Carlisle leaves Pacers
Former Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle today resigned his position as executive vice president of basketball operations for the team, ostensibly paving the way for him to at least interview for the Seattle SuperSonics’ vacant coaching position. However, Carlisle denied his resignation had…
June 12, 2007, 11:30 PM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Might the Raptors want Amir Johnson?
Scott from Raptorblog wants the Raps to offer Johnson the full mid-level exception. I’m not sure if any NBA exec would feel comfortable doing that for a player with such little experience, but there’s always a chance someone gambles looking for a home run. (Thanks to Skeets for the…
June 12, 2007, 7:00 PM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
We're Mocking You: NBA Mock Drafts 2007- 2nd Edition
I'm mocking you It's been about 3 weeks since the last mock draft update and quite a bit has changed. With just over 15 days left before the draft, expect more and more rumors to start flying around about teams trading up, down, and all around. For the Warriors, they'll be busy working out a…
June 12, 2007, 2:00 PM ET from Golden State Of Mind
Odom's unrest
If I were the Indiana Pacers, I wouldnt trade for Lamar Odom. Not that I am in any way downplaying Odoms ability; I just think the last thing this guy needs is more unrest in his life. Another trade would definitely shake him up, and he's an emotional dude.
June 12, 2007, 09:15 AM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Need4Sheed highlight video
Need4Sheed has a great season recap video up with a lot of highlights that even I forgot about this year.
June 12, 2007, 08:19 AM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
Joe Dumars confirms that Flip Saunders will return
As I just posted on the FanHouse, Joe Dumars held his annual end of the season press conference today, and in it he confirmed that Flip Saunders will in fact return as head coach next year: “Just because we haven’t gotten to the finals, it doesn’t mean Flip has done a bad…
June 12, 2007, 05:45 AM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
Why I’m not torn up that Laimbeer isn’t getting his shot (yet)
FanHouse colleague Nate Jones and I had a lengthy email conversation over the past few days regarding the future of the Pistons, and it ended up making for what I think to be a very interesting post. I hope you end up reading the whole thing, but at the very least I’d like to draw your…
June 12, 2007, 05:30 AM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
Dumars promises change in end of season press conference
Joe Dumars touched upon several topics during Monday’s press conference. First and foremost, we know Flip Saunders’ job is safe. Not a big surprise there, but it’s the first public endorsement since the Eastern Conference Debacle ended a week or so ago. What else did he talk…
June 12, 2007, 05:15 AM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
Trade Marion?
OK, it's all over the internet (like every summer) and it's all over our comments too. Should the Suns trade Shawn Marion?A few posts down, Zei breaks down the team's financial situation. They need to figure out a solution for the potential luxury tax bill by the trade deadline next season. The…
June 12, 2007, 05:00 AM ET from The Rising Suns
Lenny will not be color guy for Fox next year
I have confirmed that Lenny called FSN earlier today and informed them that because of his demotion, he will no longer be the team's color analyst. No word on who his replacement is, but if I am Kevin Calabro I am feeling a little like Elizabeth Taylor with husbands.
June 12, 2007, 03:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Transcript of Presti news conference
This is long, but this is the transcript of today's news conference. Clay Bennett: Thank you all for being here today. It’s an important day, an exciting day for all of us here at the Sonics. After a thorough process, where Lenny and I had the ability to cultivate a broad group of…
June 12, 2007, 03:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Post Sam Presti news conference
A couple thoughts about the news conference: First, I thought Sam Presti handled himself pretty well for a guy who is only 30 years old. You could see that he was nervous, but I thought he was articulate and focused. Secondly, I would have liked to see more substance from the news conference.…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Mickael Gelabale and Johan Petro left off French national team
I just caught this story today, but Gelabale and Petro both have been left off the French national team, something that both they and the Sonics were banking on for further development for them this summer. I am cut-and-pasting the story. Have to ask at today's press conference for Sam Presti what…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Sam Presti Done
My sources are telling me that Clay Bennett has been calling the other candidates to tell them that he is going in a different direction and hiring Sam Presti, the assistant GM of the San Antonio Spurs. Sam had one final meeting with Clay and Lenny Wilkens today apparently to finalize…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Another reason Clay Bennett likes Presti
If Clay wasnt enamored enough with the San Antonio Spurs, how about the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers are being called San Antonio East because a great deal of their front office is derived from the Spurs organization? And both teams are in the NBA Finals. When Dan Gilbert took over the Cavs,…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
I think Gordon Chiesa is being hired by Memphis
Two sources have told me that Gordon Chiesa, an assistant coach under Bob Hill this season, is getting hired by Marc Iavaroni as an assistant in Memphis. I have a call in to Gordie but have not had it returned so I have not had it confirmed by him yet, but I think it is pretty solid information.…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Thursday's events
In the morning, I headed over to the morning workouts, where Aaron Brooks was playing in a game. He obviously is as quick as anyone on the floor, but I didnt think he was overly impressive. I worry about his size. He is very small, but also very slight, not a great combination in an NBA point. If…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Ray Allen is prescient about Kobe
I dont mean to be dumping on Kobe any more than he needs to be dumped on given his trade demand today, but I can only guess that Ray Allen was smiling somewhere when he heard about Bryant's statements. Remember the feud between Allen and Bryant that was ignited at the beginning of the 2004 season.…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Day Two in Orlando
It's a pretty incredible experience to be at this predraft camp. We showed up yesterday and you end up standing in line for credentials with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor and Lenny Wilkens and Byron Scott and Mitch Kupchak and any number of other NBA legends and current decision-makers. And there is…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
My guess on what Sonics do with Rashard
There has been a lot of speculation regarding Rashard and what the team does with him, so I am going to give you a best guess on what happens with him. His agent, Tony Dutt, says he wants the Sonics to make an offer on July 1 rather than waiting for another team to make an offer so they can match.…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
In Orlando
I arrived in Orlando a few hours ago for the NBA pre-draft camp. I spoke to Dave Pendergraft, the team's director of player personnel, earlier today and he said he thinks the Sonics have more flexibility than any team he can ever remember because they own the 31st and 35th picks. It gives them…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Sonics interviewed John Gabriel, will interview Gary Fitzsimmons
Sonics president Lenny Wilkens has interviewed John Gabriel for the vacant GM spot, I have learned from league sources, and he will interview Gary Fitzsimmons in Orlando next weekend. Gabriel, the 1999 executive of the year, is currently working for the Portland Trail Blazers as a scout and an…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Random thoughts
Upon reflecting upon Brian Hill getting fired in Orlando, it dawned on me that Bob Hill used to be an assistant there, alongside Brian Hill. If the Magic were willing to bring back Brian Hill, I wonder if they would be willing to re-hire Bob, who, incidentally, has a good relationship with Rashard…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Q & A with Lenny Wilkens
Lenny granted reporters 10 minutes apiece after the Sonics got the second pick in the lottery. He has not spoken since he April 26, when he named himself president on KJR. There was a lot to cover, and at times the interview became I would say strained. Read for yourself and make your own judgments…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Sonics get No. 2 pick (Kevin Durant)
Well, now things get interesting. With an 18 percent chance of getting one of the top two picks, the Sonics come up with a winning ticket, as did Portland, making the Pacific Northwest the hotbed of basketball next season. Surely Nate McMillan, who when he was in Seattle always longed for a big…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Interesting story regarding Sonics and Barbosa
Go to hoopshype.com and check out a story there regarding suns guard Leandro Barbosa's visit to Seattle. It is actually from Seattlest.com, with which I am not familiar. However, the story would seem to jibe with some of the stuff I have heard about why the Sonics did not take Barbosa. When Nate…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Shooting down rumors
There has not been a great deal of news generated out of the Sonics lately, except, of course, in rumors generated on the internet. As far as I can tell, none of them are true. From what I can discern, Lenny has holed up and is not speaking to anyone, including some of his closest friends. So the…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Thoughts on today's big news
While I don't think that anybody was surprised by the firings, for ease of the term, of Bob Hill and Rick Sund, what did surprise me was that the team didn't use the opportunity to make a bigger splash, to get the fan base (or what's left of it) excited, to generate some buzz about a dwindling…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Friday (Bob Hill still coach for the time being)
I blogged yesterday after the locker room cleanout, but we must have had some computer gltiches because when I went on this morning it was not posted. So what I had said in that posting was that I will continue to blog even in the offseason. I am taking some time next Wednesday to shed the manacles…
June 12, 2007, 03:00 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Nash over Bryant
It's about as surprising a development as ABC doing a segment on Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's upcoming wedding, but Kobe Bryant did not win the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for this season. Steve Nash did.
June 12, 2007, 02:45 AM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Mavs pregame
Hey, we actually have some basketball to discuss, imagine that. Apparently Mavs coach Avery Johnson is going to play all his starters at least part of the game, which comes as something of a surprise since he played none of them last night. Sonics coach Bob Hill said the team prepared at the…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Clay Bennett says changes will come by the end of the week
The teleconference Clay had with reporters today re: the latest arena developments has been covered pretty extensively, so I wont rehash all that. But at the end of the teleconference, I asked Clay if the latest news about the arena affects at all the team's decision on Bob Hill or Rick Sund. He…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Sonics arena proposal rejected by Legislature
This information is coming mostly from our Olympia reporter, Sean Cockerham, who has been doing a great job following this story. The legislature rejected the Sonics' bid for $300 million in state money, prompting Clay Bennett to issue a statement saying their is little chance the Sonics and Storm…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Lakers pregame
I walked out to the court at Staples Center and the first person I run into is Vlade Radmanovic wearing some crazy hair thing. He looked like he was getting ready to put a wig on for a Broadway play, and I resisted the deep temptation to ask him how the slopes were in Park City. Kwame Brown and…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Blazers pregame
Very quiet locker room. Brandon Roy is not playing for the Blazers, who are dressing only nine players. Roy has problems in both knees. This game goes a long way toward deciding the ping pong ball count for the draft lottery. Sonics and Blazers both have 31 wins. Loser of this game probably gets…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Suns pregame
OK, so here was the details of what happened with Randy Livingston and Earl back in 2001-02, when Earl was left off the playoff roster in favor of Livingston. The other irony that Livingston pointed out while we were interviewing him was that he initially came to the Sonics because of an injury to…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Sonics will sign Randy Livingston
The Sonics' point guard replacement for the remainder of the season will be Randy Livingston. The Sonics contacted Mateen Cleaves but he also has been talking to Denver, and my guess is he would rather catch on with the playoff-bound Nuggets then with Seattle. It is wildly ironic that Livingston is…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Earl Watson injured
This is becoming a joke. Two games after Luke Ridnour went down with an injured ankle, Earl Watson landed on the foot of Dikembe Mutombo after taking a first-quarter jump shot and rolled his left ankle. He looked like he was in a lot of pain and rolled around on the floor before the training staff…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Rockets pregame
Rockets forward Bonzi Wells is not at the arena, apparently text messaging the team's trainer that he felt he was being a distraction (as if failing to show up for a game is not a distraction). Not exactly what a team fighting for the fourth seed in the playoffs needs, especially one which has lost…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Sonics acquire rights to buy the land in Renton
This was just released by Pacific Public Affair, the public relations firm representing the Sonics in their pursuit of an arena: The Professional Basketball Club (PBC), which owns the Seattle Sonics and Storm, and Transwestern/Harvest Lakeshore, LLC, which is a joint venture between Transwestern…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Jazz pregame
So much for Luke dunking before the end of the season. Ray Allen had successful surgery on both ankles on Saturday and will be in boots and a wheelchair for the next few weeks. The Sonics are saying his rehab is 2-3 months. Nobody had spoken to him following his surgery, and there is some question…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Lakers pregame
Before I get into Lakers pregame -- which was very very slow -- I have to tell a story from postgame the other night in OKC. So Percy Allen and I were talking to Luke post-interview, just BSing, and I said to Luke, who is pretty down right now, "You have to do something for me before the end of…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Hornets pregame
There was a story in The Oklahoman today that essentially says that if Clay Bennett moves the Sonics here, he is going to have to do the same thing he is doing in Seattle right now, asking for a new arena because the Ford Center does not cut it as a state-of-the-art arena and it is only five years…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Spurs pregame
Danny Fortson apparently canceled his dentist appointment for his sore tooth. No reason given why. Bob Hill had a difficult time keeping a straight face as he told us that Danny could not fly because they told him that an abscessed tooth might explode in flight. Now there is something I would like…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
NUGGETS PREGAME
This was actually a very slow locker room, the only thing of interest Ray Allen going through the locker room collecting money from players who lost in the NCAA tournament blind draw. Mike Wilks won the draw, somehow picking both Florida and Ohio State out of a hat to take $1800. Nuggets coach…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
ESPN.com item
Marc Stein wrote a small item in his ESPN.com column that said that if Rick Carlisle is fired by the Pacers, he may be a favorite to replace Hill as head coach. I have a hard time believing that could be true. Carlisle clearly is a good coach, and I like him personally; I got to know him some when…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Memphis pregame
Lots of stuff happening tonight. Ray said he will have surgery on both his ankles a week from Saturday -- and said the delay is because the doctor's daughter goes to UCLA and he promised her he would take her to the Final Four if the Bruins got there. Ray said he has a hard time with anastesia…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
nuggets pregame
Sorry no blog from minny, there was no wireless in the bowl where we were seated during the game. In Denver, Bob Hill talked a lot about his contract before the game, finally saying he thinks he deserves a shot to coach this team while it is fully healthy. He said he met with Clay last week, his…
June 12, 2007, 00:15 AM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
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