Knicks Rumors: Fisher, ‘Melo, Jackson
Derek Fisher insisted during his introductory press conference today that he’s ready to take on the task of coaching the Knicks in spite of just having finished his playing career, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relays (Twitter link). The new Knicks bench boss had plenty more to say about the job and how he wound up with it, and we’ll hit the highlights of his joint press conference with Knicks president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills:
- The new coach made it clear that he wants Carmelo Anthony to stay with the team, and said that he’ll be a part of an effort to “do everything we can to keep him,” as Chris Mannix of SI.com observes. Jackson and Mills plan to meet with ‘Melo soon, the Zen Master said, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (Twitter links).
- Anthony reportedly sees the strength of the team’s roster as a key factor in his decision whether to remain with the Knicks, but Fisher expressed confidence about the players he’s set to coach, as Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal tweets. “I’m not as down on the roster and the team as some of you in the room are,” Fisher said to the gathering of reporters.
- The Lakers reached out to Fisher only on an informal basis, the new Knicks coach said, and he found the team’s choice against an all-out pursuit surprising. Still, Fisher admitted that the Lakers would have had an uphill battle to hire him, given how far along he was with the Knicks when L.A. called. Medina has the details in three separate tweets.
- Fisher said that the presence of Jackson helped accelerate his decision to take the Knicks gig, Medina notes (on Twitter). “This is not for Phil and I just to hang out again as friends,” Fisher said, according to Diamond (Twitter link). “We want to add more banners to this ceiling.”
- A recent report indicated that Fisher is more comfortable with James Dolan than Steve Kerr is, but Fisher downplayed his relationship with the Knicks owner, and Mills said he and Dolan didn’t talk about Fisher. Mannix and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com pass along the news via Twitter.
Knicks Hire Derek Fisher As Coach
The Knicks have hired Derek Fisher as head coach, the team announced. The 39-year-old, who retires from his 18-year playing career to take the gig, is taking a five-year, $25MM deal, the same terms that New York’s first choice for coach, Steve Kerr, signed for when he spurned the Knicks for the Warriors. Fisher will likely hire Bill Cartwright and Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis for his staff.
“Today marks the next step of this journey for the New York Knicks franchise as we name Derek to lead the team as its head coach.” Knicks president Phil Jackson said. “Our relationship began 15 years ago, and over time, it has come clear to me that he and I can form a great partnership once again.”
Fisher has been considered the front-runner for the Knicks’ job for a few weeks now but nothing could be safely assumed after Jackson & Co. whiffed on Kerr. Kerr seemed like a lock to take the position earlier this offseason but he shocked everyone by accepting a five-year, $25MM offer from the Warriors instead.
In Fisher, Jackson has landed another former pupil without any coaching experience. That lack of experience, strangely enough, is part of what appealed to Jackson. The Zen Master has been looking for a young, malleable coach who will be open to his instruction since an NBA retread would be less open to doing things Jackson’s way. It has been widely speculated that Jackson would instruct whatever coach he hired to run his beloved triangle offense.
Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, who is a free agent this summer, was said to be in favor of the club hiring Kerr as its head coach. It remains to be seen how Melo feels about Fisher and whether he’ll be enough to convince him to sign a new deal or opt in for his final season. If Anthony opts in, he’ll earn $23.333MM next year, which would mean more money in the short term. That might not be a risk that he wants to take after recently celebrating the big 3-0, however. If Carmelo wants a big, cushy deal with another club, this summer is probably his best opportunity.
It’s certainly conceivable that the likable Fisher could appeal to Melo and maybe other free agents down the line. Fisher has a very strong bond with Thunder star Kevin Durant, who becomes a free agent in the summer of 2016. Of course, that’s not the key consideration for the Knicks at this juncture, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind. Fisher was also linked to the Lakers’ vacancy, though in recent weeks it started to sound as though they weren’t all that interested.
The deal demonstrates the quickly escalating value of first-time coaches. Jason Kidd was elated to land the Nets’ job this time last year, but he might be feeling a little shortchanged now. Kerr and Fisher have each netted $25MM contracts but Kidd signed with Brooklyn for $10.5MM over four years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Chuck Myron contributed to this post. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News was the first to report that Fisher and the Knicks were nearing agreement (via Twitter) and that they had struck a deal. Isola’s report on the agreement also includes the news that Cartwright and Rambis would likely join the Knicks as assistant coaches under Fisher. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported the contract terms (on Twitter). Bleacher Reports’ Howard Beck provided additional detail (Twitter links).
Draft Notes: Wiggins, Exum, Anderson
Andrew Wiggins has auditions for the Sixers and Bucks on his agenda in the next couple of weeks, but the Cavs will work him out closer to the draft, preferring to hire a coach before taking a look at key prospects, reports Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Ford and others have plenty more as draft prospects criss-cross North America to put themselves on display for teams, as we detail below:
- Ford adds the Sixers to the list of teams working out Dante Exum, but it looks like he won’t be headed to any team that doesn’t possess a top-four pick, Ford adds (Twitter links). The Cavs are the only top-four team without a workout on Exum’s docket.
- Kyle Anderson will work out for the Jazz, according to Anderson’s Twitter account (hat tip to Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune).
- Roscoe Smith is auditioning for the Rockets and Warriors, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Travel issues prevented Jordan Adams, Markel Brown and Joe Harris from attending today’s workout with the Hornets as planned, prompting the team to add former University of North Carolina shooting guard Leslie McDonald as a substitute. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer has the details via Twitter.
- The Hornets will also take a look at Cory Jefferson this week, as Boston Globe correspondent Jake Fischer reports, adding that the power forward from Baylor will perform for the Wolves and Wizards, too (Twitter link).
- The Wizards, Pacers and Heat are on Keith Appling‘s workout schedule, Fischer also tweets. Fischer adds the Cavs and Wizards to the teams working out Bryce Cotton (Twitter link).
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Sam Dower and Markel Starks will join Jefferson and Appling in working out for the Wizards today, the team announced. Jamil Wilson will also take part, confirming an earlier report indicating that he was expected to work out for Washington.
- Chaz Williams will show off for the Jazz, Warriors, Bucks and Cavs over the next eight days, sources tell Josh Newman of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Lowe’s Latest: Stephenson, Horford, Hamilton
Zach Lowe’s weekly column for Grantland, always required reading for NBA fans, focuses this week on Lance Stephenson, and Lowe classifies the Hornets and Pistons as the Pacers‘ stiffest competition for the unrestricted free agent shooting guard this summer. A February report made note of Charlotte’s interest, but it’s unclear if the Pistons are indeed planning a pursuit. Still, Lowe has plenty of intel on Stephenson and others from around the league, and we’ll hit the highlights here:
- The Hawks made Al Horford available to other teams at the trade deadline in a “very targeted fashion,” sources tell Lowe.
- Multiple execs have pegged the Kings as a potential suitor for Stephenson if Rudy Gay opts out, Lowe reports, but Lowe suggests that Gay is planning to opt in. The last dispatch from Gay signaled that he was torn about what to do with his player option, worth more than $19.3MM, so it’s unclear if Lowe is merely making an educated guess or if he’s heard indications that Gay will indeed pick up the option.
- Plenty of rival executives have mentioned the Pelicans as a sign-and-trade possibility for Stephenson, writes Lowe, who nonetheless doesn’t see a fit.
- Jordan Hamilton has piqued the curiosity of teams from around the league, according to Lowe. The Grantland scribe mentions Hamilton among possibilities for teams looking to split the $5.305MM non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception between two players, and that looks like ominous news for Houston’s hopes of re-signing him. The Rockets are limited to offering a starting salary of no more than $2,109,294, as I explained at the bottom of Houston’s offseason outlook last week.
And-Ones: Calipari, Izzo, Miller, Wizards
John Calipari wasn’t the only star college coach the Cavs reached out to, reveals Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Journal, who hears Kevin Ollie, Fred Hoiberg, Billy Donovan and Mike Krzyzewski all were contacted by Cleveland. Lloyd’s source adds that the Cavs offered Tom Izzo a coaching position that also would have given him total control of the franchise’s basketball operations, much like the role that the team proposed to Coach Cal. Here’s more from around the league:
- The Cavs have contacted around 11 candidates in an attempt to fill their coaching vacancy, writes Lloyd in the same piece.
- The decision on whether or not to bring back Andre Miller will probably be an easy one for the Wizards, opines J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Washington holds a $4.6MM option on his deal for 2014/15 or could buy him out for $2MM.
- Former Marquette University forward Jamil Wilson, who had to cancel workouts with the Bucks and Pistons due to a sprained ankle, is expected to audition for the Wizards on Tuesday, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Journal Sentinel.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looked back at the performance of Nets‘ midseason acquisition Marcus Thornton. Thornton turned into a key rotation player for Brooklyn down the stretch of the season and will earn ~$8.58MM in his walk year.
- The Thunder are the NBA’s smartest spenders as they have gotten more success out of less money than anyone else in the league, writes Glenn Davis of USA Today. OKC owns a 271-123 record over the last five seasons combined all while having payrolls that ranked in the bottom half of the league on average.
- Sean Meagher of The Oregonian wonders if the Trail Blazers should hold on to Wesley Matthews, a free agent after the 2014/15 season. Matthews is coming off of the best season of his career as a pro and is entering the final year of his five-year, $33MM deal.
- Former UNC standout Sean May will attend mini-camps with the Spurs and Warriors this month, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter).
- The Clippers will bring in Jordan Clarkson, Nick Johnson, Deonte Burton, and Sean Kilpatrick for workouts, reports Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.
- The Celtics could eye offense in this month’s draft, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com explains.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Southwest Notes: Pelicans, McDaniels, Mavs
The Pelicans can kickstart a major culture change this summer, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune. New Orleans has a strong, young leader in big man Anthony Davis. Now, they must make the right moves, surround him with talent, and build a winner. More from the Southwest Division..
- Clemson small forward K.J. McDaniels impressed in today’s workout with the Grizzlies, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. ”He’s a very solid defender. His shot isn’t broken but it can be improved,” Griz coach Dave Joerger said. ”He presented himself well. He has a nice game about him and is certainly a guy we’ll keep investigating.’‘ McDaniels could be a consideration at No. 22 but he also might not be available at that point.
- The Grizzlies coach also spoke highly of Tennesee forward Jarnell Stokes, writes Jason Smith of the Commercial Appeal. Stokes spoke with Hoops Rumors back in April about what he can bring to an NBA team.
- The Mavs pick at No. 34 and No. 51 in this month’s draft and history shows that they won’t come away with much, writes Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com. The Mavs have shown a willingness to mortgage their future in order to build a winner in the present, and that paid off in 2008 when they reacquired Jason Kidd from the Nets. Since then, however, they’ve been let down in varying degrees by the likes of Shan Foster, Rodrigue Beaubois, Dominique Jones, and Jared Cunningham.
Donald Sterling To Resume Lawsuit
Donald Sterling‘s attorney, Max Blecher, says that Sterling has pulled his support from a deal that would sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and will resume his pursuit of the $1 billion federal lawsuit he had filed against the NBA, reports Tami Abdollah of The Associated Press. Sterling had agreed to drop the suit, but has since had a change of heart because the NBA refused to lift the hefty fine and lifetime ban placed on the disgruntled owner, says Abdollah.
Commissioner Adam Silver had confidence that the Sterling saga would soon come to an end, despite Sterling’s alleged second thoughts on following through and complying with the sale of the Clippers. Silver maintained on Sunday that there is absolutely “no possibility” he will lift the ban or rescind the fine that was doled out as punishment for racist remarks Sterling made in April.
This latest chapter of the Sterling fiasco will presumably push back the Clippers’ change in ownership even further since Silver stated in the previously linked report that he wouldn’t proceed with finalizing Ballmer’s acquisition of the team until the lawsuit is resolved. Given the unpredictably of Sterling’s actions throughout this mess so far, it’s hard to say how long it will be until there’s any resolution.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, LeBron, Suns, Warriors
The Lakers haven’t been in a rush to find a replacement for Mike D’Antoni since the team still maintains hope that they have a shot at signing one or more superstars this summer, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Management fears hiring a particular coach right now might dissuade superstars such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James from signing in LA this summer, hears Amick. Let’s take a look at more from around the Pacific:
- Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders sees the Suns as a much more viable trade partner for the Wolves in a Kevin Love deal than the Bulls. Phoenix has Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and three first-round picks in this year’s draft (No. 14, No. 18, and No. 27) to offer.
- Today’s Suns workout included UCLA’s Kyle Anderson and Travis Wear, Syracuse F C.J. Fair, Ohio State forward LaQuinton Ross, Cal guard Justin Cobbs, and Oregon forward Mike Moser, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
- The Warriors don’t have any selections in the 2014 draft, and it’ll be difficult for the team to purchase or trade for one, says director of scouting Larry Riley on KGO-TV (h/t Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group). In 2011, the W’s bought second-round pick Jeremy Tyler for $2 million, and last June, they traded for the rights to first-round pick Nemanja Nedovic.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Central Notes: Love, Wiggins, Parker, Calipari
The Bulls are in a long line of teams with interest in Kevin Love, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson suggests that a deal involving Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler, draft picks and/or the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and expiring deals could get it done. The question, however, is whether the Bulls could win with a core of Love, Rose, and Joakim Noah supported by minimum contracts and rookie scale deals. More out of the Central Division..
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter) is now getting a strong vibe that the Cavs will take Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins with the No. 1 overall pick.
- Former Duke assistant and current Marquette head coach Steve Wojciehowski says that he would love to see Jabari Parker with Milwaukee, writes Michael Hunt of the Journal Sentinel. “With the Bucks and Jabari, that would be an amazing situation for both parties,” he said. “He’d be a slam dunk, a grand slam, whatever you want to call it. He’d be a great, great pick for the Bucks.” The Bucks, of course, own the No. 2 pick.
- Kentucky coach John Calipari reportedly turned down the Cavs‘ massive offer in part because the Harrison twins decided to stay at UK rather than go pro. Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv finds such news interesting since there was speculation Calipari was pushing the twins out of Kentucky (Twitter link).
Hornets Notes: McDermott, Jordan, Jefferson
The latest on the purple and teal..
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter) hears that the Hornets might be high on Doug McDermott for the No. 9 pick. That doesn’t mean they’ll tab the Creighton standout but it’s an indication of their strategy.
- Owner Michael Jordan says that between cap space and three draft picks, the Hornets can have as good a summer in 2014 as the Bobcats had in 2013, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Charlotte’s 2013 offseason was headlined by the signing of Al Jefferson to a three-year, $40.5MM deal.
- Jordan went on to say that he doesn’t anticipate any trouble luring free agents to North Carolina, writes Steve Reed of the Associated Press. ‘‘I always thought Charlotte was a great destination,” the Hornets owner said. ”Big Al has proven that you can come here and make a big difference. Hopefully we can look at that and attract some other superstars.”