Eastern Rumors: Seraphin, Knicks
Kevin Seraphin tells Brandon Parker of The Washington Post he would “for sure” like to re-sign with the Wizards, but wants an opportunity to play more. “I love this game so if I don’t play I’m frustrated,” Seraphin said. The power forward took a step back in his fourth season, with his minutes and production nearly cut in half across the board. Seraphin will either become a restricted or unrestricted free agent, depending on whether Washington extends his $3.9MM qualifying offer. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Phil Jackson explained to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com why he is committed to finding a Knicks coach with which he is familiar. “I’d like to have a prior relationship with a coach so that we know that we’ve gone through some kind of issues together,” said Jackson. “We’ve had conflicts, we’ve had disagreements and we know how to work things out. Those, I think, are part and parcel I think to having a relationship with people that can work together that can still disagree and come to terms.”
- Jackson revealed that there are college coaches that intrigue him for the job, and confirmed that he sees a benefit in hiring a younger coach for the position. Jackson said he is looking for a coach to last for the long-term, not just as a one or two year stop gap.
- We learned earlier today that the Cavs plan to offer Kyrie Irving a max extension this summer.
Cavs Will Offer Max Extension To Kyrie Irving
The Cavaliers will offer the full 5-year maximum extension to star point guard Kyrie Irving, reports Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. Sources tell Pluto that, contrary to rumblings of Cleveland’s hesitancy to extend the offer, there has never been any doubt in the Cavs front office about trying to lock up Irving. The Cavs will extend their offer as soon as the negotiation window allows on July 1, when players and teams are first permitted to begin talking.
The Plain Dealer scribe says that the Cavs hope to have a coach in place to discuss the future with Irving at that time, hoping the 20.7 PPG career scorer will commit to the team for the long haul. The Cavs plan to continue to build toward a plan for the future centered on Irving unless he demands out of Cleveland or declines signing the extension.
Irving has had a tumultuous first three years in the NBA after being selected No. 1 overall by Cleveland in the 2011 draft. While he has exhibited the offensive talent that made him worth that selection, the team has failed to make the playoffs or even finish with a .500 winning percentage. Last year’s disappointing 33-win Cavs team was actually the best of the Irving era, and the fallout from a disastrous Andrew Bynum signing, a historically bad rookie year for 2013’s No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, and continued losing resulted in the mid-season firing of former GM Chris Grant and ex-coach Mike Brown’s dismissal after the season.
Despite the ugly season, Irving is reportedly pleased with the decision to make GM David Griffin the permanent executive after Griffin’s strong run as interim GM during the season. Irving has publicly refuted persistent rumors that he wanted out of Cleveland, but he has stopped short of guaranteeing he will re-sign for the years ahead. Griffin is a believer in the backcourt pairing of Irving and Dion Waiters, and the team experienced a relative turnaround once Griffin took the reigns to foster a positive culture around the two ball-dominant guards.
Alvin Gentry Gets Another Interview With Cavs
Alvin Gentry will interview again with the Cavs, sources tell Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The Clippers assistant will meet with Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert (Twitter links). Gentry recently lost out on the Jazz head coaching job, where he was one of four finalists including the eventual hire Quin Snyder. Gentry first interviewed with Cleveland in mid-May.
Gentry might be distancing himself from some of the other candidates including Adrian Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, and Tyronn Lue, among a wider pool of potential names. None of his rumored competitors have been ruled out, but it is possible that reaching this stage to get an in-person sit down with Gilbert could mean Gentry moved beyond a round of cuts, although that’s just my speculation. Gentry has been linked with the Cleveland opening dating back well into last month, and the veteran coach worked with Cavs GM David Griffin when both were with the Suns.
Gentry is also still in the running for the Lakers coaching vacancy, and they recently decided to move in the direction of finding an experienced head coach. That would also bode well for Gentry, who has a 355-370 career record as an NBA head coach.
Cavs Interested In Maccabi Coach David Blatt
8:54pm: A person familiar with the Cavs coaching search told Tom Withers of The Associated Press that Cleveland has contacted Blatt in regards to their coaching job. The contact has not amounted to a formal interview at this point, reports Withers.
4:00pm: The Cavaliers may be interested in Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt for their own head coaching position, two sources tell Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Blatt has interviewed for assistant coaching positions with the Warriors and T’Wolves.
Blatt is a Massachusetts native who played for the legendary Pete Carril at Princeton, and, like his mentor, is widely viewed as an offensive genius. He boasts 30 years of experience overseas and also coached Russia to a bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, a team that featured Sergey Karasev. He may be an NBA neophyte but at 55 years old, he would bring both basketball and life experience.
For those of you keeping score at home, the Cavs have five candidates in the mix and are believed to have already interviewed Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins, Adrian Griffin, and Tyronn Lue. Recently it was reported that Blatt looks like Flip Saunders‘ top choice if he decides to bring on an assistant who he can groom to take over in Minnesota.
Coaching Rumors: Jazz, Fisher, Cavs, Lakers
It’ll be a long time, if ever, before we see Coach Cal back in the NBA. John Calipari‘s new contract with the University of Kentucky, which takes him through 2021, doesn’t have a buyout, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (on Twitter). Calipari coached the Nets to a 72-112 record over three seasons in the late 90s but has found himself linked to several high-profile jobs thanks to his success at UK. Here’s more from the coaching front:
- Brad Jones will be hired as an assistant on Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff for the Jazz, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Jones’ hiring was expected when news of Snyder landing the job surfaced earlier today.
- While Alex Jensen is set to move up as an assistant with Snyder, Jody Genessy of Deseret News is hearing that other teams might make a play to hire Jensen away from the Jazz (Twitter link).
- Right now, it seems like Knicks president Phil Jackson is only interested in coaching candidates who come from his inner circle, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Steve Kerr, of course, was Phil’s first choice and the current presumed frontrunner, Derek Fisher, has a long history with the Zen Master.
- The Knicks hope to secure Fisher for head coaching duties next week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Stein adds that the Cavs are likely to make the next coaching hire after the Knicks, and that the Lakers are still “in no rush” to fill their vacancy.
- Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders runs down the Lakers coaching candidates and attempts to identify the best fit for the job. Byron Scott and Lionel Hollins, in his view, should be considered strong candidates.
- Jeff Van Gundy told KFAN 1003 that while he would have “loved to work for [Flip Saunders]” and live and coach in Minnesota, he couldn’t get past the idea that Saunders was the best coach for the Wolves, according to the T’Wolves PR Twitter account.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Central Rumors: Cavs, Van Gundy, Love
The Cavs’ head coaching vacancy could filled within the next 10 days, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (on Twitter). The team has been linked to Alvin Gentry, Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, and Tyronn Lue, but Amico adds in the same tweet that there’s a mystery candidate in the mix for the job who hasn’t been revealed to the media. Here’s the latest from the Central:
- The Cavs have interest in LaMarcus Aldridge, but it’ll be tough to pry the big man away from Portland after the Blazers’ unexpectedly strong season, writes Amico in a full-length piece. Cleveland has also shown interest in Joakim Noah, says Amico, noting the club is just “lukewarm” on Al Horford.
- Two teams with lottery picks have contacted the Cavs, passes along Amico in the same piece. Each club would ostensibly be interested in moving up in the draft by dealing for the number one overall selection.
- When Stan Van Gundy was hired by the Pistons, he told staff members left over from the previous management team that they would have a six week working interview to prove they belong in the organization, explains David Mayo of Mlive.
- Bulls management holds Carmelo Anthony in higher esteem than Kevin Love, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Friedell says it’s true Chicago would be excited to add Love, but the team sees ‘Melo as their primary target this summer.
Four Favorites Emerge For Jazz Coaching Job
3:00pm: Snyder appears to be the front-runner, but the team likes Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, too, Genessy tweets.
THURSDAY, 2:48pm: Jazz assistant Brad Jones is also on the team’s “short list” for its head coaching job, along with Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, Genessy hears (Twitter link). Presumably, Jones is the unknown candidate whom Genessy referred to on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: Gentry, Griffin and Snyder remain the top candidates for the job in the wake of their second interviews, while Boylen is no longer a candidate, reports Jody Genessy of the Salt Lake Tribune. There is an unknown fourth candidate in the mix, too, Genessy says (All Twitter links).
MONDAY, 10:43pm: Clippers associate head coach Alvin Gentry will have a second interview with the Jazz on Tuesday, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
SATURDAY, 5:18pm: Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin and Hawks assistant Quin Snyder will both interview a second time for the Jazz head coaching vacancy, sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Snyder was already believed to be a front-runner for the job, and Griffin now joins him at the front of the pack. A third, unnamed candidate could also still be in the running, sources tell Jones.
Griffin, also linked with the Cavs opening, is gaining steam toward landing his first head coaching gig. Jones adds that the Knicks are now apparently interested in the defensive specialist’s services for their head coaching position. Snyder hasn’t been reported as a candidate for any other NBA teams.
This presumably leaves one or both of Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry and Spurs assistant Jim Boylen out of the running for Utah’s vacancy, depending on whether either represent the unnamed candidate still under consideration. Both Grififin and Snyder are young, up-and-coming coaches, and if the Jazz are narrowing their search to meet that profile, Gentry wouldn’t fit the bill. Boylen is working within the highly successful and respected coaching corps of Gregg Popovich, but there is some antipathy for him in Utah due to his unsuccessful run as head coach at the University of Utah. Other names that have been linked as potential candidates include Jazz assistant Brad Jones and European coach Ettore Messina.
Wolves Find Celtics Unappealing Suitor For Love
THURSDAY, 7:55am: The Celtics have yet to make an offer for Love, though they are prepared to do so, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. It’ll almost certainly include the No. 6 pick, though Ainge has been in contact with two teams in the top five about moving up, Murphy adds.
WEDNESDAY, 11:48pm: Kevin Love is willing to consider a long-term deal with the Celtics, sources tell Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com, but the Wolves aren’t thrilled with what the Celtics can offer, MacMullan hears. The Wolves privately maintain they’ve received better offers from Bulls and others, according to MacMullan.
Minnesota owner Glen Taylor is reluctant to deal with Boston, stung by the divergent fortunes of the Celtics and Wolves following the 2007 Kevin Garnett trade, MacMullan writes. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has hard feelings about Flip Saunders, who holds the same title in Minnesota, feeling as though Saunders undermined former Wolves boss Kevin McHale, Ainge’s longtime teammate, as MacMullan details. There are basketball-related stumbling blocks, too. Minnesota, like most others, is enamored with Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker, but Boston’s pick, at No. 6 overall, isn’t as nearly as attractive as one in the top three, MacMullan notes. Still, the Wolves aren’t interested in trading with the Cavs, either, according to MacMullan, in spite of Cleveland’s possession of the No. 1 overall pick.
Taylor would be willing to re-sign Love for the max if he changed his mind about wanting out, and he’s otherwise not eager to take a drastic step down in a trade involving Love, MacMullan writes. MacMullan lists the Celtics, Bulls, Warriors, Suns, Lakers and Rockets as teams that will make a run at trading for Love. Certainly every team in the league has some level of interest in the Second Team All-NBA power forward, but MacMullan appears to indicate that those six are the clubs poised to make the most aggressive pushes.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported about two weeks ago that Boston was becoming more and more appealing for Love, who, with agent Jeff Schwartz in tow, made a high-profile visit to the city this past weekend. Still, Love is not yet a free agent. The Wolves will have the final say over where he plays next season, and it doesn’t look like they’re as high on the Celtics as Love is.
Thompson, Waiters Part Of Preliminary Trade Talk
The Cavs have had “exploratory” trade discussions involving Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters with another team in the lottery that’s looking to move up, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Amico wrote earlier this week that either the Bucks or the Sixers had inquired with Cleveland about acquiring the No. 1 overall pick, though it’s unclear if the discussions about Thompson and Waiters took place with one of those teams or another within the top 14 picks.
Teams around the league have reportedly held interest in Thompson and Waiters, suggesting that Cleveland GM David Griffin wasn’t the one who floated those names in the talks. Indeed, Griffin has spoken fondly of his backcourt pairing of Waiters and Kyrie Irving. Thompson has meanwhile expressed a mild frustration with Cleveland’s rapid coaching turnover, and he, like Irving, is up for a rookie scale extension this summer. It would be difficult to trade Thompson if he received an extension, thanks to the Poison Pill Provision, so perhaps Griffin feels as though the best time to deal him is before the October 31st extension deadline.
Owner Dan Gilbert’s impatience has led to speculation that the Cavs will trade the top pick for veteran help. Sending young vets Waiters and Thompson away in any deal that doesn’t net a significant upgrade would seem to run counter to the goal of winning in the short term. Still, given the exploratory nature of the conversations, it seems that neither former No. 4 overall pick should feel it necessary to have a bag packed.
Draft Rumors: Embiid, Wiggins, Gordon, Suns
Chris Mannix of SI.com hears from sources who maintain their belief that the Cavs are deciding between Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins, as Mannix writes in his latest mock draft. The Sixers hope that Embiid and Jabari Parker go with the first two picks, since they covet Wiggins, as Mannix hears. There’s more from Mannix amid our latest look at the draft:
- Danny Ainge is “locked in” on Aaron Gordon at No. 6 for the Celtics, several sources tell Mannix, who nonetheless points to the distinct possibility that Ainge will trade the pick.
- The Suns are shopping the 27th overall pick, rival executives tell Mannix.
- The Wolves are listening to offers for the 13th overall selection, but they aren’t actively seeking deals, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- Clint Capela, Eric Moreland, Victor Rudd and Akeem Williams are the previously unreported names on the list of players working out for the Celtics today, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com details.
- The Raptors are auditioning Deonte Burton and Niels Giffey today among others we’d already heard about, the team announced.
- Chaz Williams has the Warriors, Bucks, and Cavs on his workout agenda, as he tells Daniel Malone of MassLive.
- It appears as though Devyn Marble has set up another workout for the Bucks today after having to call off last week’s plans, as he tweeted that he would be auditioning for Milwaukee today after performing for the Spurs on Tuesday (hat tip to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).