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[Rondo9]

Maloofs favor Seattle Kings deal

NEW YORK -- A recommendation on the Kings' sale and possible move to Seattle could be issued as soon as next week and a final decision made early next month, ending a process NBA commissioner David Stern called the most "wrenching" of his career.

The committee reviewing the bids by a Seattle group that has an agreement to buy the franchise and a Sacramento contingent that wants to keep it in California's capital city is expected to meet late next week and make its recommendation. A vote by the full NBA Board of Governors could then take place as soon as the week of May 6, with Stern indicating the owners will first decide on whether they would be willing to approve relocation.

Stern also said the Sacramento bid is "in the ballpark" financially with the deal from a Seattle group headed by Chris Hansen, though the Maloof family disputed that in a letter to the advisory and finance committee.

Obtained by The Associated Press, the Maloofs' letter dated April 17 said the Sacramento group originally matched the $525 million valuation for the franchise agreed to by Hansen, whose group includes Microsoft Chairman Steve Ballmer. Then last week, Hansen increased the valuation offer to $550 million.

The Maloofs said the Sacramento group has asked not to enter into a binding agreement until the Seattle deal is terminated. The Maloofs said that would be a breach of contract and cost them the "leverage to aggressively renegotiate terms in the event the existing agreement is terminated."

"Based on these factors ... we and our advisers see no reason to continue any dialogue with the Sacramento group or to give any further consideration to negotiating backup offers based on its latest non-binding proposal," the letter said.

Stern said a decision will need to be made in time so that the team's placard can say either Seattle -- which lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008 -- or Sacramento when it reports to New York for the May 21 draft lottery.

He said owners are "deliberating quite conservatively and deliberately" because the league has never faced anything like this battle between the two West Coast cities.

"This has been wrenching," Stern said, adding that "it's the only time in the last 37, 47 years that I haven't known the answer."

The Maloofs reached an agreement in January to sell a 65 percent controlling interest in the Kings to Hansen's group at the total franchise valuation of $525 million, topping the NBA-record $450 million that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the Golden State Warriors for in 2010. Then Hansen increased his offer to $550 million, which implies selling the 65 percent stake for about $357 million.

Stern has said expansion is not an option right now. The Board of Governors, consisting of all 30 NBA owners, was briefed on the matter during meetings Thursday and Friday. The committee reviewing the bids also met Wednesday.

If a vote is taken at some point in the next couple weeks, the Seattle group needs 23 of 30 owners to approve the sale of the team. A simple majority -- 16 votes -- is all that's needed to approve relocation.

"There's no attempt to get any unanimity. There's only an attempt to get answers to every possible, any possible question that various owners have, and then they'll vote however they vote, period," Stern said.

The commissioner has said previously that the sale of the Kings would not become a bidding war. And yet, a bidding war is exactly what seems to have broken out.

Hansen put down a $30 million deposit, while the Sacramento group has only offered $15 million, according to the Maloofs' letter. The Maloofs also have expressed concern to fellow NBA owners about the changes to Sacramento's group, saying the reason new investors keep surfacing is because of a "lack of funds."

Led by Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento has fought back over the past three months to make the sale and relocation of the Kings a real debate. Johnson pushed a non-binding financing plan for a $447 million downtown arena through the Sacramento City Council -- complete with a $258 million public subsidy -- and lined up an ownership group to try and compete with the powerful Seattle contingent.

The potential Sacramento ownership group is led by TIBCO software chairman Vivek Ranadive, who would sell his minority share of the Warriors if successful. Others who have joined the bid include 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, former Facebook senior executive Chris Kelly and the Jacobs family that owns communications giant Qualcomm.

Ranadive and Mastrov were copied in the letter sent to the NBA committee.

Johnson has announced new investors to join the bid over the last few weeks but has not said publicly what each person's financial contribution would be. Billionaire investor Ron Burkle, a co-owner of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and once a key cog in Sacramento's group, was forced to back out of the bid two weeks ago because of a conflict of interest created by his stake in a company that manages some NBA players' careers.

Johnson was in New York on Friday but it was unclear whether he would address owners again. The mayor said at halftime of Sacramento's season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night the he was "very confident" in his city's bid.

"I think the advantage has to go to the home team," Johnson said before the Kings lost 112-108 to the Clippers during an emotional season finale. "We're an incumbent."

The Maloofs also had other concerns with Sacramento's offer.

The letter said the Sacramento group extended a date to close on the transaction from May 31 to June 30, while the Hansen-Ballmer bid is ready "immediately."

The family said the Sacramento group refused a request that Kings employees' contracts were not terminated for 18 months after closing the deal. The Maloofs said Hansen's group agreed to this suggestion "without hesitation," according to the letter.

Spokesmen for the Maloof family, Johnson and Hansen said they had no comment on the letter.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/91...cramento-kings

[Rondo9]

NBA eyes joint Nets-Knicks bid

NEW YORK -- The NBA is considering the idea of splitting the 2015 All-Star weekend between the Knicks and Nets.

Deputy commissioner Adam Silver says the league is holding discussions with both New York teams and they are open to a joint bid.

The Nets play at the $1 billion Barclays Center that opened in September, while the Knicks' Madison Square Garden will have completed the last phase of a three-year renovation by then.

Silver said Friday during a conference call that the league would divide its events between the two sites. The All-Star Game is played on Sunday night, while the Rookie Challenge is played on Friday and the slam dunk and 3-point contests are part of All-Star Saturday night.

The league held the Friday and Saturday events at the Dallas Mavericks' arena in 2010 and staged the All-Star Game inside Cowboys Stadium.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/stor...r-weekend-2015

[Rondo9]

NBA breaks ties for lottery order

NEW YORK -- The Detroit Pistons won a tiebreaker with the Washington Wizards, giving them slightly better odds to finish with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.

Both teams finished 29-53 this season. The Pistons will have 36 chances out of 1,000 heading into next month's lottery and Washington will have 35.

The NBA settled broke three other ties through random drawings Friday:

• Philadelphia (34-48) won a tiebreaker with Toronto.

• Houston (45-37) won a tiebreaker with Chicago and the Lakers; the Lakers then won a tiebreaker with Chicago.

• The Clippers (56-26) won a tiebreaker with Memphis.

The Orlando Magic, with a league-worst 20-62 record, will have a 25 percent chance of winning the lottery.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/91...-order-lottery

[Rondo9]

Steve Nash eyes return to lineup

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- After having San Antonio end his season several times before as a member of the Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash doesn't plan to go out without a fight when the Los Angeles Lakers face the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs this time around.

"Mentally, I'm champing at the bit and physically, I'm getting there," Nash said Friday after participating in a full practice for the first time since March, as he's missed the Lakers' past eight games with a right hip and hamstring injury. "So, I'm very optimistic that I'll be able to play on Sunday, and I just don't want to overpromise and get ahead of myself. The last three weeks now, I wake up every morning thinking, 'Today's the day,' and then I want to hang myself after practice. So, I don't want to overpromise at this point, but I'm very optimistic."

The Lakers' practice was limited to half-court drills Friday, and the team is still classifying Nash as day-to-day until it sees how the 39-year-old's body responds Saturday when the Lakers fly to San Antonio for Sunday's Game 1.

"The last two weeks, I couldn't sprint," said Nash, who received two epidurals this week to try to alleviate the pain in his right hamstring, on which he wore black kinesiology tape at practice. "There was just too much inhibition from the nerve. That was just shutting me down whenever I tried to cover some ground, so that's why I couldn't play the last few weeks. It's hard to play in an NBA game if you can't change ends of the floor. That's kind of the last little bit I'm hoping for. It's feeling pretty close, so another couple days, hopefully the epidural will continue to help and I'll be able to play on Sunday."

While the Lakers have missed Nash's 12.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, his absence coupled with the season-ending Achilles injury sustained by Kobe Bryant have allowed Steve Blake to blossom in a starting role.

Blake averaged 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals over the Lakers' final two games, which the team won to get into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed.

If Nash returns, it does not mean Blake will return to the bench, however. Blake said there was a "good possibility" of him remaining in the starting lineup and playing alongside Nash.

"He's been great and we've played quite a bit together this year, so I don't think it's anything new for us to be out there together," Nash said. "It could be a lot of minutes together, which is a good thing. We're a little undersized, but I think we'll both scrap and fight for our team."

While L.A. could be playing with a new-look backcourt, they certainly will rely heavily on their frontcourt tandem of Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol against the Tim Duncan-led Spurs.

Metta World Peace issued a challenge to Howard on Friday, perhaps looking to inspire the All-Star center to maintain his April averages of 20.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, in which he led the Lakers to a 7-1 record down the stretch.

"Dwight being a center, great centers always win," World Peace said. "So I know Dwight has something to prove. I think the hard work he's putting in, especially with LeBron (James) being in the NBA, Dwight has to get at that level."

When asked about World Peace's comments, Howard focused on the team goal rather than individual statistics.

"I just want to win, plain and simple," said Howard, who led the team in a "One-two-three, championship!" cry when it broke its huddle after practice Friday. "I just want to win. A lot of people are counting us out and they're doubting our talent and our team, but I just want to win and I'm going to do whatever I can to help this team win. It's not about me having 30 points a night, but just me dominating the game. That's what I want to do."

Howard also wanted to promote camaraderie, organizing a team dinner for Friday night.

The get-together was just another example of how much things have turned around for the Lakers since they started off the season 18-25. They've since gone 28-12, and despite Bryant's absence, they are on the verge of getting back Nash and even could have Jordan Hill available in the near future.

Hill practiced Friday but has not yet been cleared for contact or full-court drills as he continues to recover from hip surgery that's kept him out of the lineup since Jan. 5.

"I think always adversity can break you or make you," said Gasol, who has averaged 17.5 points, 12.1 boards, 6.6 assists and 1.3 blocks on 51.3 percent shooting in April. "I think this team has really come together during this last stretch where we had our backs against the wall and our life has been on the line pretty much every time.

"So, I think we're in a good place right now. We start off a new season, so everything that has happened is behind us. We look forward to this opportunity and a big challenge against the Spurs."

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...playoff-opener

[Rondo9]

Pat Riley wants Big Three intact

MIAMI -- To begin a rare news conference, Miami Heat president Pat Riley walked into the interview room at AmericanAirlines Arena, sat down at the dais and made his big announcement to the surrounding media.

"I'm tired of watching 'Homeland' 35 times. I'm ready for the playoffs," Riley said. This wasn't a scheduled appointment with the media, but Riley certainly had plenty to say after Miami's practice on Friday. All in all, his news conference lasted more than 45 minutes.

The main theme? Life is good for the defending champion Heat. But it's about to get tougher.

That's not just because the road to another championship begins on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The lingering questions about the Heat's future have been focused far beyond this season. In particular, whether Riley can keep this team together when the luxury tax penalties become much stiffer starting in 2013-14.

"It's doable in this tax economy, but I'll leave that up to [Heat owner] Micky [Arison]," Riley said with a laugh. "That will all be tackled after the season, but it is doable."

In other words, the ball is in Arison's hands. Just like the Heat president planned ahead years in advance of the summer of 2010, Riley said he has already had internal conversations with Heat brass about how to financially keep the star-studded core intact when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can all opt out of their contracts after the 2013-14 season.

"I don't believe that we have to sell anybody on us anymore in 2014," Riley said. "It's all about winning now and when that time comes, we'll deal with it."

But the financial burden will begin starting in 2013-14 when taxpaying teams will have to pay $1.50 for every dollar they're over the luxury tax line. And it gets considerably more punitive in 2014-15 when the repeater penalties hit and the tax rate increases the deeper a team is into the tax.

Additionally, taxpaying teams will have more stringent roster management restrictions, including the inability to acquire players via sign-and-trades.

Keeping James, Wade and Bosh together long term is doable, but Riley indicated it would help if the Heat could find more cash to help the cause, pointing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that is partly owned by one of Riley's former players, Magic Johnson. In January, the Dodgers signed a television deal with Time Warner Cable worth a reported $7 billion.

"It's going to take that kind of revenue and those kinds of opportunities to be able to [keep the core together]," Riley said. "It is doable, but it's a question of the economics of the game. There's going to have to be some strategic planning not only from [the business] standpoint, but also personnel-wise over the next couple of years to deal with [the potential tax penalties]."

Friday was Riley's first official news conference since last July, when the team introduced new signees Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, but the former Heat coach said at the team's Family Fest last week that he envisioned a similar dynasty for this Miami team as the Bulls, Celtics and Lakers dynasties of the past.

"When you have an opportunity to build a team like this, you take a look at the four or five teams that endured over eight or nine or 10 years, they did it with the same players," Riley said. "It would be a shame if you couldn't do that."

But Riley admitted the economics of the game will make it much tougher to assemble a dynasty.

"I would love to see all of [the current Heat players] end their careers together here at the same time and hang their numbers, all of the players become the godfathers to each other's children and have one big, happy barbecue in the backyard somewhere. I would love to see that," Riley said. "But I don't know if that's reality in today's game."

When asked a follow-up question about the Heat's ability to retain Miami's Big Three, Riley maintained it isn't his call.

"Again, I'm going to defer that question to Micky because it's going to be a big decision," Riley said. "It is something that's going to take some thought.

"We don't, as an organization, really agree with all the aspects of the collective bargaining agreement. But [Arison)] was, I think, a proponent of it even though he knew it was going to hurt his team at the time because he was trying to do something that was good for everybody. He wasn't always fighting for what was going to be best for him. He did what he thought was right for the league."

That might be a little bit of revisionist history on Riley's part. Arison voted against ratifying the NBA's new CBA in 2010, along with four other owners, citing the revenue-sharing structure that would require the Heat to pay larger-market teams to do business. The Heat only rank middle of the pack in terms of TV market size.

But James, Wade and Bosh aren't the only Heat personnel who can be free agents after 2013-14. Heat coach and Riley protégé Erik Spoelstra has one more year remaining on his contract. After watching Spoelstra lead his team to a franchise-record 66 wins this season, Riley did not comment on Spoelstra's contract status.

He did, however, endorse Spoelstra for NBA Coach of the Year.

"Obviously, I'm biased," Riley said. "I think he deserves that. Don't penalize him because he has a great team. If he's deserving, he should get it."

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miam...-tax-penalties

[Rondo9]

Dwight Howard expects fouling

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Dwight Howard expects San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to parade him to the foul line when the Los Angeles Lakers open up their playoff series with Game 1 on Sunday, and it doesn't faze him one bit.

"If they want to do that the whole series, God bless them," Howard said when asked about the Spurs using a "Hack-a-Howard" strategy on Friday. "There's nothing I can do about it but go up there and shoot the free throws. Even if I make them, they're still going to do it. So, that's not my concern. My concern is what I can control on the defensive end and then on the offensive end, just dominate. If they foul me, they foul me. We're going to make them pay."

Howard went 8-for-17 from the line in the Lakers' 91-86 win over the Spurs last week.

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni has experience with Popovich using the "Hack-a-Whomever" scheme before. When D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns lost to the Spurs 4-1 in the first round in 2008, Shaquille O'Neal was repeatedly fouled and went 32-for-64 (50 percent) from the line in the five games.

"I'm sure they'll try it," D'Antoni said. "We worked on Dwight being evasive out there today so they couldn't catch him.

"But we'll just deal with it. He's going to make shots and he'll make his foul shots."

Spurs guard Tony Parker on Friday was asked how many times he expected Howard to go to the foul line.

"I don't know, you should ask Pop," Parker said. "But a lot. That's my guess, if I had to bet money. People are going to scream at him in L.A., it will be funny."

D'Antoni doesn't find the tactic quite so humorous. Earlier in the season, the coach said the league should consider banning the strategy.

"I'm not criticizing anybody, but it's part of the rules that's just not great," D'Antoni said in March, a couple days after Howard went 25-for-39 against the Orlando Magic. "We're an entertainment business. That's not entertaining for anybody."

D'Antoni admitted that stance was "self-serving" on Friday, considering he has Howard, who shot just 49.2 percent from the line this season, on his team. But he stood by the need for a rule change.

"I know when they vote (to ban it), I guarantee I'll vote yes," D'Antoni said. "But, the league will look at it. They look at everything, always. They just want to get it better. If it's better for the game (to ban it), then great. But, it's not me to say when you have guys (on your team) that they're doing it to. But, I'm sure it will happen, and Dwight will step up and knock them down."

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...oy-hack-howard

[Урош94]

Bucks target Stan Van Gundy, Kelvin Sampson as coaching candidates

As the Milwaukee Bucks start the process of hiring a new head coach, Stan Van Gundy has emerged as the franchise's top target, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Houston Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson is near the top of the Bucks too, sources said.

Bucks general manager John Hammond wants a hands-on coach strong on the defensive end of the floor and a restoration of discipline within the locker room.

Among other possible candidates could be Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford and Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Malone, sources said.

Interim coach Jim Boylan was in a difficult situation with a roster that included conflicting agendas for potential free agents Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. Still, there's developing talent within the organization that makes the job intriguing.

After his firing in Orlando a year ago, Van Gundy has insisted he'll be particular in selecting his new coaching staff. Van Gundy has a 579-371 record (.641) in his stops as head coach with the Miami Heat and Magic. In seven full seasons as a head coach, Van Gundy reached the NBA Finals once and twice the conference finals and conference semifinals.

Before Van Gundy joined Miami as an assistant coach in 1995, he spent three years – including one as head coach -– at the University of Wisconsin.

The Bucks did trade for one of Van Gundy's favorite former players, J.J. Redick, during the season. Milwaukee is determined to re-sign Redick as a free agent.

Sampson is well-regarded within the Bucks organization and the Bucks will aggressively pursue him along with Van Gundy, sources said. Sampson spent two seasons as an assistant with former Bucks coach Scott Skiles, and he knows the organization well.
Sampson has drawn significant interest as a head-coaching candidate this spring. Charlotte will interview him soon, and Philadelphia and Detroit also could reach out to meet with him, sources said. In addition, Sampson is a potential candidate for Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Clippers, if those teams make coaching changes.

Извор: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--bu...183313798.html

[Rondo9]

Timberwolves waive Brandon Roy

MINNEAPOLIS -- Brandon Roy gave it everything he had to try to resurrect a playing career derailed by chronic knee problems.

He had platelet-rich plasma therapy on his knees last summer to get himself in position to sign a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He worked hard in training camp to get his body in shape for the NBA after missing the previous year when he retired from Portland. And when the knee issues came up again early in the season, Roy had one more arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in a last-ditch effort to get on the court one last time.

In the end, his knees wouldn't cooperate. And now his career may have come to a painful close once and for all. The Timberwolves waived Roy on Friday, which could mark the end of an All-Star career that was shortened by knee problems.

"We wish Brandon and his family all the best in the future," new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said in a statement issued by the team.

Roy retired before last season when he couldn't alleviate the bone-on-bone pain in his knees that stopped the three-time All-Star from being the smooth, playmaking shooting guard that made him a franchise cornerstone in six seasons with the Blazers. But after getting some time to rest and trying the same advanced procedure that Kobe Bryant and others have used in the past, Roy felt good enough to try a comeback.

He signed a two-year deal worth more than $10 million to join the Timberwolves, who were desperately in need of a big, shot-making shooting guard to play alongside Ricky Rubio in the backcourt. After a promising training camp, the knee issues quickly returned.

Roy first was hurt again in a collision in a preseason game with the Indiana Pacers. He played five games at the start of the regular season, but that was all he could manage. He had arthroscopic surgery in December and tried several other methods of rehabilitation and therapy as the season progressed. Each time he thought he was getting close to returning, the pain would return.

The 28-year-old Roy averaged 5.8 points and 4.6 assists in his five games with the Wolves.

The second season of his deal was not guaranteed, making Roy's release inevitable. The Wolves will get roughly $5.3 million in salary cap room by making the move, which will help Saunders pursue other alternatives for shooting guard this summer, which remains the team's biggest need. Free agents like O.J. Mayo or Kevin Martin, who played for coach Rick Adelman in Houston, could be possibilities, and the Wolves also will consider trading for a veteran and using their two first-round draft picks to improve their shooting from the perimeter.

The Wolves will be looking to add size to the position after using Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea and Alexey Shved, all on the smaller side, at shooting guard for most of the season.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/92...ve-brandon-roy

[Rondo9]

Sam Hinkie hired by 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have hired Houston Rockets executive Sam Hinkie to be their new president of basketball operations and general manager, sources told ESPN.com Friday.

Hinkie, who interviewed with the 76ers for a similar job last year, fits team owner Joshua Harris' desire to use more analytics when it comes to player evaluation. Hinkie spent the past eight seasons with the Rockets, a team that has led the way in developing statistical analysis.

Hinkie is replacing the 76ers' front office of president Rod Thorn and general manager Tony DiLeo. Thorn long had planned to retire after the season. Harris originally said DiLeo, who has been with the 76ers since 1990, would stay on as GM when it was announced three weeks ago that Doug Collins was stepping down as coach.

But it appears Harris has decided to make a clean break and start over; Thorn, DiLeo and Collins -- who was said to be moving to a consulting role -- will not have a significant voice in future decisions.

The first move for Hinkie will be to hire a coach. The team is believed to be interested in coaches who will follow the new philosophy of using analytics to help determine lineups and styles.

The team potentially could have salary-cap room this summer, depending on what it decides to do with free-agent center Andrew Bynum, who missed all of this past season because of knee problems after the team made a blockbuster move to acquire him last summer.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/92...-sam-hinkie-gm

[Rondo9]

Lionel Hollins optimistic he'll return

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins has no contractual obligation to the franchise beyond this season, but he is hopeful he'll get to keep coaching what he's helped build in Memphis.

"There's no question," Hollins told ESPN, when asked if he hoped to be back with the Grizzlies after the season. "When you build something, you want to see it through to the fruition of it all.

"Hopefully, we'll win a championship at the end of the year. But that would just be a starting point. Then you want to be a perennial championship contender."

Hollins said his contract situation hasn't bothered him all season, and won't be a distraction to him or his team going forward. He's focused on the playoffs and nothing else right now as the Grizzlies prepare for Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series against Oklahoma City.

ESPN the Magazine's Chris Broussard reported Thursday that Hollins would be at the top of the Brooklyn Nets' list of candidates should he become available after the season.

The Nets' interest throws an intriguing wrinkle into the situation because of their ability to pay him far more than what he's made in Memphis.

"I can't be concerned about that. I have a job to do," Hollins said after the Grizzlies practiced Friday. "I'm excited with where we are and what we're doing. I'm excited about the job I have and the players I have. My focus is just on them and doing that.

"When all the dust is settled and we move forward, that's the time to deal with that other stuff."

Hollins said he's confident in his status because Grizzlies management recently told him they wanted him back.

"The only conversations we've had is they said they wanted me back," Hollins told ESPN. "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.

"That was great."

ESPN.com's Marc Stein, citing NBA coaching sources, reported last month that it was "very likely" Hollins would receive a new contract from the Grizzlies after the playoffs.

Hollins initially had expressed frustration in the wake of the Rudy Gay trade in late January, but quickly turned his attitude, and that of his team, around to lead the Grizzlies to 56 wins and a decisive first-round victory over the Clippers.

[Rondo9]

Hawks after Stan Van Gundy

With Larry Drew likely done as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, general manager Danny Ferry has made Stan Van Gundy his top target to take over the team, Yahoo! Sports reported on Friday.

The website, citing league sources, says Ferry has contacted Van Gundy about the position, although the two have yet to meet in person to discuss the job. Yahoo! Sports also reported that Van Gundy hasn't made a decision on whether he wants to return to coaching but thinks highly of Ferry.

In addition, Yahoo! Sports reported that the Hawks plan to make a hard push for free-agent center Dwight Howard and believe Van Gundy would help lure him to Atlanta. Van Gundy previously coached Howard with the Orlando Magic for five seasons before ultimately being fired after the 2011-12 campaign in what many viewed as an attempt by the team to appease the All-Star center.

Earlier this season, Howard had a public back-and-forth with former Magic teammates, and Van Gundy reached out to him to offer his support. The two texted on and off all season, Howard said at the time.

"Me and Stan have a pretty good relationship," Howard said in March. "We respect each other and we continue to talk to this day. We've kept the business side out of everything that we discuss, and he understands how I feel."

Drew endured what essentially was a lame-duck year after the team renewed the option on his contract last summer but didn't give him an extension. Nevertheless, he led the Hawks into the playoffs this season, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.

According to the Yahoo! Sports report, the Hawks have informed Drew that they will begin talks with other head-coaching candidates, and sources told the website that San Antonio Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer and CSKA Moscow assistant Quin Snyder also are targets.

Yahoo! Sports also reported that there's an outside chance Atlanta could go back to Drew if it misses out on some of its top targets.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/92...y-coach-report

[Lord Aleksoni]

Lindsey Hunter discusses Suns' coaching job with new GM

CHICAGO – Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough met with interim coach Lindsey Hunter to discuss the franchise's head-coaching job on Wednesday, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

McDonough and Hunter met in Chicago, where McDonough had arrived with the Suns' front office staff for the NBA draft combine.

Meeting with Hunter was the first formal sitdown with a candidate that McDonough has had since his hiring earlier in May as the Suns' general manager.

McDonough has yet to set up any formal meetings with candidates, but a league source told Yahoo! Sports that he's been calling for background on coaches including Utah Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek, Moscow CSKA assistant Quin Snyder, Houston Rockets assistants J.B. Bickerstaff and Kelvin Sampson and Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford, among others.

McDonough inherits a 25-win franchise that possesses six first-round draft picks in the next three years, including two in next month's draft. McDonough had been the assistant GM of the Boston Celtics, where he developed a strong reputation as a talent evaluator.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--li...022914476.html

[Rondo9]

Dwight Howard voiced frustrations

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers do not yet know Dwight Howard's decision for next season, but the All-Star center made his feelings about Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni known before starting his offseason.

Nearly three weeks have passed since Howard had his exit interview with the Lakers and there's been barely a peep out of Howard since.

While he hasn't had anything to say to the press, Howard had a lot to say to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak back before the relative silence, however.

Howard was one of several Lakers -- Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol being the most noteworthy -- to have an extended separate meeting with the GM after his exit interview with both Kupchak and D'Antoni, multiple sources confirmed to ESPNLosAngeles.com.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, part of the discussion between Howard and Kupchak centered around Howard's frustration with D'Antoni -- particularly how the center felt marginalized as the coach looked to Bryant and Steve Nash for leadership and suggestions and discounted Howard's voice.

Every player was afforded the opportunity to meet with Kupchak individually after D'Antoni left the room, but few spent as much time as Howard and Kupchak did together. Antawn Jamison also had a separate meeting with Kupchak without D'Antoni present, but that was because of a scheduling conflict.

Kupchak left the meeting with Howard undeterred, telling reporters he was "hopeful" and "optimistic" that Howard would be back with the Lakers next season and beyond, yet there have been several developments in the last couple weeks that could have an effect on Howard's decision.

D'Antoni chose not to retain assistant coach Chuck Person, a Howard confidant, on his staff for next season. Also, Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, who was with Howard in Orlando for five seasons before both of them came to L.A. last year, has become a hot head coaching candidate, interviewing with Milwaukee and receiving interest from Charlotte.

One source described the potential departure of Clifford, coupled with the loss of Person as "removing the buffers," between Howard and D'Antoni, "which is a bad thing."

Howard has not conducted any interviews since the standard exit interview with the press and has only tweeted six times in that span -- one tweet containing a silly tongue twister joke, two tweets from a '50s-style theme restaurant, two sponsored tweet promoting contact lenses and one tweet on Mother's Day -- so there have been no public clues about what decision the pending free agent will make.

Howard is currently on vacation in the meantime as the days tick by on the six weeks remaining until free agency officially begins.

Bryant addressed the uncertainty surrounding Howard on Monday, tweeting, "Interesting off season looming.. Will spend time with d12 #stay and talk with the Buss family in hopes that Pau stays as well #my2cents"

Howard can sign a five-year, $118 million max-level extension to stay in L.A. come July 1. The most he could receive if he were to leave is a four-year deal worth $87.6 million.

The $30.4 million more the Lakers can offer over any other competitor is certainly an advantage L.A. is banking on when it comes time for Howard to choose, however the economics aren't as swayed towards the Lakers as it would appear.

Two of the teams that will covet Howard's services the most this summer -- the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks -- are located in Texas, where there is no income tax. Howard would still have to pay taxes on road games and other taxes, such as property taxes in Texas tend to be higher than in other states, and the endorsement opportunities in Houston could be less than they are in L.A., yet still, the salary difference doesn't seem to bother Howard.

Houston has become an attractive destination for Howard for several other reasons, according to a source. For starters, Howard has gotten to know the Houston area, as well as the history of the franchise, from working out with Rockets Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon two summers ago. Furthermore, the 27-year-old Howard is intrigued by the possibility of growing his game alongside a fellow All-Star on the rise in James Harden, who turns 24 in August.

Howard is expected to entertain the free-agency process and hear competing offers from Houston, Dallas and others, multiple sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com. Cleveland and Atlanta are teams that will also be vying for Howard, among other suitors.

The question remains as to how much of a hurdle D'Antoni's presence could prove to be in Howard's chances of remaining a Laker.

"We had to just sell out to whatever he wanted, whether we liked it or not," Howard said of D'Antoni following his exit interview. "We had to do what was going to benefit the team, and being one of the leaders on the team, I had to make sure I kept the guys in line to what the coach wanted us to do."

A source said Howard was very careful with his public comments about D'Antoni after the season, wary of attracting a "coach killer reputation" after how things ended in Orlando with Stan Van Gundy losing his job. Despite the frustration Howard had with D'Antoni last season, there is nothing to suggest the partnership is irreparable. "It's not a, 'It's me or Mike,' situation for Dwight," said a source.

Kupchak did not seem worried about any potential rift between player and coach.

"I think Dwight likes winning, he likes performing at a high level," Kupchak said. "I think he's fine with Mike D'Antoni, but I'm not really concerned if players like a coach, so I don't ask that question. Our coaches are evaluated by wins and losses."

Kupchak was further pressed about the possibility of a coaching change being dictated by a player.

"This organization has a precedent with that kind of a situation and I think we learned our lesson," Kupchak said, referring to when Paul Westhead was fired in the early '80s and the decision was tied to Magic Johnson's wishes. Whether that was the real story or not, both Johnson and the Lakers organization took a hit for how it was perceived.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...ike-dantoni-gm

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Carmelo Anthony to get examined

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Carmelo Anthony will have his injured left shoulder re-examined by doctors in the coming days to determine the extent of damage and course of rehabilitation.

"I don't think it's any major damage," Anthony said Monday after meeting with the Knicks' coaching staff for exit interviews. "But we'll see. We'll find that out shortly."

Anthony first injured his shoulder on April 14 against the Indiana Pacers. He said on Monday that it affected him throughout the postseason.

"It was bothering me since it happened," Anthony said. "To be able to play with that and get through the pain, it just came a point where you just try not to think about it. That's where I was at mentally."

Anthony shot 40 percent from the floor in 12 postseason games. He shot 45 percent in the regular season.

He doesn't think he will need surgery to repair the shoulder injury. He said team doctors determined his shoulder was "stable" in an examination on Monday.

Anthony said his shoulder "popped in and out" after Boston's Kevin Garnett tugged on his arm during the Knicks-Celtics series.

The Pacers were physical with Anthony, and he appeared to tweak the injury throughout the series.

"It's just a matter of resting it and letting it heal," he said Monday.

Anthony will have the entire summer to rehabilitate the injury as the Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers on Saturday in the second round of the playoffs.

After having a few days to digest the loss, Anthony thinks that the Knicks remain close to winning an NBA title.

"We're right there. We're right there," he said. "When you look back, recap this whole season, [there's] just some detail-oriented things that we kind of got to fix. I believe as a team, as a unit ... we're right there. I'm a big believer in that. I'm very confident."

Anthony also disagreed with the notion that the Knicks, who were seeded second in the East, one spot higher than Indiana, underachieved this season.

"I don't think we underachieved," Anthony said. "We made strides forward. We took huge steps. I always said when I got to New York, this is a process, this will take a couple of years, two to three years. This was the first year the pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place. We're only going to get better from here on out."

Anthony thrived at power forward this season in place of the injured Amar'e Stoudemire. He said he'd be willing to play power forward again next season if that's what coach Mike Woodson asked of him.

"Whatever has to happen has to happen," Anthony said.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/stor...er-re-examined

[Урош94]

Jeff Hornacek frontrunner for Suns' coach

One of the Phoenix Suns' popular former players – Jeff Hornacek – has emerged as the frontrunner for the franchise's head coaching job, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.


Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek is the leading candidate to become
the Suns' new head coach. (USA Today Sports)

An assistant coach with the Utah Jazz, Hornacek met with new Suns general manager Ryan McDonough and president Lon Babby in the past week in Phoenix.
No offer has yet been extended to Hornacek, but the Suns' search process could be completed within the next week, league sources said.

Hornacek, 50, played the first six seasons of his 14-year NBA career with the Suns and remains a popular figure in the community. He keeps his offseason home in the Phoenix area.

For the Suns, Hornacek would fit the profile of a coach who could grow with the franchise's plan to rebuild through young players and the draft. Phoenix has six first-round picks available to them over the next three years and player development will be a top priority.

The Suns met with Houston Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff on Friday, and have received permission to interview Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach, Steve Clifford. Nevertheless, Clifford remains a strong candidate for head-coaching openings with the Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats. The Suns former interim coach, Lindsey Hunter, also interviewed for the job.

Hornacek also interviewed for the Bobcats' coaching opening this week.

Извор: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--je...034901994.html