Hello and welcome to the Evening News.
As the Finals continue, we’ll keep you updated every evening. What’s happening today?
Here’s the latest from around the league:
Tony Parker has strained hamstring
According to the Associated Press, Tony Parker’s MRI on his injured right hamstring revealed a slight strain. Parker was limited to just six points in 27 minutes in Game 3 and spent all of last night worrying about his status for the remainder of the Finals. 
The injury is considered to be a Grade 1 strain, the mildest strain possible. He is listed as day-to-day for Game 4.
Parker updated his fans about the injury on twitter and told reporters today that he was relieved with the MRI’s result:
“I was just hoping it was not a tear,” Parker said. “The good news is it’s not a tear or a defect. So that’s the good news. Now I just have to see how I feel tomorrow.”
Parker went to the locker room early in the second half of last night’s game but was cleared by the medical staff to return to the game if needed. Although Parker did return to the floor, the Spurs’ three point shooting barrage made Parker’s presence unnecessary.
Parker is optimistic about his return for Game 4 but is not yet confident he will play:
“We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. We’ll talk with Pop,” Parker said. “I know Pop is always going to prefer to take low risk.”
Jason Kidd finalizing three-year deal with Brooklyn
Jason Gambardello of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Jason Kidd will become the next head coach of the Nets. According to a source close to the negotiations, Kidd and Brooklyn’s front office are working toward the final details of a three-year contract. 
Talks heated up yesterday after Kidd emerged as the strong frontrunner for the job. He was reportedly very impressive in his interview on Monday.
Read more about why hiring Kidd is the perfect move for the Nets right here.
UPDATE: While the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the move was a virtual done deal, Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports that general manager Billy King met with Brian Shaw about the opening for over four hours today.
Nets GM Billy King met with Brian Shaw for four-plus hours on Wednesday, league sources tell Y! Hiring of a new coach expected promptly.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 12, 2013
Immediately unclear if Shaw was able to derail Jason Kidd’s front-running candidacy.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 12, 2013
Regardless of which coach the Nets decide on, they will have themselves one of the best respected basketball minds leading their team next season. Shaw is also still in the mix for the Clippers, Nuggets, and Grizzlies’ coaching vacancies.
Expect a decision out of Brooklyn by the end of the week.
Doc Rivers could be done in Boston
With word emerging that Doc Rivers is wary of returning to a rebuilding situation in Boston, there is speculation that Rivers may have coached his final game with the Celtics. CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger reports that Rivers has given indications that he “might be ready for a new situation.”
Rivers has been working closely with Danny Ainge this offseason and has been present at the team’s pre-draft workouts. Regardless, if Ainge decides to cut ties with Paul Pierce, which would presumably lead to Kevin Garnett’s departure as well, Rivers might walk away from the three years and $21 million remaining on his contract. 
“[Doc] has been pretty open that he doesn’t want to coach in a rebuilding environment,” said a person briefed on Rivers’ conversations with Ainge. “And if they make some moves, they’re not going to have a rebuilding environment. That’s Danny’s challenge.”
However, making moves to avoid a rebuilding situation is much harder than it sounds. Pierce is owed $15 million for next season but could be bought out for $5 million. Garnett, meanwhile, is guaranteed $18 million over the next two seasons and could raise that number up to $24 million. While both are tradable, no realistic trade would yield the immediate star power or leadership presences in return.
Sources have told Berger that teams are closely monitoring Rivers’ situation and would have strong interest in hiring him if he were to become available:
“If Rivers became available, he’d immediately soar to the top of the list for every team still seeking a new head coach. The Nets and Clippers have previously been denied permission to interview Rivers for their vacancies. The Grizzlies are another team that would jump at the chance to sit down with Rivers if he walked away from the Celtics, sources said.”
