Jerry Sloan Pulls Out of the Running for Bobcats Coaching Job

Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan told SI.com he pulled out the running for the Charlotte Bobcats head coaching job. He was believed to be one of the finalists to replace Paul Silas after he was let go in late April.

There are other coaching jobs that would be more attractive to Sloan. The Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic are both looking for coaches this off-season. Could he be the lead coaching candidate for either of the teams or does he just not want the headache of trying to coach a team with the least amount of talent in the league? I would assume that it is a little of both.

Charlotte has a few other coaching candidates. If they would have been able to hire Sloan, it would have been a mandate that the front office is doing everything they can to turn the franchise around. Since Sloan is out of the question, which two young coaches does Michael Jordan have his eye on?

Charlotte's open head coaching job will most likely be filled by someone without head coaching experience. The two lead candidates are Brian Shaw, who was an assistant under Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers and most recently the associate coach of the Indiana Pacers, and Quin Snyder, former University of Missouri Tigers coach and most recently an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Shaw missed out on the vacant Los Angeles Lakers coaching job last offseason when he was leapfrogged by Mike Brown. He licked his wounds and took an assistant job with Indiana last offseason. Indiana was one of the most improved teams in the NBA, further helping Shaw's coaching stock. He is also a candidate for the vacant coaching jobs in Portland and Orlando. He is rumored to prefer either of those jobs over Charlotte. His #1 destination would be Portland, even though he has ties to the Orlando area since he once played for the Magic.

The biggest surprise is the emergence of Quin Snyder as a coaching candidate. He has only been an assistant with the Lakers for one season, but Kobe Bryant has been outspoken about Snyder's coaching ability. Jordan is been rumored to be impressed that he has impressed Bryant so fast. Snyder has experience coaching at the NCAA level (Mizzou), NBA D-League (Austin Toros), and two seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers and Lakers.

Shaw could be viewing the Charlotte job as a dead-end. If he doesn't get either the Portland or Orlando job, he has a lot going for him in Indiana. The Pacers will be good again next season and his name will be at the top of the list for coaching vacancies next offseason.

My educated guess is that Charlotte hires Snyder to be its next coach. He is young and energetic, which will keep the young talent from getting discouraged through the long rebuilding process the team will endure. It is the perfect job for a guy to cut his teeth coaching at the NBA level.

It is unknown if Charlotte plans to hire a new coach before the NBA Draft later this month. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Andre Drummond, and Thomas Robinson are the three favorites to be picked at #2 if the Bobcats keep the pick. Although, Charlotte doesn't see the value of picking either Kidd-Gilchrist, Drummond, or Robinson with the second pick. They could move the pick for a player and a mid-round first round pick and/or a 2012 first round pick.

Whomever is hired as Charlotte's next coach will be given a minimum of three years to improve the team. The organization realizes they have dug a pretty deep hole for themselves. There are no fast and easy fixes for the team, so expect the same from them in 2012-13.

Gerald Wallace Declines Player Option, Becomes Free Agent

According to Legion Sports, Gerald Wallace will tell the Brooklyn Nets that he will decline his $9.5 million player option and will become an unrestricted free agent.

In what could be the worst trade this decade, the Nets traded Shawne Williams, Mehmet Okur, and a 2012 top-3 protected 1st round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Wallace. The Nets' draft pick ended up being #6, so it will be sent to Portland to complete the deal. The Nets gave up all of that for roughly 20 games of Wallace.

Now that the Charlotte Bobcats all-time leading scorer is a free agent, will Wallace go back there and become an icon or sign with a contender? I name a few teams that currently need his services and have the cap space to offer him a contract.

Wallace has a weird NBA contract. His contract ends 15 days before the NBA Draft, so theoretically the Nets could use that information and draft to fill the need. Unfortunately, Portland owns their first round pick and the Golden State Warriors own their 2nd round pick (#35 overall). They do own the Miami Heat's 2nd round pick (#57 overall) and Draft Express currently has the Nets using that pick on Mike Scott, a 6'8 power forward from Virginia.

Even though Wallace is a free agent earlier than the rest of the class, he will still be under the same rules. He cannot start negotiating with a team until July 1st and will not be able to officially sign until July 11th.

Which teams are in need of Wallace and could afford to pay him?

The first team that comes to mind is the Charlotte Bobcats. Unfortunately, they have three ridiculous contracts on the books for 2012-13: Corey Maggette $10.9 million, Tyrus Thomas $8 million, and DeSagana Diop $7.4 million. Diop and Maggette's contracts will come off the books after next season, but the Bobcats will still owe Thomas $18+ million. Maggette could be a trade piece mid-season, since he is still productive, but Diop and Thomas are unmovable. Charlotte could afford to give Wallace a deal, even with a couple bad contracts on the books.

My fingers are crossed that the Bobcats sign Wallace this offseason. It has been a rough season for my friend Ben Swanson. He is SBNation's Charlotte Bobcats blogger at Rufus On Fire. It could heal the pain he has endured by being a Bobcats fan the last few years.

Depending on their selections in the NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers could be in the market for Wallace. A lot of mock drafts have them selecting either PF/C Andre Drummond (UConn) or PF Thomas Robinson (Kansas) with the #4 overall pick. If Bradley Beal falls to them, Wallace could be in play for Cleveland. He would be a nice complement to both Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.

The Dallas Mavericks could end up poaching both of the marquee free agents from the Brooklyn Nets. All of the rumors point to Deron Williams declining his player option and signing with Dallas. In order to sign Wallace, Dallas would need to use their amnesty clause on Brendan Haywood. He is due to make $27+ million over the next three seasons.

The final team that I believe could go after Wallace would be the Boston Celtics. If Danny Ainge decides to go in a different direction and opts to not re-sign Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the money would be there for a few marquee signings. It is a long shot because of their need for a center and that Wallace does a lot of things that Brandon Bass could be doing for the Boston next season. Ainge is unpredictable and he could try to reconstruct the next 'Big Three.'

The Brooklyn Nets find themselves in a bad situation. They are due to open their new arena in Brooklyn without a notable player to appear on billboards. Deron Williams is expected to decline his player option and will leave the Nets with MarShon Brooks as the face of their franchise. I would have said Brook Lopez, but the Nets have been throwing him out there as bait for both Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum over the last two seasons. I'm not sure if the fans actually see him as a player or just a trade commodity.

In the end, the NBA Draft will dictate where Gerald Wallace will end up. If a team misses out on a SF/PF scoring option, Wallace will end up on their wishlist.

2012 NBA Draft - Lottery Mock Draft

The New Orleans Hornets won the most important NBA Lottery since Lebron James was available. Anthony Davis was going #1 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft no matter which team won the lottery. He will direct the Honets in the right direction. They had the fourth best odds of winning the first pick.

I feel sorry for the Charlotte Bobcats, who had the best odds of wining the #1 pick. They had the worst winning percentage in NBA history and missed out on the biggest prize. They will still get a good player, but all their fans wanted Davis.

The order of the NBA Lottery is officially set in stone and the teams are looking towards to the future. Who will your team pick and how will that player improve their team? I breakdown the NBA Lottery and present you with my first 2012 NBA Lottery Mock Draft.

1. New Orleans Hornets - PF/C Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
This is the easiest pick to forecast in my mock draft. New Orleans won the Anthony Davis lottery. They will enjoy this more than a Mega Millions purse. The Hornets are a team that lack identity. They had to part ways with Chris Paul and David West because of salary cap issues and the team being owned by the NBA. Tom Benson stepped in and will be the future owner. Davis is the new face of the franchise and a new beginning for fans. He is the best low-post defender to come out of the draft in many years. He needs to add a lot of weight. A 220 lb. 6'10 power forward/center isn't going to be able to do everything that he wants.

2. Charlotte Bobcats - SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky)
I feel sorry for Charlotte fans. They have struggled over the last few years and their team lacks a star. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the Bobcats star of the future. As soon as he puts on a Charlotte uniform, he will be the team's best player. He is a nice complement to Kemba Walker and Bimack Biyombo. He can defend well and out-hustle everyone on the court. He is a proven winner and will continue to improve.

3. Washington Wizards - PF Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
Washington fell a bit short and missed out on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. MKG would have been a good fit on their team, but Thomas Robinson is more of a finished product. He can help the Wizards instantly and will be an impact player and starter in his first game. He will help in every facet of the game. John Wall will love having an inside scorer to feed all game.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers - SG Bradley Beal (Florida) (or Drummond if Beal is gone)
Cleveland was leapfrogged and fell to #4, but will still get their guy. Bradley Beal is the first tweener in the draft and fills a need for the Cavs. He is a prototypical shooting guard and has some ball handling skills if they wanted to pair him up with the second unit as point guard. He is only a year removed from high school, so he will need some molding to become a franchise player.

5. Sacramento Kings - C Andre Drummond (UConn)
The Kings have Demarcus Cousins, why would they need Drummond? Drummond is a true center and Cousins has the skills to better fit at power forward. He's a freak athlete with a 7-foot-5 inche wingspan. He is a shot blocker and can pass out of the post. If he hits his ceiling, he could be the steal of this NBAdraft.

6. Portland Trailblazers - SF Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)
Why didn't Harrison Barnes dominate in college? This is the question that every NBA team will ask themselves while evaluating him. He has a nice outside jumper and a high basketball IQ. He doesn't have the athletic ability that jumps off of the paper like most #6 picks and higher have. Portland can really improve their team in this draft with two lottery selections. They can afford to gamble a little by picking Barnes at #6.

7. Golden State Warriors - PF Perry Jones III (Baylor)
Perry Jones III is listed as a power forward, but he plays more like a guard. I would compare him to Lamar Odom, since he still has rebounding ability. He is very streaky and should have dominated in college. He is a guy that scouts have mixed feelings about. He disappears in games, but with the right coaching, he can get rid of those issues.

8. Toronto Raptors - SG Dion Waiters (Syracuse)
If a player is getting comparisons to Dwyane Wade and Tyreke Evans, he definitely has a shot at being a star in the NBA. He is an explosive scorer who is a bit undersized for his position (i.e. Wade & Evans). The Raptors are in need of a player like Waiters. They struggled to put points up on the scoreboard. He needs to improve his jumper...a recurring theme in this draft.

9. Detroit Pistons - C Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)
When he chose to play at North Carolina, Tyler Zeller was a lock to leave school after his freshman year. He had all of the accolades and talent, but he lost most of his freshman year to injury. He waited his turn and developed into a better player by staying in school. The Pistons need another big to put besideGreg Monroe. They have different styles and it would be a nice marriage in the paint.

10. New Orleans Hornets - PG Damian Lillard (Weber State)
A lottery pick from Weber State?! Don't let the small school throw you, Lillard has NBA talent. He can shoot from long-range and limits turnovers on the offensive end. The only knock on him would be that he is a tweener. The emergence of Russell Westbrook has definitely helped his stock. Every team is looking for his clone.

11. Portland Trailblazers - SG Jeremy Lamb (UConn) 
You first heard of Lamb last season when his UConn Huskies won the NCAA Tournament. He could have went out last year and been a higher pick in a much weaker draft. He is a talented two-guard that impresses with his defensive ability. He has a long wingspan and reminds me of a Tayshaun Prince coming out of college. Portland will always miss Brandon Roy, Lamb can help them move on.

12. Miluwakee Bucks - PF Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
He's one of the best low-post scorers and rebounders in this draft. He is too small to play center (6'9) and plays low to the ground. He has a low center of gravity and can defend players taller than him. He struggled against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. If he had a solid game, you would be picked higher in the draft. His talent ceiling is Charles Barkley to Anthony Mason and his basement is Sean May.

13. Phoenix Suns - SG Austin Rivers (Duke)
If high school players were still allowed to be eligible for the NBA Draft, Austin Rivers would have been the #1 overall pick last year. He will help the Suns get back to their old offensive ways. He is great at going to the hoop, but is very streaky. His free-throw shooting percentage is not where you would like it to be for his position. Rivers has all of the tools to be an star in the NBA, but he's very young and will need some molding.

14. Houston Rockets - PF Terrence Jones (Kentucky)

He is one of the most versatile players. He can help you in many ways around the court. He can rebound, block shots, and even has 3-point range. He is a player who has a position and could draw out defenses from the paint. He is another player that can disappear and have scouts scratching their heads. He would have been a top-3 pick in last year's NBA Draft.

Next 10 Best Players Available:
PG Kendall Marshall (North Carolina)
PF John Henson (North Carolina)
SF Terrence Ross (Washington)
SF Quincy Miller (Baylor)
SF Moe Harkless (St. John's)
PG Marquis Teague (Kentucky)
C Meyers Leonard (Illinois)
SG/SF C Evan Fournier (International)
PF Royce White (Iowa State)
C Fab Melo (Syracuse)

Jerry Sloan Wants NBA Coaching Job, Eyes Bobcats & Magic

Jerry Sloan, the former Utah Jazz coach who resigned during the 2011 season after 23 seasons with the team, wants another shot. He is ready to return to the NBA and has expressed interest in the open Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic coaching positions.

Would he be a good fit for either of those teams? Should he make a comeback and ruin his legacy?

If he gets the Charlotte Bobcats job, does he call John Stockton to see if he would come out of retirement? I'm only half joking...have you taken a look at their roster lately?

The former Utah Jazz coach, who resigned during the 2011 season after 23 seasons with the team, told the Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday that he has talked to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan about his team's vacancy and could meet with him as soon as this week. Sloan isn't afraid of the Bobcats past history of losing. He told the Tribune, "Obviously, you probably wouldn't win (a title) right off the bat."

As far as the Magic job is considered, he just mentioned that the job would be intriguing. Orlando recently fired Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith, so Sloan would more personnel control than in Charlotte. Orlando still has hopes of retaining Dwight Howard after the upcoming season. Howard could be the guy who has the final decision on who is hired as Orlando's next head coach.

I would assume that Van Gundy would be another candidate that Charlotte would be interested in interviewing. He is a talented coach, but he needed a change of scenery. The Bobcats would have to pick between head coaches who have both made NBA Finals appearances, but yet to win a title.

Sloan retired during the 2011-12 season and used "exhaustion" as the reason for his resignation. The Jazz traded Deron Williams at the trading deadline and Sloan still stepped down. It was no secret that Deron Williams and Sloan butted heads on and off the court. Tyrone Corbin took over as head coach and remains at the position.

Sloan ranks third all-time in regular-season NBA coaching victories with 1,221. Former coaches Lenny Wilkins (1,332) and Don Nelson (1.335) are the only two to have more regular-season victories than Sloan.

Can Columbus, Ohio Support an NBA Team?

The mayor of Columbus, Ohio, Michael B. Coleman, thinks that his city is ready for an NBA team. He sent a letter to the NBA Commissioner, David Stern, and wanted him to know that "Columbus should be on the league's radar." The city just finalized the public purchase of Nationwide Arena, which is the home of Columbus Blue Jackets, an NHL team. The Columbus Dispatch reported the letter today and adds some strong reasons why the city could support three professional teams, if you count the Columbus Crew, an MLS team.

Do you think Columbus could support an NBA team? Is it even the best option in its own state? We'll dive deeper and look at teams that are in financial trouble and need to move.

Three years ago, a rumor started that Columbus could end up with an NBA team. A team that needed a short-term home could use Nationwide Arena while they finalize a long-term city. I commented on this rumor back then and my opinion hasn't changed much. Many of the same NBA teams are financially struggling (Milwaukee, Charlotte, Sacramento, Indiana) and a move could most of their issues. The new collective-bargaining agreement relieved some problems, but it can't solve attendance.

I have lived in Columbus for half of a decade and have attended most of the sporting events that the city has to offer. The Ohio State University has one of the largest student population in the country and its football squad is the most popular team in the city, if not the state. In order to explain the sports mind of the average fan in Columbus, I'll need to go through the year's sports schedule. OSU's football season runs from late August through early January (in a season in which they play in a bowl game). During those months, all other sports do not matter. The Blue Jackets, Crew, and OSU's basketball season all overlap this time of the year. The Crew's attendance isn't affected, because soccer is still arguably a niche sport. The attendance at Blue Jackets games is quite poor during this period of time, but spike after football season is over. At the end the season, they are always near the bottom of the NHL in season attendance. Columbus is a great sports city when you're winning, but the Blue Jackets have only made the playoffs once in their history. Columbus should not try to add another team right now. Instead, it needs to work on building up the teams that they already have.

Now that we got the other sports out of the way, I'll explain what the stereotypical Ohio State basketball fan is like. A lot of former alumni attend OSU basketball games and the student section, or lack there of, is not very rowdy. The overall crowd that attends basketball games at Value City Arena is one of the quietest in the Big Ten. The local radio station, 97.1 The Fan, often remarks that the fans "sit on their hands." The crowd is only alive when they play Michigan or face a team that defeated the OSU football team that season. The passion for basketball lacks in Columbus.

Why would the NBA grant a team to Columbus when larger markets are available? Seattle, Vancouver, Kansas City, and San Diego are without an NBA team and have all previously had an NBA team in their cities. I would include St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati in that list, but I have not heard anything from those cities about wanting an NBA team. You could argue that these cities have already had their shot. Here are the reasons why the NBA did not work in their cities.

• Seattle - The owner wasn't able to get public money to fund a new arena, so the owner sold the team to an out-of-town group. That group moved the franchise to Oklahoma City.
• Vancouver - The city was awarded a team, but the Canadian loonie wasn't holding up against the American dollar. Canada was having economic issues at this time. The franchise ended up moving to Memphis after an extensive search for a new city.
• Kansas City - The Kings moved there from Cincinnati, but attendance was the issue in the early 80's. They moved the team to Sacramento in 1985.
• San Diego - The team moved from Buffalo to San Diego in 1978. The team stayed in San Diego until 1984, when Donald Sterling, current L.A. Clippers owner, bought the team from Irv Levin.

The situations in those cities have changed and could all support an NBA franchise today. Seattle realized what its like to have its team taken away from them, so getting public money to build a new arena wouldn't be too difficult. Vancouver has turned into a great sports city and the Canadian loonie is much stronger. A few years ago, Kansas City built the Sprint Center in hopes of luring an NBA or NHL team to their city. Lastly, San Diego could end up as the home of the former Sacramento Kings franchise.

To wrap this up, I don't believe Columbus could support an NBA team. I only need two examples to prove my point, the Charlotte Bobcats & the Charlotte Hornets. On paper, having a professional basketball team in North Carolina is perfect. The state has a rich college basketball history and the residents clearly love the sport. The NBA found out that the state really loves college basketball, but not professional basketball. After the Hornets moved to New Orleans, the NBA awarded Charlotte another expansion franchise. The team has struggled in every way since their inaugural season. The team even started to draft players who played for the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils, in hopes of boosting their attendance. The NBA should be weary about putting another team in a college town.

I applaud Mayor Coleman for his ballsy move. It will earn him some votes at the election. His heart was in the right place, but it isn't feasible at this time. Nationwide Arena is a great place to watch a sporting event and the area surrounding the arena is perfect for post-game debauchery. I hope that I am wrong and Columbus is awarded a team, but it does not add up.