Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Jazz, Harris, Oden

May 8th, 2014 at 10:47pm CST by Cray Allred

Steve Smith tells Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News that he’s interested in becoming a GM at some point, but that the Pistons opening doesn’t interest him. “As of right now, I’m happy where I am,” said Smith. “The time will come when the right situation pops up and I’ll be ready.” Here’s a roundup of the night’s notes:

The Jazz are picking twice in the first round, but vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin tells Jody Genessy of Deseret Sports that Utah uses the pre-draft process as an opportunity to evaluate prospects well outside of their draft considerations. “Not only are we looking at guys for this year’s draft, but you’re also getting information and you’re getting a feel for players,” said Perrin. “Once we figure out where we are come lottery [time], then we can concentrate on those particular players in that particular area.”
Jay Yeomans of Deseret News profiles each of the six draft prospects who worked out for the Jazz earlier today.
Jamal Crawford told reporters including Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News that the unresolved ownership issues in L.A. won’t outweigh his desire to play there for coach Doc Rivers (Twitter link). “As long as I’m with this group of guys and Doc [is] leading us, that’ll work itself out,” said Crawford. The Clippers have control over Crawford’s partially guaranteed contract for the next two years.
Devin Harris and the Mavs have mutual interest in the soon-to-be free agent returning to Dallas next season, and Harris tells Dwain Price of The Star-Telegram he’d prefer to reach a long-term agreement. “Obviously I don’t really know where [the negotiations] will go,” Harris said. “My intent is to come back, but like I said, only time will tell. I would rather not [sign a one-year deal]. It’s kind of tough to do, especially coming off surgery.”
Greg Oden tells Mark Titus of Grantland he’s come to terms with being a deep bench player for the Heat (H/T Shandel Richardson of The Sun Sentinel). “I know I’m one of the biggest busts in NBA history,” said Oden. “It’s frustrating that my body can’t do what my mind wants it to do sometimes. But worrying or complaining about it isn’t going to fix anything…I wish the circumstances would let me play more, but I certainly don’t regret coming back, and I don’t regret signing with the Heat.”

Clippers/Sterling Rumors: Thursday

May 8th, 2014 at 9:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Commissioner Adam Silver could scarcely have been more resolute in his press conference last week to ban Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life, but It doesn’t appear as though final resolution to the saga will be so straightforward. Here’s more on the battle for the Clippers involving Sterling and wife Shelly Sterling.

Shelly Sterling does not want to become the managing owner of the Clippers, but is hoping to maintain her 50% share and passive role while a new buyer replaces her husband’s active role, a person close to her camp tells Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today.
Schrotenboer’s source said that Sterling is in talks with the league, but didn’t give an indication of whether the NBA is agreeable to such a scenario.
Sterling’s attorney released a two page statement further detailing Sterling’s claim of rights to continue owning the team, per Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
In the statement, the attorney denied that legal proceedings from Shelly Sterling’s past are fair grounds on which to judge the co-owner, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com passes on (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

The Sterling family trust in control of the Clippers indeed lays out a 50-50 ownership split between Donald and Shelly Sterling, Medina tweets.
Rivers reiterated that it wouldn’t be ideal for Shelly Sterling to own the team going forward, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News notes (Twitter links). “That would be a difficult situation for everybody because of the relationship,” Rivers said. “I guarantee every person wouldn’t be on board with that. Whether I would or not, I’m not going to say.”
Shelly Sterling’s lawyer tells Tami Abdollah of The Associated Press that she “will not agree to a forced or involuntary seizure of her interest” in the team, which is a 50% share, Abdollah writes. Attorney Pierce O’Donnell said Shelly Sterling is considering divorce from Donald Sterling, and he claims they’ve been separated for the past year. O’Donnell also said that Shelly Sterling “abhors” her husband’s racial comments and believes that Silver “exonerated” her last week when he said that no decision had been made regarding any claim to ownership from the family of Donald Sterling. O’Donnell added that he spoke with the NBA on Thursday, and that Shelly Sterling still plans to attend Friday’s game against the Thunder.
A recording of a phone conversation allegedly involving Donald Sterling gives further indication that he’ll fight the NBA’s efforts to strip him of Clippers ownership, as Dylan Howard and Melissa Cronin of RadarOnline.com report. Howard and Cronin claim possession of an affidavit confirming that Sterling was part of the conversation. “You can’t force someone to sell property in America!” Sterling is to have said, according to the report. “I’m a lawyer, that’s my opinion.”
Doc Rivers and the Clippers had no indication that Shelly Sterling would try to keep the team, tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Markazi points to a comment Rivers made last week in which the coach asserted that it didn’t sound as if she could own the team going forward and that “I think she knows that,” Rivers said. (Twitter link).
Shelly Sterling asked Rivers’ permission to attend Game 5 against the Warriors, then attended Game 7 against the team’s wishes, Markazi points out, adding that the team wants nothing to do with her as “co-owner” of the club (Twitter links). Rivers and other Clippers department heads are jointly running the team in the absence of president Andy Roeser, who’s on indefinite leave, while the NBA searches for a new CEO.
We passed along the latest on Shelly Sterling’s push to control the Clippers earlier today.

Jamal Crawford Wins Sixth Man Of The Year

May 8th, 2014 at 10:05am CST by Chuck Myron

MAY 8TH: The league has officially announced Crawford as the award winner, with Gibson a close second. Crawford had 421 points to Gibson’s 395 in the balloting system in which each voter picks a first-, second- and third-place finisher. Gibson outpaced Crawford in first-place votes 57-49. Ginobili finished third, followed by Morris. Jackson and Carter were fifth and sixth, respectively. No other player received first-place votes.

APRIL 30TH: Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford has won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. It’s the second such honor for the 34-year-old, who also won in 2009/10 as a member of the Hawks. The NBA has postponed the official announcements of many of its awards until next week because of the Donald Sterling scandal, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe noted Tuesday (Twitter link), so it appears it’ll be awhile before Crawford can clutch the trophy.

Still, the news adds another layer to the Clippers-Warriors series, one that’s been at the heart of continued controversy surrounding Warriors coach Mark Jackson and his staff in addition to the Sterling saga. Crawford has shown why he’s deserving of the award with his postseason performance, averaging 15.2 points per game. Still, the honor is based on regular season achievement, and Crawford was even better then, notching 18.6 PPG, his most since he became a sixth man five seasons ago. Crawford also started 24 games this year as the Clippers dealt with widespread injuries, but he still came off the bench for 45 contests, enough to qualify for the award.

The voting won’t become public until the NBA’s official announcement, but Taj Gibson of the Bulls, Vince Carter of the Mavs, Manu Ginobili of the Spurs, Reggie Jackson of the Thunder and Markieff Morris of the Suns were among other strong contenders. None were as prolific in scoring as Crawford was, and that seems to have weighed heavily on the minds of the writers who voted.

Shelly Sterling Muddles NBA’s Plan For Clippers

May 8th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Shelly Sterling’s desire to control of the Clippers in the wake of her husband’s lifetime ban is a “wild card” for the NBA, a league official tells James Rainey, Mike Bresnahan and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. The NBA apparently didn’t consider that she would attempt to hold on to ownership of the team when it meted out its punishment to Donald Sterling last week.

Shelly Sterling believes she’s legally entitled to the team, and doesn’t think her husband’s ban applies to her or her family, according to Rainey, Bresnahan and Fenno. Her stance could pose a serious problem, as union vice president Roger Mason Jr. said last week that he expected that ownership of the team would wind up outside the Sterling family. Still, commissioner Adam Silver said during his announcement regarding Donald Sterling last week that no decision had been made regarding his family, the Times points out.

“This ruling applies specifically to Donald Sterling and Donald Sterling’s conduct only,” Silver said.

Ownership of the team is held in a Sterling family trust, and sources tell the Times that Shelly Sterling has equal ownership with her husband. Each takes control if the other dies, and Donald Sterling, who’s 80 years old, is reportedly suffering from cancer. The matter becomes further complicated if the Sterlings divorce, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes, and Shelly Sterling referred to Donald Sterling as her “estranged” husband in a recent statement. Still, Rainey, Bresnahan and Fenno heard from an analyst who said that Shelly Sterling may require Board of Governors approval to take control of the team in any circumstance.

A source said to the Times that the league asked her not to attend this weekend’s games against Oklahoma City in L.A., as she’s planned, but Shelly Sterling’s attorney denies that. Her attorney also denied that she made racially charged statements to tenants and real estate employees as alleged in legal depositions related to a pair of lawsuits against Donald Sterling.

A friend of Shelly Sterling’s spoke with Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times and referred to her as a “victim” in the saga regarding her husband (Twitter link). That appears to be the mindset in Shelly’s camp as she readies for a fight to hang on to a Clippers franchise she believes is hers, Pincus says.

Western Notes: Draft, Clippers, Warriors

May 7th, 2014 at 9:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft approaching, college coaches and player agents are relieved that Clippers owner Donald Sterling received a lifetime ban, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. A number of coaches Zagoria spoke to said there wouldn’t be an issue for any players the Clippers draft now that Sterling is gone.

Pacific Rumors: Sterling, Jackson, Kings

May 7th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Shelly Sterling, wife of banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling, caught the NBA by surprise Tuesday, issuing a statement through a law firm, as Mike Bresnahan, Broderick Turner and David Wharton of the Los Angeles Times detail. The statement asserts that she’s working with the league in its search for a new Clippers CEO and refers to Shelly Sterling as co-owner of the Clippers. Sources have told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that she’s informed the league that she wants to keep the team, as fellow ESPN.com scribe Darren Rovell writes. For now, Doc Rivers and other team department heads are jointly in charge of the team, while the NBA’s Advisory/Finance Committee continues to search for a Clippers CEO and work toward Donald Sterling’s ouster, the league announced. Here’s more from a tumultuous Pacific Division:

Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson made the media rounds today, appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio, 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area, and The Dan Patrick Show. Jackson said co-owner Joe Lacob’s expectation of a top-four finish in the Western Conference was unrealistic, notes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group, and the coach is upset about media reports that he believes the team leaked during their meeting on Tuesday (Twitter links).
Jackson also rejected the notion that his religion was an issue, suggesting the Warriors used the idea to gin up positive PR for the team, as Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com observes. “I think it’s unfortunate because if it was true, you don’t encourage media to come do a piece on my church, on my ministry, the work on my faith,” Jackson said. “Don’t do it when it’s convenient and you’re searching for something. I never went around beating people in the head with a Bible.”
Jackson also said that living in Southern California instead of the Bay Area didn’t get in the way of his job and denied that he had a falling out with assistant GM Kirk Lacob, Strauss notes in the same piece.
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro Identified shooting and playmaking as offseason needs and expressed openness to the idea of moving DeMarcus Cousins to power forward. D’Alessandro made his comments in a Reddit AMA chat with fans Tuesday, and Kings.com provides a partial transcription.

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).

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.

Clippers President Andy Roeser Takes Leave

May 6th, 2014 at 2:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

Clippers president Andy Roeser will take an indefinite leave of absence from the team, effective at once, the NBA announced. Roeser had been in charge of the Clippers since the league banned owner Donald Sterling for life. The move will allow a league-appointed CEO, which the NBA announced plans for over the weekend, to begin with a “clean slate,” according to Mike Bass, the league’s executive vice president of communications.

Roeser has been with the team for the last 30 years, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times points out (on Twitter), and that spans much of Sterling’s ownership of the club. The CEO will have the authority to decide whether Roeser remains with the team.

The departure of former GM Neil Olshey two years ago placed Roeser, along with Gary Sacks and then-coach Vinny Del Negro, in charge of the team’s basketball decisions. Sacks assumed most of the day-to-day business, but Roeser seemed to actively take part prior to the arrival of Doc Rivers, who has authority over basketball personnel matters in addition to his duties as coach.

And-Ones: Lowry, Noah, Warriors, Celtics

May 4th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Shortly after losing to the Nets in Game 7, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry gave a quote in the locker room that could be a hint towards his offseason plans. “This is only the start for us and the Raptors organization,” said the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN (on Twitter). Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

Joakim Noah is reportedly trying to recruit Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls and he’s no stranger to that game, notes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The big man took free agent Carlos Boozer out to dinner during his visit to Chicago and helped lure him in during the 2010 offseason.
Determining coach Mark Jackson‘s future with the Warriors won’t be an easy call, writes Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
In his final individual report card for the Celtics‘ season, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. evaluates the players that didn’t end the season in green and white: Jordan Crawford, Courtney Lee, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, and Vander Blue.
Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann told colleague Chris Mannix (on Twitter) that if Clippers owner Donald Sterling files a lawsuit, “it will not be resolved by the start of the season.”