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Draft Notes: McLemore, Magic, Saric, Bennett

June 5th, 2013 at 7:48pm CST by Chuck Myron
Chris Mannix of SI.com hands out his draft superlatives, with an assist from scouts and executives. Anthony Bennett has the greatest superstar potential, Mannix writes, while Victor Oladipo could be the most resounding bust. It'll be a while before we can definitively say whether Mannix was correct on either account, but much more becomes clear with each passing day until June 27th. After passing along the latest this morning, we'll follow with with an evening draft roundup:
  • Ben McLemore has reportedly slipped behind Victor Oladipo in the eyes of the Magic, but Orlando will have McLemore in for a workout June 11th, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. (Twitter links). Keith Clanton, Erik Murphy, Michael Snaer and Kenny Boynton, all products of Florida colleges, are auditioning for the Magic either today or tomorrow, Robbins adds.
  • Chad Ford of ESPN.com chatted with readers, revealing that top-level scouts believe Dario Saric to be on par with Otto Porter and that the Wizards and Bobcats are especially high on Anthony Bennett.
  • Korie Lucious worked out for the Bucks today and did so for the Pistons earlier this week, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. D.J. Stephens, another participant in today's Bucks workout, has also drawn interest from the Pistons and Grizzlies.
  • Jody Genessy of the Deseret News had the news on six players working out for the Jazz today, and he tweets word of six more set to hit Utah on Thursday: Glen Rice Jr.,Vander Blue, Jack Cooley, Solomon Hill, Pierre Jackson and Trevor Mbakwe.
  • Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic adds second-round hopefuls E.J. Singler and Jared Berggren to the list of players who worked out for the Suns today (Twitter link).
  • B.J. Young, Brandon Paul, Reggie Bullock, Romero Osby, Kenny Kadji and James Ennis are among the prospects working out Thursday for the Knicks, the team announced via Twitter. 
  • Ennis, Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert, Mike Muscala, Cody Zeller, Jeff Withey, Shabazz Muhammad, Rodney Williams, Reggie Bullock, Kelly Olynyk and Tony Snell will all audition for Minnesota in the coming weeks, Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders tweets. He also lists "Thomas," likely in reference to Deshaun Thomas or Adonis Thomas.
  • The Wizards announced they'll put Deshaun Thomas, Keion Bell, Laurence Bowers, D.J. Seeley, James Southerland and Khalif Wyatt through a workout tomorrow.
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Coaching Rumors: Hollins, Nets, Clippers, Shaw

June 5th, 2013 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As I noted yesterday when examining the longest-tenured coaches in the NBA, four teams – the Pistons, 76ers, Nets, and Clippers – are still in the market for a new head coach, while a couple other positions could open up later in the offseason. In addition to those head coaching openings, plenty of assistants are being hired, or moving from one NBA team to another. Here are today's rumors on those head coaching searches and the assistant coaching carousel:

  • Although the Clippers have asked and received permission to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Nets' initial request to speak to Hollins was turned down, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter links). Tillery adds that Brooklyn has yet to make another request since being denied on the day after the Grizzlies' season ended.
  • No teams have requested permission yet to speak to Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger, but the Sixers are believed to have interest, tweets Tillery.
  • A report yesterday indicated that the Nets and Sixers were among the teams that have contacted Larry Brown about their head coaching openings. Brown threw cold water on that report today though, according to John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, saying he's happy at SMU. CSNPhilly.com, meanwhile, reports that Brown would likely have interest in returning to the NBA if it meant running a franchise. I'd be surprised if anything came of this.

Earlier updates:

  • Less than 24 hours after ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard reported that Brian Shaw was a "serious target" for the Nets, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Shaw also appears to be the Clippers' top choice at this point. Since no official interviews have been conducted yet, the situation remains fluid, but the Clippers are intrigued by Shaw's youth, championship experience, and developmental skills, according to Shelburne.
  • Talks between Jeff Van Gundy and the Clippers have cooled, and the team has yet to ask permission to speak to Nuggets coach George Karl, though he remains a possible target. Lionel Hollins, Byron Scott, and Alvin Gentry also remain under consideration for Los Angeles, says Shelburne.
  • Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times provides the same list of contenders for the Clippers' job, though he's even more bearish on the likelihood of the team hiring Van Gundy, writing that he's essentially "out of the running." Shaw, meanwhile is gaining momentum for the position, according to Turner.
  • Although the Pistons' search appears to have been narrowed down to Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks, there's no guarantee a decision happens this week, sources tell David Mayo of MLive.com.
  • Following up on a report from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News last week which suggested Patrick Ewing could be hired as an assistant in Charlotte, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com says Ewing is interviewing for the Bobcats' lead assistant job today. The former Knicks big man has also received interest from the Kings, writes Haynes.
  • Newly-hired Kings head coach Michael Malone is also talking to Ohio State assistant Chris Jent about joining his staff in Sacramento, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Yet another Lakers assistant coach appears to be on his way out of L.A., as Darvin Ham will talk to the Bobcats and Hawks about a spot on their respective staffs, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
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Draft Updates: Tuesday

June 4th, 2013 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Chad Ford has released version 4.0 of his 2013 mock draft (Insider-only link), and as usual, the piece is chock-full of rumors and rumblings he's heard from GMs, scouts, and other league sources. Let's dive in and round up some of the highlights from Ford's latest….

  • Nerlens Noel remains the default pick at No. 1, but the Cavaliers still haven't made a decision. Otto Porter and Alex Len would be the best bets to supplant Noel.
  • The Magic's decision at No. 2 is still extremely wide open, with nine players still under consideration, according to Ford.
  • If Porter and Anthony Bennett are still on the board at No. 3 for Washington, it will be a tough decision, since the Wizards' front office is split over which player it likes better.
  • The Pelicans will consider point guards with the sixth overall pick, but the team hasn't given up on Austin Rivers as its point guard of the future, so it may go in a different direction.
  • Ford is "hearing with increasing frequency" that the Pistons could target a point guard with the No. 8 pick.
  • Dario Saric appears to be a lottery pick, with Ford identifying the Blazers at 10 and the Sixers at 11 as real possibilities for the Croatian prospect, who is a "hot name" right now.
  • Shane Larkin's workout in Milwaukee was a "wow" for the Bucks, according to Ford, who has the point guard going at No. 15 to Milwaukee.

In addition to Ford's latest mock, there are plenty of other draft updates to pass along this afternoon. Here are a few of them:

  • Speaking to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, Dennis Schroeder and his agent downplayed reports that he has received a first-round guarantee from an unknown team, perhaps the Celtics. "I don’t know where that came from," agent Alex Saratsis said. "I don’t know anything about that."
  • The Knicks' workout on Wednesday will feature the following prospects, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday (via Twitter): Isaiah Canaan, Brandon Triche, Deshaun Thomas, Murphy Holloway, A.J. Matthews, and Norvel Pelle.
  • The Pistons will bring in Ray McCallum for a workout, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
  • After recently working out for the Jazz, Cody Zeller will work out for the Suns next, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Amico adds in another tweet that Mark Lyons, who averaged 24.3 PPG in three NCAA tournament contests in March, is working out for the Nuggets.
  • Ricky Ledo has already worked out for six teams, including the Nuggets, Bulls, Rockets, and Spurs (link via NBA.com).
  • Ledo will work out for his seventh team on Wednesday, when the Grizzlies hold a session that will also include Jud Dillard, Carrick Felix, Solomon Hill, Angelo Sharpless, and Tony Snell, according to a team release.
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Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies Continue To Talk

June 4th, 2013 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple recent reports have indicated the outlook for Lionel Hollins with the Grizzlies isn't good, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports suggesting over the weekend that Hollins is likely done in Memphis. But as Hollins repeatedly expresses his desire to return to the team he led to the Western Finals, the Grizzlies and their head coach continue to discuss an extension, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required).

Tillery reports that if the Grizzlies make Hollins an offer, it would likely be for a shorter term, rather than for four years. It's also not clear if Memphis will be able to match the financial commitment that other suitors could be willing to make to Hollins. We heard yesterday that the Nets have requested permission to speak to Hollins, and that the coach's representatives have reached out to the Clippers, who have some interest.

While the Clippers have been fairly stingy on coaching contracts in recent years, their willingness to target bigger names this offseason could signal an inclination to spend more. As for Brooklyn, money is likely no object to owner Mikhail Prokhorov, so if the Nets wanted to make a run at Hollins, they'd be difficult to outbid. It sounds like the Nets may be more focused on Brian Shaw, however, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports (via Twitter) that GM Billy King has been doing a lot of background checking on the Pacers assistant.

In spite of Hollins' adamant public stance that he wants to return to the Grizzlies, it would be a surprise if he reached an agreement to remain in Memphis, given the difference in philosophies between Hollins and the club's front office.

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Western Notes: Hollins, Suns, Liggins, Kings

June 4th, 2013 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

After appearing on Memphis radio to express surprise and disappointment at his current situation with the Grizzlies, head coach Lionel Hollins reiterated to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's still holding out hope for a contract extension.

"I hope things can work out and I think things can work out," Hollins said. "I'm happy in Memphis. I've been there for a long time. My kids went to school in Memphis. My son graduated as a doctor in Memphis. My daughter is a grad student at the University of Memphis. I love the city of Memphis and really want to be there. I have no reason to want to leave."

Despite Hollins' comments, Grizzlies management is still upset that the head coach didn't publicly support the Rudy Gay trade, according to Spears. It appears the team and Hollins will end up going their separate ways, with the Grizzlies coach potentially receiving interest from the Clippers and Nets.

Here's more from around the Western Conference:

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Latest On Lionel Hollins

June 3rd, 2013 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that the Grizzlies had given head coach Lionel Hollins permission to speak to other suitors, after talks between Hollins and the team reached an impasse. With Hollins seemingly unlikely to return to Memphis, plenty of this morning's links relate to the futures of the coach and the club. Here are a few of them:

  • Hollins' representatives called the Clippers today to inquire on their coaching vacancy, two NBA execs told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.  Hollins and his agent are waiting for the Clippers’ front office to hear back from owner Donald Sterling before any decisions could be made, one executive said.  Meanwhile, the Clippers' reported interest in Nuggets Coach George Karl appears to be going nowhere, another NBA executive says.

Earlier Updates:

  • Appearing on AM 560 Sports 56 WHBQ in Memphis, Hollins told Peter Edmiston (Twitter link) that he's not really interested in speaking to other teams, and would prefer to work out a fair deal to return to the Grizzlies, unlikely as that seems. The full conversation with Hollins, which featured a number of other interesting comments, can be found under "Featured Audio" on the right-hand sidebar here.
  • Among the other comments made by Hollins, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, was this one, in reference to Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger: "Why would you move a proven coach, who has shown what he can do, to bring in an 'upcoming superstar?' To me, that's ludicrous. … It's puzzling when I hear comments like that."
  • Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer takes an extended look at the Hollins situation, concluding that it appears a divorce between the Grizzlies and their head coach is likely. Herrington also thinks there's a scenario possible in which Hollins isn't an NBA coach next season.
  • The reason Hollins' time in Memphis appears over is because of a difference in philosophy between Hollins and management, rather than the coach's increasing price tag, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
  • The way Hollins needled the front office throughout the year made it virtually impossible for the Grizzlies to bring him back, according to Tom Ziller of SBNation.com, who thinks team management will be unfairly blamed if the team doesn't return to the Western Finals next year without Hollins.
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Coaching Rumors: Karl, JVG, Clips, Hollins, Nets

June 3rd, 2013 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After we heard yesterday that there are some question marks surrounding George Karl's future in Denver, TNT's David Aldridge echoes that report, writing that the head coach is "antsy" about his current situation. According to Aldridge, the Nuggets don't plan to exercise the 2014/15 option on Karl's contract, which means he'll be on an expiring contract in '13/14.

"They want to play it out and see where they're at," one league source tells Aldridge. "And they're not going to budge on that."

As Aldridge notes, the Nuggets don't appear to actively be seeking a replacement for Karl, but if he wants to leave for a more lucrative opportunity when his current deal runs out, the team may not be inclined to stop him.

Here are a few more of the latest coaching-related rumblings from around the league:

  • Jeff Van Gundy and the Clippers talked multiple times about the team's head coaching job, but discussions are now dormant, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Van Gundy was reportedly at or near the top of L.A.'s wish list, but it doesn't sound as if he's a serious candidate at this point.
  • Two of the Nets' top coaching targets may become available for interviews within the next few days, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes, pointing to Lionel Hollins and Brian Shaw. In fact, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), the Nets formally requested permission today to interview Hollins.
  • The newly-retired Jason Kidd has interest in coaching, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
  • Vitaly Potapenko, who was a Cavaliers lottery pick way back in 1996, will return to Cleveland as an assistant coach to Mike Brown, tweets Wojnarowski.
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Grizzlies OK Lionel Hollins To Speak With Teams

June 2nd, 2013 at 5:09pm CST by Zachary Links

5:09pm: Hollins is likely done as the coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, league sources tell Wojnarowski.  After several days of talks between the two sides, they were unable to seriously consider terms of a contract because of hurdles that they couldn't clear with how new management wants the coach to fit into the franchise's belief systems, sources said.  Reading between the lines, there would appear to be a divide between Hollins and the stats-oriented members of the Grizzlies front office such as John Hollinger.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are eyeing Memphis assistant Dave Joerger as a possible replacement. Grizzlies management is expected to meet soon with Joerger to discuss the situation while Hollins tests his market value.

2:38pm: The Grizzlies have granted permission to coach Lionel Hollins to discuss openings with other clubs, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).  Talks between the two sides have been ongoing for several days but stalled over the weekend, Wojnarowski hears.  Hollins figures to be in-demand as several clubs still have coaching vacancies, even after last week's flurry of hirings.

One recent report pegged Hollins as the favorite in Brooklyn, though that might not be the case.  Neither the Nets nor the Clippers have made headway with the coach as of last week, but today's news could put things into high gear.  Hollins didn't expect to get permission from Grizzlies brass to talk to other teams before his contract expiration on June 30th, but he'll get a jump on the coaching carousel a few weeks sooner.

Hollins owns a career 214-201 coaching record, counting his 1999/00 season at the helm in Vancouver and four game interim stretch with the Grizzlies in in 2004/05.

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Odds & Ends: Jackson, Drew, Allen, Hollins

May 30th, 2013 at 7:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Although Phil Jackson recently criticized Mike D'Antoni and seemed skeptical about the thought of Dwight Howard wanting to re-sign with the Lakers, the eleven-time NBA champion coach appeared to backtrack on those comments during an appearance on the Willard and Thompson Show on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles (Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News). Also, Jackson reiterated that he has no plans of coaching again and explained how he's still somewhat connected with his former team: "I’m playing a role regardless whether I’m hired and on the staff and part of the payroll, I’m here to be a sounding board and personal companion to my fiance, who’s the chief operating officer I guess you would say of the Lakers. As they ferry their way through these contract problems they have and the whole mess they have right now in the organization, I’m listening. There’s not a whole lot I’m doing. But my role right now is to be attentive and supportive.”

Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes:

  • The Pistons and former Hawks coach Larry Drew appear to have some mutual interest in an interview for Drew, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Drew is believed to be one of two finalists for the Bucks' coaching opening, along with Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson. 
  • Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets that Heat guard Ray Allen hasn't thought about whether or not he'll pick up his $3.23MM player option this summer.
  • Marc J. Spears of Yahoo tweets that the Nets, Clippers, and Bucks have not contacted the Grizzlies for permission to talk to Lionel Hollins as of yet. Coincidentally, we relayed a report yesterday which indicated that the 59-year-old coach doesn't expect to be granted permission to speak with other teams before his contract expires on June 30.
  • In light of the rumblings that the Nuggets might not match the Raptors' five-year, $15MM offer to Masai Ujiri, SBNation’s Tom Ziller makes the argument that coaches and general managers should be paid more.
  • Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com reviews Gerald Wallace’s season in Brooklyn. Just over a month ago, Wallace had alarmingly admitted that he didn’t “have a clue” as to what his role on the team was, but as of today the veteran forward seemed to be encouraged about what his future holds with the Nets: "All in all I think this was kind of a down year for me, but I feel comfortable and excited about the way I finished the season," Wallace says."I'm going into the summer knowing the things I can do to get better."
  • Marcus Thompson of Mercury News reported that Warriors big man David Lee had surgery to repair a torn right hip flexor today and is expected to begin rehab within the next two weeks.
  • According to Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post, Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari had a slight setback in rehab and won't have surgery on his ACL for another two weeks. Consequently, an expected return date of January 1 has now changed to late January or February. 
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Odds & Ends: Summer League, Kings, Devin Harris

May 29th, 2013 at 5:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced today that 22 teams will participate in the Association's Summer League in Las Vegas in July. Since one of those 22 is a D-League select team, there are nine NBA clubs who won't be in Vegas: the Celtics, Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Pacers, Thunder, Magic, 76ers, and Jazz. While Summer League results often aren't an indicator of regular-season success (Josh Selby was the co-MVP in Vegas a year ago), this year's format should at least be entertaining, as it will feature an NCAA-style single-elimination tournament for the first time.

Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • After reporting earlier today that the Kings would be interviewing Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, Sam Amick of USA Today now says that interview has taken place.
  • Free agent guard Devin Harris tells Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that he'd be very much open to listening if the Bucks call him this summer. "Who wouldn’t want to play for their hometown team?" said Harris, a Milwaukee native. "I know they got a lot of decisions to make, but I know I would be interested in them. If it’s going to work out, who knows?"
  • The Bucks will resume their draft workouts on Friday, with Shane Larkin and Tim Hardaway Jr. among a group of six players auditioning, tweets Woelfel.
  • Numerous free-agents-to-be have said throughout the season that they intend to consider the Hawks this summer, says Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
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