Nets Rumors: Dwight, Kidd, Prokhorov, Blatche
Earlier today, we learned Nets backup point guard C.J. Watson will decline his player option for next season, and our Atlantic Division roundup was heavy with news on Brooklyn's team. The Nets continue to make headlines, as we detail:
- Nets GM Billy King attempted to throw some cold water on the idea that his team is still in the mix for Dwight Howard, telling Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that, "The (team's) core is going to stay intact." King also said that he'll prioritize adding shooting off the bench and more athleticism as he tweaks the roster this summer (Sulia link).
- Though a report prior to Jason Kidd's hiring as Nets coach indicated "the Russians are on board" with the move, Kidd has yet to speak with owner Mikhail Prokhorov, Bondy tweets.
- Most NBA head coaches don't coach in the summer league, but Kidd will do just that next month as he prepares to take over the Nets bench, according to Newsday's Roderick Boone.
- Andray Blatche is hitting free agency after succeeding on his one-year, minimum-salary deal, and it will be hard for the Nets, who only have his Non-Bird rights, to give him much of a raise. Still, teammate Reggie Evans is holding out hope. "In my heart, I'm expecting him to be back," Evans said to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
Draft Workout Updates: Friday
With the 2013 draft less than two weeks away, the majority of the NBA's teams are continuing to bring in prospects to get a closer look at them. Here are the latest updates on draft workouts:
- In addition to Michael Carter-Williams, who we heard about yesterday, Trey Burke and Alex Len also participated in the Pelicans' first draft workout today, tweets Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com.
- The Pistons won't start working out players for the No. 8 pick until next week, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that Mason Plumlee will work out for the club next Friday.
- The six players scheduled to work out for the Nets on Monday include C.J. Leslie and Tony Mitchell, according to a team release.
- Ray McCallum, Brandon Paul, Tony Snell, Nate Wolters, Jack Cooley, and Zeke Marshall worked out for the Trail Blazers today, according to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves will work out six players on Sunday, according to the team's PR Twitter account: Shabazz Muhammad, Archie Goodwin, Rodney Williams, James Ennis, Kyle Barone, and Jamelle Hagins (Twitter links).
- Brandon Davies, Mike Muscala, Elijah Johnson, B.J. Young, Grant Jerrett, and Colton Iverson worked out for the Clippers today, tweets Clips reporter Madelyn Burke.
- Jerrett and Davies are also among the players who will work out for the Jazz tomorrow, along with Snell, Gorgui Dieng, Jamaal Franklin, Isaiah Canaan, and Kelly Olynyk, among others (link via Utah's official site).
C.J. Watson To Decline Player Option
C.J. Watson will turn down his 2013/14 option and become a free agent this summer, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy reports (via Twitter) that Watson's camp has already informed the Nets of his decision.
Watson, 29, signed a two-year minimum-salary contract with the Nets last summer, with a player option for the second season. After earning $992,680 in 2012/13, Watson would have been in line for a $1,106,942 salary next year, but will instead look to do better on the open market. He's coming off a season in which he averaged 6.8 PPG, 2.0 APG, and a 13.9 PER in 80 games (19.0 MPG) for Brooklyn.
Appearing on WFAN this morning, GM Billy King said and new head coach Jason Kidd were expecting Watson to opt out of his deal, and that the Nets would likely be on the lookout for a new backup point guard this offseason.
Atlantic Notes: C’s, Del Negro, Nets, Will Bynum
A source that spoke to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald expects Doc Rivers to return to the Celtics, if for no other reason than the fact that no other team will offer him the $7MM annual salary he's earning in Boston. However, if Rivers does decide to part ways with the team, Vinny Del Negro would receive serious consideration as his replacement, multiple sources tell Murphy.
"As a stopgap for that situation, sure," one source said. "Vinny would be the perfect person for what they need. All of the All-Star coaches, or whatever you want to call them, are going, and knowing how Danny [Ainge] feels about him, [Del Negro] would be a good fit."
Here's more from around the Atlantic Division on a Friday morning:
- Appearing on WFAN this morning, Nets GM Billy King said he expects C.J. Watson to opt out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent (link via Josh Newman of SNY.tv).
- Jason Kidd confirmed on ESPN Radio this morning that he has extended an offer to former Nets head coach Lawrence Frank to join his staff in Brooklyn (link via Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com). "The invitation is out there, so it's up to him," Kidd said.
- Even after hiring Kidd, the Nets are still a move or two away from becoming a legit contender, says Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Pacers president Donnie Walsh tells Fred Kerber and Mark Hale of the New York Post that he was "disappointed" the Nets didn't decide to hire Indiana assistant Brian Shaw.
- Yesterday, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press named the Knicks as a team with interest in Will Bynum, and today he adds another Atlantic team to Bynum's potential list of suitors: The Sixers (Twitter link). The Pacers and Lakers may also be interested, according to Ellis.
Eastern Notes: Rose, Bosh, Kidd
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be excited as he described the progress that Derrick Rose has made, saying that the superstar point guard's speed and explosiveness have come back to the point to where he's comfortable and confident (Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago):
"I worked him out about a week ago…Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence.(Reporters) may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he's there now. He feels great, and that's the most important thing."
Here are more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Heat forward Chris Bosh downplayed the idea that he's bothered by talk about him being the most expendable of Miami's "Big Three," also mentioning that he wouldn't want to be the lead player on a team with a lesser situation (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports).
- Though Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy once doubled as a player-coach, don't expect Nets coach Jason Kidd to follow suit, as he told reporters that he has no intention of ever playing another minute (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Twitter).
- Patrick Ewing, recently hired as an associate head coach for the Bobcats, thinks that it'll be a tough challenge for Kidd to make the transition from being an NBA player directly into becoming a head coach (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York).
- Former Knicks and Nets forward Shawne Williams looked good during a workout today and will audition for several NBA teams soon, tweets Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that while the presence of Dion Waiters on the Cavaliers may compound the team's interest in drafting Ben McLemore, the former Syracuse standout could thrive in a reserve role as a primary ball handler in the second unit.
- Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com reviews today's draft workout hosted by the Pacers, which included Deshaun Thomas, Will Clyburn, Alex Oriakhi, James Southerland, and Troy Daniels. C.J. Leslie was present, but did not participate in the workout.
Eastern Rumors: Pacers, Rivers, Cheeks, Kidd
Echoing what we've heard out of Indiana for weeks, team president Donnie Walsh told reporters, including Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, that re-signing David West this summer is "priority number one" for the Pacers.
"We want him back as much as you can want anyone back," Walsh said. "We think he’s one of the anchors of the team."
Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald brings us a few more details on the decision facing Doc Rivers, writing that the Celtics coach is torn between wanting to carve out a long career with a single franchise and worrying about losing effectiveness if he remains too long in Boston. Multiple sources tell Bulpett the odds are still "overwhelmingly" in favor of Rivers returning to the C's.
- From GM Joe Dumars to advisor Phil Jackson to owner Tom Gores, there was no dissension when it came to the hiring of Maurice Cheeks as the Pistons' new head coach, Dumars told reporters today (Twitter links via the Detroit Free Press).
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein is hearing that Cheeks would like to add former Thunder colleague Rex Kalamian as the top assistant on his Pistons staff (Twitter link).
- Jason Kidd spoke to Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News about entering the next phase of his career in the NBA, and coming "home" to the Nets.
- In addition to talking to Lawrence Frank and others about joining Kidd's staff in Brooklyn, the Nets have talked about pursuing longtime NBA assistant Dave Wohl, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Field Of Suitors For Dwight Howard Widening?
The field of potential suitors for Dwight Howard has "widened considerably," sources tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). According to Kyler, the Lakers, Hawks, Rockets, Mavericks, Spurs, and Nets are all expected to pursue the All-Star center this offseason.
We've heard plenty about the interest that a handful of those teams have in Howard — the Lakers remain optimistic about re-signing him, while the Hawks, Rockets, and Mavs are all seeking an impact player and have a good chance to create room for a maximum contract offer. The Spurs and Nets, on the other hand, haven't been mentioned in the Howard discussion with the same amount of frequency, though I think there are reasons for that.
In the Nets' case, while we've heard they still maintain interest in Howard, they also have $86MM+ in salary commitments for next season. Without the cap space to sign D12 outright, they'd need to complete a sign-and-trade, and ultimately end up below the tax apron, which figures to be in the neighborhood of $75.6MM. Given the amount of undesirable contracts on the roster, it's hard to envision a scenario in which the team is able to make something work, even if Kyler tweets that they're "willing to do whatever it takes."
As for the Spurs, they've been linked to Howard multiple times by Kyler's fellow writers at HoopsWorld. Their path to cap room is easier, but they still likely won't have quite enough space for a max offer. Clearing the necessary cap room would also figure to mean parting ways with Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter, unless those players were inclined to agree to significant home discounts. On top of that, I'm skeptical that a team whose chemistry is arguably unmatched around the league would risk making such a big commitment to Howard, considering the circus that's followed him around the last two seasons.
Even if the Nets and Spurs are long shots for Howard, we've heard that he'll be willing to listen to pitches from just about any interested team, so plenty of clubs will have the chance to at least kick the tires this summer.
Nets Hire Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd will serve as head coach of the Nets next season, according to Yahoo! NBA columnist Adrian Wojnarowski. The story was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer's John Mitchell and the hiring was confirmed by the Nets in a Wednesday night press release. Kidd will be introduced to the media in a Thursday press conference.
After much speculation about who would take over for interim lead man P.J. Carlesimo, culminating with a climactic five-hour interview on Wednesday with Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw, it appears the job will go to Kidd, a future Hall of Fame point guard who spent last season playing for the Knicks.
Kidd's contract will be guaranteed for three years and might include an option on the fourth year. He's currently targeting Lawrence Frank and Tim Grgurich as his top assistants. Kidd has no coaching experience, but the Nets believe the blueprint set by Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, also a successful player who took that job with no experience and led his team to the second round of the playoffs this season, bodes well.
Kidd, a ten-time All-Star, spent six seasons with the Nets and most notably led them to the NBA Finals twice in a row after a lengthy playoff drought. While the Nets were runners-up to the Lakers and Spurs, Kidd finally won a title with the Mavericks in 2011.
It will be interesting to watch how Kidd does for a number of reasons, but the most compelling aspect will be to see how he deals with player discord, given his reputation as a coach killer. Of course, star point guard Deron Williams has been given the same tag by many observers, though he has denied having a hand in Jerry Sloan's retirement in Utah and expressed surprise and disappointment after Avery Johnson was fired in Brooklyn.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Blazers, Nets, Hawks, Pacers
A few notes regarding draft prospects and the various teams they're meeting with throughout the league.
- Maryland center Alex Len reportedly worked out with the Trail Blazers last week, reports OregonLive.com's Sean Meagher. Standing seven feet tall, Len would provide Portland with stabilizing rim protection, something they sorely lacked last season.
- The Nets worked out several wing players who've shined at making plays off the dribble, including Reggie Bullock, Tony Snell, and Archie Goodwin, according to the New York Post's Fred Kerber.
- The Hawks are set to work out St. Joseph's C.J. Aiken, a 6'9" forward who's already worked out for several NBA teams and is projected to go undrafted, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Tyler Tynes.
- According to an official release from the team, the Pacers will hold a work out for Iowa State's Will Clyburn, Virginia Commonwealth's Troy Daniels, North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie, Missouri's Alex Oriakhi, Syracuse's James Southerland, and Ohio State's DeShaun Thomas.
- The Bucks will work out Tony Mitchell, James Ennis, Solomon Hill, Adonis Thomas, Trey McKinney Jones, and Steven Pledger, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.
- The Timberwolves are scheduled to work out six players on Thursday, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.
Nets To Hire Jason Kidd?
6:56pm: After Brian Shaw conducted a five hour interview with the Nets to become their head coach, Kidd is still the front runner for the position, and the Nets are "on the verge" of hiring him, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
4:53pm: Within the last few hours, Kidd has continued to "aggressively" pursue potential assistant coaches for his staff, tweets Wojnarowski.
4:34pm: Addressing the Nets' head coaching hire, Howard Beck of the New York Times tweets "no decision today." It's unclear if Beck means that the Nets have yet to make a decision or that no decision will be announced today, but it appears Shaw still has a shot at the job.
4:10pm: The Nets met with Brian Shaw for over four hours today, and are expected to announce their decision between Kidd and Shaw shortly, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Inquirer report linked below has yet to be corroborated by any national writers or Nets beat reporters, and the timing appears unusual — such a long interview with Shaw would seem unnecessary if an agreement with Kidd was already in place. Still, Mitchell's report also hasn't been shot down yet, so for now it looks as if the Nets remain on track to hire Kidd. Either way, we should have a definitive answer very soon.
1:35pm: The Nets have reached agreement with Jason Kidd on a deal to become the club's next head coach, a source tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The former guard will get a three year deal from the Nets to man the bench just weeks after announcing that his playing days are through.
Fred Kerber of the New York Post reported earlier today that the Nets had an offer in place for the future Hall of Famer and it seems that the two sides didn't need much time to shake hands on it. It has been said for a long time that the Nets were eager to make a big splash with their head coaching position and this certainly accomplishes that goal.
Kidd takes over for interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo, who was fired less than 24 hours after the Nets were eliminated in the first round by the Bulls. The longtime coach was rather successful with the defensively-challenged Nets as they tallied a 35-19 regular season record under his watch. However, it wasn't good enough when coupled with their seven game ouster in the first round.
It has been reported that Kidd will be required to assemble an experienced staff to help him overcome the learning curve of being an NBA head coach. Strangely enough, former Nets coach Lawrence Frank has reportedly been tapped to be the Kidd's lead assistant to help him in his first season on the bench.
The ten-time All-Star spent six seasons with the Nets and most notably led them to the NBA Finals twice in a row after a lengthy playoff drought. While the Nets were runners-up to the Lakers and Spurs, Kidd finally won a title with the Mavericks in 2011.
It will be interesting to watch how Kidd does for a number of reasons but the most compelling part of it will be to see how he deals with player discord given his reputation as a coach killer. Of course, star point guard Deron Williams has been given the same tag by many observers, though he has denied having a hand in Jerry Sloan's retirement in Utah and expressed surprise and disappointment after Avery Johnson was fired in Brooklyn.
An announcement is expected to be made later this week and no later than the weekend, according to Mitchell's source.