Los Angeles Clippers Blog – Page 60 – NBA Blog

LeBron, CP3 both recruiting Ray Allen

LeBron James and Chris Paul are the closest of friends, but they will be at cross purposes over the next few days. They are recruiting against each other for the services of Ray Allen.

Allen hasn’t ruled out re-signing with the Boston Celtics, who have made him a strong monetary offer, but signs are pointing to Allen choosing between James’ Miami Heat and Paul’s Los Angeles Clippers.

On Thursday, the Heat will host Allen for a visit as they try to persuade him to accept less money and perhaps a lesser role to join their bid to repeat as champions. Friday, Allen is scheduled to visit the Clippers, who have more money to offer and a clear role as the starting shooting guard.

James and Paul, sources said, have been actively recruiting Allen to join their respective teams. Earlier this week, James tweeted a photo of Allen wearing a Heat uniform. Wednesday, Dwyane Wade sent out a tweet describing Thursday as a big day for the franchise.

— Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

Lamar Odom withdraws from 2012 USA Basketball National Team

The following has been known for days, but just became official today:

Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Clippers) has informed USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo and USA Basketball Men’s National Team head coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will be unavailable to play for the USA Basketball National Team this summer.

“Lamar has told us that he is unable to play for the United States this summer. While it is unfortunate to have lost the players we have, Coach Krzyzewski and I remain extremely confident with the group of players we’ll have at our training camp in Las Vegas. We believe that we will still have an outstanding collection of talent and that ultimately we will have another team that all Americans will be excited about and proud of,” said Colangelo.

The 15 USA finalists will assemble July 5 in Las Vegas, Nev., for the start of the 2012 USA National Team training. The USA’s 12-man roster will be announced after the team’s practice on July 7. Finalists contending for a roster spot include: Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Hornets); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Eric Gordon (New Orleans Hornets); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); LeBron James (Miami Heat); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder); and Deron Williams (Brooklyn Nets).

Clippers look to land a shooting guard

Chauncey Billups, who played in 20 of the 66 games before suffering a season-ending left Achilles’ tendon injury, remains the Clippers’ top target. Billups’ agent and the Clippers are working on a one-year deal.

Billups, a 14-year veteran who turns 36 in September, has said he plans on being back playing no later than December.

The Clippers also have talked to Jamal Crawford’s agent. Crawford, who opted out of his $5.2-million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, probably will seek the mid-level exception that starts at $5 million for the first two years of a four-year deal.

The length of the contract with Crawford is something the Clippers have to sort out.

The Clippers also have interest in bringing back free-agent guards Randy Foye and Nick Young. The Lakers also have an interest in Young.

— Reported by Broderick Turner by the Los Angeles Times

Lamar Odom traded to Clippers, Mo Williams to Jazz in 4-team deal

The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired forward Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks as part of a four-team trade also involving the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets. The Clippers sent point guard Mo Williams to the Jazz and the draft rights to Furkan Aldemir, the Clippers’ second round selection (53rd overall) in the 2012 NBA Draft to Houston while the Jazz conveyed the draft rights of Tadija Dragicevic, Utah’s second round pick (53rd overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft to Dallas.

To complete the trade, Dallas sent the draft rights of Shan Foster, the Mavericks’ second round selection (51st overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft to the Jazz with Houston sending cash considerations to Dallas.

This marks a return to the Clippers for Odom, who was originally selected by Los Angeles with the fourth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. In four seasons with the Clippers, Odom tallied 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 36.0 minutes per game.

According to Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com, “Nine years is a lifetime in the NBA. Since leaving the Clippers as a callow talent brimming with potential, Odom established himself as the game’s premier multi-skilled big man, won two rings with the Los Angeles Lakers, used his celebrity as an adjunct Kardashian to cross over as a star on the shlock-ertainment circuit, consumed heaping amounts of refined sugar before games and, over time, emerged as one of the more interesting personalities in the league. Odom was devastated when was included in the post-lockout trade last December that would’ve sent him from the Lakers to New Orleans. He was so distraught that, when the deal wasn’t consummated, the Lakers felt compelled to send him away to Dallas for nothing rather than deal with the emotional fallout. In Dallas, Odom found another basketball hell, one of his own creation. After a series of incidents, the Mavericks finally told him to take a walk a few weeks before the playoffs. Mark Cuban called it “addition by subtraction.”

Odom left the Clippers as a restricted free agent, joining the Miami Heat prior to the start of the 2003-04 season. After one season in Miami, Odom was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers along with current Clipper forward Caron Butler in the multi-player deal that sent Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat.

The winner of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award following a strong 2010-11 season with the Lakers, Odom has averaged 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 blocks and 34.7 minutes over his 13-year NBA career. Odom played a crucial role for the Lakers during their back-to-back NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010.

After seven seasons with the Lakers, Odom was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on December 11, 2011. Odom tallied 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 20.5 minutes in 50 games played for the Mavericks last season.

A 2009 NBA All-Star selection, Williams (6-1, 195, Alabama) is entering his 10th NBA season and has appeared in 589 career games (432 starts), owning career averages of 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 30.4 minutes with Utah, Milwaukee, Cleveland and the Clippers. He has also played in 41 career playoff games (25 starts) and averaged 12.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. This past season Williams saw action in 52 games (one start) for the Clippers, averaging 13.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 28.3 minutes while helping L.A. to the best record in franchise history and a trip to the Western Conference Semifinals.

The 29-year-old Jackson, Miss., native was originally selected by the Jazz in the second round (47th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft. As a rookie in 2003-04, his only season with the Jazz, Williams appeared in 57 games (no starts) and averaged 5.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.5 minutes. His best statistical NBA season came with Cleveland during the 2008-09 season, when he averaged a career-high 17.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists and hit .436 (183-420) from three-point range in 81 games (all starts) and was named an Eastern Conference All-Star before helping lead the Cavaliers to the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals.

Foster (6-6, 205) was the 51st overall selection of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Mavericks. He finished his four-year career at Vanderbilt as the school’s all-time leading scorer (2,011 points) and first in three-pointers made (367). He was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 2008. Foster spent last season playing overseas for Belfius Mons-Hainaut in Belgium.

Dragicevic (6-9, 246) was the 53rd overall pick in the 2008 Draft by the Utah Jazz. He is a native of Serbia and averaged 10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for Angelico Biella in Italy.

Clippers in trade talks for Lamar Odom

The Los Angeles Clippers have engaged in trade discussions to bring Lamar Odom back to the L.A. team that drafted him, according to sources close to the situation.

Yet the deal, sources said, could hinge on the willingness of a third team to take on the contract of Clippers veteran guard Mo Williams, which would allow the Dallas Mavericks to send Odom to the Clippers with no significant money coming back to the Mavericks.

With a Friday deadline looming for the Mavericks to buy out the final year of Odom’s contract for $2.4 million, Dallas officials have green-lighted Odom’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, to try to find a new home for Odom this week via trade. The Mavericks and Schwartz also have discussed pushing the deadline back into July if an Odom trade can’t be struck before Friday.

The Mavericks’ interest in an Odom deal, though, is purely to gain financial flexibility, which likely necessitates a third team to take on Williams. If no trade can be struck, either this week or before an adjusted deadline, Dallas is expected to eventually buy Odom out and make him a free agent, with big-market teams such as Miami and New York also planning to pursue him in that scenario.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Penny Marshall ripped off by scammer pretending to work for Lamar Odom

Attention filthy rich LA Lakers fans — Lamar Odom does not have a cash-strapped assistant … something director Penny Marshall learned after getting jacked for several thousand bucks.Sources tell TMZ the double-cross started at a Lakers game last month … when a man claiming to be LO’s assistant gave Penny a phone number he said was Lamar’s.

We’re told Penny and the person she thought was Lamar texted back and forth for several days — when finally “Lamar” asked her to loan his assistant a chunk o’ cash. Ever the faithful Lakers fan, Penny forked over more than five grand to the faux “assistant.”

Hook. Line. Sinker.

— Reported by TMZ

Portland Trail Blazers hire Neil Olshey as general manager

The Portland Trail Blazers have named Neil Olshey as the team’s general manager, Team President Larry Miller announced today.

“Neil is someone we’ve had on our radar for quite a while,” said Miller. “Over the past two seasons he has demonstrated success in constructing a roster, managing salary cap and evaluating player talent. We feel very fortunate to have him in Portland and are thrilled about what this means for the future.”

The 10th general manager in Trail Blazers history, Olshey comes to Portland from the Los Angeles Clippers, where he served as the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations for the past two seasons. Placing third in votes for the 2011-12 NBA Executive of the Year Award, Olshey was responsible for all facets of basketball operations and player personnel moves while with the Clippers, and will hold the same responsibilities as General Manager of the Trail Blazers.

“I am very pleased to have Neil as our new general manager,” said Trail Blazers Owner Paul Allen. “He has the skills and the vision to successfully guide our organization into a new era of Trail Blazers basketball. He’s proven that he can quickly turn around a franchise, and we are confident he can do that in Portland.”

Under Olshey’s direction, the Clippers transitioned into a playoff team this past season after he assembled one of the deepest rosters in the NBA prior to the 2011-12 season. During a six-day span, Olshey added Chris Paul, Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups while re-signing DeAndre Jordan to a team that already featured Blake Griffin, Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to become a part of this successful franchise,” said Olshey. “Portland is a great basketball city with a rich tradition, an incredible fan base and committed leadership. I’m joining an organization that has a strong foundation and a bright future. I couldn’t be more excited and I’m ready to hit the ground running.”

Olshey, 47, began his nine-year NBA career with the Clippers as Director of Player Development prior to the start of the 2003-04 season, and served as an assistant coach during the 2004-05 campaign before holding the title of Director of Player Personnel from 2005-08. Olshey was promoted to the role of Assistant General Manager prior to the start of the 2008-09.

Prior to joining the Clippers, Olshey was the Director of Player Development for SFX Sports Group, Inc. where he created, organized and conducted predraft and offseason training camps for future and current NBA players. The camps produced 15 lottery picks, 25 first round selections and 57 NBA players. Participants in Olshey’s offseason skill development clinics include more than 85 current NBA players including numerous All Stars and All-NBA selections. He has also served as a Head Coach/Clinician at the Reebok ABCD Camp, the Roundball Classic and numerous NCAA basketball camps throughout the country.

Clippers and Neil Olshey agree to part ways

The Los Angeles Clippers and Neil Olshey today mutually agreed to end discussions concerning Olshey’s future with the team. An agreement in principle, reached and announced on June 1, will not be completed and the two parties have agreed to part ways.

Olshey is going to take a job with the Portland Trail Blazers. It will be announced today.

“Circumstances have obviously undergone some movement since our announcement Friday. In light of that, we want to wish Neil well and acknowledge his contributions during the time he spent with the Clippers,” said Clippers’ President Andy Roeser.

A search for a replacement is already underway, headed up by Roeser. In the interim, all responsibilities pertaining to the team’s basketball operations will be absorbed by Roeser, Head Coach Vinny Del Negro, and Clippers’ Director of Player Personnel Gary Sacks.

Roeser, one of the longest-tenured executives in the National Basketball Association, recently completed his 28th season with the Clippers.

Prior to being named Head Coach of the Chicago Bulls in 2008, Del Negro served as Assistant General Manager of the Phoenix Suns during the 2007-08 season and Director of Player Personnel for the Suns for the 2006-07 campaign.

Sacks, who just completed his 18th season with the Clippers, has served as Director of Player Personnel for the past two years. Sacks held the position of Director of Scouting/Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the previous five seasons.

Clippers keeping general manager Neil Olshey

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that an agreement in principle has been reached between the team and Vice President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey.

The 2011-12 campaign marked Olshey’s second season as the Clippers’ Vice President of Basketball Operations and his ninth overall season with the organization. Olshey began his career as Director of Player Development prior to the start of the 2003-04 season and served as an assistant coach during the 2004-05 campaign before holding the title of Director of Player Personnel from 2005-08. Olshey was promoted to the role of Assistant General Manager prior to the start of the 2008-09 season, holding that position for two seasons until being named Vice President of Basketball Operations prior to the start of the 2010-11 campaign.

After spearheading an exhaustive search that brought the Clippers new head coach Vinny Del Negro prior to the start of the 2010-11 season, Olshey retooled the roster prior to the start of the 2011-12 campaign. During a six-day span, Olshey added two-time All-Star Caron Butler, five-time All-Star Chauncey Billups, re-signed athletic center DeAndre Jordan and through the biggest trade in franchise history, brought in All-Star point guard Chris Paul. In addition, without a first round selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, Olshey was still able to solidify the Clippers bench by nabbing Georgia teammates Trey Thompkins (37th overall) and Travis Leslie (47th overall) in the second round. In addition to these moves, Olshey made three key acquisitions with the free agent signing of veteran big men Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin and the trade deadline deal to acquire swingman Nick Young from the Washington Wizards. Adding these players to the returning core of 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin, All-Star point guard Mo Williams, 2011 All-Rookie Second Team guard Eric Bledsoe and solid rotation players Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes, the Clippers had one of the deepest rosters in the NBA this season.

Prior to joining the Clippers, Olshey served as Director of Player Development for SFX Sports Group, Inc. where he created, organized and conducted Pre-Draft and Off Season Training Camps for future and current NBA players. The Pre-Draft Camps produced 15 Lottery picks, 25 First Round selections and 57 NBA players. Participants in Olshey’s Off Season skill development clinics include more than 85 current NBA players including numerous All Stars and All-NBA selections. He has also served as a Head Coach/Clinician at the Reebok ABCD Camp, the Roundball Classic and numerous NCAA basketball camps throughout the country.

Upon graduation from LeMoyne College in 1987 he was honored with the “Outstanding Senior Athlete” Award.

Clippers reportedly hope to re-sign Nick Young

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Clippers are interested in re-signing Nick Young this offseason.

The Clippers acquired Young this past season right before the trade deadline, picking up the 6-foot-6 swingman from Washington for Brian Cook and a future second round pick as part of a three-team trade. In 22 games with the Clippers’ this regular season, Young averaged 9.7 points.

In the playoffs, Young helped lead the Clippers to a 27-point comeback win over Memphis, scoring nine quick points in the fourth quarter. In 11 postseason games, Young drained over half (17-33) of his three-point shots.

— Reported by Dan Woike of the Orange County Register