Odds & Ends: Jackson, Drew, Allen, Hollins
Although Phil Jackson recently criticized Mike D'Antoni and seemed skeptical about the thought of Dwight Howard wanting to re-sign with the Lakers, the eleven-time NBA champion coach appeared to backtrack on those comments during an appearance on the Willard and Thompson Show on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles (Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News). Also, Jackson reiterated that he has no plans of coaching again and explained how he's still somewhat connected with his former team: "I’m playing a role regardless whether I’m hired and on the staff and part of the payroll, I’m here to be a sounding board and personal companion to my fiance, who’s the chief operating officer I guess you would say of the Lakers. As they ferry their way through these contract problems they have and the whole mess they have right now in the organization, I’m listening. There’s not a whole lot I’m doing. But my role right now is to be attentive and supportive.”
Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes:
- The Pistons and former Hawks coach Larry Drew appear to have some mutual interest in an interview for Drew, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Drew is believed to be one of two finalists for the Bucks' coaching opening, along with Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson.
- Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets that Heat guard Ray Allen hasn't thought about whether or not he'll pick up his $3.23MM player option this summer.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo tweets that the Nets, Clippers, and Bucks have not contacted the Grizzlies for permission to talk to Lionel Hollins as of yet. Coincidentally, we relayed a report yesterday which indicated that the 59-year-old coach doesn't expect to be granted permission to speak with other teams before his contract expires on June 30.
- In light of the rumblings that the Nuggets might not match the Raptors' five-year, $15MM offer to Masai Ujiri, SBNation’s Tom Ziller makes the argument that coaches and general managers should be paid more.
- Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com reviews Gerald Wallace’s season in Brooklyn. Just over a month ago, Wallace had alarmingly admitted that he didn’t “have a clue” as to what his role on the team was, but as of today the veteran forward seemed to be encouraged about what his future holds with the Nets: "All in all I think this was kind of a down year for me, but I feel comfortable and excited about the way I finished the season," Wallace says."I'm going into the summer knowing the things I can do to get better."
- Marcus Thompson of Mercury News reported that Warriors big man David Lee had surgery to repair a torn right hip flexor today and is expected to begin rehab within the next two weeks.
- According to Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post, Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari had a slight setback in rehab and won't have surgery on his ACL for another two weeks. Consequently, an expected return date of January 1 has now changed to late January or February.
Odds & Ends: Summer League, Kings, Devin Harris
The NBA announced today that 22 teams will participate in the Association's Summer League in Las Vegas in July. Since one of those 22 is a D-League select team, there are nine NBA clubs who won't be in Vegas: the Celtics, Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Pacers, Thunder, Magic, 76ers, and Jazz. While Summer League results often aren't an indicator of regular-season success (Josh Selby was the co-MVP in Vegas a year ago), this year's format should at least be entertaining, as it will feature an NCAA-style single-elimination tournament for the first time.
Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the NBA:
- After reporting earlier today that the Kings would be interviewing Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, Sam Amick of USA Today now says that interview has taken place.
- Free agent guard Devin Harris tells Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that he'd be very much open to listening if the Bucks call him this summer. "Who wouldn’t want to play for their hometown team?" said Harris, a Milwaukee native. "I know they got a lot of decisions to make, but I know I would be interested in them. If it’s going to work out, who knows?"
- The Bucks will resume their draft workouts on Friday, with Shane Larkin and Tim Hardaway Jr. among a group of six players auditioning, tweets Woelfel.
- Numerous free-agents-to-be have said throughout the season that they intend to consider the Hawks this summer, says Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
Coaching Rumors: Pistons, Hollins, Kings, 76ers
A handful of the NBA's head coaching vacancies have been filled this week, with the Suns, Bobcats, and Hawks all deciding on new head coaches. Still, plenty of jobs remain open, including higher-profile positions in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Let's round up the latest rumblings on the Association's coaching carousel….
- Sam Amick of USA Today follows up on his earlier report (linked below), tweeting that the reason the Kings may move quickly to hire Malone is a fear he'll be gone if they wait. Malone is expected to interview with the Clippers soon, according to Amick (via Twitter). Amick adds that the Kings have yet to contact Chris Mullin about the team's GM position.
Earlier updates:
- The Pistons have interviewed Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin for their head coaching opening, reports CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes. While Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks are viewed as the favorites in Detroit, Griffin's extensive phone interview with GM Joe Dumars was "impressive," a source tells Haynes. The Bulls assistant also interviewed for the Suns job before Phoenix hired Jeff Hornacek.
- Although the Nets are among the teams hoping to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Grizzlies coach told reporters, including Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, that he's not sure Memphis will grant rival suitors permission to talk to him before his contract expires on June 30th.
- Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group backs up Peter Vecsey's report that Michael Malone appears likely to be hired as the Kings' next head coach. Sam Amick of USA Today is hearing the same thing, noting that the team could bring Malone aboard before hiring a general manager, which would be an unorthodox approach.
- Amick also passes along an update on the Kings' search for a new head of basketball operations, reporting that the team has interviewed Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk and will likely interview Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace later this week. The Thunder denied Sacramento permission to speak to OKC's assistant GM Troy Weaver, while Spurs GM R.C. Buford isn't expected to have interest in the Kings job, according to Amick.
- The 76ers continue to move slowly in their coaching search, and have yet to formally interview a candidate for the job, says John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Odds & Ends: Aldridge, Howard, Mavs, Hollins
Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge sat down with Leo Sepkowitz of Slam Online for a wide-ranging Q&A session earlier this week. Seven years after the 2006 draft, Aldridge has proven to be the only player taken in the top five that didn't fall short of expectations. Does the 27-year-old hold a grudge against the Bulls for passing him up? "I used to, but I don’t think I do anymore. I think someone named a stat that I average more points and rebounds against them and Dallas than anyone else. So people say that whenever I play them I have something to prove, but I don’t think I do anymore. But if the stats say I do, then I guess I do." Here's more from around the Association..
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com is stacking up the Mavericks, Lakers, and Rockets in different facets as they pursue Dwight Howard. Today, MacMahon weighs the allure of playing alongside Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki vs. James Harden. With age being a key factor, MacMahon gives the edge to Houston and Harden.
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (on Twitter) believes the process is too far down the line for the Pistons to bring Lionel Hollins in for an interview. Hollins hopes to remain with the Grizzlies but a number of other teams are said to be interested in him.
- Kansas center Jeff Withey is set to workout for the T'Wolves on June 13th, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). Our own Chuck Myron profiled Withey who recently worked out for the Celtics. Minnesota's only pick in the draft is at No. 9, which means that they'll have to find their way into the mid-to-late portion of the first round to make the KU product a possibility.
- Scouts representing the Celtics, Mavs, Thunder, and Grizzlies were in Varese, Italy to watch the game between Cimberio and Montepaschi, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Ujiri, Oladipo, Dooling, Grizzlies
Earlier in the day, we heard that a decision from Masai Ujiri on whether he'll be running the Raptors or Nuggets could come as early as today. But according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), Ujiri won't decide whether or not to accept the Raptors' offer until he meets with Denver ownership. That meeting could happen today or tomorrow, says Berger, so we may be waiting one more day to get closure on the Ujiri saga. In the meantime, let's round up a few odds and ends from across the NBA:
- While Nerlens Noel remains atop the latest version of Chad Ford's big board at ESPN.com (Insider link), there's a new name at No. 2, with Victor Oladipo on the rise in a big way.
- In an interesting piece for Grantland.com, Zach Lowe revisits the 2011 trade that sent George Hill to the Pacers and Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs, exploring how negotiations played out on draft night two years ago, and outlining how it's turned into a great deal for both teams.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic lauds Phoenix's hiring of Jeff Hornacek, writing that the former Suns guard has what it takes to become a very good head coach.
- After announcing his retirement last year, Keyon Dooling returned to sign with the Grizzlies toward the end of the 2012/13 season, and he intends to play again next season, tweets Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
- The Grizzlies are facing major decisions on a coach and a GM in addition to a handful of players, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld details.
- No decisions have been made on Paul Pierce's future yet, Celtics GM Danny Ainge tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, which echoes a report we passed along earlier.
- Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge examines the possibility of the Trail Blazers trading out of next month's draft.
- As Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside writes, the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League are hoping to enter a hybrid affiliation with a single NBA team.
Lionel Hollins Hopes To Remain With Grizzlies
The Grizzlies' 2012/13 season ended last night in Memphis, and now that the team has been eliminated, rival clubs in search of a head coach figure to waste no time in pursuing Lionel Hollins. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Clippers and Nets are expected to request permission to speak to Hollins shortly, while Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports adds the Bucks to list of the teams hoping to talk to the Grizzlies coach.
For his part though, Hollins would prefer to remain in Memphis and continue on as the Grizzlies' coach, sources tell Spears. Hollins confirmed as much in a text to Spears: "I hope things get worked out quickly. I love our team and the possibilities."
Although there seemed to be a disconnect between Hollins and the team's new management group earlier in the season, Memphis would like to work something out with the coach, according to both Spears and Stein. Hollins will meet with Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien this week to discuss the coach's future, though it's unclear if the club will offer an extension at that point, says Spears. The Grizzlies do have the right to deny other teams permission to speak to Hollins until his current contract expires on June 30th.
While the Grizzlies would like to keep Hollins, it's unclear if they'd be able to compete with a big-money offer from a rival suitor. An aggressive offer from the Nets and owner Mikhail Prokhorov would be the "worst-case scenario" for Memphis, according to Stein. Either way, Hollins looks like he'll receive a nice raise on a '12/13 salary that Spears says was worth $2.3MM. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says there's a growing sense Hollins could end up somewhere besides Memphis due to his increasing price tag.
If the Grizzlies were to lose Hollins, assistant coach Dave Joerger would receive "strong consideration" to replace him, writes Stein. As for the Clippers and Nets, both teams are expected to pursue Brian Shaw among other candidates, while Kelvin Sampson and Larry Drew are reportedly finalists for the Bucks' opening.
Kings Searching For New President
New Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has begun the process of finding a replacement for President Geoff Petrie, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. Sam Amick of USA Today reports that Ranadive is considering Spurs President R.C. Buford, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, and Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace.
Former Pacers general manager David Morway may also receive consideration and Ranadive is believed to be open to other names. The former Warriors minority owner is also consulting with his Warriors colleagues on the search. That includes Jerry West, a Warriors consultant who worked with Wallace in Memphis and Schlenk at Golden State.
Buford would be a major get for the Kings but he is unlikely to have interest in his job given the success that he has had in San Antonio. Wallace, meanwhile, would surely consider the job considering his minimized role in Memphis.
Western Links: Gay, Howard, Mavs, Hornacek
It's Memorial Day in America, but it's certainly no holiday for the Grizzlies and Spurs, who will meet in Memphis tonight, with the Spurs looking to complete a four-game sweep. As the Grizzlies look to begin climbing out of a 3-0 hole, ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Insider-only link) re-examines a question that has come up several times in the last few months, exploring whether Memphis misses Rudy Gay. Here are a few more Memorial Day links from around the Western Conference:
- Dwight Howard is "wide open" to the Mavericks, tweets Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. That fits with what we've heard about Howard being willing to listen to pitches from any team when free agency opens. Ingram goes on to say that the Mavs, unlike the Rockets, actually project to have the space necessary to sign Howard without making a corresponding move. Without O.J. Mayo's option on the books, that may be true, though it will likely depend on how much the salary cap increases for 2013/14.
- In exploring the Mavericks' chances of landing Howard, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com wonders if the Rockets are a greater threat than the Lakers.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com touches on the upcoming Howard drama in his latest piece, in which he also explains why his idea of a LaMarcus Aldridge-for-Kevin Love trade could make some sense.
- The Suns' hiring of Jeff Hornacek may give the team a boost in the community, given Hornacek's positive reputation in Phoenix, but it wasn't a factor in GM Ryan McDonough's decision, a source tells TNT's David Aldridge. Aldridge speculates that the community impact is something owner Robert Sarver may have considered. Aldridge's Morning Tip also includes a look at Larry Bird and details on Billy Hunter's lawsuit.
- Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv lists all the players scheduled to participate in the Timberwolves' draft workouts this week.
Western Notes: Allen, Kings, Cuban
Despite the Grizzlies place in the thick of their Western Conference Finals series against the Spurs, their perimeter defensive specialist, Tony Allen, will be an unrestricted free agent this July.
Allen spoke with Ramona Shelburne at ESPN.com yesterday about the blue collar "Grit and Grind" Grizzlies, their blue collar Memphis fans, and–towards the end of the piece–his impending free agency. Said Allen:
"I don't even understand the business side. When July hits, somebody is going to have to sit me down and explain it. All I know is I'm a Grizzly and I believe I'm going to be a Grizzly when it's over with.
"I bleed blue. I think they going to keep me. But if they don't, I understand.
"I don't even think about it now. I just play. I love being in Memphis. I love the city. Hopefully I stay here. It feels like home."
Speaking of Allen's Grizzlies, here are some more notes from around the Western Conference:
- Grizzlies coach, Lionel Hollins, tells ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz "Flopping isn't a part of the game and it shouldn't be a part of the game," in response to the controversy surrounding the flagrant 1 called on Manu Ginobili after his foul on Allen knocked him out of the air.
- According to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link), Austin Daye will go on the Grizzlies' inactive list for game 3 tonight in favor of Donte Greene. Marc J. Spears of Y! Sports, confirms (Twitter link).
- ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon brings us the highlights from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's interview on 103.3 FM's ESPN Dallas Game Day.
- MacMahon also tells us after hearing from Cuban, that the Mavericks owner has a two year plan to turn the Mavericks into title contenders.
- The new owner of the Kings, Viveck Ranadive, is looking at Warriors assistant, Mike Malone, to coach the team. But Matt Steinmetz at CSNY Bay Area says he'd be surprised if the Kings hire a coach before finding a general manger (Twitter link).
Heat – Pacers Notes: Wade, Stephenson, Andersen
According to an anonymous source familiar with the situation, USA Today Sports' Jeff Zillgitt reports the NBA is reviewing Dwyane Wade's elbow to Lance Stephenson's face last night in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
With 4:05 left in game 2, Wade turned the ball over to the Pacers. As he was sprinting back on defense, Wade jumped to avoid Stephenson and hit him in the head with his elbow. Stephenson remained in the game.
Zillgitt believes the hit by Wade appears "too nebulus to warrant a suspension," but the office of NBA vice president Stu Jackson is reviewing the specific play in question. Some other notes from the Eastern Conference Final entrants:
- Ethan J. Skolnick with the Palm Beach Post reports that Pacers broadcaster, Mark Boyle, said at the end of game 2 (by way of PageQSports): "These losers are leaving,. They are flocking to the exits with their team down by three. This city does not only not deserve this team, they don’t deserve any team.” The Pacers were 24th in the league in attendance this season, Skolnick adds.
- Chris Reynolds of the Associated Press looks at the impact Chris Andersen has had since joining the Heat on a pair of 10-day contracts mid-way through the year.
- Chris Sheridan at SheridanHoops.com is dreaming of an NBA Finals match-up between the Pacers and Grizzlies just like the joke the New York Post's Marc Berman told on Twitter earlier today.