Western Notes: Love, Papanikolaou, Jazz
There are rumors circulating that the Lakers will attempt to use this year’s high lottery pick to assemble the sort of trade package that finally convinces the Timberwolves to part with Kevin Love and end the uncertainty that hangs over this franchise even before the 25-year-old enters the final year of his contract, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Many in NBA circles believe that Love will eventually end up in Los Angeles, either via trade or free agency. He grew up in California, attended UCLA and his father, Stan, played for the Lakers, notes Stein.
More from out west:
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey is in Barcelona scouting Kostas Papanikolaou, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post. The rights to the former second round pick of the Knicks were acquired from the Trail Blazers as part of the Thomas Robinson deal. Berman believes Papanikolaou will be in the NBA next season.
- Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders examines what the Jazz need to do in order to rebuild the franchise into a winner.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes that Samuel Dalembert was the “steal” of last year’s free agent class, writes Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Dalembert is averaging 6.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 1.17 BPG in 20.2 minutes per game.
- Holger Geschwindner, who has mentored Dirk Nowitzki since he was a teenager in Wurzburg, Germany, believes the 35-year-old Mavs star can play at a high level for “three or four more years easily,” barring serious injury, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Nowitzki has stated on several occasions that he intends to re-sign with Dallas at a significantly reduced salary after he becomes a free agent this summer. The 16-year veteran, who is projected to finish the season among the top 10 scorers in NBA history, has repeatedly said that his next contract will be for two or three years, writes MacMahon.
Coaching Rumors: D’Antoni, Warriors, Stotts
Mike D’Antoni was exasperated when reporters asked him Thursday about an ESPN.com report that Marshall University, his alma mater, wants him to coach its team. He appeared to downplay the idea, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News observes, but he didn’t completely dismiss it.
“I hear from them all the time,” D’Antoni said. “I’m the head of their capital [fundraising] campaign. I’m close friends to them. Whatever they need, I try to do. But who knows.”
It’s obvious that D’Antoni would prefer to coach the Lakers, Medina writes, though his continued employment in L.A. is uncertain, given his unpopularity with Kobe Bryant and other Lakers players. Here’s more on the coaching market:
- Steve Kerr “could make Warriors owner Joe Lacob’s dreams come true” if the team lets go of coach Mark Jackson in the offseason, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). Lacob held Kerr in high regard as an executive when Kerr left his post as Suns GM in 2010, as Amick notes in a second tweet. Grantland’s Zach Lowe also believes that Kerr could be in the mix to coach the Warriors (on Twitter).
- The Warriors would be unlikely to seek a big-name, established coach, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Warriors brass wanted more of an X’s-and-O’s coach to take over as lead assistant when Michael Malone left, but Jackson, who’s sensitive to the notion he’s not strong at in-game tactics, chose Pete Myers instead, Kawakami writes in a full piece.
- The Blazers and Terry Stotts haven’t had any talks about an extension, nor have they discussed the team picking up its 2014/15 option on his contract, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who explains that it’s no surprise. GM Neil Olshey has a longstanding policy against negotiating contracts during the season, Haynes writes. Olshey, then Clippers GM, retained Vinny Del Negro when he was at precisely the same point in his contract in which Stotts now finds himself.
Coaching Rumors: Jackson, T’Wolves, Adelman
The topic of Mark Jackson’s job security with the Warriors is riddled with complexity, and ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez and J.A. Adande discuss how this year’s struggles may affect the third-year head coach’s future in Oakland. Gutierrez suggests that Jackson bears some responsibility for Golden State’s frustrating play at times this year, while Adande surmises that Jackson will be in big trouble if the Warriors fail to improve on their six playoff wins from last season. Adande adds that ownership has spent nearly half of a billion dollars to purchase the team and upgrade the arena, and doesn’t think that patience accompanies those types of expenditures.
You can find additional coaching-related links below, including more from the above piece:
- Adande believes that a contract extension for Jackson would imply a significant vouch of support from management; however, the fact that there hasn’t been one yet makes him wonder if anyone within the organization’s hierarchy has Jackson’s back.
- Gutierrez thinks the Warriors are hastily trying to figure out Jackson’s potential as a head coach, and that Jackson could be heading into the postseason with his future in Golden State on the line.
- Timberwolves executive Flip Saunders is close to college coaches Fred Hoiberg and Tom Izzo, both of whom owner Glen Taylor admires, notes Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Walters senses that the chances of Rick Adelman returning to coach the Wolves are “remote” and points to the team’s coaching search from six years ago, when the team was willing to give the job to Izzo. Still, Izzo was strident in saying this week that he has no interest in coaching the Pistons. Saunders will be in New York to watch both Hoiberg and Izzo coach in the NCAA tournament this week, Walters adds via Twitter.
- Aside from Mark Jackson, there are many other coaches are in worse situations, notes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Toronto’s Dwane Casey, Washington’s Randy Wittman , Portland’s Terry Stotts, and Utah’s Tyrone Corbin are all finishing up their contracts this year and have yet to receive extensions.
- Deveney also groups Knicks coach Mike Woodson with Corbin as two contract-year coaches who are on “ice that is thin as ice can get”, though it’s worth mentioning that Woodson actually had his 2014/15 contract option picked up last September.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Northwest Notes: Rubio, Love, Nuggets, Crabbe
With the Timberwolves’ loss to Memphis last night, Minnesota appears to be all but officially eliminated from playoff contention. Hollinger’s Playoff Odds at ESPN.com now have the team making the postseason 0% of the time in 5,000 simulations of 2013/14’s remaining schedule. Here’s more on the Wolves and the rest of the NBA’s Northwest Division:
- Ricky Rubio wants to remain in Minnesota, but he also wants to take part in the playoffs, as he tells Nacho Albarran of As.com (translation via HoopsHype). Rubio, who’ll become eligible to sign an extension in the offseason, predicts that 2015 free agent Kevin Love will stay with the Timberwolves.
- The Nuggets are another Northwest club set to miss the postseason, but coach Brian Shaw is excited for what his squad will be capable of next season now that they understand the system he’s putting in place, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. “Everybody now has an understanding of exactly what I expect of them, how we want to play and what we want to do going forward,” said Shaw. “I’ve said that this is going to be a year of discovery to really understand what it is that we have to work with“
- The Blazers have assigned Allen Crabbe to the D-League, the team announced. It will be Crabbe’s second such assignment this season. The rookie has averaged 2.1 points in a meager 5.1 minutes per contest this season for Portland, but he’ll be in line to see more playing time for the D-League’s Idaho Stampede.
- Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune thinks that Jazz fans should blame coach Tyrone Corbin for Utah’s lack of overall enthusiasm in recent weeks. The club has won just four of its last 19 games and figures to finish the season near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southeast Rumors: Oden, Exum, Hawks, Neal
Heat center Greg Oden will play against the Blazers tonight for the first time in his career, which began when Portland made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2007. Still, there are few emotions involved, as Oden tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
“I think it’s been two years since I was there. Guys move on,” Oden said. “It’s a business like that. I’m happy those guys are still there and doing their thing. [I’m] especially happy for LaMarcus [Aldridge] who is an All-Star and you know, you got to move on.”
Here’s more from the Southeast Division, which is in line to send four teams to the playoffs:
- The Magic are probably locked into the third-worst record in the league, as our Reverse Standings show. Even if they don’t have any lottery luck and fail to move up, they’re in fine shape, since they’re most interested in Dante Exum, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who writes in his latest Insider-only “Tank Rank” column.
- The Hawks have received NBA approval for their sale of minority shares of the team to five investors, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The additions bring the number of stakeholders to 12, including primary owner Bruce Levenson.
- Since being traded to the Bobcats, guard Gary Neal has had a significant impact over the course of the last 12 games, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Charlotte was in desperate need of scoring and Neal has brought it. The former Buck is averaging 12.5 points per contest, which would be a career high for a full season.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Jackson, Draft, Parker
Agents aren’t pleased with the notion of raising the NBA’s minimum age, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News examines. They feel shut out of the union’s search for a new executive director and they’re worried that whomever the union picks will be hurried to the bargaining table to discuss the age issue, Deveney writes.
More from around the league:
- Pierre Jackson will likely join the Pelicans for summer league action, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who shares the tidbit in his weekly power rankings. Jackson signed for the rest of this season with a Turkish team shortly before the trade deadline.
- Mike Tokito of The Oregonian details Trail Blazers rookie Allen Crabbe‘s up-and-down season, as well as the player’s thoughts on the benefits of playing in the D-League.
- Who will be the first player taken in this year’s NBA draft? Joel Brigham, Alex Kennedy, Jessica Camerato, and Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders debate the issue.
- Speaking of the first pick, Jabari Parker is making a strong case that it should be him, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. He believes that Parker is the most complete player in the entire draft, despite not having “elite” athleticism.
- Pau Gasol is unsure if his pending free agency will be affected by Kobe Bryant‘s recent criticism of the Lakers front office, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.
- Mavs owner Mark Cuban isn’t sure if the Lakers will ever be able to recapture their magic without Jerry Buss around, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Cuban said, “Jerry Buss was the Lakers, so I don’t know if the Lakers will ever be the Lakers. I don’t think there was a smarter owner in the history of the NBA than Jerry Buss. So that’s tough to replace. I don’t think people realize just how good an owner Jerry was.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
West Notes: D’Antoni, Jackson, Blazers, Spurs
There are a lot of different takes on coach Mike D’Antoni within the Lakers organization, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. One league source says the Lakers have not offered any indication D’Antoni’s job has become in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the Lakers don’t plan to evaluate him until after this season ends on April 16th and they may not decide definitely then, either. More out of the West..
- The Knicks’ hire of Phil Jackson puts pressure on Blazers owner Paul Allen and GM Neil Olshey, writes John Canzano of The Oregonian. If Jackson can pull the Knicks out of their mediocre spin and make a deep run in the playoffs before the Blazers do, it’s going to confirm what many have said all along – that Allen would be better off simply hiring good basketball people and getting out of the way.
- The Blazers announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled guard Allen Crabbe from the Idaho Stampede of the D-League. During Crabbe’s three-game stint in Idaho he averaged 16.7 points and 5.3 rebounds and shot 42.6 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from three-point range.
- The Spurs announced that they have recalled forward Austin Daye from the Austin Toros of the D-League. In Saturday night’s contest against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Daye recorded 27 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots in 40 total minutes. The California native has appeared in two games for the Spurs’ varsity squad, averaging 3.0 points in 1.5 minutes per contest.
Western Notes: Fisher, Warriors, Barbosa
Thunder guard Derek Fisher has said that he plans on calling it quits after this season, but Kevin Durant plans on speaking with his family this offseason about allowing him to delay his retirement, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) adds that the last time she spoke to Fisher, he joked that retirement was still the plan but he’d “go to Montana for a week after the year, then decide.” More from the Western Conference..
- The Warriors announced that they have assigned guard Nemanja Nedovic to the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League. Nedovic has appeared in seven games (five starts) for Santa Cruz this season, compiling averages of 15.6 points, 3.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.14 steals in 26.6 minutes.
- Leandro Barbosa, who is recovering from a hand injury, doesn’t expect to return until the playoffs, the guard told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The 31-year-old is averaging 7.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 18.4 minutes per game this season for the Suns.
- The Blazers announced that they have assigned rookie guard Allen Crabbe to the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede. The 21-year-old is averaging 2.0 points, 0.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 4.9 minutes in 12 games for the Trail Blazers this season. Acquired by Portland in a draft day trade with Cleveland, Crabbe was the 31st overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft out of California
Western Links: Bledsoe, Watson, Carter
Eric Bledsoe is scheduled to return to game action for the Suns sometime in the next week, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. He will be back on the court either Monday at the Clippers, or Wednesday at home against the Cavs. Before he went down with an injury, the future restricted free agent averaged 18.0 PPG and 5.8 APG. After starting the season 19-11, the team has cooled slightly and gone 16-14 without Bledsoe.
More from the west:
- Chris Haynes of of CSNNW.com details the choice that Blazers guard Earl Watson will have to make this off season between continuing his playing career or coaching.
- 37 year-old Vince Carter believes he can play two more seasons, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). The Mavs swingman is averaging 11.9 PPG in 24.3 minutes per contest this year. Carter will be an unrestricted free-agent after the season.
- Mike Trudell of NBA.com looks at the dividends the recently acquired Kent Bazemore is paying for the Lakers. Since being picked up, he has averaged 15.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.5 APG while playing 32.5 MPG. Trudell also looks at whether this production is worth the team considering keeping him around beyond this season.
D-League Notes: Blazers, Mavs, Hamilton
The Blazers are ending their one-to-one affiliation with the D-League’s Idaho Stampede and will share an affiliate with other NBA teams next season, reports Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. GM Neil Olshey prefers to let Portland’s assistant coaches develop talent rather than farm the job out, as Freeman explains.
More D-League news:
- The Mavs have assigned Jae Crowder, Bernard James and Shane Larkin to the D-League, and they’ve recalled Ricky Ledo, the team announced. It’ll be a one-game stint for the trio of assignees, notes Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who first reported the moves (Twitter links).
- Xavier Henry will see those three Mavs tonight when the affiliates for Dallas and the Lakers meet up, since the Lakers have sent Henry to the D-League, the team announced. It’s a rehab assignment for Henry, who’s been out since December 29th, tweets Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
- The Wizards Otto Porter had been mentioned as a candidate to head to the D-League, but that looks less likely to happen now, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Porter is needed for depth in case Martell Webster or Trevor Ariza suffer an illness or an injury. The team might also resist sending him down as not to damage his confidence, opines Michael.
- Dakota Schmidt of SB Nation profiles Sioux Falls 7-footer Justin Hamilton, and thinks that he is the most talented big man still available to make the jump to the NBA. The former second-round pick out of LSU has developed quite the offensive arsenal and could be the next player to land a 10-day contract, opines Schmidt.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.