NBA News Blog – Page 1402 – NBA Blog

Cavs like Brian Shaw, Byron Scott

Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports:

While the Cavaliers await a decision on LeBron James’ future, their coaching search appears to be nearing the final stages.

Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw arrived in town Monday and will continue meetings with owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager Chris Grant today, the team confirmed. The Cavs would like to make a decision on their next coach today, according to a source with knowledge of their plans, although a ”decision” does not necessarily mean a contract offer today.

By the conclusion of the interviews with Shaw, however, the team will probably choose between him and Byron Scott.

Shaw, who is represented by CAA Sports, the same firm that represents James, is the second known candidate, after Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, to be brought to Cleveland for an interview. Team executives met with Scott in Michigan on Father’s Day, according to his agent, Brian McInerney, but no offer was made.

Jazz make qualifying offers to Kyrylo Fesenko, Wesley Matthews

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has tendered qualifying offers to center Kyrylo Fesenko and guard Wesley Matthews. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer by June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.

A three-year NBA veteran, Fesenko (7-1, 300, Ukraine) appeared in 49 games (five starts) for the Jazz in 2009-10, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes. He also appeared in all 10 Jazz playoff games (nine starts), averaging 3.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.50 blocks in 18.0 minutes. Fesenko scored in double figures three times on the season, and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals vs. the L.A. Lakers. Originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round (38th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, the Jazz acquired Fesenko’s rights in a draft night deal that sent the draft rights to Herbert Hill (55th overall pick) to the 76ers. Fesenko has appeared in a total of 79 regular season games (all with the Jazz) and owns career averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per game.

Matthews (6-5, 220, Marquette) appeared in all 82 games (48 starts) for the Jazz as a rookie in 2009-10, averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.7 minutes. He also started all 10 Jazz playoff games, where he averaged 13.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.80 steals in 37.1 minutes. Matthews became just the ninth rookie in Jazz history to appear in all 82 games, and his 48 starts marked the most by a Jazz rookie since Jarron Collins (68) in 2001-02. Matthews scored in double figures 40 times, scoring 20+ points on three occasions, and started the team’s final 28 games of the regular season. He finished the season ranked in the Top 10 in scoring, minutes and free throw percentage among NBA rookies. Matthews was not selected in the 2009 NBA Draft and appeared with the Jazz in the team’s summer league entry in the 2009 Orlando Pro Summer League before making the team as an undrafted rookie free agent in training camp.

Brian Shaw visits Cavaliers to discuss head coaching job

The AP reports:

Los Angeles Lakers assistant Brian Shaw is meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers about their coaching vacancy.

Shaw arrived in Cleveland on Monday to visit with owner Dan Gilbert and front-office members, the Cavs said. It is not yet known if the club has offered him the job.

The 43-year-old Shaw has spent five seasons on Phil Jackson’s staff in Los Angeles. A 14-year NBA veteran, Shaw is also considered a candidate to replace Jackson if the 11-time champion retires. Jackson is expected to announce his plans later this week.

The Cavaliers have been looking for a coach since firing Mike Brown after their second-round playoff loss to Boston. The team was previously turned down by Tom Izzo, who rejected a reported $30 million offer to stay at Michigan State.

Kobe Bryant attends World Cup

Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Now that Lakers star Kobe Bryant has a little free time, he has decided to spend it in South Africa, with the sport he grew up loving.

On his first trip to Africa, Bryant took in the U.S. loss to Ghana on Saturday — former President Bill Clinton and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger were there too — then spent Sunday visiting young soccer players at a training center in Soweto, where he answered questions.

His favorite player? Didier Drogba, the powerful forward of now-eliminated Ivory Coast.

The team he admires? Brazil, which he hopes to watch against Chile on Monday.

InsideHoops.com says: It would be cool to see Kobe meet the Brazil team, just to see the reactions on the Brazil players’ faces. I assume that every single one of them knows who Bryant is, but I wonder if they would mostly treat him like a celebrity, or just a star of a sport that most of them aren’t that into. Obviously they’d all be polite to each other, but I wonder how many of these soccer legends really know and like basketball.

Pacers still unsettled at Conseco

The AP reports:

The Indiana Pacers still are renegotiating the team’s lease of Conseco Fieldhouse with a Wednesday deadline approaching…

The CIB owns Conseco Fieldhouse, where the Pacers play home games and have been paying $15 million per year in operating costs. The team is approaching an option period in the lease, and the CIB has said the team could move, be sold or shut down if a resolution isn’t reached…

Team president of basketball operations Larry Bird has said he has received calls from people who want to move the team, though team owner Herb Simon has maintained that he wants the team to remain in Indiana.

2010 Nets summer league roster

Here is the 2010 New Jersey Nets summer league roster. Note that all summer league rosters are subject to change at any time:

AJ Abrams, G
Connor Atchley, F/C
Demond Carter, G
Wayne Chism, F
Jakim Donaldson, F
Derrick Favors, F
Vernon Goodridge, F/C
Brandon Heath , G
Damion James, F
James Peters, F
Gabe Pruitt, G
Alex Ruoff, G
Garret Siler, C
Lance Thomas, F
Cezary Trybanski, C
Ben Uzoh, G
Terrence Williams, G/F
Brian Zoubek, C

Knicks recruit Allan Houston to land free agents

Marc Berman of the New York Post blog reports:

Allan Houston will be a big part of Knicks’ recruiting team this July – just as Donnie Walsh envisioned it when he was hired as his assistant.

Houston has an “in” with the LeBron James camp, having known LeBron advisor William Wesley for years. Wesley will be at the Akron summit.

But Houston also has a chance to tell the free agents such as James and Joe Johnson what Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh can’t tell them – what it is like to win in New York.

Nets waive Keyon Dooling

The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on guard Keyon Dooling, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.

According to the Bergen Record, “Dooling had a $3.8 million team option, but only $500,000 was guaranteed. The Nets had until Tuesday to waive him or his salary would have been fully guaranteed for the upcoming season. The Nets will have roughly $27 million to use in free agency after this transaction.”

Dooling was acquired on July 21, 2008 from Orlando in exchange for cash considerations. In two full seasons with New Jersey, Dooling appeared in 130 games, averaging 8.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 3.1 apg. The former first round pick (10th overall) of the Magic in 2000 has career averages of 7.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg and 2.2 apg in 10 years with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and New Jersey Nets.

Dirk Nowitzki entering free agency

Eddie Sefko of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:

That’s not a huge surprise, although the Mavericks were hoping talks about a contract extension for the nine-time all-star would come to fruition.

A source confirmed that an extension now is unlikely and that if the face of the franchise is to stay in Dallas, it will happen via a new contract in free agency.

Nowitzki said last month that he would exercise his early termination option and explore free agency. It’s the first time he’ll be free on the open market.

Did Russian spies help push Rod Thorn out?

Julian Garcia of the New York Daily News reports:

Rod Thorn’s decision to retire as president of the Nets was likely hastened by the presence of what he perceived to be Russian spies inside the team’s offices, sources say.

According to sources close to the team, Thorn had quickly grown tired of having to answer to associates of new Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who took control of the Nets in early May. After months of dealing with Prokhorov’s underlings looking over his shoulder, Thorn decided to walk away.

He will step down on July 15, one week after the free agent signing period begins.

Before news of his impending retirement broke Friday night, Thorn told the Daily News that he had no issues with either Prokhorov or his field generals.