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Pacific Rumors: Clippers, Scott, Kings, Buford

May 30th, 2013 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few items of note from out of the Pacific Division on a Thursday afternoon:

The Clippers have gotten in touch with at least one of the coaching candidates presumed to be on their list of targets. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reports that the team has contacted Byron Scott, and while no formal interview has been scheduled yet, Scott is interested in the job.
Scott is currently the leading vote-getter in our poll from earlier this afternoon asking who will be the Clippers' next head coach. The former Cavs coach is barely edging out Pacers assistant Brian Shaw for now.
With Vivek Ranadive assuming control of the Kings, he'll need to divest himself of his stake in the Warriors, as Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News notes. Kawakami has heard estimates that Ranadive's share of the Warriors was about 10% (Twitter links).
Speaking of Ranadive's Kings, a report earlier this week had suggested the new ownership group in Sacramento would be targeting R.C. Buford as the Kings' head of basketball operations. However, the Spurs GM said today that he's exactly where he wants to be in San Antonio, and that he's not going anywhere, as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News writes.

Coaching Rumors: Pistons, Hollins, Kings, 76ers

May 29th, 2013 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of the NBA's head coaching vacancies have been filled this week, with the Suns, Bobcats, and Hawks all deciding on new head coaches. Still, plenty of jobs remain open, including higher-profile positions in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Let's round up the latest rumblings on the Association's coaching carousel….

Sam Amick of USA Today follows up on his earlier report (linked below), tweeting that the reason the Kings may move quickly to hire Malone is a fear he'll be gone if they wait. Malone is expected to interview with the Clippers soon, according to Amick (via Twitter). Amick adds that the Kings have yet to contact Chris Mullin about the team's GM position.

Earlier updates:

The Pistons have interviewed Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin for their head coaching opening, reports CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes. While Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks are viewed as the favorites in Detroit, Griffin's extensive phone interview with GM Joe Dumars was "impressive," a source tells Haynes. The Bulls assistant also interviewed for the Suns job before Phoenix hired Jeff Hornacek.
Although the Nets are among the teams hoping to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Grizzlies coach told reporters, including Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, that he's not sure Memphis will grant rival suitors permission to talk to him before his contract expires on June 30th.
Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group backs up Peter Vecsey's report that Michael Malone appears likely to be hired as the Kings' next head coach. Sam Amick of USA Today is hearing the same thing, noting that the team could bring Malone aboard before hiring a general manager, which would be an unorthodox approach.
Amick also passes along an update on the Kings' search for a new head of basketball operations, reporting that the team has interviewed Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk and will likely interview Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace later this week. The Thunder denied Sacramento permission to speak to OKC's assistant GM Troy Weaver, while Spurs GM R.C. Buford isn't expected to have interest in the Kings job, according to Amick.
The 76ers continue to move slowly in their coaching search, and have yet to formally interview a candidate for the job, says John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Odds & Ends: Ujiri, Oladipo, Dooling, Grizzlies

May 28th, 2013 at 4:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier in the day, we heard that a decision from Masai Ujiri on whether he'll be running the Raptors or Nuggets could come as early as today. But according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), Ujiri won't decide whether or not to accept the Raptors' offer until he meets with Denver ownership. That meeting could happen today or tomorrow, says Berger, so we may be waiting one more day to get closure on the Ujiri saga. In the meantime, let's round up a few odds and ends from across the NBA:

While Nerlens Noel remains atop the latest version of Chad Ford's big board at ESPN.com (Insider link), there's a new name at No. 2, with Victor Oladipo on the rise in a big way.
In an interesting piece for Grantland.com, Zach Lowe revisits the 2011 trade that sent George Hill to the Pacers and Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs, exploring how negotiations played out on draft night two years ago, and outlining how it's turned into a great deal for both teams.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic lauds Phoenix's hiring of Jeff Hornacek, writing that the former Suns guard has what it takes to become a very good head coach.
After announcing his retirement last year, Keyon Dooling returned to sign with the Grizzlies toward the end of the 2012/13 season, and he intends to play again next season, tweets Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
The Grizzlies are facing major decisions on a coach and a GM in addition to a handful of players, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld details.
No decisions have been made on Paul Pierce's future yet, Celtics GM Danny Ainge tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, which echoes a report we passed along earlier.
Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge examines the possibility of the Trail Blazers trading out of next month's draft.
As Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside writes, the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League are hoping to enter a hybrid affiliation with a single NBA team.

Hawks Hire Mike Budenholzer

May 28th, 2013 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

3:26pm: The Hawks have officially announced the hiring of Budenholzer in a press release.

"We are thrilled to have Mike as the next coach of the Atlanta Hawks. He has an incredible basketball acumen and has a keen awareness of the league and what it takes to be successful," Ferry said in a statement. "His experience and four championships over the last 17 years provide a tremendous foundation for his leadership of our team."

3:13pm: The Hawks have reached an agreement to hire Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had previously reported that the two sides were engaged in "serious talks" about the position.

With the move, Atlanta becomes the fourth team to hire a new head coach this season, along with the Cavaliers, Suns, and Bobcats. The hiring of Budenholzer also assures that Larry Drew won't return as the team's coach next season — Drew had remained under contract, though he has been exploring other options and moving forward as if he won't receive an extension.

Budenholzer has been a member of the Spurs' organization since the 1994/95 season, acting as an assistant coach since '96/97 and crossing paths with Hawks GM Danny Ferry during Ferry's two separate stints in the Spurs' front office. Budenholzer has been Gregg Popovich's top assistant in San Antonio since the 2007/08 season.

Before the Hawks reached an agreement with Budenholzer, Stan Van Gundy was among the candidates linked to the team's coaching opening, but Van Gundy eventually decided not to coach in 2013/14. A pair of coaches who spent last season with CSKA Moscow, Ettore Messina and Quin Snyder, were also rumored to be considered by Atlanta.

Mike Budenholzer, Hawks In Serious Talks

May 28th, 2013 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks are engaged in "serious talks" with Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer about becoming Atlanta's new head coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). ESPN.com's Chris Broussard had reported last week that many league insiders viewed Budenholzer as the frontrunner for the Hawks' coaching opening.

While the Spurs remain active in the postseason, having swept the Grizzlies to earn a spot in the NBA Finals, they'll have nine days off before their next series gets underway. As such, the team is allowing its longtime assistant coach to negotiate with the Hawks during that period, assuming Budenholzer is Atlanta's choice for its head coach, writes TNT's David Aldridge.

Budenholzer, who worked with Atlanta GM Danny Ferry back when Ferry was a member of the Spurs' front office, also interviewed for the Pistons and 76ers for their coaching openings, as Aldridge notes. If he were to land the Hawks' job, Budenholzer would be replacing Larry Drew, who technically remains under contract in Atlanta, but is exploring other options — Drew will have a second interview the Bucks tomorrow.

Real Madrid To Pursue Tiago Splitter?

May 28th, 2013 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 8:09am: Asked about the Real Madrid rumor by Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News, Splitter laughed them off, explaining that it sounds like a campaign promise made by a candidate for team president.

"That’s because they’re having an election," Splitter said. "Every guy who runs for club president promises to bring in this guy or that guy so they can get elected."

Of course, that doesn't mean Real Madrid won't try to make a play for Splitter, but as I suggested below, it'd be a long shot.

MONDAY, 3:59pm: Playing a major role for a Spurs team that appears Finals-bound, Tiago Splitter is building a nice case for a big payday this summer, when he becomes a restricted free agent. And it appears Splitter's suitors in July may not be limited to NBA teams. According to Spanish radio station Cadena SER (via the San Antonio Express-News), Spain's Real Madrid intends to make Splitter their top target this offseason.

While it's unlikely that Real Madrid will be able to compete financially with the offers Splitter will receive from NBA teams, the club can afford to pay more than many international teams. A year ago, Real Madrid landed NBA free agent Rudy Fernandez, signing him to a three-year deal worth nine million Euros — at the time, that translated to about $11.31MM USD.

Still, the bidding for Splitter figures to exceed that territory. Writing for the Express-News, Dan McCarney speculates that Splitter could be in line for an annual salary worth between $6MM and $10MM, and that sounds about right to me. Playing just 24.7 MPG in San Antonio in 2012/13, Splitter set career-highs in PPG (10.3), RPG (6.4), and several other categories, as well as posting an 18.7 PER. At age 28, he's in his prime, and figures to receive a nice raise on this year's $3.94MM salary.

Kings Searching For New President

May 27th, 2013 at 5:11pm CST by Zachary Links

New Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has begun the process of finding a replacement for President Geoff Petrie, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. Sam Amick of USA Today reports that Ranadive is considering Spurs President R.C. Buford, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, and Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace.

Former Pacers general manager David Morway may also receive consideration and Ranadive is believed to be open to other names. The former Warriors minority owner is also consulting with his Warriors colleagues on the search. That includes Jerry West, a Warriors consultant who worked with Wallace in Memphis and Schlenk at Golden State.

Buford would be a major get for the Kings but he is unlikely to have interest in his job given the success that he has had in San Antonio. Wallace, meanwhile, would surely consider the job considering his minimized role in Memphis.

Poll: Which Underdog Is More Likely To Advance?

May 23rd, 2013 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming into the Conference Finals, the Grizzlies were viewed by many pundits and observers as a decent bet to knock off the Spurs. Memphis had won eight of its last nine games against two top-five teams in the Western Conference – the Clippers and Thunder – and the Grizzlies' 2011 upset of the Spurs was still fresh in most fans' minds.

On the other hand, not many of us gave the Pacers much chance against the defending champion Heat. The presence of LeBron James and Indiana's lack of depth had most prognosticators taking Miami in five or six games.

So far, neither the Grizzlies or Pacers have managed to win a game in their respective Conference Finals, but there's reason to believe there's still hope for a comeback on each team's part. The Grizzlies are heading back home coming off a tight overtime loss, while the Pacers were a buzzer-beating LeBron layup away from stealing Game One in Miami.

With the Grizzlies down 2-0 and the Pacers down 1-0, there's a good chance neither team will complete a comeback. But if you had to bet on one of the two, which underdog do you feel has the better chance to pull off the upset?

Southwest Notes: Parsons, Grizzlies, McGrady

May 20th, 2013 at 6:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest out of the Southwest Division as the Spurs look to go up 2-0 on the Grizzlies tonight..

Chandler Parsons of the Rockets has switched from agent Mark Bartelstein to Dan Fegan, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Parsons says that he made the change in an effort to “maximize his brand”.
Former Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace took a lot of flack for trading Pau Gasol to the Lakers five years ago, but no one is complaining now, writes Peter May of Sheridan Hoops. Wallace was widely roasted for making what appeared to be a very one-sided deal, but the emergence of Pau’s brother, Marc Gasol, has vindicated him.
Tracy McGrady isn’t a key player for the Spurs, but the veteran says that he is “living the dream” as he tries to help them advance beyond the conference finals in a limited role, writes NBA.com’s Fran Blinebury. McGrady spent the bulk of the year in China but hooked on with San Antonio at the end of the season.

Western Notes: Mavs, Perkins, Fisher, Lakers

May 16th, 2013 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, Dirk Nowitzki addressed the Mavericks' desire to bring some major talent on board this summer in free agency, going into a little detail about the pitch he expects potential targets to receive. Nowitzki spoke about the same topic today, reiterating that it's "pretty obvious" he'll be in line for a pay cut in the summer of 2014, which will allow the team to flexible in handing out bigger-money contracts to other players. Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News has the details and the quotes from Nowitzki.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Western Conference:

Although he's the likeliest amnesty candidate on the Thunder's roster, Kendrick Perkins told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman (Twitter link), that he's "pretty sure" he'll still be on the team next season.
Derek Fisher also told the media, including Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), that he'd like to return to the Thunder, adding that he isn't considering retirement yet.
If the Lakers explore the free agent market this summer, they'll likely be shopping for bargains. Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com identifies a few potential targets for the club.
With the Spurs and Pacers each one win away from their respective Conference Finals, Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News recalls the Kawhi Leonard/George Hill swap consummated by the two teams, calling it "the definition of a win/win trade."