got a lot to be proud of. Ownership, management, players, fans — it’s in a great place. There are absolutely no regrets.” More out of the Pacific Division..

Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt confirmed to Allon Sinai of the Jerusalem Post that he has had conversations with the Warriors about a job on Steve Kerr‘s staff. Blatt is reportedly being considered by Wolves coach/president Flip Saunders for an assistant coaching role that would groom him for the head coaching job. The Cavs, meanwhile, are looking at Blatt as a head coaching candidate.
Warriors standout shooting guard Klay Thompson spoke with Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle about a variety of topics concerning the Warriors. Thompson spoke glowingly of new head coach Steve Kerr and said that he’d love to sign an extension with the club before the start of next season.
Before tipoff of Game 2, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters, including Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press, that while Donald Sterling hasn’t signed off on the sale of the Clippers yet, he believes that the ordeal is almost over. He added that there is “absolutely no possibility” of rescinding the lifetime ban or the $2.5MM fine he handed down to Sterling following his racist remarks.

Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Cavaliers

June 8th, 2014 at 6:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Guaranteed Contracts

Kyrie Irving ($7,070,730)
Jarrett Jack ($6,300,000)
Anthony Bennett ($5,563,920)
Tristan Thompson ($5,138,430)
Dion Waiters ($4,062,000)
Tyler Zeller ($1,703,760)
Sergey Karasev ($1,533,840)
Carrick Felix ($816,482)

Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Anderson Varejao ($9,704,545; guaranteed for $4,000,000)
Alonzo Gee ($3,000,000)
Scotty Hopson ($1,450,878)
Matthew Dellavedova ($816,482)*

Free Agents / Cap Holds

Luol Deng ($19,181,750)**
Spencer Hawes ($9,900,000)
No. 1 pick ($4,592,200)
C.J. Miles ($2,892,500)

Draft Picks

1st Round (1st overall)
2nd Round (33rd overall)

Cap Outlook

Guaranteed Salary: $36,189,162
Options: $0
Non-Guaranteed Salary: $10,971,905
Cap Holds: $36,566,450
Total: $83,727,517

Last June, the Cavs tabbed UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick in part because he was widely regarded as the most NBA-ready prospect at the top of the draft. So much for that. Bennett began his NBA career with an ugly scoreless streak and things didn’t get much better from there. While Bennett still has years and years in front of him to turn things around, Cleveland must be having second thoughts about how he’ll end up This year, they have the No. 1 pick again and what they do with it will set the tone for next season and beyond.

Will the Cavs go against the grain again? Last year, there were whispers that Cleveland was considering Bennett but most of us ignored that talk and believed that he would go closer to No. 10 than No. 1. The consensus this year, of course, is that it’s a three-horse race for the top slot. Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins has been projected as the first overall pick in this draft for at least three years, but his inconsistency and lack of killer instinct last season has teams concerned. Teammate Joel Embiid offers a very polished inside game and shot-blocking ability, but his back problems are troubling. Will Cleveland, fresh off of their botched Andrew Bynum experiment, want to gamble on another 7-footer with serious injury troubles? That seems questionable, especially when considering that agent Arn Tellem is keeping his medicals under wraps. Power forward Jabari Parker has also been mentioned as a top pick possibility, but some say he’s falling out of the mix. Of course, we wouldn’t bet on what the Cavs will do with the pick, but it’s hard to see anyone outside of that top three being in the mix. Aussie guard Dante Exum could very well stand as the best talent from this class five years from now, but there’s simply no room for him with a starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

So, while the Cavs have some quality options in front of them, none are free of question marks. Beyond that, the Cavs are in win-now mode and a 19-year-old rookie may not be the fastest way to contention. What if the Cavs trade the pick? They’re bound to find a ripe market and they could theoretically turn the pick into an All-Star caliber player who can elevate them to a top team. Kevin Love is the hottest name on the market and if the T’Wolves decide to go with (another) reboot, one would think that there’s no better way for them to start off than with the first pick in the draft. Still, a report from late last week indicated that the Wolves don’t see the Cavs as a good partner for a trade.

Of course, what the Cavs to with the top pick rests heavily on what they intend to do with free agent Luol Deng. Reports from during the season said that the veteran forward wants out of Cleveland badly. Meanwhile, the Cavs were only 19-21 with Deng in the lineup for the second half – an improvement over their previous 42 games, but not much better. The Cavs gave up quite a bit for Deng in terms of draft picks, but the sunk cost fallacy says that Cleveland shouldn’t go chasing a new deal with the 29-year-old just for that reason. For all his talent, The Man from Sudan isn’t a No. 1 star for any team and a new deal for Deng could call for the Cavs to almost pay him like one. For a lot of reasons, it seems like a reunion isn’t in the best interest of either party. If the Cavs feel good about Wiggins at No. 1, we say they should pull the trigger there and let Deng go elsewhere this summer. They won’t get the entire haul back with a sign-and-trade, but they can recoup some of their losses by going that route. It doesn’t seem unreasonable for the Cavs to net a first rounder plus a second-round pick in a Deng S&T.

Deng clearly isn’t a No. 1 type but this season Irving’s play at times and obvious dissatisfaction gave off the vibe that he might not be either. There was speculation that the guard wanted out of Cleveland, despite Irving’s denials, and many said the Cavs were fed up with him too. However, after a report yesterday from The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto, it sounds like we can put any speculation to rest, at least from the team’s end. The Cavs plan on offering Irving the maximum five-year extension and will do so as soon as they’re allowed on July 1st. It’s not a guarantee that Irving will accept, but the guard is reportedly happy about the Cavs’ decision to install David Griffin as the permanent GM. If the Cavs can hire a coach that meshes well with Irving, that would probably go a long way towards convincing him to stay.

Speaking of the coaching search, the Cavs don’t appear to be in any sort of rush, but they could be getting closer to making a hire. As best as we can tell, there are six candidates at the time of this writing: Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins, Adrian Griffin, Tyronn Lue, and David Blatt. Del Negro, Hollins, and Gentry all offer previous head coaching experience and Gentry has already been asked back for another interview. Griffin, one of the first candidates named for the job, and Lue are both up-and-coming assistants who have had head coaching buzz around them for much of the season. Blatt, of course, is the wild card. The Maccabi Tel Aviv coach has been considered for assistant jobs elsewhere with Minnesota’s Flip Saunders reportedly seeing him as someone that he can groom to take over the position eventually. Blatt would be an exciting new hire but owner Dan Gilbert, who is focused on winning now, may prefer to go with an NBA retread in the end.

The Cavs, in theory, could save money by cutting Anderson Varejao since only $4MM of his $9.7MM salary is guaranteed. If they move on from the longtime Cavs centerpiece, it seems more likely that they’ll trade him, something that the front office is open to. We’d stop short of saying he’d be expendable, but the Cavs could afford to deal Varejao if they re-sign free agent big man Spencer Hawes.

In a league perpetually starving for competent centers, Hawes figures to be something of a hot commodity this summer with the Hawks and Mavs as possible suitors. It was said back in April that Griffin would make a strong push to retain the 26-year-old but a recent report has cast doubt on that. In 27 games (25 starts) for Cleveland last season, Hawes averaged 13.5 PPG and 7.7 RPG with a 16.6 PER, a few notches above his career average. He could be back in Cleveland if the price is right, but that’s far from a given.

Another notable name that could be elsewhere next season is Dion Waiters. The Cavs have done their best to quiet down trade speculation around the former No. 4 overall pick but we learned late last week that there has been preliminary trade talk involving Waiters and Tristan Thompson with another team in the lottery that’s looking to move up. Pairing the top pick with either player, especially Waiters, should net the Cavs a decent haul. Depending on who you ask, Irving and Waiters aren’t getting along too well, so moving him could be a case of addition by subtraction even though he’s obviously talented.

The Cavs have a different guy at the helm this summer, but things still feel awfully familiar for Cleveland as they hold the No. 1 pick and search for a rapid turnaround. There’s no denying the talent that the Cavs’ core possesses and there’s no reason why they can’t find their way to the playoffs with the right additions.

Cap footnotes

* — Dellavedova’s salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 25th.
** — Deng’s cap hold will be the lesser of $21,412,500, which is 150% of his 2013/14 salary, or the maximum salary for a veteran of 10 or more seasons, which won’t be determined until after the July Moratorium. The number here is this past season’s max.

Western Notes: Love, Suns, Parsons

June 7th, 2014 at 6:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders doesn’t think Kevin Love has any right to be frustrated with the team’s lack of success, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Sanders said, “Just like I told Kevin Garnett, he didn’t have a right to be frustrated. Why does any player have a right to be frustrated? You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. Should the team be frustrated? Yeah, the team can be frustrated. But I don’t think any one individual should be frustrated.”