NBA Rumor Killers: Dallas Mavericks Moves, Cleveland Cavs Coaching

The World Famous LayupDrill Rumor Mill
6/11/09

We're now just two weeks away from the NBA Draft, and more rumors seem to pop up every day, regarding teams looking to move up, move down, or move out of the lottery. While some rumors floating around the net are pretty far-fetched, some are starting to gain some legs.

In an effort to help our readers sift through it all, here is a collection of the latest rumors we have either been told first-hand, or have been posted around the net, along with the validity of the rumor.

1. ESPN.com posted in its insider column that there is a potential trade between the Mavericks and Wizards, that would send the No. 5 pick in the draft to Dallas (where they would look to secure Hasheem Thabeet or Jordan Hill), and in return Dallas would give up either Josh Howard or Jason Terry.

On paper this makes sense, due to Terry’s cap number, which would come off the books for Mark Cuban (Terry has three years and $30 million remaining on his contract), while bringing in a young post player (cheap) to do battle alongside Dirk.

The Wizards window with it’s current core is closing, and Arenas and Terry in the backcourt would certainly be one of the higher scoring duos in the league.

2. There of course are rumors floating around Dallas about the possibility, in a separate deal, to bring in Shaq. These rumors have floated around since the All-Star break, but now the buzz is starting again.

I believe the odds of this deal happening now are slim, with Phoenix being able to field better offers by other teams. The Cavs will be in the mix, but if they don’t bite, O’Neal will likely be back in Phoenix next year.

3. Any rumors of Pat Riley coming out of retirement to coach the Cavaliers or Heat again are false. People close to Riley have gone on record to state he has no interest in returning to the bench again.

4. Contrary to rumors, the Cavaliers will not be firing Mike Brown this summer. Sources close to Cavs star LeBron James say The King has a definite say in the direction of the team, and while Orlando dominated Cleveland in the Eastern Confernce Finals, Brown wasn’t the sole reason Cleveland was eliminated.

With James’ in the final year of his contract in '09-10, the only changes you will see around the core of the team will be role players.

5. Zach Randolph is on the trade block, however teams are more interested in Marcus Camby. The Clippers are saying all the right things about playing Blake Griffin next to Chris Kaman, Camby, or Randolph, but the truth is they would love to unload one of their big men.

Camby’s contract expires after next season, and he holds some solid trade value among contenders.