Dwight Howard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein On McHale, Clips, Celtics, Garnett, Pierce

June 26th, 2013 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Marc Stein took to Twitter late last night to pass along some items on the fallout from Doc Rivers' move from the Celtics to the Clippers. Here are the highlights from the ESPN.com scribe (all links go to Twitter):

Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is off-limits for the Celtics in their coaching search, in part because Houston feels McHale is a key component of the team's pitch to unrestricted free agent Dwight Howard.
The Clippers are resigned to the fact that the only way they could land Kevin Garnett now would probably involve KG retiring, sitting out a few months, then unretiring and signing with L.A.
Even in that scenario, it's not clear whether the NBA would approve. As Stein notes, although trades aren't allowed, there appears to be wiggle room via free agency for both Garnett and Paul Pierce. The NBA isn't addressing that possibility now, but certainly would if it became more real.
The Celtics may now be leaning toward keeping Pierce through this week and guaranteeing his full 2013/14 salary, in which case he and KG could start next season in Boston.
Given that possibility, the Celtics are considering two options in their coaching search, according to Stein: Hiring a more established coach if the veterans remain on the roster, or going younger if a full rebuild occurs.

Odds & Ends: Kobe, LeBron, Rivers, Roy, Mavs

June 24th, 2013 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

We covered many of the pertinent points from Sam Amico's latest NBA report at FOX Sports Ohio earlier today in a post that rounded up today's Cavs rumors. But Amico's piece also features a few more notable tidbits, including word of the Blazers exploring moving up in the draft, the Bucks preparing to make a splash, and league executives beginning to believe Dwight Howard will sign with the Rockets. In addition to Amico's notes, we're hearing plenty of news and rumors from around the league, with the draft just three days away, so let's dive in….

Although Kobe Bryant has talked in the past about possibly retiring when his current contract ends in 2014, he recently said on Brazilian television that he could see himself playing for "another three or four years." Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times has the details and a link to the video clip.
A year from now, we could be looking forward to a sequel to The Decision, as LeBron James decides whether to exercise the 2014 opt-out in his contract with the Heat. For now though, LeBron tells CNN's Rachel Nichols that he hasn't thought about potential free agency, and will address it when the time comes (link via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel).
A source tells TNT's David Aldridge that Doc Rivers will have more say in the Clippers' basketball decisions than he did for the Celtics.
While he stopped short of officially declaring his NBA career over, Brandon Roy acknowledged to ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton that it's no secret his basketball days are "numbered" (Twitter links).
With Chris Paul seemingly on track to re-sign with the Clippers, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes that the Mavericks will have to move on to their Plan B at point guard, and identifies a few possible targets.

Odds & Ends: Wizards, Splitter, Bosh, Nets, Bucks

June 21st, 2013 at 11:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the trade that sent Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza from New Orleans to the Wizards in exchange for Rashard Lewis and last year's No. 46 pick (Darius Miller). Lewis celebrated by picking up a championship with the Heat, who acquired him after the Pelicans bought him out. The date was notable for the Wizards, too, since it meant the expiration of a trade exception worth $1,853,491 that the team generated as part of the deal. Washington has until February to use its other trade exception, from the Jordan Crawford swap, as noted in our continuously updated database. Here's more from around the league:

Many NBA executives believe restricted Spurs free agent Tiago Splitter will draw offers in the $8-10MM range this summer, according to Grantland's Zach Lowe, who debates the merits of a Chris Bosh trade for the Heat as part of his piece on the aftermath of the Finals.
The agent for former Mavericks guard Dominique Jones has had discussions with the Nets, and Jones is set to take part in a three-day free agent mini-camp the Bucks are holding, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. If he doesn't return to the NBA next season, Jones would prefer to play overseas rather than hit the D-League again.
Demetris Nichols hasn't played in the NBA since 2008/09, but he was a First Team All-D-League selection this year, and that's prompted the Spurs and Bucks to schedule workouts with the 28-year-old small forward, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets.
The Timberwolves reportedly believe Derrick Williams and the No. 9 pick could allow them to land a top-three selection next week. However, Wolves exec Flip Saunders told Dan Barreiro of KFAN radio that he doesn't think such a package, plus the No. 26 pick, could pry the No. 2 pick from the Magic, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes via Twitter.
Chandler Parsons says he talks to Dwight Howard every day as he attempts to recruit the Lakers center to the Rockets. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has the details.
Former MSG Sports president Scott O'Neil is close to joining the Sixers in an executive role, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com has the Sixers taking Steven Adams at No. 11 in his latest mock draft.

Odds & Ends: Rivers, Nuggets, Roc Nation

June 20th, 2013 at 8:29pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald refers to a source that says Doc Rivers had no intention of being a part of an eventual rebuilding process with the Celtics, and that the team knew he felt that way when he signed his latest contract. The same source also said that Rivers did not intitiate the process that led to talks between Boston and the Clippers, adding that he had been contemplating between returning to coach the Celtics and stepping away from the game before team brass asked him if he was interested in any of the coaching opportunities around the league.

According to Bulpett's source, Rivers then learned that the front office had already held preliminary discussions with the Clippers about making him available (by releasing him from his contract) and seeing what they could get in return. At that point, Rivers was reportedly intrigued at the prospect of moving west and allowed Danny Ainge to try to work out the best possible deal. In the meantime, the 51-year-old coach was given permission to see if he could reach a separate agreement with the Clippers, which he eventually did (most notably, it would allow him to have control over player personnel).

With the deal now slowed by the fact that the agreement doesn't exactly comply with the rules of the CBA, Bulpett writes that Rivers could choose to do television work for the next one to two years rather than decide between coaching the Celtics or stepping away from the game altogether – that is, if the deal with the Clippers falls through. Interestingly enough, on the notion that Rivers had once said he'd be willing to continue coaching in Boston during a rebuilding process, some sources have called it an obligatory statement that was meant to preserve the stability of the team at the time, all while the front office would work to find pieces to complement Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce accordingly.

As we gear up for the seventh and deciding game of the NBA Finals, here are more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from around the Association:

Mike Bratz, currently the director of player personnel for the Nuggets and former Kings backup point guard, has reached an agreement with Sacramento to become the team's assistant general manager (Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports).
Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that shortly after firing George Karl, the Nuggets had offered the Celtics a first round draft pick as compensation to pry Rivers out of his contract. Once Denver's offer was rebuffed by Danny Ainge, they quickly moved their focus onto Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins, who both are said to have made strong impressions on team president Josh Kroenke and general manager Tim Connelly. Sources have said that at the time Kroenke had made his bid for Rivers about ten days ago, Boston was not ready to start the process of letting Rivers leave, and the negotiations never went beyond one brief conversation between Kroenke and Ainge.
There has been growing confusion (as well as anger, in some cases) among outside agents about who exactly the Roc Nation Sports agency represents and which athletes are part of its partnership with CAA Sports, writes Liz Mullen of SportsBusinessDaily.com. Some agents have privately expressed anger that Roc Nation has been reported to represent athletes who are still clients of other firms.
Janis Carr of the OC Register writes that Dwight Howard is still undecided on his future (subscribers only).
Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News tweets that Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni will be continuing interviews to fill out the rest of his coaching staff through next week, and that much of it will depend on how the head coaching hires around the league turn out.
The city of Sacramento is being asked to write its first big check toward the development of a downtown sports arena, says Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. City development staff is expected to ask the council for $6.5MM in city funds, of which some will be used to hire a team of financial, design, and legal consultants. The team of consultants are said to be needed as the city begins negotiations on "definitive agreements" of an arena financing and construction plan with the private investment team that owns the Kings.
The Grizzlies should strongly consider selecting D.J. Stephens on draft night, opines Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Kobe Thinks Howard, Paul Stay Put

June 19th, 2013 at 7:28pm CST by Alex Lee

In an interview on 710 ESPN Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant said he expects Dwight Howard to stay with the Lakers and Chris Paul to stay with the Clippers, writes Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times. Bryant, citing the franchise's past success with centers, said the Lakers have to find a way to retain Howard, who Bryant fully expects to meet with other teams.

From Bryant: "Those guys are hard to find, they don't grow on trees. When you have someone like that with his talent level, you have to be able to keep him and lock him in with this franchise."

Bryant called the Lakers the "perfect spot" for Howard, and said that he would have been a "fool" to leave L.A. in 2004 when he had a chance to become a free agent himself. Despite the recent migration of superstars, Bryant, when asked about Howard and Paul, seemed to think that there wouldn't be a ton of movement this offseason:

"There's always so much talk going on, especially with big-name guys going here, going there, but that happens once in a blue moon. I think at the end of the day, everybody stays."

Meanwhile, Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com gives his take on the four realistic summer options for the Lakers that revolve around Howard and his frontcourt mate Pau Gasol.

Mavs Very Likely To Trade First-Rounder

June 19th, 2013 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 1:59pm: Asked in a chat which teams might be in play for the Mavs' first-rounder, ESPN.com's Chad Ford says he's heard the Knicks, Cavs, and Thunder connected to the pick. The price for the 13th overall selection, according to Ford, is a 2014 first-round pick or taking Marion in the deal. I'm guessing that 2014 first-rounder would be at least lottery-protected, though that's just my speculation.

Ford adds that some teams believe the Mavs may already have a deal in place, since trade talk out of Dallas has quieted down in recent days.

TUESDAY, 5:33pm: The Mavericks will almost certainly trade their first-round pick in this year's draft to clear cap room to pursue Dwight Howard, reports Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. The Mavs don't quite have enough space to offer Howard a max deal, so removing the $1.66MM cap hold associated with the 13th overall pick would help clear a little more room.

According to Sefko's source, there's a 0% chance that the player selected 13th overall ends up on Dallas' roster next season. The most likely outcome involves trading the pick, while there's about a 15% chance the Mavs could take a player who could be stashed overseas for a year, meaning he wouldn't count against the team's cap. Sergey Karasev may be the best possibility for that scenario.

Given how aggressively the Mavs seem to be shopping the pick, the club doesn't figure to have a whole lot of leverage in trade talks, but it doesn't sound like the asking price is too high either. Even if other teams are reluctant to help out a potential suitor for Howard, it'll be hard for a rebuilding franchise to pass up on a lottery pick if it comes cheap.

Previous reports have suggested the Mavs would like to package Shawn Marion and his $9MM+ salary with their first-rounder, but it sounds as if Dallas is a good bet to move the pick with or without Marion attached to it.

Lakers Not Ruling Out Sign-And-Trade Of Dwight

June 16th, 2013 at 10:20am CST by Chuck Myron

The "overriding expectation persists" that the Lakers won't faciliate a sign-and-trade of Dwight Howard this summer, but the team hasn't completely dismissed the idea, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The Lakers are willing to listen to just about any idea, and there are indications the Lakers wouldn't dismiss a formal offer from the Clippers of Eric Bledsoe and Blake Griffin for Howard, the ESPN scribes report.

Stein and Shelburne hear the Rockets are likely to offer Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin for Howard in an attempt to open enough cap space for both Howard and Chris Paul. Though Asik, a cheaper basket protector than Howard, and Lin, who thrived with the Knicks under current Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni, may be enticing figures for the Lakers, L.A.'s brass would ultimately prefer not to take on any salary if Howard walks.

The Lakers have maintained a dialogue with Howard's representatives throughout the spring and are still confident they can re-sign the Dan Fegan client, even though Howard is intent on listening to pitches from other teams. The team's main priority, beyond re-signing Howard, is reducing its luxury tax bill and positioning itself for the summer of 2014. As it stands, no Laker aside from Steve Nash is signed beyond next season.

Clippers/Celtics Updates: Sunday

June 16th, 2013 at 8:26am CST by Chuck Myron

There were a lot of moving parts involved in Saturday's dominant storyline, a proposed trade that would send Celtics mainstays Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to the Clippers. Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, with an assist from Chris Broussard, as well as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times rounded up the relevant details late last night. Based on their reports, here's what we know right now:

The Celtics are seeking Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan and at least one future first-round pick in return for Garnett and Rivers. They're also insisting the Clippers take on the contract of either Jason Terry or Courtney Lee.
The Clippers are reluctant to give up Bledsoe, in large measure because of his value for other potential swaps, perhaps a sign-and-trade for Dwight Howard. Still, a source tells Turner that a swap of Bledsoe and Blake Griffin for Howard won't happen.
An executive told Turner that the Clippers appear to be holding up the deal, while the Celtics want to hurry it along, given Rivers' desire to coach the Clips.
If the Clippers do the deal, they'd follow by pursuing Paul Pierce. The Celtics may waive Pierce by June 30th to prevent his $15.3MM contract, which is partially guaranteed for $5MM until that date, from becoming fully guaranteed.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling is willing to give Rivers a three-year deal worth about $6MM per year, or about $1MM less annually than what Rivers would make with the Celtics.
The Celtics are prepared to bring Rivers back as their coach if no deal is reached with the Clippers. Garnett, like Rivers, has yet to commit to playing next season, but the chance of him doing so would be significantly enhanced if Pierce is back with the Celtics as well.
If the trade doesn't happen by Tuesday or Wednesday, the Clippers will choose between Lionel Hollins and Brian Shaw for their next coach. Of the two, Hollins is the front-runner, but both are also in the mix for the Nuggets job.

Trade Rumors: Howard, Griffin, Bledsoe

June 15th, 2013 at 7:50pm CST by Spencer Lund

With the Celtics' Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett trade to the Clippers losing steam for now, Sam Amick writes at USA Today that the Clippers were reluctant to part with third-year guard Eric Bledsoe because he could be used in a possible trade for the Lakers' Dwight Howard.

The trade would involve Blake Griffin and Bledsoe for Howard, but many have already weighed in and said the Lakers are still looking to re-sign Howard and have not discussed a deal with the Clippers just yet. Here are some of the reports about a possible Dwight-Griffin/Bledsoe exchange:

Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears from a Lakers team source that the Lakers have not even broached the possibility of trading Dwight to the Clippers with in-house discussions yet (Twitter).
An NBA executive told Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times that the Lakers will either sign Howard or let him walk to save cap space for next summer (Twitter).
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that the Lakers have resisted overtures from the Clippers to a sign-and-trade for Howard, with his source claiming the Lakers "will never do it" (Twitter).
ESPNLosAngeles.com scribe, Arash Markazi, says he can't see the Clippers trading Griffin anywhere, let alone to the Lakers (Twitter).
ESPN.com's J.A. Adande says that if Howard thinks the Clippers are his best option to stay in LA, then he has to realize how much "90% of the city would hate him" (Twitter).

Eastern Rumors: Hawks, Dwight, Bobcats, Celtics

June 15th, 2013 at 1:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

Since 2007, the only teams to win the Eastern Conference have been the Celtics, the Magic, and whatever team LeBron James has been on. The Magic probably won't be getting back to the Finals anytime soon, and the core of those Celtics teams could soon disappear. Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett may all wind up with the Clippers, removing one of LeBron's most prominent conference rivals. We've got more on the Celtics saga and other news from the East:

The Hawks hired Darvin Ham as an assistant coach, the team announced, prompting ESPN's Chris Broussard to speculate that the move was done in part to appeal to Dwight Howard (Twitter link). Ham has been an assistant with the Lakers the past two years, and worked with Howard this year. The Bobcats also had interest in Ham, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes via Twitter.
Celtics GM Danny Ainge still believes coach Doc Rivers will return for next season, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, who hears from an agent who figures that Rivers won't coach any team next season.
The Celtics will have to rebuild sooner or later, Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth argues. Powell says that now appears to best time to do so, and he lays out a plan that involves waiving Pierce, letting Rivers coach the Clippers, and dangling Garnett in trade offers.
Vladimir Radmanovic didn't see much playing time on his one-year deal with the Bulls this past season, but his agent, Alexander Raskovic, says the 32-year-old still intends to play for an NBA team next season (Twitter link).