The Magic will have to seek out the best potential deal.

Although they would be under no obligation to trade Howard where Howard wants to go — and his first choice could be Brooklyn — Howard has leverage.

Howard or his agent could tell potential Magic trade partners that he has no plans to re-sign with them for the long term. If that happens, many teams could decide it's not worth sending assets to the Magic for a player who could be only a one-season "rental."

The Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors could have interest in obtaining Howard without a guarantee he'd re-sign with them.

Or the Magic could attempt to secure some kind of deal from the Los Angeles Lakers, even though it seems Howard doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of Shaquille O'Neal, who left the Magic for the Lakers via free agency in 1996.

It's possible Howard could add other teams to his list of potential trade destinations — possibly the Los Angeles Clippers or the New York Knicks, which, after all, are situated in large markets.

Right now, the only certainty seems to be that there won't be a Howard-for-Davis swap.

jbrobbins@tribune.com

Are you surprised on how they handled the Clippers?

M: I expected the Clippers to pick up one game, but what I'm most surprised about are how dominating the wins were. I expected to see a much more aggressive Blake Griffin and I think DeAndre Jordan was exposed a bit in that series. Caron Butler also really only made a mark in two of 16 quarters, so I was surprised at that definitely.

J: A bit. I was expecting the Clips to use their size with Griffin and Jordan and expose the Spurs in the middle but I was wrong. Wrong in the sense of how horrible Jordan is offensively and how much work Griffin needs on his game. Lots of work! Of course, Chris Paul and Griffin were hurt and not having Chauncey Billups hurt the Clips but the Spurs did what they had to do and took care of LA.

Sheridan: Add the Knicks to the D-12 Wishlist

by Tommy Dee on May 23rd, 2012

Via Sheridanhoops

But two teams that could make the trade work are the Brooklyn Nets (which remain Howard’s favored destination) and the New York Knicks. But it would be tricky in the first instance; costly in the second.

But my source warned me that the Howard sweepstakes is definitely not going to be a one-team race, which brings us to the Knicks…

They have the means to take back Turkoglu along with Howard is they are willing to part with two members of their front line — Tyson Chandler, plus Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony.

If you are the Magic, you insist on ‘Melo, not wanting any part of Stoudemire’s uninsured contract. But if you are the Knicks (which means if you are Jim Dolan), you insist on keeping Anthony because of the price you paid for him and because of the scoring prowess he displayed in Games 3, 4 and 5 of the Knicks-Heat first-round playoff series. You tell whoever the Magic’s next GM is that he can have $3 million of Dolan’s cash instead.

Stay tuned.

By Chris Bernucca

Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando, the events of today notwithstanding, a source close to Howard tells SheridanHoops.com

On the day coach Stan Van Gandy and general manager Otis Smith lost their jobs with the Magic, a source who has spoken with Howard recently said the All-Star center desperately wants to be traded prior to the start of next season.

And although the Brooklyn Nets are still considered the frontrunner, "it is not going to be a one-horse race," the source said, listing the Mavericks, Knicks and — to a lesser degree — the Clippers and Lakers as among the destinations that would appeal to Howard.

Orlando team executives are expected to meet soon with Howard as he recovers from the back surgery he underwent last month in California. If Howard tells them he wants out, they are expected to try to accomodate him and deal him to the highest bidder.

One piece of the puzzle that could influence Howard’s landing spot is whether a team acquiring Howard would be willing to take on the contract of Hedo Turkoglu, who is due to make $23.6 million over the next two seasons. The combined salaries of Howard and Turkoglu will be $30.6 million next season, and few teams will have the cap room or the assets to do a trade in which the salaries match.

by mike bianchi

In case you are scoring at home, it’s now Day 32 since the Dwight Howard Back Rehab Tour left town for Los Angeles.

In that time, the Magic have started and ended the playoffs; Facebook is now a publicly traded stock; President Barack Obama has come out in favor of same-sex marriage; and, for the first time in history, a private spacecraft is ready to launch from Cape Canaveral for a flight to the International Space Station.

But, still, Orlandoans have not heard anything from Dwight about his plans for the future. Not even a Tweet telling Orlando fans he’s doing well and will soon be back home to sign his longterm extension with the Magic.

He is going to sign the extension, right?

I mean I was at the news conference a couple of months ago where Dwight talked about how much he loves Orlando and wants to remain loyal to the city and the organization.

If that’s the case then I’m sure – just as soon as the Magic jettison Coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith – that CEO Alex Martins will call a news conference to announce Dwight’s long-term extension with the Magic.

That’s what’s going to happen, right, Dwight?

Well … RIGHT?

Dwight, are you there?

Dwight, can you hear us?

Dwight, do you miss us?

Day 32 … and counting.

Dwight, phone home.

by Tommy Dee on May 18th

I maintain that people in the league have told me the Knicks will reach out, but talk like this has me starting to question it. And yes, I am having a hard time believing that they will possibly allow a guy with 11 rings go across the river with the best center in the game without making one phone call.

That concept is far from a long shot.

Here is the audio of the aforementioned podcast…

by Evan Dunlap

Eight days have passed since the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, but Orlando has yet to announce any decision on the futures of head coach Stan Van Gundy or Otis Smith, the team's President of Basketball Operations. Though he offers no explanation for the delay, Chad Ford of ESPN.com said in a chat Wednesday, "I think you'll see them let go GM Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy in the next few days." Regarding the fate of superstar center Dwight Howard, Ford says, "I think everyone realizes he's gone sooner or later and the focus will be on how to best rebuild the team."

Van Gundy and Smith, whose contracts run through the 2012/13 season, have already commented publicly about their desires: Van Gundy wants to return to Orlando, while Smith was noncommittal. Magic ownership has said it would wait a few days to "decompress" before making a choice on Van Gundy and Smith.

Howard's contract also runs through 2012/13, and Smith said the eight-year veteran has not re-requested a trade. Howard asked to be dealt to the New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, or Los Angeles Lakers during training camp, but appears to have backed off that request.

We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.

Steve Kyler

@stevekylerNBA

Steve Kyler is the Editor and Publisher of HOOPSWORLD covering the NBA and basketball

Seems like a good time for a Bobby Simmons mix since he may be the Clippers starting small forward for the rest of this series...

From LA Times

Coach Vinny Del Negro hadn't made a decision Monday on who would start. Del Negro said he might start Simmons, a 10-year veteran, because his 6-foot-8, 220-pound frame gives the Clippers more size and strength to deal with Memphis' 6-8 forward Rudy Gay and that allows Young to keep coming off the bench to provide a scoring punch.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- There’s a lot on Mardy Collins’ plate right now. And that’s about to change.

"When I get home, my fiancée, she’s gonna put us on a great diet," he said.

Collins, who scored a game-high 31 points in his L.A. D-Fenders team’s loss to the Austin Toros in Game 3 of the NBA D-League Finals, has some work to do this offseason to complete his NBA comeback. He’s got to work on his defense. And his foul shooting. He could get a little quicker, too. And to do that, he said, he’s gotta shed those 20 pounds.

"When you get hurt you gotta cut back on what you’re eating, and sometimes that’s hard for me," he said with a laugh.

Collins’ season – his first season in the NBA D-League, after four seasons in the NBA – never really got going in 2011-12. A sprained MCL knocked him out for a few weeks, then, after he came back, a tweaked hamstring was there to greet him. So, a season that was supposed to get him back into the Show for the first time since playing with the Clippers in 2010, just ended up better acquainting him with the D-Fenders’ training room.

But over the past three weeks, as the D-Fenders closed up a record-breaking regular season and marched into the Finals, he’s exploded. And on Saturday night, with D-Fenders star Elijah Millsap hampered by a sprained ankle from the second quarter on, Collins became the singular offensive force keeping L.A. in the game.

After injuries picked apart Mardy Collins' year with the D-Fenders, he saved the best for last.

For most of the night Saturday, Collins did whatever he wanted on the offensive end. He used a strong (and long) first step to beat the smaller Toros guards from the perimeter, then used his body to finish on the inside. If the Toros front line of Eric Dawson and Julian Wright collapsed, he’d just pull up and hit a mid-range jumper.

"I’m more tired than anything," he said. "They wore me down in that second half. Johnson picking me up full-court kinda wore me down. I’m so tired."

But until then, Collins had spent the whole night proving – on both sides of the court – that he belongs back in the NBA. He came into this year looking to show himself capable of running and defending the point, but with his size (6-foot-6) and quickness, he could play anywhere from 1 to 3 in the NBA, said D-Fenders coach Eric Musselman.

"Mardy Collins is a utility baseball player who can play four positions at this level, and 3 positions at the NBA level," he said.

Now, it’s just a matter of getting – and staying – healthy, Collins said. He’ll take a few weeks off before he starts training again. Head back to South Jersey. See the kids. Get intimate with the food pyramid.

"I’m gonna work my butt off," he said.

But, if the D-Fenders were going to lose ("With the great season we had, you’d like to close it out better"), Saturday was about as good a send-off into the summer as he could have asked for.

"I wish I could do that consistently throughout the year, but it was a good thing I could finish like that so I can go into summer with a positive attitude."

Clippers Podcast: 4/26

Kevin Arnovitz and Jordan Heimer discuss whether Blake Griffin should strike back and the implications of the Clippers' losing home court in the first round of the postseason. ESPN.com's David Thorpe drops by to break down the Clippers' first-round matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Lost in the all of the Dwight Howard drama is the fact that Jameer Nelson could potentially be in the last year of his contract. Nelson can opt out of his contract at the end of the season. Should Nelson decide to exercise his option and remain with the Magic, he will be owed $7.8 million.

"My thing is, I definitely want to be here next year and for the rest of my career," Nelson told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

Clearly, Nelson wants to remain in Orlando, the only place he’s ever called home during his eight-year career.

Sources have told ESPN Florida that Nelson is indeed going to opt out of his contract, but the reasons why were not specified.

Although Nelson isn’t going to earn $7.8 million on the open market, there are some reasons Nelson would opt out.

First of all, Nelson doesn’t want to be traded. With an expiring contract worth $7.8 million, Nelson would be attractive to teams trying to create cap space for the class of 2013, which includes Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Josh Smith and Monta Ellis, among others. Nelson doesn’t want to stick with the Magic and be traded to a team near the bottom of the standings solely looking to clear cap room. Nelson would rather pick his destination – he doesn’t want it chosen for him.

Another benefit of opting out could be long term security. Nelson could agree to opt out of his contract and sign a lengthy deal worth less money per season to stick with the Magic.

Nelson, who got off to a terrible start, is now averaging 11.9 points and 5.7 assists per game for the Magic this season.

Van Gundy might have some opportunities to work from some other team's bench:

Los Angeles Clippers: Vinny Del Negro apparently lost his team and then re-discovered it. He could be on shakier ground if Van Gundy is suddenly available. Stan would inherit a quality team, led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. It would be the best job for him…unless, ahem, a certain center from Orlando is traded to the Clippers. (Dwight could get him fired and not hired?)

Dwight Howard will continue to rehabilitate his back in Los Angeles throughout the NBA Playoffs, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Tuesday, meaning the six-time All-Star center will not join the team for its postseason run, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Schmitz wonders why Howard can't simply rehab his back in Orlando, while Josh Robbins, Schmitz's Sentinel colleague, reports the team and "Howard's camp" mutually agreed it'd be "impractical" for the center to fly back-and-forth from Los Angeles to Orlando during the playoffs

by Shaun Powell

The Defensive Player of the Year vote will not necessarily be given to the NBA's best defensive player. If it did, Dwight Howard would have it locked up.

No matter your feelings on the subject of what will (and should) be a tight race for the award, it is hard imagining any defender being held in higher regard than Howard.

It's like Karl Malone winning MVP in 1997 (when Michael Jordan was still at the height of his powers). Was "The Mailman" really the best player in basketball? Nope. Voters had Jordan Fatigue. They were tired of him winning

Dwight Howard: You can come up with reasons why he shouldn't win again, and they'd all be a stretch.

Quite simply, Orlando is zip without Howard. If you remove his defense and rebounding -- and rebounding is a form of defense -- then you're looking at the Sacramento Kings ... or maybe worse.

The Magic lack a single player in the rotation other than Howard who has a reputation as a good defender (does Quentin Richardson count?). Opposing players regularly give the Magic guards whiplash by blowing by so quickly. Howard's teammates always beg him to erase their mistakes, which he does.

And here's the ultimate compliment to Howard: Some teams don't even venture into the lane, knowing what lurks.

Even with the contract distractions, this was a typically strong defensive year by Howard before his back gave out two weeks ago.

He lost his crown as the rebound king last season to Kevin Love, but he's back up at the top again, averaging an NBA-best 18.2 rpg. His 10.8 defensive rebounds per game bests both Chandler (6.5 drpg) and Ibaka (4.7 drpg). On defensive rebounds alone, Howard would rank seventh in the league in overall rebounds. Because he is a defensive rebounder deluxe, Howard keeps teams from fattening up on second chances.

Howard also blocked 2.15 shots per game and will likely finish third to Ibaka and Denver's JaVale McGee. Chandler? He's at 1.44 bpg.

Finally, without Howard's defense, Orlando is a deer at a hunter's convention. If you remove Ibaka from OKC, the Thunder will survive. Same is true for Miami and LeBron because of Dwyane Wade. And the Knicks would at least win a fair share without Chandler. The Magic without Howard are 3-6 and fading fast, giving up 99.8 points a game. With him, they allowed 92.0 ppg.

We all know the other reason for an anti-Howard vote: In addition to Howard Fatigue, voters might not like him for the way he handled his contract situation and coach Stan Van Gundy. The Daily Dwama surrounding Howard was indeed irritating, but what does that have to do with the award?

Those twin forces working against Howard -- his award winning streak and his bumpy off-court -- must be ignored, though.

All bias aside, Dwight Howard should win this award. But Tyson Chandler, a fresh face with a cleaner slate, will get it.

Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM broke the story of Dwight Howard opting in on the final year of his contract at the trade deadline. Jarrod now believes that Dwight Howard has played his final game for the Orlando Magic and will seek a fresh start on a new team...

The Maloofs would have had to take a $67 million loan from the NBA to make a Sacramento arena deal happen – money NBA Commissioner David Stern was ready to pay.

The Kings already owe the city about that much and the franchise also is said to owe the NBA anywhere from $75 million to $100 million or more.

Adding $67 million in Stern charity would have pushed the Kings debt to around $200 million.

The Maloofs own only a bit more than 50 percent of the Kings. Forbes magazine values the team at around $300 million.

You do the math: The Maloofs' share of the Kings is worth roughly $150 million and they would have had to take on $200 million to play ball with Sacramento.

That's called being underwater, folks.

3. Contender or pretender: Los Angeles Clippers (have won 12 of 14).

Cavan: Pretender. Coach Vinny Del Negro's white-hot seat has cooled somewhat, but the Clippers' flaws -- inconsistent D, lack of wing punch and, well, coaching -- make them vulnerable to a first-round upset. If the season ended today, they'd be matched against sleeper darling Memphis, which probably won't be thinking too much about its 1-2 regular-season record against the Clips now that the Grizzlies are at full strength.

Foster: Contender. We've seen this story before. A jump-shooting team catches fire in the playoffs as its closer wins a bunch of tight games. I'm not implying the Clippers play anywhere near the level of defense the Dallas Mavericks did last season, but they certainly have been making strides on that end lately. With Chris Paul, anything is possible.

Haberstroh: Contender. For two reasons. Del Negro quietly has this team playing both sides of the floor lately; the Clippers own the NBA's sixth-most-stingiest defense in April. Secondly and more importantly, a guy named Christopher Emmanuel Paul runs the show.

Vafa: Pretender. The Clippers have been impressive this season, particularly in their ability to rid the franchise of years of stigma. But when it comes to title contention, the coaching staff has to be as savvy as the roster is talented and deep. The Clippers clearly have solid talent, but depth and coaching need to be addressed before they can truly contend.

Wade: Pretender. Their defense is a sieve way too often to believe that this team could reach the Finals even in a wide-open Western Conference. Plus, they are the Clippers.

Posted by Charlie Widdoes on April 16, 2012

On March 23rd, the Celtics were three games above .500, grinding their way towards another postseason — perhaps the final one for this core group. They were still fantastic defensively, a cohesive unit well-practiced in Tom Thibodeau’s system, but age had permeated the rotation and a favorable seed was unlikely.

Ray Allen had gone down the night before with an ankle injury, and Doc Rivers had a decision to make. Boston’s offense had struggled all season, but Allen’s ability to use screens and spread the floor was still a vital part of what they did well. Replacing the future Hall of Famer would be difficult.

After a five-game losing streak in mid-February, they had begun to click, going 10-4 over their last 14. Rivers tried veteran wing Mickael Pietrus for one game for matchup purposes against Philadelphia’s bigger guards, then settled on second-year guard Avery Bradley. The move would have a profound impact on their season.

Since Allen’s injury, the Celtics have managed to not only sustain their winning ways, but now lead the Atlantic Division, with a great chance for home court advantage in the first round. Bradley, who was legitimately one of the least productive players in the entire league before he entered the starting lineup, has been the key to their re-birth. What changed? And, what does this have to do with the Clippers?

Video Podcast and the whole gang is here including Kevin Arnovitz...

Kevin Arnovitz is joined by Clippers GM Neil Olshey to discuss the Chris Paul trade, Blake Griffin's reputation, the keys to success in the postseason, Donald Sterling and DeAndre Jordan

Round table video panel with the ClipperBlog crew...

By Jordan Heimer

With Paul at the helm, the Clippers have had a historic season. They've sold out every home game, and lead the league in road attendance. Blake Griffin and Paul became the first two Clippers to start an All-Star Game. Their .607 winning percentage, best in franchise history, has them a mere half-game behind the Lakers in the race for the Pacific Division title they've never captured.

You can make a strong case for Paul's MVP candidacy with numbers alone, particularly if you look at the advanced stats. He trails only LeBron James in pace-adjusted PER, Win Shares, and 82games.com's cumulative "Simple Rating." He leads the league in steals and is third in assists. Last year the Clippers led the league in turnovers; this year they have the third fewest. In other words, he has had an amazing season.

But although it's the hoariest cliché in the MVP-debate column template, numbers alone can't measure Paul's value to the Clippers. The Heat would still be a top-4 team in the East without LeBron James; remove Paul from the Clippers, and they'd be the Kings. Or, more accurately, they'd be last year's Clippers. Three though 12, the roster is an ill-fitting assortment of streaky gunners, one-dimensional role players, and DeAndre Jordan -- an arguably overpaid "defensive specialist" routinely manhandled by the league's elite big men.

Although the preseason hope was that Paul and Griffin would morph into a high-flying John Stockton/Karl Malone with baggier shorts, they've struggled to develop on-court chemistry. Actually, it's hard to think of an elite power forward who would benefit less from Paul's halfcourt mastery than Griffin, who doesn't roll hard to the basket and has difficulty consistently making a midrange jumper off the pick-and-pop. (Imagine, for instance, what Chris Bosh could do with five wide-open looks from the elbow each game).

By Ethan Sherwood Strauss, on January 17th, 2012

When Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard entered the draft, they shared similar physical attributes. Griffin was a half-inch shorter, eight pounds heavier. They jumped the same height on the "max" vertical leap, with Griffin besting Howard in the "no step" vertical by an inch and a half.

Those freaky mantis arms, though. Howard crests out at an incredible 9′ 3.5″ standing reach, 6.5 inches above his otherwise physical doppelganger. Dwight’s wingspan is more than five inches wider than Blake’s. This vast difference in limb length does much to determine why Howard is a center, and the best defender in all of hoops. Those shot-erasing arms stretch so far, far enough to reach into the opposing coach’s lockeroom, wiping those pretty plays from that colorful whiteboard. Blake’s arms are just long enough to pat himself on the back for incredible dunks that appear all the cooler because he flew farther to the target than Dwight would have to.

For some odd reason, reach is the purview of draftniks, but rarely spoken of outside the draft. I believe that we subconsciously internalize length as size or height. Often I hear that Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis are small guards, while PGs like Deron Williams and Derrick Rose are bigger. Curry and Ellis are taller than Williams and Rose, but Deron and Derrick have oak branches for limbs. At some level, the viewer takes note, makes a composite out of all the attributes. I think this is one reason why readers refused to believe my assertion that Dwight Howard is 6-9. The reach makes him seem so much larger.

I hate to be the bearer of Blake Griffin negativity, but it is only because I respect reach as meaningful, predictive. If we are to speak to his promise while citing his physique, why not make pessimistic extrapolations as well? Blake is great, he’s thrilling and charismatic. Just don’t expect him to be a defensive force. It’s likely out of arm’s length.

Kevin Arnovitz and Jordan Heimer are joined on the Clippers Podcast by Justin Verrier of ESPN.com to discuss Blake Griffin's latest "heel" turn, Eric Bledsoe's emergence, and the problem that is Nick Young.

By DENNIS DEITCH

In the last 20 years, only one Sixers coach has made it through four or more seasons -- Larry Brown. Since Brown’s six-year reign ended after the 2002-03 season, seven coaches have been in charge.
Five of them have coached Iguodala during his eight seasons in Philadelphia. The last four have tried to mold him into a leader. Those attempts have failed.
As the going has gotten rough for the Sixers, Iguodala has been at his worst -- not as a player, but as a team member.
The eye-rolling has returned. The passive-aggressive critiques of teammates have returned -- never delivered as a leader trying to squeeze more out of them. Instead, Iguodala had a Sports Illustrated quote where he mocked Lou Williams as a scorer who doesn’t defend -- something Iguodala "can’t understand."
And yet one of the most striking statistics you’ll ever see when it comes to a player’s failure in the clutch hangs around Iguodala’s neck.
In the fourth quarter this season, Iguodala -- a career 74 percent free-throw shooter who has gone as high as 82 percent from the line in a single season -- is shooting 17-for-41 (41.5 percent) from the line. When the game is within six points, he is 9-for-24 (37.5 percent). And in the last three minutes of the final quarter, he is 5-for-16 (31.3 percent).
For a team whose initial unraveling began due to an inability to win tight games, Iguodala not only has been a questionable leader, but also an unquestionable scourge when the need to score falls in his hands.
It is why, after years of doing things the other way, the Sixers organization will stand by their coach and almost certainly find a new home for the All-Star.

Wouldn't mind trading for him this off-season...

By Tom Ziller

The implication is that while Griffin is treated with kid gloves, a player with the reputation of Cousins is not. And that's absolutely correct ... to a point. I think perhaps the target of Boogie's fire is slightly misplaced. Griffin does have nine technical fouls on the season. (Cousins is No. 2 in the league with 12.) Griffin is No. 4 in the league in fouls per game. (Cousins is No. 1.) The league hasn't given Griffin carte blanche to be a jerk.

But much of the rest of the world has. You will never ever hear media question Griffin's overall status as a good kid, which is fair, because there has been little to suggest he is not a good kid. Now consider how Cousins is portrayed: as some kind of monster. They do the same things: complain too much, stare down opponents, flap their jaws. One maintains a golden halo, the other wears a demon's horns. That's not fair, and that's a point I think Boogie is trying to make. Griffin is babied not by the league or the refs or the media. Cousins is simply unfairly portrayed far too frequently. That's where the inequity lays.

If and when the Magic and Van Gundy decide to part ways, he won't lack for options. In fact, he'll immediately become one of the league's hottest coaching candidates. Van Gundy is one of nine active coaches to take a team to the NBA Finals (if we still consider Phil Jackson active). He has never had a losing season and boasts gaudy career winning percentages of .644 overall and .573 in playoff games. He's had some help, obviously, as Shaquille O'Neal (with the Heat) and Dwight Howard were his two centers, but even this season he's managed to keep the Magic on a winning track despite all the behind-the-scenes issues with Howard.

While Van Gundy may decide to take it easy for a year if he's out of a job, he would have his pick this offseason from several jobs that are either already open or will possibly become open.

So where might he end up? Let's sort through the candidates:

The favorites
L.A. Clippers: If Van Gundy could stomach working for owner Donald Sterling (word of advice, Stan: Get all your money paid up front), this would be a great gig because Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are the franchise centerpieces. We don't know how long Paul will stick around, but Griffin probably isn't going anywhere after he signs a max extension, and Van Gundy would add the credibility that might persuade both players to stay.

Additionally, he'd fix what most ails them. Van Gundy's teams have always played great defense even when he hasn't had particularly great defensive talent on his roster, so he'd likely repair a struggling Clippers defense that has been their weak link this season.

Vinny Del Negro still has this job, but his contract expires after the season and he has been rumored to be on thin ice. L.A. has won seven of eight to keep the dogs at bay, but he probably needs to win two playoff rounds to get another contract.