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Atlantic Rumors: Calipari, Knicks, Sixers

November 21st, 2013 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks organization and CAA Sports have a well-publicized relationship which has led to a pipeline of sorts from the agency to the team.  As the Hoops Rumors Agency Database shows, CAA represents Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Andrea Bargnani, as well as Chris Smith, who, as Brandon Jennings will tell you, probably found his way on to the roster thanks to his older brother and agent Leon Rose.  CAA also represents assistant GM Allan Houston, player personnel director Mark Warkentien, and coach Mike Woodson, but there could be another CAA client set to take Woodson’s place on the sidelines.  More on that and other items out of the lowly Atlantic Division..

  • Ousting Woodson and calling Kentucky head coach John Calipari could be the next step for the Knicks, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.  Some league executives agree with Berger’s thinking with one noting that the club will have to sell Anthony and free agents on hope, or the illusion of it, which can be accomplished by hiring Coach Cal.  It won’t come cheap though – one exec says the bidding could start at $8MM per year.
  • The Sixers shook things up yesterday by waiving veteran Kwame Brown and guard Darius Morris and signing free agent guards Elliot Williams and Lorenzo Brown.  GM Sam Hinkie says talent evaluation is an ongoing process.  “This is the stage we’re in,” Hinkie said, according to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “We’ll continue to evaluate players and find ones that can help us move forward and find others on our radar that we can add to our group.”
  • No one should be surprised that Bargnani is giving the Knicks good defense down low since that has always been his strength, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.  His weakness, however, is poor help defense.
  • Rudy Gay‘s passing performance last night helps his trade value, and Raptors GM Masai Ujiri certainly wants to see more of that, Wolstat tweets.
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Eastern Notes: Nets, Raps, Maggette, Heat, C’s

March 25th, 2013 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

With the Bucks currently holding a seven-game lead on the ninth-seeded Sixers for the Eastern Conference's final postseason spot, there won't be a race for the playoffs over the season's final few weeks. But if we flip the standings upside-down, there is a race developing for the best chance at June's first overall pick. A pair of Bobcats wins last week pulled them within two games of the Magic, and the two teams are set to square off in Charlotte this Wednesday. As we, uh, look forward to that contest, let's round up a few Monday items from around the conference:

  • Following up on the latest report linking John Calipari to the Nets, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game suggests (via Sulia) that owner Mikhail Prokhorov is too discerning to simply be interested in Calipari because the Kentucky coach is a "big name." According to Bucher, Prokhorov had genuine interest in Phil Jackson, but Bucher thinks the idea of Calipari being a worthwhile fallback option is "absurd," despite the improvements he has made since his last NBA stint.
  • Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun looks ahead to the summer and predicts which Raptors will be back with the team next season.
  • Corey Maggette isn't entirely sure why he hasn't played in over three months, but he isn't going to complain about his situation, as David Mayo of MLive.com writes. Earlier this month, a report suggested that Maggette and the Pistons were both open to the veteran returning to the team next year via free agency. I have to think he'll at least explore the market in search of an opportunity for more minutes though.
  • Responding to a reader's question in his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel agrees that Shane Battier has been the Heat's best non-Big-Three signing of this era.
  • Last summer, the Celtics participated in both the Orlando and Las Vegas summer leagues. However, since the C's aren't expecting to add as many young prospects to the roster this summer, they'll only participate in the Orlando league, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
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Stein On Nets, Calipari, Grizzlies, LeBron, Cavs

March 23rd, 2013 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

In this weekend's column, Marc Stein of ESPN.com talks to Thunder star Kevin Durant as he gears up for the team's playoff push.  Some are wondering if the Lakers could give Oklahoma City a tough time in a first round matchup, but Durant doesn't seem too concerned about it.  "They're a tough team, playing well, but it doesn't matter who we play," said Durant.  Here's more from the Weekend Dime..

  • The Nets have long been linked to Kentucky coach John Calipari, but the Wildcats' down season probably makes that union even less likely to happen.  While Calipari is cognizant of the fact that Mikhail Prokhorov is the one owner that could put "Monopoly money" on the table, he will be itching to come back with a vengeance next season.  Kentucky went from a national championship last year all the way to a first-round loss in the NIT to Robert Morris.
  • The Grizzlies' players were vocal about wanting to keep Rudy Gay in the fold before the trade deadline but it seems as though they've rallied around each other in the wake of the trade with Toronto.  Players are quick to point out how well they've been playing since the swap and some believe that the club had some degree of unrest with Gay in the mix.  One insider sees it differently.  "The guys really like [Zach Randolph] and [have] rallied around the guy who's still there," said the insider.
  • Despite all the speculation about a possible return to Cleveland for LeBron James, Stein sees it as extremely unlikely.  This time around, James won't be staring at two ringless hands and second guess his status quo.  On top of having the security of a ring and a great thing going in Miami, Stein doesn't see him parting ways with Dwayne Wade given the bond that the two have developed.
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Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, Calipari, Bulls, Mavs

May 4th, 2012 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Ryan Anderson was a deserving recipient of the 2012 NBA Most Improved Player award, but some of the players further down in the voting results were head-scratchers. Andrew Bogut, who played in just 12 games this season, received a first-place vote from one of the 121 writers tasked with determining the award. Whether that voter mistook Bogut for Andrew Bynum or actually felt that Bogut somehow deserved the award, it's hard to imagine we'll see a worse choice during NBA award season.

Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the league:

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Iannazzone on Chandler, Calipari, Playoffs

April 7th, 2012 at 10:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In what could be a preview of a first-round matchup in this year's Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bulls and Knicks will begin a home-and-home series on Sunday in New York. Carmelo Anthony understands those implications and views these next two games as playoff games, according to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com. Al Iannazzone of Newsday also offered some input about the Knicks tonight, and here's his latest work out of the Big Apple: 

  • Contrary to Anthony's claim that Tyson Chandler is playing with a fractured hand, the team's starting center refuted the notion but did imply that he is playing through inexplicable pain.
  • John Calipari could be a legitimate candidate to coach the Knicks next season, says Iannazone, and cites Calipari's ties to the Creative Artists Agency (which has affiliations to people within Knicks management and with whom Carmelo is also a client) as a possible factor. 
  • In a separate piece, Iannazone looks at the challenge of the next 11 games for the Knicks as it relates to their push to make the playoffs while facing a daunting schedule. 
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Atlantic Notes: Valanciunas, Calipari, Knicks, Nets

April 5th, 2012 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Thursday afternoon updates out of the Atlantic….

  • Raptors vice president and assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini tells Aris Barkas of Europhoops.net that Toronto still intends to bring Jonas Valanciunas to North America for next season. Between last year's fifth overall pick and potentially another top-five pick in this year's draft, the Raptors appear poised to add a ton of tantalizing young talent to their roster.
  • John Calipari said yesterday that he has no interest in an NBA coaching job, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News argues that Calipari couldn't possibly say anything else at this point. Isola hears that the Knicks are still targeting the Kentucky coach for next season.
  • The Knicks' current coach, Mike Woodson, would "absolutely" like to continue coaching the team next season, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
  • Last night's game may have been a preview of the Nets' future if Deron Williams doesn't re-sign, says Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
  • As Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes, it's no lock that the Nets will lose their lottery pick in May.
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John Calipari Not Interested In NBA Job

April 4th, 2012 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Kentucky's NCAA tournament victory earlier this week has led to rampant speculation that many or all of the team's key members will head to the NBA. While that may be true of players like Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, coach John Calipari says he's not interested in an NBA coaching job, reports Andy Katz of ESPN.com.

"Kentucky is the best job in basketball coaching," Calipari said. "Why would I leave? We just won the national title…. I've made statements that I've got the best job in basketball and I'm not going to change my lifestyle. I'm not leaving."

The Knicks, who recently fired Mike D'Antoni and are playing out the season with interim coach Mike Woodson, have frequently been cited as a potential destination for the Kentucky coach. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News even tweeted earlier today that many "NBA people" believe Calipari to the Knicks is already being set in motion. However, Calipari says no NBA teams have contacted him about an opening.

Calipari has previous NBA experience as head coach of the Nets and assistant coach with the 76ers.

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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Calipari, Davis

April 3rd, 2012 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

It looks to be an eventful day for the Atlantic Division, both on and off the court. The 76ers and Knicks will visit Miami and Indiana, respectively, looking to gain ground on the division-leading Celtics, while off the court, Nets star Deron Williams is again discussing his impending free agency. We have a few more notes from the division to round up, so let's dive in….

  • Executives and other sources around the league don't blame Celtics GM Danny Ainge for his inactivity when it comes to moving his Big Three, says Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Said one source: "Look, I’ve had my dealings with [Ainge], and he could be pain in the butt. But if I was him, I wouldn’t have taken what we were trying to give. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing, even when it’s the right thing. We’re programmed to act, but sometimes that can be the dumbest thing you can do." Ainge's decision to stand pat is paying off now — the Celtics are 15-5 since the All-Star break, including an ongoing five-game winning streak.
  • The Lakers have title aspirations and the Knicks are battling to hold on to a playoff spot, but the two teams have more in common than you'd think, argues John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link). According to Hollinger, health is the main difference between the two teams, as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum have yet to miss a single game due to injury while the Knicks have been hit hard by the injury big.
  • Even now that Kentucky has won a National Championship, don't expect to see John Calipari jump at a chance to coach the Knicks or any other team, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
  • Calipari's star player, Anthony Davis, is a lock to go first overall in this June's draft, prompting Reid Cherner of USA Today to ask which of the league's eight worst teams would benefit most from drafting the Kentucky big man. The Nets and Raptors are among the choices, and Raps coach Dwane Casey is among Davis' fans, according to Eric Koreen of the National Post.
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Stein On Wilson Chandler, Coaching Rumors

March 30th, 2012 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Weekend Dime, ESPN.com's Marc Stein says that Wilson Chandler's long-term deal with the Nuggets isn't worth quite as much as had been previously reported. According to Stein, the contract is for $31.7MM in total, starting at $5.5MM this season and topping out at $7.2MM in 2015/16. Only $2MM of that final season is guaranteed, Stein adds.

The rest of Stein's rumors this week revolve around coaching positions, so let's dive in….

  • The Bulls hold a team option on Tom Thibodeau for next season, but the Chicago coach is "dismayed" that he hasn't been offered a lucrative contract extension, according to Stein. Stein hears that Thibodeau's displeasure with his contract situation is an "open secret in team circles."
  • Mike Woodson is increasingly hopeful of keeping the Knicks coaching job, though if Phil Jackson expressed interest in the position, rival teams assume James Dolan would do whatever it takes to sign the Zen Master.
  • The Clippers may be in the market for a new coach this summer, ideally one who could convince Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to remain in Los Angeles long-term.
  • If Stan Van Gundy were to be replaced as the Magic coach, Nate McMillan appears to be the top candidate, says Stein.
  • Stein spoke to "[John] Calipari experts," who suggested the Wildcats coach may not be inclined to give up his power and prestige at Kentucky to coach in the NBA.
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