Eastern Notes: Nurkic, Sixers, ‘Melo
The Sixers Michael Carter-Williams is the favorite to win this year’s Rookie of the Year award, but Tom Moore of Calkins Media believes that GM Sam Hinkie should examine the possibility of trading him for another lottery pick. Moore isn’t sure if Carter-Williams will become a star, and if Hinkie could land a top five pick for him, he believes that it would be worth considering.
More from the east:
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge flew to Belgrade for the Adriatic basketball finals. He was there to observe center Jusuf Nurkic, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). DraftExpress currently projects Nurkic as the 11th pick in this year’s NBA draft.
- Phil Jackson is expected to meet with Steve Kerr this weekend to discuss the Knicks coaching position, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Kerr will be in town to broadcast the Nets–Raptors game on Sunday.
- Larry Coon of Basketball Insiders examines three ways that the Bulls could add Carmelo Anthony to their roster this summer.
Atlantic Notes: Jackson, ‘Melo, Bayless
Phil Jackson recently spoke to members of the media about Tim Duncan‘s legacy with Spurs, noting Duncan has stuck around in San Antonio long enough for the club to build a roster Jackson described as a “great force.” Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders thinks the Zen Master’s comments are clearly a message to Carmelo Anthony, who can choose to walk away in free agency in this offseason. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Amar’e Stoudemire has a $23MM player option for 2014/15 that he’ll almost surely opt in for. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer examines a reader-suggested trade scenario where the Knicks send Stoudemire to the Cavs, noting that acting Cleveland GM David Griffin has ties to the big man from their time together in Phoenix. She concludes it’s very unlikely because of his injury history and bloated contract.
- Harvey Araton of the New York Times takes a look at the blockbuster deal that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets. Although the price was high for the veteran duo, Brooklyn was enticed by the clutch shooting abilities of Pierce and the fiery passion Garnett has for the game, observes Araton.
- Celtics guard Jerryd Bayless is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com concludes Bayless’ performance this season might not have been strong enough to guarantee that Boston wants to bring him back.
And-Ones: Daniels, Robinson, Mills
Hoops Rumors readers are some of the few wise enough to keep close track of the D-League’s impact on the NBA game, but last night the D-League made a big splash on the national stage. Troy Daniels, recalled by the Rockets two weeks ago, stepped up and hit a game-winning three to keep Houston from going down 0-3 to the Blazers. “To be honest, the D-League has prepared me for this moment,” Daniels told reporters after the game, including Sam Amick of USA Today Sports. “You can say whatever you want about the D-League, but I wouldn’t have hit that shot if I wasn’t in the D-League a couple weeks ago… It’s a dream come true. Plain and simple.” Here’s more from around the league:
- League sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM that the Bulls, Bucks, and Magic all closely monitored Daniels as a prospect, but Rockets GM Daryl Morey made the necessary moves to accommodate bringing the unproven guard’s talents to Houston.
- Thomas Robinson tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle that he is happy to play his current role with the Blazers, but won’t be content until he improves his game. “Right now, I do what I’m supposed to do for my team,” Robinson said. “My game will evolve. I love what I am right now. It’s not what I’m going to settle for. That’s when the summer time comes in. I can stay in the league doing what I do now, but I want to be at the top of the league by progressing, improving my game. I plan to be an All-Star.”
- The NBPA isn’t close to hiring an executive director, and Steve Mills is just one candidate among many at this point, per a tweet from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Mills re-emerged as a strong candidate for the job yesterday.
- Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report talked with Isiah Thomas about the decision players face each postseason: to play hurt in high-stakes playoff games and jeopardize their long-term health, or to rest and hurt their team’s chances to advance.
Eastern Notes: Nene, Cavs, Heat, Pistons
Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer looks at Cavs interim GM David Griffin‘s track record from when he worked with Steve Kerr in the Suns front office, noting his success and his preference for building exciting, high-scoring teams. Pluto would expect Griffin to target offensive firepower if he became a permanent GM by reuniting with Kerr on the Knicks, or by losing the interim tag in Cleveland. Such an offensive bent runs counter to coach Mike Brown‘s determination to win through defense. Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders thinks that both Brown and Griffin are likely to be brought back since they haven’t been fired yet, but notes that a decision hasn’t been made (Twitter link).
- There was some ambiguity as to whether Phil Jackson will want to retain Herb Williams when he hires the next Knicks coach, but Kyler expects Williams will be gone (Twitter link).
- Vince Ellis of Detroit Free Press expects the Pistons GM search to be a lengthy process. Detroit’s front office considers the draft and free agency “artificial” deadlines, and will be thorough and patient while evaluating candidates, many of whose schedules are loaded from working for teams still in the playoffs.
- Nene is in danger of facing a one-game suspension for his altercation with Jimmy Butler in last night’s Wizards loss to the Bulls, per Mike Wise of The Washington Post.
- Stu Jackson of NBATV used to make disciplinary decisions for the league, and he says that the thrown punch from Nene merits a suspension according to the rules (Twitter links).
- Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel looks at the likelihood that the Heat will pay a steep repeater tax bill in the coming years if they manage to keep LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.
- Winderman lays out a variety of scenarios in which Heat players could help the roster stay intact and under the salary cap, by opting out of their deals to accept longer contracts with lower annual salaries.
- We looked at Wade’s tricky contract situation in our latest Free Agent Stock Watch feature.
Coaching Rumors: D’Antoni, Kerr
While a report of the Lakers retaining Mike D’Antoni for next season may have been premature, Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News tweets that the Lakers have been leaning toward keeping the coach for a month. Here’s more on the coaching front:
- In a series of tweets, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders says Lakers brass are partial to D’Antoni because of the way he handled young players this season. Kyler thinks that the Lakers have “kicked the tires” on other named possibilities, but have determined that there are no hires that would be a guaranteed upgrade.
- A source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that D’Antoni hopes to meet with the Lakers next week in regards to his fate, but no date has been set (Twitter link).
- Steve Kerr will likely meet with Knicks president Phil Jackson this weekend to discuss New York’s head coaching job, per Peter Botte and Frank Isola of New York Daily News. Kerr is in town to broadcast the Nets/Raptors game on Sunday.
- Kerr would be open to discussing a job with the Warriors, should Golden State act on their rumored preference for Kerr over Mark Jackson, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Thunder Rumors: Brooks, Fisher, Presti
The Thunder are in a 1-2 hole against the Grizzlies, fueling speculation about the organization that expected to reach the Finals with a healthy Russell Westbrook for the playoffs. A few quick wins could quiet the chatter, otherwise it will only grow louder. Here’s a roundup of Oklahoma City notes:
- Westbrook spoke in support of Scott Brooks on Friday after Westbrook’s brother took to Twitter to call for the Thunder coach’s ouster, as Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman observes. “Me and Scotty have a great relationship,” the point guard said. “I’ve never once mentioned that I want Scotty to leave ever since I’ve been here. We created a bond with each other that’s grown.”
- Multiple executives tell Marc Berman of the New York Post that they believe Steve Kerr and Thunder guard Derek Fisher are the most intriguing coaching candidates in Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s eyes. Still, Fisher, who’s set to retire at season’s end, has said coaching the Knicks or any other team isn’t on his mind.
- SB Nation’s Tom Ziller looks ahead at the tough decisions that await GM Sam Presti if the Thunder come up empty in the playoffs again, as Kevin Durant‘s ability to become a free agent in 2016 looms.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Steve Mills Again In Running For Top Union Job
Knicks GM Steve Mills is once more a strong candidate to become the next executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Many around the league had considered it a foregone conclusion that Mills would head the players union last summer, but that changed when the Knicks pulled off a September surprise and hired Mills to run their front office.
Mills lost his title of team president to Phil Jackson when the Knicks brought aboard the Zen Master last month, and Howard Beck of Bleacher Report wrote earlier this week that it was likely that Mills would cut loose or reassigned from his role as GM. Still, Jackson said Wednesday that hiring someone new for the front office is “not a priority.”
The union recently formed a search committee, headed by Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, to come up with a replacement for Billy Hunter, who was ousted in February 2013. Screen Actors Guild executive director David White and attorney Michele Roberts appeared to be the finalists for the position as of this past February, but the committee is to come up with a new list of three to five finalists by early June.
Coaching Rumors: Jazz, D’Antoni, Boylen
Executives, coaches and other league insiders struggle to come up with names of intriguing coaching candidates after last year’s record volume of new hires, but Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com was able to pry the identities of a few well-regarded potential hires. Some of them have been in rumors in recent weeks, but University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney, and Blazers assistant David Vanterpool are the names we haven’t heard. Potential head coaches with ties to the Spurs were already popular, and they’ve grown even more so this year, Arnovitz hears. Here’s more from the coaching rumor mill:
- The Jazz plan to interview more than 20 candidates fitting virtually every description, team president Randy Rigby said Wednesday on The Zone Sports Network radio, notes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Though a few candidates have reportedly emerged, Rigby insists the club hasn’t identified any potential targets. He also said the decision will be a group effort and won’t lie solely with GM Dennis Lindsey.
- Mike D’Antoni won’t be coaching Marshall University next season, but his brother Dan D’Antoni will be, the school announced. Dan D’Antoni is leaving his job as a Lakers assistant coach to take the new gig.
- The Pacers weren’t pleased when former assistant coach and current Jazz head coaching candidate Jim Boylen left last year to become a Spurs assistant, tweets Scott Agness of Pacers.com. “He did us dirty,” one Pacers player told Agness.
- Knicks president Phil Jackson said Wednesday that his coaching search could extend into July, but he adds that it’s not because he’s waiting around to see which, if any, coaches working in the playoffs become available, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
- Nets GM Billy King said on NBA TV that he, and not coach Jason Kidd, made the decision to reassign assistant coach Lawrence Frank earlier this season, fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Mike Mazzeo observes.
Atlantic Notes: Green, Lowry, Knicks, ‘Melo
The lone Atlantic Division representatives in the playoffs are duking it out in what’s become a compelling series, with the Raptors saving themselves from an 0-2 hole in Tuesday’s night’s victory against the Nets. While we wait for Friday’s Game 3, here’s the latest from around the Atlantic:
- No one on the Celtics is guaranteed to return next season, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, who takes stock of each player’s chances of coming back. Jeff Green is “eminently available” for a trade, according to Murphy.
- Kyle Lowry will surely have plenty of offers to leave the Raptors in free agency this summer, but he’s enjoying Toronto’s revival this season, telling reporters, including Fred Kerber of the New York Post, “I love my team and I’ll tell anybody that.” (Twitter link).
- Phil Jackson is surprised that so many have expressed interest in the Knicks head coaching job even though he wants to institute the triangle, as he said today to reporters, including Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link).
- Jackson appears comfortable with the idea of watching Carmelo Anthony leave this summer, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv believes, judging by the Zen Master’s willingness to make Anthony follow through on his idea of playing for less than the max.
- Connecticut point guard and Massachusetts native Shabazz Napier spoke about his dreams of playing for the Celtics, but it’s unlikely that the Celtics will be in position to draft him in June, observes Brian Robb of Boston.com.
Knicks Rumors: Jackson, ‘Melo, Kerr
Knicks owner James Dolan isn’t allowing team president Phil Jackson to make peripheral changes to the organization, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, but it’d be a stretch to call it the end of Jackson’s honeymoon with the Knicks, Isola cautions. The personnel that Jackson targeted for removal were likely members of the team’s front office, medical or media relations staff, Isola posits, though that’s unclear. Jackson addressed the report in a press conference today, saying that Dolan has “been very true to his word” about giving Jackson complete control over basketball decisions, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com documents. We’ll round up more from Jackson’s talk here:
- Carmelo Anthony has spoken about a willingness to take a discount if he chooses to re-sign with the Knicks, and Jackson hopes he’s “true to his word” about that, notes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. Jackson said he views the decision of Miami’s trio of stars to take less money as a precedent and believes it’s difficult to assemble a title-winning roster unless players make financial sacrifices.
- If Anthony doesn’t re-sign, the Knicks are prepared to move forward, Jackson said, according to Botte.
- Jackson said he plans to talk to Steve Kerr about the coaching job in the next week or two, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post, That conflicts with the report that they’re deep into discussions about the job.
- There are other candidates in the mix for the job, Jackson said, but he wouldn’t name them, and he gave the impression that Kerr is indeed the front-runner, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Jackson’s fiancee, Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, tried to encourage him to coach the team himself, but he reiterated today that he will not return to the bench. In any case, Jackson isn’t looking for a retread, Berman adds, but it does appear he wants his coach to run the triangle, writes Dave D’Alessandro of the Star-Ledger.
- Jackson indicated that a new coach might be in place within the next month, but he said he just wants to make sure someone’s in the job before summer league action starts in July, Berman notes. The Zen Master said that while he’ll allow his new coach to pick a staff, he’ll exercise veto power if need be.
- Hiring someone new for the front office is “not a priority,” Jackson said, as Zagoria tweets.