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Odds & Ends: Clippers, Knicks, Suns

May 19th, 2013 at 6:49pm CST by Michael Pina

A few random notes from around the league.

  • According to a string of tweets from ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Clippers owner Donald Sterling attended Game 1 between the Spurs and Grizzlies in an effort to scout Lionel Hollins for the possible head coaching job opening up with his team. (Hollins and Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro are both on the final years of their respective contracts.) Stein also tweets that the Clippers have not asked to speak with Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer. 
  • Newsday's Al Iannazzone goes in depth on the Knicks offseason plans, zoning in on what type of players the team should target in free agency.
  • The Suns enter the lottery with the probability of landing a high first round pick, but not number one, according to AZCentral.com's Paul Coro. He projects they target height if they land with a pick between four and seven.
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Woelfel On Nets, Dunleavy, Draft, Bucks

May 19th, 2013 at 8:48am CST by Chuck Myron

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times begins his look around the NBA with a profile on first-round prospect Glen Rice Jr., who could become the most highly drafted player to come out of the D-League. The Journal Times scribe also touches on offseason rumblings from around the league, and we'll round up the highlights here:

  • Woelfel hears the Nets are "honing in on Lionel Hollins" for their coaching vacancy. That would appear to be an exercise in futility, since Hollins says there's mutual interest in his return to the Grizzlies, the team he's guided to the Western Conference Finals. Woelfel also mentions Scott Skiles as a candidate, echoing a report by Sam Amick of USA Today earlier this month.
  • Soon-to-be free agent Mike Dunleavy has piqued the interest of several teams around the league. I examined Dunleavy's free agent stock last month, figuring he could fit in as a role player with a title contender.
  • Woelfel passes along a few draft rumors, noting that Kelly Olynyk and Michael Carter-Williams will work out for the Bucks, while the Magic, Nets and Knicks have shown interest in Phil Pressey. The Nuggets interviewed Otto Porter.
  • Bucks interim coach Jim Boylan is gone, but his assistant coaches remain. Their contracts are up at the end of June, along with a couple members of the team's front office staff, but it remains to be seen whether any of them will return.
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Lionel Hollins: Grizzlies Say They Want Me Back

May 10th, 2013 at 5:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins was confident heading into the playoffs that the team would bring him back for next season. Ironically, he became even more sure of keeping his job after the team went down 0-2 to the Clippers in the first round. That's when Hollins says Grizzlies management told him that they wanted him back as coach, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. 

"The only conversations we've had is they said they wanted me back," Hollins said. "After we lost the first two games to the Clippers, we had a friendly conversation about the series and how they just wanted me personally to know that regardless of what's being said out there, this is how they felt."

Hollins is in the final year of his contract, and could be one of the most sought-after coaching free agents this summer. The Sixers have reportedly been keeping an eye on his status in Memphis, and he's been linked to the Nets as well. Hollins nonetheless says "there's no question" he'd prefer to remain with the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies won the next four games to oust the Clippers after Hollins and the front office brass spoke, and as Memphis sits tied 1-1 with the Thunder in the second round, I'd be surprised to see Hollins go no matter what happens in the rest of the playoffs. The coach criticized the Rudy Gay trade soon after it occurred, but softened his stance later, calling his comments an emotional reaction to the swap. 

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Odds & Ends: Thompson, Ellis, Hollins, Turkoglu

May 9th, 2013 at 10:54pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski looks back to June 2011, when Warriors' GM Bob Myers had worries about not being able to select Klay Thompson knowing that either the Spurs could possibly trade up in the draft to get him or that the Bucks were planning to select him with the 10th overall pick. As it would turn out, San Antonio would wind up trading for the 15th pick (Kawhi Leonard) and the Kings landed the 10th pick to select Jimmer Fredette, leaving the sharpshooting Washington State forward right into the hands of Golden State. Here are a few more miscellaneous notes to share along this evening: 

  • AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops fills us in on the "best of the bunch" in terms of international prospects in this year's draft. 
  • The 76ers aren't expected to hold most of their interviews for their head coaching search until after the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp, writes Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com, although there is a possibility that the team could conduct some during camp. 
  • According to this report by the Detroit Free Press, the Pistons are widely known to be seeking perimeter help heading into the draft but could look to add more to their frontcourt. 
  • Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that the Lakers have granted the Cavaliers permission to interview Phil Handy about joining Mike Brown's coaching staff in Cleveland. 
  • When asked about the trade that sent Monta Ellis to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson told reporters that letting Ellis go helped change the culture of the team, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (Sulia link). 
  • ESPN's Chris Broussard tweets that Lionel Hollins will be highly coveted if the Grizzlies opt to not re-sign him this summer, adding that the Nets would figure to be among the interested teams. 
  • Heat owner Mickey Arison engaged in some civil discourse with a fan on Twitter regarding the possibility that Seattle loses out on their bid for the Kings (credit goes to SportsRadioKJR.com). Arison made it clear that he believes that the city of Sacramento has done enough to warrant keeping the team, and refuted the notion that Seattle had put forth the same effort in 2008 before the Sonics franchise ultimately moved to Oklahoma City.
  • John Denton of NBA.com writes that Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu understands the current youth movement of the franchise and that his time in Orlando could be over within the next coming months. 
  • Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) reports that Lakers big man Pau Gasol will be held out of basketball activities for the next three months after undergoing an operation on his knee today.  
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Sixers To Interview Michael Malone, Jeff Hornacek

May 2nd, 2013 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

As they search for a head coach to replace Doug Collins, the 76ers are expected to begin conducting interviews next week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski reports that the Sixers figure to begin their interview process with two current assistant coaches, Michael Malone (Warriors) and Jeff Hornacek (Jazz).

Besides receiving permission to interview Malone and Hornacek, the Sixers are also eyeing a handful of other candidates, says Wojnarowski. According to the Yahoo! scribe, Philadelphia is "strongly considering" Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and is "closely monitoring" the contract status of Lionel Hollins in Memphis.

We had previously heard that Malone and Shaw were at or near the top of the Sixers' wish list, and that the team has contacted the Pacers about interviewing Shaw, which will likely happen when Indiana's playoff run ends. Wojnarowski adds that the Sixers have been doing extensive research on Malone, and have received "excellent feedback" so far.

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Coaching Rumors: Hollins, Snyder, Jensen, Brown

April 24th, 2013 at 8:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

As many as a third of the league's teams could be looking for coaches this summer, and that doesn't include the Cavaliers, who've already hired Mike Brown, Grantland's Zach Lowe writes. An agent told Lowe that the Brown/Cavs pairing could spur movement in the rest of the coaching market. Lowe has plenty more on coaches who could be coming or going, and takes a closer look at the Bobcats and Cavs in his latest column. We'll pass along the highlights here, along with news from other NBA scribes:

  • The Grizzlies are more likely than not to retain Lionel Hollins, though that could change if the Clippers sweep them in the first round.
  • Hawks GM Danny Ferry may turn to Quin Snyder if he decides to let go of Larry Drew, now that Brown, his preferred target, is no longer available.
  • Alex Jensen, this season's D-League Coach of the Year, could be on an NBA bench as soon as next season, and earns consistent mention among defensively minded coaches on the rise.
  • The final season of Brown's five-year deal with the Cavs is partially guaranteed, as Charley Rosen notes for HoopsHype. Brown can take the Cavs to "the outer fringes of respectability" at best, Rosen opines.
  • Alvin Gentry, who was let go by the Suns earlier this season, has the resume, the presence, and the local ties necessary to make him a candidate for the Bobcats' coaching opening, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. 
  • Bobcats assistant coach Stephen Silas has shown a knack for player development and, despite his team's struggles, is considered a strong candidate for head coaching jobs, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link).
  • Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio has the latest on Brown's effort to build his staff with the Cavs, reporting that former Pistons head coach John Kuester is expected to join Brown in Cleveland.
  • Brown isn't short on coaching acumen, but his success with the Cavs will ultimately come down to whether the team can give him a roster that's talented enough to win, Pat McManamon of Fox Sports Ohio believes.
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Hollins Confident His Fate Isn’t Tied To Playoffs

April 11th, 2013 at 6:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

Lionel Hollins doesn't believe a "growing perception" that the Grizzlies may be waiting to see if the team advances past the first round of the playoffs before deciding whether to bring him back, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. Hollins and the team haven't discussed an extension to his deal, which is up at the end of the season. Still, a source recently told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that Hollins is "very likely" to receive a new contract after the playoffs even if the team bows out in the first round.

"There are a lot of teams that have successful seasons that don’t win in the first round," the coach said. "Look at San Antonio against us a couple of years ago. They won 61 games. That’s a successful season. But what happens in the playoffs is a different story. They caught a team on the rise and playing well. It happens."

Players, including Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen, spoke in support of Hollins, as Tillery details. There have been rumors of a rift between Hollins and Zach Randolph, but both said last month that such speculation wasn't true.

Hollins will likely have offers from other teams if he hits the offseason without a deal, but he's nonetheless made it clear he wants to remain in Memphis, according to Tillery. Hollins criticized the team's Rudy Gay trade earlier this season, but later said it was an emotional reaction, and that he's on board with the team's revamped management, which places a greater emphasis on analytics. 

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Stein On Van Gundy, Clippers, Pistons, Grizzlies

April 6th, 2013 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

In his Weekend Dime column, ESPN.com's Marc Stein takes us on a ride around the NBA coaching carousel.  You must be this tall to check out the highlights..

  • According to sources, Stan Van Gundy's availability already has the Clippers highly intrigued.  That doesn't bode well for coach Vinny Del Negro, who might not even be able to save his job with a deep playoff run.
  • No team in coaching circles is rated as more likely to make a change than the Pistons. Sources consistently say that Lawrence Frank is going to be ousted when the season is over based on the lack of responsiveness from his players.  It would be a big surprise at this stage if the Pistons aren't soon in the market for a coach and they make target a former player.
  • One coaching source says that it is "very likely" that Lionel Hollins will get a new deal from the Grizzlies after the playoffs.  Word is that they'll still probably keep him in the event of a first round exit.
  • More than one source says that Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is a coach in potential jeopardy, which undoubtedly stems from Michael Jordan's recent promise to season-ticket holders that major offseason changes are on the way.  Stein doesn't think that the criticism for Dunlap is fair considering the group that he has to work with.  
  • Sources continue to link Kelvin Sampson to the Bucks' opening, but interim coach Jim Boylan could get the full-time gig still.
  • One source with knowledge of the Suns said this week that Lindsey Hunter has a "good shot" to become the permanent head coach at season's end.
  • Byron Scott is believed to have the support of the front office, but there is a growing sense in Cleveland that owner Dan Gilbert will make a change regardless.  The coach had had to deal with the absences of Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao, and Dion Waiters throughout the year.
  • Wizards coach Randy Wittman appears to be safe and he should have less to worry about that the aforementioned coaches on the hot seat.
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Odds & Ends: Kings, White, McRoberts, Suns

March 28th, 2013 at 11:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Since a deal to keep the Kings in Sacramento fell through last year, there seems to have been no love lost between the Maloof family, which owns the team, and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson. Lately, though, Johnson has taken a conciliatory tone toward the Maloofs, and Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com believes that could be strategic, since the Maloofs would still have to agree to sell the team to Sacramento investors if the league rejects their pending sale to Chris Hansen's Seattle group. We rounded up more on the Kings sale this morning, and we'll continue to monitor the story in advance of a key meeting coming up on Wednesday. In the meantime, here's more from around the Association:

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Southwest Rumors: Hollins, White, Ingles

February 8th, 2013 at 7:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

Four of the five Southwest Division teams are in action tonight, including the Rockets, who have a key clash with the Blazers, the team sitting just one game behind them for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets could be getting a boost from one of their lottery picks soon, as we examine along with other news from the Southwest:

Earlier updates:

  • Royce White has passed a physical with the Rockets, and everything is set for him to join the team's D-League affiliate next week, reports Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. White said there's no timetable for how long he'll stay with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but added that he believes the Rockets want to make it a short stint.
  • In a series of dispatches on his Twitter account, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal shared remarks from Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who insists he's on board with the front office and wants to return to coach the team next season. "I hope everything I say isn't taken as I hate management," said Hollins, who made earlier comments that appeared to indicate he opposed the Rudy Gay deal. "Am I emotional about the trade? Yes. But it is the business of basketball and i understand it."
  • Australian big man Joe Ingles, currently playing in Spain, drew interest from the Grizzlies in the wake of last month's three-for-one trade. While a signing didn't materialize, the 25-year-old has long dreamed of joining the NBA, as HoopsHype's Jorge Sierra examines. Ingles' deal with FC Barcelona is up at the end of the season. 
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