2012 May | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Iguodala, Barnes, Morris, Bynum

May 24th, 2012 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

A roster upheaval could be coming in Los Angeles, as Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak expects to explore "all opportunities" to improve the team's roster. Our round-up of Lakers items this morning includes some hints at possible moves, as two Lakers free agents discuss the future and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identifies a potential trade target….

Expect the Lakers to target Andre Iguodala again this summer, Kennedy writes in HoopsWorld's NBA AM feature. The Lakers pursued Iguodala a year ago, and a source tells Kennedy that Kobe Bryant would welcome the acquisition of an athletic small forward.
In his exit interview, Matt Barnes acknowledged that he may have played his last game as a Laker, as Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes. Barnes also suggested that his priorities in free agency may be different this time around: "The last few teams I’ve went to, it was in search of a ring, and have fallen short. I’ve always turned down a significant amount of money to do that. So that’s something we’ll have to sit down and see."
Darius Morris enjoyed his rookie season in Los Angeles but may end up heading somewhere where he can earn more playing time, writes Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN LA. "I love it here in L.A.," Morris said. "But being a young player, it's really important to be somewhere you feel you have an opportunity to play and get to grow on the court most importantly… We'll see what happens."
Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News questions whether Andrew Bynum is the player the Lakers should be building around long-term as they prepare for Kobe Bryant's last few seasons.

Michael Malone Interested In Trail Blazers

May 24th, 2012 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

Coveted head coach candidate Michael Malone has already interviewed with the Bobcats for their opening, and it likely won't be his last job interview this summer. For his part, the Warriors assistant could be eyeing one position in particular. According to Chris B. Haynes of CSNNW.com, Malone would have a "great deal" of interest in the Trail Blazers' head coaching job.

Malone's agent Steve Kauffman declined comment on his client's interest in the position, but acknowledged that the Portland job would be a desirable one: "The Blazers have great ownership, it's a beautiful diverse city and probably has the best fans in the NBA."

The Blazers haven't begun to search for a head coach in earnest yet, since the team is still interviewing general manager candidates, with the new GM expected to play a role in hiring a coach. Interim coach Kalab Canales currently holds the position, though it would be surprising if Portland didn't make an outside hire this summer.

Blazers president Larry Miller confirmed to Haynes that the team is focused primarily on finding a new GM. Miller added, however, that if a coach of interest is available, the Blazers won't hesitate to pursue him.

Lakers Will Explore “All Opportunities” To Improve

May 24th, 2012 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

We can safely assume Kobe Bryant will be a Laker next season, but beyond that, there are a number of questions surrounding the team's roster going forward. GM Mitch Kupchak told reporters, including Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, that he'll be open to "all opportunities" to improve the team in the coming weeks and months.

"Why not? Sure," Kupchak said, of exploring a major trade (via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com). "When you lose before you think you should have lost, you have to open up all opportunities."

With over $80MM+ already committed for 2012/13, the Lakers are wary of adding any more salary and increasing tax penalties, but still plan to offer Andrew Bynum a contract extension, according to Kupchak. If Bynum is part of the team's long-term future and Kobe isn't going anywhere, Pau Gasol is the most logical trade candidate, though the Lakers GM says he has yet to have that conversation with the club's owners.

"I have not met with ownership," Kupchak said. "I do not know what direction the team is going to go, what the parameters are going to be going forward, so there wasn't really anything additional to share with Pau."

Since they're over the tax line, the Lakers don't have many options for bringing in talent besides the trade market. However, the team will have the $3MM taxpayer mid-level exception at its disposal, along with the $8.9MM trade exception acquired in December's Lamar Odom trade.

Latest On Bobcats’ Coaching Search

May 24th, 2012 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Bobcats may have set an NBA record for futility in 2011/12, but they also feature one of just two head coach openings in the league, so candidates continue to interview for the job. Here are today's updates on the team's search, with any new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:

Jerry Sloan will interview with the Bobcats this week, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. It was reported yesterday that owner Michael Jordan would meet with Sloan, so it's unclear if Jordan is conducting the interview or if other members of the Bobcats' brass will be involved.
The Bobcats have received permission from the Lakers to speak with assistant Quin Snyder, says Broussard.
Charlotte has also been granted permission by the Pacers to speak with Brian Shaw, but as we heard yesterday, his interview won't happen until Indiana's season ends — which could happen as soon as tonight.
We also heard last night that the Bobcats plan to reach out to Stan Van Gundy.

Odds & Ends: Iverson, Clippers, Mavericks, Shaq

May 23rd, 2012 at 10:44pm CST by Alex Lee

The 76ers defeated the Celtics tonight in an ugly, defensive affair to force a Game 7 on Saturday night in Boston. Early in the game, an ESPN reporter spoke with Allen Iverson who was in town to deliver the game ball to tonight's referees. Iverson said he still wants to play basketball, whether in the NBA or elsewhere. Here are other links from late Wednesday night:

Arash Markazi and Pedro Moura from ESPN Los Angeles give their differing takes on whether Clippers stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be teamed up in LA for the remainder of their careers.
Derek Page of HoopsWorld says that for the Mavericks, in lieu of letting key pieces of their championship team leave via free agency, anything in the offseason short of Deron Williams would deem that decision a "momentous mistake." Meanwhile, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says via chat that Pau Gasol would not be a good fit in Dallas.
Speaking of Deron Williams, Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star Ledger examined the Nets offseason uncertainties outside of their potential free-agent-to-be point guard. The Nets have only four players that are guaranteed to be under contact for next year's Brooklyn debut.
The Bird Rights hearing between the NBA and NBA Players Association will be in mid-June, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York, citing an unnamed source. Begley notes that the Knicks will be particularly impacted due to waiver pickups of Steve Novak and Jeremy Lin.
The 2012 Olympic schedule for Team USA was unveiled, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
ESPN's Chris Broussard and Marc Stein offer their takes on Shaq as a potential fit as the future general manager of the Magic. Broussard says Shaq has acted as a mentor to Dwight Howard throughout the season as they apparently bonded over their dislike for Stan Van Gundy. Hiring O'Neal could be an attempt to persuade Howard to stay. Meanwhile, despite previous reports, Broussard adds that the Bobcats will in fact reach out to Van Gundy.

Knicks Top Lamar Odom’s List Of Destinations

May 23rd, 2012 at 9:37pm CST by Alex Lee

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, a source with knowledge of Lamar Odom's situation says that should the veteran forward become a free agent, the Knicks would be number one on his list. Because of the Knicks' salary cap situation, Odom would have to sign at a discounted rate which is something the source said he would be willing to do.

"Lamar is big on being comfortable," says the source. "And New York is somewhere he can be comfortable. He wants to find a place where he can end his career, and New York is ideal. He's won championships in the past and he wants to win another. And to do it there would be great."

Odom is still under contract with the Mavericks next season, so in order for this to become a reality, he would have to be released. There has been plenty of talk about the Mavericks attempting to trade Odom before June 29 – which Begley notes – when a $2.4MM contract kicker for next year comes due. Odom is due $8.2MM next year under his current deal.

Begley says that Odom's ability to be effective off the bench for a shallow Knicks roster would be a good fit. While the Knicks hardly qualify as a "super team" yet, they do have nearly all of their money tied up in three players. We have seen with similarly built teams – namely the Heat – that veterans like Odom signing on the cheap can provide a much-needed source of depth.

Draft Notes: Robinson, Ford, Acy, Jones III

May 23rd, 2012 at 9:02pm CST by Alex Lee

We're down to six teams in the 2012 NBA playoffs. While none of them will have lottery picks in June's NBA Draft, good teams that supplement their rosters via end of the first round picks significantly add to the longevity of their success. Here are some draft links on this Wednesday night:

In an interview with HoopsWorld, Kansas' Thomas Robinson says he thinks he should be the first pick in June's NBA Draft. “I think I’m very capable of being the number one pick. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, he’s a great player. But at the same time, as a competitor, I do feel that I’m worthy of the number one pick," Robinson said. Robinson has impressed scouts with an improved jumper in workouts, but I can't see anyone unseating Anthony Davis for that honor.
Chad Ford (via Twitter) released an updated top 100 available to ESPN.com insiders. Ford fingers Syracuse guard Dion Waiters as the big mover on the updated list, who is now up to number eight overall.
Quincy Acy worked out for the Warriors on Sunday, and had some positive things to say about former teammate and projected lottery pick Perry Jones III, via Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle on Twitter. "He’s 6-foot-11, and he can do what the little guys do. It’s amazing. People criticize him, but it’s nonsense to me. He loves the game of basketball. He’s going to play hard and he’s going to compete. I play very hard, so it might look like he’s not playing hard. But he goes hard in practice, and he’s not a prima donna," Acy said. Acy is ranked 80th on the Draft Express top 100, while Jones III is 8th.

Lakers Talk Offseason, To Pick Up Bynum’s Option

May 23rd, 2012 at 7:56pm CST by Alex Lee

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told reporters on Wednesday that the Lakers plan to pick up center Andrew Bynum's team option for next season. This move would not have an impact on the much-speculated swap of Bynum for Dwight Howard, as they would have to pick up his option before making the move. Kupchak's statement was part of the Lakers' 2012 exit interview process today, as documented by Mike Trudell on Lakers.com. Many players brought up the much talked about issue of the offense stalling when Kobe goes into "one-on-one" mode, while others discussed their future with the team:

Pau Gasol said that he met with Kupchak and Mike Brown and they didn't offer him any insight as to the organizations' plans for Gasol this offseason. Gasol reiterated that the trade rumors shouldn't alter a player's game, but admitted that his change in role, many times deferring to Andrew Bynum as the second option, may have affected his production.
Metta World Peace doesn't think the Lakers need radical change, even stating that they should be up 3 games to 2 on the Thunder right now, says Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN LA. Artest extolled Mitch Kupchak and says it is up to the players to pick up their game to help Kobe Bryant. Kamenetzky adds that there is speculation that Artest or Steve Blake could be trade candidates, but Artest said he loves it in Los Angeles.
Kupchak offered information beyond their intentions for Bynum. In his talk with media, Kupchak discussed the failed preseason trade for Chris Paul, Gasol's resulting play, the looming opt-out decision of Ramon Sessions and more.

Odds & Ends: Shaq, Howard, Nets, Bobcats

May 23rd, 2012 at 7:07pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Celtics prepare to try to eliminate the Sixers tonight in Philadelphia, let's check out a few links from around the NBA:

Chris Broussard said on ESPN's NBA Countdown that Shaquille O'Neal could meet with the Magic brass next week about their general manager opening, via Marc Stein's Twitter. That would certainly be an interesting scenario given the Howard situation.
Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com wonders if the Magic/Dwight Howard mess has become about saving face for the team. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, meanwhile, thinks the Magic need to give Howard a draft-day deadline to decide on his future.
Nets GM Billy King spoke to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News about former Magic GM Otis Smith, Dwight Howard, and the upcoming draft lottery.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger lists a few players whose free agent stock has declined in the postseason. Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors has been tracking playoff performances by free agents in his Money Time feature, and many of the players he names overlap with Hollinger's picks.
The Bobcats haven't approached Stan Van Gundy about their head coach opening and he's unlikely to be interested anyway, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com proposes a few trade ideas he thinks could make sense this summer.
Salary cap expert Larry Coon fielded a numer of readers' questions in a HoopsWorld chat today.

Dirk Nowitzki Talks Mavs’ Offseason

May 23rd, 2012 at 6:14pm CST by Alex Lee

Dirk Nowitzki was on Dallas radio Tuesday and was asked what his reaction would be if the Mavericks are unable to land any big-name players in the offseason. The Mavericks have been rumored to be interested in Deron Williams and Dwight Howard all season long.

"I’m not sure. I’ve always said I want to finish my career here and obviously the championship season topped it all off; that’s what I always was chasing and dreaming about so that kind of sealed that deal on that front. If we really come out with nobody this summer then maybe they want to rebuild and obviously I’m too old for that. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens on that front. But, I still think I got two, three good years left in me and if we get some players in here we can be right back up there and compete," Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki called himself the "grandfather of Dallas sports" and specifically went on to mention Deron Williams by name. It is clear that Dirk wants help while he still can contribute at a high level. It is also clear that he expects the front office to come through, and that he won't be faced with a situation where he is the elder statesman on a rebuilding team:

"I don’t even want to think about it because I don’t think it’s going to happen. I want to finish my career here and hopefully compete again in the playoffs and be a player late in June. We’ll see. Everything else is kind of all in the future. I can’t really see myself in another city or another uniform after 14 seasons I think it’s been now. Growing up here and basically I've matured so much over the years and met a lot of great people here, so I can’t even think about going somewhere else really," Nowitzki added.

I tend to agree with Nowitzki that he won't be put in a bad spot in his final years in the league. Mark Cuban hardly seems like the type of owner that is willing to completely rebuild. Whether or not they land the big fish they will be looking for remains to be seen, but if they don't, Dallas will likely refrain from throwing in the towel.

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