Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Bulls, Robinson, Cavs, Handy

2013-05-17T23:04:15-05:00

A spring evening without an NBA playoff game is like a day without sunshine for many of us, but tomorrow, the Central Division champion Pacers will try one more time to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the Reggie Miller era. If they get there, they'll try to avoid becoming the third straight Central team eliminated by the Heat, who already knocked out the Bucks and Bulls. Here's the latest from the division:

Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com figures Nate Robinson has played his last game for the Bulls. Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Marquis Teague will all probably be around to play point guard, and Robinson's performance will likely make him too pricey for Chicago.
Bulls GM Gar Forman addressed the specter of a missed season for Rose with Adam Fluck of Bulls.com, and in spite of an offseason of personnel decisions ahead, Forman identifies simply getting healthy as the team's primary goal this summer.
Bulls president and COO Michael Reinsdorf praised the work of Forman and executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson, as Fluck passes along in a separate piece.
If the Cavaliers wind up picking third, their current position in the pre-lottery order, Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer expects the team to target a small forward, and take a backup big man with the 19th selection.
Boyer also reports in her piece that the Cavs have hired Phil Handy, an assistant coach with the Lakers, to serve as an assistant under head coach Mike Brown. The Cavs have yet to make an official announcement.
Former Cavs assistant Nate Tibbetts joined the Blazers staff this week, a move one executive classifies as a "home run hire" for Portland, notes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The Bobcats had been interested in Tibbetts for their head coaching job.

Bobcats In Process Of Changing Name To Hornets

2013-05-17T22:46:27-05:00

The Bobcats have begun the process necessary to change their nickname to the Hornets, a source tells Will Brinson of CBSSports.com. It doesn't look like the switch will take place in time for next season, since NBA commissioner-in-waiting Adam Silver told Bobcats season ticketholders last month that it would take at least 18 months to implement the change. Still, it appears the Hornets nickname, recently abandoned by the New Orleans Pelicans, could be back in Charlotte by the 2014/15 season.

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has expressed a willingness to adopt the Hornets name, which would reunite the city with a moniker that left for New Orleans in 2002. The 'Cats began conducting market research in January on the possibility of a change, and the league has been working with the franchise to determine whether the switch would be beneficial. Jordan said in February that the results from a poll of the team's fans were "very mixed," but it looks like there's enough support for the effort to move ahead.

Silver told the season ticketholders there would be no legal hang-up, since the NBA, and not the Pelicans, owns the rights to the Hornets name. Brinson discovered that the league created and registered the NBAHornets.com URL this week.

The change might invoke fond memories in Charlotte, though it could lead to some bookkeeping headaches down the road, particularly when it comes to historical research of trades involving the former Hornets and the apparent future Hornets, one of which took place this past season.

Draft Combine Latest: Friday Evening

2013-05-17T22:00:00-05:00

As day three of the NBA draft combine comes to a close, updates are still coming in from reporters stationed in Chicago for the event, which runs through Sunday. We covered the news from the first part of the day in this post, and we'll round up additional items here:

Robbins adds Victor Oladipo and Nate Wolters to the list of players the Magic have interviewed, which includes a total of 18 prospects. Trey Burke isn't one of them, but he'll likely visit Orlando soon for a lengthy workout and interview.
Zeller has interviewed with 10 teams at the combine, and the Sixers are one of them, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Earlier updates:

Nerlens Noel told Andy Katz of ESPN that he's interviewed with the Celtics, Magic, Bobcats, Suns, Pelicans and Cavaliers, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv passes along. Katz also hears Gorgui Dieng and Jamaal Franklin are hopeful they'll be healthy enough to work out before the draft. Alex Len won't be ready to hit the court until August, but he's planning to talk with 15 teams at the combine, according to Katz.
Dennis Schroeder is one of a pair of international prospects rumored to have received a promise from a team, and he said following an interview with the Bucks at the combine that Milwaukee could be a fit for him, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Schroeder also sees a chance for playing time with the Jazz.
The Magic interviewed Otto Porter during the combine, and scheduled a meeting with Kelly Olynyk as well, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links).
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News counts Cody Zeller among those with a shot at becoming the top pick after an impressive showing in drills today.
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press adds Brandon Paul and Tony Mitchell to the list of Pistons interviewees. Paul has a workout with the team scheduled for later this month.
The Oregonian's Jason Quick looks at the prospect interview process the Trail Blazers employ, and adds that GM Neil Olshey flew to Europe this spring to scout Rudy Gobert and Dario Saric, who aren't taking part in the combine.

Northwest Rumors: Pierce, Kahn, Johnson, Martin

2013-05-17T21:06:29-05:00

A Northwest Division team has appeared in the Western Conference Finals four of the last six seasons, but with the top-seeded Thunder on early summer vacation after their loss to the Grizzlies, that trend has come to an end. The focus now shifts to offseason movement, and we've got the latest on a pair of Northwest teams here:

New Timberwolves executive Flip Saunders served as an adviser to Celtics coach Doc Rivers last year, but even if Boston elects to waive Paul Pierce, a source downplays the notion that Pierce could join the Wolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Wolfson, in his roundup of Minnesota items, hears that former Wolves GM David Kahn told friends he thought he'd assume the same position with the Sixers, who instead hired Sam Hinkie as their new GM.
The minimum salary contract of Chris Johnson, the backup big man the Wolves signed when they were short on bodies this season, is fully guaranteed for next season, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link).
Kevin Martin hesitated before issuing the standard player line about wanting back with his team next season, and Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman interprets that as a sign he's ready to move on. She thinks the Thunder would be hard-pressed to bring him back on even half of his $12.4MM salary from this season.
Of course, the Thunder wouldn't have a decision to make on Martin if they hadn't pulled the trigger on the James Harden deal, a move Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com chalks up as a blunder.

Chris Copeland To Push For Raise

2013-05-17T19:55:06-05:00

Perhaps the most unlikely success this season in the NBA was enjoyed by 29-year-old Knicks rookie Chris Copeland, who stuck with the team all season after arriving at training camp with no guaranteed deal. His 13 points helped spark New York's win in Game Five against the Pacers last night, and agent John Spencer is hoping to turn his surprising performance this season into a financial windfall for his client. Spencer said Copeland wants to find a way to stay with the Knicks, but "wants to get paid" as well.

Zwerling hears three teams are interested in negotiating with Copeland when he becomes a restricted free agent on July 1st. A source told Marc Berman of the New York Post that Copeland may seek a contract similar to Steve Novak's four-year, $16MM deal in the offseason, and Spencer says the same to Zwerling, envisioning the 6'9" forward's value to merit an annual salary between $3.5MM and $5MM.

Copeland is on a minimum-salary deal this year, making just $473,604, plus whatever his playoff share from New York's run will be. The Knicks, a luxury tax team, could use his Non-Bird rights to give him $988,872, the amount of his qualifying offer. They could also use their taxpayer's mid-level exception to give him up to $3,182,700, but, as our Luke Adams wrote today, that would preclude the Knicks from signing many free agents from other teams.

As Zwerling notes, the Knicks have plenty of decisions to make regarding free agents this summer, with Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith topping that list. Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni is in a situation identical to Copeland's, though his age (36) may make him less attractive on the market. He's hinted that he may return overseas next season, but the native of Argentina has also expressed a desire to re-sign with the Knicks.

Stan Van Gundy Unlikely To Coach Next Season

2013-05-17T19:11:16-05:00

Stan Van Gundy is indicating to teams that he doesn't want to return to coaching for the 2013/14 season, and he hasn't had any formal interviews, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. That conflicts with the news we heard earlier today that Van Gundy had formally interviewed with the Hawks. He was also reportedly in Milwaukee a week ago to meet with the Bucks, though a later dispatch said that he declined to interview with that team. Robbins writes that Van Gundy has merely accepted calls from a pair of GMs.

There appears to be plenty of demand for the former Magic boss, who has also been linked to the Nets and Clippers in recent weeks. One rumor suggested that he's holding out to see whether the Clippers job will come open, but Robbins' piece doesn't make it seem as though that's the case. Van Gundy did some college basketball broadcasting work this past year, but has otherwise appeared content away from the game.

Robbins laments that Van Gundy's unwillingness to return will extinguish any chance that Van Gundy and Dwight Howard will reunite in the near future, perhaps with the Hawks. The coach and player, combatants in a war of words last season in Orlando, appear to have made amends, and Howard would benefit from the chance to work with Van Gundy again, Robbins believes.

How Lottery Teams With Best Odds Have Fared

2013-05-17T17:15:05-05:00

The way the 2003 draft lottery played out, the Cavaliers and Grizzlies were the final two teams with a chance at the No. 1 pick, which would undoubtedly be used to select LeBron James. The pick, and LeBron, went to Cleveland, of course, much to the chagrin of then-Grizzlies GM Jerry West. But, heading into the lottery that night, the team that had the best chance of keeping LeBron from the Cavs was the Nuggets.

Denver and Cleveland tied for the worst record in 2002/03. Under today's rules, a coin flip would have given one team a slight edge, but at the time, the Cavs and Nuggets had equal, 22.5% chances at the top pick. No other team had better than a 15.7% shot. The Grizzlies, with just a 6.4% chance of pulling it off, nearly did so, but the No. 1 pick, and the prize of a clear shot at LeBron, wound up in the hands of the Cavs.

The next year, the Magic converted their league-leading 25% odds into the No. 1 pick and Dwight Howard, but since then, no team with the best chance of winning the lottery has done so. The Magic once more have the best chance, at 25%, of coming away with the top pick, and we'll see on Tuesday whether they break a nine-year jinx for the team in pole position on lottery night.

In the meantime, here's a list of the teams with the best chances of winning the lottery, the team that actually won the lottery, and the No. 1 pick from each of the past 10 years. Feel free to wonder what it would be like if it were the Heat, instead of the Bulls team they just eliminated, who endured a season without Derrick Rose. Or how well the Grizzlies would be doing if they had secured the No. 1 pick in 2007 and used it on Kevin Durant, the superstar they just eliminated in the playoffs, instead of Greg Oden. Or whether former Timberwolves GM David Kahn, who endured heavy criticism after taking Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn back-to-back in 2009, would have hesitated to take Kyrie Irving in 2011.

Clearly, there's a lot of luck involved in the draft, and never more so than on lottery night:

2012
Best chance: Bobcats (25.0%)
Winner: Pelicans (13.7% — 4th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Anthony Davis

2011
Best chance: Timberwolves (25.0%)
Winner: Cavaliers (2.8% — 8th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Kyrie Irving

2010
Best chance: Nets (25.0%)
Winner: Wizards (10.3% — 5th best chance)
No. 1 pick: John Wall

2009
Best chance: Kings (25.0%)
Winner: Clippers (17.7% — 3rd best chance)
No. 1 pick: Blake Griffin

2008
Best chance: Heat (25.0%)
Winner: Bulls (1.7% — 9th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Derrick Rose

2007
Best chance: Grizzlies (25.0%)
Winner: Trail Blazers (5.3% — 6th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Greg Oden

2006
Best chance: Trail Blazers (25.0%)
Winner: Raptors (8.8% — 5th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Andrea Bargnani

2005
Best chance: Hawks (25.0%)
Winner: Bucks (6.3% — 6th best chance)
No. 1 pick: Andrew Bogut

2004
Best chance: Magic (25.0%)
Winner: Magic
No. 1 pick: Dwight Howard

2003
Best chance: Cavaliers and Nuggets (22.5%)
Winner: Cavaliers
No. 1 pick: LeBron James

DraftExpress was used in the creation of this post.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Jackson, Kings, Lakers

2013-05-17T16:16:45-05:00

Earlier today, we learned that if the Kings don't keep Keith Smart as their head coach, they're expected to target Warriors assistant Michael Malone. After months of conjecture on the coaching carousel about big names like Phil Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, and Jerry Sloan, Malone now appears to be one of the most wanted men in the NBA. Here's more from the Pacific division..

Speaking of the Warriors, Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group checked in with co-owner Joe Lacob, who says that it's too early to comment on whether or when the team will pick up Mark Jackson’s option for 2014/15 and/or work out a longer-term deal beyond that. For his part, Kawakami sees the option as a virtual lock, possibly as a prelude to longer-term talks down the road.
If the Mavs have to look into Plan B options at the point guard position this summer, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas suggests that Warriors guard Jarrett Jack would be a solid fit.
Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee provide the specifics on just how much the Maloof family will pocket from the sale of the Kings. Since the Maloofs will hang on to the $30MM non-refundable deposit paid by the Seattle group and will no longer have to contribute to the relocation fee, they ultimately won't earn much less in the Sacramento deal (about $230MM) than they would have in the Seattle deal (about $241MM).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Bucks To Interview Larry Drew

2013-05-17T15:32:49-05:00

Although Larry Drew remains under contract as the Hawks' head coach until June 30th, Atlanta is considering alternatives, interviewing several other candidates for the position. As the Hawks explore their options though, it appears Drew is doing the same. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (via Twitter) that Drew will interview on Monday for the Bucks' head coaching opening.

We heard last night that Jerry Sloan doesn't have interest in the Bucks' job, but the team doesn't have any shortage of potential candidates. Milwaukee has already conducted interviews with Kelvin Sampson, Nate McMillan, J.B. Bickerstaff, and Steve Clifford as well.

The Bucks have reportedly been seeking a coach who will command respect in the team's locker room, following a playoff incident between Larry Sanders and Monta Ellis and a season that saw multiple players dissatisfied with their roles.

Draft Updates: Friday

2013-05-17T14:52:00-05:00

2:52pm: Here are a few more updates out of Chicago:

In a series of tweets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune lists a number of the prospects the Timberwolves have talked to or will talk to in Chicago. Among those we hadn't already heard about: Alex Len, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ricky Ledo, Archie Goodwin, Reggie Bullock, and Vander Blue.
The Trail Blazers will meet with Caldwell-Pope today, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter). Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com adds (via Twitter) that the Blazers met with Ledo yesterday.

Ryan Kelly has met with the Mavericks, Celtics, and Clippers, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.

Dennis Schroeder will work out for the Bucks, Jazz, and Rockets, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that there's some speculation at the combine that this could finally be the year the No. 1 pick is traded.

11:44am: It took us multiple posts yesterday to round up all the tidbits trickling out of Chicago, where the NBA is holding its draft combine this week. We'll see if today is as busy, but in the meantime, here are the latest updates on the 2013 draft:

Some NBA executives believe that it's possible Shabazz Muhammad falls out of the top 10 and perhaps even the lottery on draft night, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.

In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford passes along the official measurements on the players in Chicago, and provides a few thoughts on the results.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) hears from an NBA source that the Warriors believe they can acquire either a first- or second-round pick in this year's draft, if they so choose. Kawakami adds in a second tweet that a pick would mostly just cost money, but I'm skeptical that the Warriors could pick up a first-rounder without giving up anything of value, or that they'd even want to add a rookie-scale salary, given their proximity to the tax.

Alex Len met with the Bobcats last night and will meet with the Cavaliers today, according to tweets from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal. David Mayo of MLive.com tweets that Len has nothing set up with the Pistons and "wasn't too enthused" when asked about them -- perhaps that would change if Detroit jumped into the top three in next week's lottery.

The Pistons will meet with Rudy Gobert today, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

Steven Adams interviewed with the Magic last night, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Chad Ford heard that Adams was the big winner on the first day of the combine, with "GM after GM" impressed by his showing.

Kelly Olynyk has met with the Bucks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.

Myck Kabongo met with the Knicks and Trail Blazers earlier in the week, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Mason Plumlee also expects to meet with the Blazers, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian.