Brian T. Smith of The Columbian reports... ---------------- ... there had been rumblings in recent weeks within the organization that Penn's job was at stake. The primary reason was that Penn had a tendency to rub many of those he worked with the wrong way, the source said, and was seen as being a "ladder climber." ---------------- There's no denying that Penn possesses a curt directness and analytical approach to just about everything he does. However with the draft approaching rapidly -- the team's busiest time of year -- this seems a strange time to abruptly fire a crucial member of your executive staff for stepping on someone's toes. Wendell Maxey tweeted some league-wide speculation that perhaps Penn was in negotiations with the Clippers for their GM position. I suppose something like that would count as "ladder climbing" and would verge on the fireable, wouldn't it? -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter