Draft Combine Updates: Thursday
The Chicago draft combine is underway, and teams can meet with up to 18 players. With 30 teams, that means there could be as many as 540 interviews this week. We’ll try to keep track of as many as possible here, and we’ll update this post throughout the day as news filters in. Here’s the latest:
- Ennis will meet with the Bobcats and at least four other teams in addition to the organizations listed below, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports.
- Vonleh interviewed with the Wolves, Bucks, Lakers, and Blazers, tweets Robbins, who adds that the big man is scheduled to meet with the Sixers.
Earlier updates:
- LaVine shot very well, and Seth Davis of SI.com hears that he may have helped his stock more than any other prospect today (Twitter link; H/T Wolstat).
- In Exum’s extended quotes transcribed by Sean Deveney of The Sporting News regarding the point guard’s willingness to pressure certain teams not to draft him, Exum said he doesn’t see any of his potential destinations as a bad fit, and is willing to play behind an established point guard.
- LaQuinton Ross will work out for the Cavs on Monday, tweets Jason Lloyd of Akron Beacon Journal.
- The Raptors plan to meet with K.J. McDaniels, McDermott, Payton, Anderson, McDaniels, and possibly Hood, reports Wolstat (via Twitter).
- Hood will meet with the Bulls on Friday, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
- Randle interviewed with the Cavs and will do so with the Bucks, too, as the Plain Dealer and Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel note (Twitter links).
- Patric Young spoke with the Pelicans and has a sit-down with the Grizzlies scheduled, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
- Blakely adds Hood and Noah Vonleh to the Celtics interview list, while Randle and T.J. Warren are talking to Boston, too, according to Holmes (All Twitter links).
- Vonleh says he also has an interview scheduled with the Magic, Robbins notes, adding that Orlando wanted to interview Stauskas, but his meeting schedule is too full (Twitter links). The Magic sat down with Randle on Wednesday, Robbins adds (on Twitter).
- Aaron Gordon met with the Sixers on Wednesday, Pompey tweets.
- Exum will also interview with the Kings, according to Howard-Cooper (on Twitter).
- Julius Randle is meeting with the Sixers today, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- Doug McDermott said he met Wednesday with the Bulls, Hawks and Timberwolves, Robbins observes, and McDermott added that he’s looking forward to a meeting with the Cavs, as Robbins and the Plain Dealer observe (Twitter links).
- Rodney Hood is set to interview with the Wolves tonight, Zgoda tweets. Hood interviewed with the Bobcats on Wednesday, as Bonnell details (Twitter links).
- Kyle Anderson met with the Celtics and he’ll also see the Wolves tonight, Washburn and Zgoda note (Twitter links).
- The Pistons met with Glenn Robinson III on Wednesday, as he tells Langlois (Twitter link).
- Add the Celtics and the Bucks to Exum’s interview agenda, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe and Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel report (Twitter links). Exum thinks he’ll sit down with the Cavs, too, the Plain Dealer notes (on Twitter).
- The Wolves will interview Lavine on Friday after having spoken with James Young on Wednesday, Zgoda tweets.
- The Bobcats have expressed interest in P.J. Hairston, as he tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
- Dante Exum‘s wingspan measured out at nearly 6’10”, and he’ll draw consideration for the No. 1 overall pick from some teams, ESPN’s Chad Ford said on the network’s combine coverage today, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (Twitter link). He denied that he’s angling for the Lakers in the draft, but he wouldn’t rule out pressuring some teams not to take him, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Exum met with the Sixers, Pistons and Suns on Wednesday, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Jazz will also speak with him, report Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel and Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune (All four Twitter links).
- Marcus Smart has interviewed with the Rockets, Raptors, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Cavs, Jazz and Bucks are also on his agenda, as the Plain Dealer, Falk and Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times report (All Twitter links). The Timberwolves won’t interview Smart in Chicago, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears the team is hoping to get him to come to Minnesota for a workout (Twitter link).
- Ontario native Tyler Ennis is excited about the idea of playing for the Raptors and has interviewed with them, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. He’s also met with the Bobcats, Kings, Suns, Thunder and Nuggets, according to Kennedy (on Twitter).
- Nik Stauskas has met with or will meet with the Kings, Pistons and Raptors, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (All Twitter links).
- The Nuggets, Spurs, Warriors and Nets have met with Shabazz Napier, Kennedy tweets.
- The Hawks, Spurs, Thunder, Raptors, Magic, Cavs and Timberwolves met Elfrid Payton, Kennedy reports (Twitter link).
- Zach LaVine interviewed with the Celtics, among others, Wednesday, he tells Blakely (Twitter link).
- Russ Smith sat down with the Suns, Celtics and Blazers, according to Kennedy (via Twitter).
Coaching Rumors: Kerr, Ollie, Thibodeau
Stephen Curry went on the record in his support of new Warriors coach Steve Kerr, telling Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group he’s on board despite the star’s frustration with the firing of Mark Jackson. “I just want to see [Kerr] build that relationship with the players. To be able to get the most out of us,” Curry said. “We’re in good hands. I’m not worried about that. He just has to develop his coaching style. I agree with the decision [to hire Kerr].” Here’s more on the coaching front:
- Sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that Phil Jackson isn’t ready to consider himself as a candidate for Knicks coach in the wake of Kerr declining to join the Knicks.
- Jerry West thinks Jackson should coach the Knicks if his health will allow, he told Marc Berman of The New York Post. West added that Jackson will have to change his demeanor as an executive to be as successful as he was as a coach.
- West acknowledged to Berman that Stan Van Gundy was the Warriors‘ first head coaching choice over Kerr.
- Kerr tells Berman in a separate piece that he received Jackson’s blessing to meet with the Warriors while deep in discussions with the Knicks, and that the Zen Master wasn’t bitter with his eventual decision to choose Golden State over New York.
- Kevin Ollie is having his resolve to stay at UConn tested by strong interest from an unnamed NBA team, a league source tells Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “A team has come at him hard,” the source said. “He’s always preferred UConn. But he may have a decision to make.”
- Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com expects speculation around Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau to linger until the coach signs another extension with Chicago, even though Thibodeau has three years remaining on his current deal. Both Thibodeau and GM Gar Forman declined to comment on rumblings of tension between the coach and front office, increasingly fueled by other teams’ plans to pursue Thibodeau.
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak continued to downplay Kobe Bryant‘s influence on L.A.’s coaching search, telling Andy Katz of ESPN.com the star’s wishes to be involved won’t be catered to. “He really won’t weigh in on something like this,” said Kupchak. “I’m not even sure that we’ll talk to him prior to interviews.”
Paul Pierce Interested In Clippers
The future of 36-year-old Paul Pierce‘s playing career is closely tied to that of Kevin Garnett, who’s giving no indications about whether he’ll retire, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Garnett’s return will make re-signing with the Nets a more attractive option as Pierce enters free agency this summer, but if KG walks away, Pierce would have greater interest in pursuing his already-burgeoning interest in signing with the Clippers, according to Stein. Such a move would reunite him with Doc Rivers, who coached Pierce and Garnett on the Celtics.
Pierce appeared unsure if he wanted to stay in Brooklyn as he spoke to reporters after Wednesday’s season-ending loss to the Heat, observes Andy Vasquez of The Record. He also said that while he still feels he can help a team, he senses the number of years he has left is down to “maybe one or two at the most.”
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post wrote this week that all indications were that Garnett and Pierce would be back with Brooklyn next season. There nonetheless appears to be mutual interest between Pierce and the Celtics, and Stein mentions a return to Boston as a possibility in his piece. Stein also points to the Lakers, noting that Pierce is a Southern California native, but it’s unclear if he has any real interest in wearing purple-and-gold.
Nets GM Billy King has expressed his interest in re-signing the 16-year veteran, pointing to Brooklyn’s Bird rights on Pierce as an advantage. Pierce seems unlikely to command a salary close to the more than $15MM he made this season, but Brooklyn can outbid the Clippers, particularly given Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s willingness to pay whatever it takes. The Clips have more than $66MM in commitments for next season, limiting them to the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception.
Still, Pierce has made nearly $185MM in his career, per Basketball-Reference, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned down an aggressive bid by the Nets to join a Clippers team that appears closer to a championship, especially if Garnett retires. The league might have stepped in had Pierce wound up on Rivers’ team this season, given the NBA’s sensitivity to the idea that there would be more than draft compensation involved in the trade that sent Rivers from Boston to L.A. A year’s removal and Pierce’s unrestricted free agency probably means the league will let him play for Rivers if that’s what he wants to do, though that’s just my speculation.
And-Ones: Hairston, Wolves, Draft
One player whose draft stock might benefit from the pre-draft interview process is P.J. Hairston, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. In 26 games this past season with the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League, Hairston averaged 21.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.8 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 32.3 minutes per contest.
More from around the league:
- The Timberwolves plan on interviewing Aaron Gordon, Gary Harris, and James Young this week at the Chicago Combine, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). All three players are projected lottery picks and you can check out our prospect profiles on each here.
- RealGM takes a look at the Lakers lottery history.
- The draft combine is crucial to the Magic despite the big names not showing up, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. The Magic are set to interview the league maximum 18 players while in Chicago, the article notes. These names will likely include Dante Exum, Julius Randle, Gordon, Noah Vonleh, and Marcus Smart, per Robbins.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (video link) breaks down draft prospect C.J. Wilcox. The senior guard from Washington averaged 18.3 PPG this season and is a projected second-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
- The Thunder, Bobcats, Lakers, and Cavaliers were among the teams that met with Rodney Hood at the draft combine, reports Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- Jarnell Stokes met with the Knicks and the Hawks today, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Stokes is projected as a second-round pick.
Latest On Kevin Ollie
NBA teams have been in touch with University of Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie, who’s engaged in “firm” discussions and is nearing the interview stage with one club, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. That team isn’t the Lakers, who haven’t reached out, according to Charania, in spite of an earlier report that they plan to interview Ollie, among other candidates. Ollie acknowledged that he’ll listen to inquiries but insisted that he wants to continue to coach Connecticut and said he’s telling recruits that he’ll remain at the school, as Dom Amore of The Hartford Courant observes.
“I love this university,” Ollie said today. “I’m not looking for another job. Of course, you listen to different things — I got two ears so I’m going to listen — but I’m not going out there soliciting any other job. I want to be here at the University of Connecticut.”
The primary sticking point in talks on a new contract with UConn is the amount of his NBA escape clause, currently set at $2.55MM, Amore reports. Ollie made about $1.6MM including bonuses last season, according to Amore, but there’s reportedly a decent chance that the Huskies will double his salary on a new contract.
Ollie has no interviews with any NBA team lined up for this week’s draft combine, Charania hears. Charania makes mention of the Cavs as “highly aggressive” in their pursuit of a coach, but it’s not clear whether they’re connected to Ollie. A recent report categorized him in the first tier of Warriors candidates, and the Thunder apparently would have interest if they were to fire Scott Brooks.
Jazz, Cavs, Warriors, Wolves Eye Lionel Hollins
The Jazz, Cavs, Warriors and Wolves have shown interest in Lionel Hollins for their coaching vacancies, while the Lakers and Knicks have not, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities heard that the Wolves had not made contact with the former Grizzlies coach as of Monday night (on Twitter), but perhaps that’s changed. The Warriors were the only team among the four apparently eyeing him whose interest was known, and they’re reportedly set to interview him on Thursday.
Hollins has been connected to many openings since the Grizzlies cut ties with him last summer, and he and the Pistons appeared to have mutual interest after the team fired Maurice Cheeks. Hollins would like a crack at the Lakers job, but the team has yet to reach out to any candidates, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). The Knicks have focused entirely on Steve Kerr.
The Jazz are unlikely to hire a former NBA head coach, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News hears (Twitter link), but Utah is planning to interview more than 20 candidates, so it would be somewhat surprising if they didn’t talk to at least one ex-NBA coach. Hollins’ reputation grew in his last three seasons with Memphis as the team went to the playoffs each year, culminating in a Western Conference Finals appearance after last year’s 56-win regular season. He was 214-201 over parts of seven seasons in two separate stints with the Grizzlies.
Hollins’ best teams excelled defensively, but the Warriors reportedly prefer an offensively minded coach. He’d look to bring Paul Westphal aboard as an assistant to design the Golden State offense, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, but it’s unclear if Westphal would be a part of the plan if Hollins ends up elsewhere.
Pistons Unlikely To Re-Sign Greg Monroe?
12:44pm: Van Gundy’s admiration of Monroe doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t sense the need to trade to trade him, Deveney contends (Twitter link).
12:03pm: Monroe may still wind up on another team, as a max offer from a rival suitor would make his future with Detroit a “dicey” proposition, Ellis tweets. Still, the Pistons don’t want him to simply walk away in free agency, Ellis also says, and that’s more in line with Deveney’s report, which indicates that Van Gundy will seek a sign-and-trade for Monroe.
11:54am: Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press contradicts Deveney’s story, having heard from a source who says Van Gundy is a major fan of Monroe’s and called him last night when he reached a deal to join the team (Twitter link).
10:35am: There’s “near certainty” among executives around the NBA that the Pistons’ hiring of Stan Van Gundy as coach and president of basketball operations signals that the team won’t bring back restricted free agent Greg Monroe, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The Bobcats and Lakers are the teams that league executives believe are most likely to sign Monroe to maximum-salary offer sheets, and they think the Pelicans, in Monroe’s native Louisiana, will be one of the big man’s preferred destinations, according to Deveney.
Van Gundy will prioritize finding a sign-and-trade deal that will allow the Pistons to recoup assets in return for Monroe, Deveney writes. Van Gundy was ahead of the curve when he coached the Magic and used stretch forward Rashard Lewis as the big man next to Dwight Howard, as Deveney points out, and it seems as though he’ll seek to do so again in Detroit with Andre Drummond. The Pistons offense bogged down this season with Drummond, Monroe and Josh Smith, none of whom are outside shooters, all clogging the lane.
The prospects for Monroe’s return to Detroit appeared questionable, at best, under former president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who failed to come to an extension agreement with the David Falk client this past autumn. Falk generally opposes such extensions unless they’re for the max. The one-time super-agent connected Roy Hibbert with the Blazers, who were willing to make a max bid for him in 2012, prompting the Pacers to ink him at the same terms before Portland had a chance to snatch him away, as Deveney notes.
The Sporting News scribe also points to Falk’s ties to Charlotte owner Michael Jordan, whom he represented during his playing days. The soon-to-be Hornets have about $41.1MM in commitments, not counting their first-round pick or Josh McRoberts‘ player option, worth more than $2.77MM. Charlotte could also wind up with another first-round pick if the Pistons slip in next week’s lottery, but they’ll probably wind up with enough flexibility for Monroe’s max, worth approximately 25% of next season’s salary cap, as I explained earlier this week. Monroe would likely qualify for a first-year salary of up to $14-15MM.
The Lakers payroll for next season allows for plenty of flexibility, so fitting in a max offer for Monroe would pose no trouble. They’ll probably target more eye-catching names, like Carmelo Anthony, before proceeding to Monroe, Deveney writes, but Monroe is among their most attractive alternatives. He’s fifth in the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.
The Pelicans seem like a less likely option, even given Monroe’s local ties, since they already have Anthony Davis and more than $54MM in commitments for next season, providing less than $10MM in cap flexibility. Pelicans GM Dell Demps has acknowledged that the summer ahead won’t give his team the chance to make a free agent push.
Pistons owner Tom Gores was reportedly torn on what to do about Monroe before the deal with Van Gundy came together, but it seems his hiring has crystallized the team’s plans regarding the 6’11” former seventh overall pick who’ll turn 24 in June. Now, Van Gundy faces a stiff challenge of his front office skills, as yet untested, as he seeks fair compensation in return for the rising star.
Coaching Rumors: Warriors, Knicks, Jazz
Now that Stan Van Gundy has reached an agreement with the Pistons, the Warriors are again in pursuit of Steve Kerr for their head coaching job, writes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. Although plenty of signs point to Kerr being the favorite to land with the Knicks, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News alludes to reports that New York remains steadfast in offering a four-year deal, rather than the five-year agreement that Kerr’s representatives are looking for. Keeping in mind that Golden State had been reportedly willing to offer Van Gundy a five-year deal, the Warriors’ latest pursuit may be enough to cause the Knicks to eventually meet Kerr’s asking price.
Here’s more out of the NBA’s coaching carousel tonight:
- Sources have told Isola that Kerr is concerned that the team has cycled through seven head coaches and GMs since Dolan took control of the franchise; those reservations likely have upset the Madison Square Garden chairman,
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News that the front office is getting closer to beginning their interview process for a new head coach but declined to elaborate on any specific names linked to the job: “I’m optimistic and I think there’s a good talent pool of coaches available…Because we don’t know right now, there’s no one else that really knows. All the speculation is very premature…We’re getting closer to moving to the part where we’ll reach out.”
- Expect the Timberwolves’ coaching search to wait until next week’s lottery, where landing in the top three could be enough to change Kevin Love‘s feelings about the team’s future as well as the team’s coaching prospects, opines Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune..
- When asked if the Warriors considered Jerry Sloan for their head coaching job, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reminded that team co-owner Joe Lacob is targeting someone relatively young (Twitter link). Sloan turned 72 this past March.
- No one has requested permission to speak with Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry about head coaching openings, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. According to Spears, Doc Rivers isn’t opposed to his assistants participating in interviews during the playoffs.
- There are some notable complications that will arise should the Lakers attempt to dangle trade assets in their pursuit of Tom Thibodeau, details Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders.
Clippers/Sterling Rumors: Tuesday
Donald Sterling hinted in his interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper that he might not put up the legal fight he’s been expected to mount to keep the Clippers, as Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding observes. Ding asserts that Sterling’s wife, Shelly, doesn’t pose as significant a stumbling block to the NBA’s plan to strip the team from the family as reports have indicated. Once the Clippers emerge from the mess, they’re poised to become a glamour franchise, Ding writes, noting that some around the Lakers are “hugely worried” about the success of the Clips and the specter that Magic Johnson or another celebrity will soon own them. Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Magic shared his thoughts with CNN’s Anderson Cooper about Donald Sterling’s reluctance to let the Clippers go: “He’s a man who’s upset and he’s reaching. He’s reaching. He’s trying to find something that he can grab on to help him save his team. And it’s not going to happen” (passed along by Shelby Grad of the Los Angeles Times, hat tip to the Chicago Tribune).
- The NBA Advisory/Finance committee held a conference call on the Clippers and will reconvene next week (first passed along via tweet from RealGM). Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today passed along that the committee discussed Donald and Shelly Sterling’s recent TV appearances, interim CEO Dick Parsons, and the ownership termination process (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- Earlier today, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin recoiled at Donald Sterling’s claim that the Clippers players still love him, notes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- Pierce O’Donnell, Shelly Sterling’s attorney, says they’re “ready to go to war” over the league’s contention that it can remove her from ownership of the team at the same time it votes her husband out, as O’Donnell tells Scott Cacciola of The New York Times.
- In the same interview, O’Donnell threatened to depose owners and personnel from other teams around the league in a potential lawsuit against the NBA. “To answer your question, of course I’ll ask for discovery. But it’s in everybody’s best interests to avoid Armageddon,” O’Donnell said.
- Shelly Sterling tells Cacciola that she hasn’t spoken to other owners in the league since her husband was banned, but she suggests owners around the NBA would stick up for her husband if they weren’t afraid of a player backlash.
- We passed along the latest on Magic Johnson’s bid to buy the Clippers earlier today.
Prospect Profile: Joe Harris
The Virginia Cavaliers didn’t get as far as they hoped in the NCAA Tourney, but they still turned in one of their best seasons in campaign history. Their success was in no small part due to the play of senior Joe Harris, who helped keep defenses honest with his dangerous outside shooting. The senior terrorized the ACC in his final season and he’s anxious to try and do the same at the next level.
“I can shoot the ball and defend at a high level and I think that’s a pretty good combination for any NBA team. You can never enough shooters on any team. i’m fortunate enough to bring that ability to the table,” Harris told HoopsRumors.com. 
Harris, who averaged 12.0 PPG and shot 40% from beyond the arc this season, stands apart from a lot of the other 2014 draft hopefuls. While this year’s class is deep overall and chock full of intriguing athletes, the general feeling is that there aren’t a ton of great shooters in the first round. If you want to come away with a jumper you can count on, you’ll likely have to scour the second round for players like the Virginia star.
Harris arrived on campus with an automatic shot but his play on the other side of the floor left much to be desired. He was tasked with upping his D and, with time, he morphed into a stout defender.
“I think the system that I played in taught defensive principals and the defensive mindset that you need to have. Of course, defense is more than a mindset, you have to have the lateral quickness too, but the principals and that mindset and helped me become a much better defender. Coach [Tony Bennett‘s] program made me better and I’ll carry that with me to the NBA,” said the small forward.
The 22-year-old is confident but knows that there is still a lot of work ahead of him. Harris says he’ll be working to improve his ball handling and overall athleticism, two of his commonly cited weaknesses. He’s currently training alongside fellow Mark Bartelstein clients Doug McDermott, Nik Stauskas, and Sean Kilpatrick in an effort to improve in not just those areas but “all areas.”
As a wing with range, some have been quick to compare Harris to Kyle Korver. Harris, who called the Hawks forward an “unbelievable shooter,” doesn’t see it, but he stressed that they are similar in that both can bring much more to the table than three-point shooting. In the coming weeks, Harris will be traveling to the West Coast for individual workouts with the Suns and at least one of the Los Angeles teams before heading to the Lone Star State for auditions with the Mavs and Spurs. Between those sessions and the combines, Harris is hopeful that he’ll find not only an NBA opportunity, but the “right fit” to help make his transition to the Association a seamless one.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.