RealGM Basketball Wiretap

Clippers, Celtics Reopen Rivers-Garnett Talks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:54:21 EDT

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers have reopened talks on a deal involving Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett.

The Clippers broke off talks on Tuesday, reportedly due to uneasiness about the financial ramifications. But the Clippers returned to the table with the understanding Chris Paul seeks its completion.

Rivers was scheduled to meet with Danny Ainge on Wednesday.

In the discussed trade, the Clippers would send DeAndre Jordan and multiple picks to the Celtics for the right to hire Rivers and to acquire Garnett.

Garnett has a no-trade clause and will waive it to join the Clippers.

Dwane Casey To Remain With Raptors Next Season

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:38:40 EDT

Dwane Casey will return to the Toronto Raptors for the 13-14 NBA season as head coach.

The move was expected but confirmed on Wednesday in a press release.

Casey will be in the final season of his contract and his future will be determined by Masai Ujiri.

Bryant: Lakers Have To Keep Dwight

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:41:42 EDT

Kobe Bryant stressed the importance of the Los Angeles Lakers re-signing Dwight Howard this offseason.

"Those guys are hard to find, they don't grow on trees," Bryant said on 710 ESPN Los Angeles. "When you have someone like that with his talent level, you have to be able to keep him and lock him in with this franchise."

Howard will likely meet with the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.

The Lakers can offer Howard more money and seasons than any other team, though he appears to genuinely prefer the situation that increases his odds of being on a title contender.

"I've spoken to him maybe a couple of weeks ago, just to check in with him," said Bryant. "I haven't spoken to him since. I know he's got a big decision to make and I'm sure he'll take the visits and talk to the players on the teams he's considering. We'll touch base a lot more."

Bryant expects Howard and Chris Paul to re-sign with their respective teams.

"There's always so much talk going on, especially with big-name guys going here, going there, but that happens once in a blue moon," Bryant said. "I think at the end of the day, everybody stays."

Duncan Illegally Entered Game For Final Spurs' Possession Of Regulation

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:49:55 EDT

Tim Duncan entered the game illegally for the final possession of regulation after the referees reviewed Ray Allen's game-tying three-pointer in Game 6.

Reviews aren't technically a dead ball situation, meaning substitutions cannot be made without a timeout. The San Antonio Spurs were out of timeouts, meaning they couldn't make a substitution or advance the ball.

Tony Parker drove to the left baseline and missed a jumper at the buzzer.

Bobby Webster Hired As Raptors' Capologist

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:07:41 EDT

The Toronto Raptors have hired Bobby Webster to become the vice president of basketball management and strategy.

Webster was previously working in the league office and will become the Raptors' capologist.

Christian Watford's Shooting Keeps Him Poised To Be Drafted

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:38:04 EDT

As Danny Green displays the importance of shooting in the NBA Finals, Christian Watford is impressing teams with his outside jumper and appears poised to be selected in the draft late this month, a source told RealGM.

Watford, the 6-foot-9 forward out of Indiana, has participated in 15 workouts for teams so far and is receiving requests to schedule more. Teams have let Watford know that they believe he has the versatility and jump shot to be a stretch power forward or wing shooter.

In his final two seasons at Indiana, Watford’s scoring average dipped to just over 12 points after scoring 16 per game in 2010-11. Nevertheless, he found a niche as Indiana’s third leading scorer behind projected first round picks Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo.

Watford shot 48.4 percent from three-point range in 3.4 attempts a game last season, and the 22-year-old believes he’ll carve a role on an NBA team as a knock-down shooter.

LeBron To Wear Headband For Game 7

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:41:19 EDT

LeBron James lost his headband during the fourth quarter of the Game 6 comeback win by the Miami Heat.

James was asked on Wednesday whether he will wear it for Game 7 on Thursday.

"I'll probably start with it, I'm a little superstitious," said James.

James has played with a headband throughout his career.

Knicks, Thunder, Cavaliers Interested In Acquiring Mavs' Pick

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:53:37 EDT

The Dallas Mavericks have aggressively shopped the 13th overall pick in order to clear cap room this offseason.

The New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly shown interest in acquiring the pick.

The Mavericks are seeking either a 2014 first round pick or a deal to unload Shawn Marion's contract to create more cap space.

Some around the league believe the Mavericks may have already secured a deal for the pick.

Bosh On Fans Who Left Early: 'Don't Come Back For Game 7'

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:36:22 EDT

Many fans left American Airlines Arena during the final minute of Game 6 when the Miami Heat were trailing the San Antonio Spurs by five points.

After Ray Allen tied the game to force an overtime, many of the fans tried to reenter the arena but were denied by security.

"For all those guys who left, don't come back for Game 7," said Chris Bosh.

Bosh, who heard boos from the Miami crowd earlier in Game 6, was responsible for the assist to Allen on the game-tying basket and also blocked Danny Green's last second attempt in overtime.

Raptors Fully Preparing For Draft Despite Not Owning Any Picks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:30:44 EDT

The Toronto Raptors do not hold any draft picks in next week's draft, but Masai Ujiri is going through preparations in the same manner as any front office.

"For me, it’s not difficult at all because you approach the draft like you are drafting," said Ujiri. "Even though we don’t have a draft pick, we have to be prepared with all our information, all our rankings and every little detail that you need on players in the draft. I think we have to be very prepared going in because you never know what’s going to happen on draft day. You could get a couple of calls that would shock you, so you have to be prepared for any circumstance."

Game 6 Has 4th Highest Rating Since ABC Began Televising NBA Finals

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:14:36 EDT

ABC had an overnight rating of 14.7 for Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals.

The rating makes it the fourth highest for the Finals since ABC began its coverage, trailing Game 7 in 2010 between the Lakers and Celtics, Game 5 in 2004 between the Pistons and Lakers, and Game 6 in 2011 between the Mavericks and Heat.

The rating peaked at 19.8 from 11:45 PM until midnight EST.

Game 7 in 2010 had a rating of 18.2.

Raptors Hire Dan Tolzman For Director-Level Scouting Position

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:36:15 EDT

Dan Tolzman has accepted a director-level scouting job with the Toronto Raptors.

Tolzman was most recently with the Denver Nuggets, where he reported to new Raptors' GM Masai Ujiri.

Tolzman had offers from numerous teams.

Nuggets Interview Shaw; Hollins Next

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:19:13 EDT

Brian Shaw interviewed with the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday for their head coaching vacancy.

Lionel Hollins will interview with the Nuggets on Wednesday.

The Nuggets are searching for a replacement for George Karl.

Gordon, Smart Headline Final U19 USA Roster

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:09:55 EDT

USA Basketball has chosen its final roster for the U19 World Championship Team in Prague beginning next week.

The team will be coached by Billy Donovan.

Michael Frazier
Aaron Gordon
Jerami Grant
Montrezl Harrell
Jahil Okafor
Elfrid Payton
Marcus Smart
Jarnell Stokes
Rasheed Sulaimon
Mike Tobey
Nigel Williams-Goss
Justise Winslow 

Rivers, Ainge To Meet On Wednesday

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:36:58 EDT

Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge will meet on Wednesday to discuss the best way to move forward following the end of trade talks between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers.

Rivers was nearly allowed to coach the Clippers in a deal that would have involved Kevin Garnett.

Rivers is reportedly uneasy about returning to the Celtics amid a likely rebuild.

The Celtics were hoping to accelerate the rebuilding process with the Clippers' deal and Rivers is not at odds with Ainge.

Greg Whittington May Have Torn ACL

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:48:56 EDT

Greg Whittington injured his knee and the fear is that it is a torn ACL.

Whittington is a junior forward for Gerogetown.

Whittington averaged 12.1 points and seven rebounds in 13 games last season before being ruled academically ineligible.

Jerry Sloan Not Official Jazz Consultant Yet, But Keeping Tactful Presence

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:38:33 EDT

Jerry Sloan has been a tactful presence around the Utah Jazz's draft process, and he plans to continue providing subtle insight for the organization without – for now – a formal consultant role, a league source told RealGM.

Sloan, 71, maintains close relationships with Jazz management, making his return to the franchise this summer an easy transition even without an official position as consultant to this point.

After a successful 23-year run as head coach of the Jazz ended in February of 2011, Sloan headlined the list of available coaches, with an illustrious career that separated him as a candidate teams simply had to meet to gauge his desire to lead them. Several head coach vacancies had intrigued Sloan this offseason, but he wasn’t able to find a suitable situation.

Sloan told the Deseret News earlier this month that he and the Jazz have discussed a role within the organization. “If they want me around, fine,” Sloan said. “If they don’t, [fine]. They’d talked to me a little bit about it a little bit earlier.”

Mark Jackson Hasn't Begun Extension Talks With Warriors

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:34:42 EDT

Mark Jackson and the Golden State Warriors have not begun discussing a contract extension.

Jackson signed a three-year deal with a team option for the fourth with the Warriors during the 2011 offseason meaning he is without a deal past the upcoming 13-14 season.

"No. And my feelings are, that’ll take care of itself. I don’t get caught up in it. It will truly take care of itself.

"I’m thrilled to have a job and to coach this group of guys…  and with great ownership, a great front office and fan base. It’ll play itself out."

Jackson was also asked if he can take credit for the Brooklyn Nets' decision to hire Jason Kidd without any previous coaching experience.

"No," said Jackson "I think at the end of the day Jason Kidd is an all-time great player who I’ve got a lot of respect for.

"I’ve talked to him often. He reached out and thanked me and we’ve had great dialogue. I just think he’s going to do very well. I’m happy for him. I think it was a great hire for the Nets.

"That being said, I think it’s now up to Jason to open the door for the next guy to prove that the naysayers are wrong.

Bosh: Danny Green 'Won't Be Open' In Game 6

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:32:06 EDT

Danny Green has set the record for most three-pointers made in an NBA Finals series, but Chris Bosh was adamant the Miami Heat will limit the San Antonio Spurs guard's open looks in Game 6 on Tuesday.

"[Green] won't be open tonight," Bosh said.

Tony Parker said after Game 5 that he could not believe the Heat continued to give Green open shots.

In Green's mind, if the Heat crowd him more in Game 6, it will lead to additional driving lanes for Parker and Manu Ginobili.

"You have to give up something," Green said, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com.

Andrew Wiggins Impresses With 'Video Game' Like Ability In First Practice With Kansas

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:18:11 EDT

Andrew Wiggins participated in his first practice at Kansas on Monday.

Wiggins arrived in Lawrence on Saturday.

"Wow!" a source close to the Jayhawks' program said. "Like watching a video game. He'd be the No. 1 pick this year."

Alex Len Has Best Shot To Go No. 1 If Cavaliers Pass On Noel

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:16:17 EDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to make a decision on who to select with the first overall pick.

Nerlens Noel is the favorite and he will meet with the Cavaliers on Thursday.

Alex Len is the most likely alternative option, according to sources. Len would give the Cavaliers size, defensive ability and is less raw as a prospect than Noel.

The Cavaliers are also evaluating Anthony Bennett, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo and Otto Porter.

Clippers Call Off Rivers-Garnett Talks With Celtics

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:01:01 EDT

The Los Angeles Clippers have called off trade talks with the Boston Celtics on a deal involving Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett.

The Celtics were seeking DeAndre Jordan and two future first round picks in exchange for the right to hire Rivers as head coach and Garnett.

The Clippers will move forward with their coaching search with Byron Scott meeting with Donald Sterling on Tuesday and Brian Shaw on Wednesday.

The Celtics were insistent on Eric Bledsoe's inclusion earlier in the talks.

Danny Ainge has confirmed to the Boston Globe that talks with the Clippers are dead.

Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Clippers had "cold feet" on the financial aspects of the deal. The Clippers refused to give in to the Celtics' demands for a second first round pick, but Rivers' $35 million contract over five seasons and Jordan's $3 million trade kicker proved too expensive.

ESPN's Chris Broussard reported late on Tuesday that a source categorized the talks as "stalled."

"Never say anything is completely dead in NBA," said the source. "But the Clippers are not looking to revisit right now."

Nets Interested In Hiring Roy Rogers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:56:38 EDT

The Brooklyn Nets are interested in adding Roy Rogers to Jason Kidd's coaching staff.

Rogers was an assistant coach with the Nets under Lawrence Frank and then followed him to the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.

Rogers was a candidate to join Jeff Hornacek's staff with the Phoenix Suns, but withdrew his name from consideration on Monday.

Raptors Part Ways With Alvin Williams

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:54:20 EDT

The Toronto Raptors have parted ways with Alvin Williams, a popular former player of the team who has been serving as a scout.

Williams was based out of Philadelphia while scouting for the Raptors.

The decision was made by MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke, according to the report.

D'Alessandro Compares Preparing For Kings' Interview To Being In Law School

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:49:40 EDT

Pete D'Alessandro was introduced on Monday as general manager of the Sacramento Kings.

Vivek Ranadive put his GM candidates through an extensive interview process, involving analysis of the Kings' roster, plans for both the short and long-term, as well as examples of linear and non-linear thinking.

"I had just finished preparing for my first interview," D'Alessandro said later in the afternoon, "and I got this email from Vivek. I was thinking, 'Wow, I think I need to do a lot more.' I proofed everything on the flight over, and then when I landed, I went to a Kinko's in Palo Alto and made copies. I pulled an all-nighter. I felt like I was back in law school."

Mouhammadou Jaiteh Withdraws From Draft Despite First Round Guarantees

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:41:54 EDT

Before withdrawing from this month’s NBA draft, Mouhammadou Jaiteh received first round guarantees that failed to entice the 18-year-old enough to leave his development in France, agent Herman Manakyan told RealGM on Monday.

Teams were impressed with the sharp growth in Jaiteh, and the 6-foot-11 center worked out for six organizations throughout the draft process. Even with guarantees, Jaiteh made clear he wanted to be drafted into a flourishing situation – for both himself and the team.

“The guarantees were not in attractive situations for us,” Manakyan said.

With a focus on next year’s draft, Jaiteh will now sign with a team in France, where several clubs have been vying to sign him, Manakyan said. No frontrunners have emerged, but playing time and the opportunity to continue his rapid development are key factors.

Clippers, Celtics To Resume Garnett-Rivers Talks On Tuesday

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:40:06 EDT

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers will continue their discussions on a trade involving Kevin Garnett and the right to hire Doc Rivers as coach on Tuesday.

The two parties are at an impasse after discussing the deal heavily over the past few days.

The Celtics are seeking a trade package centered around DeAndre Jordan. The Celtics are no longer asking the Clippers for the inclusion of Eric Bledsoe, but are instead adamant about receiving two first round picks. The Clippers must also pay the $3.5 million trade kicker on Jordan's contract.

The Clippers will give Rivers a five-year, $35 million contract.

Rivers is uninterested in remaining with the Celtics during their rebuilding process and is torn on whether to return if the deal falls apart.

Garnett is willing to waive his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Clippers, giving him an opportunity to compete for a title while living in his Malibu home.

Game 5 Draws 11.5 Rating

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:58:13 EDT

The NBA Finals averaged more than 16 million viewers during Game 5 on Sunday.

The game peaked at one point with 19.3 million viewers.

With an 11.5 rating in Game 5, viewership was down 9.5 percent from when the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the title.

The series is averaging a 9.0 rating.

Lakers Hire Larry Lewis As Player Development Coach

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:53:27 EDT

The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Larry Lewis as a player development coach.

Lewis spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the D-League.

D’Antoni plans to hire two full-time assistants and one more player development coach.

Rockets Wouldn't Allow McHale To Leave For Celtics

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:18:06 EDT

Kevin McHale would presumably be a head coach of interest to the Boston Celtics should they move forward with a move that would send Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers.

But McHale is currently the head coach of the Houston Rockets and the team would not let him leave for the Celtics, according to sources.

McHale replaced Rick Adelman during the 2011 offseason.

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Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:17:01 EDT

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