HoopsHype.com Rumors

Hollins said he's confident in his status because Grizzlies management recently told him they wanted him back. "The only conversations we've had is they said they wanted me back," Hollins told ESPN. "After we lost the first two games to the Clippers, we had a friendly conversation about the series and how they just wanted me personally to know that regardless of what's being said out there, this is how they felt. "That was great." ESPN.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Coaching, Lionel Hollins 

Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins has no contractual obligation to the franchise beyond this season, but he is hopeful he'll get to keep coaching what he's helped build here. "There's no question," Hollins told ESPN when asked if he hoped to be back with the Grizzlies after the season. "When you build something you want to see it through to the fruition of it all. "Hopefully we'll win a championship at the end of the year. But that would just be a starting point. Then you want to be a perennial championship contender." ESPN.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Coaching, Lionel Hollins 

Chris Broussard: Lionel Hollins will be highly coveted if Memphis doesn't re-sign him as coach after season. Nets 1 team that will b interested, source says Twitter @Chris_Broussard

Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Lionel Hollins 

Eli Savoie: Tony Allen says Mike Conley is one of the top 5 point guards in the league Twitter @Eli560

Memphis Grizzlies, Tony Allen, Mike Conley 

Royce Young: Tony Allen: "We're going to have to scout Derek Fisher more and see where he was killing us." Twitter @dailythunder

Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, Derek Fisher, Tony Allen 

Jeff Caplan: Tony Allen on Steph Curry: "He’s not a point guard. He’s a shooting guard. He’s just in a point guard’s body." Twitter @Caplan_NBA

Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Tony Allen, Stephen Curry 

Royce Young: Hollins was asked why he didn't use Tony Allen on KD, like in years past: "That's a few years ago ... Durant's a few years older." Twitter @dailythunder

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Tony Allen 

Evans Clinchy: Mike Conley's take on the lack of an OKC timeout in the final seconds: "When you've got KD, I don't think it really matters." Twitter @evansclinchy

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Mike Conley 

The Cavs can be as much as $18 million under the salary cap on July 1. A couple free-agent signings could go a long way in reshaping their rebuilding project. They appear to have some interest in Memphis shooting guard Tony Allen, an unrestricted free agent. News-Herald

Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Free Agency, Tony Allen 

Darnell Mayberry: Tayshaun Prince will start on Durant. Tony Allen will start on Thabo Sefolosha. But Allen expects to be on all OKC's perimeter players. Twitter @DarnellMayberry

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Thabo Sefolosha 

Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins' contract is also expiring. It would be a monumental mistake for the front office of Jason Levien and Stu Nash, both former agents, to allow him to walk. Talk is that he is far too outspoken for their tastes — something also whispered about Scott in Cleveland. Hollins would be out of work less than a week. News-Herald

Memphis Grizzlies, Coaching, Lionel Hollins 

Whoever runs the Memphis Grizzlies’ Instagram account has a wicked sense of humor. The sixth and final game of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Clippers was a rough affair, with Blake Griffin and Zach Randolph getting on the floor at one point. The Grizzlies, a team known for their self-proclaimed “grit-and-grind” style, owned this, posting a picture of Blake getting knocked around by a few Memphis players with the caption “WHOOP THAT CLIP.” As chants go, it’s more creative than “Honey Nut Cheerios.” For The Win

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Blake Griffin 

John Hollinger: Congrats to @Daryl Morey /bad news for rest of us in West. MT @Jonathan Feigen Rockets signed GM Daryl Morey to a 4-yr extension this week Twitter @johnhollinger

Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Daryl Morey, Leslie Alexander, John Hollinger 

Some NBA players genuinely dislike each other. At this point, it’s safe to put Blake Griffin and Zach Randolph at that level. The first-round playoff series between Griffin’s Los Angeles Clippers and Randolph’s Memphis Grizzlies has been defined by physical play, as have their games throughout the regular season. And Blake and Z-Bo have always been at the center of that. In Game 6 of the playoffs, the two feisty big men turned a battle for a rebound into a full-blown wrestling match. Randolph got whistled for a technical, even though it looks like most of the contact was initiated by Griffin. If this series goes to a seventh game, they might have to build the court in the shape of an octagon. For The Win

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph 

With three minutes left on the clock, Memphis leading 111-99 and the outcome already decided, Clippers wing Caron Butler committed a loose ball foul that sent Grizzlies forward Tayshaun Prince to the charity stripe. After Prince made his first freebie, Paul and Billups chatted at the 3-point arc about their respective responsibilities on the live ball after the second free throw. Billups told Paul he'd go box out the shooter; Paul's task, then, was to head down the lane to help out on Grizzlies center Marc Gasol. Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph, Referees 

Rob Fischer: Practice- @memgrizz Marc Gasol, "There's no sense of revenge. There wasn't in Game 1, it's not in Game 6. It's a basketball game......" Twitter

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

Asked how Griffin's high right ankle sprain injury might affect the matchup of power forwards when the two teams meet on Friday for Game 6 of their first-round series, Randolph was dismissive, reminding reporters that he was nursing his own injuries. "Banged up?" Randolph said. "I'm banged up. You forgot about my ankle? Banged up. My ankle is as big as a balloon. Talk to the trainers. I'm getting treatment every day. It's the playoffs." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph 

"Last year when I played in the playoffs, I wasn't 100 percent, but I was out there, so I had to be 100 percent," Randolph said. "It's the playoffs. It's a big-boy game." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph 

Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph expressed no sympathy on Thursday for the condition of Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin. Asked how Griffin's high right ankle sprain injury might affect the matchup of power forwards when the two teams meet on Friday for Game 6 of their first-round series, Randolph was dismissive, reminding reporters that he was nursing his own injuries. "Banged up?" Randolph said. "I'm banged up. You forgot about my ankle? Banged up. My ankle is as big as a balloon. Talk to the trainers. I'm getting treatment every day. It's the playoffs." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph, Injuries 

The Sixers are also strongly considering Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, and closely monitoring the contract talks of Lionel Hollins and the Memphis Grizzlies. Hollins could be a free agent at season's end. Yahoo! Sports

Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, Coaching, Brian Shaw, Lionel Hollins