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Atlantic Notes: Dunn, Trimble, Wiltjer, Hart

May 12th, 2016 at 10:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Brett Brown has promised Providence sophomore point guard Kris Dunn a chance to play right away if the Sixers draft him, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Dunn met with Sixers officials Wednesday and both he and the team appeared to come away impressed. “They made me feel like they really wanted me there,” he said. “We all were very engaged. We talked about a lot of things. I appreciate them having me.” Philadelphia notched the NBA’s worst record this season and has a 26.9% chance at landing the top overall pick. That will probably be LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke’s Brandon Ingram, but the Sixers will also get the Lakers’ pick if it falls outside the top three, which is where they might take Dunn.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers are interviewing a lot of guards, including Maryland sophomore point guard Melo Trimble, Pompey tweets.
Gonzaga senior power forward Kyle Wiltjer will work out for the Sixers later this month, Pompey tweets.
Villanova junior shooting guard Josh Hart plans a workout with the Sixers, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Hart is undecided on whether to stay in the draft or return to school. Philadelphia will also work out freshman small forward Dedric Lawson of Memphis on Monday (Twitter link).
The Celtics have met with several top prospects, including Ingram, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Other projected top-10 players that Boston has interviewed include Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, Kentucky’s Jamal Murray and California’s Jaylen Brown. The team has also scheduled an interview with Utah center Jakob Poeltl. According to Himmelsbach, the Celtics have either met with or are planning interviews with Oakland’s Kay Felder, Maryland’s Diamond Stone, Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, New Mexico State’s Pascal Siakam, Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis, China’s Zhou Qi, Syracuse’s Malachi Richardson, UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Louisville’s Chinanu Onuaku, Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones, Mississippi State’s Malik Newman, North Carolina State’s Cat Barber, Kansas’ Cheick Diallo, Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes and high school prospect Thon Maker.
Seton Hall sophomore point guard Isaiah Whitehead, who has met with the Sixers, Celtics, Knicks and Nets among others, will “100%” leave college if a team offers him a first-round guarantee, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “You can’t give up opportunities like that,” Whitehead said. “I mean, when they tell you it’s time to go, you just gotta go.”
Assistant GM Allan Houston conducted the Knicks‘ meeting with Whitehead as team president Phil Jackson apparently skipped the draft combine, Zagoria writes in a separate piece.
Diallo is scheduled to meet with the Knicks, Celtics and Raptors on Friday, Zagoria tweets.

Atlantic Notes: Dunn, Ulis, Jackson

May 12th, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the reports that interim coach Kurt Rambis is team president Phil Jackson‘s choice to lead the Knicks next season, league sources have informed Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that the competition for the post is still wide open. It’s also notable that Rambis is in attendance at the scouting combine this week but Jackson is not in Chicago for the event, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. “When Larry Bird took over for the Pacers, he was the first guy in the gym in Chicago,” a league executive told Zagoria. “Jerry West was always in the gym. Those guys are not on ranches in Montana. Phil obviously doesn’t worry or care about that.” While the Knicks don’t currently own a pick in this year’s NBA Draft, the team could look to acquire one from another team.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics interviewed Duke freshman forward Brandon Ingram today, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. Boston also interviewed Syracuse freshman swingman Malachi Richardson, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (via Twitter).
The Sixers interviewed Florida State freshman shooting guard Malik Beasley, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter). The swingman noted that Philadelphia intends to bring him in for a workout, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com adds (Twitter links). The team has an interview scheduled for Friday with Michigan State freshman big man Deyonta Davis, Camerato also reports.
The Sixers met with Clemson junior small forward Jaron Blossomgame on Wednesday and have a workout scheduled with him on May 20th, Camerato tweets. Philly also met with former Weber State power forward Joel Bolomboy today, Camerato notes. Also sitting down with team personnel today were Providence junior point guard Kris Dunn and Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson, Camerato adds (Twitter links).
North Carolina State point guard Cat Barber has a workout scheduled with the Sixers on Monday, Pompey relays (on Twitter).
Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo indicated that the team is open to trading away some of its draft picks this year in exchange for veteran players, Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers tweets. “You can only have so many developing players,” Colangelo told Andy Katz of ESPN. “We may be in play with some of those picks.“
The Sixers met with Kentucky sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis today and intend to bring him in for a workout in the near future, Camerato tweets.
Vanderbilt sophomore point guard Wade Baldwin interviewed with the Celtics today, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets, Baldwin also met with the Sixers, Camerato notes (on Twitter).
Former Syracuse swingman Michael Gbinije will interview with the Sixers on Friday or Saturday, Pompey relays (via Twitter). Gbinije is also scheduled to meet with the Knicks, Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal tweets.

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Jackson, DeRozan

May 10th, 2016 at 7:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers are still awaiting one of their recent lottery picks to step forward and emerge as a star, but the team does believe the potential still exists for that to occur, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com relays. “There’s some good, young, developing talent,” GM Bryan Colangelo said. “It’s just right now, we’re still looking for someone to step forward and become a star. That’s not to say that they’re not there, there’s not the potential for one of those pieces to do so. What we’re looking to do is build. There’s a lot of good pieces in place. What we have more than anything, we have resources and picks to move forward and try to add some of those pieces.”

Philadelphia has a 26.9% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft lottery, but the franchise also believes it can find value late in the first round, Seltzer notes. “You can look at this draft and say back at 24 [via Miami] or 26 [via Oklahoma City], where our later first-round picks reside, there’s going to be an opportunity there to pull a player,” Colangelo said. “Or, to take that pick and do something else with it, maybe defer to the future, because we may not want to add too many young players to an already young core of talent. I think it all depends on what [is] there, and what happens ahead of us.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s lack of urgency to settle on a new head coach is hurting the franchise as a number of solid candidates are already off the board, having filled other vacant posts around the league, opines Chris Mannix of The Vertical. The question also exists regarding just how committed Jackson is to his job, with the executive not a sure bet to finish out his five-year contract, Mannix adds. Jackson has the ability to opt out of his deal next summer.
Despite his pronounced struggles in this year’s postseason, Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan should have little difficulty landing a maximum-salary deal in free agency this summer, Michael Lee of The Vertical opines. With a pronounced drop off in the free agent class after Kevin Durant and the jump in the salary cap providing multiple teams with ample camp space, the 26-year-old should have no problem securing a lucrative pact, Lee adds. DeRozan has a player option for 2016/17 that is worth $10.15MM, which he is likely to decline in order to land a larger payout this offseason.

New York Notes: Conley, Rambis, McCullough

May 8th, 2016 at 1:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets will be shopping for a point guard this summer and may have a better shot at landing Mike Conley now that coach Dave Joerger has been fired in Memphis, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Conley, who averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 assists this season and led the NBA in assists-to-turnovers ratio, has said he wants to see how the Grizzlies’ offseason plays out before deciding to re-sign.

Lewis foresees a point guard shakeup in Brooklyn even if the Nets can’t lure Conley. He expects Jarrett Jack, who started 32 games before tearing his ACL, to be released, allowing the Nets to save all but $500K of his $6.3MM salary. Shane Larkin has a June 29th deadline to decide whether to exercise a $1.5MM option for next season. New coach Kenny Atkinson has a reputation for developing point guards and worked closely with Jeremy Lin when both were with the Knicks. Lin could be an option if he opts out of a deal with Charlotte that would pay him only slightly more than $2.2MM. Lewis writes that Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Seth Curry and Jordan Clarkson could be other targets, along with overseas players such as Milos Teodosic, Nando De Colo, Malcolm Delaney and Sergio Rodriguez.

There’s more out of New York:

The Knicks also have interest in Conley and might see their chances improving because of the events in Memphis, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. That’s especially true if GM Chris Wallace, a huge supporter of Conley, leaves the Grizzlies as well, Berman writes.
Knicks president Phil Jackson may be repaying Kurt Rambis after costing him the head coaching job with the Lakers 17 years ago, Berman writes in a separate story. Rambis took over on the Lakers’ bench after Del Harris was fired in 1999 and expected to be named head coach after the season ended. However, late owner Jerry Buss hired Jackson, and Rambis’ coaching career was put on hold. Now the interim coach with the Knicks, Rambis is believed to be Jackson’s choice to lead the team next season.
Nets rookie Chris McCullough showed a lot of promise late in the season, but he will probably be brought along slowly next year, according to NetsDaily. McCullough, the 29th pick in last year’s draft, missed most of the season while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered at Syracuse. A 6’11” power forward with an impressive vertical leap and 3-point range, McCullough gives Brooklyn hope for the future, but the author speculates that Atkinson will phase him in gradually and may even send the 21-year-old to the team’s new D-League team for occasional seasoning.

Latest on Luke Walton, Lakers

April 30th, 2016 at 4:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will give new head coach Luke Walton a five-year contract with four seasons guaranteed, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The deal will be valued at $5MM to $6MM annually with incentives. Walton, who was hired Friday night to take over for Byron Scott, met the media today to answer questions about his plans in L.A.:

Despite playing under Knicks president Phil Jackson, Walton doesn’t plan to use the triangle, tweets Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. “I don’t think the triangle’s the most appropriate offense for the players that they have down there,” Walton said, adding that he plans a style similar to Golden State’s.
Walton met with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and co-owner and executive vice president Jim Buss on Thursday in Oakland to talk about the job (Twitter link). “I left the meeting thinking it went well,” Walton said. “I obviously didn’t know it would get done that quickly.” (Twitter link from Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times).
L.A. executives provided a detailed vision of the organization during that meeting, including several free agents they want to pursue this summer (Twitter link). “I think they have some young, talented players,” Walton said. “Obviously you need to mix in some vets. I’m excited about the pieces they have.” (Twitter link)
Walton, who will remain an assistant with the Warriors until their playoff run is complete, said it was hard to break the news to Golden State head coach Steve Kerr. “I was a little bit nervous about making the call [to Kerr] because we have such a good thing going here,” Walton said (Twitter link). Several Warriors players said they will miss Walton when he leaves the team. “He’s obviously a guy that we want around but … he deserved it and it’s a dream job for him,” said Draymond Green (Twitter link). “It’s been very important for me to have someone to vent to … that’s how our relationship started.” (Twitter link).

Walton has dreamed of running the Lakers since Jackson used to bring him into coaching meetings during his time as a player with the team, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. She believes it’s the only job that would have made him leave Golden State, although he planned to interview with other teams to go through the experience. Shelburne calls Walton the “biggest free agent the Lakers have landed in years,” as he became the league’s most sought-after assistant when he led the Warriors to a 39-4 start during Kerr’s absence with health issues.

Walton’s first move should be to add some experienced assistants, opines J.A. Adande in an ESPN 5-on-5 chat. With Walton never officially having been a head coach before, Adande says he could benefit from a couple of veterans on the bench in the same way that Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams helped Kerr last season.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Wizards, Pistons

April 28th, 2016 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony doubled down today on his belief that the Knicks should have a broad coaching search, adding as he spoke in an appearance with Frank Isola of the New York Daily News on SiriusXM NBA Radio that team president Phil Jackson hasn’t consulted him for his input on the coaching job. The Knicks reportedly didn’t reach out to Tom Thibodeau, who was apparently Anthony’s preferred choice, and Anthony told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com he thinks Thibodeau would have taken the Knicks job if offered (ESPN Now link).

“I’ve said this and I’ll continue to say it, there needs to be a process,” Anthony said to Isola. “As long as there’s a process and you go through the proper channels to figure out exactly what you need to do, I don’t have no problem with that. But if you don’t go through that process and at least look to see what’s out there, then we have a problem with that.”

See more on the latest ‘Melo drama amid news from the Eastern Conference:

Anthony defended the triangle offense when he went on The Dan Patrick Show today, Begley points out (Twitter link), and he said in his SiriusXM spot that his goal is to retire with the Knicks and that he believes in Jackson, as Isola notes in the same piece. Still, Anthony made it clear that he feels he has no choice but to ride with the Zen Master, Isola relays. “I have to. My fate is in his hands,” Anthony said. “I have to believe in him. If I believe that I’m going to be here, I don’t have anybody else to kind of put my fate in.”
The Wizards made a strong push to acquire Pelicans stretch four Ryan Anderson via trade at the deadline in February, but Washington didn’t want to give up the first-round pick that ultimately wound up going to Phoenix in the Markieff Morris deal, according to TNT’s David Aldridge. Morris is under contract for three more seasons while Anderson is set to hit free agency this summer.
The Pistons will target a big man who can shoot, and backup point guard is a major need, too, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy confirmed in a press conference today that finding a backup point guard will be a priority, notes Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link).

Latest On The Knicks’ Coaching Search

April 24th, 2016 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

David Blatt was never a serious candidate to become the next coach of the Knicks, tweets veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey. Blatt’s name was floated as a smokescreen, Vecsey reports, and interim coach Kurt Rambis remains the only candidate for the position. According to Vecsey, the agent for new Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau contacted the Knicks to express his client’s interest, but team president Phil Jackson had no desire to talk to Thibodeau.

Blatt was reported as a candidate earlier this month, and Jackson was believed to have a positive image of the former Cavaliers coach who was a teammate of Knicks GM Steve Mills at Princeton. Blatt, who guided Cleveland to the NBA finals last season, has been mentioned for several open coaching jobs since he was fired in January.

There’s more this morning out of New York:

Hiring the right coach is Jackson’s most important job this offseason, and he should consider someone other than the expected candidates, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. He lists Jim Cleamons, Bill Cartwright, Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen, Derek Fisher and Rambis as failed coaches with a past connection to Jackson. Marks also writes that the Knicks need to fix their thin bench, and notes that more cap space will be available for that task if Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams opt out. But he adds that the coaching job must be filled first, and that will determine the type of players the Knicks should pursue.
Jackson is blaming former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy for the negative publicity surrounding the Knicks and his performance as president, according to Bob Raissman of The New York Daily News. Longtime Jackson friend Charley Rosen wrote recently that Jackson has been “unfairly denigrated as being misguided and incompetent” by the media and he believes “power-playing” Van Gundy is behind the effort. Van Gundy coached the Knicks from 1995 to 2002, compiling a 248-172 record. He is rumored to be the favorite to become the next coach of the Rockets.

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Blatt, Rambis, ‘Melo

April 21st, 2016 at 10:05am CST by Chuck Myron

Kristaps Porzingis was largely unknown to Knicks fans a year ago, but his strong rookie year quickly made him a sensation in New York, where a four-minute film called “Porzingod” that takes a playful approach with the hopes and dreams attached to the 20-year-old 7-footer will debut today at the Tribeca Film Festival, as Marc Berman of the New York Post details. Such optimism is unlikely to emerge from the draft this year for the Knicks, who have a pick in neither the first nor the second round. See the latest on the blue-and-orange:

The Knicks didn’t reach out to former assistant Tom Thibodeau this spring before he took the Timberwolves job on Wednesday, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Knicks president Phil Jackson has spoken with Luke Walton, casually or otherwise, but for now, interim coach Kurt Rambis and David Blatt are the only candidates New York is seriously considering for its coaching vacancy, Begley hears.
Blatt’s adaptability is part of what makes him appealing to the Knicks, Berman writes in a separate piece. Jackson, who’s expected to interview the former Cavs coach, has respect for the Princeton offense Blatt has sometimes employed, as Berman previously reported, though one NBA personnel director who’s spoken to the Cavs said Blatt would certainly be willing to run the triangle for the Knicks, according to Berman. Still, Blatt isn’t the favorite, Berman cautions. Berman heard from one scout who suggested that hiring Blatt would torpedo any longshot hope at landing LeBron James, but the same was said about James returning to the Cavs when they hired Blatt two years ago.
Carmelo Anthony was among the Knicks in attendance as the Knicks’ triangle seminar began this week, and Jackson played the role of coach for a day as he took the lead in imparting lessons about the offensive system, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Rambis was also involved, which supports the belief that he’ll ultimately have his interim tag removed, Bondy observes. That Jackson organized the event further signals his willingness to stick around for the long haul in the wake of his Thursday declaration that he intends to stay for his whole five-year contract, Berman writes.

Latest On Luke Walton, Knicks

April 19th, 2016 at 9:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Luke Walton says his recent chat with Knicks team president Phil Jackson wasn’t a job interview, as the Warriors assistant coach tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Conflicting reports emerged in the past few days about whether it was an interview, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said it couldn’t have been, since Golden State has yet to give Walton permission to interview elsewhere, notes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Kerr told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that no team has even asked for permission (Twitter link). That throws into question the idea that Walton interviewed for the since-filled Nets job, as had also been reported.

“I talked to Phil, but I always talk to Phil. He’s a mentor of mine,” Walton said to Kawakami. “There was no job interview whatsoever. It was just a conversation which is not that rare for Phil and I to have.”

Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests that the Knicks are likely to interview David Blatt, citing Jackson’s respect for the Princeton offense Blatt’s teams have used on occasion. Berman also says the team will likely interview Brian Shaw, a triangle devotee. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com earlier reported New York’s interest in Blatt, a longtime friend of Knicks GM Steve Mills.

Still, interim coach Kurt Rambis remains a central figure and a candidate to be formally named Knicks head coach. He’s involved in two practices that Jackson has organized for this week that amount to a seminar of sorts on the triangle offense, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Kristaps Porzingis, Jerian Grant, Jose Calderon, Tony Wroten and soon-to-be free agent Langston Galloway are expected to attend, Isola hears.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Rambis

April 17th, 2016 at 10:03am CST by ChrisCrouse

Team president Phil Jackson expects free agents to be more open to signing with the Knicks this summer than last offseason because of the team’s increase in wins and the presence of Kristaps Porzingis, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “We’re talking about a team in the making,” Jackson said. “We’ve had so many people come up to us and say they really want to play [with] a guy like KP. … So we feel we have an attractive product here.”

Here’s more out of New York:

Carmelo Anthony has mixed feelings on the triangle and he believes most players just want to be comfortable in a system, Berman adds in the same piece. Anthony, who has repeatedly expressed his interest in being a part of the Knicks‘ free agent process, believes adding players who fit the system will be a delicate issue this offseason. “I think it’s a fine line going after guys who can fit into the system and going after guys who can just play basketball and can bring a winning attitude to this,” Anthony said.
Veteran players on the Knicks lobbied for Jerian Grant and the other younger members of the team to get more playing time earlier in the season, but coach Kurt Rambis and Jackson scoffed at the idea, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Jackson believed that Grant couldn’t contribute to the team’s win total.
Rambis finished the season 9-19 since taking over for Derek Fisher and would like an opportunity to build on his time with the Knicks, Bondy writes in a separate piece. “I want to be the head coach here,” Rambis said. “I think we can continue to get better as a ballclub and we can continue to improve, but that’s a decision that’s out of my hands.”