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GM Rumors: Olshey, Blazers, Magic, Kupchak

May 28th, 2012 at 7:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earlier today we rounded up the latest from Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld on the Magic's search for a new GM, and the news continues to come in from Orlando as well as from Portland, where the Blazers are also looking for a GM. Here's what we're hearing:

Clippers GM Neil Olshey recently spoke to Blazers owner Paul Allen about Portland's GM position, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who notes Olshey is not under contract for next season (Twitter links).
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has emerged as the No. 1 candidate for the Blazers GM job and the team is awaiting his decision, Kyler tweets. Kyler says Chris Mullin is next in line if Kupchak turns Portland down, contradicting what we heard last week about Mullin suggesting he was not in the running.
Kupchak is also a candidate for the Magic's GM position, but Kyler isn't sure he'd take that job, as he'd like to continue working with Andrew Bynum (Twitter link). That said, a swap of Bynum for Dwight Howard, as has been discussed, would allow Kupchak to bring the big man to Florida with him.
Kyler said earlier that the Magic would have to move quickly if they wanted Kevin Pritchard for their GM job, and now Berger tweets that the team has reached out to him.
Jeff Bower will interview for the Magic GM job this week, Berger reports (Twitter link). Bower interviewed earlier this month for same position with the Blazers.

Sam Smith On Howard, Bulls, Gasol, Lowry

May 28th, 2012 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls.com scribe Sam Smith has a new column up today, which includes plenty of news, notes, and rumors from around the NBA. Let's dive in….

Brooklyn is still considered the likeliest destination for Dwight Howard, though teams like the Rockets, Trail Blazers, and Warriors may be willing to risk renting D12 for a year. The Magic are expected to make another run at retaining Howard once the team has a new GM in place.
Smith hears from "Lakers insiders" that Pau Gasol would be interested in playing for the Bulls. He adds that Gasol and Kobe Bryant were "constantly at odds" in Los Angeles this season.
If the Bulls and Lakers were to discuss a Gasol deal, Luol Deng would have to be the centerpiece rather than Carlos Boozer, says Smith.
NBA general managers previously rejected a rule that would allow players to touch the ball on the rim, but that idea could be revisited now that the league has introduced a new competition comittee.
Kyle Lowry appears on his way out of Houston, according to Smith, who says the Rockets were "quietly shopping" the point guard before his injury this season. The Rockets would like to re-sign Goran Dragic, who isn't interested in returning as a backup.

Latest On Magic GM Search

May 28th, 2012 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

As the Magic's search for a general manager continues, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines the potential candidates and shares what he's hearing on Orlando's plans. Here are some of the highlights:

Donnie Walsh may not be interested in the Magic job, and could be waiting to see if Larry Bird retires and opens up a position in the Pacers' front office.
The Pacers' current GM, David Morway, might prefer to remain in Indiana and finish what he started with the team. There's a chance Morway could be promoted to team president if Bird leaves, though his contract expires in July, so he's taking interviews and has some interest in the Magic job.
Kevin Pritchard is interested in the Magic opening, but not to the point where he's going to beg for the job, so if Orlando wants him, the team will need to move quickly.
The Magic are interested in grooming Adonal Foyle for the GM job, but his presence could make some potential candidates shy away from the position.
Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey may be Orlando's top choice, though Kyler isn't sure he'll leave San Antonio (Twitter link).
Kyler also identifies Tommy Sheppard of the Wizards, Sam Hinkie of the Rockets, Larry Harris of the Warriors, and David Griffin of the Cavs as other executives the Magic should be targeting.

Odds & Ends: Lin, Thunder, Bobcats, Magic

May 27th, 2012 at 9:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Links from around the league as the Spurs and Thunder kick start the Western Conference Finals..

Jeremy Lin's ability to play to the level of elite point guards such as Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook in a playoff series will dictate his level of success with the Knicks, says Jared Zwerling (Twitter links). Zwerling adds (link) that one of the best things going for Lin is that he's healthy now and has the entire offseason to prepare for a bump in minutes.
Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) praises Thunder GM Sam Presti's draft record. While drafting Durant was a no-brainer, Russell Westbrook (4th overall, 2008) and Serge Ibaka (24th overall) weren't exactly slam dunks.
The Bobcats could interview Pacers assistant Brian Shaw as soon as next week and plan to meet with Lakers assistant Quin Snyder in Chicago before the NBA pre-draft camp, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com tips his cap to the Magic for targeting Thunder vice president Troy Weaver and Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey.

Orlando Targeting Spurs, Thunder Executives

May 26th, 2012 at 9:36pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that the Magic are looking at Thunder vice president and assistant general manager Troy Weaver as well as Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey as candidates for their vacant GM position. Rob Hennigan, another assistant GM of the Thunder, is also being targeted.

Wojnarowski says that Weaver is one of the league's elite young executives and has a strong record as a talent evaluator, most notably pushing hard for the team to draft Russell Westbrook higher than most draft boards had projected. Lindsey has been the assistant to RC Buford in San Antonio for the last five years after an 11-year-stint with the Rockets.

Magic CEO Alex Martins reportedly plans to allow his new GM to control the search for the team's next head coach.

Odds & Ends: Bird, Dwight, Kerr, Shaw

May 26th, 2012 at 6:30pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Tonight's matchup features a Celtics team with an experienced and playoff-tested core against a mostly young 76ers team looking further build a foundation of playoff success. This also may be the final page of a great chapter in Celtics history if Boston loses tonight, as the futures of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen will be question marks this upcoming offseason. With less an hour away from tip-off in the third Game Seven of this year's playoffs, here's what we've heard from around the league:

According to a series of tweets by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis star, Pacers owner Herb Simon hopes that Larry Bird will continue to work with the franchise in some capacity if Bird decides to step down as president, and that no meeting has been arranged between the two yet.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes that Dwight Howard must align himself with a winning team in order to repair his tarnished image and should therefore expand his list of preferred trade destinations. Also, Schmitz briefly discusses the idea of Steve Kerr and Brian Shaw joining the Magic as GM and head coach respectively. When recently asked about the GM vacancy, Kerr asserted that he is currently happy with his job as a TNT analyst, although the Magic are expected to still make inquiries. Shaw would accept the head coaching opportunity in a heartbeat, according to Schmitz.
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld presents a list of this year's top-shooting free agents. Ray Allen, Jason Terry, Steve Novak, and Randy Foye were listed as some of the top unrestricted free agents who displayed solid three-point shooting percentages along with a high volume of attempts this year.
Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press writes that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is confident in the team's chances to make the playoffs next season. Taylor also said that the team is "going to try" the free agent market.

Draft Notes: Marshall, Lillard, Nets

May 26th, 2012 at 2:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

With just four days to go until the NBA draft lottery, the Memorial Day weekend might be filled with anxiety for teams hoping to land a high pick. It's not a restful time for many prospects, either, as they continue to try and impress future employers. Here's the latest on the draft:

North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall says that he broke his elbow, but hopes to be cleared for contact in time for the NBA combine, as documented by Dan Tierney of the IMG Basketball Academy Blog. Zach Links took a look at Marshall's draft stock as a part of our Prospect Profile series earlier this week.
Marshall's competition for top point guard honors in the draft is Damian Lillard, who looked impressive in a public workout today, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (All Twitter links).
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News believes landing the top pick in the draft could be transformative for the Nets. Lawrence says adding presumptive No. 1 pick Anthony Davis could persuade Deron Williams to re-sign and would eliminate the need to pursue Dwight Howard.

Bianchi On Shaq, Brian Shaw, Stan Van Gundy

May 25th, 2012 at 8:44pm CST by Daniel Seco

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel eloquently deconstructs the candidacy of Shaquille O'Neal for the Magic general manager position in his latest column. Not only does his admonish the media for making Shaq's interest in the position far greater than it ended up being but he also gets in a dig at the future Hall of Famer for removing his name from consideration by stating "This is not a job I have an interest in pursuing." Bianchi says that's the equivalent of him stating he'd have no interest in pursuing Bill Simmons' gig at ESPN or in simpler Hoops Rumors terms, Paul Silas claiming no interest in coaching the 1995/1996 Bulls.

Bianchi says Brian Shaw is his odds-on pick as the most likely candidate to become the next head coach of the Magic. Shaw nearly succeeded Phil Jackson after his retirement from the Lakers last offseason but fell short of landing the job as Mike Brown beat him out for the position. The former guard spent the 2011/2012 season as Frank Vogel's associate head coach for the Pacers, who finished the regular season with a 42-24 record and kept the second round of the playoffs heavily competitive against the Heat.

Bianchi predicts it won't be long before Stan Van Gundy is once again sweating on the sidelines while drawing up plays in the huddle, especially when he's getting support from former top executives like Steve Kerr. "If I need a coach, I'm getting on the phone with Stan Van Gundy. He's one of the best in the league." Look for SVG to rebound with a team like Clippers or Trail Blazers if he's interested in coaching this upcoming season rather than settle for a lesser job with the Bobcats.

Magic To Interview Jeff Bower for GM Opening

May 25th, 2012 at 5:56pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Magic will interview former Hornets GM Jeff Bower next week for the team's open general manager position, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). Bower is on a lengthy list of candidates the Magic are pursuing after mutually parting ways with Otis Smith earlier this week. Magic CEO Alex Martins and Bower have worked together in the past as Martins previously served as the Hornets' senior vice president of marketing and branding.

Bower, 51, served as the general manager of the Hornets for a total of six seasons over two separate tenures. His career highlights include drafting Chris Paul in 2005 and rebuilding the franchise amidst the struggles of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Bower was relieved of his duties in 2010 after spending the 2009/2010 season as the team's head coach in the wake of Byron Scott's firing at the beginning of the season.

While the Magic organization has stated its desire to hire a general manager with championship experience, Bower could be a good fit for the franchise given his experience working with a superstar player in CP3. Beyond spending 14 years with the Hornets wearing multiple hats, Bower has experience as an assistant coach on the collegiate level at Marist and Penn State. If hired, Bower will be tasked with finding a replacement for former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy and find a way to convince Dwight Howard to sign an extension to stay in Orlando.

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Orlando Magic

Magic Notes: GM Search, Howard, Van Gundy

May 25th, 2012 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

It's been a busy week for the Magic, who fired coach Stan Van Gundy and parted ways with GM Otis Smith on Monday. Dwight Howard still may want out of Orlando, however, and the team could be open to accommodating him. Meanwhile, the team's search for a new general manager has them targeting Mitch Kupchak of the Lakers, but not Shaquille O'Neal. Let's check in on the latest out of Orlando:

The Magic will begin interviewing GM candidates next week, CEO Alex Martins tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The new GM will also try to sell Howard on his long-term vision for the team and try to convince D12 to sign a long-term extension.
Martins has identified "championship experience" as an asset for potential GM candidates. Besides Kupchak, the following names could interest the Magic, according to Robbins: Pacers GM David Morway, former Pacers and Knicks exec Donnie Walsh, former Hornets GM Jeff Bower, Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough, and Pacers director of player personnel Kevin Pritchard.
Howard told TMZ.com that his recovery from back surgery is going well and that his back is doing "a lot better." The big man also spoke briefly about Van Gundy, saying that he hates to see anyone lose a job, and reiterating that he had nothing to do with the decision.
Making a radio appearance with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Jeff Van Gundy was critical of Martins and the Magic for the way they handled his brother's dismissal. Scott Schroeder of SBNation.com transcribed a number of Van Gundy's notable quotes, including the broadcaster's opinion on Howard's role in the firing: "To try to make everyone believe that Dwight Howard didn't have a part in this is absurd. Just say 'we fired this guy because we feel this is our best chance to keep Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard and I decided to fire him."