NBA Rumors: Latest on Clippers' Coaching Search, Early Trade Buzz and More

As the number of teams remaining in the postseason continues dwindling and the draft process ramps up across the league, the primary focus in the NBA will continue its slow shift from on-court activities to the buzz of the summer's impending cavalcade of roster shuffling.

Tuesday night's draft lottery got that process underway. While most non-playoff teams had already begun compiling their big boards, the settling of the draft order finally started crystallizing how these next couple ofmonths will play out.

The Cleveland Cavaliers winning the top pick may help cement their burgeoning core around Kyrie Irving. On the flip side, it might start off the trade season—a fact that Cleveland general manager Chris Grant acknowledged after the lottery. 

Either way, the lottery got conversation swirling around the league. 

And, of course, not every team is spending their evenings discussing the merits of Nerlens Noel versus Victor Oladipo. Others are merely looking for a coach; or preparing to land a superstar; or even telling other teams that their respective superstar is not for sale.

In other words, the Miami Heat's quest to repeat as champions is a secondary concern to roughly 26 other NBA franchises—give or take a couple, depending on how schadenfreudian some folks are. But with the increased focus across the league on off-the-court movements, the NBA rumor mill has been slowly working its way into a tizzy. 

With that in mind, here is a complete breakdown of all the latest buzz across the Association.

Nate McMillan on Clippers' Radar?

To the surprise of absolutely no one outside of the Del Negro family, the Clippers officially parted ways with head coach Vinny Del Negro on Tuesday. The move was expected to come swiftly after Los Angeles' first-round playoff elimination, but the team's brass did its due diligence with the move and actually considered keeping Del Negro on a short-term deal. 

Though oft-maligned by Clippers fans, Del Negro is one of just two coaches in franchise history to end their tenure in L.A. with a winning record. So even as Del Negro the tactician was deserving of some criticism, the results were there—thus making the Clippers' considerations a little more understandable.

That being said, with Del Negro out, it seems that the Clippers have moved on quickly in finding his replacement. According to the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner, former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan is among the early favorites for the gig:

"

As the Clippers look for a replacement for just-let-go coach Vinny Del Negro, former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan has emerged as a potential candidate, according to several NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the situation.

"

The 48-year-old McMillan was fired by the Blazers midway through the 2011-12 season. Over parts of 12 seasons with Portland and the Seattle Supersonics, McMillan compiled a 478-452 record and made five playoff appearances, getting past the first round just once. Known largely as a defensive-minded strategist, a move to McMillan would signify the end of the "Lob City" style of play—at least in theory.

Turner notes that McMillan is one of five names currently on the Clippers' radar. It's not known who the other four on the list are at this juncture. 

What is clear—especially after the Del Negro saga—is that any coach the Clippers hire will be personally vetted by Chris Paul. The All-Star point guard is set to hit the free-agent market this offseason, and he has arguably the most power of any player in the league at this point.

Speaking with T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times, Clippers owner Donald Sterling all but admitted Paul's influence in letting Del Negro go:

"

“Was this done,” I (Simers) asked, “just to hang on to Chris Paul?”

“I always want to be honest and not say anything that is not true,” Sterling said. “So I’d rather not say anything. But you know, the coach did a really good job. I think he did. And I liked working with him. There are just factors that make life very complicated and very challenging.”

"

We can ask whether CP3 deserves to wield this much power until we turn purple with rage. But it's clear that every Clippers decision—perhaps even down to the bath linens—will be at the behest of the star guard this summer.

Will it pay off with Paul re-signing over the long-term, though? That remains to be seen.

Mavericks Looking to Trade No. 13 Pick to Leave Cap Room for D12?

Tuesday night's draft lottery proceedings went according to plan for the Mavericks. Though they would have been nothing short of thrilled to land the top pick despite astronomical odds, the only realistic outcome was Dallas ending up at No. 13.

Having missed the playoffs for the first time since the Y2K scare this past season, these Mavericks are at a bit of a crossroads. Dirk Nowitzki will be 35 years old by the time he next sets foot on an NBA floor next season, and the team hasn't exactly developed top-notch young talent around him. This past season, Dallas was an amalgam of spare parts on short-term deals that no one wanted—not exactly a sustainable environment for yearly competitiveness.

In essence, that has left Mark Cuban with two options: either blow the whole thing up and rebuild, or go all-in on the Chris Paul-Dwight Howard sweepstakes. Knowing the uber-competitive Cuban, just about everyone and anyone tangentially related to the NBA would have to bet their life on the latter.

Good call. According to ESPN's Chad Ford, the Mavericks will look to shop their lottery pick in order to keep cap space, ostensibly for Howard:

As noted by Ford, the slotted draft value for the No. 13 pick is about $1.66 for next season. With first-round picks having guaranteed deals, a cap hold at that figure would be placed on the Mavericks' cap from the moment they make the pick. So that means, even if they were to hold off for later than normal in regards to signing their top pick, that money would still be untouchable for the likes of Howard.

Accounting for their current cap holds—remember, a player isn't instantly off the books when he becomes a "free agent"—the Mavericks have $54.66 million on the books for next season. Those numbers can and will fluctuate depending on early termination options in contracts and options for players. Dallas can also have under $30 million in guarantees on its roster if it renounces all team options and if Shawn Marion decides to walk away from $9.32 million guaranteed for next season.

Spoiler alert: That's not happening. 

All of this is to say that the Mavericks need to save every last penny if they hope to land Howard and/or Paul this summer. Nowitzki can't take his "significant pay cut" until next summer, leaving the Mavs in an untenable spot.

Every last million counts, and that's why you're unlikely to see Dallas be on the board at No. 13. Whether that's a sound long-term plan, though, is up to the interpreter. 

Kevin Love Isn't Going Anywhere?

Kevin Love was the Minnesota Timberwolves' representative at the 2013 draft lottery this week, but that hasn't stopped speculation about his future. Ever since Love signed his four-year extension in January of 2012—a deal that includes an opt-out clause after three years—many have wondered about the All-Star forward's future in Minnesota.

At the time Love signed his deal, most were confused about why he wasn't given a maximum five-year deal worth $80 million. "Most" included Love, who made it clear that he was willing to sign that maximum extension had the Timberwolves brass—particularly then-GM David Kahn—made the offer. 

"I was willing to make a commitment for five years," Love said (per ESPN). "They thought otherwise."

The year-plus since that deal has been filled with innuendo and rumblings that Love could be on the move. Those rumors have only been fueled by Love's continued uncertainty regarding the franchise's decision-makers and future, most of which he voiced publicly in December. 

With just two guaranteed years remaining on Love's contract—he has an option for 2015-16—many have wondered aloud whether Minnesota could ship him off this summer. Grantland's Bill Simmons even sent out one of his infamous fake trades involving the No. 1 pick in this year's draft:

Well, we should all probably put away our trade machine hats, folks. According to Fox Sports' Sam Amico, Love is not only staying in Minnesota, but teams know to not even bother making the phone call regarding a trade for him:

This seems like an obvious stance for anyone with a fully functioning brain. Love is the Timberwolves' best player since Kevin Garnett. He is a face-of-the-franchise talent whose skill set—elite rebounding, floor-stretching, intelligent passing—makes him a perfect fit alongside Ricky Rubio and on any team in today's NBA.

The departed Kahn made a massive error in not giving Love a five-year deal 16 months ago, and there's no reason for the returning Flip Saunders to compound that problem by trading away the best thing that Minnesota has going for it.

And if Love's appearance at the draft lottery is any indication, the team and player have already made headway in mending whatever fences were damaged by the previous regime. 

Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter: Follow @tylerconway22