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Lottery Fodder: Jazz, Kings, Hornets, Magic

May 20th, 2014 at 10:51pm CST by Alex Lee

With the order set for June’s NBA Draft, it’s only natural that we see an influx of mock drafts in the coming days. But Tuesday’s lottery tells us only the assets that most teams will start their draft process with, as plenty can happen between now and draft night on June 26th. After all, eight teams possess multiple first round picks with the Suns leading the way with three. The Sixers, meanwhile, have two picks in round one and five in round two, giving them plenty of ammo to pursue moves.

There’s a lot of draft fodder to come over the next five weeks, but let’s take a look at what is being said by the league’s decision-makers fresh off of Tuesday night’s lottery results:

  • Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey, who owns picks five, 23 and 35, said that Utah may try to package those assets in a deal to move up, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that it’s hard not to look at Tuesday night as a letdown, adding that the Utah front office extolled the depth of this year’s draft class.
  • Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee spoke to Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro, whose team landed the eighth selection in the draft. D’Alessandro indicated that the Kings would be open to dealing the pick if a “game-changing” talent doesn’t fall to them. They could also trade up, Jones says, or looks to acquire a second round pick in what is a deep draft. (Twitter links)
  • Citing the franchise’s history of executing draft-related trades, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer predicts the Hornets will attempt to turn picks nine, 24 and 45, along with $17MM in cap space, into something bigger. Now that they have a centerpiece in Al Jefferson and assets to deal, Bonnell speculates the team could kick the tires on Kevin Love or restricted free agents Greg Monroe and Gordon Hayward.
  • The Magic will pick in the dreaded fourth position come June, presumably unable to land Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid unless something drastic changes by draft night. While there was plenty of disappointment in Orlando, Magic GM Rob Hennigan remained upbeat, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. “Certainly we would have liked to have seen the highest number possible for us. I think all the teams would. But we like where we’re sitting. We feel like we can get a good player, and we feel like we’ve got our work cut out for us here the next couple of weeks to figure out exactly who that is.”
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And-Ones: Love, Celts, Cavs, Blatche, Clips, Grizz

May 20th, 2014 at 9:02pm CST by Alex Lee

Some thought tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery results could have major Kevin Love implications, though salary cap guru Larry Coon of ESPN doesn’t believe the Timberwolves star can be moved before the draft. According to Coon, such a deal would require cap room that teams will not have before July (Twitter links here).

The Celtics, who pick sixth, are a “sleeper” team in the Love sweepstakes, but owner Wyc Grousbeck says he isn’t hurrying the rebuilding effort, as he tells Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe. “That KG deal might be once in a lifetime, but I think over the next four or five years, we will get back to being contenders, if not three years,” he said. “I think we can get back there. I think this summer, one way or another, we’ll take positive steps, whether we just draft two players and continue to build, or whether we make a blockbuster deal.”

Here is what else is going on around the Association tonight, as the Heat and Pacers battle it out in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals:

  • ESPN’s Chad Ford considers Andrew Wiggins the favorite to land in Cleveland after the Cavaliers won Tuesday night’s lottery (via Twitter). Ford tweeted before the results were in that the Cavs preferred Jabari Parker, however he indicated afterwards (also on Twitter) that he was a corrected by a trusted source in Cleveland.
  • The admirable play of Andray Blatche down the stretch and into the postseason for the Nets could set him up for a decent pay day, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Blatche has said he will opt out of his one-year player option for next season, though Brooklyn controls his Early Bird Rights according to Bontemps.
  • Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News provides the transcript of today’s post-television interview session with new Warriors coach Steve Kerr, which is a bit juicier than what we relayed earlier on. Per Kawakami, Kerr covets a big man that can shoot. Meanwhile, Golden State GM Bob Myers also indicated the team will pursue shooting this summer, tweets Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.
  • Speaking before the lottery proceedings, commissioner Adam Silver detailed the process that comes with a forced sale of the Clippers. However, Silver did indicate that he will continue to urge owner Donald Sterling to sell the team on his own, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
  • Though he hasn’t been assured that his role is permanent by Grizzlies owner Robert Pera, GM Chris Wallace said at a Thursday afternoon press conference that he believes Memphis can win the NBA title next season, writes Zack McMillin of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “We’re a very formidable team. We just have to find a way to make that next step. Is it easy? No, but it’s attainable and we’re not going to rest until we hang that championship banner and have this parage this town deserves,” Wallace said.
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And-Ones: Love, Sterling, Nets

May 19th, 2014 at 10:33pm CST by Cray Allred

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck tells Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe that Boston won’t start any serious trade discussions until the lottery is over. “Nothing has been discussed until we see the pick,” Grousbeck said. “When we see what pick it is, the phones will start ringing and we’ll start answering the phones.” Here’s more from around the league:

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Wolves Won’t Trade Kevin Love Before Draft

May 19th, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Timberwolves won’t trade All-Star forward Kevin Love before the draft on June 26th, owner Glen Taylor tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.  Taylor went on to say that he hasn’t discussed trading Love recently with team president Flip Saunders and said Love has not asked for or told the team to trade him.

It was reported yesterday that Love hadn’t demanded a trade out of Minnesota but his unwillingness to sign an extension certainly makes that a possibility.  While Taylor is apparently holding on to hope that he can keep Love for the long term, it’s hard to see the club not exploring trade possibilities.

Meanwhile, since dealing Love would obviously signal a rebuilding process in Minnesota, one would imagine that the T’Wolves would look for a top pick in this year’s talent rich draft in return.  I would venture to say that Taylor’s statements are an attempt at a poker face in response to the rumors, but he is also probably holding out hope that he can make Love have a change of heart.

The Warriors, Lakers, Suns, Knicks, and Celtics have all been cited as possible landing spots for Love.

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Latest On Kevin Love

May 18th, 2014 at 10:22pm CST by Zachary Links

10:22pm: Knicks president Phil Jackson has been plotting to acquire Love via trade, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.  The Knicks’ interest in Love for next summer has been known, but they could try and get him sooner if he’s made available.

4:58pm: The Celtics have emerged as an increasingly intriguing destination for Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  The Celtics’ draft position coming out of Tuesday night’s lottery could have a big impact on the feasibility of a deal with Minnesota.

If the C’s get their projected No. 5 slot, that could be a big asset in landing Love.  If they move up and get a top three spot, that would make the decision harder for GM Danny Ainge.  Love’s representatives with Excel Sports are pushing Timberwolves president Flip Saunders to find a trade acceptable to them before the beginning of summer free agency in July – preferably by the June 26 NBA draft, league sources say.  As we learned earlier, Love has let the T’Wolves know that he won’t be signing an extension with them.

The Rockets are planning an aggressive pursuit for Love and the Warriors, Lakers, and Suns were mentioned as landing spots in Wojnarowski’s report from earlier.  The Rockets are also in the mix since Kevin McHale has ties to Love.

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Wolves Mull Love Trade, Eye Mitchell For Coach

May 18th, 2014 at 3:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

3:05pm: The Rockets are also planning an aggressive pursuit of Love, according to Wojnarowski (on Twitter).  Kevin McHale has a strong bond with the UCLA product.

10:35am: Love has made it clear to the Wolves that he intends to become an unrestricted free agent after next season and has no interest in a contract extension this summer to stay in Minnesota, write Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The article also notes that Love has stated his willingness to accept a deal to the Bulls and Warriors. Sources have told ESPN.com that the Warriors have emerged as a top contender for Love should Minnesota relent and decide to trade him. Golden State doesn’t have a stash of draft picks to offer the Wolves like Phoenix or Boston could offer, but the Warriors could assemble a trade package featuring forwards Harrison Barnes and David Lee, according to the article.

8:56am: It appears that the Timberwolves will seriously consider trading Kevin Love, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. “For the first time, [Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders] sounds like looking at deals for [Love] is an option,” a rival executive told Wojnarowski. Love has an early termination option in his contract that he can exercise next summer. This is putting pressure on the Wolves front office to improve the team enough to convince Love to stay, or trade him for assets instead of risking losing him for nothing. This also comes on the heels of the reports that Minnesota was looking at power forwards in the upcoming draft.

The article also notes that the Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, and Suns are all strong candidates to partner with in a trade for Love if the Wolves decide to move him. Boston and Los Angeles plan to make high-lottery picks in the 2014 NBA Draft available in offers for Love, sources told Wojnarowski.

No team is likely to trade for Love without an assurance that he’ll commit to a five-year, $100 million maximum contract extension, notes Wojnarowski. Despite a belief that Love prefers Los Angeles or New York as potential destinations, he’s open to deals in other markets where he can be part of an immediate contender, the article says.

Wojnarowski is also reporting that Sam Mitchell has emerged as a serious candidate for the franchise’s head coaching job. Mitchell reportedly left a good impression with Saunders in a recent meeting. Mitchell has a strong history with Minnesota, where he had two stops as a player, and Mitchell played for Saunders during his second stint.

The Wolves have also contacted several top college coaches, including Florida’s Billy Donovan, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, and Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg, Wojnarowski notes, but those coaches weren’t inclined to seriously consider the position. The general belief that the Wolves will have to trade Love has made coaches leery of the franchise’s future, according to the article.

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Western Notes: Suns, Lawson, Jazz

May 18th, 2014 at 11:17am CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the presence of Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, the Suns might consider drafting a point guard this year, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Coro cites the uncertainty regarding the team re-signing Bledsoe, as well as Dragic being able to opt out of his contract next summer as the reasons the team could consider selecting another point guard. The team is seriously looking at Dante Exum and Marcus Smart, notes Coro.

More from out west:

  • In a season filled with injuries, Ty Lawson was the Nuggets best player. Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post takes a look back at Lawson’s season, as well as where the player goes from here.
  • The Timberwolves coaching search won’t really begin until after Tuesday night’s NBA Draft lottery, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Once the team knows where it is selecting, it will have a better idea of what kind of roster the team will have as well as a better idea if they intend to keep Kevin Love or if the Wolves will attempt to trade him this summer, opines Zgoda.
  • Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey is open to trading the team’s first-round draft pick, reports Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Lindsey said, “I don’t think with where we’re at anything is sacred. You have to listen to everything.“
  • Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee examine the risks and rewards of the Kings arena deal which is set to be voted on by the city this Tuesday.
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And-Ones: Watson, Love, Seattle, Isiah, Draft

May 16th, 2014 at 5:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earl Watson would like to coach the Jazz next season, and he’s picked up the endorsement of restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, as both Watson and Hayward tell Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Watson, who played with the Blazers this year, hasn’t ruled out playing again next season, but if he becomes Jazz coach, he’ll target Hubie Brown as an assistant, he says. Here’s more from around the league with an altered title picture now that Serge Ibaka is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs.

  • Kevin Love will have some say in who coaches him next season on the Wolves, owner Glen Taylor confirmed to Charley Walters of the Star Tribune. President of basketball operations Flip Saunders has spoken with eight candidates, but he hasn’t endorsed any of them to Taylor, Walters adds.
  • Taylor also said the Wolves lost “a couple million” dollars this year, Walters notes in the same piece.
  • Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who partnered with Chris Hansen on an ill-fated bid to buy the Kings and move them to Seattle, is open to purchasing any NBA team, but wouldn’t necessarily bring them to the Emerald City, as he tells Shira Ovide of The Wall Street Journal. He says he wouldn’t move the Clippers out of Los Angeles if he bought them.
  • Isiah Thomas and the Pistons are in preliminary talks about a deal for him to purchase a minority share of the team, reports Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News.
  • Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and Cavs GM David Griffin have said they’re open to trading their respective first-round picks for players who can help immediately, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
  • Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has political aspirations that would make him reticent to accept the post of executive director of the players union, but the job increasingly appears to be his if he wants it, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
  • Hawks and Cavs officials will meet with draft prospect Alessandro Gentile of the Italian league, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia reports. The swingman is No. 66 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and 100th with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
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Wolves Rumors: Love, Saunders, Coaching

April 17th, 2014 at 12:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

The end of Rick Adelman‘s tenure as Wolves coach appears imminent, as we passed along earlier today from Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. Even once that situation is clarified, there will be plenty of others for the team to resolve. Here’s more from Hartman and others on what lies ahead for Minnesota:

  • Wolves owner Glen Taylor tells Hartman that the team isn’t “pushing” for an extension with Kevin Love and says he doesn’t think Love would be interested in signing one. Still, that’s probably not a reflection of a lack of interest from either side in a long-term deal at some point, since Love isn’t eligible to sign an extension until next January, and even then, it would only tack two additional years onto his deal.
  • Love told reporters after Wednesday’s game that he continues to have faith in the future of the Wolves, notes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “Sure. Of course,” Love said.
  • The Wolves will surely consult with Love about their next coach, but they won’t give him the power to make the choice for them, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
  • Wolfson wouldn’t rule out a scenario in which Flip Saunders takes over as Wolves coach and grooms an up-and-coming assistant to replace him (Twitter link).
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T-Wolves Notes: Adelman, Love, Rubio

April 15th, 2014 at 10:50pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Rick Adelman‘s contract with the Timberwolves includes a mutual option with the team in which either side can opt out of the deal; the agreement calls for a decision to be made no later than two weeks after the end of the regular season (noted by the Associated Press). The above piece sheds light on the biggest criticisms surrounding Adelman’s performance this year, and it specifically mentions his questionable rotation decisions with Kevin Love and the team’s young players. Team president Flip Saunders is expected to sit down and talk with the long-time NBA head coach to discuss their future.

Keeping that in mind, Andy Greder and Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press write that there is an understanding between Adelman and the team that he can return next season as a consultant. Greder and Walters have more interesting tidbits to pass along out of Minnesota, and you can find them below:

  • Despite the uncertainty of Love’s future, there is no intention of trading him.
  • On the premise that Ricky Rubio hasn’t performed at an all-star level this season, It seems more probable that the T-Wolves would choose to offer a four-year extension rather than a five-year max when the two can negotiate a rookie deal extension between July and October.
  • The team will look to add a two-way wing player this summer. While they could also look to make a trade in order to boost their defense, owner Glen Taylor says it probably wouldn’t be a “big” one.
  • As with Love, Taylor doesn’t seem open to dealing Pekovic or Rubio right now.
  • Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng are expected to be key contributors next season, and Dieng’s standout performances during the latter portion of this year gives the team some added flexibility as it continues to deal with Nikola Pekovic‘s lingering injury concerns.
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