1:47pm: The Nuggets have officially announced the hiring of Connelly in a press release.
"We are extremely excited to have Tim join the Denver Nuggets organization," Kroenke said in a statement. "He comes from a great basketball background, possesses an incredibly strong work ethic and is a wonderful person. His passion and energy for the game of basketball are contagious and I am confident that he will be a great fit with us in Denver."
10:09am: The Nuggets have decided on their new head of basketball operations, agreeing to hire Tim Connelly to replace Masai Ujiri, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Connelly's official title in Denver will be executive VP of basketball operations.
Connelly, who had previously been working as an assistant GM for the Pelicans, was named by Wojnarowski last month as a candidate for the Denver opening. Connelly was also linked to the GM job with the Timberwolves. He'll take the reins with a franchise that has lost its GM, its top assistant GM, and its head coach in the last several weeks.
Since the Nuggets' season ended with a first-round loss to Golden State, Ujiri has been hired as the Raptors' new head of basketball operations, Pete D'Alessandro has reached an agreement to become the Kings' general manager, and George Karl was let go by Denver when the two sides couldn't agree on an extension.
One of the first tasks facing Connelly this summer will be Andre Iguodala's free agency. Iguodala decided to exercise his early termination option and hit the open market, though he and the Nuggets have mutual interest in a new deal that keeps him in Denver.
Connelly also figures to assist team president Josh Kroenke in hiring a head coach to replace Karl. Lionel Hollins is scheduled to interview with the Nuggets on Wednesday, while Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports that the club will meet with Brian Shaw on Tuesday.
Monta Ellis has informed the Bucks he'll exercise the early termination option on his contract, eliminating the final year of the deal, reports ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. The move means Ellis will officially become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Ellis' decision doesn't come as a surprise, since we heard two months ago he was likely to opt out. The Bucks reportedly offered Ellis an extension that would have hinged on him declining the ETO to receive an overall three-year, $36MM commitment from the team. Considering the veteran guard apparently passed on that offer, it was only a matter of time until he officially opted out to test the open market.
The 2013/14 option on Ellis' deal would have paid him $11MM. I'm skeptical that he'll see many offers that match or exceed that annual salary. However, if he can secure a long-term deal at a slightly lesser yearly rate, the decision still makes sense -- especially if he prefers to play for a team besides the Bucks.
Based on multiple reports, it appears likely that the Kings will have some level of interest in Ellis, who figures to draw attention from plenty of clubs in need of backcourt help. Broussard identifies the Hawks, Mavericks, and Lakers as other probable suitors for Ellis, though the Lakers would seem to be a long shot, given their cap situation.
Ellis becomes the second player to exercise an early termination option on his contract this offseason. Andre Iguodala opted out of his deal last week, though the other players who have ETOs for 2013/14 are unlikely to exercise them.
The Rockets have told the agents for Carlos Delfino and Aaron Brooks that the team will not pick up the options on their contracts for next season, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The same is true for Francisco Garcia, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reported last month that the team will decline his option as well. The result is a savings of $11.908MM that the Rockets plan to put toward their pursuit of a marquee free agent.
Technically, Delfino and Brooks have non-guaranteed contracts for next season that would become fully guaranteed if they're not waived by June 30th, according to ShamSports.com. Essentially, that amounts to a team option on both. Delfino was set to make $3MM and Brooks $2.508MM, while Garcia's team option is worth $6.4MM next season.
The moves could be some of the last under the current phase of the team's roster construction, as Feigen details. If the team signs a big-time free agent this summer, with Dwight Howard as its primary target, it will shift toward an emphasis on veterans. The Rockets would prefer to avoid the luxury tax in coming seasons, but they're willing to go deep into the tax to keep many of their own players who are set to hit free agency in 2015, including Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Beverley.
GM Daryl Morey and company will emphasize to free agents that the team has all of its future first-round picks, after having given up this year's first-rounder, and note that those draft choices can be traded for veterans. They'll also point to the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions the team will have once it goes over the cap as a means to acquire additional veterans.
In the past few seasons, Houston has turned over its roster in pursuit of superstars, but the team appears confident it will soon have a core it can build around for the long haul. The team pursued a similar veterans-first strategy in the early days of Morey's leadership, when Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming were star players.
3:40pm: The Kings still want to add a consultant to the front office mix, USA Today's Sam Amick reports, adding that he doesn't think they'll hire "one of the usual suspects who was interviewed." In any case, D'Alessandro is expected to lead the front office, Amick says. (Twitter links).
2:33pm: TNT's David Aldridge and USA Today's Sam Amick have confirmed Wojnarowski's report (Twitter links). Ken Berger of CBSSports.com hears the Kings are still deciding whether to hire another front office executive to pair with D'Alessandro and says Wallace would be the leading candidate for that position. Wallace remains under contract as GM of the Grizzlies, but he's been pushed to the side under the new, analytics-driven leadership of owner Robert Pera and CEO Jason Levien.
2:09pm: The Kings and Pete D'Alessandro have reached an agreement on a deal that would make him Sacramento's new GM, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. D'Alessandro has been serving as vice president of basketball operations for the Nuggets, and was the chief assistant to former Denver GM Masai Ujiri. The Nuggets were reportedly leaning toward D'Alessandro for their GM vacancy, but it appears they'll have to move to other candidates.
The hire is somewhat of a surprise, since D'Alessandro's name wasn't one of several that were said to be in the mix as recently as two days ago. Chris Wallace, David Morway and Scott Layden appeared to be the front-runners at that point. Perhaps one of them or another executive will join D'Alessandro in the front office, since new owner Vivek Ranadive has indicated he might want to hire a tandem of someone with experience and a relatively fresh face to lead the team's basketball ops.
One possible front office partner for D'Alessandro could be Chris Mullin, the former Warriors GM under whom D'Alessandro served from 2004 to 2008. Mullin's name came up in connection with the Kings job via multiple reports.
Marvin Williams has declined his early termination option and will remain under contract with the Jazz for the 2013/14 season, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Declining an ETO shouldn't be confused with declining a player option -- in this case, Williams has decided not to terminate his contract early, meaning he won't hit free agency this offseason.
Williams, a former second overall pick, established career-lows in MPG (23.7), PPG (7.2), and PER (10.9) in his first season with the Jazz. As such, it wouldn't have been surprising to see him opt for his $7.5MM salary in 2013/14, even if he were healthy. Considering Williams is also recovering from Achilles surgery that's expected to keep him out of action for several months, his decision comes as even less of a shock.
With Williams now officially on the books for next season, the Jazz have six players on guaranteed contracts for a total of $25.33MM. That leaves plenty of room for the team to explore ways to improve the roster, whether that means making trades, signing outside free agents, or bringing back its own free agents like Paul Millsap and/or Al Jefferson.
Brandon Rush has officially exercised his 2013/14 player option to remain with the Warriors, agent Mark Bartelstein confirms to Hoops Rumors. According to RealGM.com's transactions log, Rush made the decision official earlier this week.
Rush's 2012/13 season came to a premature end when the 27-year-old tore his ACL during the season's opening week. While a successful year in Golden State may have resulted in Rush opting out this summer, it's no surprise that he'd elect the security of another year at $4MM coming off such a serious injury.
In his last full season ('11/12), Rush posted career-highs in PPG (9.8), FG% (.501), PER (15.2), and a handful of other categories. Assuming he's healthy by the fall, Rush will give Golden State another deadly outside shooter to go along with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson -- for his career, the Kansas product has shot 41.3% from three-point range.
As I wrote when I previewed the Warriors' offseason, Rush's decision to opt in means that the team will have $69MM+ committed to 10 players for next season. That will make it tricky for the club to bring back free agents such as Jarrett Jack or Carl Landry without going well into tax territory.
Jason Kidd will serve as head coach of the Nets next season, according to Yahoo! NBA columnist Adrian Wojnarowski. The story was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer's John Mitchell and the hiring was confirmed by the Nets in a Wednesday night press release. Kidd will be introduced to the media in a Thursday press conference.
After much speculation about who would take over for interim lead man P.J. Carlesimo, culminating with a climactic five-hour interview on Wednesday with Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw, it appears the job will go to Kidd, a future Hall of Fame point guard who spent last season playing for the Knicks.
Kidd's contract will be guaranteed for three years and might include an option on the fourth year. He's currently targeting Lawrence Frank and Tim Grgurich as his top assistants. Kidd has no coaching experience, but the Nets believe the blueprint set by Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, also a successful player who took that job with no experience and led his team to the second round of the playoffs this season, bodes well.
Kidd, a ten-time All-Star, spent six seasons with the Nets and most notably led them to the NBA Finals twice in a row after a lengthy playoff drought. While the Nets were runners-up to the Lakers and Spurs, Kidd finally won a title with the Mavericks in 2011.
It will be interesting to watch how Kidd does for a number of reasons, but the most compelling aspect will be to see how he deals with player discord, given his reputation as a coach killer. Of course, star point guard Deron Williams has been given the same tag by many observers, though he has denied having a hand in Jerry Sloan's retirement in Utah and expressed surprise and disappointment after Avery Johnson was fired in Brooklyn.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
9:56am: Pargo's deal with CSKA Moscow is actually worth $5.2MM in total, for two years, agent Brad Ames tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). For a player whose largest NBA contract was a two-year, $2MM pact, that's a pretty strong incentive to head overseas.
TUESDAY, 8:13am: CSKA Moscow has officially announced Pargo's signing, as passed along in English by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
FRIDAY, 2:04pm: Pargo's deal with CSKA Moscow will be a two-year pact that he intends to play out, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The wording of Charania's tweet suggests Pargo will earn $2.2MM in total, rather than annually, which would make more sense.
10:00am: After having been released by both the Cavaliers and 76ers during the 2012/13 season, Jeremy Pargo appears to be lining up a deal to play overseas. According to Emiliano Carchia and David Pick of Sportando, Pargo has agreed to terms with CSKA Moscow. Pick tweets that the deal would pay the point guard $2.2MM, which almost certainly exceeds any salary he'd land in the NBA.
Pargo, the younger brother of Jannero Pargo, appeared in a total of 39 games for the Cavs and Sixers in '12/13, averaging 6.8 PPG and 2.4 APG in 16.8 minutes per contest. His most successful stretch of the season came when he was subbing in for the injured Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, recording double-digit points in seven games -- that run included a 28-point performance against the Sixers, the team he'd join a few weeks later. The 27-year-old is also no stranger to international ball, having previously played for two Israeli teams from 2009 to 2011.
Assuming the deal is finalized, Pargo will be far from the first player to make the jump from the NBA to CSKA Moscow. Past and present NBA veterans such as Andrei Kirilenko, Alexey Shved, Sonny Weems, and Nenad Krstic have played for the European powerhouse in just the last couple years.
7:00pm: The Grizzlies have confirmed in a press release that Hollins won't receive a new contract and that the team will begin searching for a new head coach.
"After a thorough internal process, which included conversations with Lionel and his representatives, we decided as an organization to move in a different direction," said CEO Jason Levien in a statement.
5:38pm: Lionel Hollins is out as the Grizzlies' head coach, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, who reports (via Twitter) that the team won't extend Hollins' contract.
With Hollins' contract set to expire at the end of June and an oft-mentioned "difference in philosophies" between the head coach and Memphis' new management, the team was expected to make a change this offseason. However, Hollins has repeatedly expressed a desire to return to the Grizzlies, and the two sides had been discussing the possibility of a new contract.
With Hollins now officially on the market, he becomes a more viable potential candidate for other teams searching for a head coach, such as the Clippers, Nets, and Nuggets. As for the Grizzlies, they reportedly have interest in former Nuggets coach George Karl, and could also promote assistant Dave Joerger to the head coaching role.
6:10pm: Karl's agent, Warren Legarie, offered his thoughts to ESPN about the Nuggets' decision:
"This was not the ideal situation, obviously George would've preferred to stay on. But I can't praise Josh Kroenke enough for the way in which he handled a really difficult situation. [Kroenke] was always straightforward and honest & very clear about what they were prepared and not prepared to do" (All Twitter links via Ramona Shelburne).
10:11am: 2012/13's NBA Coach of the Year will not return to his team's bench next season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski reports that the Nuggets have parted ways with George Karl, informing him this morning that he won't be retained for the final year of his contract (Twitter links).
Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com had both reported within the last week that Karl's status in Denver was unsettled, since the team didn't seem inclined to pick up his 2014/15 option, which would have left him on an expiring deal next season. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Karl had been pushing for a contract extension, and team ownership wasn't prepared to give him one.
The move is the latest in an incredibly busy offseason for head coaching turnover. 11 NBA teams have now parted ways with the head coach with whom they finished the season, and there could be more changes on the way, including Lionel Hollins in Memphis. Karl had been the third-longest-tenured coach in the NBA, behind only Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers.
With Karl out of the picture and Masai Ujiri now running the Raptors, the Nuggets will be in the market for both a new coach and general manager in the coming weeks. Wojnarowski tweets that the Nuggets believe they can attract an elite coach, given their roster, and that they preferred to take that chance rather than moving forward with an unhappy Karl.
As for Karl, Chris Mannix of SI.com rightly points out (via Twitter) that his presence on the market figures to change the thinking of some teams still searching for a new head coach. Based on the fact that he had been seeking an extension with the Nuggets, it appears Karl still wants to keep coaching. We've already heard his name linked to the Clippers' search and Grantland's Zach Lowe (Twitter link) wouldn't be surprised if the Sixers called him as well. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies also intend to reach out to Karl.
Still, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer cautions (via Twitter) not to rule out the possibility of Karl sitting out the season or coaching overseas, given how much he enjoyed his previous experience in Europe. Personally, I'd think the former is more likely than the latter.
JUNE 5TH: Jefferson has officially exercised his 2013/14 option, according to RealGM's transactions log. Although we've heard plenty of reports on players who will pick up or turn down options, Jefferson becomes just the fourth player to make his decision official so far this offseason. Aaron Gray, Linas Kleiza, and Charlie Villanueva have also exercised their respective player options.
MAY 29TH: Richard Jefferson will exercise his player option for 2013/14, opting into the final year of his contract, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The decision, which comes as no surprise, comes about a month in advance of the June 30th deadline, with agent Todd Eley of Stratosphere Sports suggesting it may already be official.
"Richard has exercised his option to include the 2013/14 season in his current contract," according to Eley.
The option will pay Jefferson $11,046,000 next season, which is an exponentially higher annual salary than he'd find on the open market. The veteran forward is coming off the worst season of his 12-year NBA career, having averaged just 3.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and a 10.3 PER in 10.1 minutes per game. All of those marks were career-lows for the 32-year-old.
With Jefferson and Andris Biedrins both under contract for 2013/14, the Warriors will be paying more than $20MM to a duo that didn't play or produce much last season. Neither player is eligible to be amnestied, but both deals will be expiring, and will come off the club's books in the summer of '14.
The Raptors have dismissed Ed Stefanski, the team's executive vice president of basketball operations, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Stefanski had a year remaining on his contract, and figures to be a hot commodity on the front office market, Wojnarowski tweets. The move appears to be the first major decision for GM Masai Ujiri, whom the team hired Friday.
Stefanski has served as the primary basketball decision maker for the Nets, from June 2004 to December 2007, and Sixers, from December 2007 to August 2010. He joined the Raptors in October 2011, during the lockout. HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston argued earlier this spring that Stefanski should receive a larger role within Toronto's front office, and while that's not going to happen, it appears he'll be in demand around the league. The Nuggets have an open GM position with Ujiri's departure, and the Kings look like they want to replace Geoff Petrie. The Grizzlies could have an opening, too, if they part ways with GM Chris Wallace.
Former Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo remains with the team in a business role, though he may retain some input on the basketball side, as he explained last month to Hoops Rumors. With Colangelo, Ujiri's former boss, still around, the new GM may have pushed for Stefanski's exit in an effort to limit the number of voices within the front office, though that's just my speculation. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun figured a front-office shakeup was coming in the wake of Ujiri's hiring.
Ujiri must decide on the fate of coach Dwane Casey, but it appears Casey will return.
3:26pm: The Hawks have officially announced the hiring of Budenholzer in a press release.
"We are thrilled to have Mike as the next coach of the Atlanta Hawks. He has an incredible basketball acumen and has a keen awareness of the league and what it takes to be successful," Ferry said in a statement. "His experience and four championships over the last 17 years provide a tremendous foundation for his leadership of our team."
3:13pm: The Hawks have reached an agreement to hire Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had previously reported that the two sides were engaged in "serious talks" about the position.
With the move, Atlanta becomes the fourth team to hire a new head coach this season, along with the Cavaliers, Suns, and Bobcats. The hiring of Budenholzer also assures that Larry Drew won't return as the team's coach next season -- Drew had remained under contract, though he has been exploring other options and moving forward as if he won't receive an extension.
Budenholzer has been a member of the Spurs' organization since the 1994/95 season, acting as an assistant coach since '96/97 and crossing paths with Hawks GM Danny Ferry during Ferry's two separate stints in the Spurs' front office. Budenholzer has been Gregg Popovich's top assistant in San Antonio since the 2007/08 season.
Before the Hawks reached an agreement with Budenholzer, Stan Van Gundy was among the candidates linked to the team's coaching opening, but Van Gundy eventually decided not to coach in 2013/14. A pair of coaches who spent last season with CSKA Moscow, Ettore Messina and Quin Snyder, were also rumored to be considered by Atlanta.
4:07pm: The Clippers have officially confirmed (Twitter link) that Del Negro will not be retained as the team's head coach.
1:47pm: The Clippers have parted ways with head coach Vinny Del Negro, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). A report last week indicated that Del Negro was scheduled to meet with Clippers owner Donald Sterling over the weekend, with a decision on the coach's future to come shortly thereafter.
Del Negro's stint with the Clippers ends after three seasons and a 128-102 overall record. Led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clips captured their first division title in franchise history in 2012/13, but had an early exit from the postseason, falling 4-2 to the Grizzlies in the first round. With Del Negro's contract set to expire next month, a change in head coaches had been anticipated.
One report last Thursday did suggest that the Clippers hadn't ruled out retaining Del Negro, perhaps in part because he wouldn't be as expensive as the possible alternatives. But rather than being a unilateral decision by Sterling, the decision on Del Negro's future was believed to be an organizational one, with Paul and Griffin also getting some input. Del Negro's departure may bode well for CP3's future in Los Angeles, since the star point guard is likely to have a voice when it comes to deciding on the team's new head coach.
Michael Malone, Alvin Gentry, and Byron Scott have been mentioned as potential replacements for the Clippers, and recent speculation has resulted in Lionel Hollins' name coming up as well, though the Grizzlies reportedly hope to extend him. As Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets, the Clippers job immediately becomes the NBA's most attractive opening, particularly if Paul re-ups, so there should be no shortage of contenders for the position.
One ex-Raptor and two current Raps have opted in for the 2013/14 season, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com. According to RealGM's transactions log, Charlie Villanueva, Linas Kleiza, and Aaron Gray all picked up their '13/14 player options on May 13th.
None of the decisions come as any surprise, given the production the three players provided on the court compared to the salaries they're now in line to earn next season. Villanueva had confirmed earlier in the season that he'd exercise his option, worth $8.58MM. In 69 games with the Pistons this season, Villanueva established career-lows in PPG (6.8), FG% (.377), and PER (14.0), among other categories.
The Raptors duo won't be quite as expensive as Villanueva, as Kleiza's option is worth $4.6MM, while Gray's is worth about $2.69MM. Gray appeared in 42 games for Toronto this season, starting 16 of them, and averaged 2.8 PPG and 3.2 RPG. Kleiza played in just 20 contests for the Raps, missing time with a knee injury and then not getting back into the lineup even when he was healthy.
While all three players are now set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2014, free agency could come earlier for Villanueva and Kleiza. The Pistons and Raptors both still have the amensty provision available, and Villanueva and Kleiza represent the top amnesty candidates for their respective clubs.
MONDAY, 3:21: Owner Josh Harris has made it official at a press conference this afternoon, announcing Hinkie's hiring as president of basketball operations and general manager.
FRIDAY, 11:06pm: Hinkie's hiring doesn't change Thorn's situation with the team, Thorn tells Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com (Twitter link). The veteran executive is transitioning into the role of a consultant for the Sixers. Moore also clarifies that Hinkie will choose the team's next head coach.
3:04pm: DiLeo will not return to the Sixers in any capacity, according to John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). DiLeo had been part of the Sixers' basketball operations department since the 1990/91 season.
2:53pm: According to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, Hinkie will also be the Sixers' new president of basketball operations, and DiLeo is "out" (Twitter links). Cooney adds that Hinkie's contract is expected to be for three or four years (Twitter link).
An official announcement from the Sixers could come as soon as next week, tweets Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com.
2:35pm: The 76ers have reached an agreement with Rockets assistant GM Sam Hinkie on a deal that will make Hinkie the Sixers' new general manager, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Tony DiLeo had previously been serving as the GM in Philadelphia, but his contract was set to expire next month, making his status going forward uncertain. DiLeo has been a longtime member of the Sixers' front office and had been working with ownership on the team's coaching search, so it's unclear whether he'll be parting ways with the club or simply transitioning into a new role. I wouldn't be surprised if he moved into the team president position previously held by Rod Thorn, but it appears as if Hinkie will be the final decision-maker in basketball operations.
Before the Sixers promoted DiLeo to GM last summer, the team conducted a search that included Hinkie. According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the two sides re-opened discussions "very recently" (Twitter link).
3:00pm: The Timberwolves have officially released Roy, according to the team (Twitter link).
2:15pm: The Timberwolves are finalizing the release of Brandon Roy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. While the move isn't official yet, an announcement from the team is expected soon, according to Wojnarowski.
Roy signed a two-year deal with the T-Wolves last summer, but the second year of that deal became nonguaranteed when his knee problems resurfaced, meaning Minnesota won't be on the hook for the 28-year-old's $5.33MM salary for next season.
Roy's return to the NBA following his 2011 retirement was a disappointing one, as injuries limited him to just five games for the Wolves, in which he scored a total of 29 points. It's not clear yet if Roy will officially announce his retirement for the second time or whether he'll attempt to continue his playing career, but it's hard to imagine him playing in the NBA again.
Even if Roy does retire, he'll continue to receive pay checks from the Trail Blazers for a little longer yet. Because he was amnestied by Portland, Roy will receive the full amount of his five-year, $82MM contract, which runs through the 2014/15 season.
The Suns officially have a new general manager, having hired Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough to replace Lance Blanks, the team announced today in a press release. The team will formally introduce McDonough at a press conference this Thursday.
"Ryan distinguished himself among an impressive group of candidates for our GM position," said Suns president Lon Babby in a statement. "His natural leadership and communication skills will serve the Suns well. And, his prodigious work ethic and ability to identify talent will enable us to take full advantage of the 10 draft choices, including six in the first round, that we have over the next three years. We welcome his championship pedigree to our organization."
McDonough had been considered one of the frontrunners for the Suns' GM opening along with Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman. Various reports, including one earlier today, suggested that Phoenix was also interested in hiring Grant Hill for the position. McDonough's hiring seems to indicate that either the Suns weren't seriously interested in Hill or that the veteran intends to continue his playing career.
McDonough joined the Celtics' front office in 2003, as a 23-year-old special assistant to basketball operations. After working in the team's scouting department and as Boston's director of player personnel, he has served as an assistant GM to Danny Ainge for the last three seasons. McDonough is expected to work with Babby to make a decision on the Suns' head coach.
12:12pm: Bondy hears Van Gundy isn't a high priority candidate for the team, and says it's unlikely the Nets will even meet with him (Twitter links). King, meanwhile, told reporters he'll be giving Jackson a call, tweets Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record.
11:50am: Nets GM Billy King told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, that interim coach P.J. Carlesimo will not return (Twitter link). The team elected to let the coach go after last night's first-round elimination in Game Seven against the Bulls. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported within the hour that the team would make its decision on Carlesimo swiftly, and hinted that the Nets would not retain him. The search for a replacement will begin immediately, and sources tell Berger that Jeff Van Gundy will be a primary target (Twitter link).
The Nets aren't setting a timetable for themselves as they begin their search, tweets Joshua Newman of SNY.tv. Carlesimo had been an assistant coach when the team fired head coach Avery Johnson in December. Brooklyn had a record of 14-14 at that point, but under Carlesimo the Nets went 35-19 over the rest of the regular season and grabbed the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Van Gundy and Phil Jackson were reportedly among the team's targets to take over in the middle of the season, but with tepid response from its top candidates, the team decided to let Carlesimo coach the rest of the season. The Nets have continued to be linked to Jackson over the past few months.
May 4th: The four year deal is now official, owner Leslie Alexander tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
March 7th: The Rockets and general manager Daryl Morey have reached a verbal agreement on the key details of a four-year contract extension for Morey, Alexander tells Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). Morey's current contract runs through 2013/14, so the new deal will lock him up for five years in total.
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported last month that Alexander was pleased with the job Morey has done with the Rockets, and that the team intended to extend the GM beyond his current contract.
"We’ll re-up him," Alexander said at the time. "Daryl knows that I judge him all the time. I’ve told him. He’s not shy about it either. He just knows that’s the way I operate. Why wouldn’t I? The general manager is the one person in your organization you can really judge. He can make good moves or bad moves. This year, I think he’s made three terrific moves."
In addition to acquiring James Harden in the fall's blockbuster trade with the Thunder, Morey also signed Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik to three-year contracts that have looked like good values so far. Even after agreeing to a max extension with Harden, the club has also managed to retain significant financial flexibility, and should have room for a max free agent this summer.
Morey has been the Rockets' GM since May 2007. Although Houston hasn't earned a postseason berth since 2008/09, the team has had a winning record every season during Morey's tenure (260-196 overall), as he managed to rebuild the roster without bottoming out.