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[Rondo9]

Mark Cuban has two-year plan

DALLAS -- Mark Cuban's goal is to make the Dallas Mavericks a championship team again within a two-year window.

After Dallas missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, the owner vowed the Mavs would have a "quick rebuild." The pending pitch to free agents this summer -- including Chris Paul and Dwight Howard -- is that the franchise can take a significant step forward next season and then have the salary-cap space available again in 2014 to make more major upgrades.

"We want to be a championship team. We've never said we have to be a championship team this year," Cuban said Saturday on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM during his first interview since the Mavs' season ended. "We want to be a better team, a top-seed team. If we get the top free agent, that doesn't leave us a whole lot of flexibility to add a lot of players, but we have a good nucleus around them. We know we'll have a good team, but we won't know if we have a great team.

"If you look at this like a two-year plan, then we think we're on a track to have a great team by the end of next year."

The Mavs are trying to return to the heights they experienced with their championship in 2011. Cuban opted against offering long-term deals to Tyson Chandler and other key pieces of that team because he feared having an aging, declining squad with extremely limited options to improve under the new, more restrictive collective bargaining agreement.

It's a path Cuban said he would choose again "in a heartbeat" despite the Mavs' struggles the past two seasons. The pressure is on Cuban and president of basketball Donnie Nelson this summer to take advantage of the financial flexibility created by their controversial decisions.

The Mavs attempted to sign point guard Deron Williams last season, although Cuban opted to film episodes of "Shark Tank" instead of participating in the face-to-face recruiting process, and later said he thought the franchise was better off without Williams. Cuban and longtime face of the franchise Dirk Nowitzki, who has declared his intention to re-sign next summer at a significantly reduced salary to ensure that the team will have ample cap space again, have both committed to spearhead the Mavs' recruiting efforts this summer.

"It's not like last year. We're going to go after [the major free agents]," Cuban said. "But it's not like we're not having all the intense conversations to figure out all of our alternatives.

"There's so many different ways and permutations that I don't think we can say if we don't get free agent A, B and C that this summer is a failure. ... There's a lot of different options and we have to explore all of them. I'm not about winning the summer. I'm about trying to do what I think is best for the franchise."

NBA tampering rules prevent Cuban from discussing specific free agents, but it's no secret that Plan A and B are Howard and Paul, not necessarily in that order.

Cuban acknowledged that certain teams losing in the first round of the playoffs "opened up at least a few doors for us to at least have conversations, where if some of those teams were still playing, I don't think those doors would have been open."

Paul's Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated in six games by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, while Howard's Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

"We haven't closed any doors, and as far as we know, there haven't been any doors that have been closed to us," Cuban said. "We're just going to run them all out there and see what happens."

The Mavs need to do some more tinkering with the roster to be positioned to offer Paul or Howard a maximum contract, but Cuban classified the financial aspect of preparing for free agency as "actually not that much work."

One possibility to create cap room, Cuban acknowledged, would be for veteran forward Shawn Marion to exercise the early termination option for the last season of his contract and agree to return to Dallas on a long-term deal at a lower salary. Cuban said the Mavs also could end up trading the 13th overall pick or drafting a player "to stash overseas somewhere" to prevent the $1.66 million hold from counting against the team's salary cap.

The Mavs would still have to convince Paul or Howard to leave their respective Los Angeles teams -- who can offer a fifth year and 7.5 percent annual raises, as opposed to a four-year deal with 4.5 percent annual raises -- and pick the Mavs over other suitors such as the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.

"The way I work in all my businesses, if you prepare and you put yourself in a position to win, you're not going to win them all but you're going to get some," Cuban said. "I can make an argument why we should absolutely go after the big fish and I can make an argument on why we shouldn't. There are a lot of really, really good players that, in combination, that I think can make us a top-3 or 4-seed in the West."

That would be a significant step in Cuban's two-year plan to rebuild a championship contender.

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/...tle-contenders

[jevta1992]

Jeff Hornacek has agreed in principle to become the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns, sources confirmed to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst.

[Урош94]

Sources: Bobcats agree to hire Steve Clifford

The Charlotte Bobcats have reached an agreement in principle to hire Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford as head coach, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

There was still work to do on Monday with the language in the contract before it could be signed, sources said.


Steve Clifford sits just to the right of Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni.

Clifford replaces Mike Dunlap, who was fired after one season as coach. Charlotte went 21-61 in 2012-'13.

Clifford was a finalist for the Milwaukee Bucks head coaching job too, and Charlotte made a pre-emptive move to offer Clifford the job before he traveled to Milwaukee on Tuesday for a second interview.

He is expected to try to hire Patrick Ewing as one of his top assistant coaches, reuniting Ewing with his close friend, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan.

Clifford has had stops in New York, Houston, Orlando and Los Angeles as an NBA assistant coach. Both Jeff and Stan Van Gundy – his former bosses – consider Clifford as strong of a head coaching candidate as Clifford's former colleague with the Knicks and Rockets, Chicago's Tom Thibodeau.

Clifford had four 20-win seasons as a Division II head coach at Adelphi in New York.

Извор: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--so...222511124.html

[Урош94]

Sources: Hawks hire Spurs' Budenholzer as head coach

The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to terms with Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to be their head coach, league sources confirmed to CBSSports.com on Tuesday.

Budenhozler reunites with Hawks GM Danny Ferry, who was an executive in San Antonio before becoming GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers and then the Hawks. The Spurs granted permission to the Hawks to negotiate with Budenholzer during the break between their Western Conference finals victory and the start of the NBA Finals on June 6.

Given the relationship between Ferry and Budenholzer and their shared philosophies under Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, the talks moved rapidly to a conclusion on Tuesday.

Ferry decided not to retain coach Larry Drew, who along with Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson is a finalist for the Bucks head coaching job. Former Lakers assistant Steve Clifford also was a finalist, but Clifford agreed to terms with the Bobcats for their head coaching vacancy on Monday.

The Bucks are huddling this week to decide whether to expand their search to include Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, who does not have a contract for next season. The Grizzlies' season ended on Monday night with a sweep at the hands of the Spurs, who advanced to their fifth NBA Finals since drafting Tim Duncan in 1997.

Ferry made a point of expanding his search beyond Budenholzer while the Spurs' top assistant was unavailable as San Antonio was advancing through the playoffs. But in the final analysis, Ferry was most comfortable with Budenholzer as he attempts to incorporate the San Antonio way into his rebuilding project in Atlanta.

Извор: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ke...-as-head-coach

[Урош94]

Report: Bucks considering keeping Monta Ellis over Brandon Jennings

As we’ve told you before, the Bucks have an interesting postseason ahead of them because their entire backcourt are free agents — Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick are unrestricted free agents (Ellis has to opt out but is widely expected to), Brandon Jennings is restricted (meaning the Bucks can match any offer).



Because they can match, and because he is younger, the original conventional wisdom was the Bucks would keep Jennings by matching any offer and let the other two go.

But that may be changing, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.

And a free-agent rumble: There's a rising belief in exec circles that Bucks prefer to re-sign Monta Ellis over Brandon Jennings this summer

Bucks still have coaching choice to make: Larry Drew or Kelvin Sampson. But in backcourt there is sense they prefer Monta/Redick next season

There is some logic to that if they are willing to spend and keep Redick, too. Ellis and Redick were +6.2 points per 100 possessions when paired this season; Jennings and Redick were -10.5. (For fun, Ellis and Jennings were -2.7 but were by far the most heavily used combo.)

Ellis and Redick played well together, although there are some serious defensive questions about that backcourt pairing over the long haul.

Again, this may come down to both money and whom they can get. Ellis and Redick are unrestricted and can take any offer they want — and there are reports Redick wants out. Jennings the Bucks can match if they want.

Would you really want Ellis over Jennings for the long-term? Maybe that’s a question they should ask their new coach when they hire one, since he’s the guy that has to try and set up a system to make this backcourt work.

Извор: http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...medium=twitter

[Rondo9]

Lionel Hollins 'realistic' about future

Lionel Hollins said Tuesday he hopes to be back with the Memphis Grizzlies but is being "realistic" about his coaching future in the NBA.

The veteran coach is a hot commodity and is being mentioned as a candidate elsewhere with openings at the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets being possibilities.

Hollins said nobody has asked to talk to him yet about his future with the Grizzlies after Memphis was swept from the postseason Monday night after a 93-86 loss to the Spurs. He wants to be paid fair-market value, but he said money will not be the final factor.

"Hopefully, I will be here," Hollins said. "I love the guys. I love this city and the fans and everybody associated with the team. But we've got to be very, very realistic in what the future holds."

Clippers owner Donald Sterling was at Game 1 of the Western finals in San Antonio with speculation that he was taking a close look at Hollins, who knocked Los Angeles out of the playoffs in the first round.

The Clippers have yet to formally request permission from the Grizzlies to speak to Hollins, whose contract expires at the end of June, but intend to do so soon, sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne.

Hollins said he wouldn't expect the Grizzlies to grant any other teams permission to speak to him before his contract expires.

"Why would they [give permission]? I wouldn't," he told reporters, according to The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal.

Hollins had little negotiating leverage in 2010 when he accepted a contract from then-owner Michael Heisley. Now Robert Pera heads up the new ownership group, and Hollins had his longest talk with the new boss after Monday night's loss, though his future did not come up in conversation.

"I think he just wants to win," Hollins said.

CEO Jason Levien told reporters that the Grizzlies will move "expeditiously" in talks with Hollins. Asked if he wanted Hollins back, Levien said the Grizzlies would stick to their stance that they "wouldn't negotiate or talk about his contractual status publicly."

"Certainly, we admire the job he's done. He's been very helpful and very positive," Levien said, according to the Commercial Appeal.

But Hollins also wants to know what Levien plans to do with the roster. Levien traded away leading scorer Rudy Gay on Jan. 30, the second trade clearing up space away from the luxury tax threshold.

Now Levien must decide whether the Grizzlies can afford to keep Tony Allen, 31, a two-time member of the NBA All-Defensive first team who received votes for Defensive Player of the Year. Allen said he wants to stay in Memphis, where he coined the team's "Grit and Grind" mantra and is the self-named "Grindfather" at the arena known as the Grindhouse.

Guard Jerryd Bayless, who helped handle the ball to relieve the pressure on Mike Conley, has a player option for next season. Tayshaun Prince, acquired in the Gay trade, will cost more than $7 million each of the next two seasons, but he struggled so much with his shot this postseason that teams left him open, daring him to shoot.

Zach Randolph is a candidate for a trade or amnesty with a contract for two more years at $34 million. The two-time All Star led Memphis with 15.4 points and 11.2 rebounds a game with 45 double-doubles during the season.

He averaged 20 points against the Clippers and 18 against the Thunder only to be limited by the Spurs to 11 points in the West finals. They frustrated him with a wave of big bodies pushing him off his usual low block, and the Grizzlies couldn't adapt or make the Spurs pay.

Randolph said reaching the conference finals for the first time helped him learn exactly what he needs to do now in his game. He also wants to finish his career in Memphis.

"But it's a business, and I understand that."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/93...phis-grizzlies

[Rondo9]

Clippers eye big-name candidates

The Los Angeles Clippers have cast a wide net in the first week of their coaching search, and it includes names previously thought to be outside their price range such as ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy, Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins and Indiana Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the team's thinking.

The Clippers also are thinking about requesting permission to speak with at least one other current NBA head coach, one source said.

Former Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry, former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott and former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan are also on the team's radar, sources said.

"They seem to be thinking big," according to a league source who has talked to the Clippers recently.

Big generally means expensive, and there's considerable skepticism around the league that Clippers owner Donald Sterling would be willing to pay the kind of salary it would take to lure Van Gundy, Hollins or Shaw. But Los Angeles' front office has so far been proceeding as if that won't be a major issue, sources said.

Sterling has been reluctant to sign coaches or front-office staff to contracts longer than one year after he was stuck with a $13.5 million payout to former coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy, whom he fired in 2010.

The Clippers have yet to formally request permission from the Grizzlies to speak to Hollins, whose contract expires at the end of June, but intend to do so soon, sources said. The Clippers will also have to wait to speak to Shaw, who is currently coaching with the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Clippers have made it clear they prefer someone with NBA head-coaching experience, sources said, but an exception might be made for Shaw, who has been given strong endorsements by several Clippers players, including Lamar Odom.

The team is intrigued by Van Gundy, according to multiple sources, although it's not clear yet how interested he is in returning to the coaching ranks.

There will be stiff competition for both Hollins and Shaw. ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reported earlier this month that the Brooklyn Nets are interested in both Hollins and Shaw. Philadelphia and Detroit have also reportedly been interested in Shaw.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...ording-sources

[Lord Aleksoni]

Karl Malone to work with Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY -- Hall of Famer Karl Malone is returning to the Utah Jazz to help develop and mentor the team's two young big men.

Jazz CEO Greg Miller said Wednesday that Malone will work with Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, as well as other players. The team says no specific schedule has been set for Malone's involvement. Miller said it will be a part-time, consulting type of arrangement with Malone working periodically with Favors and Kanter.


The move brings back one of the franchise's greatest players at a time when the team is trying to build a contending team around Favors, Kanter and swingman Gordon Hayward. The Jazz missed the playoffs this past season.

"With his success as a power forward in the NBA and the length of his career, he's obviously got a lot to teach," Miller said of Malone. "We're fortunate that he's now willing to make himself and his expertise available to us."

Favors averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds in his third season. Kanter averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds in his second season. Both are 21 years old, and both were No. 3 picks in their respective NBA drafts.


A two-time NBA MVP, Malone played 18 seasons for Utah. He was a 14-time All-Star and ranks second on the NBA's career scoring list with 36,928 points. He teamed with Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton during the franchise's greatest seasons.

"It is great to have Karl as a resource for the team," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "He is one of the most talented big men to have ever played this game."

The idea gained steam when Corbin came to Miller and asked to discuss the idea, Miller said.

In addition to teaching the big men body positioning and other technical tricks that he learned and honed in his long career, Malone can help the two youngsters develop the mindset needed to be stars, Miller said.

"He's always one that has been very tough mentally," Miller said. "And when he talks about how he does that, it's pretty fascinating to hear his methods."

Miller declined to speculate about Malone taking on a bigger role in the future, but didn't rule it out either.

"We don't want to rush into anything," said Miller, while adding, "Anything that's out there that we think will help us win more games, we're open to pursuing it. If things were to unfold with Karl where it was good for him and good for the organization, we would certainly put that in that category."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/93...rs-enes-kanter

[Rondo9]

Roy Hibbert faces discipline after rant

INDIANAPOLIS -- Roy Hibbert used a gay slur in one answer and a curse to refer to the media in another during his news conference after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, putting himself in line for being disciplined by the NBA.

Hibbert ended a response to a question about his defense on LeBron James with "no homo." Hibbert had drawn a key charge on James in Indiana's 91-77 victory against Miami on Saturday and lamented not providing enough help to teammate Paul George on James in Game 3.

Hibbert later reached out to Jason Collins via Twitter. Collins made headlines in April when he became the first active male pro athlete in a major American sport to come out publicly as gay.

"Hey can I get a follow," the tweet read. "Would like to discuss something's with you."

Later In the news conference, Hibbert was asked why he finished so low in voting for Defensive Player of the Year.

"Y'all m------------- don't watch us play throughout the year to tell you the truth," Hibbert said. "So that's fine. I'm going to be real with you, and I don't care if I get fined. We play and we're not on TV all of the time and reporters are the ones that are voting and it is what it is. And I don't make it, that's fine. I'm still going to do what I have to do."

Hibbert finished 10th in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, won by Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2013...ofanity-game-6

[Rondo9]

Dwyane Wade wants bigger role

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dwyane Wade thinks he knows what is causing his Miami Heat team to become a shell of itself against the Indiana Pacers. And it is not his bad knee or Chris Bosh's sore ankle.

After the Pacers' 91-77 Game 6 victory Saturday night, Wade said he feels he and Bosh are having their touches and shots cut and it's hurting the team.

"We've got to do a good job of making sure me and Chris have our opportunities to succeed throughout the game," Wade said. "That's something we're going to have to look at as a team."

Here is what Wade is talking about: He averaged 15 shots and 16.8 points over the first four games of the Eastern Conference finals. He has gotten a total of 19 shots and scored a total of 20 points in the past two games. Wade was 3 of 11 for 10 points in Game 6.

Bosh averaged 16.3 points on 11 shots in the series' first three games. In the three games since, he's averaging just 6.3 points on seven shots a game. Bosh was 1-of-8 shooting for just five points in Saturday's loss. It's the first time since Bosh's rookie season in 2004 he's had three consecutive games where he's failed to score 10 points.

Meanwhile, LeBron James' shots are up and his efficiency is down. In the first four games of the series, James averaged 19.8 shots and 28 points. In the past two games, James has averaged 24 shots and 29.5 points.

Wade implied James is trying to do too much.

"We've got guys individually who want to play better," Wade said. "But we've got to try to help each other out in this locker room and not leave it up to the individual to self-will it."

Following the game, James tried to explain this shift in strategy.

"I mean, we can state the obvious; they're both struggling," James said of Wade and Bosh. "When you're struggling, the best thing to get is a layup or a dunk. [Wade] missed a couple of them ... Chris is struggling with his shot and him hurting his ankle didn't help."

James said he will look at film before Game 7 on Monday to see where he might be able to help Wade and Bosh.

Wade has been passively referring to his dwindling role in the Heat's offense for some time. Prior to Game 6, Wade blamed his struggles earlier in the series on not being a bigger part of the offense.

"I get a little more rhythm defensively, I get to defend every play," Wade said. "Offensively, I don't get the ball every play. So it comes a little different. You know, the rhythm is a little different."

Fighting a right knee bone bruise, Wade is shooting 44 percent from the field and 67 percent from the foul line against the Pacers. Both are significant drops from the regular season. He's averaging a career-low 13.6 points in the playoffs.

"I'm really disappointed in myself," Bosh said. "It's not been going my way this whole series. I want to play better. I will play better. I have to play better in Game 7. It's as simple as that."

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2013...ed-bigger-role

[Rondo9]

Sources: George Karl's status in air

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl's status has become "unsettled" following the departure of general manager Masai Ujiri for the Toronto Raptors, two sources close to the situation said late Saturday night.

Karl, who was named the NBA's coach of the year following the Nuggets' 57-win season, is not in any imminent danger of losing his job, the sources stressed. But Ujiri's departure, coupled with Denver's disappointing first-round playoff exit, has shaken things up in Denver to the point that Karl, who is under contract for just one more season, could, incredibly, begin the season on the hot seat after winning the league's top coaching honor for the first time in his long career, instead of beginning extension talks.

The Los Angeles Clippers have had initial conversations with the Nuggets about Karl, league sources said, but have yet to officially request permission to speak with him.

The Clippers have yet to formally interview any candidates, but they have had preliminary discussions with ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, Indiana associate head coach Brian Shaw, former Phoenix head coach Alvin Gentry, and former Cleveland head coach Byron Scott. ESPNLosAngeles.com reported last week that Van Gundy and Shaw are regarded as the front-runners at this point, but that the situation remains fluid, as the Clippers look to replace the departed Vinny del Negro.

The Clippers have told candidates that they prefer to hire a coach with experience, sources with knowledge of the situation said, giving Van Gundy something of an edge. But an exception would be made for Shaw, who has received strong endorsements from several players, most notably Lamar Odom, and has coached or played in nine conference finals and has championship experience with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Denver president Josh Kroenke gave Karl a vote of confidence after the season, telling the Denver Post that, "George is under contract for next year. At this point in time, we haven't really given any thought to making any change whatsoever. As we do at the end of every season, we'll have internal meetings and George will obviously be a major part of them."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/93...gets-unsettled

[Rondo9]

New Kings coach Malone sets realistic goals for first year

Michael Malone is secure as a coach.

He isn't a powerful motivational speaker with a preacher's background like Mark Jackson, his former boss with the Warriors.

Nor is he Monty Williams, Mike Brown, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkens or Jeff Van Gundy, other NBA coaches for whom he has worked.

Nor is he a clone of his father, longtime NBA coach Brendan Malone.

"As you mature and as you grow, you start to form your own vision, your own philosophy," said Malone, who will be formally introduced Monday as the Kings' new head coach.

After 12 seasons as an NBA assistant, Malone has landed his first job as a head coach, and he looks forward to imparting his philosophy on a team that has become accustomed to losing, with seven consecutive losing seasons. He takes over a squad that has some talented one-on-one players who have struggled to play together as a team and been occasionally indifferent on defense.

Malone has plans to correct the Kings' problems, he told The Bee on Saturday, but has realistic goals.

"For me, it's not going to be in wins and losses," Malone said. "That's not to say we don't want to win, but for me, we're going to judge success in Year One based off of three things. Did we change the culture, did we establish ourselves as a defensive team, and then, obviously, did our players develop?"

Malone said he will take something from all the coaches he's worked for and bring his own spin to Sacramento.

Malone was brought to the NBA as an assistant for Van Gundy in New York, then he learned under Chaney and Wilkens with the Knicks before moving to Cleveland to work for Brown.

In Cleveland, Malone crafted his reputation as a defensive wizard. The Cavaliers won 66 games in 2008-09 with Malone as the defensive coordinator for one of the stingiest teams in the league.

Malone helped New Orleans improve on defense in 2010-11 before joining Jackson's staff with the Warriors. Golden State improved on defense, holding teams to 43.9 percent shooting this season, fourth best in the NBA.

The Kings (47.2 percent) were 28th and allowed a league-high 105.1 points per game.

Malone said the Kings can play good defense and still be an exciting team.

"There's a perception out there that if you're a good defensive team, you're going to walk the ball up the court and play in the 80s (scoring)," Malone said. "We didn't do that this year in Golden State and we still had a very good defensive team, and we got out and ran and scored a pretty high and efficient rate."

The Warriors averaged 101.2 points, seventh in the league.

Malone said he hasn't spoken with any of his new players. He knows guard Marcus Thornton, whom he coached in New Orleans.

Malone said his coaching staff would include his father in some capacity to stress hard work and discipline.

"A lot of people assume that it goes on at every NBA team, but in my 12 years in the NBA, apparently it doesn't happen everywhere," Malone said. "Changing the culture means we're going to have accountability, we're going to have discipline, and we're not going to allow a lot of things that losing teams allow to exist."

To make that happen, Malone will need to win the trust of players who have grown accustomed to not always responding to their coaches. It also will mean connecting with center DeMarcus Cousins and coaxing effort out of players who felt their roles weren't defined under former coach Keith Smart.

Malone believes his philosophy is proven based on his previous jobs and that he can reach the Kings.

"If players know you really believe in them, they're willing to run through a wall for you," Malone said. "… Yes, we're going to get after it, but you can also have fun while you're doing it."

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/02/546...realistic.html

[Licke]

Kirilenko opts out,
becomes unrestricted
free agent

Andrei Kirilenko turned down
$10.2 million guaranteed for
next season for the right to
negotiate, at age 32, a multi-year
extension with any NBA team,
including the Wolves.
Kirilenko's agent, Marc Fleisher,
said by text this morning that his
client has decided to become a
free agent.
Kirilenko had until today to
make up his mind on an option
year for next season and he
went down to the final day
before deciding from the south
of France.
The Wolves still could re-sign
their starting small forward from
last season.
Kirilenko is seeking a three- or
four-year extension because he
believes this might be the last
chance to negotiate the last big
contract of his career.
You can bet Flip Saunders won't
offer anything more than two
years, and at a salary
considerably less than $10
million.
Kirilenko's decision now gives the
Wolves the opton to use that
money to pursue a starting small
forward or shooting guard --
Dallas unrestrictred free agent
O.J. Mayo is a likely target --
through free agency or a trade.
The team's selection of
UCLA small forward Shabazz
Muhammad Thursday night was
an indicator that Saunders
believed Kirilenko would opt out.
The NBA's free-agency period
begins Sunday night at 11:01
p.m. Twin Cities time and
Saunders has said the team's top
priority is re-signing restricted
free agent Nikola Pekovic.
He also wants to re-sign
unrestricted free agent Chase
Budinger.
Saunders said Friday he will be
on the road Sunday recruiting
and is expected to visit Budinger
in San Diego early in the free-
agency period.
Don't be surprised if he's on the
doorstep of Mayo or another
free agent Sunday night.
If Kirilenko had accepted the
$10.2 million, Saunders said the
Wolves said the Wolves would
not have much money to
improve the roster beyond trying
to re-sign Pekovic and Budinger.
Now he said it's possible the
Wolves could clear enough
money to make a free agent an
offer beyond the $5 million mid-
level salary exception slot.
"There things that can be done,"
he said. "We're playing that out
right now."
They're trying to trade Luke
Ridnour and/or J.J. Barea to clear
one of their $4 million-plus
salaries and will waive backup
center Greg Stiemsma before his
$2.5 million contract becomes
guaranteed for next season.
If they can include Chris
Johnson's contract -- David
Kahn signed him for next season
unannounced before he was
fired in April -- they certainly
will, too.

[Урош94]

Report: Celtics and Mavericks have talked trade for Rajon Rondo

A report surfaced on Saturday that the Celtics and Mavericks had engaged in trade talks for the one remaining All-Star asset in Boston, Rajon Rondo.

It didn’t come from one of the usual suspects in terms of reporters we’re used to seeing break this kind of news, but the report from DallasBasketball.com was credible nonetheless.



It caused some of the more familiar names to weigh in on a possible Rondo-to-Dallas deal, and for a variety of reasons, it doesn’t appear likely to happen — at least not in these very early stages of free agency.

The problem for now is that the Mavericks are going to be at the front of the line, along with the Houston Rockets, in trying to recruit Dwight Howard to leave Los Angeles and sign a max contract to play in Dallas next season. The Celtics’ asking price for Rondo remains high, and in this current round of talks, Boston wants the Mavericks to take on some bad contracts to help the rebuilding process if they’re going to part ways with their highly-coveted, elite point guard.

These two issues likely mean a deal isn’t on the horizon anytime soon where Rondo and the Mavericks are concerned.

From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Mavs would love having Rajon Rondo to chase Dwight Howard, but Boston needs Dallas to take multiple contracts off its books, sources say.

As Dallasbasketball.com says, Celts/Mavs talked some Rondo. Celtics like Larkin, but how do Mavs take contracts and keep space for Howard?

Exactly — they can’t.

And from Marc Stein of ESPN.com:

Mavs undeniably fans of Rondo, as @fishsports reported, but “trade talks” to this point have gone nowhere because Celts want only one Mav

Mavs: We’re interested in Rondo. Celts: We want Dirk. So: More teams gotta jump in or Boston gotta budge for meaningful talks to take place

You never say never, but it’s tough to see Dallas ever parting ways with Nowitzki given all he’s meant to the franchise, and the close relationship he has with Mark Cuban.

If you’re wondering what a rebuilding Celtics team would want with a high-priced, 14-year veteran, keep in mind that Nowitzki’s contract expires after next season, which would clear $22.7 million in cap space for the Celtics to play with in 2014-15.

Dallas isn’t going to do anything in free agency until the pitch has been made to Howard, and they have an idea of where they stand. Once Dwight decides on his future, then the Mavericks can begin to shape theirs, at which time they may re-explore their options where Rondo is concerned.

Извор: http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...medium=twitter

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Source: Raptors join Bledsoe talks

The Toronto Raptors have joined the Orlando Magic at the head of the list of known suitors for Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that the talks between the Raptors and Clippers are still in the exploratory stage, but the Raptors' interest in L.A.'s prized young point guard is said to be significant.

The Raptors have been openly shopping forward Andrea Bargnani for months and would try, sources say, to include Bargnani in any deal for Bledsoe, which wouldn't necessarily dissuade the Clippers, given their longstanding need for a big man who can stretch the floor. But sources add that Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan is the Raptor most likely to tempt the Clippers, which falls in line with L.A.'s interest in Arron Afflalo in their Bledsoe talks with Orlando.

Some rival executives believe that the Raptors are prepared to part with DeRozan -- recipient of a $40 million contract extension last October -- in the wake of Rudy Gay's arrival and the front-office change that ushered out Bryan Colangelo (who authorized DeRozan's new deal) and ushered in Masai Ujiri.

Magic general manager Rob Henigan acknowledged to local reporters after Thursday night's draft that Orlando "may revisit" trying to trade for Bledsoe. The Detroit Pistons, sources said, have also expressed serious interest in Bledsoe, who is known to be seeking an extension with any new team before the Halloween deadline for his draft class if he's indeed dealt by the Clippers this offseason.

The Magic and Clippers have been discussing the possibility of a trade with Afflalo and Bledsoe as the principles for the better part of June. But those talks began before the Clippers' drawn-out hiring of Doc Rivers as their new coach and senior vice president of basketball operations.

Rivers' arrival clearly hasn't stopped teams from calling for Bledsoe, but Rivers is a well-known fan of the 23-year-old and has indicated he'd like to keep Bledsoe around if possible.

Yet the greater likelihood remains that keeping Bledsoe around as Chris Paul's very capable backup is a luxury that the Clippers won't be able to afford as they continue to try to construct a roster with title-contending staying power. Clippers veteran forward Caron Butler likely would have to be included in any Bledsoe deal to make the salary-cap math work, but sources say the teams have discussed a variety of options.

It's been a working assumption in league circles the Clippers would try to trade Bledsoe before next season as soon as they were certain that Paul would re-sign this summer after becoming a free agent on July 1.

ESPN.com reported this week that the Clippers are operating under the assumption that the hiring of Rivers has essentially clinched Paul's signature on a new five-year max contract at the earliest permissible date: July 10. Rival teams that thought they would at least get a face-to-face chance to recruit Paul in free agency have likewise abandoned such hopes.

The Clippers have also been operating for months under the premise that they'd be forced to entertain trade offers for Bledsoe or risk losing him for nothing as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2014. Paul himself has been vocal about the fact that, in his view, Bledsoe deserves to be the starter elsewhere.

Bledsoe has been the focus of trade talks for some time, seemingly since the Clippers fought so hard to keep him out of the trade to bring Paul to L.A. Sources say Orlando is only one of a half-dozen teams pursuing Bledsoe after Boston was rebuffed in its attempts to acquire Bledsoe as an offshoot of the Rivers' negotiations.

Извор: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/94...geles-clippers