Truth & Rumors > NBA

01:20 PM ET 05.22 | In an increasingly unusual situation, Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew interviewed for the Milwaukee Bucks' head coaching vacancy recently. Even though he's still under contract with Atlanta, the team gave Drew no assurances that he'll remain on board for next season, so the coach has begun seeking out possible alternatives. Drew claims the meeting with Milwaukee went well, so he could find another job soon even if he's not retained by the Hawks. At this point, it's rather difficult to imagine GM Danny Ferry keeping Drew around after putting him through this lame duck situation, but Atlanta has yet to announce any official decision. Until then, Drew is still the Hawks' coach, even as he interviews with other teams.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

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07:11 AM ET 05.22 | Vinny Del Negro is out, and Los Angeles' search for a head coach will begin immediately. One source with knowledge of the Clippers' thinking said Phil Jackson would "pretty much be excluded" from consideration because of his engagement to Lakers executive Jeanie Buss. While the source insisted it wasn't a reflection on Jackson's coaching ability, it would simply be "too creepy" for the Clippers to bring in a coach who was engaged to the owner of their crosstown rival. Jackson repeatedly has insisted that he's not interested in a return to coaching, preferring a front-office role instead. ... Del Negro had a 128-102 regular-season record in three seasons with the team.

ESPN Los Angeles

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07:10 AM ET 05.22 | Cleveland hasn't won a whole lot lately, which is how it wound up with Tuesday's win in the lottery in the first place. When the Cavaliers learned they would have the No. 1 pick for the second time in two years thanks to a lucky lottery draw, it was mostly disbelief. ... An already-young roster paired with what is generally considered to be a weak draft means that questions already are being asked about whether the Cavaliers will trade the No. 1 pick. The top selection in the draft has only been traded once in the lottery era, in 1993. "We're open," [Chris Grant] said. "We're going to look at all our options and make the decision based on what's best for the franchise -- short-term and long-term."

The Plain Dealer

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07:09 AM ET 05.22 | Finally, the talking will be over and the Heat and Pacers will open their Eastern Conference finals series. Dwyane Wade's sore knee strikes me as Miami Heat vulnerability. So does the sloppy, referee-assisted way the Heat disposed of the M.A.S.H. unit disguised as the Chicago Bulls. The Miami Heat are vulnerable. They can be beaten. These NBA playoffs are not a Heat coronation. ... Look, I'm not saying the Pacers are going to beat the Heat in this series. I'm saying the Heat are vulnerable, and they know it. LeBron knows it. That's why he's pretending Pacers coach Frank Vogel disrespected the Heat by not calling Miami just another team. LeBron is looking for an emotional edge because he knows Miami's physical edge is much less pronounced.

FOX Sports

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07:08 AM ET 05.22 | The draft lottery behind them and the draft itself ahead, the 76ers have another large item of business in the form of impending free agent Andrew Bynum. The Sixers have exclusive rights to negotiate with [Bynum], who earned $16.5 million despite not playing at all last season due to knee injuries. Free agency begins July 1. ... If the Sixers' basketball people want to re-sign Bynum or bring in another big-money player, [Josh Harris] said he would be kept in the loop and seriously consider it. "Certainly on that kind of decision, I would be briefed and understand the thought process," Harris said. "The way I tend to work with people, both in the Sixers and my day job (as a leveraged buyout specialist), is I give the team the benefit of the doubt."

PhillBurbs.com

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