Amico On Gee, Cavs, Ilyasova, Humphries
So far this season, rumors surrounding restricted free agent Alonzo Gee have invariably involved the Suns, who are eyeing the Cavs guard and reportedly considering making him a four-year, $16MM offer. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, however, Phoenix isn't the only team preparing to pursue Gee. The Wizards, Celtics, and Rockets will also have the 25-year-old "high on their wish list," says Amico, adding that the Cavs like Gee and hope to keep him. Here are a few more rumblings from around the league courtesy of Amico….
Wizards To Sign Randy Wittman To Two-Year Deal
MONDAY, 10:11am: The Wizards officially announced today that they'll retain Randy Wittman as head coach, according to a team release. The team didn't release terms of the contract, but according to previous reports, it will be for two years.
"We are excited to bring Randy back as head coach and give him the opportunity to build on the positive momentum that the team showed under his leadership last season," said Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld. "We were very pleased with the development of our young players and the commitment to winning he instilled despite taking over the team under difficult circumstances."
Odds & Ends: Raptors, Bobcats, Wroten
With the eighth, 37th, and 56th selections in this upcoming NBA Draft, the Raptors could potentially draft three rookies in addition to bringing last year's draft pick, Jonas Valanciunas, into the fold for next season. Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld spoke with GM Bryan Colangelo, who is looking to explore multiple scenarios with his second round picks. Colangelo admits that bringing in three rookies may not be the best scenario, and that he will consider packaging picks in order to move up the draft board or possibly make a second round selection with the intention of developing that prospect in Europe for a few years. Here's more of what we're hearing from around the league this evening, including an update of the Bobcats head coaching search.
Wizards Notes: Wittman, Draft, Robinson
So far this week, we've heard that the Wizards will shop Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis before the draft and that they intend to retain coach Randy Wittman. We've also seen the team land the third overall pick in the lottery, and heard owner Ted Leonsis say it won't be traded. What other news is coming out of Washington as the week approaches its end? Let's round up today's Wizards updates….
Draft Rumors: Bobcats, Cavs, Kings, Blazers
Following the Hornets' lottery win, ESPN.com's Chad Ford published his newest mock draft, which includes a handful of interesting scenarios, including Dion Waiters jumping to eighth overall and Austin Rivers slipping to 18th. With less than four weeks until draft day, Ford continues to talk to sources and visit workouts to get a better sense of how things will play out on June 28th. His latest draft blog (Insider link) explores potential options for the top 10 picks and is chock-full of interesting tidbits. Let's round up some of the highlights….
Wizards Owner Talks Draft, Wittman, Offseason
The Wizards haven't earned a playoff spot since the 2007/08 season, meaning their appearances at the draft lottery have been frequent in recent years. Owner Ted Leonsis tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that he hopes this is the last time he'll have to attend the lottery, since "it's not a lot of fun" to keep sweating out the outcome of the ping pong balls. Leonsis also spoke at length about the direction of the franchise, addressing the third overall pick, the team's needs, and the head coach. Here are a few highlights….
Draft Lottery Results
The results are in and New Orleans has won the right to draft Anthony Davis this June as the Hornets secured the top spot in the NBA draft. Count the Nets and Jazz among the lottery's losers as Brooklyn lost their draft pick to the Trail Blazers and Utah missed out on an opportunity to take the Warriors' selection. The Nets would have kept their pick if they had landed one of the top three spots in the draft whereas the Jazz would have netted a lottery pick if the Warriors fell outside of the top seven selections.
Wizards To Shop Lewis, Blatche Before Draft
Of the nine players the Wizards have money committed to for 2012/13, six are on rookie contracts. Nene, Rashard Lewis, and Andray Blatche are the only veterans on the roster, and Washington is expected to part ways with two of them this summer. According to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, the Wizards will try to move Lewis and Blatche via trade prior to the draft, rather than paying them not to play for the team.
Southeast Notes: Bobcats, Wizards, Mason
Here are a few interesting bits from around the NBA's Southeast Division:
- From the Charlotte Observer, Tom Sorensen writes that the Bobcats didn't tank games this season. They just weren't a very good team. He follows that up by comparing possible number one pick Anthony Davis' impact with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
- From the same outlet, Rick Bonnell writes about ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy's assertion that the Bobcats did in fact tank their season in order to have the best odds at tomorrow night's lottery.
- The Washington Post's Michael Lee brings Wizards center Kevin Seraphin's late season surge to light.
- Roger Mason would like to return to the Wizards after ending his season with some stellar play. Mason shot 42.5% from the three-point line in his final 31 games.
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.