SL: Warriors might trade; Doc might leave; Post-draft happiness
SL: Warriors might trade; Doc might leave; Post-draft happiness
Each weekday morning
BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Double Gulp. Rusty Simmons
San Fransisco Chronicle: “The Warriors on Thursday selected Baylor power forward Ekpe Udoh(notes) with the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft
a move that gives every indication that this could be a summer of major roster turnover. Udoh
the third power forward the Warriors have acquired in the last four drafts
joins a loaded front court that has similar players in Anthony Randolph(notes) and Brandan Wright(notes) and centers Andris Biedrins(notes) and Ronny Turiaf(notes). ‘The pick was not made with the intent that we automatically have to trade somebody or that somebody has got to go
‘ general manager Larry Riley said. ‘It probably does mean some moving around for some players.’ Even before the Warriors opted for Udoh over Georgetown’s Greg Monroe(notes)
rumors were flying that Riley was shopping Biedrins
Randolph and Monta Ellis(notes). Biedrins and Ellis represent the heftiest contracts remaining on the Warriors’ books since they got rid of Corey Maggette’s(notes) albatross of a contact Tuesday. Riley
however
reiterated that he hasn’t been given a directive to cut costs by selling owner Chris Cohan. ‘We’re not looking to shop most of our players
but we’ve got to look around
‘ Riley said. ‘We will do that diligently
and we will not accept trades for the sake of trades. We have two more contracts of a sizable nature. If I can’t get something of value that relates to what we’re doing
then I’m not having a fire sale.’” Julian Benbow
Boston Globe: “The first time Rasheed Wallace(notes) told Celtics coach Doc Rivers he was thinking of hanging up his sneakers was three days before Game 7 of the Finals. He called Rivers the night before the game and told him he would leave everything on the floor
coming closer to the realization that he was done. Yesterday
reports had Wallace deciding to retire
although his agent said it wasn’t yet final. Wallace had a conversation with agent Bill Strickland last night and informed him that he is strongly considering retirement. ‘If I had to bet my money
I would say he’s done
‘ Strickland said. ‘But he has not made a final decision yet. But he is leaning toward retiring.’ Strickland said one factor that could encourage Wallace’s return would be another chance to play for Rivers and with Ray Allen(notes) and Paul Pierce(notes). But he also told Strickland during the season that he wants to spend more time with his family. Two of his sons were fixtures in the Celtics’ locker room. ‘I suppose he will make a decision in the next couple of days
‘ Strickland said. ‘He’s going to make up his own mind and let me know.’” Eddie Sefko
Dallas Morning News: “Donnie Nelson said the Mavericks have been in touch with Dirk Nowitzki(notes) about signing a new contract either as an extension or as a new deal after the free agency period opens next week. ‘We’ve talked
and we’re working on things
‘ Nelson said. ‘We’re hoping it’s headed in a good direction.’ Kidd said he believes Nowitzki is destined to be back with the Mavs
but that free agency might be good for him. ‘Sometimes
as a player
you want to feel wanted
‘ Kidd said. ‘He’s always felt wanted here. This could be some weird way of being appreciated by other teams. We all feel he’s not going anywhere.’” Dan Duggan
Boston Herald: “As he walked into the Legends Club at TD Garden last night moments after the Celtics selected Avery Bradley(notes) in the first round of the NBA draft
Doc Rivers received a hero’s welcome from a group of season ticket-holders and sponsors. The reception was partly a tribute to the job the Celtics coach did leading the team to the Finals for the second time in three seasons. But it was also an attempt by fans to sway Rivers to return amid speculation he won’t be back on the bench next season. Rivers
who said he wasn’t over the Ga
me 7 Finals loss to the Lakers
was interrupted by a fan who shouted
‘Thank you! We love you Doc!’ While appreciative of the support
Rivers declined to tip his hand on his future when asked if he’d be coaching Bradley next season. ‘I don’t know yet
‘ Rivers said. ‘If I’m coaching
I’ll be coaching him. I can tell you that. But I just don’t know yet.’ Rivers expects to make the decision by early next week after he discusses his options with his family at his Orlando-area home. The desire to spend time with family is the main reason Rivers is considering stepping down. ‘It’s a tough one
‘ Rivers said. ‘It really is
and it’s a serious one either way. So let’s just wait
and we’ll figure it out soon.’” Michael Lee
Washington Post: “In a dramatic
franchise-altering shift
the Washington Wizards have gone from ‘Pick 1′ to the No. 1 pick
moving away from the misery of a horrific campaign into the hope of new one
which arrived at The Theater at Madison Square Garden wearing a chocolate-colored pinstriped suit and powder blue shirt
tie and handkerchief. The worst-kept secret in the NBA finally became official on Thursday
when Commissioner David Stern walked to a podium and announced that the Wizards had selected John Wall(notes)
the freshman phenom point guard from the University of Kentucky. The electrifying Wall was considered the best athlete and most dynamic player in the draft
providing a ready-made star for the Wizards to build around. After Stern announced that Wall was the choice
he hugged his sister
then embraced his mother
who was overcome with emotion and began to weep. He then hugged his college coach
John Calipari
who stood nearby
and his friends around the table. Wall shook Stern’s hand and adjusted the blue Wizards cap on his head. Stern leaned in and whispered into Wall’s ear
‘You were waiting for this
weren’t you?’ Wall laughed coolly and walked off the stage
completing a childhood dream to become the top pick in the draft. Now comes the pressure of resurrecting a moribund franchise in the same way that he turned around his life. ‘I feel like I had pressure since I became number one in high school and was one of the top players
‘ Wall said. ‘I always got there hungry
wanting to fight hard and compete in every game. So when I step on the court
I’m going to take on any challenge there.’” John Smallwood
Philadelphia Daily News: “Jrue Holiday delivered his first assist to Evan Turner(notes) more than a month before they officially became teammates. In May
when the Sixers sent their rookie point guard to Secaucus
N.J.
to be their good-luck charm at the NBA lottery
Holiday had only one mission. ‘Everybody told me to go up there and look for Evan
‘ Holiday said last night after the Sixers selected Turner with the second pick in the draft. ‘We wanted the No. 2 pick. Yes
we wanted to shoot for No. 1
but everyone was saying
“Evan Turner.”‘ Being a savvy point guard doesn’t only mean knowing who to deliver the ball to. Sometimes it means knowing who not to give it to. With the No. 1 overall pick
the Sixers almost would have been forced to select Kentucky freshman John Wall. As expected
he went first to the Washington Wizards . That could have proved problematic
since Wall is a point guard and Holiday was already tagged as the Sixers’ point guard of the present and foreseeable future. The No. 2 pick was simple; there was little to debate about whom the Sixers would take. In Turner
the consensus National Player of the Year at Ohio State
the Sixers saw a guy who could team with Holiday and potentially develop into their best backcourt tandem since Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney. ‘[Turner] was the college player of the year
‘ Holiday said. ‘He obviously knows what he is doing. He knows how to play
and he’s definitely an all-around player. That’s something we need.’” John Reid
New Orleans Times-Picayune: “Shortly after New Orleans Hornets point guard Darren Collison(notes) described how Cole Aldrich’s(notes) defensive presence in the post would be a
big help for the Hornets this upcoming season
it was announced they had traded the 11th pick in Thursday night’s draft to the Oklahoma City Thunder
along with guard Morris Peterson(notes)
for two first-round picks. The move further proves to Collison that the Hornets are going to be active in exploring potential trades
and he could be the next player sent elsewhere. General Manager Jeff Bower declined to comment Thursday on any trade rumors. ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be a Hornet
‘ Collison said before meeting with fans at the Hornets’ draft party in Mandeville. ‘I like it here
but things don’t work out that way. This is a business
and I’m starting to understand it.’ Collison thought he was traded last week to the Indiana Pacers after receiving a voicemail message from a reporter seeking comment about the rumored trade. Collison said he quickly called his agent
who told him he was still with the Hornets. ‘I’m not going to lie
it’s a little distracting
‘ Collison said. ‘After a good year
you expect good things to happen. It is what it is
and we have a lot of different issues on the team that we want to fix. I’m certain management is going to fix that. All I can do is focus on myself and whatever happens
happens.’” Mike Wells
Indianapolis Star: “The Indiana Pacers’ search for a point guard continues. Unable to trade their No. 10 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night
the Pacers went with the next best option: Paul George(notes)
a 6-9 sophomore wing player from Fresno State. Multiple media outlets reported the Pacers offered Danny Granger(notes) to New Jersey for a package that included All-Star point guard Devin Harris(notes). Not so
said Pacers president Larry Bird. ‘It’s a rumor
‘ Bird said. ‘His name comes up all the time. … It’s going to take more than Devin Harris. Danny Granger is one of the top players in the league. To move Danny
you better get a lot back
especially throwing No. 10 in there.’” Chris Dempsey
Denver Post: “There was a lesson to be learned from the San Antonio Spurs in last year’s draft. That lesson was value could be found in the second round. Their selection of Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair(notes) was hailed as one of the savviest moves of the 2009 NBA draft
as Blair immediately contributed big- time to a playoff team. It seems the entire NBA learned that lesson as well. And because that was the case
the Nuggets were not able to sneak in the draft and come out with a young athletic
frontcourt player Thursday night. ‘We wanted to make the team better tonight
‘ Nuggets vice president of player personnel Rex Chapman said. ‘I don’t think it’s any secret we would have liked to find a “big” somewhere in the second round. We feel like a few of those guys will make the league. It’s hard seeing them go to other places and rivals and what not.’ Chapman said the Nuggets pushed hard to get into the draft
but nothing materialized. ‘We were awfully active all night
‘ Chapman said. ‘There were a couple of those guys that we would have liked to have been able to come up with. But it was a tough night for us. We feel like we were right there
right there
right there
and then . . . for whatever reason it just kind of fell through. I would have liked to have come away with something
but I think everybody else had the same kind of plans.’” Jason Quick
The Oregonian: “For the past three months
Kevin Pritchard knew he was on shaky ground with Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen. By May 6
he had come to a morbid conclusion. ‘They will fire me two days after the draft
‘ Pritchard said. He was wrong. It happened much quicker. Pritchard
the popular architect of the Blazers resurgence
was fired Thursday
about an hour before the NBA draft started
according to two people inside Pritchard’s inner circle
who were informed of the decision by Pritchard. Pritchard stayed on long enough to conduct his fourth draft for the Blazers
which included a trade
one of his signature tactics during his three-plus years of running the basketball operations of the Blazers. His
dismissal ended what had become Portland’s most talked about
yet confusing soap opera
as nobody — including Pritchard — could put their finger on why Allen had become so disenchanted with the executive he once said had ‘the golden gut’ for player moves. Allen left the team’s draft headquarters without speaking with the media
and shortly after Pritchard left
too. Eventually
team president Larry Miller returned to provide hollow answers. ‘I’m not going to get into details
‘ Miller said of the dismissal.”
Create-a-caption: Shake on it
This kid is pretty happy to be meeting Mike Dunleavy
Jr. I’m not quite sure why
really. Maybe they just sealed a big business deal — that would explain the handshake — or maybe he’s just a big fan of NBA coaches’ sons. Either way
good for this kid. Best caption wins some polyester pants. Good luck. Previously
Kobe and Jerry look longingly.Winner
Bibz: “Buss: Wow. Adam Morrison(notes). 2 time champ. How does that sound?Kobe: Seriously? But Jerry i just won my 5th champio….Buss: I love that man. What a pick up.KObe: But i got 1 more than shaq.Buss: And hes got 2 more than reddick. Whats your point?”Runner-up
Big Jake: “Kobe Bryant and Jerry Buss star in ” The Notebook 2″
coming soon to a theater near you.”Second runner-up
Hoosier: “Jerry: “Kobe
I’m so proud of you. We’ve been through a lot together
all the hardships and adversity and we’ve come out on top. But if you’ll excuse me
Its time for me to hit the clubs with Ron.Kobe: “What the?”
Greivis Vasquez and some bro are super psyched about the draft
We’ll have all sorts of typical BDL excellence on the draft tomorrow — grades
fashions
all that good stuff — but for tonight
I thought it’d be nice to leave you with the happiest moment of an otherwise boring draft.Not only did you get to see Greivis Vasquez be the happiest anyone has ever been to become a member of the Memphis Grizzlies
if you stuck around until the 30 second mark
you saw the funniest moment of the night as well. That happy
dancing Maryland bro kills me. You know he came to New York City specifically to dance and get on television when his homeboy Vasquez was picked
and he did just that. Nice work
Maryland bro. You’re a hero to us all.