Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Interview Michael Malone

June 4th, 2015 at 4:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

4:26pm: In a full article, Stein writes that Malone’s interview took place on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday.

12:15pm: The Nuggets’ search for their next head coach continues, and the latest person to interview for the post is Michael Malone, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Malone sat down with Denver’s front office personnel on Tuesday, Stein notes. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the Nuggets’ potential interest in Malone.

Denver’s interest in Malone is curious given the team’s reported plan to run a faster-paced offense next season, and the former Kings coach being known primarily as a defensive coach. The desire to implement a more up tempo offensive attack was one of the primary reasons Sacramento fired Malone and eventually replaced him with George Karl. Malone’s regular season coaching record with the Kings was 39-67.

Interim coach Melvin Hunt, who was reported to have emerged as the front-runner to land the post on a more permanent basis, still reportedly remains a strong contender for the position. Denver has also interviewed Mike D’Antoni, and team management could sit down with Clippers assistant Mike Woodson in the near future to discuss the opening. The Nuggets are “not an option” for former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com a few weeks ago.

Nuggets Interview Don Newman

June 4th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nuggets received permission to interview Wizards assistant Don Newman, and GM Tim Connelly discussed the franchise’s vacant head coaching position with him this week, Shams Charania of RealGM reports. Newman has been an NBA assistant coach for 16 NBA seasons, including an eight-year stretch with the Spurs where he developed a reputation as a strong defensive coach, Charania notes.

It seems as if Denver has changed gears after reportedly having designs on landing an offensive-minded coach who could revamp the team’s attack. The Wizards ranked tenth overall this past season in points allowed (8021), and second in field goal percentage allowed (.433). Both are areas that Newman’s coaching had a direct influence on, Charania notes. The franchise also reportedly interviewed former Kings coach Michael Malone this week, and Malone is also known primarily for his defensive acumen.

Other names reportedly in the mix for Denver’s head coaching vacancy are Mike D’Antoni, Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, and interim coach Melvin Hunt, who had been considered the front-runner to land the post on a more permanent basis.

Nuggets Interview Mike D’Antoni, Eye Malone

June 3rd, 2015 at 5:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mike D’Antoni met with the Nuggets on Tuesday regarding their head coaching position, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Denver’s post is the lone remaining coaching vacancy in the NBA now that Fred Hoiberg is in place in Chicago, Scott Skiles is on the job in Orlando, and Alvin Gentry has been hired to lead the Pelicans. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported that D’Antoni would be a potential target of Denver’s.

While D’Antoni’s fast-paced offensive style fits perfectly into what Denver wishes to transition to, interim coach Melvin Hunt, who was reported to have emerged as the front-runner to land the post on a more permanent basis, still remains a strong contender for the position, Wojnarowski adds. Also reported to be in the mix for Denver’s coaching billet is former Hawks and Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who could land an interview in the near future, and former Kings coach Michael Malone, who has had conversations with GM Tim Connelly, and Malone could warrant an interview as well, Wojnarowski notes.

D’Antoni, 64, spent less than a season as the interim head coach with the Nuggets during the 1998/99 campaign, and he has also been a head coach for the Suns, Knicks , and the Lakers. Through 881 career regular season contests his record is 455-426, with a postseason mark of 26-33.

Nuggets To Interview Mike Woodson?

June 3rd, 2015 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

Former Hawks and Knicks coach Mike Woodson “could” be the next candidate to interview for the Nuggets coaching vacancy, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe hears (Twitter link). It’s not clear what’s at the root of any uncertainty about whether Woodson will speak with Denver officials, but it nonetheless doesn’t appear as though Washburn is just speculating. Magic GM Rob Hennigan last month reportedly interviewed Woodson, now a Clippers assistant coach, for the Orlando job that instead went to Scott Skiles.

The Nuggets would like to hire a coach prior to the June 25th draft, GM Tim Connelly said at the beginning of the team’s coaching search, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post notes. Interim coach and player favorite Melvin Hunt is reportedly the front-runner to keep the job, though Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote a couple of weeks ago that Mike D’Antoni remained in the mix. Michael Malone and Blazers assistant David Vanterpool were other contenders that Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports identified in April, though there hasn’t been much connecting either of them to the Nuggets since. The Nuggets are “not an option” for Tom Thibodeau, sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com a couple of weeks ago.

Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling wrote last week that D’Antoni had yet to interview for the Nuggets job when he reported the news that Hunt is the favorite. Woodson, a year removed from his time as Knicks coach, is the first identified candidate other than Hunt who appears to be in line for an interview with Denver.

Western Notes: Hunt, Grizzlies, Draft

June 2nd, 2015 at 5:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nuggets now possess the NBA’s lone head coaching vacancy, though all signs seem to point toward Melvin Hunt having the interim tag removed and being named the team’s coach for next season. In an interview with Davide Chinellato of La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando), forward Danilo Gallinari said that he hopes to see Hunt return as his coach next campaign. “Our goal next season will be to make the playoffs,” said Gallinari. “I hope Melvin Hunt will be our coach next season. He knows basketball very well, also European basketball, something that can make the difference in the NBA. He is a very positive person and he is great in motivating the players. I think he has the qualities to succeed as head coach.”

Here’s what else is happening around the Western Conference:

The Grizzlies have workouts scheduled on Thursday for Vince Hunter (UTEP), Chris Jones (Louisville), Jordan Mickey (LSU), Maurice Ndour (Ohio), Marshun Newell (Tennessee-Martin), and J.J. O’Brien (San Diego State), the team announced in a press release.
Michigan State swingman Branden Dawson has a workout scheduled with the Timberwolves, Hoops Rumors’ Zach Links has learned (via Twitter).
Arizona defensive whiz Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will work out for the Trail Blazers next week, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com reports. Georgia State point guard Ryan Harrow could also be a workout candidate for Portland this month, Young adds. Harrow is projected as a late second round pick, but if he goes undrafted he could sign with the Blazers as a free agent and be added to the summer league roster, the CSN scribe notes.

Western Draft Notes: Towns, Grant, Jazz

May 31st, 2015 at 12:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Karl-Anthony Towns will interview with the Wolves and the Lakers, but won’t work out for any teams, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports. The big man would relish the opportunity to play in Minnesota. “It would be a blessing and an honor to even have a chance to play for Minnesota and be able to have the chance to play for a great organization and learn from a great mentor like Kevin Garnett,” Towns said.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

Jerian Grant, whom I profiled earlier today, will work out for the Raptors, Heat, Hornets, Nuggets and Wizards according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Grant previously worked out for the Pacers, Suns, Thunder and Rockets.
The Suns are looking for play-makers off their bench and Grant may be a good candidate for the No. 13 pick, Coro opines in the same piece. “We’re looking at the guys who could possibly be backup point guards,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “The more guys we can get on this team, whether it’s point guard, off-guard, three-man, center, forward, whatever it is — that bring intelligence to the game can only help us.”
The Jazz own the No. 12 selection in the draft and Kincade Upstill of the Deseret News wonders if the team should trade its pick. Upstill examines some hypothetical trades involving the team’s first-rounder, including an intriguing swap with the Clippers that involves sending J.J. Redick to the Jazz for Trey Burke and the No. 12 pick.

Draft History: Masai Ujiri

May 30th, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA draft is less than a month away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. Now that the NBA Draft lottery is complete, the speculation can truly begin as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.

With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue onward with a look back at the calls made by Raptors GM Masai Ujiri.

Nuggets (August 2010-May 2013)

2011 Draft

No. 22 Overall — Kenneth Faried: 281 games, 12.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.1 APG. .541/.091/.654.
No. 26 Overall — Jordan Hamilton*: 140 games, 5.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 0.7 APG. .405/.366/.671.
No. 56 Overall — Chukwudiebere Maduabum**: No regular season NBA appearances.

*Acquired as part of three-team trade with Blazers and Mavericks along with Andre Miller and a 2014 second-rounder in exchange for Raymond Felton.

**Acquired from the Lakers in exchange for a 2013 second-rounder (Alex Oriakhi).

Players passed over or available at draft slot: Nikola Mirotic (No. 23), Reggie Jackson (No. 24), Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).

2012 Draft

No. 20 Overall — Evan Fournier: 172 games, 8.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.6 APG. .437/.380/.744.
No. 38 Overall — Quincy Miller: 69 games, 4.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 0.5 APG. .350/.292/.706.
No. 50 Overall — Izzet Turkyilmaz: No regular season NBA appearances.

Players passed over or available at draft slot: Draymond Green (No. 35) and Khris Middleton (No. 39).

Raptors (May 2013-Present)

2013 Draft

No first-rounder. The No. 12 overall pick (Steven Adams) owned by the Thunder.
No second-rounder. The No. 41 overall pick (Jamaal Franklin) owned by the Grizzlies.

Players passed over or available at draft slot: Adams (No. 12), Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 15), and Rudy Gobert (No. 27).

2014 Draft

No. 20 Overall — Bruno Caboclo: 8 games, 1.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG, and 0.1 BPG. .333/.667/.000.
No. 37 Overall — DeAndre Daniels: No regular season NBA appearances.

*Traded the No. 59 overall pick (Xavier Thames) to the Nets for cash.

Players passed over or available at draft slot: Rodney Hood (No. 23), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).

Draft History: Tim Connelly

May 29th, 2015 at 8:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA draft is a little less than a month away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. Now that the NBA Draft lottery is complete, the speculation can truly begin as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.

With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue on with a look back at the calls made by Nuggets GM Tim Connelly.

Nuggets (June 2013-Present)

2013 Draft

No. 46 Overall — Erick Green*: 43 games, 3.4 PPG, 0.7 RPG, and 0.9 APG. .377/.298/.833.
No. 55 Overall — Joffrey Lauvergne**: 24 games, 3.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 0.5 APG. .404/.188/.643.

*Acquired from Jazz along with cash in exchange for the No. 27 overall pick (Rudy Gobert).

**Acquired from Grizzlies along with Darrell Arthur in exchange for Kosta Koufos.

Notable players passed over or available at draft slot: Gobert (No. 27).

2014 Draft

No. 16 Overall — Jusuf Nurkic*: 62 games, 6.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG. .446/.000/.636.
No. 19 Overall — Gary Harris*: 55 games, 3.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.5 APG. .304/.204/.745.
No. 41 Overall — Nikola Jokic: No NBA regular season appearances.

*Acquired from the Bulls along with a 2015 second-rounder in exchange for the No. 11 overall pick (Doug McDermott) and Anthony Randolph.

**Traded the No. 56 overall pick (Devyn Marble) and Evan Fournier to the Magic in exchange for Arron Afflalo.

Notable players passed over or available at draft slot: McDermott (No. 11), Zach LaVine (No. 13), Rodney Hood (No. 23), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).

Western Notes: Rockets, Muhammad, Lakers

May 28th, 2015 at 10:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Now that the Rockets have been eliminated from the playoffs the franchise will begin working toward its offseason plans. Josh Smith, Jason Terry, and Corey Brewer, all of whom are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, have indicated that they want to return to Houston next season, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle writes. “I like the future if we can keep all the pieces together,” Smith said. “I like what the future holds for us. You never know in free agency what may occur. The city of Houston and this team has definitely embraced me for my individuality and the way I play the game. It would be great to do something special for the city and for this team.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Wolves swingman Shabazz Muhammad has parted ways with agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management and signed with Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports relays (Twitter link).
The Lakers held workouts earlier today for Justin Anderson, Askia Booker, Anthony Brown, Charles Jackson, Stefan Nastic, and Delon Wright, the team announced (via Twitter).
Arkansas forward Bobby Portis is scheduled to work out for the Thunder this Friday, Gary Washburn of Boston Globe tweets.
The Nuggets brought in Florida guard Michael Frazier for a workout today, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (Twitter link).
Center Andrew Bogut praised the Warriors‘ front office for keeping the core of the team intact and not going for a “home run” in the NBA draft, via trades, or through free agency, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays (on Twitter).

Melvin Hunt Front-Runner For Nuggets Job

May 28th, 2015 at 1:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt is the front-runner to take the job on a formal basis, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling (Twitter link). The chances that Hunt would fill the vacancy have improved since season’s end, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last week, and while Stein wrote that Mike D’Antoni was still in the mix, the long-ago Nuggets coach has yet to interview for the vacancy Denver created when it fired Brian Shaw, Zwerling adds.

The Nuggets are “not an option” for Tom Thibodeau, sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com last week, even though it had earlier seemed as though he would be the favorite once the Bulls let him go, as they finally did today. Alvin Gentry is reportedly a candidate for the Denver job, but reports have linked him to all four current NBA head coaching vacancies. Michael Malone, Scott Skiles, Fred Hoiberg and David Vanterpool are others who’ve been in contention, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Denver’s brass sees Hunt as a viable coach for a rebuilding team, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote this week. The Nuggets are apparently contemplating major changes, but Hunt drew strong support from existing Nuggets players after he took over the team for the stretch run. That included plaudits from Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried, who are otherwise losing confidence in the team and have let the Nuggets know that unless they make the right kind of coaching hire or pull off a significant trade, they’d rather be traded themselves than go through rebuilding, Kyler wrote.