Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations and head coach Doc Rivers will not be waiting patiently in regards to discussing a contract extension with the organization.
It is believed that negotiations between him and the Clippers are set to begin soon now that it’s pretty much business as usual for the Los Angeles franchise.
This report comes after the league announced that Steve Ballmer has officially gained ownership of the Clippers franchise. Rivers served as the voice of the Clippers team during the playoffs when Donald Sterling was ousted from the organization, and has remained adamant in his stance that opposed Sterling continuing to operate as the owner of the team.
Now that the matter has been brought to a resolution, it makes complete sense that Rivers would want to secure his future with the team. Now that Ballmer has taken over ownership, the sides can start the process to maintaining a working relationship with each other.
In his first season as coach, Rivers led the team to a 57-25 record.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
In the wake of owner Steve Ballmer gaining governorship control of the Los Angeles Clippers, discussions on a contract extension for Doc Rivers are expected to commence soon, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Ballmer and Rivers had been eager to forge a long-term partnership, and a California court confirming the authority of Shelly Sterling to sell the franchise on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust has cleared the way to work toward a new deal.
Rivers, 52, the president of basketball operations and head coach, has two years left on his original three-year, $21 million contract. Rivers is already one of the highest-paid executives and coaches in professional sports, and his prominence and pay could grow with the promise of Ballmer’s stewardship of the Clippers.
Other News Around The League:
The newly rebranded Charlotte Hornets are pushing to gain the rights to host the NBA All-Star game in the near future. The announcement came from NBA.com: The Hornets, in conjunction with the Charlotte Sports Foundation, announced plans Tuesday to submit a bid to host the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2017 or 2018. A contingent of Hornets employees and city officials flew to New York Tuesday to deliver the bid to NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and other league executives following a morning press conference in Charlotte. “This is a great time to be a Charlotte Hornets fan and a fan of NBA basketball here in the Carolinas,” Hornets COO Fred Whitfield said Tuesday. “… This is a chance for us to host the greatest basketball players in the world on not a national, but a global stage.” Whitfield estimates eight to 10 other cities will apply to host the game. Charlotte hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1991 at the suburban Charlotte Coliseum, which has since been demolished.
Detroit Pistons big man Greg Monroe has informed the team that he will sign the qualifying offer presented to him. By accepting he’ll be able to enter free agency next summer unrestricted. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports: Monroe, 24, was a restricted free agent this summer but decided not to sign an offer sheet with another team or sign a multiyear extension with the Pistons. He instead will be one of the most highly sought-after free agents next offseason. Monroe’s qualifying offer is for $5.479 million in 2014-15 and cannot be traded without his consent once he signs. He’s expected to sign it before the Oct. 1 deadline.
- Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker has been suspended for the first three games of the season following a May arrest for driving under the influence, the league has announced: The suspension will be served at the beginning of the coming season. Tucker was sentenced to three days in jail and 11 days’ home detention following his plea last week. “Super extreme” DUI under Arizona law is for persons whose blood alcohol level exceeds .20 percent. Police say that just after his May 10 arrest in Scottsdale, Tucker had a blood alcohol level of .222. The legal limit in Arizona is .08. Tucker has apologized to fans and said he is taking the necessary steps to address his problem. He signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract in July.
Esau Howard is a regular contributor to Sheridan Hoops. You can follow him on Twitter.