Steve Nash Will “Definitely Consider” Knicks
SATURDAY, 2:38pm: Nash re-iterates that he is considering the Knicks to Ben Sin of SLAMOnline.com, saying that he and Amare Stoudemire spoke recently about "how nice it’d be to play together again." Nash adds that the ability to win a championship won't be the only factor in where he signs, with "salary, family, playing time, and opportunity for team success" all playing a part.
THURSDAY, 8:02am: Marc Berman of the New York Post hears from a source close to Nash that, despite his public comments, the longtime Sun is unlikely to seriously consider the Knicks, even if they have their $5MM mid-level exception available. According to Berman, Nash will receive offers larger than $5MM annually, and wouldn't take less money to play in New York unless he thought the Knicks were closer to winning a title.
Latest On Clippers GM Search
While the Magic hired Rob Hennigan as their new GM this week, it appears the Clippers will head into the draft without someone to replace Neil Olshey, who jumped to fill the Blazers GM vacancy earlier this month. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times says no hire is imminent and no candidate has gone before owner Donald Sterling. Team president Andy Roeser, coach Vinny Del Negro and director of player personnel Gary Sacks are jointly handling the draft and free agency until a GM is found. Roeser and Del Negro have had discussions about possible candidates, and Sacks is one of many names the Clippers are considering, according to three league executives who spoke with Turner. Let's break down the rest of the list:
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Nash, Raptors, Celtics
Today's bird rights ruling for the players' union will have a massive effect on this summer's free agent market and is great news for several teams, including the Knicks. Now with extra flexibility, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News suggests that the club could split the mid-level exception to re-sign J.R. Smith and make a run at Jason Kidd. Here's more on the Knicks and the rest of the Atlantic Division..
Odds & Ends: Freeland, Thunder, Knicks, Bulls
Joel Freeland will talk to the Trail Blazers this weekend and could agree to a contract before the Olympics, according to Ian Whittell of the Wardle Whittell Agency (Twitter links). Freeland, who was drafted by the Blazers in the first round in 2006, is "open to offers" and will have four Portland execs watching him play Lithuania at an Olympic warm-up in Houston tomorrow, says Whittell (Twitter link).
Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends, including items on the top player on the market, the Western Conference champs, and the NBPA's latest victory….
Southwest Rumors: Landry, Rockets, Cabezas
Tony Parker is seeking $20MM in a lawsuit against the New York nightclub where he sustained an eye injury during a fight involving singer Chris Brown and members of hip-hop star Drake's entourage, the Associated Press reports (via the New York Daily News). Parker isn't expected to miss any time for the Spurs because of the incident. There's plenty of other off-the-court news happening with Southwest Division teams that figures to have a greater on-court impact, as we detail here.
Raymond Felton Eyes Knicks, Blazers, Suns, Nets
Unrestricted free agent point guard Raymond Felton says he could wind up back with the Knicks or the Blazers next season, while the Suns and the Nets are also in the mix, according to comments he made to Conan Gasque of SCnow.com (hat tip to Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge). Felton, who turns 28 next week, says he's looking for a team that employs a fast-paced system similar to the one in which he thrived while playing for Mike D'Antoni with the Knicks.
Jason Kidd Willing To Sign With Knicks
Jason Kidd is willing to sign with the Knicks, according to comments the free agent point guard made on The Michael Kay Show on ESPNNewYork.com. Kidd also reiterated his interest in a return to the Nets, the team he played for from 2001 to 2008.
Draft Updates: Wednesday
With eight days left until June 28th, mock drafts continue to roll in, with the latest coming from Tom Zeller of SBNation.com, who projects surprisingly high selections for Kendall Marshall and Evan Fournier, among others. You can find Hoops Rumors' mock draft right here, and you can follow today's draft notes in this post, with the newest updates added up top throughout the day….
- The Nuggets are expected to work out Michael Eric, Evan Fournier, John Jenkins, Doron Lamb, Ramone Moore, and Izzet Turkyilmaz on Thursday, tweets FoxSports.com's Chris Tomasson.
- Mike Tokito from The Oregonian highlights a few prospects that worked out at the Trail Blazer's facility today, including Austin Rivers and Kendall Marshall.
Latest On Deron Williams
This summer's free agent class has something in common with the draft class — it's not obvious who the second-best available player will be, but everyone knows which guy will be the top choice. In the draft, that's Anthony Davis, while in free agency, it's Deron Williams. We know Davis is ticketed for New Orleans, but where will Williams land? ESPN.com's Chris Broussard shares a few updates on this year's top free agent in his latest Insider-only piece, so let's dive in….
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Shaw, Celtics, Seattle
The NBA TV's recent "Dream Team" documentary revisited the developments that earned NBA players the right to compete in the Olympics 20 years ago, something that continues today. But there's a chance that the 2012 games in London will be the last time the Association's biggest stars participate in Olympic play. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, David Stern and the league are pushing for an under-23 Olympic team, with NBA players only participating in a rebranded world championships, called the World Cup of Basketball. A World Cup would allow the NBA to benefit finanically from letting its players play internationally, Wojnarowski explains.
Here are a few more Tuesday odds and ends from around the NBA: