Kupchak On Lakers Offseason
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak held a conference call today to discuss the state of the team as well as addressing the ongoing coaching search and upcoming NBA Draft. The transcripts were posted on NBA.com. Here are the highlights:
On receiving the seventh pick and if he thinks there is anyone in the draft who can change the face of the franchise at that spot:
“I wouldn’t say it was bad luck. We were hoping to get lucky, but as you know we could have dropped down to number nine, too. We were hoping to get lucky, or at worst case, stay where we were, but it could have been worse. As far as what [Boston Celtics Executive] Danny [Ainge] said, that’s up to him. We think drafting number seven, there is going to be a good player available there. Maybe Danny is talking more about a guy that changes the face of an organization from the get-go, but you can’t really evaluate these things until years later when you look back on it. Damian Lillard is a great example. I don’t think anybody thought walking through the draft that he would turn into the player [he is] as quickly as he did, but looking back on it is a heck of a selection. We will be able to get a good player, and we are hoping that three or four years from now we can look back on it and he is even a better player than we thought.”
On the impact a player selected seventh overall can make:
“Well, it depends. Most of the players in the draft for the last 15 to 18 years have been young, developing players and some of them make a contribution quicker than others. There are certainly a couple of guys that played more than two years. There is a kid that played four years that might make a contribution quicker. I’m not saying he would be someone we would consider or not consider at seven. My point is, typically – and we have kind of gotten used to it over the years – you do have to work with the younger player and those are the guys that get drafted the highest, whether they are freshman or sophomore, it may take a year or two.”
On the variables the front office is measuring in potential coaching candidates and whether they want to pursue a veteran coach or a young coach:
“I think right now, our interviews will be formal in terms of sitting down and talking for a couple of hours, but at some point, we will probably have to sit down and talk a second time. I think that is where we are right now, at the beginning of the process. Whether it is a veteran coach or a rookie coach, that is not something we are prepared to comment on right now.”
On if there are particular offensive and defensive philosophies the Lakers are looking for in a coaching candidate:
“I wouldn’t use the word philosophy, but we have a player on our team right now who is proven in this league. Offensively, he can score and that certainly is a consideration. Obviously I’m talking about Kobe [Bryant]. He is under contract for two more years and we think he is a very integral part of this team. We have to make sure that whoever we hire as a coach will really get the most productivity out of him, whether it is scoring the ball or playmaking or the threat that he may score. That is probably a primary importance right now.”
On if they will focus on the drafting in the seventh spot or continue to look at other options:
“We started last night calling and trying to set up workouts with probably everybody on our board in the top 15 to 20. Some of those guys don’t think they are going to be there at seven so they won’t come in. There is nothing we can do about that. But some guys that are drafted later, and you may say ‘well why bring in a guy that might go 20?’ Well you never know, number one, and number two, you have the opportunity to develop a relationship with a player. Why not do it? So that started last night.”
Chad Ford On NBA Draft
With the draft order now set, the speculation can truly begin as to what each team will do in June’s NBA Draft. Chad Ford of ESPN.com held his weekly chat and here are some of the highlights:
- Though the Cavaliers currently have Jabari Parker at the top of their draft board, Ford believes they will end up selecting Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick.
- The only way the Cavs trade the top pick is for a young, star-caliber player like Kevin Love, opines Ford.
- The top three players on the Bucks draft board are Joel Embiid, Wiggins, and Dante Exum, per Ford.
- The Magic are looking at taking a point guard with the number four overall pick, reports Ford. The team’s top two choices would be Exum and Marcus Smart. Ford also believes that with the 12th pick, the team will focus on acquiring outside shooting.
- Ford believes the Jazz are likely to select Noah Vonleh with the fifth selection, unless they attempt to trade up to snag Exum.
- Being slotted sixth makes the Celtics more likely to try and trade their pick for established talent, notes Ford. If they keep the pick, he believes that Aaron Gordon would be the choice of GM Danny Ainge.
- The Lakers are in a similar position to the Celtics in regard to trading their pick, opines Ford. If they keep the pick, he sees either Julius Randle, Smart, or Dario Saric being their favorites.
- Ford’s sleeper picks for the draft are Mitch McGary, Jarnell Stokes, and Elfrid Payton.
Draft Notes: Ennis, Love, Sixers, Jazz
The draft lottery is just a day away, and in addition to finding out which teams have the best shot at a franchise-changing talent, the results could help foster a pre-draft trading spree. Here’s the latest on the draft front:
- Tyler Ennis has been invited to the NBA’s Draft Lottery Show, tweets Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com (H/T Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv). The invitation reinforces the perception of Ennis as a lottery pick.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News looks at how favorable lottery results could help the Lakers, Celtics, and Suns boost their chances of landing Kevin Love.
- Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer looks at the strategy of Sixers GM Sam Hinkie, who has made a multitude of moves to tank the roster and acquire draft picks for the coming years. While the severe measures might not pay off and have raised some eyebrows in a league built on competition, Ford writes that Hinkie has been justified in his approach considering Philadelphia’s limitations and the league’s lottery system.
- The Jazz will work out Melvin Ejim and Niels Giffey, among other players, on Tuesday, according to Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Randy Hollis of Deseret News writes that the next few weeks could be the most critical time in the history of the Jazz, starting with how the team fares in the draft.
Coaching Rumors: Joerger, Scott, Lakers
The recently fired Mark Jackson returned to ESPN for the NBA playoffs and he’s not the only talker turned coach/GM turned talker again, the Detroit Free Press staff writes. Longtime Bears coach Mike Ditka was fired in 1992, signed on with NBC, left to coach the Saints in 1997, and eventually came to ESPN. Staying in the NBA, Doug Collins, now with ESPN, knows a thing or two about going back and forth from the booth to the sidelines as well. Here’s more from around the league:
- The sense in coaching circles is that Dave Joerger would become a head coaching candidate for the Wolves if he were to be let go by the Grizzlies, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Stein notes that Joerger is a long-time associate of Minnesota president of basketball operations Flip Saunders.
- Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times has heard that the Lakers haven’t and won’t open formal talks with any coaches before the lottery, but they have put out feelers for some (Twitter link).
- In another tweet, Pincus says it’s safe to consider Byron Scott a fallback coaching option for the Lakers, presuming that Scott will be around no matter how lengthy L.A.’s process becomes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Jackson, Pistons, Izzo, Lakers
The playoffs haven’t been pretty for the Pacers so far, but they clawed their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and today they reminded the Heat that they’re ready to give them another tough fight. The Pacers took Game 1 107-96 behind 24 points and seven assists from Paul George and 19 points and seven boards from David West. Here’s tonight’s look around the NBA..
- Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson told Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter) that he’s yet to hear from an NBA team about a coaching job. He went on to say that he’s “relaxing and enjoying life.”
- Despite a report to the contrary, the Pistons never offered the head coaching job to Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Michigan coach John Beilein was also on the list, but didn’t get much further. Of course, Stan Van Gundy wound up signing on as coach and president of basketball operations.
- With the Lakers season in the books, Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at MarShon Brooks‘ time in L.A. Ever since breaking into the league as a promising rookie for the Nets, Brooks has played for three different teams in two seasons. While Kent Bazemore, the other asset coming over in the Steve Blake deal, hit it off with the Lakers, Brooks never found his groove.
Wolves Mull Love Trade, Eye Mitchell For Coach
3:05pm: The Rockets are also planning an aggressive pursuit of Love, according to Wojnarowski (on Twitter). Kevin McHale has a strong bond with the UCLA product.
10:35am: Love has made it clear to the Wolves that he intends to become an unrestricted free agent after next season and has no interest in a contract extension this summer to stay in Minnesota, write Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The article also notes that Love has stated his willingness to accept a deal to the Bulls and Warriors. Sources have told ESPN.com that the Warriors have emerged as a top contender for Love should Minnesota relent and decide to trade him. Golden State doesn’t have a stash of draft picks to offer the Wolves like Phoenix or Boston could offer, but the Warriors could assemble a trade package featuring forwards Harrison Barnes and David Lee, according to the article.
8:56am: It appears that the Timberwolves will seriously consider trading Kevin Love, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. “For the first time, [Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders] sounds like looking at deals for [Love] is an option,” a rival executive told Wojnarowski. Love has an early termination option in his contract that he can exercise next summer. This is putting pressure on the Wolves front office to improve the team enough to convince Love to stay, or trade him for assets instead of risking losing him for nothing. This also comes on the heels of the reports that Minnesota was looking at power forwards in the upcoming draft.
The article also notes that the Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, and Suns are all strong candidates to partner with in a trade for Love if the Wolves decide to move him. Boston and Los Angeles plan to make high-lottery picks in the 2014 NBA Draft available in offers for Love, sources told Wojnarowski.
No team is likely to trade for Love without an assurance that he’ll commit to a five-year, $100 million maximum contract extension, notes Wojnarowski. Despite a belief that Love prefers Los Angeles or New York as potential destinations, he’s open to deals in other markets where he can be part of an immediate contender, the article says.
Wojnarowski is also reporting that Sam Mitchell has emerged as a serious candidate for the franchise’s head coaching job. Mitchell reportedly left a good impression with Saunders in a recent meeting. Mitchell has a strong history with Minnesota, where he had two stops as a player, and Mitchell played for Saunders during his second stint.
The Wolves have also contacted several top college coaches, including Florida’s Billy Donovan, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, and Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg, Wojnarowski notes, but those coaches weren’t inclined to seriously consider the position. The general belief that the Wolves will have to trade Love has made coaches leery of the franchise’s future, according to the article.
Coaching Notes: Ollie, Kerr
Within the next couple days, Kevin Ollie plans to reject the advances of the only NBA team that has reached out to him this offseason, a league source familiar with Ollie’s thinking tells Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News. The team’s identity is unknown, but the source tells Medina is isn’t the Lakers or Knicks. The source says Ollie, who is also renegotiating his contract with UConn, never “got to first base” with an NBA team. Here are more coaching notes on a night without any playoff action:
- A league source told Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer the Cavs were not the team that had contacted Ollie, which would leave the Wolves and Jazz as the only other teams with head coaching vacancies that might have reached out.
- A source close to Ollie tells Boyer that the coach is indeed “strongly leaning” toward remaining at UConn.
- Steve Kerr’s agent told Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group that two teams other than the Knicks and Warriors pursued Kerr as a head coach, but he didn’t engage in talks with either. The Jazz were one such interested team, but any other interested teams have not been revealed.
Draft Notes: Smart, Adams, Vonleh, Gordon
Marcus Smart doesn’t regret returning to college for his sophomore season, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Smart said, “The reason I came back is my freshman year was the first time I played point guard. I wanted to embrace that role and become a better point guard, learn the position before I take my talents to the NBA where guys have been playing that role their whole life.“
More on the draft:
- Two big winners of the Draft combine so far are Noah Vonleh and Aaron Gordon, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Teams need to remember Doug McDermott‘s statistics when observing him at the combine, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. McDermott doesn’t have the type of measurements or athletic ability that jumps out scouts in combine settings, notes Brigham.
- Marc D’Amico of NBA.com breaks down some of the best individual draft combine numbers of the day.
- The Bulls are looking for shooters in this year’s NBA Draft, reports K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Two names being mentioned in connection with the team are McDermott and Rodney Hood, per the article.
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo interviewed with the Nets, Pacers, Pelicans, Wizards, Bobcats, Cavaliers, and Knicks while at the combine, tweets Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Patric Young interviewed with the Knicks, Pelicans, and Grizzlies, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. On speaking with Phil Jackson, Young said, “He didn’t say much the first 20 minutes. He was just being calm and being himself. He would eat some chips while everyone else was asking questions. Then he popped in a question every now and then and made some comments. But it was good. It was great. They seemed to really like me and be really intrigued by me as a person.”
- UCLA guards Zach LaVine and Jordan Adams did enough athletically at the combine to improve their draft stocks, writes Michael O’Brien of The Chicago Sun-Times.
- The key to the Lakers offseason will be the draft lottery, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. GM Mitch Kupchak said the team wouldn’t base their lottery selection by positional need, but rather the best overall player, notes Oram. Kupchak also said, “When you only have four or five guys on your roster, you really need seven to eight players, so we need to bring in players at every position really.”
Western Notes: Lakers, Blazers, Jazz
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak says the team might look to acquire an additional first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft, reports Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Kupchak said, “We may look to get a pick some other way because we have guys we interviewed who aren’t going to be gone before the second round, but they’ll be around after [our current pick]. You only get so many assets in this league. Draft picks are an asset. There’s cap room, draft picks and players. Those are assets you can use to rebuild a team.”
More from out west:
- Mike Tokito of The Oregonian looks at the busy summer a number of Trail Blazers have ahead of them. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard will be occupied with Team USA, and at least six players on their current roster are expected to participate in the summer league.
- The biggest improvement in the Blazers roster needs to come from within, writes Jason Quick of The Oregonian. The team needs growth from players like C.J. McCollum, Thomas Robinson, and Will Barton if they are to become serious contenders, opines Quick.
- The Jazz will be looking to add a star with their lottery pick, but will look to add depth with their second pick in the first-round, as well as with their second-round pick, number 35 overall, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin said, “Franchise players. All-Stars. That’s what we’re looking to get. But we also understand that we need depth. We need rotation players. And we have a lot of needs in terms of shooting, in terms of defense and rebounding.”
Latest On Knicks Coaching Search
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.