Pete Babcock not in Portland GM running

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http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha...3/25nbanot.html

" Rim shots. . .

After 76ers coach Larry Brown's team was knocked out of the playoffs, he hinted that he might not return. Brown is known to say this a lot, but he sounds serious this time. "This is more so. I don't know if it's so much [a thought to] retire, it's whether I can do it here," Brown said. . . .While Terry Stotts awaits his coaching fate, the man he hired as a consultant and advanced scout this year, Mike Thibault, made his coaching debut for the WNBA's Connecticut Sun Saturday. . . .

Hawks director of basketball operations Billy Knight and former general manager Pete Babcock have been mentioned as possible candidates for the general manager vacancy in Washington. Babcock is not in the running for the Portland job. . . . After James reportedly signed a 7-year, $90 million shoe deal with Nike Thursday, Nike shares rose 39 cents to $52.24 on the New York Stock Exchange. . . . The Chicago Tribune is speculating the Bulls could package the No. 1 pick with three or four players like Jalen Rose, Marcus Fizer and either Jay Williams or Jamal Crawford and maybe even Tyson Chandler in a deal for Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Kevin Garnett . But Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale has not hit panic mode after his team failed to make it out of the first round for seventh straight year, and he still regrets his haste in dealing Stephon Marbury in 1999. "

I hope the dude doesn't get another GM job.