Pistons Notes: Hollins, Billups
Pistons guard Chauncey Billups tells Terry Foster of The Detroit News that he wants to work in a front office job after he retires, despite the assumption from many that he would make a great coach: “I think a lot of people think that would be the natural progression because of what I do on the court. But if I had my desire I want to be in the front office and put the team together and be behind the scenes rather than being on the court every day.” Here’s more from Detroit:
- Lionel Hollins remains interested in the Pistons coaching vacancy, but said he still hasn’t been in contact with the team in an interview with SiriusXM NBA today. David Mayo of MLive transcribed the former Grizzlies coach’s perspective on the Detroit job: “I’m flattered by all the non-decision makers coming out and saying that the job is mine and I’m the first choice and they are coming after me. Well, none of that has happened and it only matters what the Detroit Pistons are thinking. Again, I’m flattered with the respect that has been shown me by some of the national media.” Hollins indicated the same a few days ago when former coach Maurice Cheeks was first fired.
- Pistons owner Tom Gores is in daily contact with the team, and his involvement will intensify following the firing of Maurice Cheeks, Palace Sports and Entertainment CEO Dennis Mannion tells Eric Lacy of MLive. The owner has been criticized as an “absentee owner” by some, but Mannion says Gores is very active in dealing with the Pistons business, one of 35 businesses he owns overall.
- Mannion also tells Lacy the team is optimistic that it can turn around the team’s plummeting attendance numbers: “While we haven’t been playing great basketball, we have had an opportunity to put ourselves in a position to be able to market and keep those people down the road.” After Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings were signed this offseason, season ticket sales jumped 33 percent.
Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Turner, Celtics
Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said before tonight’s game against the Mavericks that the chances of Charlotte making a deal soon depends on who’s available and what makes sense. GM Rod Higgins couldn’t put a percentage on the likelihood that something gets done, but went so far as to say “…the thing you should know is we’re definitely shaking the tree (and hope) a trade pans out” (Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer).
You can find several links worth sharing tonight out of Eastern Conference below, including more from the above piece:
- Sorensen hears that the Bobcats are interested in 76ers guard Evan Turner and presumes that Ben Gordon and a first round pick are on the table (whether it’s the one owed to them by the Trail Blazers or Pistons is unclear).
- Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears says that in addition to Turner, Thaddeus Young is another starter who could be moved soon.
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW shared some of what he’s heard from around the Eastern Conference: Turner and Spencer Hawes are the most likely to be traded from Philadelphia; the Celtics are reportedly bound and determined to make moves before the deadline; the Cavaliers think pretty highly enough of their key pieces and aren’t likely to deal them for anything less for a “king’s ransom.”
- Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that tales of stars trying to make recruiting pitches during the All-Star break are blown out of proportion by the media and says it “never happens.”
- Earlier tonight, we relayed a piece from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports about the Cavs’ recent misfortune over the last few years. Another interesting thing to note is about how Anthony Bennett – who aside from his double-double performance tonight has otherwise failed to impress this season – would likely have fallen into the back end of the top 10 picks or further on draft night if Cleveland didn’t select him first overall.
Central Rumors: Cavs, Pacers, Mirotic
It shouldn’t be too much longer until the Pacers clinch the Central Division title. They’re up 14 and a half games on the second-place Bulls, and the only team with a realistic shot at passing the Pacers for the best record in the Eastern Conference is the Heat. Here’s more from a division that, outside of Indiana, is one of dysfunction:
- The relationship between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters was reportedly a rocky one when trade rumors swirled around Waiters early this season, but Irving now refers to Waiters as a friend, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald observes. Finnan has more on the on-court and off-court dynamic between the two Cavs guards.
- The Pacers reached out to Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, a former Pacers assistant, for advice about whether to sign Andrew Bynum, whom Shaw had worked with as a Lakers assistant, notes Scott Agness of Pacers.com. Shaw gave the center an endorsement, and, “I woke up the next morning to see that they had signed him,” the coach said.
- Nikola Mirotic is eager to sign with the Bulls this summer, but Real Madrid, his Spanish team, is intent on offering him a sizable new deal to convince him to stay, according to Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype).
- The dismissal of Maurice Cheeks was tough on Brandon Jennings, who calls the former Pistons coach a “father figure,” as Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News examines.
Amico On Celtics, Melo, Irving, Dumars
Most executives who spoke with Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio say it seems more and more likely that the Celtics want to build around point guard Rajon Rondo, forward Jeff Green, and second-year big man Jared Sullinger. Everyone else, however, appears to be available, and even those three aren’t considered untouchable. More from Amico’s column..
- The Knicks‘ struggles are fueling talk that Carmelo Anthony could be moved at the deadline but league sources say that seems considerably less likely and Melo will remain a Knick at least until the end of the season.
- Could the Cavs be giving thought to moving Kyrie Irving given their own troubles? “Absolutely, positively untouchable, now and forever,” said one opposing General Manager.
- There’s been some talk that Pistons GM Joe Dumars could step down at the end of the season if the team fails to make the playoffs. If so, league insiders suspect Dumars won’t be out of the game for long. Despite Detroit’s struggles, Dumars helped build a title team and still has a lot of respect around the league.
- The Spurs typically aren’t major players at the trading deadline, but sources say that could change this year. For an outstanding return, Kawhi Leonard could be made available.
Central Rumors: Dumars, Monroe, Cavs
There has been chatter “for weeks” that Pistons president of basketball ops Joe Dumars is on shaky ground, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who adds that no one around the league would be surprised if he’s replaced in time for next season. Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears similar sentiments about Dumars’ job security, so Maurice Cheeks might not be the only one heading out of Detroit (Twitter link). There’s more on the team that made the first coaching change of the season on Sunday amid our look at the Central Division:
- The Pistons continue to turn away calls about Monroe, according to Lowe, who thinks the team need not be in a hurry to pull off any major trade.
- The Cavs are willing to trade just about anyone on the roster short of Kyrie Irving, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his Insider-only “Tank Rank” piece. Ford casts Dion Waiters as the likely bait for a deal that would help improve the club, though it’s not clear whether that’s based on his reporting or if that’s merely educated speculation.
- New Cavs GM David Griffin will lead the way in the club’s approach to the trade deadline, but it’ll be a collaborative approach, with owner Dan Gilbert involved in the decision-making, a source tells Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- Pacers players gave a lukewarm response when Kyler asked them about the signing of Andrew Bynum. Kyler hears that the Pacers won’t hesitate to waive the former All-Star and his $1MM guaranteed salary if he violates the club’s “low tolerance” policy for him.
- Terry Foster of The Detroit News wouldn’t be surprised to see Dumars step down this summer, realizing his fate. The News scribe believes the team’s decision to appoint John Loyer as interim coach for the rest of the season, rather than conduct an immediate search, signals owner Tom Gores’ lack of faith in Dumars.
Aldridge’s Latest: Gordon, Jackson, Monroe
TNT’s David Aldridge’s lengthy “Morning Tip” column on NBA.com has a strong trade deadline focus this week, as is only appropriate with 10 days left before the big day. We’ll dive into the highlights here:
- The Pelicans have been shopping Eric Gordon “for a while,” Aldridge writes, but an opposing GM says they’re not finding takers because rival teams realize that injuries have cut into the 25-year-old’s athleticism.
- Aldridge expects the Pistons to try to convince Phil Jackson, who served as a special advisor to the team this summer, to coach the club, but Aldridge notes it’s unlikely the Zen Master would do so.
- The Pistons aren’t giving up Greg Monroe unless it’s part of a blockbuster trade, and they’re hoping they can re-sign him this summer to a contract similar to the four-year, $49.4MM deal that Serge Ibaka inked with the Thunder in 2012. If not, Aldridge expects the Pistons to swallow hard and match a max offer sheet from another team.
- Kyle Lowry will probably remain with the Raptors through the deadline, but that’s not an indication that the Raptors are willing to pay a heavy price to re-sign him this summer, Aldridge writes.
- Aldridge hears plenty of trade chatter surrounding Kenneth Faried, and though the Nuggets deny it, Aldridge thinks there could be something to it. He’s up for an extension this summer, and if he doesn’t get one, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2015. Denver wouldn’t be willing to give him an outsized payday as it stands, given its concerns about his defense, Aldridge writes.
- Grizzlies management is high on Ed Davis, who’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, and Aldridge examines how that affects the team’s willingness to retain Zach Randolph. Aldridge says the Wizards would prefer to acquire Davis rather than Randolph if they had a choice.
- Patty Mills will be a free agent at season’s end, but even amid increased playing time with the Spurs this season, he’s giving no thought to leaving for another team where he could have a larger role or make more money, according to Aldridge.
Pistons Rumors: Hollins, Cheeks, Loyer
There are tough-minded defensive coaches out there, including Lionel Hollins and Kelvin Sampson, but the Pistons didn’t fire Maurice Cheeks with anyone in mind, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. There’s no telling what direction Detroit will eventually go in, but assistant coach John Loyer will be at the helm in the meantime. More out of Motor City..
- Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders wonders if Luol Deng or Evan Turner would be good fits for the Pistons. Deng is known around the league as a leader and a class act and could make sense for Detroit as they look for a culture change. Turner, meanwhile, would give the Pistons the kind of steady offensive production that they need.
- The move to fire Cheeks 50 games into his tenure after consecutive wins shows what kind of patience level owner Tom Gores has, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. The recent nose-to-nose confrontation between Cheeks and guard Will Bynum may have proved to be the last straw.
- Cheeks should be glad that he gets to leave the Pistons’ mess behind, opines Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press.
- Kirkland Crawford of MLive.com weighs in with his memories of Cheeks’ short run in Detroit and it’s not exactly complimentary.
- Not all that familiar with Loyer? Brendan Savage of MLive.com gets you all caught up.
Pistons Fire Maurice Cheeks
1:21pm: The Pistons won’t conduct a search for their permanent coach right away, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
1:04pm: John Loyer will take over as interim coach, tweets David Mayo of MLive.com.
11:07am: The Pistons have fired coach Maurice Cheeks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.com. Despite back-to-back victories on the weekend, general manager Joe Dumars informed Cheeks of his dismissal on Sunday morning, Wojnarowski’s sources said. Wojnarowski writes that Cheeks was in the first season of a two-year deal, but reports when Cheeks was hired indicated that his contract was a four-year deal, with a team option for the final season.
In a season that has fallen short of his playoff expectations, Detroit owner Tom Gores has been pushing for changes. Detroit is 21-29 and a half-game behind Charlotte for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. Wojnarowski also suggests that Gores was behind the firing, while Joe Dumars advocated giving Cheeks more time.
This move comes on the heels of Cheeks’ sideline confrontation with Will Bynum, as well as his admission that he should be doing a better job at preparing the team to play. Cheeks’ firing also marks the first coaching change of the NBA this season.
No interim coach has been appointed for the team, but assistant John Loyer is expected to be frontrunner, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Pistons Notes: Lionel Hollins, Cheeks Fallout
With today’s firing of Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks, this has started the speculation as to who their next coach will be. Assistant John Loyer has been named the interim coach, and coaching sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com that Lionel Hollins is a prime target (Twitter link) for the job. If there was a good time to fire a coach, it was now, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders.com, as there are a number of qualified coaches available on the market. Hollins has a career record of 214-201, and led the Grizzlies to 56 wins in 2012/2013. Greene also notes that Hollins was offered the opportunity to join Cheeks’ staff this season, but declined. Hollins has also made it well-known that he desires to return to coaching, stating that, “I believe that I’ve established myself as a head coach and I’d like another opportunity to show that my success wasn’t a fluke”. Greene also points to Hollins’ success in developing Memphis’ frontcourt players such as Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol as a selling point, considering the Pistons glut of big men.
More on the Pistons coaching change:
- It should be embarrassing to the team that the players had to find out via Twitter, writes Sean Highkin of USA Today. Judging by the reactions he posts in the article, the players were blindsided by the news.
- Hollins has already sounded off on the possibility of him taking the Pistons job, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW (via Twitter). Hollins told him, “Of course I’m interested“, though Hollins also said he had not been contacted yet. Haynes also writes that it’s only a matter of time before the Pistons reach out to Hollins.
- Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter) has also supported the idea of Lionel Hollins coaching the Pistons.
- Brandon Jennings tweeted his support for departed coach Maurice Cheeks.
- Cheeks took the fall for a disastrous run of decisions by GM Joe Dumars, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation.com. Ziller details a number of moves that have derailed the organization, including the Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon signings, the hiring of John Kuester, trading Arron Afflalo, and signings of Josh Smith and Jennings.
Eastern Notes: Woodson, Bulls, Pistons
Friday night’s win against the Nuggets hasn’t dulled the Mike Woodson job security chatter. The Knicks firing him is now a “when”, not an “if” proposition, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The team’s players appear to know it, both publicly and privately grumbling about Woodson’s strategies and methods. It’s a legitimate topic for debate as to how much of the blame falls on Woodson for the Knicks struggles this season, but firing him won’t fix the team’s issues opines Windhorst. He cites the problems with the team’s roster, as well as multiple players under-performing. A new coach wouldn’t be able to change that, as well as make an impact on Carmelo Anthony‘s decision to opt out of his contract after the season. Windhorst also examines the impact that interim coaches have on a team’s record. After an initial bump, teams usually don’t improve their records, according to the article.
More from around the Eastern Conference:
- Also weighing on on the Knicks flaws not being addressed by firing Woodson, is Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday. He also agrees that many of the players under-performing would not be solved by a coaching change.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports takes another look at Taj Gibson‘s impact on the Bulls’ luxury tax situation. Gibson has a number of performance bonuses in his contract, that if met, could place the team over the luxury tax threshold. Gibson receives a $250K bonus for making the all-defensive second team, with another $250K if he makes the first team. The Bulls are currently $678,595 under the tax, but still have to add one more player to the roster to meet the league’s minimum requirement of 13. Adding a player, even at the minimum slot of $358,919, coupled with Gibson meeting his bonuses, could force the Bulls to pay the tax, which wouldn’t be worth it for a non-contending team, opines Deeks.
- The Pistons find themselves in their seemingly annual position of deciding to try to win now or tank for the future, writes Terry Foster of The Detroit News. He opines that while it might be necessary to win for President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and coach Maurice Cheeks to keep their jobs, a better draft would benefit the franchise more in the long run. This goes against team owner Tom Gores’ playoff-or-bust edict, but it’s better for the team if he doesn’t get his wish, writes Foster.