Coaching Rumors: Jazz, Knicks
The Jazz do not currently have a timeline set for finding their new head coach, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Genessy adds that GM Dennis Lindsey is entering uncharted territory, as the only time he had been involved in a head coaching search was in 2003 with the Rockets, when he assisted then-GM Carroll Dawson as vice president of basketball operations. Despite his inexperience, Lindsey insisted that the search will be conducted with the “right professional decorum” and later added:
“…we’ll meet quickly, internally…We’ll set some criteria. We’ll look at some objective measures. We’ll look at some subjective measures about coaches and who’s going to be the new leader of the Utah Jazz and define some timelines about who we’re going to interview.”
According to Genessy, the new coaching hire will be decided on as a group that includes Lindsey, Jazz owner Gail Miller, CEO Greg Miller, Miller Sports Properties president Steve Miller, team president Randy Rigby, executive VP of basketball operations Kevin O’Connor, and CFO Bob Hyde.
You can read more coaching-related links below:
- Genessy mentions that in addition to Jazz assistant Brad Jones, Lindsey has close ties with Jeff Van Gundy (who the Rockets ultimately hired to succeed Rudy Tomjanovich in 2003), Suns assistant Mike Longabardi, and Bulls assistant Andy Greer. Along with Jones, Genessy lists Jim Boylen and Ettore Messina as possible candidates, just as we had noted from Mike Monroe of the San Antonio-Express News and ESPN’s Marc Stein earlier today.
- Former Bulls player Bill Wennington tells Newsday’s Al Iannazzone that Steve Kerr and Phil Jackson would fit together well in New York: “Their history together and just the way they work together and have worked together in the past with the offense and everything is a good combination…To me it’s a no-brainer.” Though Wennington admits that he has an interest in coaching, he tells Iannazzone that he hasn’t spoken to Jackson about possibly joining the Knicks.
- Iannazzone lists Frank Hamblen, Jim Cleamons, Bill Cartwright, Scottie Pippen, Kurt Rambis, and Derek Fisher as a few names who could join the Knicks in some capacity at some point. As Marc Berman of the New York Post mentioned earlier, Ron Harper could surface on the team’s radar as well.
Poll: Can Knicks Find Taker For J.R. Smith?
Back in mid-January, we heard that there was reportedly no market for J.R. Smith. The 28-year-old guard was reportedly being shopped around the league at the time as the Knicks had grown increasingly frustrated with his on-and-off the court transgressions. Smith’s first five games of the new year proved to be forgettable while he dealt with criticism, as he averaged just 5.1 PPG on 31% shooting and received a DNP-CD during a 102-92 win against the Heat at Madison Square Garden. His season appeared to reach a low point that night, as Smith told the press during the postgame that he was unsure of his future with the Knicks.
Fortunately, Smith was able to move past those incidents and finish the rest of the season on a strong note, and his scoring averages increased every month from then on. He averaged 12.9 PPG while shooting .431 from the field and .391 from three in January, 14.6/.417/.397 in February, 15.5 PPG/.451/.402 in March, and 23.4/.496/.463 in April. More importantly, Smith delivered standout performances as the Knicks went 16-7 over the final 23 games, falling just two wins short of earning the eighth seed.
Though Smith’s behavioral issues this season might be cause for concern, his former coach George Karl said back in January that the 6’6 guard has a “skill that championships need” and implied that a team with a stronger locker room would make a big difference. Karl specifically mentioned San Antonio as an ideal situation:
“I would be looking at a culture where there would be more peer pressure…I know San Antonio has always liked (J.R.) and I know they’ve thought about bringing him in…San Antonio doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.”
The nine-year veteran is on the books for about $5.98MM next season and has a player option worth nearly $6.4MM for 2015/16. Last month, a report from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News suggested that the team will look to trade him this summer. There’s certainly the possibility that Smith will be on the opening night roster this November, but considering his play over the final months of the season, will the Knicks be able to successfully trade J.R. Smith this summer?
And-Ones: Harper, Kerr, Rockets
Since Phil Jackson joined the Knicks, there has been ample speculation about him bringing along connections from his winning past to work for the organization. As we’ve noted recently, Steve Kerr appears to be the strongest candidate being considered for the team’s head coaching position. We also relayed that former Jackson-assistant Jim Cleamons has his sights set on joining the team in any capacity. Today, Ron Harper – who played for Jackson in Chicago and Los Angeles – told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he expects to interview for a position:
“I would expect so…A few guys are expecting to hear from (Jackson). We’re in a wait-and-see mode. Whatever he needs me to do, I will do. He knows that.”
Here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous notes:
- Though there are reports that the Kerr wants the Knicks job, Berman writes that his ideal preference would be a West coast team, echoing Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Kerr currently lives in San Diego, and an opportunity to stay close to home could present itself with Mike D’Antoni allegedly on thin ice in Los Angeles; however, it wouldn’t seem likely that Lakers president Jeanie Buss would try to compete with Jackson for Kerr’s services.
- If Carmelo Anthony doesn’t remain with the Knicks as expected, the Rockets would be in prime position to acquire him this summer, says Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. Sefko imagines that the Mavericks would also try to land Anthony, but isn’t sure if putting hope in him as a number one guy would be the most prudent thing to do at this point.
- Kevin McHale doesn’t seem to be the right coach for Houston, opines Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders, who in his weekly chat addressed a scenario in which the Rockets attempted to pursue George Karl if they ultimately decided to make a coaching change. Such a courtship would be incompatible with the team’s interest in Carmelo, opines Ingram, to the point that Karl would not even consider accepting the job if they acquired the star forward.
- It’s worth pointing out that almost all of the potential coaching candidates for the Jazz opening are represented by Warren LeGarie, who also happens to be the agent of Utah GM Dennis Lindsey (Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune mentions via Twitter).
- Former NBA forward Dominic McGuire has signed with Gigantes de Guayana of the Venezuelan league, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Kings Notes: Thomas, Draft, Biggest Need
Believe it or not, the last time that the Kings reached the postseason was in 2005/06, which then marked the franchise’s eighth consecutive playoff appearance since the 1998/99 season. More notably, that year denoted the mid-year blockbuster deal which sent Peja Stojakovic to Indiana in exchange for Metta World Peace (then-Ron Artest) as well as Rick Adelman‘s final year as head coach in Sacramento. At 18-24 in late January of 2006, the Kings finished 26-14 to close out the regular season before falling in six games to the 63-19 Spurs.
Earlier today, Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro shared some of his thoughts on how he’ll try to utilize the draft this year as he looks to continue building a competitive roster that will eventually end Sacramento’s playoff drought. We have a few more interesting things to share from D’Alessandro, and you can find them below:
- D’Alessandro confirmed to reporters today, including Cowbell Kingdom’s Jon Santiago, that he plans to extend a qualifying offer to Isaiah Thomas to make him a restricted free agent this summer (Twitter link). It’ll be worth $2,875,131, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors explained last month.
- He believes in drafting the best player available and would not be averse to selecting a small forward in late June, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. While some may wonder what that could mean for Rudy Gay, D’Alessandro cites Gay’s versatility to presumably dispel notions about a potential logjam at that position.
- The Kings’ GM also says that the the team’s biggest need is shooting and is particularly looking for shooters who will be significant rotation players (Jones adds via Twitter).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Draft Links: 2015, Randle, McDaniels
The 2015 NBA Draft could be abound with promising big men, as Josh Newman and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv discuss. Among those already garnering attention are Duke-bound Jahlil Okafor, incoming Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander, and Kentucky-recruit Karl-Anthony Towns; all three are currently projected to be in the top five according to DraftExpress‘ 2015 mock draft. Other potential lottery prospects include Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein, Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, Florida’s Chris Walker, and top uncommitted center Myles Turner.
Here are some other draft-related links that we’ll pass along this evening:
- Julius Randle has had high expectations as a top ranked college player and should still be among the notable names selected on draft night. With that being said, ESPN Draft experts Kevin Pelton, Amin Elhassan, and Chad Ford go over some of the limitations that may cause Randle to fall out of the top five.
- Clemson product K.J. McDaniels has hired Rival Sports to represent him, per Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
- Draft prospects C.J. Wilcox, Gary Harris, and Elfrid Payton have signed with Creative Artists Agency, an NBA source tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
- Former Michigan State standout Adreian Payne is among a trio of fellow projected lottery talents who have signed with agent Mark Bartelstein, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.
Isaiah Austin Enters Draft
APRIL 22ND: Austin confirms that he’s entering the draft on his Twitter account, linking to the full announcement on Instagram.
APRIL 15TH: 8:11pm: Via his own Twitter account, Austin has denied that he’s made an official decision and says he’s still weighing his options.
7:53pm: Baylor big man Isaiah Austin will enter this year’s NBA Draft, sources tell Jason King of the Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The 7-footer is listed at No. 43 on Jonathan Givony’s Top 100 Prospects list and No. 59 on Chad Ford’s Top 100 rankings respectively. King adds that Austin would have left for the NBA last year if not for injury. Austin’s DraftExpress profile has him listed as 7’1″, 220-pound center, while Ford’s ESPN page has him described as a 7’0″, 215-pound power forward.
As a freshman, Austin averaged 13.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 29.9 MPG. As a sophomore, his blocks per game average rose to 3.1, though his rebounding and scoring numbers dropped to 11.2 and 5.5 in 28.0 MPG. Once considered a potential lottery pick, the Baylor product’s inconsistency and lack of strength have drastically affected his standing, according to Ford. On the other hand, one scout tells SNY.tv’s Adam Zagoria that Austin projects as a “late first-round pick” who helped his draft stock at the end of the 2013/14 season and in the tournament (Twitter link).
Last month, Austin helped Baylor reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, posting 14.0 PPG on 53.8% shooting, 5.3 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 27.6 MPG through three games.
Bucks Re-Sign Chris Wright To Multiyear Deal
WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Bucks have officially announced the deal.
TUESDAY, 11:22pm: The Bucks have signed Chris Wright for the remainder of the regular season in addition to a non-guaranteed season in 2014/15, reports Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 6’9 forward is now expected to participate with Milwaukee’s summer league team and be included in training camp. Gardner adds that the signing will give the Bucks some added flexibility in trade scenarios this summer.
Wright played on a pair of ten-day contracts with Milwaukee this year, one signed on March 14th and the other on April 5th, respectively. In his most recent stint, the Dayton native played 15 MPG in each of the team’s last five games, averaging 6.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and one steal per game to go along with 66.7% shooting from the field overall.
And-Ones: Buford, Popovich, Chandler
Spurs GM R.C. Buford is “incredibly happy” in San Antonio and has no intention of leaving even as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili near retirement age, as Buford tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe (audio link; transcription via Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News). McCarney, in the intro to his transcription, notes that Gregg Popovich has backed away from his assertion a year ago that he’ll retire when Duncan does, referring to Popovich’s remark as merely a joke.
Here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes:
- On the idea that the Knicks might be focusing on the summer 2015 rather than be competitive next season, Tyson Chandler hopes that it isn’t the case: “I definitely don’t want to waste another season….I’m not into wasting seasons. Your time is too short in this league and I want to win a championship, another one” (Marc Berman of the New York Post reports). Berman adds that with his expiring contract and ability to still play at a high level, Chandler could be Phil Jackson‘s number one trading chip this summer.
- It appears that soon-to-be restricted free agent Gordon Hayward would like to stay with the Jazz, but he acknowledges that nothing’s certain at this point, notes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Currently without a contract after July, Utah head coach Tyrone Corbin isn’t ready to field questions about his impending future just yet, writes Falk in a separate piece. Corbin elaborated: “I don’t know if that’s a good question to ask right now…I have a lot of evaluating to do that I want to do for myself and figure out what’s my next step.”
- The Rockets have recalled Robert Covington and Isaiah Canaan from the D-League, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Melvin Ely‘s contract with the Pelicans runs through next season with non-guaranteed salary, reports Mark Deeks of ShamSports, writing for the Score. The ninth-year veteran’s minimum salary he’d get makes him a trade chip in the same manner that Scotty Hopson is for the Cavs, but Ely comes much more cheaply, as Deeks points out.
- Deeks also reports that the Bulls’ deal with Louis Amundson, like teammates Ronnie Brewer and Mike James, covers next season with non-guaranteed salary.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
T-Wolves Notes: Adelman, Love, Rubio
Rick Adelman‘s contract with the Timberwolves includes a mutual option with the team in which either side can opt out of the deal; the agreement calls for a decision to be made no later than two weeks after the end of the regular season (noted by the Associated Press). The above piece sheds light on the biggest criticisms surrounding Adelman’s performance this year, and it specifically mentions his questionable rotation decisions with Kevin Love and the team’s young players. Team president Flip Saunders is expected to sit down and talk with the long-time NBA head coach to discuss their future.
Keeping that in mind, Andy Greder and Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press write that there is an understanding between Adelman and the team that he can return next season as a consultant. Greder and Walters have more interesting tidbits to pass along out of Minnesota, and you can find them below:
- Despite the uncertainty of Love’s future, there is no intention of trading him.
- On the premise that Ricky Rubio hasn’t performed at an all-star level this season, It seems more probable that the T-Wolves would choose to offer a four-year extension rather than a five-year max when the two can negotiate a rookie deal extension between July and October.
- The team will look to add a two-way wing player this summer. While they could also look to make a trade in order to boost their defense, owner Glen Taylor says it probably wouldn’t be a “big” one.
- As with Love, Taylor doesn’t seem open to dealing Pekovic or Rubio right now.
- Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng are expected to be key contributors next season, and Dieng’s standout performances during the latter portion of this year gives the team some added flexibility as it continues to deal with Nikola Pekovic‘s lingering injury concerns.
Elfrid Payton To Enter Draft
Louisiana Lafayette guard Elfrid Payton will enter the NBA Draft and sign with Aaron Mintz, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (via Twitter). The 6’3 guard played a total of three seasons for the Ragin’ Cajuns, making considerable improvements in scoring every year. According to Haynes, Payton is projected to be selected in the first round. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress totes Payton as the 26th best prospect in this year’s draft, while ESPN’s Chad Ford lists him as No. 36.
In 2013/14, Payton averaged 19.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, and shot 50.9% from the field. In his one appearance in this year’s NCAA tournament, Payton posted 24 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in 40 minutes en route to a second round loss against Creighton.