Since we're getting started already.

Ilyasova traded to DET for Butler, Williams
Ersan Ilyasova has been traded to the Pistons in exchange for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams, according to sources of Adrian Wojnarowski.
This is an interesting move, and it may mean that Detroit doesn't like their chances of retaining Greg Monroe as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If Monroe does indeed leave the Pistons this offseason, Ersan would slot into the starting power forward spot, and he could be a nice fit in Stan Van Gundy's system. Health is the biggest concern for Ilyasova, as he's been missed an average of 25.5 games over the past two seasons, but he did have a nice run to close out the 2014-15 season, posting averages of 14.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 three-pointers per game on 47.3 percent shooting after the break.

Gives the Bucks some cap room. Pistons get a possible replacement for Monroe and also may be a better fit too.

Ilyasova could play 30+ alot of nights even with Monroe and vice versa

Shit the 3 of them (+Drummond) could each *avg* 30 minutes

Roster room.


----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

.

for Butler's first Bucks game.

Smart move for both teams.

did he get traded there last year, and get released or instantly traded?

I remember thinking coming home, and mentoring giannis and jabari?

fantastic way to end a damn good career.

he rebounds and hits 3s. Just can't stay healthy. And maybe not in the right offense. If stan can use him as an anderson type around drummond, he could have a real good year.

he has a lot of those "was hurt/underwhelmed all year but finished the last 20 games putting up 15/8 w/a block, steal, & 38% from 3".

per woj:

In a high-risk, high-reward move, the Los Angeles Clippers have acquired guard Lance Stephenson from the Charlotte Hornets, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The Clippers are sending forwards Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes to the Hornets, sources said. The teams were having a trade call with the NBA office to finalize the deal on Monday evening, sources said.

For the Clippers, this is a fascinating acquisition. Stephenson, 24, is a talented but temperamental player who turned out to be a free-agent bust for the Hornets. Charlotte has been desperate to unload Stephenson since early in the 2014-15 season.

Nevertheless, the Clippers needed athletic, talented wing players to compete in the Western Conference, and there’s hope Stephenson will fit better into a more talented, veteran-laden Clippers team that more closely resembles the Indiana Pacers than the Charlotte Hornets did. The Clippers are strapped under the salary cap and need to find creative ways to improve their roster.

Stephenson has two years left on his contract, but the 2016-17 season is a team option of $9.4 million. So, the Clippers will be committed to paying him the $9 million owed this season – and could then let him go if things don’t work out. For Clippers president and coach Doc Rivers, he’s counting on Stephenson to recapture the production of his four seasons in Indiana, where he developed into an important player on a two-time Eastern Conference finalist.

The Clippers are considering the idea of using Stephenson as the primary ballhandler when All-Star Chris Paul is out of the game, league sources said. Stephenson struggled with the way Charlotte point guard Kemba Walker dominated the ball on offense, and will assuredly find a similar situation with Paul in Los Angeles.

Hawes has three years and $17 million-plus left on a free-agent deal that he signed in summer 2014. He struggled for the Clippers and was unable to consistently crack the rotation. The Hornets are desperate for perimeter shooting, and he gives them a stretch-4 man with good 3-point range and passing skills. Barnes has one year at $3.4 million left on his deal, and will bring Charlotte wing defense and toughness.

.

On one hand, wow, I mean I guess it might be better than nothing at all but an aging, average 3-and-D 3 and a shitty contract was all they could get? This is an ongoing disaster for the Hornets. Even if Hawes regains some of his form, he won't help them the way he could have helped the Clippers. Barnes is just a stopgap guy who might help them momentarily, I mean I remember meeting Barnes at UCLA when I was still in high school. He is not young.

From the Clippers' perspective they dump a buyer's remorse contact and a guy they'd have had to replace soon if not already (wasn't exactly clutch for them in them 'offs). What do they get back? Potentially an $18M albatross or potentially the answer to most of their problems. He can back up three positions and provide some of the toughness that Barnes did. They still need another big desperately and I don't think they have a first-round pick.

I had heard a rumor about Stephenson to the Clippers during the year but I can't say I saw this coming. I think it will turn out to be a wheel-spinning move but given the situation they were in, I definitely get why they did it. They had to take a risk to get what they needed and that risk is mitigated by the fact that they lamented signing Hawes almost as much the Hornets regretting signing Stephenson.

I'm just not seeing the fit for Lance here. Especially since the Clippers needed depth, not a roll of the dice in Lance. I was hoping Stephenson would go someplace like Dallas where might be a better fit but I'm not really sure how this can work out for either side.

If he can return to form, I think it's a good fit provided they get a big. But that's a big if, he really fell off hard.

obv a big if, but given the clipps' situation it's pretty much the only type of move available to them to potentially improve their team.

Which he won't have with CP3 around.

The Clippers needed to upgrade their 3 & D guy and actually got a worse shooter in Lance. On top of that, they lost their backup to DeAndre who I believe is a free agent this offseason.

I hope Lance fits in but I just don't see the Clippers as the place to utilize him the right way. Doc is also quick with the doghouse so things could go south fast.

They don't need a 3D "guy" necessarily. A utility guy like Lance is a stronger asset to this team IMO. Reddick can still stroke it and Lance will get far better looks on a team with Blake and Paul.

Maybe Lance can be that. Obviously they need Rivers to continue improving. To me upgrading Barnes was less a concern than upgrading Hawes, something they really need to do now. Maybe they can buy a draft pick and grab a big, that seems like the best course of action unless a serviceable old guy at the vet minimum appears.

Then there's the July Moratorium at the beginning of next month.

They just can't finalize the deals. I don't think there's anything preventing the Warriors from talking about dealing David Lee.

It's kind of like the July Moratorium for signings. Teams can start talking to free agents on July 1st but the signings aren't official until a week or so later when the Moratorium is up.

i mean dlee seemed to know and is on board, but lets say GS was dissapointed in klays performance and wanted to move him or cavs and JR or Shump and then rumors come out....its just a weird time.

Not sure why there isn't a moratorium on deals till the season ends for everyone

Unless someone want calderoff.

It could payoff huge. He's another cog in the wheel here and he'll find a role similar to what he had in Indy. They're strapped for cash, in need of a young, dynamic wing who can defend with few assets outside of their core, so why nor roll the dice here on a guy with massive upside relative to their need?

A+ move in my book.

Sure he could fuck up, but they're not going to need to rely on him as a cornerstone of their roster.

Potential upside is pretty good for the Clips. The downside just seems like a wash unless he's truly cancerous.

They actually came out AHEAD contract-wise here, because if Stephenson continues his transformation from Born Ready to Stillborn, they can just cut his ass after the season. Pretty sure year 3 is a team option, which boggles the mind considering the deal he turned down from Indy.

Meanwhile Hawes' deal had two guaranteed years left at least, maybe three, I don't recall how that final year was structured.

So from a gamble standpoint, it's a house-money type of bet.

That said, they can't afford to be asset managers, they want to win a title NOW. Furthermore, if he came that cheaply and no other team would take him (including the Clips during last season with essentially this same offer), how good can he be?

This is just such an odd situation, I can't remember a player this young who was relatively accomplished who found himself on the scrap heap like this without a major injury or drug problem.

"tell yo dad that if he bring Lance Stephenson out here and fuck up what we got going him and you gotta run a fade @AustinRivers25"

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13099978/david-lee-likely-return-golden-state-warriors-sources

just reaffirmed that david lee is one of the most likeable players in the league...consumate pro.

i hope he ends up on a contender where he gets a chance to contribute more.

in and contribute all season long while getting little to no minutes.

You got guys like Diaw, Big Baby and well Speights who look like they have conditioning issues and they play.

.

And when that chance came, on the biggest stage mind you, dude looked like he didn't miss a beat. Major respect and sacrifice...and Kerr mentioned that aspect of the team first as being the biggest catalyst from day 1.

2. This article has literally no news. It's all based discussions that people have before the series was actually over.

2. Relax...it was tongue in cheek.

And I'm LOLing at ESPN's "news" story filled with no news. But that's par for the course.

I'm dying.

His no-defense playing ass is making $15 million, GS woulda traded him for nothing a year ago if anyone had been dumb enough to take him on.

Now he is an expiring so the odds are better. But they still have to either:


A. Find someone with an equally unappealing contract(s) to match

or

B. Attach assets to to make it palatable to the 76ers of the world (teams with cap space). But they already did this with Iggy, and the 30th pick aint worth 15 mil so who knows.

$15M or whatever for one year, that's fine, I mean every year we don't hit the floor we have to pay the differential in fines anyway. So the money gets spent on a guy who can come in and show these kids how to act like a pro, and then maybe we flip him at the deadline for another asset, too.

It would probably be worth it for GS because giving Green a big new contract will really puts the screws to them luxury tax wise.

So it would be this year and...2019 I guess? Since you can't owe 2 years in a row.

Not sure if that flies for either side.

No disrespect to David Lee but if the Dubs come calling the answer is gonna be "whaddayagimme to take the contract?"

http://tinyurl.com/oh2p5yk

Aka shit on a wall...but still, no doubt these 2 teams are talking based on the trading of their coach/GM. A few different possibilities because they have the #6 and #7 picks too.

‏@Raj_Sharan
Per Joe Kotoch of @sheridanhoops, #Nuggets & #Kings have engaged in trade talks involving Boogie Cousins for Ty Lawson & Kenneth Faried.

Hopefully either way, I still have hopes of a Boogie, Rondo, WCS team up.

Maybe throw in Nurkic and Sac adds Collison.

Karl wants to run, he won 57 games with an offense built around Ty and Manimal. There is enough in Denver to get a deal done I think, if Sac is really serious about moving Boog.

Sure Karl won a lot of games running with a bunch of mediocre players, but that was all reg season.

Yeah Karl has struggled in the offs, but a team built around Boogie hasn't even come close to getting there. Yes he's a beast, but definitely not a Karl type centerpiece.

Karl's style is his style, not going to change. Might as well bring in the personnel that fits it.

And Karl is as stubborn as they come.

Faried, Lawson, and 7 straight up for Boogie?

The 6 and 7 could be flipped for another veteran or simply drafted. That's an awful lot to build around.

Conversely, Denver gets stripped bare and Cuz wastes the next three years of his career.

what you think they gone get for boogie, dogg? AD?

that's an excellent return, i doubt they'd find better.

Although, I guess if you get Boogie, you can then deal Nurkic for a PG or whichever hole they fill they need to fill.

I guess the key is the former players heading back to coaches they liked playing for. Not sure either team really gets any better. Reshuffling deck chairs on the Titanic kind of deal.

That is better than anything they could offer. Above average point guard, bamma of extraordinary bamma-ness and a pick that isn't too too far from what L.A. has.

I like that deal for Sac, it gives them a team rather than a guy. That said, you *should* get a lot for an all-NBA entering his prime and under contract. Think about the haul above average point guard Jrue got, two lotto picks, largely because of a favorable contract/age situation.

There has to be an immediate follow up plan. That's not a move you make in a vacuum.

Boogie's a monster but if that's all they have they're in trouble. They're no better off than they were before and probably worse, they're not a FA destination town, and the end game here is a disgruntled superstar who they'll have to unload in 2.5 years for pennies on not only his value, but the price they paid to get him to begin with.

than serviceable players. they also have a better team than their record showed. they had a lot of injuries, for openers. the big thing for them would be if gallo could ever get healthy but that seems like a lot to ask.

So it's not like Boogie being unhappy would be any different. And he might be happy because he's reteamed with Malone, who he liked as the Kings' coach.

Forgot about his time in Toronto

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/13109100/shawn-marion-cleveland-cavaliers-says-retiring-16-seasons

Four-time NBA All-Star Shawn Marion told ESPN.com via text message Thursday that he intends to go through with his plans to retire after completing his 16th season.

"Hell yeah," Marion said.

The 37-year-old went unused by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the just-completed NBA Finals in his only season with the Cavs but assembled an outstanding career highlighted by a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

Marion, though, is probably best known for his 8½ seasons with the Phoenix Suns, who drafted him No. 9 overall in 1999 with a draft pick they ironically acquired from Dallas in the 1998 trade that made Steve Nash a Maverick. He initially revealed his intention to retire in a January interview with the Arizona Republic.

He told the newspaper at the time that he believed he could play another two or three seasons but that being away from his first child, infant son Shawn, convinced him it was time to walk away.

"I wanted to go out on my terms," Marion told the newspaper. "The biggest thing is having a son. I got attached to him. Seeing him periodically is hard. Watching him grow up on pictures and videos is hard."

One of the league's foremost two-way players at his peak, Marion weighed retiring after leaving the Mavericks last summer but opted in the end to sign with Cleveland in hopes of winning a second ring and because of the proximity to his son, who lives in Chicago.

All four of his All-Star seasons came in Phoenix, three of them after the Suns reacquired Nash and flanked him with Marion and Amar'e Stoudemire in a revolutionary offense under coach Mike D'Antoni.

Marion's time in the desert came to an end when he was the centerpiece of a trade with Miami in 2008 that brought Shaquille O'Neal to the Suns, with a brief stint in Toronto to follow before he spent five seasons in Dallas. Marion also earned a trip to the Olympics in 2004 as a member of Team USA's bronze-medal team in Greece.

.

>I got attached to him.


lol, still tho. a pretty good career by most standards and he was always fun to watch

..."little fucker kinda grew on me"

>..."little fucker kinda grew on me"

"whoda thunk it?!"

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2354940/images/o-BEN-VEREEN-FRESH-PRINCE-facebook.jpg

He was cool to watch on Phoenix, could run the floor, make some funky moves, yam it with some of the best and of course his jumper form came straight from the seventh grade. Vaya con Dios, Matrix.

He does not deserve a max contract. Near max is honestly too much IMHO. $14 mill a year for Tristan is pushing it. Let him test the quarters, come back, and take what we offer.

someone is gonna offer it too.

i've been saying it for a month now - i can't envision a scenario
where they bring both love and thompson back. makes little sense from
an asset allocation standpoint.

obvious what he wanted and he will get it or damn close.

for a long time i thought the same thing re: thompson and love returning but i think it depends on the potential return and, of course, what lebron wants. i think if they could get a great deal for love, they'd take it, but nothing short of that.

of course the great irony would be if they traded him for like the No. 2 pick. i would STILL defend the deal, because bennett is ass juice and you move wiggins and get another stud in this year's draft instead.

and at best 96 minutes, because you can't play more than
2 of them together. and that's w/o allotting a handful of those 96
to bron, their best lineups feature him @ 4.

i mean, they do have to spend on the perimeter too. shumpert
and delly entering RFA, jr smh already says he's opting out,
they'll have to resign those guys or find replacements. i just
can't see, from a practical RoI standpoint, tying up all that guapery
up front. you could always move andy but who's taking that contract
w/o some serious sweeteners? and they're already short #1s from the moz deal.

My friend in Cleveland keeps insisting that "they'll find a way." He talks about Bron taking a massive paycut or some other completely impossible scenario resulting in them figuring out how to keep them a big happy family. It's delusional.

Doesn't work. Love is gone. Sign-and-trade him if possible, but it probably won't be. Keep Tristan, keep Moz, keep Shump. Let JR walk, let Delly walk.

I just can't envision a scenario in which Cleveland decides to keep Love and abandon Tristan. That's the only way it can happen.

Unless some NBA team decides to INSANELY BAIL THEM OUT by trading for Andy. That's the *only* way they can keep Love and Tristan. And I can't imagine it happening unless Gilbert has nude photos of some GM somewhere.

Whaddayagimme to take the contract?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZ9JiUiDt8U/U6m3IyNbz1I/AAAAAAAAGWg/1Cu_1JLDfEA/s1600/hinkie_witness.png

we will see what they are willing to spend but yes their situation is unwieldy. the minutes are no big deal because you can and will have injuries. If there were no cap and/or no luxury tax, I would definitely not worry about it.

Their putting Love in play is interesting, I guess they'd be looking for a serviceable perimeter player and a good pick. I would not break the bank for any of their pending FAs, as veteran minimum guys will flock to them.

Veteran forward Paul Pierce will opt out of his $5.54 million contract, but he’s “definitely” playing next season, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post says Pierce will likely decide between the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers.

Pierce had been unsure about his return after the Wizards were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs. However, it was clear the 37-year-old still had something left in the tank, and now it appears he’ll be back.

Pierce enjoyed a solid season in Washington, averaging 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 44.7 percent overall and 38.9 percent from three. He really shined in the postseason, hitting numerous big shots during the Wizards’ run. The veteran averaged 14.6 points while shooting 48.5 percent overall and 52.4 percent from three in the playoffs.

Washington can offer Pierce more money this offseason, as the Clippers will only be able to offer him the mini mid-level exception of about $3.38 million. However, the money might not be a big deal at this point in his career, and the allure of playing in California (where he grew up) for his former coach in Doc Rivers might be too great. Not to mention the fact the Clippers are a better team.

If Los Angeles is able to get Pierce at that price, it would be an absolute steal.

clips shoulda signed him last year but oh well, could end up being better for it having him now and also having stephenson. or the pierce we saw in these playoffs could be dead and the stephenson we saw this year could be very much alive. oh, this is the clippers we're talking about? yeah, they're fucked.

lulz

The Los Angeles Lakers might not pose much of a threat to contend for a championship (or even a playoff berth in the Western Conference) next year. The two guys on their roster with real talent – Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle – are both recovering from major injuries, and one of them will be 37 years old and taking up almost 40 percent of the salary cap.

But the Lakers, with their sunshine, 16 championships and as much as $27.8 million in cap space, offer leverage for any potential free agents looking to get a raise from their own team or a lucrative offer elsewhere.

Dwyane Wade could be one of those free agents. Wade has a player option this summer and there’s already been some scuttlebutt about Wade and the Miami Heat not seeing eye to eye about the size of a new contract.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix linked Wade and the Lakers with a pair of tweets on Sunday …

While many execs still see Wade/Heat as contract saber rattling, a Wade option will be the Lakers. Mutual interest, per league sources.

— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) June 21, 2015

Hard to see LA offering Wade a better chance to win than Miami, especially in the West. But it is LA, and they do have money to burn.

— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) June 21, 2015

At 33, Wade wouldn’t take the Lakers much beyond the Kobe era, which is set to end next April. But he would make things a little more interesting in L.A. and help the Lakers regain their status as a national TV draw.

The Heat could be one of the league’s most improved teams next season if they can bring back Wade, Luol Deng and Goran Dragic, who all have player options. But new and pricey contracts for all three would erase most of their 2016 cap space.

Maybe they floated this out there to keep Wade's price up and maybe make it too costly to keep Wade and Dragic.

They knew what it was going to take to sign him. Seems like a good fit for both sides. But by all means saddle the Lakers with what figures to be a superstar's contract for an above average player.

The thing is, I think Wade wants to get paid too. And paying Dragic makes more sense than Wade. Although, you're right, neither might be the best answer at the given rate.

Honestly, I really hope they sign Rondo and then get a film crew to follow the team all season.

Mostly, I just want the owners to pay attention to the ridiculous contracts they hand out so when the next CBA comes, they don't whine about how much money the players are making.

Wade don't like his very fair salary? PEACE with two fingers. It's not like Miami is the kind of sports town that would even notice when an icon not named Marino or LeBron leaves. They can just distribute FAN UP pamphlets with someone else's face on the cover and keep it movin.

Loooooooooooooooooooooooong hustle.

It was pretty well-known he would not come this year. The only way Philly is taking a big (not just a big player, like DAT ZINGIS!) is if the Wolves or Lakers do something weird. Otherwise, if they are picking third, I can't see them going for Lyles, Cauley-Stein, et al.

>Loooooooooooooooooooooooong hustle.

Good chance he pulls a mirotic and comes over after the rookie scale deal is up.
----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

>

We have his rights, but he's not obligated to that 3yr rookie scale.


----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

So that means not this year or next. That's cool, nothing the organization didn't expect.

Hmmmmm......The plot thickens.....I'm sure they are on the phone RIGHT NOW trying to get another 4/5.....The average height for that team is going to be 6'10.....lol

.

.

He had value last year. This year not so much. At 1 pick salary too. Be lucky to get a conditional second round pick.

Take a flyer on him but can't see them getting much more than that.

to be named later

https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T3DjIuPPnT3cLMg5Q6VVjyIcWak=/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3589452/SanchezLotto_men__50330.1428604159.420.420.0.jpg

Embiid's not going to play this year, and AB only has one guaranteed year left on his contract anyway. Do it.

Questionable from an asset management perspective.

(Edit: I mean that many cheesesteaks. We only have about half that many second rounders).

Last year was his year to disprove the bust stuff from his rookie season. He didn't. Doubled down on BUST.




----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

last season.

AB and the 31st/38th picks for the 28th pick.

Don't like it.

Now they give a player, too? That offer indicates that he has *negative* value.

What does this mean for Okafor (nothing, probably.)

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/13131159/los-angeles-lakers-actively-trying-acquire-demarcus-cousins-trade-sacramento-kings

The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as one of the most determined trade suitors for Sacramento Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN that the Lakers have been actively pursuing trade scenarios in recent weeks in attempt to construct a deal that would convince the Kings to part with Cousins.

The Kings, though, continue to insist that Cousins is not available. The team's new lead decision-maker, Vlade Divac, told the Sacramento Bee in Sunday's editions that dealing away his best player "is not happening."

Sources say that the Lakers, Kings and Orlando Magic have had exploratory dialogue on a three-way Cousins trade that would land the 24-year-old in Los Angeles. All three teams hold top-6 picks in Thursday's NBA draft, and Orlando has a young top-flight center of its own in Nikola Vucevic, who could theoretically fill the Cousins void.

Yet since assuming control of the Kings' front office in April, Divac repeatedly has downplayed the idea of parting with Cousins, who has three seasons left on an extension he signed during the summer of 2013.

The Lakers would appear to have limited assets to get into the trade sweepstakes for Cousins -- in the event that Sacramento's stance changes -- beyond surrendering prized young big man Julius Randle, young guard Jordan Clarkson and the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday's draft. The Lakers, furthermore, could not legally trade the No. 2 pick until after making the selection and introducing that player as a Laker, since teams as precluded from trading first-round picks in consecutive drafts and the Lakers' 2016 first-rounder is already owed to Philadelphia.

Orlando holds the fifth pick in Thursday's proceedings but would presumably expect a lot to be willing to part with Vucevic, who signed an extension of his own last October and has become the most consistently productive player from the four-team blockbuster trade in August 2012 that sent Dwight Howard from the Magic to the Lakers.

Divac, though, told the Bee in the recent interview that his preference is to "do something, a small move, before the draft."

"We have a lot of changes to make," said Divac, whose Kings hold the sixth overall pick Thursday night. "The league is much more up-tempo now and we need more 3-point shooting. If we don't get that in the draft, we'll be active in free agency and see about making trades later in the offseason."

ESPN reported in May after the Boston Celtics' first-round elimination that the Celtics planned to be at the front of the line in terms of trying to trade for Cousins this offseason.

The Denver Nuggets have also been increasingly mentioned as a likely trade suitor for him since the hiring of former Kings coach and Cousins favorite Mike Malone as their new coach. But Denver wouldn't appear to have the sort of trade assets to rival Boston's cache of future first-round picks, which tend to become especially handy when trying to assemble multi-team trades.

Wild speculation and Divac flatly denying it on the record. Wtf
----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

I'm pretty sure we'll hear the Lakers being linked to every single free agent and any big name on the trade block.

There's zero accountability when it comes to reporting in the NBA offseason. Pre-draft especially is basically write whatever you hear anywhere.

So maybe there was more to that story than I first thought. Although the Lakers still seem like a long shot, at best.

And I love that Vivek is already annoyed with another coach.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--george-karl-pushing-for-kings-to-trade-demarcus-cousins-051748948.html

Ranadive has remained the biggest Kings advocate for holding onto Cousins, and several sources indicate he has become irritated with Karl's insistence that the coach doesn't believe he can manage the supremely skilled and strong-minded star. Cousins has held a firm loyalty to former Kings coach Michael Malone, whom Ranadive fired shortly into last season. Under Karl, that relationship couldn't begin to be duplicated in the final weeks of the season.

Karl and members of the Kings front office have made it clear to opposing team executives and coaches that they hope to soon have a formal ownership authorization to actively shop Cousins, sources said. Kings officials, including Karl, have discussed potential deals informally with other teams, but no other front office has felt comfortable that any deal can happen until Ranadive is fully on board.

For now, the Kings are pursuing trade scenarios for everyone on the roster, including talented forward Rudy Gay, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Sacramento officials believe it will be difficult to find a trade partner that can give the Kings the value it wants for Cousins – and has a better chance to find a deal for Gay, sources said.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had significant interest with Cousins, but their No. 2 overall pick isn't as appealing to the Kings as finding a deal that includes established, veteran players. Ranadive doesn't want to rebuild with a move into a new arena on the horizon, and Karl is chasing Don Nelson's all-time NBA career victories record. Karl's interest isn't in cultivating long-term assets, but rather compiling as many victories as possible in the near future.

https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/613225835365949440

Apologies to the initial report; there seems to definitely be something to see here.

EDIT: Although Sam Amick is still beating the Untradeable drum.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/kings/2015/06/22/sacramento-kings-owner-vivek-ranadive-demarcus-cousins-trade/29143601/

>https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/613225835365949440
>
>Apologies to the initial report; there seems to definitely be
>something to see here.
>
>EDIT: Although Sam Amick is still beating the Untradeable
>drum.
>
>http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/kings/2015/06/22/sacramento-kings-owner-vivek-ranadive-demarcus-cousins-trade/29143601/

What a shitshow. That team is now FUBAR. So now it's just mock trades and leaked offers until it's done.
----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

>https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/613225835365949440
>
>Apologies to the initial report; there seems to definitely be
>something to see here.
>
>EDIT: Although Sam Amick is still beating the Untradeable
>drum.
>
>http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/kings/2015/06/22/sacramento-kings-owner-vivek-ranadive-demarcus-cousins-trade/29143601/

What a shitshow. That team is now FUBAR. So now it's just mock trades and leaked offers until it's done.
----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

>https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/613225835365949440
>
>Apologies to the initial report; there seems to definitely be
>something to see here.
>
>EDIT: Although Sam Amick is still beating the Untradeable
>drum.
>
>http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/kings/2015/06/22/sacramento-kings-owner-vivek-ranadive-demarcus-cousins-trade/29143601/

And now that EVERYBODY and their mama knows Cuz is on the trading block u better believe teams r going to be low balling the shit out of 'em....lol

Hell, my Bulls need to get on the phone and dangle Noah and Gibson/or Niko....Fuck it....It's about to get wild.....

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/main/yahoo-reports-kings-coach-george-karl-is-trying-to-push-demarcus-cousins-out/

The question though...is why does Karl keep getting jobs? Is he THAT good a coach?

Download my new mixtape featuring Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Christon Gray and more. Positive Hip Hop: http://www.noisetrade.com/wadeoradio

are they going to get for Cousins?

I don't see it.

.

.

I once had a GM tell me a trade was not happening that ALREADY HAPPENED. During practice, I got a text from the player's agent saying he had been traded, this was probably 10:20 or 10:30. Just before the practice ended at 11, I saw the GM and asked him to confirm. He said there had been no trade and he couldn't comment on negotiations. If you think he dogged me out, he told the same thing to the writer for the team's website and even yelled at him about it (uncharacteristic given their relationship). Maybe an hour later, he was on national radio talking about the trade lol.

But yeah this deal is not happening! The only way it would be if Sac could get the two picks and Vuc and then what the hell does Orlando get? As reported it is a laughably stupid trade where the Lakers give it to both teams up the dook shoot. Of course that happened in the Howard trade, but there was at least some lube involved there.

that the Kings are willing to give up Demarcus Cousins? The front office had to know Karl wanted to get rid of him when they hired him. Pretty wild to want to part ways with a young dominant big man, but perhaps the Kings know something I don't.

>that the Kings are willing to give up Demarcus Cousins? The
>front office had to know Karl wanted to get rid of him when
>they hired him. Pretty wild to want to part ways with a young
>dominant big man, but perhaps the Kings know something I
>don't.

But the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing there. Divac is openly saying no trade, karl is BTS taking trade offers while trying to sell mgmt, and vivek wants a 4 on 5 circus. Aye aye aye...

No time soon, but I think he ends up in denver w malone.
----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

Dude coached 30 games last season. 30 games in and he's already decided he can't coach one of the most gifted young big men in the league? This is a relationship that can't be salvaged after 30 games?

Cuz. Karl. Vivek. Divac stepping in. Too many cooks in the kitchen.

Can't wait until they add Rondo into the mix.

>that the Kings are willing to give up Demarcus Cousins? The
>front office had to know Karl wanted to get rid of him when
>they hired him. Pretty wild to want to part ways with a young
>dominant big man, but perhaps the Kings know something I
>don't.


you think Karl went in there telling them everything he was gonna change? He went in there telling them exactly what they wanted to hear so he could get a job. Now he's got it he's trying to pull a power move.

"Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac has pursued a possible deal that would include a bevvy of assets, including the Lakers' No. 2 pick in Thursday's NBA draft, rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson and other draft assets, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Sacramento also would want to unload the remainder of forward Carl Landry's two years, $13.5 million contract, league sources said."

"Minimally, the Lakers have no intention of including Randle in a deal for Cousins, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Randle, a power forward, was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and missed most of his rookie season after leg surgery. The Lakers are reluctant to part with Clarkson too, sources said."


And Vivek coming off as bitter about the guy he screwed over to cause this whole mess.

"Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive has been unwilling to discuss a deal to send Cousins to Denver, where Sacramento's former coach, Michael Malone, and former general manager, Pete D'Alessandro, have been recently hired, sources said. Denver has had interest in a three-way deal that would land Cousins with the Lakers and possibly deliver the Kings several players – including point guard Ty Lawson – who Karl has expressed a desire to be reunited with in Sacramento, sources said."

Damn dude.

-----------
Its 2014...there are computers in glasses and people stunt after hitting the ball far. Get over it. -Cenario
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious

NOW YOU RUNNIN' 'ROUND WITH A FATAL ATTRACTION.

http://www.libertyballers.com/2015/6/23/8832413/sixers-offered-marcus-smart-for-nerlens-noel-and-he-third-overall-pick

The Celtics have offered Marcus Smart and picks No. 16 and 28 in the first round to the 76ers for Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick

and Sharpies.

If we're not in the playoffs by the time his rookie deal expires, you have my blessing to seek a trade. We'll be enemies, but I'll understand

Surprised to see Smart being offered since all reports are that AInge loves him but the ridiculousness of the offer seems about what it would take for them to move him.

GIVE ME TWO SUPERB ASSETS FOR THIS LOOSE CHANGE?

Right?

This can't be a real offer. This was singe gofer on trade machine right.

For the record I think mudiay and russell max out better than smart.
----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

http://nesn.com/2015/06/report-sacramento-kings-looking-to-sign-rajon-rondo-trade-rudy-gay/

Boogie, WCS, Rudy, B-Mac, Rondo. That's playoffs.

>Boogie, WCS, Rudy, B-Mac, Rondo. That's playoffs.


Rondo and Cuz is reality show hijinks ready to happen....

Ol' Villainous John Lithgow in Ricochet looking mf'er.

That org is a mess and George is a loose cannon at this point.



----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

>Ol' Villainous John Lithgow in Ricochet looking mf'er.


Ha!...True....But lets be real...Apart, Boogie and Connect Four are quite volatile but can do work in certain situations...But those guys together on the same team in the NBA? Nah...that's a shit show waiting to happen....

On the real though, Cousins just needs to go to a team without any head cases...I hope he gets to a place where he can truly flourish...That kid is too good to be stamped as a knucklehead....

Both like to win. Both good dudes. Both competitive. The whole set up makes perfect basketball sense.

Shooters in B-Mac and Nik.

And WCS playing D and finishing lobs.

Rondo could make them all better, because that's what he does when the ball is in his hands.

>Both like to win. Both good dudes. Both competitive. The
>whole set up makes perfect basketball sense.
>
>Shooters in B-Mac and Nik.
>
>And WCS playing D and finishing lobs.
>
>Rondo could make them all better, because that's what he does
>when the ball is in his hands.


I'll take B-Mac and Nik...WCS hustles hard....But don't know if I want Rondo on my team...Way too selfish for my taste....He's poison at this point....

But regardless, Cousins needs to get away from Sacramento quick fast...Karl is too big of an asshole to make anything work at this point....Everybody seems to hate that dude...lol

I mean Rose didn't defiantly shit on a coach that also has a ring, stormed off on some MY BALL silliness and had his own teammates freeze him out of that playoff loot, did he?

U keep thinking I'm taking cheap shots at Rondo when basically EVERYBODY not named the Lakers and Sac Town r leery of dude....

Rose doesn't have a history of being a first grade selfish asshole....His only sin is he's tragically injury prone with horrible knees...Because of Rose's injury history I would be willing to to see what the Bulls could get for Pooh coming off of a good post season when all the wheeling and dealing starts....

One player is not bigger than my team.....

Doesn't mean he's selfish.

Oh and he's won a championship as well. So there's that.

Nobody cares about your bum ass 30 game playing shoot first locked down by Delly sitting out 4 quarters for impromptu spin class session still doesn't know how to make players better while losing his athleticism staring at Age 30 with the same fright he stares at multi-syllabic words point guard.

>Doesn't mean he's selfish.


I'm going to stop u here ^^^^ because u not being real about a player u clearly have a bias for, my dude...

To me the bar isn't whether or not a player gets along with his coach...Bron is one of the most respected players in the league and dude basically treated his first year coach like the help...Jordan got Doug Collins fired...Magic? The same....A lot of players don't get along with their coach...

The issue with Rondo is he had a negative impact on a team that was pretty much on an offensive tear....He pouted because he didn't get his way. And he literally quit on his team. When your own teammates vote to not give u playoff loot because u quit on your squad that's not the same as simply having issues with your coach...

And a ring doesn't help when your shooting has gotten significantly worse in a league in which PG's r now asked to play perimeter oriented...

Rondo is far from being washed up. He can def. find himself again. But he has to turn down that my-way-or-the-highway attitude he has. That doesn't look good when u r struggling to shoot foul shots as a PG...

As for your Rose hit doggin' I don't get it....See, THAT'S a cheap shot....If Rondo was coming off of three knee surgeries trust me....I wouldn't be going at it like that...lol....That was some taking a gun to a pillow fight type shit u just pulled.....

Nah...I'm just trying to give u that sobering troooof, homie...

I've never said Rondo was a bum...Never said he was wack...I'm saying that nigga hella selfish, delusional AND struggling....Which is a dangerous combination...Hopefully his Dallas stint has humbled him...

But yeah...U partying off of Rose's injuries is something all together different...

I didn't say shit about his injuries.

Lmao! Go cry on, man with this victim bullshit.

If nut ass Sac doesnt give it to him, the nut ass Lakers will.

Trading Gay seems like a decent idea, three more years at like $40M total payout is a lot of money but not so much that no one will want him.

>If nut ass Sac doesnt give it to him, the nut ass Lakers
>will.
>
>Trading Gay seems like a decent idea, three more years at like
>$40M total payout is a lot of money but not so much that no
>one will want him.


I mean, this shit is all moot now.....There's no way Cousins will stay in Sacramento...He's out with all this Karl madness happening...If Rondo goes to the Kings he will be passing the ball to himself....

If they trade him. I love Boogie but it's not out of the realm of possibility that selling on Boogie could make the Kings a better team overall.

i just care about being right

http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-sixers-looking-to-trade-up-for-dangelo-russell/2015/06/23/

Yeah, if we wind up getting next year's pick back out of this I say to hell with Boogie. I'd talk to Orlando about Vucevic and 5 for the 2, 27, next year's pick plus anyone but Julius and take whoever remains between Mudiay and Porzingus.

It's silly season. Why would we give up anything to move up one spot. Draft russell, we take jahlil. Simple. Hinkie don't GAF.
----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

we'll toss you a late second rounder maybe. most likely we're not dealing.

All the extraneous media (blogs, talk radio callers, etc) surrounding the Lakers should be stuffed into a canon and fired into the sun.

lol......

They'll cheer Towns/oak/Russ/Mudiay

other than that....

nope.

i have no faith in the org to develop him. that's a much more likely reason for him to bust than his inability to play.

The knicks fanbase at Barclays dont think like you

Now if they drafted John Starks' five-foot-six nephew or a clone of Felipe Lopez, the place would go crazy.

http://hoopshype.com/player/monta-ellis/

I don't think a story like that gets out unless the front office wanted it and wanted to send a message to Monta.

Also, it makes sense for Monta. He's got one big contract left and at his age, I don't think he can wait for the cap to make the bigger leap.

That being said, it's a shame that it didn't work in Dallas because that still seems like the best fit for him.

Lol yep industry rule #4080 sports team execs are shaaaaaady

Not sure what Cleveland will have after they pay Tristan (I'm betting they let Love walk) but they could certainly use a dynamic scoring 2 guard. If SA misses out on Aldridge Monte would be a nice piece for them.

.

He could play alongside Parker or be a strong contributor while Parker rests.

He's great at some aspects of the game that Parker is (can get to the rim and finish, decent mid-range game). Monta isn't the passer Parker is, but he seems to try more on defense if the word around is right about him.

I couldn't see Monta in Cleveland, if only because there wouldn't be enough shots for LeBron, Kyrie, Tristan, AND Monta. If Love decides to return than he would be the odd man out.

Dallas was / is the best fit for him. He's able to lead their offense and free up space for Dirk and everyone else because of his ability to get by his defender. He was viewed as a leader in the locker room and his liabilities were actually an asset to them.

Ironically he'd be great in Oakland if he'd be willing to be their heat-check guy off the bench. Maybe also in Atlanta too, since they need a player who can get his own shot, something that would have helped against the Cavs in the playoffs.

Send Orlando the draft rights to Janis Timma.

Without Conley they were a hot ass mess, NO ONE could handle the goddamn ball.

The Memphis Grizzlies are in the process of completing a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Matt Barnes, according to league sources.

The Grizzlies will acquire Barnes from Charlotte for veteran point guard Luke Ridnour, whom Memphis acquired Tuesday from Orlando, sources said.

Furthermore, the Grizzlies intend to keep Barnes, sources said. Only $1 million of Barnes' $3.5 million salary is guaranteed if he's waived before Wednesday, but Memphis wants Barnes for perimeter depth.

The Hornets have been busy this offseason.

They acquired Barnes earlier this month in the trade that sent Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers. Charlotte also acquired Nicolas Batum from the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Barnes, 35, is in the final year of his contract. He averaged 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists while starting 74 games for the Clippers in 2014-15.

Barnes, however, wore out his welcome in Los Angeles, as his on-court temper and penchant for getting fined constantly irked head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers, who had been looking to deal him for about two years.

The 34-year-old Ridnour, meanwhile, averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 assists while playing 47 games for the Magic last season.

The 14th overall pick in the 2003 draft, Ridnour is now joining his seventh NBA team. He has career averages of 9.3 points, 4.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Sadly Barnes may actually *improve* their perimeter shooting, that's how wack they were from outside last year, hell for years running now. Mike Miller and Shane Battier ain't walking through that door.

He was on the last Sonics team and was traded after they announced the move to OKC. Now he's finally going to play for them, unless he's traded again.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13146622/memphis-grizzlies-acquire-matt-barnes-charlotte-hornets-luke-ridnour

Ridnour didn't stay in Charlotte long, as the Hornets traded him and a conditional 2016 second-round draft pick Thursday to the Thunder for guard Jeremy Lamb. That deal comes just a day after Ridnour was traded by the Orlando Magic to the Grizzlies.

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nba/267428/Kevin-Love-opts-out-of-final-year-of-contract

Kidding

..if hes not on that team..most likely hes not going back to the finals anytime soon

I also think in his mind he legitimately thinks he could be the #1 on a contender.

This is actually great for the Cavs. It sucks that they traded away Wiggins to borrow Love for a season (and 4 playoff games), but Love isn't what they need. They have scoring, they need more defensive-minded bigs, and this frees up cap space to give Tristan what he wants.

.

If the Cavs r smart they talk Love into a sign & trade....They can get a nice bounty for him...Right now they just need bodies that can make an open shot and add some depth. Call up Ainge and get it poppin'. As a Bulls fan though I hope they keep Love. Because it will def. hold them back on the cap end of things...

Gotta talk about something.

https://mobile.twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/613844655210430465


Don't see how this makes sense for pdx unless they're preparing for aldridges imminent departure.

.

With the imminent return of OKC to the play-off picture and teams like the Suns and the Jazz possibly on the come-up, maybe they figure they're better off doing a rebuild.

Gonna be missed. He def brought a certain level of professionalism to the squad.

Vonleh was a bad reach pick.

Now they need a starting pg.

What do they do with Kemba?

and my loves him

barnes not going to okc tho

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Like you said, makes no sense unless it's part of a new re-build. Gonna be real, real hard to watch Blazers next year if there's no LaMarcus or Nic. Neither of those guys incoming are going to fill the swiss army knife sized gap Nic will leave behind him.

boo.

Sounds like L.A. is gone.

Did Vonleh come alive at the end of the year? He seemed like a bust when I saw him. Don't get this deal at all for PDX. Stunner.

Jorn collecting him some wing players this summer.

So far I like what the Hornets have done. Addition by subtraction exiling Stillborn and now they get a very good, very versatile player for a lesser wing and an iffy big prospect.

That said, I am sure they will turn around and draft some hot ass garbage like always now. How will they blow it? Maybe drafting Dekker ninth? That seems like their style.

They still need shooting. Need a guard even more now that Hendo is gone.

Although I wonder if this move makes them more likely to deal the pick and try to win now. Booker or Myles/Lyle make sense but none of them seem ready to help from Day 1.

or likely to be there. Possible that they could get Lyles or Cauley-Stein, or continue loading up on wings with Johnson.

I've always overvalued Nic so the initial shock kind of shaded my take on it.

Charlotte rolls the dice on giving up a lotto pick after one year for potentially one year of Batum.

And I'm guessing that Portland sees the writing on the wall, doesn't expect LaMarcus back and rolled the dice on Vonleh who might be all that Nic on an expiring deal could fetch.

Could be a tank year in Portland. Let everyone else overspend this offseason and make moves next year.

who just won Finals MVP. He's a ball-mover on offense, (last season aside) he's a floor-spacer with his shot, and he can be the lynchpin of defensive schemes, guarding 1-3. He can guard Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker in the same game, Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis, Kevin Love, LeBron, or Kyrie Irving. AND he's still young.

I get that he's not as strong as Iguodola and he's more inconsistent than Iguodola, but the Blazers starting five has been one of the best five-man units in the NBA over the last two years and that's been with Nic playing 36+ minutes a night. There are very few teams in the NBA that couldn't find a use for a player like him.

Which makes me really wonder about LaMarcus, because why break up a five man unit you know is strong in order to get a middling rotation guy and a project pick? You just unloaded Thomas Robinson for nothing, now you're dying to repeat the experience? Maybe they need the cap space, maybe they just wanted to move the expiring deal sooner rather than later? I dunno, I'm considerably less interested in Blazers basketball next year with this one roster move alone...

That having been said, I really liked what I saw at Indiana. Won't know for at least another two years what he'll be. IMO, a good get from a long-term rebuild potential standpoint.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2015/06/24/indiana-pacers-david-west-opt-out-free-agent-contract-roy-hibbert/29227655/

Insider: Pacers' David West turns down money for new fit
Candace Buckner
9:08 p.m. EDT June 24, 2015

The Indiana Pacers are losing their rock.

David West has decided not to exercise the $12.6 million option of his contract for the 2015-16 season, league sources informed The Indianapolis Star on Wednesday. West, who turns 35 in August, will become a free agent this summer for the first time since 2011, when he made the surprising choice to join the young and rising Pacers over the Big Three in Boston.

And from that first snarl, that first swished jumper from the elbow, that very first 'He's a 'baaaaaad man!' bellowed throughout Bankers Life Fieldhouse during player introductions, West has been the cornerstone of the team.

"He's our rock," was how coach Frank Vogel described West after his 24-point performance shepherded the Pacers through a first-round elimination game against the Atlanta Hawks in 2014.

"There's no other way to put it."

West produced his lowest scoring average in nearly a decade (11.7 points per game) but remained the most respected player and voice in the Pacers' locker room. That leader will now search for a new home.

"He has the passion for (basketball)," a source responded when asked about West's wish list for his next destination. "He wants to play. … It's going to be an intellectual decision."

West made up his mind Tuesday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. With the tread of 12 seasons in the league on his body, West will not command the same salary that would've been waiting for him next season with the Pacers. The choice appears to be more about finding a new fit. West did not want to simply "stay for the money," a source revealed.

During the Pacers' injury-decimated 2014-15 season, the unfamiliar sting of constant defeat often weighed on West. The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in two (2013, 2014) of his four seasons with the team. However, the team played nearly all of last entire season without its star, Paul George, players combined to miss 219 games and the team employed 14 different starting lineups. West missed the first 15 games of the year with a sprained right ankle.

No surprise that this instability led to an up-and-mostly-down season.

As the team languished through a December losing streak, West – the Pacer who pulled no punches – answered as honest as possible when asked how he felt about dropping eight straight games at this stage in his career.

"It's (lousy). It's not fun, but you've got to be professional and you've got to keep preparing," West said then. "It's just not something we've been accustomed to doing since I've been here. We've had that mantra of … going in every night, expecting to win the ball game and knowing that we're the better team. I think just that attitude forces you to prepare a certain way, forces you to get on the floor, you take the floor differently and we're trying to find that."

Nevertheless, West's decision strikes two ways. Counting West, seven players from last year's roster will become free agents and his decision gives the Pacers more spare change to try to lure veterans to the heartland.

Furthermore, starting center Roy Hibbert also has a player option for next season, though he has yet to make his intentions public. Hibbert has until Monday to inform the Pacers. If Hibbert declines the option, his departure combined with West's, would free up more than $27 million in salary.

So after the July 1 start of free agency, the Pacers can look very different. This, however, may not be a reason to celebrate.

When West came to Indiana four years ago, he was then, as he is now, an iron-willed veteran. More than the money and the market in Boston, West picked Indiana unlike other big-name free agents because he wanted to help build something special.

Last year, Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke shared a story with The Star about West's first year in the league. It was Nov. 21, 2003, Rick Carlisle was still the coach and the Pacers played a game in New Orleans. West barely got off the bench that year, playing only 13 minutes a night, but the Hornets trailed by one point and needed to execute a last-second play. So, the rookie walked onto the court.

"They put this kid in. 'Who the hell is this guy?'" Burke said, recalling his memory. "They put him in and they ran a back screen for him for a lob. He caught it kinda low and he got it up to the rim and it came out. I remember sitting there watching him and you could tell he was devastated he let his teammates down but he had tightness in his jaw and got up and got off the floor. I'm thinking, 'This kid has some composure, some quiet confidence.'

"That play didn't make it and most guys would be – " said Burke, as he imitated someone overly pretended to be disappointed. "We all know you missed it, you don't have to do all that but (West) just got up and walked off. I know he was devastated. …To think of that kid who they're running a lob play for and look at the rock of our team now, what a difference."

if he left the Pacers before Hibbert. I like David West to an extent, but he's up there in age and has been banged up in recent times.


Good luck getting that paper, Mr. West.

Bring him to NY feel.

We need a presence like that in the locker room

Supposedly trying to entice Love with potential follow up signings of Pierce and Robin Lopez??

That rumor has to be 100% made from a message board, right? Because that's one of the worst pitches I've ever heard.

https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/613779124813975553

With this and the Sixers rumor, either Ainge is trolling NBA reporters or he's completely delusional.

>Supposedly trying to entice Love with potential follow up
>signings of Pierce and Robin Lopez??
>
>That rumor has to be 100% made from a message board, right?
>Because that's one of the worst pitches I've ever heard.

http://i.imgur.com/tEh5jfq.jpg

but he's always throwing random shit out there and seeing reactions. this is what he does.

plus, i think the point was not that those would be the big three (LMAO at that idea) but that it'd be a Love centric team. Pierce and Lopez are good compliments to what Love brings, plus what the celtics have. (that's horseshit. but i'm trying).

but i'd rather stick to youth than that.

-----------
Its 2014...there are computers in glasses and people stunt after hitting the ball far. Get over it. -Cenario
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious

Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac has pursued a possible deal that would include a bevvy of assets, including the Lakers' No. 2 pick in Thursday's NBA draft, rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson and other draft assets, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Sacramento also would want to unload the remainder of forward Carl Landry's two years, $13.5 million contract, league sources said.

>Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac has
>pursued a possible deal that would include a bevvy of assets,
>including the Lakers' No. 2 pick in Thursday's NBA draft,
>rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson and other draft
>assets, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Sacramento also
>would want to unload the remainder of forward Carl Landry's
>two years, $13.5 million contract, league sources said.


That's the only way I do that deal if I'm Sacramento...Call the Lakers' bluff....Because there's no way I would want to see Cousins in LA as a Kings representative...But if it has to be done u might as well try to bleed the Lakers for everything they got...

Sac losing leverage with all the public shit going on with Cuz though

... I don't see why they'd give up two talented pieces on rookie contracts.

I'd rather have Randle, Clarkson, Jah/D'Angelo, and Aldridge than Cousins and three bums.

he wont be with the lakers..if he is hes a fool

Never underestimate the Lakers' ability to all of a sudden be restocked with talent.

>he wont be with the lakers..if he is hes a fool



No fool at all....Lakers got loot and r a legendary franchise....We can clown Kobe's delusional ass all we want because it's fun and much of it true....But that has NOTHING to do with the Lakers being the Lakers....They seem to always find a way to retool.....

Lakers are the only team here that doesn't really make sense to me.

http://espn.go.com/losangeles/nba/story/_/id/13145694/portland-trail-blazers-growing-belief-forward-lamarcus-aldridge-leave-team-free-agency

LaMarcus Aldridge is not expected to re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, several people close to the All-Star forward told ESPN's Chris Broussard.

And Wednesday's trade of forward Nicolas Batum was an indication, league sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein, of Portland's growing belief that Aldridge is poised to leave in free agency.

"He's gone," a source close to Aldridge said. "There's a 99.9 percent chance that he's out of Portland."

The sources listed several reasons Aldridge is expected to leave the Blazers, for whom he has played since entering the league in 2006. They said he doesn't believe the Blazers can attract top free agents to improve the team, that he feels somewhat underappreciated by the organization and that he simply is looking for a new environment to live in.

Sources told Stein that the Blazers have been pressing for more concrete signals from Aldridge's camp about his plans before the July 1 start of free agency and are ‎increasingly fearful they have little chance of retaining the All-Star big man once he hits the open market.

On the list of teams Aldridge will consider signing with are the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks, sources said. Aldridge is actually thinking more and more about a free-agent jump to the Lakers, sources told Stein this week.

The Lakers, sources added to Stein, firmly believe they now will be in the Aldridge hunt. As ESPN.com first reported ‎Monday, Lakers officials also continue to try to press the Sacramento Kings to trade them All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.

The Spurs, sources say, continue to be Aldridge's most likely destination.

"He has tons of respect for coach Popovich," one source told Broussard. "And he thinks highly of their organization and front office."

The Spurs will have to be creative with their salary structure to offer Aldridge a max deal beginning at $18.8 million while retaining stars Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Sources also say there is a rising sentiment the Lakers have edged past the Mavericks on Aldridge's wish list despite the fact that he was a high school star in Dallas.

San Antonio is likewise familiar ground to Aldridge after he played collegiately at Texas in nearby Austin.

The Lakers' and Knicks' hopes of landing Aldridge likely will depend on who they select in Thursday's draft, trade for or sign in free agency. Aldridge lives near Los Angeles in the offseason and has been there this week, sources told Broussard.

A long-shot candidate for Aldridge would be the Cleveland Cavaliers, who likely would have to execute a sign-and-trade with Kevin Love. Love opted out of his Cavaliers contract Wednesday and is from Oregon.

As ESPN.com reported earlier Wednesday, Portland is expected to make its own hard push in free agency for Love, should Aldridge leave town.

The Blazers created an additional $4 million of potential ‎salary-cap space by ‎shipping Batum to Charlotte for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh and have been well set up by general manager Neil Olshey to have the flexibility to go in a variety of directions if they need to respond to an Aldridge defection.

Atlanta also is on Aldridge's list, as he believes he could potentially form a strong frontcourt tandem with Hawks center Al Horford.

Sources told Stein that Portland plans to be very aggressive in July in trying to convince star guard Damian Lillard to commit to a five-year max extension in the $120 million range.

LaMarcus often cites Tim Duncan as the player he looked up to most when he was younger, LaMarcus has often spoke of free agency in terms of "I don't know, but I do think I can be part of a contender," the pairing with Kawhi Leonard is basically as good (or better) as any other organization (DAL, HOU, LA) can offer, Tim Duncan gets to assume the David Robinson role as they introduce LA into the Spurs fold, Patty Mills is an ex-teammate, supposedly LaMarcus has two kids in Texas, one being in San Antonio. Totally anecdotal, but for whatever reason LaMarcus has played some of his best games of his career against the Spurs (postseason aside). He just seems like a guy who's motivated by things besides just money and being able to be in the hottest VIP clubs. I've never put much stock into any of the rumors except for San Antonio, who I thought, honestly, LaMarcus would be crazy to turn down...

smh

because he's capable of grabbing rebounds from what I've seen, but I think his suspect defense would give Five Ring General Poppavich umbrage, at least from the limited action I've seen from him.

I personally don't like him because like you said he mainly shoots jumpers and I prefer a big man operate in the paint on the offensive end, but you have to bang somewhat to grab rebounds as well as he does.

a free flowing offense would get lma much easier looks as well.

Percentage would be above 50% easy

And opponents FG% at the rim against LA is one of the lowest marks in the league.

You don't watch him play, it's okay to admit it.

The Portland front office has to hold the other teams feet to the fire and demand everything but the kitchen sink just off GP, no? Crazy that both Aldridge and Cousins are both in flux. I hope Cousins comes to the East so I can see him play more.

Portland has no say unless a team with no cap space wants him in a sign-and-trade.

especially since they are out West. At least they still have Lillard, but that team is going to stink terribly assuming Aldridge leaves, and even worse they'll get nothing in return.

Fuck em, Batum was ours.

HATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATE

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/jun/25/sources-aldridge-tells-blazers-he-wont-be-back/

They would have had him extended by now.

Rockets are likely to try to trade Terrence Jones as part of today's draft proceedings (twitter.com)
submitted 42 minutes ago by CelticsPJLambert93
72 commentssharesavehidereportpocket
•
Hearing ever-aggressive Rockets are plotting ways to try to crash this summer's free-agent chases for both Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge (twitter.com)

Shit....Love or LMA is EXACTLY what Houston needs, beyond a 3 point shooting PG....

Don't know if the Rockets got enough to get in this year's trade game, though....

https://twitter.com/BunBTrillOG/status/614103092133392384

https://twitter.com/stevekylerNBA/status/614109258037231616

George brings so much to a team. He wears suits, shows up to games, and has a quality dry erase board.

That's the keeper in this mix. The Lakers will gladly help them by taking Boogie of their hands and giving them three young players.

Because he explicitly told Karl that he wanted him to coach and not get involved in personnel stuff.

On the one hand, that's dirty of Karl to basically go back on his word less than one season into his job. On the other, you KNOW Karl's going to try and get involved in that stuff. He's done it everywhere else.

>On the other, you KNOW Karl's going to try and get involved in that stuff. He's done it everywhere else.

The Kings needs a lot of help and if they can sell high on Cuz and get a number of players, it might be the better move.

As for Karl, he basically lied to get the job since it doesn't seem like he ever wanted to work with Cuz and it seems pretty clear that, if he's not outright leaking info, he's not being very closed lipped about it. It's clear that he wants his players and isn't working with Vlade or Vivek. And Sacramento is a tough enough place to recruit players without having a coach who is routinely called a snake in the grass.

But I don't see any way Karl should survive this. He seems like an absolute diva. They never should have fired Malone.

Thats it.

They can compete. Let B-Mac continue to grow

one for hiring karl, who's 110 and completely out of fucks, and has been a sheisty character for 20 years.

two organizational instability of his own doing. for firing Malone. Plus the Vlade shit. Plus the Shareef shit. Karl's got em by the sac. Fire him, and he can't get anyone to work for him, every player is gonna try to get out, and agents will do anything possible to keep their players away, or jack prices up on him in negotiations.

this is some real life arli$$ shit.

He's getting paid regardless and he knows that in itself is a huge reason to keep him.

Those Nuggets won like 7 less games with no star egos to deal with.

Granted, bounced in the first round...and not in the Finals, but I'm just throwing shit out there as the draft isn't for a few more hours and I'm bored as fuck

been trying to prove himself ever since.

now with the Thunder. Dude has been on three teams in two days. Dam...bye, Jeremy.


http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/6/25/8846145/luke-ridnour-has-been-traded-3-times-since-he-woke-up-yesterday

He's refreshing his phone as we speak...lol

He's a solid pickup for whoever gets him though

unemployed to employed to unemployed so fast

you see that mike chose not to sign an extension?

he was underpaid for his last contract (that almost ALL of OKS shitted on)

. time to test the market and make memphis pay up.


good for him.

is anybody signing extensions?

>And in regards to a possible Smith return, Griffin said there's interest in bringing him back, but only "if it's the right situation for us." The 3-point specialist doesn't exactly sound like a high priority for the team. On Thursday, Smith declined his player option for next season.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2015/06/the_wait-and-see_approach_lebr.html

I can't imagine he'll get better per-year money next year. Maybe he just thinks he can get another long deal now... but I think he's wrong.

This is the same guy that got mad at the knicks for cutting his brother, even though the knicks were the only team that interested in giving him a deal, guaranteed or otherwise.

most of the guys declining player options won't. david west, brook lopez, etc.

that's not the point. the point is to get as much guaranteed total money locked in as soon as possible. nba careers are fleeting and the players know that. you go into that last contract year and suffer a severe injury or your skills / role suddenly diminish significantly and you're pretty much fucked.

the multi year deal he signs will be worth more than the 6.4M he just opted out of.


>I can't imagine he'll get better per-year money next year.
>Maybe he just thinks he can get another long deal now... but I
>think he's wrong.

the Cavs might mess around and get him for cheaper off this

https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/614492645491113984

struck out with everyone.

4 picks? He's bound to find a quality player in there. The other three can develop and be packaged for smaller deals after they sign someone in FA and Smart has developed.

"Paraphrasing Ainge, he offered the Hornets too much (reportedly 4 1st-round picks) for No. 9 and is glad upon reflection he was turned down."

As Orlando restricted free agent Tobias Harris will pursue a maximum-level offer sheet on July 1 that the Magic possibly won’t match, the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics have emerged as leading candidates for the talented forward, league sources told RealGM.

Harris, 22, is among the top young players on the available market, and could be the most vulnerable restricted free agent to leave his team. Around the NBA, several teams are believed to be open to preparing a near-max contract for Harris — which could approach $15 million-plus per season, an area the Magic likely elect not to match given the course of extension talks last October and their current team salary structure.

For the Pistons, there is a vision of using Harris as a potential hybrid stretch-wing, capable of playing the small and power forward positions. Several NBA personnel told RealGM that Harris’ slashing and outside shooting will jibe instantly with Stan Van Gundy’s system.

In Orlando, Harris has maintained dialogue with Scott Skiles, his former coach, throughout the year, exchanging encouraging messages. Nevertheless, Orlando's desire to match a maximum-level offer sheet on Harris has been in question.

The two sides couldn’t reach an extension last offseason, Orlando sticking to offers below the $10-to-$11 million that Harris desired — and now promises to surpass. The Magic selected Mario Hezonja, 6-foot-8, with the No. 5 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft. Harris dealt with an ankle injury over a stretch of the season, giving the Magic reason to use him in a lesser role.

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have also been long known as interested teams for Harris.

Out of Tennessee in 2011, Harris went to the Milwaukee Bucks with the 19th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He spent two years with the Bucks before being dealt to Orlando in 2013. Over four NBA seasons, Harris has established himself as a tremendous citizen in the community, with a strong work ethic on the court shown in year-to-year leaps. He was drafted with star potential and has sought to reach the level through offseason training.

At 6-foot-8, Harris averaged 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 34.8 minutes in 68 games last season. He has made shooting improvements each season, a sign of growth every summer, and shot 36.4 percent from three-point range in 2014-15. Harris has career averages of 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds.

SHAMS CHARANIA/REALGM

TAGS: TOBIAS HARRIS, BOSTON CELTICS, DETROIT PISTONS, ORLANDO MAGIC, NBA, NBA SIGNING RUMOR, NBA MISC RUMOR

Harris
>has career averages of 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds.
>




----------------------------
Same as it ever was!

I wouldn't give him a max deal in NBA 2k16 yet alone real life.

So about 31% of the cap for each team. Something like that.

That'll rise to 27-28 mil/year next year, and then 33-35 mil/year the following year. So if given a max deal in today's money, it'd be like paying him 13-14 mil this year, and then 11-12 the following year. Not terrible, honestly.Thats like Al Jefferson/Eric Bledsoe money.

>So about 31% of the cap for each team. Something like that.
>
>That'll rise to 27-28 mil/year next year, and then 33-35
>mil/year the following year. So if given a max deal in today's
>money, it'd be like paying him 13-14 mil this year, and then
>11-12 the following year. Not terrible, honestly.Thats like Al
>Jefferson/Eric Bledsoe money.

You wanna use that argument for Dragic or DJ, be my guest. I am not so sure it applies here.

The more i think about it, I don't mind paying that for this particular Lakers team, , but I'd rather spend that on Butler.

I dont get this 17% figure. The max is likely to go up 25%-30% and RFAs like Harris will still have a lower max than UFA eligible, established veterans.

So what I am saying this whole "well in two years it'll be a discount!" type thinking should not be applied too liberally.

Jimmy Butler stayin with Daaaaaaaaaa Bulls, man.

Obviously I'm using round numbers and it actually comes out to 16.5% based him maxing out at a 14.7 mil.

In terms of applying the "future discount" too liberally, I don't see where that's happening. If you don't think a team should consider players on the basis that they could be locked in at a rate lesser players could command a few years from now, I'm surprised. I'm not saying that's end all, be all determining factor, just that it's something to consider. Getting a guy like Tobias- who is only 22- at a relative discount going into the new cap could be a shrewd financial move.

We could conceivably snag a quality second tier player and a top tier role players and save our max dollars for next year. We'd actually got some depth to entice free agents and Tobias, even overpaid at current market value could be an attractive piece in a sign and trade for a guy like Durant.

From what I'm reading on NBA.com, everyone who is currently an RFA would be around 14.8 if I'm not mistaken. DJ, Love, Aldridge, Gasol, etc, those guys are at 17.7.

I've read numbers from 23 million to 33 million or so to spend, depending on various cap holds and options scenarios. I think we also have a cap hold on Sash a Vujacic too.

If we could find a taker or Young I think we could snag DJ and Tobias.

Players with <6 years have a 25% max

EDIT: same reason monroe is worth a max deal

So there r now reports out that Jimmy Butler wants to sign a 1 year deal with the Lakers. Now like most "reports" it should be taken with a grain of salt especially since the report is coming from Laker Land.

But lets be clear. There is some smoke and fire to the Butler rumors. He was one of the main voices that did not support Thibs' firing. Butler and Rose have also had real issues on and off the court. That Alpha Male struggle is no bullshit. Now we all know that the Bulls will match ANY offer a team throws Jimmy's way. But lets be clear. Jimmy re upping with the Bulls is no slam dunk.

If it truly is a power struggle between Jimmy and Rose the Bulls need to find a way to make it work. But if the process gets dicey the Bulls should think seriously about kicking the trade tires for Rose as Ive been saying recently. Its a real possibility. Bulls fans need to prepare for anything....

He's gonna be in Chicago next year regardless because you guys are matching anything and everything. He wants the one year deal to control his destiny the following year with the new salary cap.

Oh no doubt...THATS not ny worry. Its the behind the scenes stuff that has me spooked. Jimmy will indeed sign that one year deal with the Bulls But does HE want to stay with the Bulls beyond that? Thats the issue...

"A league source again acknowledged that one of the issues that has left Butler willing to play hardball with the Bulls in his push to hit the free-agent market sooner than later was because he's turned off with the idea that it's "Derrick Rose's team," wrote the Chicago Sun Times on Friday.

He's never going to be The Man in LA either. Nor will he be winning for the foreseeable future. Sounds like he just wants to go Hollywood. Good for him. He has a good personality and you only live once. Gotta pursue those IMDB credits when possible. I get it.

But fuck him if he's really trying to throw the Bulls or Rose under the bus. Dude hasn't played enough with a relatively healthy Rose to develop any kind of chemistry so that point is moot. And management hit him with a very fair offer last offseason.

Fuck him if he's upset that Chicago may have a little more love for the homegrown talent. Jimmy is a fan favorite. Will always be. Fuck him if his feelings are hurt that the hometown kid may get a slightly louder cheer during pregame intro's.

This would go smoother if dude just came out and said I would prefer to play in LA because I intend on pursuing interests away from the court.

>He's never going to be The Man in LA either. Nor will he be
>winning for the foreseeable future. Sounds like he just wants
>to go Hollywood. Good for him. He has a good personality and
>you only live once. Gotta pursue those IMDB credits when
>possible. I get it.

Yeah....all that's true....But you DON'T let Jimmy walk....



>But fuck him if he's really trying to throw the Bulls or Rose
>under the bus. Dude hasn't played enough with a relatively
>healthy Rose to develop any kind of chemistry so that point is
>moot. And management hit him with a very fair offer last
>offseason.


This is the NBA....Players r just trying to take advantage of the situation, so I don't blame them....Jimmy bet on himself and won...All the Alpha Male shit though, if true? I don't like how this is going just like u....

>Fuck him if he's upset that Chicago may have a little more
>love for the homegrown talent. Jimmy is a fan favorite. Will
>always be. Fuck him if his feelings are hurt that the hometown
>kid may get a slightly louder cheer during pregame intro's.
>
>This would go smoother if dude just came out and said I would
>prefer to play in LA because I intend on pursuing interests
>away from the court.


If it comes down to choosing between Jimmy and Pooh....I'm going to make the sensible choice, no matter how bad it hurts: Butler.....

This guy ^^^^^^^: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfVUsYonoFc

Who's paying him $16 mil a season?

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13170097/dwyane-wade-become-free-agent

but he shouldn't expect any team to give him a 3-4 year deal with that much per. That's insane.

https://twitter.com/DarnellMayberry/status/615893125504995328

Pop on Aldridge

“I’m not calling anyone at midnight,” he said. “I’ll be in bed. And if that’s the difference in someone coming or not coming, then I don’t want them.”

that quote had me cracking the fuck up

THIS SHIT IS GETTING CRAZY......

Sac willing to give Calipari COMPLETE power from the front office to the bench....They really that desperate to keep Cuz, huh? One thing for sure though...Karl's days seem to be numbered...


Adrian Wojnarowski
By Adrian Wojnarowski 1 hour ago Yahoo Sports

Sources: Kings probing John Calipari about coaching, front-office jobs

The Sacramento Kings are probing University of Kentucky coach John Calipari about his interest in taking over the franchise's front-office and coaching jobs, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Calipari has been communicating with owner Vivek Ranadive and other members of the Kings' ownership group in recent weeks, league sources said. Calipari has listened to scenarios with which the Kings could offer him complete control of the franchise's fledgling basketball operations to go along with coaching, league sources said.

View gallery
.
John Calipari guided Kentucky to the Final Four this past season. (AP)

John Calipari guided Kentucky to the Final Four this past season. (AP)

No formal offer has been made to Calipari, and Kings ownership understands that it will take a multiyear financial package of $10 million-plus annually to get Calipari to seriously consider leaving Kentucky, sources said.

In recent weeks, Sacramento ownership's intrigue with Calipari has only grown with the dissolution of the relationship between All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins and coach George Karl, sources said.

Calipari coached Cousins at Kentucky for a season in 2009-10, and Ranadive believes Calipari could help serve as a mechanism to convince Cousins to back away from his desire to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said. As much as anything, Calipari represents one more potential change of direction, as well as a public-relations splash for Ranadive.

Sacramento ownership, dismayed over Karl's fractured relationship with Cousins, has had lawyers studying Karl's contract, trying to determine if there's a way to terminate him for "cause," and free themselves of the three years and nearly $10 million left guaranteed on his deal, league sources told Yahoo Sports. If the Kings cannot convince Calipari to come to Sacramento – or never make a formal offer – Karl could simply remain as coach.

Sacramento's case on trying to get out of paying Karl his contract would be based in part on his involvement in mounting a campaign to get Cousins traded, sources said. The possibility of getting Karl ousted without pay is remote.

Calipari signed a seven-year, $54 million extension a year ago to stay at Kentucky. He turned down an eight-year, $60 million-plus offer to run the Cleveland Cavaliers before LeBron James made his return in free agency last year.

Nevertheless, Calipari's monstrous success at Kentucky – and his election into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year – has further fueled his intrigue on pursuing a return to the NBA, league sources said. He had some interest in the New Orleans Pelicans' coaching opening, but that organization had no interest in turning its franchise over to him, sources said.

At Kentucky, Calipari has gone 190-37 (.837) with a national title and four Final Fours.
.
The relationship between coach George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins has unraveled. (Getty Images)

The relationship between coach George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins has unraveled. (Getty Images)

Calipari had general manager and coaching responsibility with the Nets in the late 1990s, but that partnership ended in less than three seasons. Calipari was 72-112 in two-plus seasons with the Nets, including a playoff appearance.

The courtship of Calipari could become one more dramatic turn of events for the Kings, who have struggled under Ranadive to set forth on a direction and stay the course. Around the NBA, senior league officials and confidants of Ranadive have pleaded with him to stop these sharp changes in direction, sources said.

As one league official familiar with Ranadive's mindset told Yahoo Sports, "He's trying to find a magic button to push that'll fix everything."

The emergence of Sacramento's intrigue with Calipari comes only two months after Vlade Divac – with no front-office experience – was hired to run basketball operations, and four months after Karl was given a four-year contract.

For several weeks this spring, the Kings had considered hiring Kiki Vandeweghe as the franchise's president, but those talks lost traction, league sources said. Vandeweghe is the NBA's vice president of basketball operations, and previously had been the GM of the Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets. Eventually, Ranadive backed away from the idea and turned to hiring Divac, league sources said.

Most believed Ranadive had hired Divac in a ceremonial position, but the owner quickly decided to usurp general manager Pete D'Alessandro's authority to place Divac in charge.

D'Alessandro left the Kings for a front-office job with the Denver Nuggets two weeks ago. Around the draft, several front-office executives and player agents expressed frustration about dealing with Divac on instances involving the trading and drafting of players. Divac is largely unfamiliar with the collective bargaining and salary-cap rules, causing him to struggle with grasping the machinations of negotiating and completing deals.

Among other things, Ranadive has talked extensively with Calipari about how best to deal with Cousins, and communicated with him about the Kings' first-round pick, center Willie Cauley-Stein, in Thursday's NBA draft, sources said.