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NBA roundup: Cavs open to trading top draft pick

Alan Draper profile picture
Sports Editor
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Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said Wednesday thatteams throughout the league have been contacting him about potential trades for the No. 1 draft pick.

Griffin said the phone started ringing immediately after the Cavaliers won the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night. He said will be keep an open mind leading into the June 26 draft.

The Cavs have won the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second straight year and third time in the past four overall. On Tuesday night, they moved up from the ninth spot despite just a 1.7 percent chance of winning the top selection.

The top picks in this year’s draft are expected to include two Kansas teammates: center Joel Embiid and forward Andrew Wiggins. Other highly touted prospects include Kentucky forward Julius Randle and Duke forward Jabari Parker. Sources told ESPN.com that the 7-foot Embiid is the early front-runner for the top pick as long as his back is OK.

—Indiana Pacers forward Paul George suffered a concussion after taking a knee to the back of the head during the loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, the team announced Wednesday.

George must now satisfy all the protocols set forth in the NBA’s concussion policy before he can play Game 3 of the series in Miami on Saturday. The series is tied 1-1.

George took a knee to the back of the head from Dwyane Wade with 6:49 left in the Heat’s 87-83 victory on Tuesday night.

The 24-year-old George is averaging a team-high 21.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 42.5 percent during the playoffs.

—The Los Angeles Lakers interviewed Mike Dunleavy for their vacant head coaching job on Wednesday, Yahoo! Sports reported.

The job has been open for a month since it was decided that Mike D’Antoni would not return for the 2014-15 season. Reports indicate that the New York Knicks also are interested in Dunleavy as a possible candidate for their open coaching position.

The 60-year-old Dunleavy last coached in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2010. In 17 seasons as a head coach, he compiled a 613-716 record and led teams to seven playoff appearances. Dunleavy coached the Clippers from 2003 to 2010 and the Lakers from 1990 to 1992. He led the Lakers to a 101-63 record with one trip to the NBA Finals in 1991.

—Memphis Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger received permission to interview with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are searching for a replacement for retired Rick Adelman.

Joerger, a Minnesota native whose professional ties to Wolves president Flip Saunders go back several years, led the Grizzlies to a 50-32 record and the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Memphis lost in the deciding game of a best-of-seven series to the Oklahoma City Thunder with All-Star Zach Randolph serving a one-game suspension in Game 7.

Since the end of the season, the Grizzlies underwent major changes in the front office to the extent that Joerger will not soon know the exact chain of command above him.

—Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson has been fined $5,000 for violating the anti-flopping rules during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the league announced Wednesday.

The incident occurred with 3:37 remaining in the third quarter of Indiana’s 87-83 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Stephenson scored a game-high 25 points, including 10 in the third quarter.

Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.

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