Milwaukee Bucks Links: Combine Combinations Edition

Dec. 29, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; From left Utah Jazz former assistant coach Phil Johnson , former Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan and current Jazz vice president Kevin O

NBA.com:  Former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was at the NBA’s scouting combine in Chicago yesterday, but he was there  with the Jazz, not the Bucks.  Sloan will not be filling the head coaching vacancy for the Bucks.

"“The bottom line is, Jerry doesn’t really feel it’s the right fit for him right now,” (agent Keith) Glass said Thursday. “He’s interested (in coaching again). He’s in Chicago now watching the Pre-Draft. And his name keeps popping up with every job, and he hasn’t applied for anything. He had a real nice meeting with them. They came to see him on his farm (in downstate Illinois). They had a great meeting just in terms of liking each other. (Bucks general manager) John Hammond said ‘I wish I could have stayed and watched the game with him.’ It’s just not the right fit for Jerry, from Jerry’s point of view. That’s not a negative thing; that’s just the reality.”"

Actually, it is a negative thing.  Sloan is 71, took a look at the Bucks and the project facing them and decided, “No, thank you.” Is it good to be giddy over a rejection?

Glass also used to the opportunity to stick a few jabs in on behalf of ex-Bucks coach Scott Skiles, essentially saying that both Skiles and Sloan wanted no part of Milwaukee because they aren’t aren’t a team that is “ready to compete”.

Racine Journal Times: In a profile on Vander Blue and his chances and getting picked in the upcoming NBA draft, Gery Woelfel included a few interesting tidbits of scuttlebutt.

"The Bucks are expected to draft a guard with their first pick, the 15th overall selection. But they have shown interest in three big men: Rudy Gobert of France, Gorgui Dieng of Louisville and Mason Plumlee of Duke. They have interviewed all of those players and are expected work them out before the draft as well."

Hammond has indicated in the past that he believes the best strategy is to draft for talent and to sign free agents and make trades for need.  Even though the Bucks have one guard (and it’s Ish Smith) under contract for next season, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise for the Bucks to pick a big.  But if they do aim smaller,

"The Bucks also interviewed shooting guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of Georgia and Jamaal Franklin of San Diego State."

On Jeff Weltman losing out on the Suns’ GM spot:

"Some NBA officials were shocked Weltman didn’t get the Suns general manager’s job, saying they felt he had a verbal agreement with Suns president Lon Babby and that Suns managing partner Robert Sarver nixed the deal."

Judging by his unhappiness with the Bucks at the end of the season, a glumness which deeply contrasted the fawning praise that he heaped on Orlando weeks before, here’s an understatement.

"There is growing sentiment Bucks backup guard J.J. Redick, who is an unrestricted free agent, will sign with another team in July."

And did Stan Van Gundy seriously consider the Bucks before opting to pass?

"Sources continue to insist former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was in Milwaukee last week. Van Gundy is among numerous coaches the Bucks have expressed interest in for their vacant head coaching position."

The Business Journal:  The arena issue continues to linger in the shadows.  Since his May 2012 statements indicating Milwaukee’s need to implement a new downtown arena, Senator Herb Kohl has kept mum on the issue.  If it turns out that he is willing to spend his own money to partially, approximately how much would he put forth?

"The only expert I interviewed who was willing to predict a dollar figure on Kohl’s contribution is Milwaukee attorney Marty Greenberg, whose specialties include sports-related development. Greenberg believes the number is $100 million."

The NBA and the Bucks have targeted 2017 as the date when a new arena would need to replace the BMO Harris Bradley center.

Sacramento Bee:  Speaking of lurking in the shadows, the Sacramento deal is all but official.  The NBA nixed Seattle’s bid to relocate the Kings, and the current owners of the Kings, the Maloof family, have agreed to the terms of a deal to sell the Kings to a group interested in keeping the team in place.

"Ranadive added, “We just need to sign some papers and finalize everything.” If the NBA approves the deal, a source told The Bee, escrow is expected to close at the end of May.The source, a stakeholder close to the deal, said the Maloof family was eager to “turn the page” and was pleased it was able to sell to a group that will keep the team in Sacramento.The deal would set the team’s overall value at $535 million, an NBA record."

Emory University (h/t @jhartzell2): A sports marketing professor blogs that the Bucks have the 11th-best fan loyalty in the NBA when adjusted for factors of size and scope.

"In contrast, our method uses statistical models of team revenue results to measure which fan base best votes with their wallets.  Basically, what we do is estimate a statistical model of team box office revenues as a function of the team’s winning percentage, team payroll, market population, arena capacity, number of all-stars, and other factors that capture the quality of the team’s product and revenue potential in a given year."

The top three were New York, Chicago, and Boston, while Detroit, Atlanta, and Brooklyn filled up the bottom three spots.