Odds & Ends: Haslem, Howard, Wizards, Lakers
Udonis Haslem will sit out Game 6 of the Heat/Pacers series tonight, serving a one-game suspension for his flagrant foul in Game 5. But Haslem and agent Henry Thomas intend to appeal the suspension nonetheless, hoping to regain the $35K the Heat forward will lose.
"We'll file an appeal to the union," Thomas told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. "This is a guy who has been in the league for nine years and he doesn't have the reputation of being a dirty player. He's a hard-nosed player. But he's not dirty, and he doesn't want this to follow him around. … He's disappointed (with the suspension). He feels he tried to make a play on the ball."
As Haslem waits for his appeal to be heard, here are a few more Thursday notes from around the NBA:
- If Dwight Howard is available this summer, the Rockets are one team who might be willing to trade for him without assurances he'd re-sign, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. I wrote earlier today that acquiring a star will be the Rockets' primary goal this offseason, and even coming off back surgery, Howard would certainly qualify.
- The Wizards have yet to make a decision on coach Randy Wittman, but sources suggest to Michael Lee of the Washington Post that Wittman is a good bet to return to Washington.
- Appearing on Colin Cowherd's radio show, Jerry West weighed in on the state of the Lakers, and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
- One NBA GM told Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) that Dion Waiters might be the player besides Anthony Davis with the most superstar potential in this year's draft class.
- Members of the Pistons' staff were upset that Greg Monroe wasn't named to this summer's U.S. Select Team, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explains why it will be difficult for the Mavericks to trade Lamar Odom next month.
Shaq Not Interested In Magic GM Position
After a report surfaced last night suggesting Shaquille O'Neal would speak to the Magic about their general manager opening, today's discussion centered on whether the possibility was realistic and whether the former MVP would make a good executive. Shaq rendered that speculation moot this afternoon, however, announcing in a statement that he isn't interested in the position, according to Sekou Smith of NBA.com.
"When I first heard about the vacancy for the Orlando Magic general manager position, I was clearly intrigued." O'Neal said in the statement. "I was drafted by the Magic, I have a great love for the franchise, and I have made the city of Orlando my home. Additionally, I have great admiration and respect for the DeVos family. However, this is not a job I have an interest in pursuing. I feel very fortunate to be with TNT and to have the best job in sports. I look forward to many more years with Charles, Kenny and E.J. I wish the best for the Magic and I am confident that they will select a great GM and coach."
With O'Neal out of the running, the Magic will look elsewhere for their next GM, though Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the new general manager may not necessarily be in charge of basketball operations. Orlando may restructure their basketball operations department, team CEO Alex Martins told Robbins.
Another potential candidate for an executive position, Steve Kerr, said on a conference call today that he hasn't been contacted by the Magic and has no interest in a front office position for now, tweets Robbins.
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.
Odds & Ends: Shaq, Howard, Nets, Bobcats
As the Celtics prepare to try to eliminate the Sixers tonight in Philadelphia, let's check out a few links from around the NBA:
- Chris Broussard said on ESPN's NBA Countdown that Shaquille O'Neal could meet with the Magic brass next week about their general manager opening, via Marc Stein's Twitter. That would certainly be an interesting scenario given the Howard situation.
- Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com wonders if the Magic/Dwight Howard mess has become about saving face for the team. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, meanwhile, thinks the Magic need to give Howard a draft-day deadline to decide on his future.
- Nets GM Billy King spoke to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News about former Magic GM Otis Smith, Dwight Howard, and the upcoming draft lottery.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger lists a few players whose free agent stock has declined in the postseason. Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors has been tracking playoff performances by free agents in his Money Time feature, and many of the players he names overlap with Hollinger's picks.
- The Bobcats haven't approached Stan Van Gundy about their head coach opening and he's unlikely to be interested anyway, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com proposes a few trade ideas he thinks could make sense this summer.
- Salary cap expert Larry Coon fielded a numer of readers' questions in a HoopsWorld chat today.
Amick On Bynum, Howard, Deron Williams
Like Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News did last night, SI.com's Sam Amick argues that the Lakers and Magic should explore swapping Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard. Within his piece, Amick drops a few interesting details to support his argument, and touches on Deron Williams' free agent options as well. Here are some highlights:
- When Howard included the Lakers in his list of preferred destinations, it was more a leverage play than a statement he'd sign long-term there, sources tells Amick.
- At the trade deadline, according to Amick, Howard to the Lakers didn't seem like a fit because Howard didn't want to play third-fiddle to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. However, Amick says the dynamic for the Lakers, the Magic, and Howard has changed, and that all involved parties are more desperate for a shake-up now.
- According to a Lakers source, Bynum grew more vocal about his frustrations and was more prone to "acting out" as the season progressed.
- Magic CEO Alex Martins is still confident that Howard can be persuaded to remain in Orlando.
- Amick hears that Deron Williams has some interest in joining the Lakers, though that would only be possible through a sign-and-trade. Williams' preference is for the Nets to improve the roster sufficiently enough that he can feel good about re-signing in Brooklyn.
- Dallas is still a possibility for Williams, but a source tells Amick that there's "no longevity" when it comes to the Mavericks and their roster.
Coaching Rumors: Sloan, Bobcats, Shaw, Skiles
It was a busy day for coaching rumors and speculation on Tuesday, as our morning round of updates was trumped by afternoon news that Jerry Sloan is interested in both current head coach vacancies. Last night, when we asked about Sloan's future, over 70% of poll respondents predicted the former Jazz coach would either land the Magic job or stay retired. Here's the latest on Sloan and a few other coaches, past, present, and perhaps future:
- Sloan told Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune that he has been in contact with Bobcats owner Michael Jordan and could meet with him as early as this week.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld says that if Sloan can truly stomach the massive rebuild facing the Bobcats, the team should give him a long, hard look.
- Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is drawing interest from both the Bobcats and Magic, but he tells Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star that he's still focused on the playoffs for now. "I'm just waiting until I'm done," Shaw said. "I don't want to be a distraction. Right now, the last thing I would want to do is take away from what we're trying to accomplish here."
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times is surprised that Scott Skiles is coming back as coach of the Bucks. According to Woelfel, people close to Skiles "insist he would crawl to Orlando" if it meant landing the Magic job.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Van Gundy, Nets
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Tuesday night:
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel speculates that the Magic will look for an experienced, patient general manager to replace Otis Smith.
- The Oregonian's John Canzano likes the idea of Stan Van Gundy as the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, but cautions that on-court talent should be the team's main focus.
- Fred Kerber of the New York Post relays Nets coach Avery Johnson's optimism that the team will make the playoffs in 2012/13.
Poll: Jerry Sloan’s Future
Earlier today, it was reported that Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan is interested in the vacancies of the Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic. Sloan last appeared in the NBA as head coach of the Utah Jazz, before resigning partway through the 2010/11 season. Do you think he will take either of these jobs? Or will he coach elsewhere? Will he stay retired? Weigh in below.
Where Will Jerry Sloan Coach In 2012/13?
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Orlando 34% (195)
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None, Sloan will stay retired 34% (193)
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Charlotte 20% (112)
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Other 12% (67)
Total votes: 567
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.
Jerry Sloan Interested In Coaching Magic, Bobcats
As I noted this morning when I rounded up a few coaching rumors, the Magic and Bobcats are currently the only two NBA teams searching for a new head coach. While more desirable positions may open up in the next few weeks, former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan expressed his interest in the two current openings to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.
Sloan told Tomasson that the job in Orlando would be "very intriguing" and that the Bobcats' opening interests him as well, since "it's not always about starting at the top." However, he acknowledged that neither team has contacted him. For the Magic, who only let go of Stan Van Gundy about 24 hours ago, that's hardly a surprise, but the Bobcats have been conducting interviews for weeks — I wonder if they've decided to go in a different direction or simply weren't aware of Sloan's interest.
When Sloan left the Jazz last season, he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to coach again, but his desire to return to an NBA bench has resurfaced over time.
"I felt like I needed to get away from basketball," Sloan said. "I worked (26) years (as a head coach). It was time for me to move on and see what was going in the world. That’s been kind of interesting. But I still have that void of basketball."
Whether it's the Magic, the Bobcats, or another team that inquires on Sloan at some point this summer, he intends to keep an open mind.
"I don’t have an agent," Sloan said. "I don’t need for anybody to talk for me. If somebody calls me, I will listen."