Poll: Who Will Doc Rivers Coach Next Season?
With the future between Doc Rivers and the Celtics up in the air right now, we ask which team you believe Rivers will lead next season.
Who Will Doc Rivers Coach Next Season?
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Celtics 41% (420)
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Clippers 32% (328)
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No Team 19% (199)
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Grizzlies 8% (82)
Total votes: 1,029
Odds & Ends: Rivers, Pekovic, Bucks
A few random notes from around the league on this busy Wednesday evening between Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.
- With Doc Rivers and the Celtics seemingly at a standstill, other teams around the league might have their ears perked at the idea of one of Rivers becoming a free agent. The Magic might be one of those teams, writes Orlando Sentinel reporter Brian Schmitz.
- ESPN Boston reporter Chris Forsberg opines on the impact Rivers leaving Boston would have on the Celtics, and it isn't positive.
- The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda tweets an ambiguous statement from Timberwolves President Flip Saunders on his biggest offseason priority, re-signing free agent center Nikola Pekovic. The two didn't meet in Europe, as was planned last week.
- Charles F. Gardner from JSOnline.com reports that the Bucks will not bring back five of their assistant coaches from last season.
Draft Notes: Blazers, Nets, Hawks, Pacers
A few notes regarding draft prospects and the various teams they're meeting with throughout the league.
- Maryland center Alex Len reportedly worked out with the Trail Blazers last week, reports OregonLive.com's Sean Meagher. Standing seven feet tall, Len would provide Portland with stabilizing rim protection, something they sorely lacked last season.
- The Nets worked out several wing players who've shined at making plays off the dribble, including Reggie Bullock, Tony Snell, and Archie Goodwin, according to the New York Post's Fred Kerber.
- The Hawks are set to work out St. Joseph's C.J. Aiken, a 6'9" forward who's already worked out for several NBA teams and is projected to go undrafted, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Tyler Tynes.
- According to an official release from the team, the Pacers will hold a work out for Iowa State's Will Clyburn, Virginia Commonwealth's Troy Daniels, North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie, Missouri's Alex Oriakhi, Syracuse's James Southerland, and Ohio State's DeShaun Thomas.
- The Bucks will work out Tony Mitchell, James Ennis, Solomon Hill, Adonis Thomas, Trey McKinney Jones, and Steven Pledger, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.
- The Timberwolves are scheduled to work out six players on Thursday, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.
Nets To Hire Jason Kidd?
6:56pm: After Brian Shaw conducted a five hour interview with the Nets to become their head coach, Kidd is still the front runner for the position, and the Nets are "on the verge" of hiring him, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
4:53pm: Within the last few hours, Kidd has continued to "aggressively" pursue potential assistant coaches for his staff, tweets Wojnarowski.
4:34pm: Addressing the Nets' head coaching hire, Howard Beck of the New York Times tweets "no decision today." It's unclear if Beck means that the Nets have yet to make a decision or that no decision will be announced today, but it appears Shaw still has a shot at the job.
4:10pm: The Nets met with Brian Shaw for over four hours today, and are expected to announce their decision between Kidd and Shaw shortly, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Inquirer report linked below has yet to be corroborated by any national writers or Nets beat reporters, and the timing appears unusual — such a long interview with Shaw would seem unnecessary if an agreement with Kidd was already in place. Still, Mitchell's report also hasn't been shot down yet, so for now it looks as if the Nets remain on track to hire Kidd. Either way, we should have a definitive answer very soon.
1:35pm: The Nets have reached agreement with Jason Kidd on a deal to become the club's next head coach, a source tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The former guard will get a three year deal from the Nets to man the bench just weeks after announcing that his playing days are through.
Fred Kerber of the New York Post reported earlier today that the Nets had an offer in place for the future Hall of Famer and it seems that the two sides didn't need much time to shake hands on it. It has been said for a long time that the Nets were eager to make a big splash with their head coaching position and this certainly accomplishes that goal.
Kidd takes over for interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo, who was fired less than 24 hours after the Nets were eliminated in the first round by the Bulls. The longtime coach was rather successful with the defensively-challenged Nets as they tallied a 35-19 regular season record under his watch. However, it wasn't good enough when coupled with their seven game ouster in the first round.
It has been reported that Kidd will be required to assemble an experienced staff to help him overcome the learning curve of being an NBA head coach. Strangely enough, former Nets coach Lawrence Frank has reportedly been tapped to be the Kidd's lead assistant to help him in his first season on the bench.
The 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 part of it 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.
An announcement is expected to be made later this week and no later than the weekend, according to Mitchell's source.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Bosh, World Peace, Bucks
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com follows up on several reports we've heard about Doc Rivers this week, confirming that Rivers wouldn't be interested in sticking around if the Celtics decide to rebuild. GM Danny Ainge believes the team can avoid a full-fledged rebuild, but it remains to be seen what will happen with Paul Pierce, whose contract is only partially guaranteed for now, and Kevin Garnett, who is believed to be considering retirement. As Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld notes (via Twitter), if Rivers steps down as the Celtics' coach, it will be a pretty good indication that Pierce's and Garnett's days in Boston are numbered.
Let's round up a few more odds and ends from around the NBA….
- If Rivers does decide to part ways with the Celtics, it's unlikely that the team would allow him to coach elsewhere without receiving significant compensation, tweets Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.
- Chris Bosh's Miami Beach home may be on the market, but Bosh doesn't have any desire to hit the open market himself, telling Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he'd like to spend the rest of his career with the Heat.
- Speaking to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Metta World Peace seems to hint that he'd like to work out a new deal that would assure he remains with the Lakers. "I came here at a discount five years ago and I did that because I just want to win," World Peace said. "I thought my last contract was fair. I probably could have got more somewhere else, but I thought it was fair. Right now, the main thing with the Lakers whenever we cross that path is that (the offer) is just fair."
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld examines the Spurs and Heat players in the Finals who will be hitting free agency next month.
- Addressing a report that suggested he and Monta Ellis nearly came to blows in the locker room after a Bucks playoff loss to the Heat, Larry Sanders says it was "just personalities clashing" and that he'd have no problem playing with Ellis next season and beyond (Twitter link via Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times).
- Although the focus will be on their pursuit of a star, the Mavericks should also be looking to add quality depth to the roster this summer, writes Bryan Gutierrez for ESPNDallas.com.
Grizzlies Rumors: Pinckney, Lee, Rivers
While Dave Joerger is viewed as the favorite for the Grizzlies' head coaching job, it appears the team will explore plenty of other options before making a decision. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that Memphis has received permission to speak to Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney about the position, marking the first time this offseason that we've heard Pinckney's name come up in a head coaching search. Here's more on the Grizzlies:
- In addition to Joerger and Pinckney, the Grizzlies have also spoken to George Karl and Alvin Gentry and intend to have them in for formal interviews, says Berger. The team isn't interested in Brian Shaw.
- Memphis is also eyeing new faces for its front office, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who reports that the club has been granted permission to speak to Nets director of basketball operations Milton Lee. The Grizzlies are considering Lee for a senior executive position in the front office, and Amick adds that the decision to interview him is tied to Chris Wallace's uncertain future with the team.
- Amick also has some updates on the coaching search, following up on Berger's report by confirming that Pinckney will meet Thursday with the Grizzlies.
- The Grizzlies have not requested permission to speak to Doc Rivers, but the club would have "serious interest" if Rivers decided to step down as coach of the Celtics, says Amick. For now, Memphis is monitoring the situation in Boston.
Latest On Clippers’ Coaching Search
2:55pm: Because Hollins was attending an NBA competition committee meeting in San Antonio today, his interview with the Clippers will be pushed back to Thursday and Friday, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. McMillan had been scheduled to meet with the team on Thursday, but that interview was cancelled and may not be rescheduled, given the club's "lukewarm" interest in McMillan, says Turner.
Hollins, meanwhile, expects to interview with the Nuggets on Saturday after meeting with the Clippers.
10:11am: As the Nets appear to be closing in on Jason Kidd, a coaching candidate with no previous experience, the Clippers continue to interview previous head coaches for their own opening. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), owner Donald Sterling is seeking a candidate with head coaching experience and is a fan of Lionel Hollins, who will meet with the team today.
Stein reports (via Twitter) that Hollins remains "firmly in the mix" for the Clippers' job, and that today's sitdown with the team will be the third time the former Grizzlies coach has spoken to the club. In addition to Hollins, the team has also met with Byron Scott and Brian Shaw, with Shaw still a "strong contender" for the job, says Stein.
Although we heard earlier in the week that the Clippers will also interview Nate McMillan tomorrow, it sounds as if he may not be as strong a candidate for the position as the other contenders. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported last night that George Karl is still in play for the job as well, though it's unclear if the team has scheduled a meeting with the ex-Nuggets coach.
Reports have yet to indicate whether there's a specific timeline for a Clippers hire, but I would guess that after this week's interviews, the team will at least narrow its search to a smaller list of finalists.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Lakers, Magic, Howard
Earlier today we got the latest on the Clippers‘ coaching search and no matter who gets hired in L.A., it’s sure to be a big name candidate. Owner Donald Sterling is said to be a fan of Lionel Hollins and and the club has already met with Byron Scott and Brian Shaw. The biggest fish of all could be George Karl, but it’s not clear if the team has scheduled a pow wow with the future Hall of Famer yet. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division..
- The Kings could use a seasoned GM, opines Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. While the current group of candidates is a virtual feast of variety fit for Anthony Bourdain, Voisin would like to see Vivek Ranadive & Co. veer towards the more experienced executives.
- Lakers legend Magic Johnson says that he’s less-than-enthralled by what he’s seen out of Dwight Howard but still wants to see him stay put, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Howard will be courted by a number of teams this summer and many reports have him linked to the Rockets.
- Magic also had some thoughts on coach Mike D’Antoni, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. “He has to concentrate on the defensive end as much as he coaches offense,” Johnson said.
Team USA Announces 2013 Mini-Camp Roster
As USA Basketball prepares for the 2014 FIBA World Cup, the team has announced the 27-man roster that will participate in July's mini-camp in Las Vegas. Per USA Basketball's official site, here's the full list of next month's participants:
- Ryan Anderson (Pelicans)
- Harrison Barnes (Warriors)
- Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Mike Conley (Grizzlies)
- DeMarcus Cousins (Kings)
- Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
- DeMar DeRozan (Raptors)
- Andre Drummond (Pistons)
- Kenneth Faried (Nuggets)
- Derrick Favors (Jazz)
- Paul George (Pacers)
- Taj Gibson (Bulls)
- Gordon Hayward (Jazz)
- Jrue Holiday (76ers)
- Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers)
- DeAndre Jordan (Clippers)
- Ty Lawson (Nuggets)
- Kawhi Leonard (Spurs)
- Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)
- Greg Monroe (Pistons)
- Chandler Parsons (Rockets)
- Larry Sanders (Bucks)
- Klay Thompson (Warriors)
- Dion Waiters (Cavaliers)
- Kemba Walker (Bobcats)
- John Wall (Wizards)
- Tyler Zeller (Cavaliers)
Doc Rivers Still Weighing Decision On Future
As four playoff clubs continue to search for their next head coach, one more playoff team's coaching situation for 2013/14 remains unsettled. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers has yet to commit to returning to the team's bench next season, and a source tells ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that Rivers may be contemplating a change.
"Doc loves coaching," the source told Broussard. "He loves coaching in Boston. But he feels it may be time for a change."
As Broussard and A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com write, both possibilities – staying or leaving – remain very much in play for Rivers, who is said to be "torn up" about the decision, according to Blakely. A report earlier this week suggested that Rivers was wary of being part of another rebuilding effort in Boston, but Broussard notes that the coach's close relationship with Celtics GM Danny Ainge would make it difficult for the coach to walk away from the team.
Earlier in the offseason, teams like the Nets and Clippers asked the Celtics for permission to speak to Rivers, who still has three years remaining on his contract. Those clubs were turned down by Ainge, though Broussard says that if Doc expressed a desire to explore opportunities, Ainge would likely allow him to do so. A source with knowledge of the Clippers' thinking tells Broussard that Rivers would almost certainly be the team's top choice if he were to become available.