Kevin Love Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lawrence On Thibs, Irving, Love, Knicks

May 24th, 2014 at 2:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Grizzlies are on a shoestring budget and don’t have the room necessary to bring coach Tom Thibodeau over from the Bulls, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “Do they realize how much that will cost?’” said one Chicago official, when word surfaced that the Grizzlies will look at Thibs if Memphis winds up allowing Dave Joerger to take the Timberwolves’ head coaching position. An Eastern Conference president, factoring in Stan Van Gundy’s $7MM/year deal in Detroit, estimated that it would cost Memphis $8MM per year to have Thibodeau serve as their coach and president. Here’s more from today’s column…

The Cavs are making noises that they aren’t going to offer Kyrie Irving “max money’’ this summer via a long-term extension. They don’t want to deal the 2014 All-Star Game MVP, but it could come to that, especially if the guard and his family continue to tell people that he wants out. Irving hasn’t been a leader in his first three seasons and he’s also gained the unwelcomed reputation as a locker-room problem. “He was just handed too much, too soon,’’ said one source. “You’ve got to make these young guys earn it, and that’s where this team did a bad job with him.’’
The Cavs are not looking for a coach with a strong veteran presence who wants to do things only his way. That probably rules out Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, and Lionel Hollins, although Lawrence is a fan of all three. New GM David Griffin is looking for a college or NBA coach who agrees to accept input and instructions from himself and hands-on owner Dan Gilbert.
The Cavs know they can’t get Kevin Love from the Wolves in a deal for the No. 1 pick. If they keep it, they’re expected to take Kansas big man Joel Embiid, unless the stress fracture in his back injury from last season has the chance to become a long-term issue. Meanwhile, agent Arn Tellem might not make his client’s medical records available to teams with which he doesn’t want Embiid to play.
The Nuggets aren’t going to allow coach Brian Shaw to come to the Knicks if they fail to land Derek Fisher, even if the Knicks offer compensation. “We didn’t hire Brian for a one-year position with our team,’’ Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said. “We see Brian being with us for years to come.’’ If Fisher turns Jackson down, Kurt Rambis is the next in line.
Just because Bucks GM John Hammond and Pelicans exec Dell Demps came to New York for the lottery doesn’t mean that they’re going to be around for the long haul. Lawrence gets the sense that both are on the hot seat.

Northwest Notes: Love, Nuggets, Blazers

May 23rd, 2014 at 8:10pm CST by Cray Allred

Tim Bontemps of The New York Post ranks eight potential suitors in the Kevin Love sweepstakes, speculating that the Cavs and Suns have the best shot to pry the All-Star from the Wolves. Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Sources close to the Lakers tell Sam Smith of Bulls.com that they still believe Love wants to play in L.A., in spite of his rumored affection for other teams. Smith covers plenty of other Love topics in his latest mailbag column.
Nuggets president Josh Kroenke tells Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post that he thinks Denver’s roster is already good enough to make the playoffs if healthy, and doesn’t feel an urgent need to overhaul the team after a disappointing 36-46 season. “I’ll be disappointed if we stay healthy and we’re not in the playoffs next year,” Kroenke said. “This roster, we’re always open for business and we’re always looking to improve our team, but sometimes the best thing you can do is just have continuity.”
Kroenke also told Dempsey that the team has hopes of fully recovering from the departure of Carmelo Anthony in the next couple years. “That situation was so big at the time that it was going to have a ripple effect of probably four to five years,” Kroenke said. “Next year is going to be a very crucial year. It will be four years out, we’ll have had the guys for three years. And so it’s going to be a telling year. It’s a big year on a lot of levels for a lot of people.”
The Blazers are not bringing back Mike Born as their Director of NBA scouting, sources tell Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: LeBron, Wittman, Levien, Dunleavy Sr.

May 22nd, 2014 at 7:05pm CST by Ryan Raroque

LeBron James didn’t have much to say about the Cavaliers’ recent NBA Draft lottery coup or the speculation that he could decide to return to Cleveland if he opts out this summer, telling Charlie McCarthy of FOX Sports Florida, “I heard about it but I don’t really have thoughts about it. … I’m in the middle of the conference finals, I’m not worried about draft lotteries, draft conversations. That’s the last thing on my mind.

Interestingly enough, LeBron added, “(The Heat aren’t) the most talented team, I don’t think, in the NBA. ... There are other talented teams. We have some very, very high IQ basketball players. I think IQ is more important than talent.”

With that aside, here’s more of this evening’s miscellaneous news and notes:

The Wizards haven’t been in a rush to make a decision on Randy Wittman‘s future, and a source tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that there is no current timetable to get something done. Wittman, who led the team to its first playoff series win since 2004/05, was given strong endorsements from John Wall, Bradley Beal, Andre Miller, and several other team veterans after the season had ended.
Although former Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien’s recent resignation sent shockwaves around the league, sources tell Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that tension between Levien and team owner Robert Pera had actually been building for months.
On ESPN Radio’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Mike Dunleavy Sr. said that he hopes he has a shot at the Knicks head coaching job, adding that he’s very familiar with the triangle offense: “I played in the triangle system down in Houston, it was kind of left over from when Tex Winter coached there. All my teams, I’ve run it as a transition set. … Maybe I’m the outside guy from the other guys that [Phil Jackson will] talk to, former players who played in the system and other guys who coached under him in the system. But at least I do know the system. I have run it” (H/T to Al Iannazzone of Newsday).
Timberwolves star Kevin Love may be the NBA’s most valuable player available for trade since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar requested out of Milwaukee in 1974, explains Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insiders only).

And-Ones: LeBron, Love, Garnett, Donovan

May 22nd, 2014 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

People around the league told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that didn’t think the Cavs had any shot at re-signing LeBron James going into Tuesday’s draft lottery, but Cleveland’s third lottery victory in four years casts the idea in a new light, Lloyd figures. The Cavs have long believed that acquiring Kevin Love would be central to the team’s pursuit of the four-time MVP, and they thought all season that the Wolves would eventually trade their power forward. Still, Lloyd has heard from no one who believes that Love would stay in Cleveland long-term if the team can’t land James, so trading for Love before knowing what James wants to do would be a supreme gamble. There’s more on the Love sweepstakes amid the latest from around the NBA:

The Warriors are confident they can wind up with Love, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle hears. Love is reportedly high on Golden State, and the team has been resourceful in acquiring players in spite of a lack of cap flexibility, Simmons notes.
Next season’s $12MM salary and a productive stretch run lead Tim Bontemps of the New York Post to believe that Kevin Garnett will return next season for the Nets, even though he hasn’t dismissed talk of retirement.
Billy Donovan admitted contact with a couple of NBA teams, but he said he’s content as the coach at the University of Florida and “all but guaranteed” he’ll remain there for next season, observes Mark Long of The Associated Press (Twitter links; hat tip to Marc Stein of ESPN.com). The Wolves reportedly sought him for their vacancy earlier this spring.
The Warriors were one of five teams that reached out to Steve Kerr about their coaching vacancies, as Kerr said on ESPN Radio’s The Dan Le Batard show, tweets Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. The Knicks and Jazz were his other known suitors.
Draft hopeful Andre Dawkins will work out for the Bulls, Suns, Hornets, Pacers, Pistons and Mavericks, his agent tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Dawkins is No. 92 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, but Chad Ford of ESPN.com doesn’t have him among his top prospects.

Western Notes: Wolves, Fournier, Warriors

May 21st, 2014 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor says the team doesn’t intend to trade Kevin Love, reports Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “Actually, I haven’t had any offers. I’m waiting!” GM Milt Newton joked. According to the article, Newton also said that now that the draft lottery was completed it would accelerate the team’s search for a new head coach.

Chad Ford On NBA Draft

May 21st, 2014 at 6:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the draft order now set, the speculation can truly begin as to what each team will do in June’s NBA Draft. Chad Ford of ESPN.com held his weekly chat and here are some of the highlights:

Though the Cavaliers currently have Jabari Parker at the top of their draft board, Ford believes they will end up selecting Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick.
The only way the Cavs trade the top pick is for a young, star-caliber player like Kevin Love, opines Ford.
The top three players on the Bucks draft board are Joel Embiid, Wiggins, and Dante Exum, per Ford.
The Magic are looking at taking a point guard with the number four overall pick, reports Ford. The team’s top two choices would be Exum and Marcus Smart. Ford also believes that with the 12th pick, the team will focus on acquiring outside shooting.
Ford believes the Jazz are likely to select Noah Vonleh with the fifth selection, unless they attempt to trade up to snag Exum.
Being slotted sixth makes the Celtics more likely to try and trade their pick for established talent, notes Ford. If they keep the pick, he believes that Aaron Gordon would be the choice of GM Danny Ainge.
The Lakers are in a similar position to the Celtics in regard to trading their pick, opines Ford. If they keep the pick, he sees either Julius Randle, Smart, or Dario Saric being their favorites.
Ford’s sleeper picks for the draft are Mitch McGary, Jarnell Stokes, and Elfrid Payton.

Cavs Rumors: Draft, Love, Coaches

May 21st, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs have Joel Embiid atop their wish list as long as they can determine his back is healthy, sources tell Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Agent Arn Tellem is still deciding whether to let Cleveland’s doctors examine his client, a source tells fellow ESPN.com scribe Andy Katz, as Goodman notes in his piece. Still, Chad Ford of ESPN.com reported Tuesday night that the Cavs liked Jabari Parker best before hearing that Andrew Wiggins was the team’s most likely choice. There’s little clarity on whom the Cavs want to draft, or even if they intend to keep their pick, as we detail amid the latest on the lottery winners:

The Cavs have legitimate interest in trading for Kevin Love, just as they did last season, but the Timberwolves don’t think that Cleveland is willing to include the top pick, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Cleveland is nonetheless likely to gauge what they can get for the No. 1 overall pick, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com notes amid the latest on LeBron James, and GM David Griffin is already getting inquiries about the pick from other teams, as Griffin told ESPN Cleveland. The GM expressed a willingness to trade the top draft choice, but he’s far more likely to retain it, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Deveney casts Mark Jackson, George Karl and Lionel Hollins as the leading contenders for the Cavs coaching job, though the team will also look at Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue among other previously reported candidates, as Deveney writes in the same piece. The Cavs are strongly considering college coaches as they conduct their search, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, but the idea that they’ll hire Kentucky’s John Calipari is “almost pure imagination,” Deveney writes.
The vast majority of the scouts who’ve spoken with Sam Smith of Bulls.com say the top pick will be either Embiid or Parker. Smith runs down Cleveland’s trade options with the No. 1 overall choice.

Cavs Unlikely To Land LeBron Without Upgrades

May 21st, 2014 at 11:54am CST by Chuck Myron

LeBron James won’t consider signing with any team that isn’t ready to seriously contend for a title in 2014/15, and he’s unwilling to play for an inexperienced coach, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Windhorst casts doubt on the notion that landing a third No. 1 overall pick in four years will be enough to convince James to opt out of his contract with the Heat and sign with the Cavs this summer, unless Cleveland packages the pick or other assets in a trade for a star. To that end, the Cavs will most likely inquire with the Timberwolves about Kevin Love, according to Windhorst.

It would take a “dream scenario” to entice James to leave the Heat, Windhorst writes, and doing so would be virtually impossible if Miami were to win the title this year and set up a run at a fourth straight title next season, the ESPN.com scribe also says. Windhorst raises the idea that the Heat may also inquire about Love this summer in an effort to further enhance their odds of keeping the four-time MVP, but it’s unclear whether that’s truly in team president Pat Riley‘s plans or mere speculation.

Windhorst’s report seems to suggest that the Cavs must hire an experienced coach if they’re to have any chance at bringing James back to the franchise. Cavs GM David Griffin has indicated a desire to pivot from the team’s strategy of collecting high draft picks into a pursuit of veterans, so perhaps that philosophy will extend to the team’s coaching search, too.

The pressure is also seemingly on other would-be suitors for James to target additional stars in an effort to surround James with as strong a team as possible, just as the Heat added Chris Bosh to a team that already had Dwyane Wade when they signed James in 2010.

Celts Willing To Trade For Star Without Extension

May 21st, 2014 at 11:16am CST by Chuck Myron

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has expressed a willingness to trade for a marquee player entering the final season of his contract with no assurances he would sign an extension with the team. Ainge made his comments to Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb on 98.5 The Sports Hub radio in Boston (Twitter link), and while he didn’t mention anyone in specific, it would appear he was referring to Kevin Love, who’s set to become a free agent in 2015, when he can exercise an early termination option in his contract.

Love reportedly sees the Celtics as an intriguing destination as he pressures the Wolves, through his agents at Excel Sports Management, to trade him by the draft. Ainge’s choice of words is key, as it’s unlikely Love signs an extension with any team, given that he’d be able to sign a much more lucrative deal as a free agent. Love isn’t even eligible to sign an extension until January 25th, 2015, the three-year anniversary of the date he signed his most recent extension with the Timberwolves. Teams aren’t allowed to sign players to extensions for six months after they acquire them via trade, unless they pull off an extend-and-trade transaction, which would further limit Love’s earning power. Ainge may be more concerned with receiving promises that Love would re-sign with the team in free agency in 2015 if he were to trade for him.

The Celtics would have plenty of competition for Love, as the Warriors, Lakers, Suns and Knicks are also in the mix for the All-Star power forward. They also have to make decisions concerning Rajon Rondo, who like Love is set to hit free agency after next season.

Magic To Pursue David Lee?

May 21st, 2014 at 9:12am CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic are a team “to watch out for” with the Warriors becoming more open to trading David Lee, reports Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. New Warriors coach Steve Kerr has expressed a desire for a stretch power forward, and GM Bob Myers is also eyeing additional shooting, signaling a willingness to shed Lee, largely a traditional power forward.

Thompson suggests the Magic’s failure to land a top-three pick in the draft lottery will make the team more willing to take on Lee to solidify a frontcourt that lacks a marquee power forward. That rests largely on the supposition that the Magic don’t end up with a big man like Julius Randle or Noah Vonleh with the No. 4 overall pick next month, of course. Thompson casts doubt on Golden State’s ability to land Kevin Love, even in the wake of a report identifying the Warriors as a prime contender him, but Thompson asserts that Arron Afflalo, who like Love went to UCLA, would help attract the Timberwolves star.

It’s nonetheless unclear whether the Warriors are indeed interested in Afflalo or anyone in particular as they ponder a trade for Lee, who’s due more than $30.5MM over the next two seasons. The Magic are one of the few teams with the cap flexibility and the organizational patience to absorb that sort of contract attached to a player who’s not a superstar, so they make sense as a destination for Lee if Orlando has assets that intrigue the Warriors enough to motivate them into a move. The only real pressure on the Warriors to make a drastic change this summer would be self-created, as I wrote last week when I looked ahead at Golden State’s offseason.