Lloyd Pierce To Get Second Interview With Hawks
Lloyd Pierce, who talked to the Hawks yesterday about their head coaching job, will receive a second interview, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Pierce, an assistant with the Sixers for the past four seasons, previously worked with Atlanta GM Travis Schlenk in Golden State. He also spent time as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers and Grizzlies before coming to Philadelphia.
Pierce is the first known candidate to receive a second interview with the Hawks, who have also met with Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga, Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, Warriors assistant Jarron Collins and Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts, along with David Fizdale, who will be the Knicks’ next coach. Spurs assistants Ime Udoka and James Borrego are also rumored to be candidates.
Follow all the latest coaching moves with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Heat Notes: Whiteside, Riley, Winslow, Dragic
The Pelicans may be a team to watch as the Heat try to trade Hassan Whiteside this summer, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. After DeMarcus Cousins‘ Achilles injury, New Orleans is having second thoughts about offering him a max contract covering five years, preferring a two- or three-year deal at a reduced amount. If that impasse can’t be resolved, Jackson proposes a sign-and-trade involving Whiteside and other players, possibly including Justise Winslow.
Jackson, who notes that there’s strong support in the Miami front office to move on from Whiteside, examines a few other options, stating that the Trail Blazers and Mavericks planned to contact Whiteside when he was a free agent two years ago, but may be less interested now.
Another consideration is whether the Heat want to open up cap room for 2019 by trading Whiteside, who has two seasons and $52MM left on his contract, for an expiring deal. Jackson adds that Miami has to unload Whiteside and at least one more significant salary to be able to compete for a stellar free agent class.
There’s more tonight from Miami:
- If the Heat can’t find a trading partner for Whiteside, team president Pat Riley indicated he will intervene in any future disputes between his center and coach Erik Spoelstra, Jackson adds in the same story. Riley also stated that Whiteside will need to adjust his game to fit the modern style. “You’ve got these quintessential sort of centers that are being forced to play a certain game because the game has changed and there’s only one or two or three teams that can play that game,” Riley said, “because three or four transformative players can make that game effective. So, how do we make him effective?”
- Among the Heat’s many offseason decisions is whether to offer an extension to Winslow or let him become a restricted free agent in 2019, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. After missing most of 2016/17 after shoulder surgery, Winslow bounced back with a solid year, playing 68 games and putting together a strong showing in the playoffs. “I’m in a much better state mentally than I was a year ago,” he said. “But none of these things are easy, dealing with stuff throughout this year, just the mental aspect of the NBA is tough and you’ve seen a lot of guys speaking out about it.”
- Although no one on the Heat roster is guaranteed to be with the team in the fall, point guard Goran Dragic told Riley that he definitely wants to stay in Miami, relays the Associated Press. “This is where I want to be,” said Dragic, who has another season left on his contract, plus an option year. “Everything here, it’s the way I want it.”
Juwan Howard Unlikely To Join Fizdale In New York
Heat assistant Juwan Howard isn’t expected to join David Fizdale’s staff with the Knicks, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now.
Fizdale may want to bring Howard aboard, but he remains under contract to the Heat. They would have to give him permission to leave, which Begley calls “highly unlikely.” Howard, who also interviewed for the head coaching job in New York, worked with Fizdale for several years in Miami, both as a player and a fellow assistant. He has been a Heat assistant since his playing career ended five years ago.
Begley confirms that Keith Smart, who worked with Fizdale in Memphis and Miami, is expected to join his staff. Another strong candidate is Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, who also interviewed to be the Knicks’ head coach and expressed a willingness this week to be part of Fizdale’s staff if he got the job.
Another possibility Begley mentions is Adam Johansen, a scout for the Grizzlies who also spent time with the Heat while Fizdale was there.
Doc Rivers, Clippers Agree To Extension?
All indications are that Clippers coach Doc Rivers has reached an agreement with owner Steve Ballmer on a multi-year extension, reports Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times. Nothing has been made official, but Plaschke speculates the news means Rivers is willing to be part of a rebuilding effort in L.A.
There had been rumors that Rivers, who has one year remaining on his current contract, may not want to stay with the organization after it traded Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in the past year and faces the possible loss of DeAndre Jordan in free agency.
Rivers and the Clippers declined to comment on the report, but Plaschke notes that both sides have been complimentary in their recent statements.
“I love where the organization is at right now,” Rivers said in an interview this week, while Ballmer stated that Rivers did an “amazing” job this season with an injury-depleted roster.
Plaschke notes that Rivers is a valuable asset for the franchise as it tries to accelerate its rebuilding process by attracting a top-level free agent like Paul George or LeBron James, who are both rumored to have a desire to play in Los Angeles. The Clippers, who will likely have two lottery picks, have also been mentioned as a possible destination if the Spurs decide to trade Kawhi Leonard.
“This season gave me life, it really did,” Rivers said. “This year’s group was great to coach, an extraordinary group, and it tells you that you can bring in the right guys and build the right culture and we can get this done.”
Central Notes: Pistons, T. Young, Free Agents, Bucks
If the Pistons are going to make changes to their coaching staff or front office, they will probably happen in the next 10 days, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Preparation for the draft begins to intensify with the lottery on May 15, followed by the opening of the combine two days later. The Pistons will want to have their management issues resolved by then, even though their first-rounder is headed to the Clippers without some lottery luck.
GM Jeff Bower met with majority owner Tom Gores on Thursday, Ellis adds, amid reports that structural changes are being considered to the front office. Bower and coach/president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, who also met with Gores this week, are both entering the final year of their contracts.
Ellis speculates that the longer the situation drags on, the less likely it is that Van Gundy returns for another season. He notes that Gores is unhappy about the way the team has managed its salary cap, particularly with generous contracts for role players Jon Leuer [four years, $42 million] and Langston Galloway [three years, $21 million].
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Watching the Eastern semifinals has been a painful experience for Thaddeus Young and his Pacers teammates, relays Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. The Indiana players are still reeling after dropping a tough seven-game series to the Cavaliers, and they believe they could be on their way to the conference finals if they had gotten by Cleveland. Young adds that he hasn’t decided whether to opt out of a $13,764,045 salary for next season, but he believes the Pacers are headed for even better things. “Man, I think the sky is the limit for us,” he said. “As a team, we’re already pretty good, but I think we’ll be so much better entering next season because we’ll all have another year of experience under our belt and we won’t be a new-look team that just got together anymore.”
- The Pacers need to add a 3-point shooter in free agency, observes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star, who examines potential targets for this summer. Indiana should have roughly $10MM to spend, even if Young opts in, which could be enough to land Wayne Ellington, Joe Harris or Marco Belinelli.
- The Bucks are in position to trim some money from their roster heading into free agency, according to Fox Sports Wisconsin. Brandon Jennings [$2,222,803], Tyler Zeller [$1,933,941] and Malcolm Brogdon [$1,544,951] all have non-guaranteed contracts for next season, although Brogdon, a former Rookie of the Year, is expected to be brought back.
Jaylen Brown To Remain On Minutes Restriction In Game 3
After originally being listed as doubtful for Game 2 of the Celtics’ series against the Sixers, swingman Jaylen Brown ended up playing 25 minutes in the team’s Game 2 come-from-behind win.
And, according to multiple reports, including an official release from the team’s Twitter account, head coach Brad Stevens has told reporters that Brown is again only expected to be available for about 25 minutes in tonight’s Game 3. Chris Forsberg of ESPN adds that in order to help manage Brown’s minutes, he will again come off the bench.
Brown, who missed Game 1 because of a right hamstring strain, played in Game 2 against medical recommendation, per Tom Westerholm of MassLive.com.
“I’m not really sure what the numbers are and the risk is,” Brown said of the injury. “Pretty sizable risk probably. (But) it was my call. The doctors didn’t want me to play, I told them I’d be fine. It was all on me, but you manage it right, be smart with it, I don’t expect to miss any games.”
The Celtics go into tonight’s Game 3 in Philadelphia with a 2-0 series lead on the Sixers.
Larranaga, Borrego Emerge As Strong Candidates For Hornets’ HC Job
MAY 5, 3:27pm: Borrego and Larranaga will each meet with the Hornets for a second interview this weekend, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Hornets owner Michael Jordan will be a part of both meetings.
MAY 4, 2:08pm: Count Spurs assistant James Borrego among those on the short list for the position. Earlier this afternoon, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweeted that both Borrego and Larranaga are “gathering momentum” in the team’s search for a new head coach.
Borrego had previously been linked to the Suns and Knicks, who have since committed to other candidates, as well as to the Hawks.
Meanwhile, Bonnell adds (via Twitter) that Raptors assistant Nick Nurse is also on the Hornets’ list of candidates, though it’s not clear whether Nurse is receiving serious consideration like Larranaga and Borrego.
MAY 4, 10:08am: Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga has emerged as a strong candidate for the Hornets’ head coaching job, reports Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Larranaga’s interview with Charlotte was first reported by Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports.
Bonnell stresses that the team has yet to make a final choice on Steve Clifford‘s replacement. However, Larranaga is receiving “strong consideration,” a source tells Bonnell.
As Bonnell details, the Hornets’ search process is moving along now that David Fizdale has accepted a job with the Knicks. Fizdale was one of several candidates Charlotte interviewed and was considering. Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka, David Vanterpool, James Borrego, Jim Boylen, and Jerry Stackhouse are all reportedly among the contenders for the Hornets’ job too, though Larranaga may be the frontrunner at this point.
[RELATED: 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]
Larranaga, who had an extensive international career as a player, transitioned into coaching after he retired in 2009. He served as the head coach for the Erie BayHawks before joining the C’s as an assistant in 2012. Larranaga – who has been considered for head coaching jobs in past years by the Celtics, Sixers, and Grizzlies – also spoke to the Knicks and Hawks about their coaching vacancies this spring.
It’s not clear how Larranaga’s ongoing work with the Celtics will impact Charlotte’s search process. However, if the Hornets decide Larranaga is their man, the two sides could reach an agreement before Boston’s postseason run ends, as the Suns did with Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 4/28/18 – 5/5/18
Every week, we here at Hoops Rumors strive to create interesting original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- We began our annual NBA Award Picks, with members of the Hoops Rumors writing staff selecting their choices for the following end-of-season awards:
- In his weekly mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions regarding a needed self-evaluation for Carmelo Anthony, potential landing spots for Kawhi Leonard, and the possibly uncertain future for Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich.
- Austin Kent continued his 2018 Free Agent Stock Watch:
- We also continued our 2018 Offseason Salary Cap Digest, carrying on with additional lottery teams:
- In our only polls of the week, we asked which teams will reach the Eastern Conference Finals:
- We asked, via a Community Shootaround, what kind of changes, if any, you would make if you were in charge of the Pacers?
- In another Community Shootaround post, we asked whether Darius Bazley jumping from high school to the G League will start a trend.
- Luke Adams took a look at the odds for the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery.
Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams Favorites For Bucks Job?
According to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, former Hawks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer and Spurs’ vice president of basketball operations Monty Williams appear to be the favorites for the Bucks‘ head coaching job, according to league sources.
We’ve noted the Bucks’ interest in Budenholzer several different times in the recent past, and we just relayed yesterday the team’s plan to interview Williams, so the report isn’t altogether surprising. However, it’s interesting to see that some NBA sources view Budenholzer and Williams as higher on Milwaukee’s wish list than other previously named candidates such as Steve Clifford or David Blatt.
Budenholzer, 48, was the head coach of the Hawks for five seasons from 2013 to 2018, while Williams, 46, last coached for the Thunder during the 2015/16 season after being the head man in New Orleans for five seasons from 2010 to 2015.
Other candidates for the Bucks’ head coaching vacancy include Spurs’ assistants Ettore Messina, Becky Hammon, and James Borrego, as well as interim coach Joe Prunty.
Keep up with all the latest coaching developments with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Five Key Stories: 4/28/18 – 5/5/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the league, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Suns are hiring Jazz assistant coach Igor Kokoskov as their new head coach. Kokoskov, 46, interviewed with the Suns for a second time during the Jazz’ series against the Rockets and was named head coach shortly thereafter. Kokoskov is signing a three-year deal with no options and will be the first head coach in NBA history to be born and raised outside North America.
The Knicks and former Grizzlies’ head coach David Fizdale have come to an agreement naming Fizdale as the team’s next head coach. Fizdale, 43, will sign a four-year contract and will become the Knicks’ 11th head coach since the 2001/02 season. In addition to his recent head coaching experience, Fizdale was an assistant coach with the Heat for eight seasons, helping the team reach four NBA Finals, winning two of them.
Stephen Curry missed Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Pelicans, but returned in Game 2 to help Golden State take a 2-0 series lead. Curry, coming back from a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, scored 28 points off the bench in 27 minutes.
Three more players made decisions on their player options for the 2018/19 season. Clippers forward Wesley Johnson intends to pick up his option worth about $6.1MM, while Pacers point guard Cory Joseph officially picked up his player option worth roughly $7.9MM. Meanwhile, Wolves guard Jamal Crawford will turn down his player option worth about $4.5MM and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Highly touted 2018 NBA Draft prospect Luka Doncic will not work out for NBA teams due to his commitment to Real Madrid in Spain. Real Madrid is scheduled to compete in the Euroleague Final Four later this month, then will play in the Liga ACB postseason after that. The Liga ACB playoffs are scheduled to begin on May 27, and could end as late as June 23, two days after the NBA draft, and Doncic refuses miss any postseason games with his current team.
Here are 11 more headlines from the past week:
- The agent of Nuggets’ big man Nikola Jokic has advised the franchise not to pick up Jokic’s 2018/19 team option.
- Trail Blazers assistant coach David Vanterpool has received permission to interview for the head coaching vacancies in Orlando and Charlotte.
- The Magic will also interview Spurs assistant coach Ime Udoka for their head coaching job, while the Hornets will interview Udoka’s colleague, Spurs’ assistant James Borrego, for their opening at head coach.
- The Hornets have also been granted permission to interview Bulls’ associate head coach Jim Boylen.
- The Hawks will interview Trail Blazers’ assistant coach Nate Tibbetts and Warriors’ assistant Jarron Collins for their head coaching vacancy.
- The Hawks will also interview Hornets’ assistant coach Stephen Silas, Celtics’ assistant Jay Larranaga, and Sixers’ assistant Lloyd Pierce for the team’s head coaching position.
- Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio injured his left hamstring in the team’s first round series win against the Thunder and has yet to return for the Western Conference Semifinals against the Rockets.
- Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy is resisting team owner Tom Gores‘ plan to make structural changes within the organization.
- Thunder head coach Billy Donovan will return to coach the team next season.
- The Bucks will interview Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, former Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, and former Pelicans head coach Monty Williams for their head coaching vacancy,
- The Bucks will also interview Spurs assistants Becky Hammon and James Borrego.