Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Watson, Love, Seattle, Isiah, Draft

May 16th, 2014 at 5:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earl Watson would like to coach the Jazz next season, and he’s picked up the endorsement of restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, as both Watson and Hayward tell Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Watson, who played with the Blazers this year, hasn’t ruled out playing again next season, but if he becomes Jazz coach, he’ll target Hubie Brown as an assistant, he says. Here’s more from around the league with an altered title picture now that Serge Ibaka is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs.

Kevin Love will have some say in who coaches him next season on the Wolves, owner Glen Taylor confirmed to Charley Walters of the Star Tribune. President of basketball operations Flip Saunders has spoken with eight candidates, but he hasn’t endorsed any of them to Taylor, Walters adds.
Taylor also said the Wolves lost “a couple million” dollars this year, Walters notes in the same piece.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who partnered with Chris Hansen on an ill-fated bid to buy the Kings and move them to Seattle, is open to purchasing any NBA team, but wouldn’t necessarily bring them to the Emerald City, as he tells Shira Ovide of The Wall Street Journal. He says he wouldn’t move the Clippers out of Los Angeles if he bought them.
Isiah Thomas and the Pistons are in preliminary talks about a deal for him to purchase a minority share of the team, reports Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News.
Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and Cavs GM David Griffin have said they’re open to trading their respective first-round picks for players who can help immediately, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has political aspirations that would make him reticent to accept the post of executive director of the players union, but the job increasingly appears to be his if he wants it, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
Hawks and Cavs officials will meet with draft prospect Alessandro Gentile of the Italian league, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia reports. The swingman is No. 66 in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings and 100th with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.

Draft Combine Updates: Friday

May 16th, 2014 at 2:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

We gathered a slew of reports connecting draft prospects with teams yesterday on the first full day of the Chicago draft combine, and we’ll do the same today with this post. The latest updates will be on top as we follow the action throughout.

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders adds the Pistons, Kings and Suns to the list of teams interviewing Noah Vonleh (Twitter link).
The Pistons met with Rodney Hood, Ellis tweets, and the Thunder also met with him, Holmes notes (on Twitter).
Thanasis Antetokounmpo sat down with the Nets, Knicks, Pacers, Cavs, Wizards and Pelicans, according to Woelfel (Twitter link).

2:00pm updates:

The Pistons have met with Smart and Zach LaVine, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, respectively (Twitter links).
Smart is also among the players interviewing with the Celtics tonight, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, and the C’s spoke with Aaron Gordon, too, fellow Globe scribe Baxter Holmes notes (Twitter links).
Gordon also met with the Magic, who are set to meet with James Michael McAdoo, as well, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
Tyler Ennis is meeting with the Bucks today after interviewing with the Bulls on Thursday, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times and Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com report (Twitter links).
Jarnell Stokes already worked out for the Raptors, according to Wolstat (on Twitter).

12:02pm updates:

Dante Exum‘s interview with the Magic went well, he said, adding that the team would like to bring him to Central Florida for a workout, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins, in a full piece, added Marcus Smart to the list of top prospects who’ve interviewed with the Magic.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed a fondness for Smart today in an interview with ESPN’s Andy Katz on the network’s coverage of the combine, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (on Twitter).
Gary Harris told Katz he met with the Raptors, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Pistons, as Zagoria once more passes along via Twitter.
The Raptors will interview Jordan Adams today, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who says the team also spoke with James Young (Twitter links).
Zagoria adds the Sixers, Spurs, Clippers, Mavs, Nuggets, Warriors and Bulls to the list of teams that Kyle Anderson either met or is slated to meet (Twitter link).
Markel Brown said he’ll talk with the Celtics today, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).

Draft Combine Updates: Thursday

May 15th, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Chicago draft combine is underway, and teams can meet with up to 18 players. With 30 teams, that means there could be as many as 540 interviews this week. We’ll try to keep track of as many as possible here, and we’ll update this post throughout the day as news filters in. Here’s the latest:

Ennis will meet with the Bobcats and at least four other teams in addition to the organizations listed below, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Vonleh interviewed with the Wolves, Bucks, Lakers, and Blazers, tweets Robbins, who adds that the big man is scheduled to meet with the Sixers.

Earlier updates:

LaVine shot very well, and Seth Davis of SI.com hears that he may have helped his stock more than any other prospect today (Twitter link; H/T Wolstat).
In Exum’s extended quotes transcribed by Sean Deveney of The Sporting News regarding the point guard’s willingness to pressure certain teams not to draft him, Exum said he doesn’t see any of his potential destinations as a bad fit, and is willing to play behind an established point guard.
LaQuinton Ross will work out for the Cavs on Monday, tweets Jason Lloyd of Akron Beacon Journal.
The Raptors plan to meet with K.J. McDaniels, McDermott, Payton, Anderson, McDaniels, and possibly Hood, reports Wolstat (via Twitter).
Hood will meet with the Bulls on Friday, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
Randle interviewed with the Cavs and will do so with the Bucks, too, as the Plain Dealer and Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel note (Twitter links).
Patric Young spoke with the Pelicans and has a sit-down with the Grizzlies scheduled, according to Robbins (Twitter links).
Blakely adds Hood and Noah Vonleh to the Celtics interview list, while Randle and T.J. Warren are talking to Boston, too, according to Holmes (All Twitter links).
Vonleh says he also has an interview scheduled with the Magic, Robbins notes, adding that Orlando wanted to interview Stauskas, but his meeting schedule is too full (Twitter links). The Magic sat down with Randle on Wednesday, Robbins adds (on Twitter).
Aaron Gordon met with the Sixers on Wednesday, Pompey tweets.
Exum will also interview with the Kings, according to Howard-Cooper (on Twitter).
Julius Randle is meeting with the Sixers today, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Doug McDermott said he met Wednesday with the Bulls, Hawks and Timberwolves, Robbins observes, and McDermott added that he’s looking forward to a meeting with the Cavs, as Robbins and the Plain Dealer observe (Twitter links).
Rodney Hood is set to interview with the Wolves tonight, Zgoda tweets. Hood interviewed with the Bobcats on Wednesday, as Bonnell details (Twitter links).
Kyle Anderson met with the Celtics and he’ll also see the Wolves tonight, Washburn and Zgoda note (Twitter links).
The Pistons met with Glenn Robinson III on Wednesday, as he tells Langlois (Twitter link).
Add the Celtics and the Bucks to Exum’s interview agenda, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe and Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel report (Twitter links). Exum thinks he’ll sit down with the Cavs, too, the Plain Dealer notes (on Twitter).
The Wolves will interview Lavine on Friday after having spoken with James Young on Wednesday, Zgoda tweets.
The Bobcats have expressed interest in P.J. Hairston, as he tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
Dante Exum‘s wingspan measured out at nearly 6’10”, and he’ll draw consideration for the No. 1 overall pick from some teams, ESPN’s Chad Ford said on the network’s combine coverage today, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes (Twitter link). He denied that he’s angling for the Lakers in the draft, but he wouldn’t rule out pressuring some teams not to take him, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Exum met with the Sixers, Pistons and Suns on Wednesday, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Jazz will also speak with him, report Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel and Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune (All four Twitter links).
Marcus Smart has interviewed with the Rockets, Raptors, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Cavs, Jazz and Bucks are also on his agenda, as the Plain Dealer, Falk and Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times report (All Twitter links). The Timberwolves won’t interview Smart in Chicago, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears the team is hoping to get him to come to Minnesota for a workout (Twitter link).
Ontario native Tyler Ennis is excited about the idea of playing for the Raptors and has interviewed with them, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. He’s also met with the Bobcats, Kings, Suns, Thunder and Nuggets, according to Kennedy (on Twitter).
Nik Stauskas has met with or will meet with the Kings, Pistons and Raptors, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (All Twitter links).
The Nuggets, Spurs, Warriors and Nets have met with Shabazz Napier, Kennedy tweets.
The Hawks, Spurs, Thunder, Raptors, Magic, Cavs and Timberwolves met Elfrid Payton, Kennedy reports (Twitter link).
Zach LaVine interviewed with the Celtics, among others, Wednesday, he tells Blakely (Twitter link).
Russ Smith sat down with the Suns, Celtics and Blazers, according to Kennedy (via Twitter).

Central Rumors: Karl, Brown, Bulls, Pistons

May 15th, 2014 at 9:22pm CST by Cray Allred

George Karl would like to coach the Cavs and is high on Kyrie Irving, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears (Twitter link), but a source tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer that Kevin Ollie doesn’t envision taking the Cleveland coaching gig. It’s unclear whether the team has interest in either Karl or Ollie. Here’s more from the Central:

Former Cavs coach Mike Brown is open to listening to coaching opportunities, but plans to take a year off from coaching, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links).
Bulls GM Gar Forman is optimistic Chicago can select two rotation players in the draft, but is open to other possibilities, including trading up or doing a draft-and-stash, he tells K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. “If we want to try to create more cap room, we may look at doing something with one or both of those picks,” Forman said (Twitter links).
The Bulls are prioritizing added shooting this offseason, tweets Johnson.
Stan Van Gundy will retain Ken Catanella as the Pistons cap specialist, reports Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Van Gundy will meet Friday with Detroit’s assistant GM George David, who has a “solid chance” to stay in the front office, according to Ellis (Twitter links).
At today’s introductory press conference, Van Gundy said he is excited about the dual role he will have with the Pistons. “I think the position gives us a chance to create the most unified organization in sports,” Keith Langlois of Pistons.com quotes Van Gundy as saying. “That’s what the dual role is all about. I came into the NBA in an organization like that in Miami with Pat Riley running it and I think there are tremendous advantages there.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Stan Van Gundy On Monroe, Drummond, Smith

May 15th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

There are conflicting reports about what Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy intends to do with soon-to-be restricted free agent Greg Monroe. Van Gundy has already spoken with the big man, and the new Pistons boss revealed in his introductory press conference today that he’s also had a chat with his agent, notes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News (Twitter link).

“I had a lengthy talk with David Falk,” Van Gundy said. “I want them to know I value him highly.”

The first-time executive won’t have an opportunity to ease in the job with a summer of key decisions ahead, and we’ll share more of what he revealed about his plans:

Van Gundy is also high on Andre Drummond, as MLive’s David Mayo observes (Twitter link). “There’s nothing about Andre Drummond that doesn’t appeal to me.”
The former Heat and Magic coach said that he’ll keep the future in mind but he wants to win as much as possible right away, Mayo tweets.
Van Gundy believes Monroe, Drummond and Josh Smith fit together in some situations, but he also acknowledged a need for perimeter spacing, as Mayo observes (Twitter link). “You can take that any way you want,” Van Gundy said.
Reports have indicated that Van Gundy is considering Otis Smith to assist him in the front office, and Van Gundy confirmed in a radio appearance with Mike Bianchi on 740 The Game in Orlando that he’d indeed consider hiring his former Boss with the Magic.

Eastern Notes: Van Gundy, Knicks, Cavaliers

May 14th, 2014 at 8:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Stan Van Gundy hit a home run when he interviewed in Los Angeles with Pistons owner Tom Gores and representatives from his Platinum Equity firm, as Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press details. He broke down every player on the roster and presented a detailed plan for his first 100 days as he convinced the team he could handle the front office and coaching duties at the same time, Ellis writes.

Western Notes: Warriors, Pelicans, Jazz

May 14th, 2014 at 6:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Warriors could hire one of the known coaching candidates, but Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area Newsgroup (Twitter link) thinks team owner Joe Lacob would love to do a “stealth hiring” if he’s unable to lure Steve Kerr. Kawakami also tweets that just because certain names keep being mentioned, that doesn’t mean those are the only ones in play for the position.

Pistons Unlikely To Re-Sign Greg Monroe?

May 14th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:44pm: Van Gundy’s admiration of Monroe doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t sense the need to trade to trade him, Deveney contends (Twitter link).

12:03pm: Monroe may still wind up on another team, as a max offer from a rival suitor would make his future with Detroit a “dicey” proposition, Ellis tweets. Still, the Pistons don’t want him to simply walk away in free agency, Ellis also says, and that’s more in line with Deveney’s report, which indicates that Van Gundy will seek a sign-and-trade for Monroe.

11:54am: Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press contradicts Deveney’s story, having heard from a source who says Van Gundy is a major fan of Monroe’s and called him last night when he reached a deal to join the team (Twitter link).

10:35am: There’s “near certainty” among executives around the NBA that the Pistons’ hiring of Stan Van Gundy as coach and president of basketball operations signals that the team won’t bring back restricted free agent Greg Monroe, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The Bobcats and Lakers are the teams that league executives believe are most likely to sign Monroe to maximum-salary offer sheets, and they think the Pelicans, in Monroe’s native Louisiana, will be one of the big man’s preferred destinations, according to Deveney.

Van Gundy will prioritize finding a sign-and-trade deal that will allow the Pistons to recoup assets in return for Monroe, Deveney writes. Van Gundy was ahead of the curve when he coached the Magic and used stretch forward Rashard Lewis as the big man next to Dwight Howard, as Deveney points out, and it seems as though he’ll seek to do so again in Detroit with Andre Drummond. The Pistons offense bogged down this season with Drummond, Monroe and Josh Smith, none of whom are outside shooters, all clogging the lane.

The prospects for Monroe’s return to Detroit appeared questionable, at best, under former president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who failed to come to an extension agreement with the David Falk client this past autumn. Falk generally opposes such extensions unless they’re for the max. The one-time super-agent connected Roy Hibbert with the Blazers, who were willing to make a max bid for him in 2012, prompting the Pacers to ink him at the same terms before Portland had a chance to snatch him away, as Deveney notes.

The Sporting News scribe also points to Falk’s ties to Charlotte owner Michael Jordan, whom he represented during his playing days. The soon-to-be Hornets have about $41.1MM in commitments, not counting their first-round pick or Josh McRoberts‘ player option, worth more than $2.77MM. Charlotte could also wind up with another first-round pick if the Pistons slip in next week’s lottery, but they’ll probably wind up with enough flexibility for Monroe’s max, worth approximately 25% of next season’s salary cap, as I explained earlier this week. Monroe would likely qualify for a first-year salary of up to $14-15MM.

The Lakers payroll for next season allows for plenty of flexibility, so fitting in a max offer for Monroe would pose no trouble. They’ll probably target more eye-catching names, like Carmelo Anthony, before proceeding to Monroe, Deveney writes, but Monroe is among their most attractive alternatives. He’s fifth in the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.

The Pelicans seem like a less likely option, even given Monroe’s local ties, since they already have Anthony Davis and more than $54MM in commitments for next season, providing less than $10MM in cap flexibility. Pelicans GM Dell Demps has acknowledged that the summer ahead won’t give his team the chance to make a free agent push.

Pistons owner Tom Gores was reportedly torn on what to do about Monroe before the deal with Van Gundy came together, but it seems his hiring has crystallized the team’s plans regarding the 6’11” former seventh overall pick who’ll turn 24 in June. Now, Van Gundy faces a stiff challenge of his front office skills, as yet untested, as he seeks fair compensation in return for the rising star.

Central Rumors: Bucks, Pistons, Calipari

May 14th, 2014 at 12:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA is set to announce approval on Thursday of the $550MM sale of the Bucks from Herb Kohl to Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Lasry, who’ll have to divest his minority share of the Nets, and Edens had prioritized taking control before Tuesday’s lottery, Windhorst writes. Still, opposition groups are lining up against public funding for a new arena in Milwaukee, and the NBA has the right to buy the team for $575MM if a deal for a new building isn’t in place by November 2017. Kohl put that clause in the purchase agreement to keep the new owners from moving the team, Windhorst notes. Here’s more from the Central Division:

A league executive told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that Stu Jackson is a possibility to serve as Pistons GM under Stan Van Gundy, noting that Van Gundy worked under Jackson as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin in the 1990s (Twitter link).
The fate of John Loyer isn’t immediately clear in the wake of Van Gundy’s hiring, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who notes that Loyer has one season left on his contract. Loyer had been serving as Pistons interim head coach, and it’s possible he’ll return to the role of assistant coach that he occupied before the team fired Maurice Cheeks in February, according to MLive’s David Mayo.
It’ll be business as usual at this week’s draft combine for Pistons assistant GM George David and director of basketball operations Ken Catanella, who jointly ran the team’s front office following the end of Joe Dumars‘ tenure, Ellis tweets.
John Calipari would love to coach LeBron James someday, as he tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer, but he’s committed to Kentucky and won’t be in the mix to replace Mike Brown on the Cavs, who loom as a possible free agent destination for James.

Pistons Hire Stan Van Gundy As Coach, President

May 14th, 2014 at 10:10am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons have officially hired Stan Van Gundy as head coach and president of basketball operations, the team announced. The deal is for $35MM over five years. Van Gundy had previously been considered the leading candidate for the Warriors’ head coaching position, though talks stalled when Golden State proved unwilling to grant him full autonomy over all basketball decisions. Van Gundy’s deal with Detroit is also significantly more lucrative than the reported $25-$30MM that the Warriors were willing to offer.

“Stan is a proven winner in our league. He instills his teams with passion, purpose and toughness. He is a great teacher who will help our players grow and develop,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “Stan is more than just a great coach, he’s a great leader. What I’m most excited about is how Stan can help us shape the franchise and instill what it means to be the best. He’s also a great communicator. My time with Stan has me convinced that he will bring our players, team and community to a very proud place.”

The Pistons reached out to Van Gundy about their coaching vacancy several weeks ago, but those talks ended after Van Gundy requested some degree of player personnel control. Detroit evidently had a change of heart as they warmed to the idea of hiring someone as both coach and primary front office executive.

Gores became determined to do whatever it took to land the former Heat and Magic coach, and while he outbid the Warriors, the opportunity to lead the Pistons basketball operations department was most appealing to Van Gundy. That led him to turn down the Warriors, even though they have a superior roster and they’re the team he’d grown up rooting for. Golden State’s front office is crowded with GM Bob Myers, adviser Jerry West and assistant general managers Kirk Lacob, son of co-owner Joe Lacob, and Travis Schlenk, a one-time candidate for the Pistons top front office job. Joe Lacob also takes a hands-on role.

“It is an honor to be chosen to help Tom Gores build the Pistons into a team that competes for championships,” Van Gundy said in the Pistons statement. “Tom’s vision of building for the future, while seeking immediate improvement is a challenge that I embrace. We will work to put a team on the floor that reflects the franchise’s rich tradition and embodies the toughness and work ethic of fans in the Detroit area.”

Van Gundy said earlier this year that he was highly unlikely to coach, but it appears as though the opportunity to take on player personnel duties for the first time in his career was too attractive to pass up. He spoke recently of his desire to have a strong working relationship with the front office in whatever coaching job he would take, and with the Pistons, he won’t have to worry about anyone other than owner Tom Gores looking over his shoulder. Former Magic GM Otis Smith is one of the candidates Van Gundy is considering as an assistant front office executive.

Van Gundy takes the reigns from assistant GM George David and director of basketball operations Ken Catanella, who’d been running the front office on an interim basis after longtime president of basketball operations Joe Dumars stepped aside last month. Today’s hiring also displaces interim coach John Loyer, who took over when the Pistons fired Maurice Cheeks in February. David, Catanella and Loyer were all candidates to have their interim tags removed.

Van Gundy’s name has come up frequently in regard to coaching vacancies ever since the Magic fired him in 2012. He took the Magic to the Finals in 2009 and won 50 games five times in his seven full seasons as an NBA head coach. He publicly feuded with then-Magic star Dwight Howard, but the two have since repaired their relationship.

In additon to Schlenk, the Pistons were also rumored to be considering former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo and Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren, who had appeared to be the front-runners for the job. Cavs GM David Griffin, NBA senior vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe and Magic assistant GM Scott Perry were also candidates to replace Dumars, who remains with the organization in an advisory capacity. The Pistons were reportedly considering Michigan State coach Tom Izzo for their coaching job. Gores had retained Phil Norment and Bob Wentworth, partners in his private equity investment firm, to conduct the search for a new top basketball executive.

Ryan Raroque contributed to this post. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweeted the news that Van Gundy and the Pistons had a signed contract. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that Van Gundy and the Pistons had reached an agreement in principle, Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News was the first to report they were close to a deal, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports originally had the story that the Pistons were pitching Van Gundy on the dual executive/coach role. Wojnarowski noted that the sides were working on a five-year, $35MM arrangement. He also tweeted that Van Gundy is considering Otis Smith for an assistant executive role, while Ellis clarified that Smith is one of several candidates for that position. Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported the initial talks between Van Gundy and the Pistons. Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today and Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group provided additional detail.