Knicks Hire Jeff Hornacek
JUNE 2, 10:04am: The Knicks have officially confirmed the hiring of Hornacek as their new head coach (Twitter link).
JUNE 1, 10:50pm: The pact will pay Hornacek $15MM over three seasons, Ian Begley of ESPN.com confirms.
2:17pm: Nearly two weeks after first being offered the team’s head coaching job, Hornacek has reached an agreement on a three-year contract with the Knicks, sources tell Wojnarowski. A news conference to formally announce the hiring is expected to happen later this week.
MAY 19, 4:35pm: The Knicks have formally offered the job to Hornacek and the two sides are engaged in contract discussions regarding the length of the deal and annual salary, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter links).
MAY 18, 7:15pm: A source close to Hornacek confirms that negotiations are still ongoing and nothing has been finalized, tweets Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Jackson has apparently decided to hire Hornacek, Isola adds, but no contract is in place (Twitter link). Berman describes the process as “mutual interest,” but in the “very, very early stages.” (Twitter link).
6:43pm: Jeff Hornacek will be the next coach of the New York Knicks, tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Hornacek, who was fired by the Suns in February, became a candidate late in the process after team president Phil Jackson reportedly pushed to keep interim coach Kurt Rambis.
Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt and recently fired Pacers coach Frank Vogel were believed to be the other finalists for the position. The Knicks didn’t contact Hornacek about the job until three weeks after the search began, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post.
The deal is not fully complete, Beck cautions, though a source tells him it’s “as close as humanly possible.” (Twitter link). Barring any last-minute complications, a formal announcement is expected soon.
Hornacek doesn’t fit the profile that would be expected of a Jackson coach. He’s not part of Jackson’s coaching lineage and he has never run the triangle. The hiring suggests that Jackson’s influence with owner James Dolan might be waning.
Hornacek comes to New York with a 101-112 career coaching record that he compiled in two and a half seasons in Phoenix. His only other coaching experience came in three years as an assistant in Utah. He had also talked to the Rockets about their head coaching position and was considered to be a candidate for the openings in Memphis and Orlando. ESPN’s Marc Stein reported this week that the Warriors had “strong interest” in hiring Hornacek as a lead assistant.
Southwest Rumors: Grizzlies, Mavs, Terry, Parker
After a solid showing as the head coach of the D-League’s Texas Legends, Nick Van Exel appears poised to join the Grizzlies‘ coaching staff as an assistant under new coach David Fizdale, reports Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). ESPN’s Marc Stein confirms (via Twitter) that Memphis is attempting to close deals with both Van Exel and J.B. Bickerstaff, as the team looks to fill out Fizdale’s staff.
According to Stein (Twitter links), the Grizzlies are also “aggressively pursuing” former Cavs and Lakers head coach Mike Brown, who has also drawn interest from the Warriors. Stein suggests that Brown is more likely to head to Memphis than Golden State, but Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link) hears from Brown’s agent that the former head coach is no lock to join the Grizzlies.
As we wait for Memphis to officially name its assistant coaches, let’s check in some other items from around the Southwest division….
- Even as he inches closer to age 40, Dirk Nowitzki remains the face of the Mavericks, but the team will attempt to infuse more youth into its roster around the longtime star, writes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Veteran guard Jason Terry suggested on SiriusXM NBA Radio (SoundCloud link) that he doesn’t expect to return to Dallas as a free agent, with the team focused on getting younger.
- Despite Terry’s pessimism about signing with the Mavericks this summer, Sefko includes the veteran in a list of five free agent shooting guards who he believes would be fits for Dallas.
- Spurs guard Tony Parker aspires to become an NBA general manager once his playing days are done, and as he tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, the NBA’s 2011 lockout provided him an opportunity to get a head start on his training for such a job. “The best thing was to be in the office every day during the lockout and see the everyday operations,” Parker said. “I looked at everything. How to manage a team, marketing, ticket sales, sponsors. It was a great learning experience for me. It’s getting me ready to work in an NBA front office.”
Celtics Extend Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens
Before the NBA offseason gets underway in earnest, the Celtics have given new contracts to two key members of their organization, announcing today in a press release that general manager Danny Ainge and head coach Brad Stevens have signed extensions. Terms of those new deals have not yet been disclosed.
“A major job of ownership is to find the right people to run the basketball side,” Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said in a statement. “We believe we have found them in Danny and Brad. Once you find your people, you need to support them in their efforts and create a work environment that enables them and the team to succeed. If all of that is in place, the topic of extending contracts becomes an easy one, because everybody wants to keep moving forward together.”
Stevens, who took over as the Celtics’ head coach in 2013, has a losing record overall, but the team has made tremendous strides under his watch. After winning just 25 games in 2013/14, Boston won 40 and 48 in Stevens’ next two seasons, earning playoff berths in both years. Stevens’ contract with the Celtics was a six-year pact and wasn’t set to expire until 2019, so the team has made a very early decision to extend it, signalling how pleased the franchise is with its coach.
“Brad has demonstrated the ability to get the very best out of his players,” Grousbeck said. “A number of guys have had career years playing for him: Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, for example. And our young players have been developing very nicely. [Stevens] is a natural leader and a very skilled, strategic coach who is the right man to coach the Celtics.”
As for Ainge, he has been the Celtics’ GM since 2003, so his latest extension doesn’t come as a surprise. As a result of Ainge’s maneuvering, Boston holds eight picks in this year’s draft – including the No. 3 overall selection from Brooklyn – and has an excess of picks lined up for future years as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
2015/16 D-League Usage Report: Suns
The NBA’s relationship with the D-League continues to grow, and this season a total of 19 NBA teams had one-to-one affiliations with D-League clubs. Those NBA organizations without their own affiliates were required to assign players to D-League clubs associated with other NBA franchises. D-League teams could volunteer to take on the assigned players, and if no volunteers emerged, the players were assigned at random.
This significant change from the 2014/15 season came about after the Pacers purchased the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and turned them into their one-to-one partner for the 2015/16 campaign. Other NBA teams have interest in following suit in the years ahead, and the NBA’s ultimate goal for the D-League is for all 30 NBA franchises to have their own D-League squads. You can view the complete list of D-League affiliates here.
We at Hoops Rumors are recapping the D-League-related activity for the 2015/16 campaign for each team and we’ll continue on with the Phoenix Suns, whose D-League affiliate is the Bakersfield Jam:
The Suns made just one assignment for the 2015/16 season, sending one player to the D-League for a total of seven days. Listed below are all the assignments and recalls made by Phoenix for the 2015/16 campaign:
February 10th: Assigned Jordan McRae (1st) — Recalled February 16th
Here’s how Phoenix’s players performed in the D-League this season:
- Jordan McRae: He appeared in a total of 29 D-League games this season and averaged 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 35.4 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .459/.318/.799.
Draft Notes: Ellenson, Yusta, Stone, Whitehead
Here’s the latest news and notes from around the league regarding the upcoming 2016 NBA Draft:
- The Sixers are holding pre-draft workouts tomorrow for Isaia Cordinier (France), Alex Caruso (Texas A&M), Daniel Hamilton (Connecticut), Brandon Austin (Northwest Florida State), Rosco Allen (Stanford) and Alex Poythress (Kentucky), the team announced via press release.
- Former BYU point guard Kyle Collinsworth worked out for the Nets today, Jarom Jordan of BYU SportsNation tweets.
- The Hornets have workouts scheduled on Thursday for Montay Brandon (Florida State), Retin Obasohan (Alabama), Goodluck Okonoboh (UNLV), Tim Quarterman (LSU), Adam Smith (Georgia Tech) and Diamond Stone (Maryland), the team announced.
- The Pacers will bring in Robert Carter (Maryland), Julian Jacobs (USC), Marcus Paige (North Carolina), Gary Payton II (Oregon State), Dyshawn Pierre (Dayton), and Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall) on Thursday for pre-draft workouts, the team announced.
- Former Boise State small forward James Webb III worked out for the Wolves today, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.
- Spanish small forward Santiago Yusta has withdrawn from the 2016 NBA Draft, Encestando.com relays (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
- Former Marquette big man Henry Ellenson worked out for the Wolves on Tuesday and has workouts scheduled with the Lakers, Raptors and Suns next, Wolfson tweets.
Western Notes: D’Antoni, Arseneault Jr., Spangler
The Rockets officially announced the hiring of Mike D’Antoni as head coach today, a move that team owner Leslie Alexander called a mutual decision between he and GM Daryl Morey, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays. “Daryl and I made this choice together,” Alexander said. “I’ve always wanted to play this way.” The team owner is also excited by D’Antoni’s up-tempo style of offense, Watkins notes. “Mike always says players love to play for him,” Alexander said. “Not only because they get better but they get paid. He’ll be a lucrative source for us in free agency.”
Here’s more from out West:
- The Kings will not renew the contract of Reno Bighorns head coach, David Arseneault Jr., Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor relays (via Twitter). Sacramento’s D-League affiliate went 33-17 under Arseneault this past season.
- The Trail Blazers have finalized their coaching staff for the 2016/17 campaign, with the team announcing that Dale Osbourne has been promoted to lead assistant and scout John McCullough has been moved to assistant coach.
- The Rockets‘ new defensive coach, Jeff Bzdelik, discussing the criticism levied against James Harden‘s defense, noted that the shooting guard is a capable stopper, provided he demonstrates commitment on that end of the court, Watkins relays in a separate piece (ESPN Now link). “He can defend as all of them can when they want to and that goes back to everybody needs to be committed and there needs to be a trust,” Bzdelik said of Harden.
- The Timberwolves worked out former Oklahoma power forward Ryan Spangler today, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (via Twitter). The 24-year-old is a longshot to be selected this June, with Spangler not appearing among the top 100 prospects according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
- Mavs power forward Dirk Nowitzki hasn’t made a decision regarding his player option for 2016/17 yet, but has met with members of the front office to discuss his future, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com tweets.
Thunder Notes: Durant, Waiters, Mohammed
Kevin Durant, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, said the two most important factors for him in deciding where to play next season will be a strong environment and solid personnel around him, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman relays. “Just when I sit down and think about it — to be honest, I haven’t put that list together, I guess,” Durant responded when asked what he is looking for in a team. “Just being around great people, being in a great basketball environment, that’s the two most important things for me. That’s all I really care about. Who I’m going to be doing life with every single day, who I’m going to be playing basketball with every day.”
The small forward also noted that the reports he wants to be courted by prospective teams are not true, Slater adds. “I never said that. That’s not who I am. Whatever this thing entails, I’m ready to take it head on, but I’m not that type of person,” Durant said. “I mean, that’s not really — like I said, the two most important things for me is being around great people and having fun playing basketball. All that other stuff that comes with, being who I am and being in this position, it’s not really what I’m concerned with. So I never said that, obviously. You could say that about any player in this position, but yeah.”
Here’s more from OKC:
- Shooting guard Dion Waiters is eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but said that he hopes to return to the Thunder next season, Slater writes in a separate article. “Of course,” Waiters said when asked if he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City. “Why not? Since I got here I feel as though they have helped me become a better person off the court. It’s not even about basketball. I’ve never been connected with a group of guys like this that I’m actually close to. Why not? The best fans in the world. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back.”
- Veteran big man Nazr Mohammed said he would like to become an NBA GM in the future, Slater tweets. It’s unclear if the 38-year-old intends to retire and pursue a front-office position this summer. Mohammed will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after appearing in just five contests this past season.
- Assistant coach Monty Williams will not return to the team next season, head coach Billy Donovan said, Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript relays (via Twitter). It’s unclear if Williams will take the season off to deal with family matters in the wake of his wife’s tragic passing or if he intends to catch on with another team.
- Nick Collison, Randy Foye and Anthony Morrow all said that they expect to be back with the team, but noted that much of the Thunder’s offseason plans depend on what Durant decides, Slater relays in a series of tweets. Collison’s deal for 2016/17 is fully guaranteed, but Foye is set to become an unrestricted free agent and Morrow’s pact is non-guaranteed.
Wesley Johnson To Decline Option For 2016/17
Clippers swingman Wesley Johnson has elected not to exercise his player option for the 2016/17 campaign and he will hit the open market this offseason, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times reports (via Twitter). Johnson will join teammate Austin Rivers, who also elected to opt out, as an unrestricted free agent.
Johnson would have earned $1,227,286 next season had he chose to opt in, but with the salary cap set to increase to $92MM-$95MM he likely anticipates improving upon the figure via free agency. Team president and coach Doc Rivers has said that he wants to re-sign as many of the Clippers’ free agents as possible, and Johnson noted that he would prefer to remain in Los Angeles, Turner adds.
The 28-year-old appeared in 80 games for the Clippers in 2015/16, averaging 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 20.8 minutes per outing to accompany a slash line of .404/.333/.652.
Austin Rivers To Opt Out Of Deal
In a move that was widely expected, Clippers guard Austin Rivers has elected not to exercise his player option for the 2016/17 campaign and he will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports (on Twitter). The combo guard was set to earn $3,344,106 next season, but with the cap set to increase significantly, Rivers obviously believes he can improve upon that figure.
The 23-year-old made 67 appearances for Los Angeles this past season, averaging 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21.9 minutes per outing to accompany a shooting line of .438/.335/.681. Rivers, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, has career averages of 7.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists through 273 contests.
Team president and coach, Doc Rivers, who is Austin’s father, has said that he wants to re-sign as many of the Clippers’ free agents as possible, which ostensibly includes the younger Rivers. Los Angeles doesn’t have much in the way of cap flexibility this summer, having nearly $77MM in salary already on the books against a projected cap in the range of $92MM-$95MM for 2016/17. Austin is represented by ASM Sports, whom he hired last July. He was previously represented by Relativity Sports, who negotiated Rivers’ two-year deal for nearly $6.455MM last July.
Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 10)
The results of the 2016 NBA Draft lottery are in and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we intend to do with a series of polls.
We’ll continue on with the Bucks, who could stand to add some athleticism and outside shooting to their roster. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Milwaukee’s pick and check back Thursday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Magic will select with the No. 11 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 10 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Selections
- Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
- Lakers — Brandon Ingram (Duke)
- Celtics — Dragan Bender (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
- Suns — Jaylen Brown (California)
- Timberwolves — Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
- Pelicans — Kris Dunn (Providence)
- Nuggets — Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
- Kings — Henry Ellenson (Marquette)
- Raptors — Marquese Chriss (Washington)
With the 10th Overall Pick, the Bucks Select...
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Jakob Poeltl (Utah) 40% (422)
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Denzel Valentine (Michigan State) 18% (190)
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Skal Labissiere (Kentucky) 9% (91)
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Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt) 6% (68)
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Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga) 5% (56)
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Tyler Ulis (Kentucky) 4% (46)
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Deyonta Davis (Michigan State) 4% (45)
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Thon Maker (Australia) 4% (43)
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Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame) 3% (35)
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Timothe Luwawu (Mega Leks) 2% (23)
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Malachi Richardson (Syracuse) 1% (14)
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Furkan Korkmaz (Anadolu Efes) 1% (11)
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Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) 1% (7)
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Taurean Prince (Baylor) 0% (5)
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Cheick Diallo (Kansas) 0% (4)
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Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) 0% (4)
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Ante Zizic (Croatia) 0% (2)
Total votes: 1,066