Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

City of Seattle

Pacific Links: Warriors, Kings, Kobe, Hornacek

May 3rd, 2013 at 10:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers are fighting for their playoff lives tonight against the Grizzlies, but their division rivals aren't far from the spotlight. The playoff triumph of the Warriors, the future of the Kings, an offseason of uncertainty for the Lakers, and a possible coaching vacancy for the Suns are all making headlines out of the Pacific tonight:

  • Andrew Bogut's performance as the Warriors' sealed their upset of the Nuggets last night provided vindication for Golden State co-owner Joe Lacob, who signed off on the unpopular swap of Monta Ellis for Bogut last year, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports examines.
  • The Sacramento bidders for the Kings, led by Vivek Ranadive, have placed half of the purchase price for the team into escrow, tweets Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. 
  • A group of Sacramento arena opponents have filed suit claiming the city withheld documents that show secret "sweeteners" in the deal with investors that enhance the public contribution to the project, as Kasler and fellow Bee scribe Tony Bizjak write. In a separate piece, Bizjak, Kasler and Ryan Lillis explain the dispute. Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com hears an attorney involved in the suit has already received the sought-after documents (Twitter link).
  • In his NBA PM piece, HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram outlines the reasons why he thinks the idea that the Lakers would amnesty Kobe Bryant is "ludicrous." I don't think the team will do it, either, though I'm not certain the Lakers are as unwilling to save money as Ingram suggests.
  • Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune notes Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek's candidacy for coaching jobs with the Bobcats and Sixers, and speculates that the former Suns player could draw interest from Phoenix if the new GM there decides to change coaches.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Wolves Rumors: Saunders, Ownership, Pekovic

May 3rd, 2013 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to taking over as the Timberwolves' president of basketball ops, Flip Saunders will invest about $8MM into the team, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. We heard earlier today that owner Glen Taylor is no longer interested in selling the franchise, but instead figures to try to buy out minority owners' stakes, or find local buyers for those shares. Wolfson has a few more T-Wolves updates in his latest piece, so let's dive in and check them out….

  • When he was fielding calls about possibly selling the franchise, Taylor was approached by Chris Hansen's Seattle group, former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, St. Louis businessman Dr. Richard Chaifetz, and a group headed by former coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. However, none of those potential suitors had interest in keeping the team in Minnesota long-term, says Wolfson.
  • Rick Adelman appears very likely to return as the Wolves' head coach in 2013/14, but if Saunders hires a new coach down the road, Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff figure to be among the candidates, sources inform Wolfson.
  • Nikola Pekovic's camp isn't upset with David Kahn's dismissal, but it will be Taylor who ultimately makes the final call on how high the Wolves are willing to go on a new deal for the restricted free agent.
  • Wolfson also questions the validity of a number of the comments Kahn made after being let go, suggesting there may be some revisionist history at work.
  • According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link), Taylor had a list of eight candidates to call about replacing Kahn, including Phil Jackson, but ultimately hired Saunders before even getting to his list.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Pistons, Kings, Draft, Balkman

May 1st, 2013 at 11:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game reported in March that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting a tournament-style format this year, and the league confirmed the news today. The games will take place between July 12th and July 22nd, and while the move promises excitement, the contests won't necessarily have much meaning. Damian Lillard won the circuit's co-MVP honors last summer to kick off his Rookie of the Year campaign, but the other co-MVP was Josh Selby, who's been out of the NBA since March. While we wait to see how the revamped summer league shakes out, there's plenty of other NBA news: 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pacific Notes: Kings, Del Negro, Warriors, Lakers

May 1st, 2013 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Three Pacific Division teams qualified for the postseason this year, but the Lakers have already been swept out of the first round, while the Clippers are a single game away from elimination. The division's best hope for sending a team through to the second round appears to be the Warriors, who will head back to the NBA's loudest arena looking to eliminate the Nuggets in Game Six tomorrow night. As we look forward to that game, let's check out a few updates on Pacific teams:

  • Current NBA commissioner David Stern and future commissioner Adam Silver appeared on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS yesterday and discussed the relocation's committee recommendation to keep the Kings in Sacramento, as Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee detail.
  • Silver on the committee's decision: "I think some people are surprised at the preliminary decision the relocation committee has made. They say, 'Look at Seattle — there's more corporate headquarters, there's more TV households, there's the potential to generate more revenue there. Shouldn't you move a franchise to the market where there's more revenue?' And our response is, 'Not necessarily, that if you look at total value over time, and brand building, and community support, and that continuity is important.'"
  • Having seen the relocation committee's vote go against him, Chris Hansen is considering trying to persuade NBA owners to approve his purchase of the franchise, even if he isn't initially permitted to relocate it, according to a Reuters report. That sounds like a real reach to me, and Sactown Royalty agrees, providing its own take on the story right here.
  • Vinny Del Negro can't remain the Clippers' head coach if the team is knocked out in the first round, says Tom Ziller of SBNation.com. Ziller also speculates that Chris Paul might flee in free agency after a first-round loss, but I'd be pretty shocked if that happened.
  • In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Lang Greene explains why this offseason will be a crucial one for the Warriors.
  • Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times argues that the Lakers ought to offer Phil Jackson the team presidency.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Seattle Group Responds To Kings Vote

April 30th, 2013 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the NBA relocation committee's recommendation not to allow the Kings to relocate to Seattle, Chris Hansen has responded. Hansen, the head of the Seattle investment group that reached an agreement to buy the Kings from the Maloofs family, issued a statement on SonicsArena.com late last night, which read in part:

"While we are disappointed with the relocation committee’s recommendation, we just wanted to let you all know that we remain fully committed to seeing this transaction through. As you are all well aware, we have a binding transaction to purchase the Kings for what would be a record price for an NBA franchise, have one of the best ownership groups ever assembled to purchase a professional sports team in the US, have clearly demonstrated that we have a much more solid Arena plan, have offered a much higher price than the yet to be finalized Sacramento Group, and have placed all of the funds to close the transaction into escrow. As such, we plan to unequivocally state our case for both relocation and our plan to move forward with the transaction to the league and owners at the upcoming Board of Governor’s Meeting in Mid-May."

Despite Hansen's apparent confidence, multiple league sources were surprised by his response, according to Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com (Twitter link), who was told by one source that Hansen is "fighting for expansion at best, flailing at worst." Sam Amick of USA Today expresses similar thoughts (Twitter links), noting that no one on the NBA or Sacramento side seems concerned with Hansen's reaction, and that the rest of the process is being characterized as a "mere formality."

The NBA's Board of Governors figures to formally vote on the relocation of the Kings franchise and the sale to the Hansen-led group on May 13th. Barring a huge surprise, the league's owners are expected to follow the recommendation made yesterday by a smaller group of owners.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Raptors Increase Pursuit Of Phil Jackson

April 30th, 2013 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

Now that the NBA's relocation committee has recommended denying a potential Kings move to Seattle, the Raptors have ramped up their pursuit of Phil Jackson as team president, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne. Because Jackson and Seattle investor Chris Hansen had "hit it off," Toronto had viewed Seattle as the biggest threat to preventing Jackson from seriously considering their pitch, the ESPN.com duo reports.

With Seattle seemingly out of the picture, the Raptors, led by new MLSE president and CEO Tim Leiweke, believe they represent Jackson's most attractive current option. Although there's some skepticism around the league about the Zen Master's willingness to relocate to Canada, Leiweke's "vision and energy" as well as his shared success with Jackson in Los Angeles should ensure that the 11-time champion gives the pitch serious consideration.

According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, while Jackson will consider Toronto's pitch, he's also interested in exploring his options with other potential suitors, as many have reached out to the former Lakers coach through back channels. Berger reiterates that there are doubts around the NBA about how interested Jackson is in lottery teams like the Raptors or Bobcats, but says Jackson appears open to listening to any team willing to offer him an influential position.

Berger reports that Jackson may be more interested in an advisory role similar to the one Jerry West holds with the Warriors, rather than a position like Pat Riley's presidency with the Heat. The CBSSports.com scribe also expects teams, such as the Nets, to continue to pursue Jackson for coaching openings, offering him a significant voice in basketball operations as well.

Stein and Shelburne first reported last week that the Raptors were considering making a run at Jackson.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Committee Votes Down Kings Relocation To Seattle

April 29th, 2013 at 4:01pm CST by Zachary Links

A committee of NBA owners has voted against moving the Kings to Seattle today, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst (on Twitter).  A full group of NBA owners have to vote on the proposed move next week, but the the NBA's Board of Governors is expected to follow the recommendation of  (Twitter link).  

The vote to keep the Kings in Sacramento was unanimous with all 12 owners shooting down the Seattle move, sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The final vote from the league will come on May 13th, which will make the decision official.

The Maloof family reached agreement with a Seattle group led by hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer that would have turned over a 65 percent controlling interest in the club.  The Maloofs will not issue a statement on today's news, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

While the Seattle group has worked hard to lobby for the Kings, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has fought hard to keep the team in his city.  Johnson eventually lined up a Sacramento-based ownership group headed by businessman Vivek Ranadive and secured public financing to help build a brand new arena.  Today's decision doesn't directly mean that Ranadive's group will come away with the club, but it certainly bodes well for them.

Hansen's Seattle group appeared to have a great deal of momentum, but in recent weeks commissioner David Stern has reportedly begun backing the Sacramento group in their efforts.  Stern admitted that the Sacramento group's offer didn't match the Seattle bid, but claimed that it came close.  Meanwhile, many in basketball believed that a Seattle team would mean more money being put into the league's revenue sharing system and that a new arena could be built more quickly there than in Sacramento.

A decision on the matter from the BoG was expected to come at a meeting in New York earlier this month, but it was postponed for undisclosed reasons.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Latest On Kings, Sacramento, Seattle

April 29th, 2013 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

12 NBA owners will participate in a conference call today to discuss the future of the Sacramento Kings, eventually deciding on a recommendation to take to the league's Board of Governors. According to NBA.com's David Aldridge, that call will take place at 1:00pm central time, and is expected to last about two hours. Aldridge has more details on the saga that has pitted Sacramento against Seattle, so let's dive in and check out the highlights….

  • While today's recommendation will likely decide which way the league's 30 owners will vote in May, those owners will be free to make up their own minds, so there are no guarantees.
  • Approval for the relocation of the Kings will require a majority vote (16 of 30 owners), while approval of the sale to Chris Hansen's Seattle group will require three-quarters (23 of 30).
  • David Stern and the NBA have taken "hours and hours since they left New York" to get more detailed financial reports from Vivek Ranadive's Sacramento group on their bid for the team. The league has also pursued more details on each city's arena plan.
  • Aldridge makes some educated guesses on how the 12 owners on the relocation committee will vote, predicting that at least four will be in favor of Sacramento, while at least three will vote for Seattle. Aldridge is unsure about the remaining five.
  • According to Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com (Twitter link), the Sacramento group has answered all of the NBA's questions to the league's satisfaction so far.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Dwight, Expansion, Thunder

April 26th, 2013 at 10:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

The storyline on the Lakers tonight is their makeshift starting backcourt of Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock, but as soon as their season ends, the attention will no doubt shift back to marquee names, and Dwight Howard in particular. HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram, with an assist from colleague Eric Pincus, breaks down the numbers to show that Howard would make more money in the first four years of a contract with the Rockets than he would in as many seasons with the Lakers, thanks to differing tax rates. Still, L.A.'s ability to offer a fifth season, enhanced endorsement opportunities and the cachet of the purple and gold provide varying levels of motivation for Howard to re-sign with the Lakers.

As we wait for yet another Dwight decision, there's plenty of news from around the league:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Raptors Planning Run At Phil Jackson?

April 26th, 2013 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

5:44pm: Leiweke told reporters, including USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, that he and Jackson have spoken this week, but only about the city of Toronto and not basketball matters. Still, he acknowledged that he and Jackson are friends (Twitter links). 

3:48pm: Stein and Ramona Shelburne have included a few more details on Jackson and the Raptors in their full story on the subject at ESPN.com. Here are a few of the notable new items:

  • Prior to the hiring of Leiweke, the Raptors were leaning toward retaining both Colangelo and coach Dwane Casey. However, Leiweke's presence throws their futures into doubt.
  • Sources continue to stress to ESPN.com that it's very likely Jackson will be back in the NBA next season in some capacity.
  • One source tells the ESPN duo that Jackson has "far more of an open mind than has been portrayed" with regard to potential job openings, and that he's willing to consider just about any legitimate pitch.
  • A reunion with the Lakers remains highly unlikely for Jackson.
  • Jackson is well-regarded by Chris Hansen, who is leading the Seattle group trying to buy the Kings. If Hansen's purchase of the franchise is improved, the opportunity for Jackson to put together a coaching staff and front-office team may arise in Seattle.
  • The Nets may also make a run at Jackson for their coaching position this summer, since owner Mikhail Prokhorov is believed to want to make a "splashy hire."

1:26pm: Earlier this week, Phil Jackson confirmed that he has spoken to "three or four teams" about possible front office jobs, and now it appears the identity of some of those teams are surfacing.

Yesterday, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reported that the Bobcats may be considering offering Phil Jackson a chance to run Charlotte's basketball operations. Today, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) he has been hearing "rumbles all week" that the Raptors are planning to make a run at Jackson, potentially offering him the team presidency.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the majority owner of the Raptors and the NHL's Maple Leafs, among other Toronto sports teams, announced today that Tim Leiweke will become the company's new president and CEO, effective June 30th. Leiweke had previously held a similar role at Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns a portion of the Lakers and other Los Angeles franchises. As Stein points out (via Twitter), Leiweke gives the Raptors a "major player with L.A. ties" who could make a pitch Jackson would consider.

Current Raptors president Bryan Colangelo has one year remaining on his contract, but the team has yet to formally exercise its option on Colangelo for 2013/14.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0