Pacific Notes: Jackson, Howard, Lakers, Barkley
Last week, a report suggested that former Lakers coach Phil Jackson was interested in returning to an NBA role for next season. While it doesn't sound as if any of the current head coaching openings are enticing enough to attract the 11-time champion, Jackson confirmed that he has interest in a comeback.
Speaking to Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle (hat tip to HoopsHype), Jackson said he's talked to three or four teams and that "there are some interesting situations that are presenting themselves." However, according to Jackson, those discussions involve potential front-office roles rather than coaching positions.
While we wait to see if anything comes of Jackson's talks with NBA teams, let's check in on a few notes from around the Pacific Division:
- With the Lakers two losses away from elimination, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com looks ahead to the summer and identifies teams that could be fits for Dwight Howard if he considers leaving L.A. in free agency.
- According to Earl Smith, J.R. Smith's father, his son turned down a "superior offer" from the Lakers last summer to sign with the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Given the Lakers' cap situation, it's unlikely that L.A. could have made a much better offer than New York, unless it involved some sort of sign-and-trade component.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com examines Vinny Del Negro of the Clippers and Lionel Hollins of the Grizzlies, two coaches who could be on the hot seat if their teams don't advance out of the first round.
- Bob Young of the Arizona Republic isn't sure that Charles Barkley knows what he's getting into if he geniuinely wants to be the Suns' GM, but suggests that Phoenix's current list of candidates for the spot isn't exactly inspiring.
J.R. Smith Likely To Opt Out
Coming off a career-best season and a Sixth Man of the Year award, J.R. Smith will have the option of hitting free agency this summer, and it sounds like he'll take advantage of that opportunity. Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com hears from a source close to Smith that the Knicks shooting guard is "very, very likely" to turn down his 2013/14 option and become a free agent.
Because New York only held Smith's Non-Bird rights last offseason, the team was only able to sign him to a contract that started at about $2.81MM this season. That makes Smith's player option for '13/14 worth only about $2.93MM, a figure he could easily exceed on the open market.
As we explained earlier today, and as Hamilton details in his piece, the Knicks will hold Smith's Early Bird rights this summer, meaning the team will be able to offer him a deal of up to four years, starting at a salary that figures to be in the neighborhood of $5.5MM. That will exceed the amount of the mid-level exception, meaning the Knicks should be able to outbid over-the-cap teams, though Smith could receive stronger offers from clubs with cap room.
Still, Smith has frequently expressed a desire to remain in New York, suggesting on Monday that he'd like to retire as a Knick. He was willing to accept a below-market salary to stay with the team last summer, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him do it again this year.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Bynum, Knicks, Smith, Isiah
While the Nets, Knicks, and Celtics are busy vying for the NBA championship, the rest of the Atlantic is in offseason mode and trying to figure out what comes next. The 76ers figured they'd be in the field of 16 when the season started but Andrew Bynum's knees threw a wrench into those plans. Here's more on Philly and other notes out of the Atlantic..
- After a season full of lofty expectations and little in the way of results, John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at who should stay and who should go. Mitchell wants to see Philly re-sign Bynum, provided that his knees check out. Meanwhile, he wants reserve center Kwame Brown gone, but that would likely require a buyout as he holds a $3MM option.
- Knicks fans should appreciate J.R. Smith while he's here, because he figures to get major money thrown his way this summer, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Meanwhile, Smith has repeatedly expressed his affinity for New York and his desire to remain a Knick.
- When asked by a reporter if he's heard from ex-Knicks president Isiah Thomas, coach Mike Woodson said "Isiah and I are friends, we talk all the time," tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
J.R. Smith ‘Would Love To Retire A Knick’
J.R. Smith, fresh off winning the Sixth Man of the Year award today, figures to be in high demand if he declines his $2.933MM player option for next season. Other teams will be able to give Smith more money on a new contract than the Knicks could, since the team only possesses Early Bird rights on him, but Smith said on ESPN's SportsCenter today that he would like to stay in New York, as Jared Zwerling and Ian Begley note.
"Without a doubt," the 27-year-old swingman said. "I was born in New Jersey, born and raised. I would love to retire a Knick."
This time of year, it's common for free agents to express their desire to remain with their current teams, only to reverse course in the summer. It's noteworthy, though, that Smith insists he doesn't want to go elsewhere since he could make more money if he signs with a team that has ample cap room, unlike many other free agents who have financial incentive to stay put.
The Knicks have commitments that would almost certainly make them a taxpaying team next season, so the best they could do for Smith would be to use his Early Bird rights to give him 104.5% of this season's average salary. The average salary won't be known until the league finalizes its books in July, but it's currently estimated to be $5.276MM. If that figure holds, the most the Knicks could pay Smith next season would be $5,513,420. The contract would be limited to raises of no more than 7.5%, so the Knicks couldn't backload their offer.
Smith could probably command offers of around $8MM or $9MM annually from other teams, though that's just my speculation. Still, Zwerling and Begley point out that Smith has received more endorsement opportunities in New York, and he's certainly played better with the Knicks than in his previous stops with the Pelicans and Nuggets.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Nets, Pistons, Knicks
After a dominant performance in Game One of their series against the Bulls, the Nets are in action again tonight as they try to take a 2-0 lead before the series heads to Chicago. As we look forward to that game, let's check in on a number of Monday items out of the Eastern Conference….
- As the Cavaliers search for a new head coach, owner Dan Gilbert had dinner with Mike Brown last night, as first reported by Cleveland's WKYC. According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the meeting was a positive one, though Brown hasn't been offered the job. The two sides agreed to deliberate and talk again later this week, perhaps as soon as today, reports Broussard.
- While the Cavs also reached out to Phil Jackson, that's viewed merely as due diligence, according to Broussard, who says Jackson is more interested in a front office role. Steve Kerr says the some thing of Jackson, telling Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he's not sure whether the Zen Master is physically up to the challenge of diving back into coaching.
- While Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov would like to see his team add another star, Brooklyn's current cap situation won't make it easy to do so, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
- In a pair of tweets, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hints that Detroit isn't exactly a prime destination for free agents, and that the Pistons are more likely to try to use their cap space on trades this summer.
- In a column for the Detroit News, Terry Foster expands on the same point Ellis is making, pointing out that even though owner Tom Gores may be ready to spend, that doesn't mean free agents will begin flocking to the Pistons.
- Head coach Mike Woodson is happy that the Knicks' roster-building approach last offseason involved bringing aboard a handful of aging, but productive, veterans, as he tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. "We were able to do all these things thanks to ownership allowing us and field these guys who would be serious about winning a title," Woodson said. "I’m happy with the guys we chose, absolutely."
J.R. Smith Wins Sixth Man Of The Year
1:44pm: Smith has been officially announced as the Sixth Man of the Year, with Crawford, Jack, Martin, and Anderson rounding out the top five, in that order. Smith received 72 of 121 first-place votes, with Crawford (31) and Jack (14) picking up most of the rest of the first-place nods.
9:12am: The NBA will make an announcement at 1:30pm CST today from the Madison Square Garden training center, according to the Knicks (Twitter link). Howard Beck of the New York Times reports (via Twitter) that the press conference will be for this year's first award winner, as J.R. Smith will be named Sixth Man of the Year.
Smith, 27, came off the bench for the Knicks in each of his 80 games this season, averaging a career-high 18.1 PPG and recording a 17.6 PER. It was the best season of Smith's nine-year NBA career, as he emerged as the Knicks' second scoring option behind Carmelo Anthony.
We'll hear later this afternoon how exactly the voting broke down, but Jamal Crawford (Clippers), Jarrett Jack (Warriors), Ryan Anderson (Pelicans), and Kevin Martin (Thunder) were also expected to receive consideration for the award.
Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Knicks, Spurs, McGrady
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- Eric Bledsoe is showing that he's going to be a big money player at some point, even if he doesn't get that payday from the Clippers, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Chris Paul echoed similar sentiments earlier today.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson knows first-hand how tough Kenyon Martin and Jason Kidd can be in the playoffs thanks to his time as an assistant coach for the Pistons, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday (on Sulia). “Both of them are still relentless and savvy,” Woodson said. “I go back to that 2004 Detroit team when they had our backs against the wall [in the conference semifinals] big time…That to me was really our championship series."
- Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni called Tracy McGrady a "wild card" but Gregg Popovich says that the veteran is "another body" and isn't sure how he'll integrate him into the rotation, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Sulia). The Spurs signed T-Mac shortly after cutting Stephen Jackson.
- Former Bulls veteran Keith Bogans is now an important part of the Nets' defense, writes Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Draft, Kidd, Martin
Links from around the Association as the Nets look to go up 1-0 on the Bulls..
- Mavericks General Manager Donnie Nelson told ESPN Radio’s Galloway & Company that he plans to come out with “both barrels” this summer to turn things around going forward, according to the Dallas News. He also said that the biggest priority for the club might be the point guard position as the club has been spoiled by the likes of Steve Nash and Jason Kidd in the past.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looked at the top European prospects at the Hoop Summit. Dennis Schroeder is among the players profiled and the guard announced this week that he’ll be entering the 2013 draft.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson explained that veterans Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martn were brought aboard primarily for their defense, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Sulia). “That was the whole reason for bringing them aboard. They have been in enough systems. Kidd has pretty much won everywhere he has been. Kenyon has been on some winning teams but not where he won the big one. It is a plus to have veteran guys,” said the coach.
Eastern Rumors: Kenyon, Nets, Magic, 76ers
The playoffs are under way, and the Knicks have drawn first blood, going up 1-0 in their series against the Celtics. That's not the only playoff game in the Big Apple today, as the Nets take on the Bulls tonight in Brooklyn for Game 1 of their series. We rounded up news on New York's pair of NBA teams this morning, and we'll broaden the focus to the Eastern Conference as a whole here:
- Nets GM Billy King said he never considered signing Kenyon Martin, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Martin, who waited all summer and the majority of the season before the Knicks picked him up in February, had nine rebounds in 28 minutes to help New York open the playoffs with a win, and Bondy counts King's decision to pass up that kind of production as a mistake.
- The Magic have intriguing young pieces in Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Maurice Harkless, but they lack a sure-fire All-Star, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel concludes as he examines the state of the team's rebuilding effort.
- Still, Orlando's situation should be the envy of the Sixers, opines Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com. While owner Josh Harris asserts that there are "bunch of young assets on this team," Moore sees Jrue Holiday as the only one.
- The Sixers passed on Roy Hibbert, Paul George and Kenneth Faried in recent drafts, as Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, wondering what could have been if the team had made the right picks.
- With an eye toward what figures to be an active offseason for the Bobcats, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer assesses each of the players on the team's roster.
New York Notes: Carlesimo, Nets, Martin, Knicks
Here's a look at some items on the Nets and Knicks as they get set to take on the Bulls and Celtics, respectively..
- When asked what it will take in the playoffs to keep his job, Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo responded that he has "no idea", writes Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record. Carlesimo has had great success since taking over as interim coach, compiling a record of 35-19 since Avery Johnson was let go.
- In an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post, Knicks forward Kenyon Martin had high praise for coach Mike Woodson. Martin explained that Woodson is unlike any other coach he has had and loves how he has a laid back demeanor but can also be stern when necessary. Martin will be a free agent this summer but has made it clear that he enjoys New York.
- The Knicks hope their age doesn't show as they get set for their playoff run, writes Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News.