Shaquille O’Neal Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Clippers, Collins, Shaw, Karl

June 6th, 2013 at 8:05pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that Lionel Hollins met with the Clippers today and engaged in a lengthy conversation about their head coaching job. Turner also relays that Brian Shaw is expected to interview with team brass on either Monday or Tuesday next week (Twitter links). As for George Karl, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that while the Clippers haven't spoken to him directly, they have been in contact with his representative. Both ESPN's Marc Stein and Shelburne report that Karl and Shaw have emerged as the team's top two candidates for the job.

As we gear up for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, here are a few miscellaneous notes to share from around the league tonight:

As far as his next contract goes, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki says that it'll probably be a two- or three-year deal (Jon Machota of SportsDayDFW).
Sam Amick of USA Today hears that the Grizzlies reached out to Karl almost immediately after he was let go in Denver today. The Nuggets had to grant permission to Memphis in order to reach out to Karl because the severance agreement hasn't been finalized and the 62-year-old coach is still under contract.
Amick notes that the Grizzlies had their sights set on assistant Dave Joerger as their top candidate to replace Hollins, but made that option contingent on whether or not Karl would become available.
Sportando.net's Emiliano Carchia tweets that former NBA player Andres Nocioni is in talks regarding a contract extension with Baskonia, a Spanish ballclub that participates in the ACB and Euroleague.
Flip Saunders confirmed on KFAN radio in Minnesota that the Timberwolves currently have Victor Oladipo ahead of Ben McLemore on their draft board, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
ESPN Insider Chad Ford says that many teams are bummed that Dario Saric is considering withdrawing his name from this year's draft, adding that several NBA executives had him ranked in their top five or top seven prospects. He also mentions that there are other teams who had no intention of drafting Saric that aren't thrilled with the news either, considering the notion that the draft gets weaker when talent leaves. Interestingly enough, Ford says he wouldn't be surprised if some NBA teams that are currently in Italy for the Eurocamp will try to travel to Croatia in order to make an attempt to persuade Saric to keep his name in consideration this year (All Twitter links).
Ricky Ledo's agent, Seth Cohen, tells SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria that his client will not work out for the Thunder (Twitter link).
For whatever it's worth, Shaquille O'Neal said that he and Chris Webber would like to own the Kings (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram noted the comment via Twitter).

Odds & Ends: Shaq, Wilkerson, Vaughn

August 30th, 2012 at 7:17pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Lakers will retire Shaquille O'Neal's #34 jersey on April 2nd at Staples Center before the team faces the Mavericks, tweets Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register. He adds that the team will also retire center Jamaal Wilkes' #52 jersey on December 28. Also, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's statue will be unveiled on November 16, according to Ding (via Twitter). Here's what else we're hearing from the NBA this evening…

Tyler Wilkerson has received an offer to attend training camp with the Spurs after a standout performance with their summer league team, says Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation. McCarney cited a tweet from NBA agent Seth A. Cohen for making the announcement.
John Denton of NBA.com highlights Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn as he prepares for his first season with Orlando and obtains some thoughts regarding his newly hired assistant coaches.
According to an ESPN.com survey of "100 of ESPN's best basketball minds", the Lakers received 56 votes and the Thunder finished with 42 on the topic of who will be the Western Conference champions this year.
Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com reviewed a list of the remaining NBA teams with cap and trade exceptions.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio doesn't think that the Cavaliers are actively trying to move Daniel Gibson, contrary to what other rumblings might suggest (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, he asserts that Kyrie Irving is ahead of his recovery schedule and should be ready by training camp on October 1.
Head coach Doug Collins likes the pieces that the 76ers have heading into training camp and is excited to start work, writes Marc Narducci of Philly.com.

Lawrence On Riley, Shaq, Bulls, Knicks

June 23rd, 2012 at 5:54pm CST by Sean Highkin

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News has a new column focusing on Miami Heat president Pat Riley, who is attempting to build a new dynasty in Miami following the team's NBA Finals victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Here are the highlights of the column:

Bianchi On Shaq, Brian Shaw, Stan Van Gundy

May 25th, 2012 at 8:44pm CST by Daniel Seco

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel eloquently deconstructs the candidacy of Shaquille O'Neal for the Magic general manager position in his latest column. Not only does his admonish the media for making Shaq's interest in the position far greater than it ended up being but he also gets in a dig at the future Hall of Famer for removing his name from consideration by stating "This is not a job I have an interest in pursuing." Bianchi says that's the equivalent of him stating he'd have no interest in pursuing Bill Simmons' gig at ESPN or in simpler Hoops Rumors terms, Paul Silas claiming no interest in coaching the 1995/1996 Bulls.

Bianchi says Brian Shaw is his odds-on pick as the most likely candidate to become the next head coach of the Magic. Shaw nearly succeeded Phil Jackson after his retirement from the Lakers last offseason but fell short of landing the job as Mike Brown beat him out for the position. The former guard spent the 2011/2012 season as Frank Vogel's associate head coach for the Pacers, who finished the regular season with a 42-24 record and kept the second round of the playoffs heavily competitive against the Heat.

Bianchi predicts it won't be long before Stan Van Gundy is once again sweating on the sidelines while drawing up plays in the huddle, especially when he's getting support from former top executives like Steve Kerr. "If I need a coach, I'm getting on the phone with Stan Van Gundy. He's one of the best in the league." Look for SVG to rebound with a team like Clippers or Trail Blazers if he's interested in coaching this upcoming season rather than settle for a lesser job with the Bobcats.

Shaq Not Interested In Magic GM Position

May 24th, 2012 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

After a report surfaced last night suggesting Shaquille O'Neal would speak to the Magic about their general manager opening, today's discussion centered on whether the possibility was realistic and whether the former MVP would make a good executive. Shaq rendered that speculation moot this afternoon, however, announcing in a statement that he isn't interested in the position, according to Sekou Smith of NBA.com.

"When I first heard about the vacancy for the Orlando Magic general manager position, I was clearly intrigued." O'Neal said in the statement. "I was drafted by the Magic, I have a great love for the franchise, and I have made the city of Orlando my home. Additionally, I have great admiration and respect for the DeVos family. However, this is not a job I have an interest in pursuing. I feel very fortunate to be with TNT and to have the best job in sports. I look forward to many more years with Charles, Kenny and E.J. I wish the best for the Magic and I am confident that they will select a great GM and coach."

With O'Neal out of the running, the Magic will look elsewhere for their next GM, though Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the new general manager may not necessarily be in charge of basketball operations. Orlando may restructure their basketball operations department, team CEO Alex Martins told Robbins.

Another potential candidate for an executive position, Steve Kerr, said on a conference call today that he hasn't been contacted by the Magic and has no interest in a front office position for now, tweets Robbins.

Odds & Ends: Iverson, Clippers, Mavericks, Shaq

May 23rd, 2012 at 10:44pm CST by Alex Lee

The 76ers defeated the Celtics tonight in an ugly, defensive affair to force a Game 7 on Saturday night in Boston. Early in the game, an ESPN reporter spoke with Allen Iverson who was in town to deliver the game ball to tonight's referees. Iverson said he still wants to play basketball, whether in the NBA or elsewhere. Here are other links from late Wednesday night:

Arash Markazi and Pedro Moura from ESPN Los Angeles give their differing takes on whether Clippers stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be teamed up in LA for the remainder of their careers.
Derek Page of HoopsWorld says that for the Mavericks, in lieu of letting key pieces of their championship team leave via free agency, anything in the offseason short of Deron Williams would deem that decision a "momentous mistake." Meanwhile, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says via chat that Pau Gasol would not be a good fit in Dallas.
Speaking of Deron Williams, Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star Ledger examined the Nets offseason uncertainties outside of their potential free-agent-to-be point guard. The Nets have only four players that are guaranteed to be under contact for next year's Brooklyn debut.
The Bird Rights hearing between the NBA and NBA Players Association will be in mid-June, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York, citing an unnamed source. Begley notes that the Knicks will be particularly impacted due to waiver pickups of Steve Novak and Jeremy Lin.
The 2012 Olympic schedule for Team USA was unveiled, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
ESPN's Chris Broussard and Marc Stein offer their takes on Shaq as a potential fit as the future general manager of the Magic. Broussard says Shaq has acted as a mentor to Dwight Howard throughout the season as they apparently bonded over their dislike for Stan Van Gundy. Hiring O'Neal could be an attempt to persuade Howard to stay. Meanwhile, despite previous reports, Broussard adds that the Bobcats will in fact reach out to Van Gundy.

Odds & Ends: Shaq, Howard, Nets, Bobcats

May 23rd, 2012 at 7:07pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Celtics prepare to try to eliminate the Sixers tonight in Philadelphia, let's check out a few links from around the NBA:

Chris Broussard said on ESPN's NBA Countdown that Shaquille O'Neal could meet with the Magic brass next week about their general manager opening, via Marc Stein's Twitter. That would certainly be an interesting scenario given the Howard situation.
Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com wonders if the Magic/Dwight Howard mess has become about saving face for the team. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, meanwhile, thinks the Magic need to give Howard a draft-day deadline to decide on his future.
Nets GM Billy King spoke to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News about former Magic GM Otis Smith, Dwight Howard, and the upcoming draft lottery.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger lists a few players whose free agent stock has declined in the postseason. Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors has been tracking playoff performances by free agents in his Money Time feature, and many of the players he names overlap with Hollinger's picks.
The Bobcats haven't approached Stan Van Gundy about their head coach opening and he's unlikely to be interested anyway, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com proposes a few trade ideas he thinks could make sense this summer.
Salary cap expert Larry Coon fielded a numer of readers' questions in a HoopsWorld chat today.

Magic GM Otis Smith’s Role Shrinking?

April 9th, 2012 at 10:06am CST by Chuck Myron

10:06am: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wonders whether Shaquille O'Neal's support for Dwight Howard is tied to his desire to become the next Magic GM. O'Neal is difficult to take seriously at times, Bianchi notes, but recalls the comments Orlando's original "Superman" had on Bianchi's radio show last week.

“I would love to be the general manager of the Orlando Magic,” O'Neal said. “(Magic CEO) Alex Martins, you’ve got my number. Call me!”

9:07am: After breaking down some second-tier free agents, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports that Magic GM Otis Smith has been "removed from the process" with Dwight Howard, and that sources say Adonal Foyle, the Magic's director of player development, was in charge of the team's talks at the trade deadline. According to Kyler, Smith still would have to approve all transactions, but his role has been "radically scaled back."

Howard's front-office interaction comes almost exclusively with CEO Alex Martins, Kyler says. ESPN's Marc Stein wrote in his Weekend Dime that Magic executives look fondly upon Foyle and he's being groomed for a "future role of front office prominence." Kyler's report suggests he's already starting to take charge.

Just last week, we passed along a HoopsWorld report that Smith sat down with Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy, so it's clear Smith isn't completely disconnected from the team or its star player. If Kyler's report is true, though, it points to more turmoil in Orlando and greater power for Howard. While Smith, unlike Van Gundy, has not acknowledged that Howard has asked the team to fire him, reports have suggested D12 wants to be able to determine the fate of his GM as well. Regardless of who's said to be in charge, it increasingly appears as though Howard is by far the most powerful figure in Orlando.

Odds & Ends: Lin, Billups, Williams, Kaman

February 6th, 2012 at 11:16pm CST by Daniel Seco

Lakers star Kobe Bryant eclipsed former teammate Shaquille O'Neal as the fifth all-time leading scorer in NBA history as he put up 28 points in a 95-90 loss to the 76ers. Personal records aside, Kobe's main focus remains on securing a sixth championship ring which is becoming increasingly difficult as the Lakers dropped to 14-11 on the season, with nine of those losses coming on the road. Let's take a look around the league on what was a busy Monday night for the NBA.

Jeremy Lin scored 28 points in his first start for the Knicks this evening in a 99-88 victory over the Utah Jazz. Lin, 23, wouldn't have even received this opportunity if Baron Davis' recovery had stayed on track, tweets NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper. With his strong performances of late, Lin is nearly assured of his contract becoming guaranteed on Friday.
Isiah Thomas' career came to an end thanks to an Achilles injury against Orlando back in 1994, says Pistons beat writer Vincent Goodwill (via Twitter). A similar fate may hold true for Chauncey Billups who left Monday's game against the Magic in the fourth quarter with what may be a left Achilles tear.
If Billups' injury turns out to be as severe as predicted, Clippers GM Neil Olshey should be commended for his decision to not shop Mo Williams even when his team's roster was overloaded with point guards.
Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune describes the Hornets' decision to return Chris Kaman to the active roster as a way to build a highlight-reel in order to improve trade offers. In his first game back with the Hornets, Kaman, 29, scored 10 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and made two blocks in a 100-92 loss to the Kings.