Coaching Rumors: Hawks, Van Gundy, Pistons
Here's a look at the latest coaching notes from around the Association..
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press adds Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks to the list of candidates drawing interest from the Pistons (Twitter link).
- Snyder might not be a candidate in Atlanta, but the Bobcats are expected to interview him, just as they did during their coaching search last year, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Earlier updates:
- Word that the Hawks are going hard after Stan Van Gundy has been overstated, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution (via Twitter), though they will talk to him. Incumbent Larry Drew remains a candidate for the position but Quin Snyder is not currently in the mix (Twitter links).
- The Pistons will interview Knicks assistant coach Darrell Walker, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. That brings Detroit's list to five candidates as they have already interviewed Nate McMillan, Suns interim coach Lindsey Hunter, Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, and Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Bynum, Prigioni, Celtics
After taking a look at the offseason challenges that the Nets will face earlier today, here's more out of the Atlantic..
- If the Sixers and new GM Sam Hinkie don't retain Andrew Bynum, look for the Rockets rumors to heat up quickly, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation.com. If healthy and teamed up with James Harden and Chandler Parsons, Houston would have a formidable offensive lineup.
- Steve Serby of the New York Post sat down with Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni for a Q&A. When asked if he wants to return to New York next year, the Argentinean said that he is focusing on winning at the moment and will tackle that after the season.
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge says the Raptors have asked for permission to speak with assistant coach Tyronn Lue for a position on Dwane Casey's staff, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com is turning in his report card on the Celtics' 2012/13 roster. Today, he evaluates the play of mid-season pickup Shavlik Randolph.
Offseason Outlook: Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed Contracts
- Joe Johnson ($21,466,718)
- Deron Williams ($18,466,130)
- Brook Lopez ($14,693,906)
- Kris Humphries ($12,000,000)
- Gerald Wallace ($10,105,855)
- Mirza Teletovic ($3,229,050)
- Reggie Evans ($1,695,635)
- MarShon Brooks ($1,210,080)
- Tornike Shengelia ($788,872)
- Tyshawn Taylor ($788,872)
Options
- C.J. Watson ($1,106,942, Player)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Kris Joseph ($788,872)1
Free Agents / Cap Holds
- No. 22 pick ($1,082,200)
- Andray Blatche ($884,293)
- Keith Bogans ($884,293)
- Jerry Stackhouse ($884,293)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (22nd overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $84,445,118
- Options: $1,106,942
- Non-Guaranteed Salary: $788,872
- Cap Holds: $3,735,079
- Total: $90,076,011
This time last year, the Nets were busy putting the finishing touches on a shiny new arena in Prospect Heights, but didn't really have a clue as to what kind of product they'd be putting on the floor in 2012/13. In fact, there were only four players under contract for their inaugural season in Brooklyn with Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace holding player options. Even though it seemed like things would get hot and heavy between the Mavs and the Nets' star guard, Billy King & Co. ultimately re-signed Williams thanks to the Joe Johnson deal and, depending on who you ask, Mark Cuban's decision to tend to his reality show rather than meet with his club's No. 1 free agent target.
Eighty-nine games later, the Nets have burned through two coaches and are seeking out someone who will put a sizable buffer between themselves and coach No. 4. In a redux of 1999, the Nets made their pitch to land Phil Jackson but were quickly rebuffed. Beyond the Zen Master, they find a very deserving longtime assistant in Brian Shaw and another infamous name from their own history – Larry Brown. There's also the brothers Van Gundy (Jeff, Stan), possible darkhorse Mike Dunleavy Sr., and Deron's bestest friend in the whole wide world, Jerry Sloan. There's no telling who the next hire will be for the Nets, but they'll presumably seek out someone who can push this team to play tough defense on a nightly basis and mix up the team's playcalling a smidge. After all, you can only rotate between a Williams isolation play, a Johnson isolation play, and a Williams/Brook Lopez pick-and-roll so many times before the opposition wises up.
Making a change on the bench will only get Brooklyn so far, but it's going to be extremely challenging for this club to truly shake up this roster. The trades for Johnson and Wallace gave the Nets a short-term boost, but their contracts make them nearly impossible to flip for younger talent. Johnson will earn $70MM over the next three seasons while Wallace, who appears to be in decline and frustrated with his recent play, will make $33MM in that span.
Kris Humphries, who had a very disappointing campaign, will also be hard to move as he is set to make $12MM next season. A team may be willing to take on his expiring contract in hopes that he returns to his form of the previous three seasons, but the Nets will have to sweeten the pot with another piece to get anything of value in return. The talented and under-utilized MarShon Brooks could help entice someone to take on Hump. Last offseason's import Mirza Teletovic or 2011 first round pick Bojan Bogdanovic, who will reportedly join the club this summer, could also be decent trade chips. None of those three players would guarantee a worthwhile deal, however.
The club struggled when it came to pairing someone in the frontcourt alongside Lopez. When Humphries found himself on the pine, Reggie Evans stepped up and did the dirty work. However, Evans' lack of offensive acumen makes it tough to give him starter's minutes, especially when he's sharing the floor with Wallace. Re-signing the sometimes brilliant and sometimes aimless Andray Blatche will go a long way towards solidifying the frontcourt, but they'll need to address the power forward position in order to take a step forward next season. Someone in the middle of the spectrum between Evans' balls-to-the-wall approach and Lopez's offensive mindset would suit them extremely well.
Can they get a high caliber four with Humphries and a few shiny pieces? Could Johnson or Wallace be moved for assets that can be useful in both the short- and long- term? Neither seems terribly likely given the club's salary cap situation. That's why the Nets' coaching search is so critical. It could be the biggest impact move possible for this team.
Additional notes:
- Beyond the starting five, the Nets may also be forced to retool their bench. Blatche has said that he wants more consistent playing time, but his familiarity with Brooklyn could convince him to stay and see less burn. The Nets were also the club that took a gamble on Blatche and got him back on track after he was amnestied by the Wizards.
- C.J. Watson holds a player's option for the minimum but he will almost certainly decline it as he can get (at least) the minimum from anyone. Watson would gladly be welcomed back to the Barclays Center but, like Blatche, the guard may choose to play for a team that will showcase him and improve his value beyond next season.
- Jerry Stackhouse has enjoyed an exceptionally long career but at the of 38, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him walk away from the game. Keith Bogans is also a free agent and the Nets would like to hang on to him.
Cap footnotes:
- It's not known whether Joseph's contract for 2013/14 includes a partial guarantee, or whether it's fully non-guaranteed.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Latest On Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson is taking his time when it comes to deciding on his basketball future, and a source close to the situation told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the possibility of the Kings moving to Seattle could have something to do with it. The Seattle group appears to have an uphill battle on their hands but Jackson may be waiting for the possibility to be completely ruled out before giving serious thought to where to he wants to be next season.
The Raps, though, are still in flux as they have yet to announce a decision on current team president Bryan Colangelo. One source briefed on the process expects the call on Colangelo's to come down this week in advance of the Chicago pre-draft camp. Jackson, who doesn't seem to be interested in coaching again, presumably wouldn't be a fit if Colangelo is retained for 2013/14.
Nets Contact Jackson, Like Brown And Shaw
TUESDAY, 10:51pm: A source tells ESPN that Jackson is still open to coaching if he has a say on the roster, tweets ESPN L.A.'s Ramona Shelburne. Shelburne says that the legendary coach would prefer a front office gig, but would be willing to coach if he had power within the franchise. Jackson is a in "listen mode," not "look mode," Shelburne tweets, adding that it would have to be a perfect fit, a la Pat Riley in Miami (Twitter links here).
5:18pm: Jackson is not interested in a return to coaching and therefore will not become the next coach of the Nets, reports Tim Bontemps of the New York post, citing a league source. Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski confirms the Post report, also tweeting that Jackson's inclination remains to make his NBA return in a "broader management role."
MONDAY, 8:30pm: The Nets have contacted Phil Jackson about the possibility of becoming their next coach, a source told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. After Jackson, the source says the list of current Nets' candidates consists of Larry Brown and Brian Shaw.
Nate McMillan, Jeff Van Gundy, and Stan Van Gundy aren't on the list, the source said, but that could change if the Nets strike out on their aforementioned top three choices. Celtics coach Doc Rivers would interest the Nets though if the Celtics agree to let him out of his current contract, the source said.
Jerry Sloan is a long-shot candidate for the gig, even though Deron Williams recently endorsed him. Nets GM Billy King understands that Jackson is not likely to come to Brooklyn to coach, but he is open to bringing Jackson into the front-office, according to the source. Jackson would perhaps join the Nets as the team's president while also getting a slice of stake in the club's ownership.
Shaw would be a likely coaching candidate if Jackson joined the Nets front office thanks to the prior ties between the two.
Los Angeles Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Del Negro
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't know if he'll have all of his familiar faces back next season, but he decided to shake things up the sidelines in advance of what should be a very interesting summer in L.A. D'Antoni has informed assistants Bernie Bickerstaff and Chuck Person that they won't be back with the Lakers in 2013/14, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). Here's more out of the Staples Center..
- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro says that he has no read on whether he will return for next season, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Clippers vice president of basketball operation Gary Sacks says he will take feedback from exit interviews with players and coaches into consideration when deciding on Del Negro.
- Speaking of Sacks, the Clippers exec says he is confident that Chris Paul will be back, writes Markazi. "I think he's an integral part of this. We feel like we had a great partnership for the last couple of years and we want to continue it obviously. These are decisions that have to be made and some of them will be taken care of at the appropriate time. We can't talk to him until July 1, so we'll go ahead and do that. We'll move forward when it's appropriate," the GM said.
- Earl Clark may be a vital piece for the Lakers to keep, simply because their ability to add talent will be so limited, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (via Sulia).
- Mike Trudell of NBA.com spoke to Lakers management and players about Dwight Howard and his impending free agency.
Berger On Malone, 76ers, Hornacek, Nets
Here’s the latest news on coaching and GM vacancies courtesy of CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger..
- It’s too early to identify a front-runner in the Sixers search, but things sound promising for Warriors assistant Mike Malone. Philly execs have contacted the Warriors multiple times about Malone, including several conversations with consultant Jerry West. In fact, the Sixers are consulting players who’ve played under both Malone and Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to get a feel for how the two candidates differ, according to one source.
- To the surprise of some rival executives, the Sixers‘ coaching search is being led by GM Tony DiLeo, whose contract expires this summer. With team president Rod Thorn moving into a smaller role and DiLeo’s contract expiring, rival execs expect the Sixers seek out a new decision maker as well. In fact, that process has already begun through back-channel conversations, one person contacted on the Sixers’ behalf told Berger.
- Nets star Deron Williams has been vocal in his support of Jerry Sloan for the job but also has a strong relationship with Jeff Hornacek. In addition to the Sixers, the former Jazz sharpshooter has attracted interest from the Bobcats, Suns, and Bucks, sources told Berger.
- The Suns are in the advanced stages of their GM search and the latest word is that Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough‘s is gaining momentum. Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman has been viewed as the favorite in some circles, however, and the Suns also have interviewed Spurs exec (and former Knicks GM) Scott Layden.
- The Clippers are expected to can Vinny Del Negro and Hawks are expected to let Larry Drew go, league sources said. The Clippers are said to be “exploring all options,” while the Hawks’ decision on Drew’s future is expected “sooner than later,” sources said. It is widely believed that GM Danny Ferry prefers to install his own head coach in Atlanta.
Odds & Ends: Nuggets, Iguodala, Pistons, Bucks
Here's the latest from around the Association..
- In an interview with Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke expresses his desire to have likely free agent Andre Iguodala back next season, and details his close working relationship with GM Masai Ujiri, whose contract is up this summer.
- Bucks GM John Hammond hinted that this summer he'll be seeking another interior defender to complement Larry Sanders, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who takes a look at the offseason ahead for the team.
- Pistons owner Tom Gores needs to have faith in Joe Dumars' ability to turn things around in Detroit, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. While the signings of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon didn't pan out, Goodwill notes that the mandate of previous owner Karen Davidson resulted in no activity for two years and prevented Dumars from correcting those mistakes.
Hoops Links: Hawks, Anthony, Rockets, Bucks
On this date in 1981, Celtics star Larry Bird made one of the greatest on-the-fly adjustments we've ever seen in basketball. Anticipating that his jumper from the right of the key during Game 1 of the Finals against Houston was going to be off target, he raced to the right baseline, grabbed the rebound with his right hand, switched the ball into his left hand as his momentum was taking him out of bounds, and somehow laid it in the basket. Red Auerbach called it the greatest play he had ever seen, both for Bird’s physical ability to make the shot and his basketball instinct to get into position for the rebound. The Celtics won the game 98-95, and went on to take the series in six games.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..
- Soaring Down South looks ahead to a new beginning for the Hawks.
- Singh Sports News says big playoff minutes are affecting players, including Carmelo Anthony.
- Red94 thanks the Rockets for the memories. Cue that Green Day song.
- The Basketball Post looks at the decisions that the Bucks have to make.
- Hoops Addict thinks the Thunder now appear to be mortal.
- 3SOB is excorcising the demons of playoffs past.
- Forum Blue And Gold has four questions from the Lakers exit interviews.
- Silver Screen And Roll says the Lakers have to maintain future cap space.
- Pounding The Rock talks about the perils of smallball.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Majerle, Clippers, Del Negro
With the two Los Angeles teams bounced from the first round of the playoffs, the Pacific has one lone representative left in the Warriors. While Golden State figures out how to handle the Spurs, let's take a look at the rest of the division..
- Suns team president Lon Babby now has to hire a GM and a coach for his club after parting ways with GM Lance Blanks. It remains to be seen what they'll do in the front office but according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, former Sun "Thunder" Dan Majerle is interested in the coaching job as well as ex-Suns assistant Elston Turner, who is interviewing for the Bobcats opening.
- The Clippers may take more time in deciding Vinny Del Negro's future, but will "explore all options," a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Chris Paul's uncertain future is leaving things murky for the Clippers franchise, writes Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News. As he approaches his 28th birthday, Paul has more to think about than ever in the wake of his club's first round ouster from the playoffs.