Latest Linkage: Playoffs, Kings, Draft and more

At SI.com…

* Heat is on Maloofs as relocation deadline nears (April 28)

* Kobe goes retro, and Lakers follow his lead in critical Game 5 win (April 27)

* (VIDEO) Talking draft with SI.com anchor Maggie Gray (April 25)

* Maloofs undecided, but signs point to Kings staying put (April 23)

* Internationals gain notice as top college prospects put NBA on hold (April 21)

* Strong indications Kings may be in Sacramento next year (April 20)

* Adelman’s time in Houston never went according to plan (April 18)

Latest Linkage: From the haves (Lakers, Celtics) to the have-nots (Kings, Warriors)

Here’s my latest at SI.com…

* New developments in Sacramento’s fight to keep Kings team (April 16)

* Warriors’ hiring of agent sheds light on NBA’s new ‘mini-trend’ (April 16)

* Nets to host massive draft workout (April 14)

* NBA fines Lakers, Jackson $75K for coach’s lockout comments (April 14)

* To fans’ dismay, Kings era in Sacramento appears to have ended (April 14)

* Lakers, Celtics suffering together as postseason looms (April 13)

* Lakers have lost their way as playoffs near (April 11)

Latest Linkage: Jay-Z Gets Fined, NBA Coaching Carousel and Larry Brown’s Never-Ending Career

Here’s my latest at SI.com…

* Nets minority owner and rapper Jay-Z fined $50,000 for illegal contact with Kentucky players

* Talking NBA Coaching Carousel

* Larry Brown wants UNLV job

Now it’s off to Los Angeles for Sunday’s Lakers game against Oklahoma City, a late-season rematch of last season’s first-round playoff series. The Lake-show has lost four straight for the second time this season coming in, strange as that might seem, and I’ll let ESPNLA’s Arash Markazi provide the necessary context at his feed here. For the lazy ones out there, here are the Cliff Notes on his tweets: four-game losing streak don’t bode well for championship odds.

– Sam Amick

Phil Jackson, Kings Advocate or Lakers Agent?

OAKLAND, Calif. – Phil Jackson was waxing poetic about his pro-Sacramento Kings stance on Wednesday night at Oracle Arena, and pardon me if I don’t think it had much to do with anything but his organization’s wallet.

The Lakers coach is obviously the longtime boyfriend of Jeanie Buss, the team’s executive vice president and resident daughter of team owner Jerry Buss. The Lakers, as has been well-chronicled by now, stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in TV revenue if the Kings become the Anaheim Royals. Connecting dots wasn’t this easy in grade-school.

That being said, Kings fans might be forced to look at the Zen Master and his Southern California colleagues in a more positive light if they continue to speak out against this relocation process. I explained why today in a piece for SI.com, which – as a side announcement – I’m thrilled to report is my new exclusive, journalistic home. Fully recognizing how counter-intuitive the notion of warming to P-Jax might be for this particular faction of the hoops-loving public, I pose this question…