And-Ones: Aldridge, Assistants, Cavs
Clippers players told reporters, including Dan Woike of The Orange County Register, that they’re unsure what they would do if Donald Sterling isn’t removed from ownership by next season. Still, they expressed hope that the issue will be resolved sooner rather than later. “It appears that this will be a long process. Things will be in flux for a while,” J.J. Redick said. “I can’t imagine a scenario where we start the season next year and he’s the owner and all is kosher.” Here’s more from around the league:
- The players union won’t demand a timetable on Sterling’s ouster as long as the league is acting “in good faith” on its promise to remove the Clippers owner, acting union executive director Ron Klempner told reporters, including Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link).
- Extending LaMarcus Aldridge is the Blazers’ first priority moving forward, as Portland GM Neil Olshey tells Erik Gundersen of The Columbian (Twitter link).
- Bobcats assistant coach Bob Beyer is a strong candidate to become Stan Van Gundy‘s top assistant on the Pistons bench, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Andy Greer and Nick Nurse are possibilities to become Steve Kerr‘s assistant coaches with the Warriors, per another Wojnarowski tweet. Greer and Nurse are currently on staff as assistants with the Bulls and Raptors, respectively.
- Mark Jackson won’t be a serious candidate for the Cavs head coaching job, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com hears.
- James Posey could be an assistant coaching candidate for the Cavs, Pluto writes. Posey has been an assistant with Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, and GM David Griffin holds him in high regard.
- Pluto adds that Griffin would love to find a shooter in the draft, and mentions Doug McDermott, Nik Stauskas, and Rodney Hood as intriguing prospects where the Cavs will be drafting.
- In a series of tweets, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News casts doubt on an earlier report that Phil Jackson had “low balled” Kerr. Isola insinuates that if the Knicks played “hardball” with Jackson’s only coaching target, it would have been a result of ownership’s influence, not Jackson’s.
- In another tweet, Isola relays an accusation from a person involved in the Kerr talks that Knicks owner James Dolan “sabotaged” the negotiations.
- Chris Mannix of SI.com weighed in with a tweet of his own, agreeing with Isola that a tough negotiation strategy would have come from Knicks ownership, not Jackson.
Draft Combine Updates: Friday
We gathered a slew of reports connecting draft prospects with teams yesterday on the first full day of the Chicago draft combine, and we’ll do the same today with this post. The latest updates will be on top as we follow the action throughout.
- Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders adds the Pistons, Kings and Suns to the list of teams interviewing Noah Vonleh (Twitter link).
- The Pistons met with Rodney Hood, Ellis tweets, and the Thunder also met with him, Holmes notes (on Twitter).
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo sat down with the Nets, Knicks, Pacers, Cavs, Wizards and Pelicans, according to Woelfel (Twitter link).
2:00pm updates:
- The Pistons have met with Smart and Zach LaVine, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, respectively (Twitter links).
- Smart is also among the players interviewing with the Celtics tonight, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, and the C’s spoke with Aaron Gordon, too, fellow Globe scribe Baxter Holmes notes (Twitter links).
- Gordon also met with the Magic, who are set to meet with James Michael McAdoo, as well, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
- Tyler Ennis is meeting with the Bucks today after interviewing with the Bulls on Thursday, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times and Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com report (Twitter links).
- Jarnell Stokes already worked out for the Raptors, according to Wolstat (on Twitter).
12:02pm updates:
- Dante Exum‘s interview with the Magic went well, he said, adding that the team would like to bring him to Central Florida for a workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins, in a full piece, added Marcus Smart to the list of top prospects who’ve interviewed with the Magic.
- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed a fondness for Smart today in an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz on the network’s coverage of the combine, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (on Twitter).
- Gary Harris told Katz he met with the Raptors, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Pistons, as Zagoria once more passes along via Twitter.
- The Raptors will interview Jordan Adams today, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who says the team also spoke with James Young (Twitter links).
- Zagoria adds the Sixers, Spurs, Clippers, Mavs, Nuggets, Warriors and Bulls to the list of teams that Kyle Anderson either met or is slated to meet (Twitter link).
- Markel Brown said he’ll talk with the Celtics today, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).
Draft Combine Updates: Thursday
The Chicago draft combine is underway, and teams can meet with up to 18 players. With 30 teams, that means there could be as many as 540 interviews this week. We’ll try to keep track of as many as possible here, and we’ll update this post throughout the day as news filters in. Here’s the latest:
- Ennis will meet with the Bobcats and at least four other teams in addition to the organizations listed below, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports.
- Vonleh interviewed with the Wolves, Bucks, Lakers, and Blazers, tweets Robbins, who adds that the big man is scheduled to meet with the Sixers.
Earlier updates:
- LaVine shot very well, and Seth Davis of SI.com hears that he may have helped his stock more than any other prospect today (Twitter link; H/T Wolstat).
- In Exum’s extended quotes transcribed by Sean Deveney of The Sporting News regarding the point guard’s willingness to pressure certain teams not to draft him, Exum said he doesn’t see any of his potential destinations as a bad fit, and is willing to play behind an established point guard.
- LaQuinton Ross will work out for the Cavs on Monday, tweets Jason Lloyd of Akron Beacon Journal.
- The Raptors plan to meet with K.J. McDaniels, McDermott, Payton, Anderson, McDaniels, and possibly Hood, reports Wolstat (via Twitter).
- Hood will meet with the Bulls on Friday, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
- Randle interviewed with the Cavs and will do so with the Bucks, too, as the Plain Dealer and Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel note (Twitter links).
- Patric Young spoke with the Pelicans and has a sit-down with the Grizzlies scheduled, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
- Blakely adds Hood and Noah Vonleh to the Celtics interview list, while Randle and T.J. Warren are talking to Boston, too, according to Holmes (All Twitter links).
- Vonleh says he also has an interview scheduled with the Magic, Robbins notes, adding that Orlando wanted to interview Stauskas, but his meeting schedule is too full (Twitter links). The Magic sat down with Randle on Wednesday, Robbins adds (on Twitter).
- Aaron Gordon met with the Sixers on Wednesday, Pompey tweets.
- Exum will also interview with the Kings, according to Howard-Cooper (on Twitter).
- Julius Randle is meeting with the Sixers today, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- Doug McDermott said he met Wednesday with the Bulls, Hawks and Timberwolves, Robbins observes, and McDermott added that he’s looking forward to a meeting with the Cavs, as Robbins and the Plain Dealer observe (Twitter links).
- Rodney Hood is set to interview with the Wolves tonight, Zgoda tweets. Hood interviewed with the Bobcats on Wednesday, as Bonnell details (Twitter links).
- Kyle Anderson met with the Celtics and he’ll also see the Wolves tonight, Washburn and Zgoda note (Twitter links).
- The Pistons met with Glenn Robinson III on Wednesday, as he tells Langlois (Twitter link).
- Add the Celtics and the Bucks to Exum’s interview agenda, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe and Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel report (Twitter links). Exum thinks he’ll sit down with the Cavs, too, the Plain Dealer notes (on Twitter).
- The Wolves will interview Lavine on Friday after having spoken with James Young on Wednesday, Zgoda tweets.
- The Bobcats have expressed interest in P.J. Hairston, as he tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
- Dante Exum‘s wingspan measured out at nearly 6’10”, and he’ll draw consideration for the No. 1 overall pick from some teams, ESPN’s Chad Ford said on the network’s combine coverage today, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (Twitter link). He denied that he’s angling for the Lakers in the draft, but he wouldn’t rule out pressuring some teams not to take him, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Exum met with the Sixers, Pistons and Suns on Wednesday, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Jazz will also speak with him, report Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel and Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune (All four Twitter links).
- Marcus Smart has interviewed with the Rockets, Raptors, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Cavs, Jazz and Bucks are also on his agenda, as the Plain Dealer, Falk and Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times report (All Twitter links). The Timberwolves won’t interview Smart in Chicago, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears the team is hoping to get him to come to Minnesota for a workout (Twitter link).
- Ontario native Tyler Ennis is excited about the idea of playing for the Raptors and has interviewed with them, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. He’s also met with the Bobcats, Kings, Suns, Thunder and Nuggets, according to Kennedy (on Twitter).
- Nik Stauskas has met with or will meet with the Kings, Pistons and Raptors, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (All Twitter links).
- The Nuggets, Spurs, Warriors and Nets have met with Shabazz Napier, Kennedy tweets.
- The Hawks, Spurs, Thunder, Raptors, Magic, Cavs and Timberwolves met Elfrid Payton, Kennedy reports (Twitter link).
- Zach LaVine interviewed with the Celtics, among others, Wednesday, he tells Blakely (Twitter link).
- Russ Smith sat down with the Suns, Celtics and Blazers, according to Kennedy (via Twitter).
And-Ones: Beilein, Sterling, Wizards, Nets
Two college coaches are intriguing NBA executives, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Michigan’s John Beilein and Virginia’s Tony Bennett seem to be drawing interest from clubs – some who have openings and some that don’t, according to Wojnarowski. Here’s more from around the league..
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement in response to Donald Sterling’s interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN (from Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe on Twitter). Within the interview, Sterling made several disparaging comments about the iconic Magic Johnson.
- The Sterling saga is unlikely to come to full resolution anytime soon, and players union vice president Roger Mason Jr., speaking to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling, once more raised the specter of widespread protest if Sterling isn’t ousted. “We could definitely boycott if that happens,” Mason Jr. said. “I could see not only Clippers players, but the league banding together.”
- Clippers interim CEO Dick Parsons says he has not yet spoken with either of the Sterlings, tweets Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News. He added that he will likely speak with Shelly, but not with Donald.
- Parsons also said he thinks “the outcome is inevitable” that the Clippers will eventually move into new ownership (link).
- The Wizards think they’ll be able to re-sign Marcin Gortat and Trevor Ariza this summer, but bringing both of them back won’t be easy, as TNT’s David Aldridge observes amid his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
- A real estate development company that has a 20% stake in the Nets is putting its share of the team up for sale at $200MM, meaning its valuation of the full franchise is a record $1 billion, reports Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal. There’s been speculation that the Clippers could sell for more than $1 billion.
- Eric Griffin, who was a late cut last pre-season with the Heat after playing for their Summer League team, will join the Raptors‘ Summer League squad, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM. Griffin attended Campbell and played this season in Puerto Rico.
- The Nuggets are seeking a long, defensive-minded shooting guard and locker room leadership this summer, as Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post details.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Raptors Notes: Casey, Lowry, Vasquez, Patterson
Raptors coach Dwane Casey and GM Masai Ujiri held a joint press conference today, an hour or so after the Raptors released a statement confirming that Casey and the team have an agreement in principle on a new three-year contract. Casey and Ujiri touched on that deal and other offseason priorities for Toronto, as we detail:
- Ujiri tried to engage Casey in talks about an extension while the team was treading water early in the season, but the coach decided to leave that discussion until after the season, notes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Casey didn’t think about testing the market once the season was over, believing it would have been disingenuous for him to do so, Wolstat adds (Twitter links).
- Keeping free agent point guard Kyle Lowry is indeed a key priority for the team, Ujiri said, suggesting that Lowry’s affection for the Raptors will make negotiations easier, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Casey had each player sign a document after the All-Star break stating their commitment to the team, and Lowry was the first to sign, observes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (Twitter link).
- Ujiri said the team’s primary focus will be on keeping its own free agents and retaining the core of the team, as Smith and Wolstat pass along (Twitter links). Grange gets the sense that the Raptors intend to re-sign Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson, both of whom will hit restricted free agency this summer (Twitter link).
- Casey identified Vasquez as a cornerstone and called him perhaps the most confident player on the team, according to Grange (on Twitter).
- Size on the wing and maybe a shot blocker are the team’s most significant needs, Ujiri said, but the GM cautions that he’ll allow the Raptors to grow gradually and won’t look for a quick fix, as Grange notes in a pair of tweets.
Raptors, Dwane Casey Agree To Three-Year Deal
TUESDAY, 9:12am: The Raptors formally announced their agreement with Casey, in a press release. Oddly, the release states that the team and the coach have merely agreed in principle, so it appears the contract isn’t yet finalized. Still, the move indicates that they’re at least on track to put pen to paper, with Casey and GM Masai Ujiri scheduled to address the media later this morning.
“From day one last summer Dwane has done an excellent job both on-and-off the court,” Ujiri said as part of the team’s statement. “There’s been growth from each player on the roster and the team’s identity of toughness and a desire to always compete has clearly been established. We’re very excited to continue to grow and develop this team with Dwane as our head coach.”
MONDAY, 6:27pm: Casey will earn just under $4MM per year in his new three-year deal, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (on Twitter).
5:33pm: The Raptors and Dwane Casey have reached agreement on a new three-year deal, sources tell Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (on Twitter).
Casey’s contract expired at the end of this season but a new agreement was widely anticipated. Just last week, Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke told SportsNet 590 The Fan that he wasn’t worried about Casey or free agent Kyle Lowry going anywhere this summer. “Why wouldn’t you want to be here?” Leiweke asked rhetorically. With their coach reportedly locked in through 2016/17, the Raptors’ next task will be to strike a new deal with their star point guard.
All of the buzz in the Atlantic Division this summer went to the Nets and (to a lesser extent) the Knicks, but it was the Raptors who came out on top with a 48-34 record in the regular season. Ultimately, the Nets bested the Raptors in a wild seven game series, but the Raptors took a significant step forward this year and reinvigorated a dormant Toronto fan base.
Between his three years at the helm in Toronto and his one-and-a-half seasons with the Wolves, Casey owns a career 159-193 (.451) record.
Poll: Which Game 7 Loser Will Advance In 2015?
A thrilling weekend of Game 7’s has given way to exit interviews and thoughts about the future for the five teams that lost deciding games in the first round of the playoffs. Some of those teams, like the Hawks and Mavs, can take encouragement that a seven-game series means they’re farther along than they probably thought they were. Others, like the Warriors and Grizzlies, probably didn’t envision sitting at home for the second round when they laid out their plans for the season.
Regardless of where the Hawks, Raptors, Mavs, Grizzlies and Warriors began the season, they’re all in similar positions now. Each team has reason to believe it can be better next year.
Atlanta is on target to have a healthy Al Horford for next season, with close to $15MM in potential cap space this summer. Toronto appears to be a team on the rise, with young talents like DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas and seemingly the inside track to re-sign Kyle Lowry. Dirk Nowitzki remains an elite talent for Dallas, which can clear enough cap room to once more pursue another major star, or at least recruit free agents who can upgrade the team’s defense. The Grizzlies might have advanced beyond the first round if Marc Gasol had been healthy all season and they’d earned a higher seed, and the Memphis front office showed a knack for acquiring useful rotation players on the cheap this year. Golden State is another team on the come, and the series against the Clippers might have been drastically different if Andrew Bogut hadn’t been injured.
All five teams enter the offseason poised to make improvements that can take them beyond the first round next season. Let us know which club you think has the greatest chance to achieve that goal in 2014/15, and feel free to elaborate on your choice in the comments.
Which Game 7 Loser Has The Best Chance To Win A Round In 2015?
-
Toronto Raptors 34% (494)
-
Golden State Warriors 28% (409)
-
Atlanta Hawks 15% (217)
-
Dallas Mavericks 14% (201)
-
Memphis Grizzlies 9% (126)
Total votes: 1,447
Raptors Rumors: Carter, Casey, Ujiri
The Raptors weren’t able to knock off the Nets in their first round matchup, but there’s no denying that things have changed in Toronto. The energy that the Raptors crowd had for Game 7 hasn’t been seen since reign of Vince Carter and we learned earlier today that a reunion could be in the works. Here’s tonight’s look at the Raptors..
- Carter wants to remain with the Mavericks and was surprised to learn of a report that the Raptors could be interested in him, according to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Carter, 37, was one of the most productive Mavs players this season. The 15-year veteran averaged 11.9 points in only 24.4 minutes per game this season while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey wasn’t GM Masai Ujiri‘s hire, but the two worked together previously and have been on the same page in Toronto, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports. Earlier today, the Raptors gave Casey a brand new three-year pact.
- The new deal wasn’t a surprise to the Raptors players who basically said Casey would be back when asked if he should return in 2014/15, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
Eastern Links: Grunfeld, Kerr, Vasquez, Ariza
Ernie Grunfeld‘s contract with the Wizards was believed to run only through this season, but Mike Wise of The Washington Post reports that it covers next season, too. That Grunfeld is on target to return to the team for 2014/15 is no surprise, given Washington’s revival this year, and perhaps Grunfeld may still have the opportunity to parlay the success into an extension. Still, it looks he won’t be hitting the open market this summer. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Steve Kerr was the only voter to have Tim Hardaway Jr. atop his Rookie of the Year ballot. It’s seemingly further indication that Kerr is on his way to the Knicks, and a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that the would-be coach sees re-signing Carmelo Anthony as “vital” to the team’s future, as Berman writes.
- Greivis Vasquez is set for restricted free agency this summer, but he apparently has no intention of leaving the Raptors, as he told reporters today, including Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail (Twitter link). “I want to be back. I truly want to be back … It will truly be heartbreaking if I’m not back,” Vasquez said.
- Trevor Ariza would like to re-sign with the Wizards in free agency this summer and says that returning to the West Coast to be closer to family wouldn’t be his top priority, but the small forward tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post that he’ll go “wherever I’m wanted.”
- Elton Brand remains uncertain about retirement, though Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gets the sense that the 15th-year veteran still thinks he can play (Twitter link).
- Fellow Hawks big man Mike Scott, a restricted free agent, probably earned a raise as he established himself as a key part of Atlanta’s rotation this year, and he says he would like to come back to the team, Vivlamore tweets.
Raptors Notes: Lowry, Casey, Patterson
Kyle Lowry made his affection for the Raptors clear today in speaking to reporters, including Michael Grange of SportsNet, saying, “I love this situation, it’s as simple as that.” That’s as definitive a statement as the soon-to-be free agent has made about Toronto, in Grange’s eyes (Twitter links). Lowry also made note of his enjoyment of playing alongside DeMar DeRozan, who’s on a long-term deal with the Raptors, as Grange observes (on Twitter). Still, while the Raptors appear to have a strong chance of keeping him around, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun gets the sense that his free agency won’t be an open-and-shut case (Twitter link). Here’s more from Toronto:
- Lowry says he’s sure coach Dwane Casey will be back, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun tweets. The “expectation around town” is that Casey, whose contract is up, will receive an extension of at least two years, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Patrick Patterson intends to explore his opportunities in restricted free agency, but he referred to Toronto today as the best of his three NBA stops, Wolstat notes (Twitter links).
- We passed along that the Raptors are considering a run at Vince Carter in an earlier post.