But the reason the Clippers have not been mentioned as a serious suitor is no mystery. Sources say that the Clippers won't factor into James' thinking as long as they continue to be run by Sterling, whose increased willingness to spend over the past decade has done little to change his reputation as one of the league's worst owners. - ESPN
Arvydas Macijauskas gave up the fight. The Lithuanian star decided to retire and announced today his decision due to health problems. "I have a spinal hernia which needs surgery. In addition, from September 2006 I have problems with the Achilles tendon and my left calf is 2 inches lower than the other" said the guard who started a long legal war with Olympiacos when he returned to Europe after his stint in NBA. The Greek team did not allow Macijauskas to have the surgery. - Sportando
Haddadi, who has played a key role in Iran national team in recent years, will be playing for the Memphis Grizzlies instead of Iran. "The Asian Games are not an official tournament, so I'm obliged to stay in the U.S. However, Iranian officials are now negotiating with my team to allow me to accompany Iran in China," the 2.18 meter player said. - Payvand Iran News
Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski's pay nearly tripled over four recent seasons — rising from about $1.3 million to more than $4 million, new records show. And that was before Duke won this year's national title. With total compensation topping $4.19 million, the pay appears to make him the top-paid college basketball coach in the nation for the 2008-09 fiscal year and clearly puts him among the highest-paid of all college officials, according to various surveys and analyses, studies and reviews, of pay in higher education and athletics. - Raleigh News & Observer
Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti has emphatically denied a new media report claiming he has interviewed for the same position with the Portland Trail Blazers. Tuesday’s editions of the New York Post, citing a “Northwest source,” reported Presti recently interviewed in Seattle, home of Blazers owner Paul Allen, for the job currently held by Kevin Pritchard. “The story is absolutely false,” Presti said in response Tuesday. “I have not interviewed with any teams or spoken to officials related to a team, nor do I intend to. I have a terrific situation here with the Thunder and enjoy being a member of the Oklahoma City community. I am excited about the short and long term vision for our organization.” - Oklahoman
Miller would not respond to either report. "The thing I can say is that Paul is committed to bring a championship to Portland,'' Miller said. "I think he has shown that by putting his resources forward to improve the organization.'' Miller did confirm that Pritchard is currently negotiating contract extensions for his top two scouts - Chad Buchanan and Mike Born - and that he continues to head the team's draft strategy as the June 24 draft nears. "Kevin has done a phenomenal job drafting players and he continues to lead that process now,'' Miller said. - Oregonian
Would LeBron James be willing to play for the Los Angeles Clippers if Donald Sterling no longer owned the team? Billionaire entertainment mogul David Geffen wants to find out. A source close to the situation confirmed reports that Geffen is interested in purchasing a majority share of the Clippers -- and that the long-shot attempt to convince Sterling to cede operating control of the team is among the reasons James and close friend Maverick Carter were in Los Angeles over the weekend. - ESPN
It’s not so much Nelson checking out as Nelson reading the room: Once the team is sold, he will no longer by the Warriors coach. He is o-u-t, and he knows it. Larry Riley will be out, too, but he has to keep working through the draft process because that’s his specific job. (I dunno what Robert Rowell is doing, but same deal with him, obviously. Maybe Comcast can give him a job.) But Nelson’s getting his $6M for next season no matter what. - San Jose Mercury News
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino today urged city residents to go green for the Celtics as the NBA Finals return to the Hub tonight. At the same time Police Commissioner Edward Davis warned cops will bust anyone drinking in public. “Now the Celtics are back home with the best fans cheering them on,” Menino said at a City Hall press conference. “Showcase your Celtic pride and wear green on game day. Green ties, green shirts ... Let’s show the Celtics and the world what great fans we are here and how much we love them.” - Boston Herald
Already public with his desire to be traded, disgruntled Toronto Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu has privately expressed to league friends a desire to return to the Sacramento Kings, sources told Yahoo! Sports. After Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo brought him to Toronto with a five-year, $53 million contract last summer, Turkoglu had a tumultuous season and recently told Turkish television – and apparently the organization – that he no longer wants to play for the franchise. - Yahoo! Sports
Grant, who previously worked for the Atlanta Hawks before becoming an assistant to former GM Danny Ferry in Cleveland, is highly respected around the league and ready to make the leap, but he’s fac ing a lot of tough questions that don’t really have answers at the moment. It all begins — and ends — with James, the two-time league MVP who, even if unin tentionally, basically has tied the franchise’s hands behind its back. Everything the Cavaliers have done, are doing and will do over the coming weeks is aimed at re-signing the 25-year-old superstar, includ ing the firing of former coach Mike Brown, the resignation of Ferry and the courting of Michigan State’s Izzo. - Chronicle-Telegram
An appreciably well-wired roundball entrepreneur believes LeBron James will re-up with the Cavaliers for three years, a possibility he almost certainly would not entertain had Mike Brown been retained -- something GM Danny Ferry fiercely advocated doing, hence his resignation. - New York Post
A strong theory that LeBron James will pass on the Knicks because he doesn't want the extra pressure and scrutiny of the New York market doesn't wash with South Jamaica's Lamar Odom. "Of course he can handle the pressure," the Lakers forward told The Post. "Obviously he can. He's so well-established." Odom still pulls for the Knicks and would like to see James on Broadway, despite what look like long odds. "To get a player of his caliber would be great for New York City," Odom said. - New York Post
The widely held assumption is that James can secure more sponsorship money in New York than in Cleveland . That is not a widely held assumption among most who study this sort of thing. "The knee-jerk reaction and conventional wisdom is that by coming to New York, he would further his chances for endorsements,'' said Andrew Forman, an associate professor of marketing at Hofstra. "He's already the highest-earning endorser in the NBA without being in New York. It's hard to say he's been hurt by being in Cleveland to this point.'' Forman said that, as a Knicks fan, he would love to tell James that coming here would boost his bottom line, but he said, "I'm not sure it really makes much of a difference. - Newsday
Hoping to re-sign Dwyane Wade when he enters free agency next month, the Heat has already extended the star guard a contract offer -- for all of South Florida to see. The Heat took its ``We Want Wade'' recruiting campaign to new heights Monday when the team unveiled a billboard designed as a contract near Wade's neighborhood. Wade plans to opt out of his contract by June 30 to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, when he is expected to be one of the most sought-after players in a market likely to include LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire. - Miami Herald
Boozer's visit Monday to the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., also included an online chat. Three answers of note: On the state of his relationship with Jazz point guard Deron Williams, and if Williams has asked him to stay in Utah: "Great. Really good. We were talking about summer stuff. We have a great relationship. It's only getting better and better." - Deseret News
Arvydas Macijauskas gave up the fight. The Lithuanian star decided to retire and announced today his decision due to health problems. "I have a spinal hernia which needs surgery. In addition, from September 2006 I have problems with the Achilles tendon and my left calf is 2 inches lower than the other" said the guard who started a long legal war with Olympiacos when he returned to Europe after his stint in NBA. The Greek team did not allow Macijauskas to have the surgery. - Sportando
Haddadi, who has played a key role in Iran national team in recent years, will be playing for the Memphis Grizzlies instead of Iran. "The Asian Games are not an official tournament, so I'm obliged to stay in the U.S. However, Iranian officials are now negotiating with my team to allow me to accompany Iran in China," the 2.18 meter player said. - Payvand Iran News
Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski's pay nearly tripled over four recent seasons — rising from about $1.3 million to more than $4 million, new records show. And that was before Duke won this year's national title. With total compensation topping $4.19 million, the pay appears to make him the top-paid college basketball coach in the nation for the 2008-09 fiscal year and clearly puts him among the highest-paid of all college officials, according to various surveys and analyses, studies and reviews, of pay in higher education and athletics. - Raleigh News & Observer
Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti has emphatically denied a new media report claiming he has interviewed for the same position with the Portland Trail Blazers. Tuesday’s editions of the New York Post, citing a “Northwest source,” reported Presti recently interviewed in Seattle, home of Blazers owner Paul Allen, for the job currently held by Kevin Pritchard. “The story is absolutely false,” Presti said in response Tuesday. “I have not interviewed with any teams or spoken to officials related to a team, nor do I intend to. I have a terrific situation here with the Thunder and enjoy being a member of the Oklahoma City community. I am excited about the short and long term vision for our organization.” - Oklahoman
Miller would not respond to either report. "The thing I can say is that Paul is committed to bring a championship to Portland,'' Miller said. "I think he has shown that by putting his resources forward to improve the organization.'' Miller did confirm that Pritchard is currently negotiating contract extensions for his top two scouts - Chad Buchanan and Mike Born - and that he continues to head the team's draft strategy as the June 24 draft nears. "Kevin has done a phenomenal job drafting players and he continues to lead that process now,'' Miller said. - Oregonian
Would LeBron James be willing to play for the Los Angeles Clippers if Donald Sterling no longer owned the team? Billionaire entertainment mogul David Geffen wants to find out. A source close to the situation confirmed reports that Geffen is interested in purchasing a majority share of the Clippers -- and that the long-shot attempt to convince Sterling to cede operating control of the team is among the reasons James and close friend Maverick Carter were in Los Angeles over the weekend. - ESPN
It’s not so much Nelson checking out as Nelson reading the room: Once the team is sold, he will no longer by the Warriors coach. He is o-u-t, and he knows it. Larry Riley will be out, too, but he has to keep working through the draft process because that’s his specific job. (I dunno what Robert Rowell is doing, but same deal with him, obviously. Maybe Comcast can give him a job.) But Nelson’s getting his $6M for next season no matter what. - San Jose Mercury News
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino today urged city residents to go green for the Celtics as the NBA Finals return to the Hub tonight. At the same time Police Commissioner Edward Davis warned cops will bust anyone drinking in public. “Now the Celtics are back home with the best fans cheering them on,” Menino said at a City Hall press conference. “Showcase your Celtic pride and wear green on game day. Green ties, green shirts ... Let’s show the Celtics and the world what great fans we are here and how much we love them.” - Boston Herald
Already public with his desire to be traded, disgruntled Toronto Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu has privately expressed to league friends a desire to return to the Sacramento Kings, sources told Yahoo! Sports. After Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo brought him to Toronto with a five-year, $53 million contract last summer, Turkoglu had a tumultuous season and recently told Turkish television – and apparently the organization – that he no longer wants to play for the franchise. - Yahoo! Sports
Grant, who previously worked for the Atlanta Hawks before becoming an assistant to former GM Danny Ferry in Cleveland, is highly respected around the league and ready to make the leap, but he’s fac ing a lot of tough questions that don’t really have answers at the moment. It all begins — and ends — with James, the two-time league MVP who, even if unin tentionally, basically has tied the franchise’s hands behind its back. Everything the Cavaliers have done, are doing and will do over the coming weeks is aimed at re-signing the 25-year-old superstar, includ ing the firing of former coach Mike Brown, the resignation of Ferry and the courting of Michigan State’s Izzo. - Chronicle-Telegram
An appreciably well-wired roundball entrepreneur believes LeBron James will re-up with the Cavaliers for three years, a possibility he almost certainly would not entertain had Mike Brown been retained -- something GM Danny Ferry fiercely advocated doing, hence his resignation. - New York Post
A strong theory that LeBron James will pass on the Knicks because he doesn't want the extra pressure and scrutiny of the New York market doesn't wash with South Jamaica's Lamar Odom. "Of course he can handle the pressure," the Lakers forward told The Post. "Obviously he can. He's so well-established." Odom still pulls for the Knicks and would like to see James on Broadway, despite what look like long odds. "To get a player of his caliber would be great for New York City," Odom said. - New York Post
The widely held assumption is that James can secure more sponsorship money in New York than in Cleveland . That is not a widely held assumption among most who study this sort of thing. "The knee-jerk reaction and conventional wisdom is that by coming to New York, he would further his chances for endorsements,'' said Andrew Forman, an associate professor of marketing at Hofstra. "He's already the highest-earning endorser in the NBA without being in New York. It's hard to say he's been hurt by being in Cleveland to this point.'' Forman said that, as a Knicks fan, he would love to tell James that coming here would boost his bottom line, but he said, "I'm not sure it really makes much of a difference. - Newsday
Hoping to re-sign Dwyane Wade when he enters free agency next month, the Heat has already extended the star guard a contract offer -- for all of South Florida to see. The Heat took its ``We Want Wade'' recruiting campaign to new heights Monday when the team unveiled a billboard designed as a contract near Wade's neighborhood. Wade plans to opt out of his contract by June 30 to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, when he is expected to be one of the most sought-after players in a market likely to include LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire. - Miami Herald
Boozer's visit Monday to the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., also included an online chat. Three answers of note: On the state of his relationship with Jazz point guard Deron Williams, and if Williams has asked him to stay in Utah: "Great. Really good. We were talking about summer stuff. We have a great relationship. It's only getting better and better." - Deseret News
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