New York Rumors: Nash, Dragic, Woodson, Nets
It still doesn't feel entirely natural to group the Nets with the Knicks as the NBA's New York teams, but Brooklyn's new residents are a part of the Big Apple going forward, so let's round up the latest rumors on both clubs:
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York tweets that he's hearing Steve Nash won't want to sign with the Knicks this summer. Whether or not that's true, this always seemed like a long-shot to me, since Nash will get offers that greatly exceed what New York could give him.
- In a piece for ESPNNewYork.com, Zwerling compares Jeremy Lin to Goran Dragic, noting that the Rockets free agent could be an alternative to Lin for the Knicks.
- Mike Woodson's new contract will be for three years and could be worth more than $10MM, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- There is mutual interest between Mirza Teletovic and the Nets, according to NetsDaily.com (via Twitter). Teletovic, a 26-year-old Bosnian power forward, led the Euroleague in scoring this season.
Odds & Ends: Iverson, Clippers, Mavericks, Shaq
The 76ers defeated the Celtics tonight in an ugly, defensive affair to force a Game 7 on Saturday night in Boston. Early in the game, an ESPN reporter spoke with Allen Iverson who was in town to deliver the game ball to tonight's referees. Iverson said he still wants to play basketball, whether in the NBA or elsewhere. Here are other links from late Wednesday night:
- Arash Markazi and Pedro Moura from ESPN Los Angeles give their differing takes on whether Clippers stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be teamed up in LA for the remainder of their careers.
- Derek Page of HoopsWorld says that for the Mavericks, in lieu of letting key pieces of their championship team leave via free agency, anything in the offseason short of Deron Williams would deem that decision a "momentous mistake." Meanwhile, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says via chat that Pau Gasol would not be a good fit in Dallas.
- Speaking of Deron Williams, Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star Ledger examined the Nets offseason uncertainties outside of their potential free-agent-to-be point guard. The Nets have only four players that are guaranteed to be under contact for next year's Brooklyn debut.
- The Bird Rights hearing between the NBA and NBA Players Association will be in mid-June, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York, citing an unnamed source. Begley notes that the Knicks will be particularly impacted due to waiver pickups of Steve Novak and Jeremy Lin.
- The 2012 Olympic schedule for Team USA was unveiled, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
- ESPN's Chris Broussard and Marc Stein offer their takes on Shaq as a potential fit as the future general manager of the Magic. Broussard says Shaq has acted as a mentor to Dwight Howard throughout the season as they apparently bonded over their dislike for Stan Van Gundy. Hiring O'Neal could be an attempt to persuade Howard to stay. Meanwhile, despite previous reports, Broussard adds that the Bobcats will in fact reach out to Van Gundy.
Knicks Top Lamar Odom’s List Of Destinations
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, a source with knowledge of Lamar Odom's situation says that should the veteran forward become a free agent, the Knicks would be number one on his list. Because of the Knicks' salary cap situation, Odom would have to sign at a discounted rate which is something the source said he would be willing to do.
"Lamar is big on being comfortable," says the source. "And New York is somewhere he can be comfortable. He wants to find a place where he can end his career, and New York is ideal. He's won championships in the past and he wants to win another. And to do it there would be great."
Odom is still under contract with the Mavericks next season, so in order for this to become a reality, he would have to be released. There has been plenty of talk about the Mavericks attempting to trade Odom before June 29 – which Begley notes – when a $2.4MM contract kicker for next year comes due. Odom is due $8.2MM next year under his current deal.
Begley says that Odom's ability to be effective off the bench for a shallow Knicks roster would be a good fit. While the Knicks hardly qualify as a "super team" yet, they do have nearly all of their money tied up in three players. We have seen with similarly built teams – namely the Heat – that veterans like Odom signing on the cheap can provide a much-needed source of depth.
Knicks Notes: Chandler, Woodson, Jardine
In a somewhat unusual development, Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler was nowhere to be found on the NBA's All-Defensive first team when voting results were released today. The Knicks center made the second team, joined by Luol Deng, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Kobe Bryant. Dwight Howard beat out Chandler at the center position for a spot on the first team, alongside Chris Paul, Tony Allen, LeBron James, and Serge Ibaka. Members of the media vote for awards, while the All-NBA teams are voted on by head coaches, which explains the Defensive Player of the Year's absence from the first team.
Let's round up a few more of today's Knicks updates….
- The Knicks will announce a new contract for coach Mike Woodson no later than Thursday, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Woodson is expected to receive a three- or four-year contract, Isola adds.
- New York could be targeting Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine with its second-round pick in next month's draft, says Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks are "desperate" to draft a guard for depth, according to Berman.
- In past years, the Knicks could have dangled $3MM for a late first-round pick to make up for trading their own first-rounder. However, as Berman points out, the new CBA dictates that teams can't trade more than $3MM in deals in a single year, and the Knicks reached that limit as part of the Tyson Chandler blockbuster.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Lin, Butler, Belinelli
A few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
- After reporting yesterday that Dwight Howard still wants to be traded out of Orlando, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com outlines why the Nets and Knicks may be the most logical trade partners for the Magic.
- If Howard is dealt this summer, it's probably bad news for the Mavericks, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The Mavs could have the cap space for Howard next summer, but don't have the trade chips to get him right now.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, David Thorpe examines some potential landing spots for Jeremy Lin, concluding that the Raptors, Nets, and Suns might be the best fits besides the Knicks.
- Rasual Butler has heard from several teams and plans to be ready to sign in July, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. The Raptors released Butler in March, in time for him to catch on with another team for the postseason, but the 33-year-old didn't sign another contract before season's end.
- In an interview with Gazzetta.it, Marco Belinelli said he expects to receive offers from the Hornets and other NBA teams, and wants to determine where he'll sign before trying to join the Italian national team for the Olympics. Hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando for the translation.
Coaching Rumors: Woodson, Del Negro, Magic
Another job on an NBA bench opened up yesterday, when Orlando officially fired long-time coach Stan Van Gundy. The Magic and the Bobcats are now the only two clubs searching for a new head coach, but there's no guarantee they won't be joined by another couple teams as the offseason progresses. Here are the latest updates on the NBA's coaching carousel:
- After a report yesterday indicated that Mike Woodson and the Knicks were nearing an agreement, Marc Berman of the New York Post says the deal should be announced sometime "this week."
- Clippers GM Neil Olshey hasn't committed one way or the other to bringing back Vinny Del Negro for next season, as Billy Witz of FOX Sports writes. However, a source tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that he believes the Clips will explore other coaching options.
- Van Gundy will be in demand, and the next team to hire him will be very lucky, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Schmitz adds though that Van Gundy is leaning toward sitting out next season.
- Charley Rosen of HoopsHype examines some potential candidates to replace Van Gundy in Orlando, noting that Nate McMillan could be the best fit for the Magic.
Atlantic Rumors: Woodson, Thorn, Nets, Morrison
The Celtics took a 3-2 lead in their series with the Sixers tonight with a 101-85 victory in Game 5. There's plenty happening off the court for Atlantic Division teams as well, so let's dive in:
- The Knicks and interim coach Mike Woodson are nearing agreement on a long-term deal, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone. The deal could become official in the next couple days.
- Sixers president Rod Thorn has no intention of retiring, as Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com writes, denying a report to the contrary Sunday by the Philadelphia Inquirer that said coach Doug Collins would take over for Thorn, with assistant coach Michael Curry replacing Collins.
- The Nets held a minicamp for free agents who didn't play in the NBA this past season, headlined by 2006 No. 3 overall pick Adam Morrison, as Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv note. Morrison and others at the camp, like Al Thornton, Hilton Armstrong and Julian Wright could wind up on Brooklyn's summer league team and audition for an invitation to join the Nets in training camp.
- Deron Williams, who was at Nets facilities this weekend as the team worked out draft prospects, was present again during today's free agent minicamp, fueling speculation he'll re-sign with the team, as Zagoria chronicles.
Magic Rumors: Malone, Shaw, Morway, Bower
Big news out of Orlando today as the club has fired coach Stan Van Gundy and agreed to part ways with GM Otis Smith. The latest on the Magic..
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that plenty of executives are interested in the Magic GM job, and they aren't scared away by the Dwight Howard saga.
- David Baumann of Bright House Sports Network says that Lakers assistant Chuck Person is on Howard's list of preferred coaches, noting D12's preference for candidates with no head coaching experience (Twitter links, and a hat tip to Sam Amick of SI.com). That might be moot, however, if Howard still wants to leave the Magic.
- Warriors assistant Michael Malone and Pacers assistant Brian Shaw are candidates to replace Van Gundy, tweets Sam Amick of SI.com.
- Amick also tweets that many of the same candidates for the Blazers GM job will be in the running for the same post in Orlando, and links to a story from earlier this month specifying Pacers GM David Morway and former Hornets GM Jeff Bower as candidates for the Portland gig.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio says that the Magic had interest in signing Greg Oden, but that's likely changed in the wake of today's news (Twitter link).
- Orlando Sentinel columnist George Diaz encourages the Magic to be "creative, aggressive and different" with their GM and coaching hires.
Dwight Howard Still Wants Out Of Orlando
Despite the exit of coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith today, Dwight Howard "desperately" wants to be traded before next season, a source tells Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. While it seemed the moves were made with Howard in mind, the superstar center wants out of Orlando now more than ever, according to the source.
Sheridan says Magic execs are expected to meet soon with Howard in Los Angeles, where he's recovering from back surgery. If he reiterates then that he wants out, Sheridan says the team is expected to try to trade him to "the highest bidder." The source says the Nets are still the frontrunner for his services, but the Mavericks, Knicks and, to a lesser degree, the Clippers and Lakers, are destinations that also appeal to Howard.
Earlier today we heard that Magic CEO Alex Martins has called for Howard to make his decision regarding his future with the club. At the trade deadline this past March, Howard declined his early termination option for next season, committing himself to the last season of his contract with the Magic. The move appears only to have been a temporary stay of the drama surrounding his rumored departure. Howard missed the playoffs for the Magic this season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back more than a month ago. He has been rehabbing in Los Angeles and has not returned to Orlando since the operation. The Magic said earlier he's staying there because he requires frequent checkups from his doctors in L.A., but Howard's choice of locations nonetheless fueled speculation he's estranged from the team.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Bucks, Heat, Nicholson
Here's the latest news and headlines from around the NBA…
- There are five ways the Knicks' Big 3 can improve in their second season together, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Bradley Center will be now known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center in a step toward getting the Bucks a new arena in the near future.
- The Heat's success is predicated on strong play by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but also relies on a different role player stepping up each night, suggests Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Thunder and the Celtics are the two most likely teams to draft St. Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson.
- Teams from smaller markets are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to winning an NBA championship, writes Richard Florida of The Atlantic.
- HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham gives his take on the top five comebacks in NBA playoff history.
- Commissioner David Stern filled the NBA's Competition Committee with his own people so that changes can be made to existing rules, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.
- Kurt Helin of NBC's ProBasketballTalk blog says Mo Williams expects to pick up his player option of $8.5MM for the 2012/2013 season.
- Mike D'Antoni isn't up to much these days after resigning as the Knicks head coach in March, writes SI.com's Jack McCallum.