Mike Woodson only has one more guaranteed year remaining in his contract, according to Marc Berman of New York Post: “According to an NBA source, Woodson has only one more fully guaranteed year left on his pact. The final year of the pact — 2014-15 — is not guaranteed. The three-year deal signed Memorial Day weekend last year is worth $10.5 million, the source said. Some league observers were surprised Woodson didn’t get a guaranteed third year. Woodson fired his longtime agent, the late Joe Glass, and hired the superagency CAA, which represents a handful of Knicks… Woodson’s guaranteed portion of the contract coincides with Carmelo Anthony’s opt-out clause next summer. The Knicks can give Anthony a contract extension no earlier than mid-February.”
Mike Malone has agreed to become the coach of the Sacramento Kings, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “The Sacramento Kings have reached an agreement in principle on a four-year contract to hire Golden State assistant Mike Malone as head coach, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Kings coach Keith Smart was informed on Thursday that he wouldn’t be brought back for the final year of his contract. Sacramento still owes Smart $2.5 million for the 2013-’14 season. A formal announcement of Malone’s hiring is expected on Friday, and the deal includes a team option for the fourth year, sources said. Malone has been the top assistant to Golden State’s Mark Jackson for the past two seasons.”
Keith Smart was unhappy about not being retained by the Kings, from Sam Amick of USA Today: “A good friend of mine called me, he lives in Miami and is a lawyer, and he said, ‘Man, I’ve got to tell you, what you’ve done every place you’ve gone is you’ve increased the value of the franchise. It’s unfortunate you don’t get to watch the program grow, but you definitely increased the franchise value,'” Smart told USA TODAY Sports with a laugh. “I was in Cleveland (as an assistant coach from 2000 to 2003), near the draft and they get LeBron (James the following summer). I was a couple steps away from coaching LeBron, but I didn’t get a chance at that. And then you had the same scenario in Golden State.”… “We put a lot of pressure on a 22-year-old to carry the franchise right now, and he’s probably not there yet,” Smart said of Cousins… “When I came in, I said, ‘it’s going to take about three years to get this thing moving in a certain direction,” Smart said. “That’s the tough part.”
Lawrence Frank is considering taking next season off from coaching duties, according to David Mayo of Mlive: “A source familiar with Lawrence Frank’s thinking told MLive Media Group that the former Detroit Pistons coach wants to coach in the NBA again but is leaning toward taking next season off and focusing on media opportunities which allow him more time at home. Frank lives in New Jersey and family considerations are at center of his likely plans for next season, the source said. Frank missed six games in March to attend to his wife, Susan, whose recovery after emergency surgery for an unspecified illness will be long, he said at the time… The source said Frank might be willing to return to the NBA as an assistant coach but almost certainly not next year.
- According to Chris Broussard of ESPN, the Clippers have contacted Byron Scott as a potential coaching candidate:
Sources: Clippers contacted Byron Scott about their coaching job. Talks preliminary as LAC compiles list of names 2 give owner Don Sterling
@Chris_Broussard
Chris Broussard
Others on list: JVG, Nate McMillan, Brian Shaw, Lionel Hollins, among others
@Chris_Broussard
Chris Broussard
LeBron James might not like it, but the league believes the 6th foul called on James was the correct decision, from Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today: “In the scrutiny over the flopping and officiating in Game 4, the NBA said nothing publicly about the sixth foul on James because the league — specifically executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson and his staff — think it was the right call. Jackson’s staff reviewed the play several times and zeroed in on video which shows James sticking out his foot, stepping on Stephenson’s foot, tripping Stephenson and impeding his ability to defend. Regardless of intent, the league thinks the right call was made. The foul didn’t sit well with James, who argued after the game, “I was going to set a screen, and I felt like I was stationary. And D-Wade rejected the pick-and-roll. Lance (Stephenson) actually ran into me.”
- LeBron did acknowledge that there has been less flopping this year than past years, from Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida: “Q. With the steps the league took this year to curtail flopping, what’s your feeling on how well it’s worked? LeBRON JAMES: I mean, it hasn’t been a problem (Indiscernible) at all. I haven’t paid too much attention to it. I think teams still do it, I guess. Q. You still experience it in the games, though? It still happens from time to time? LeBRON JAMES: Yeah, it’s year one. Not just going to go cold turkey. Some guys have been doing it for years, just trying to get an advantage. Any way you can get an advantage over the opponent to help your team win, sobeit. It’s year one. It still happens. Definitely been less than years previous.”
- A legendary flopper named Dick Fosbury wants to show LeBron how a real flop is done, from Chris Tomasson: “Dick Fosbury, history’s most famous sports flopper, said LeBron and other NBA floppers must sell it better. Fosbury said he would love to talk to James. He figures he could make him a better flopper. “I’m happy to give LeBron a call and see if I assist and advise him a little bit,’’ said Fosbury, who believes he could help provide “an authentic look so that the referees would believe it when they see it.’’ … “I think (players having been fined) are giving it away with some of their body language, and that’s what they really need to improve to give it an authentic look… My view is that players just need to make sure that they succeed when they attempt to flop and make themselves a winner.’’
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