Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Hire Maurice Cheeks As Head Coach

June 10th, 2013 at 6:09pm CST by Luke Adams

6:09pm: Cheeks' contract with Detroit includes a fourth-year team option, according to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (Twitter link).

5:56pm: The Pistons have officially confirmed the hiring of Cheeks as head coach (Twitter link).

5:31pm: Cheeks' deal with the Pistons is a three-year pact, according to Matt Dery of 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit (Twitter link). There may also be a team option for a fourth year, says Dery.

5:14pm: Maurice Cheeks has reached an agreement with the Pistons to become the team's new head coach, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Multiple reports last week had cited Cheeks as the frontrunner for the Pistons' coaching opening, noting that an agreement could happen over the weekend.

Prior to spending the last couple seasons as an assistant for the Thunder, Cheeks was the head coach of the Trail Blazers and the 76ers, coaching parts of four seasons in both Portland and Philadelphia. For his coaching career, Cheeks' record is almost an even .500, at 284-286. He qualified for the postseason twice with the Blazers and once with the Sixers, but never made it out of the first round.

Nate McMillan had been considered the other finalist for the Pistons' coaching job, with both he and Cheeks viewed as favorites of GM Joe Dumars. Phil Jackson acted as an advisor during Detroit's search for a head coach, though Jackson reportedly preferred Brian Shaw, who I don't believe ultimately received an interview with the team.

Cheeks replaces Lawrence Frank, who was let go at the end of the season after compiling a 54-94 record in his two years with the Pistons.

Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Heat, McGrady

June 8th, 2013 at 10:40pm CST by Spencer Lund

According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, the Grizzlies' current ownership is in a serendipitous position to save money by honoring a bizarre clause in some assistant coach contracts (Sulia link). Usually, the playoff winnings from the NBA are shared with a team's players and personnel after postseason success. But former owner Michael Heisley negotiated deals with some assistant coaches that awarded a flat bonus based on a small percentage of their regular salaries.

After the Grizzlies surprised many by reaching the Western Conference Finals, the resulting playoff shares are worth $70K or more, depending on how many shares the team elected to have. Under the Heisley terms, some assistant coaches are due only 1/7th of that amount.

Current Grizzlies principal owner, Robert Pera, is under no obligation to stray from the deals the previous regime negotiated, but as Bucher points out "sometimes there is a divide between what is acceptable and what is right." In the grand scheme of things, it's a paltry sum to pay for assistants who may not be back next season and who helped guide a Rudy Gay–less Grizzlies team far into the tough Western Conference playoff bracket.

With Lionel Hollins' future as the Grizzlies' head coach in doubt, a sign of good faith to his assistant coaches, who rightfully deserve a larger share of the playoff winnings than their current contract calls for, might be the move that tips the odds in favor of Hollins returning to the sidelines for the Grizzlies next season.

Here are some other links from around this quiet NBA Saturday night before the Heat and Spurs do battle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals tomorrow:

Speaking of this current Heat team, assistant coach David Fizdale is a hot commodity in the NBA’s coaching market with his team in the NBA Finals for the third straight year this June. Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel says the 38-year-old Heat assistant would consider a head coaching job despite still having a year left on his contract with the Heat.
Cheap labor is the key to the future for the Heat, writes Winderman. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all have an opt-out clause in their contracts for the summer of 2014, so surrounding those three stars with talent that doesn’t break the bank is the key for the Heat to continue their dominance of the Eastern Conference.
Alex Kennedy spoke with Tracy McGrady about sticking around for so long and reaching his first NBA Finals as the 12th man on the Spurs despite the absence of some of his former NBA peers, like Stephon Marbury and Gilbert Arenas. Kennedy also has some terrific McGrady quotes via Twitter updates from tonight, including one about the NBA's age requirement (McGrady was drafted out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in 1997).
David Mayo at MLive believes Pistons general manager Joe Dumars deserves to pick the new Pistons head coach despite the presence of Phil Jackson as a consultant. Whomever becomes the new head coach could go a long way towards determining who is really in power for the Pistons, and with Maurice Cheeks expected to be announced as the new head coach some time this weekend, it seems Dumars' days with the Pistons may continue.
ShamSports has an update on all the available salary cap room teams have this offseason with cap holds included.
Danny Schayes of SheridanHoops.com on the inanity of all the coaching turnover this offseason.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee says new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive hasn’t met face-to-face with mercurial star DeMarcus Cousins. (Twitter links)
Mary Schmitt Boyer in her mailbag column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, answers how all the Cavs’ offseason salary cap moves will affect the team.

Cheeks A Frontrunner To Become Pistons Head Coach

June 6th, 2013 at 11:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

11:00pm: Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reported that a deal between Maurice Cheeks and the Pistons could materialize over the weekend. Ellis opines that when Nate McMillan - who was also a candidate for Detroit's head coaching position – surfaced in speculation regarding the Nuggets' vacancy earlier, it gave the indication that the Pistons had already made their decision on Cheeks.

7:40pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that Maurice Cheeks has emerged as a strong frontrunner to become the Pistons' next head coach. He also mentions that ownership and management came to the consensus on Cheeks, and that discussions on a contract could begin soon. Earlier this evening, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News said that Cheeks was his best guess to be Detroit's top choice and just reported that a deal could get done tonight (Twitter links).

Before he became an assistant with the Thunder in 2009, Cheeks was the head coach of the 76ers from 2005 to 2008, where he compiled a record of 122-147 in just a little over three seasons in Philadelphia.

Draft Workout Updates: Thursday

June 6th, 2013 at 9:37pm CST by Luke Adams

We're now just three weeks away from the 2013 draft, so teams are busy bringing in prospects to meet with them and work them out, while we do our best to keep tabs on as many of those workouts as we can. Here's the latest:

Tom Housenick of The Morning Call reported that C.J. McCollum will visit Portland at some point for a workout before June 20th.
Chris Haynes of CSNNW tweets that Trevor Mbakwe will visit the Trail Blazers tomorrow.
The Kings released a list of players who have worked out for them via their team website, noting that guards Will Cherry, Travis Releford, Brandon Triche, forward Chris Evans, and centers Rudy Gobert and Aziz N'Diaye took part in workouts this past Monday. Former Michigan star Trey Burke is scheduled to come in tomorrow.
The Wizards plan to bring in C.J. Aiken, Junior Cadougan, Ella Ellis, Lamont Jones, A.J. Matthews, and Mike Muscala in for Friday workouts, as per the team's official website.
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News tweets that Steven Adams, Jack Cooley, Richard Howell, Kenny Kadji, Dennis Schroeder, and Peyton Siva are all scheduled for a pre-draft workout with the Jazz on Friday.

Earlier updates:

Mason Plumlee, Shabazz Muhammad, Kelly Olynyk, Norvel Pelle, and Scott Wood worked out for the Sixers today, tweets Tyler R. Tynes of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Plumlee will also work out for the Trail Blazers on June 19th and for the Pistons on June 21st, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com and Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports that Otto Porter will work out for the Wizards on June 14th.
The Timberwolves expect to bring in C.J. McCollum for a workout, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
Working out for the Suns today, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter): McCollum, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Shane Larkin, Zeke Marshall, and Korie Lucious.
Gorgui Dieng's agent confirms that his client will work out for both the Nets and Knicks, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com details.
The Grizzlies announced in a press release that James Southerland, Will Clyburn, B.J. Young, Dewayne Dedmon, Colton Iverson, and Sherwood Brown will work out for the club tomorrow.
The Knicks will work out the following prospects tomorrow, per the team's Twitter feed: Ricky Ledo, Tahj Tate, Adonis Thomas, Christian Watford, Tony Mitchell, and Grant Jerrett.
Jeff Withey worked out for the Bulls yesterday, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter).

George Karl Rumors: Nets, Raptors, Grizzlies

June 6th, 2013 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

In a surprising turn of events, the Nuggets informed George Karl earlier today that they wouldn't be retaining him for the final year of his contract, parting ways with the reigning Coach of the Year and beginning a search for a new head coach. While we've already heard that Lionel Hollins and Brian Shaw are among Denver's likely targets to replace Karl, there are also a number of reports surfacing on Karl's ouster from Denver and what his future might hold. Let's round them up….

Don't expect the Nets to be an aggressive suitor for Karl, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, who hears from a source that Brooklyn doesn't have much interest.
Karl also appears unlikely to follow Masai Ujiri to Toronto. Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets that Karl isn't a candidate to replace Dwane Casey this summer, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports adds (via Twitter) that even if the Raptors' job opens up next summer, Karl isn't expected to be a candidate.
The Pistons also won't pursue Karl, since they're already close to making a hire, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
As we heard earlier today, the Grizzlies have some interest in Karl. According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter), if the Grizz can't work out a new deal with Lionel Hollins, they'll shift their focus to Karl, Dave Joerger, and Alvin Gentry.
We've heard the Clippers mentioned as a suitor for Karl multiple times, and L.A. does indeed have "strong interest" in him, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Mannix estimates that, based on his last couple contracts, Karl's price tag figures to be about $4-5MM annually for three or four years, with the potential to climb higher if there's a bidding war (Twitter links).
Karl's desire for an extension and the Nuggets' unwillingness to give him one was cited as the primary reason the two sides parted ways, but Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida hears there were a few other differences in opinion as well. Among them, according to Tomasson: Management placed the blame on Karl for losing the Golden State series; management wanted JaVale McGee to play more after he received a big four-year contract; and management would have liked to see young players such as Evan Fournier played more often and veterans like Andre Miller played less, even if it cost the team a few of its 57 regular-season wins (all four Twitter links).

Draft Notes: McLemore, Magic, Saric, Bennett

June 5th, 2013 at 7:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Mannix of SI.com hands out his draft superlatives, with an assist from scouts and executives. Anthony Bennett has the greatest superstar potential, Mannix writes, while Victor Oladipo could be the most resounding bust. It'll be a while before we can definitively say whether Mannix was correct on either account, but much more becomes clear with each passing day until June 27th. After passing along the latest this morning, we'll follow with with an evening draft roundup:

Ben McLemore has reportedly slipped behind Victor Oladipo in the eyes of the Magic, but Orlando will have McLemore in for a workout June 11th, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. (Twitter links). Keith Clanton, Erik Murphy, Michael Snaer and Kenny Boynton, all products of Florida colleges, are auditioning for the Magic either today or tomorrow, Robbins adds.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com chatted with readers, revealing that top-level scouts believe Dario Saric to be on par with Otto Porter and that the Wizards and Bobcats are especially high on Anthony Bennett.
Korie Lucious worked out for the Bucks today and did so for the Pistons earlier this week, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. D.J. Stephens, another participant in today's Bucks workout, has also drawn interest from the Pistons and Grizzlies.
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News had the news on six players working out for the Jazz today, and he tweets word of six more set to hit Utah on Thursday: Glen Rice Jr.,Vander Blue, Jack Cooley, Solomon Hill, Pierre Jackson and Trevor Mbakwe.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic adds second-round hopefuls E.J. Singler and Jared Berggren to the list of players who worked out for the Suns today (Twitter link).
B.J. Young, Brandon Paul, Reggie Bullock, Romero Osby, Kenny Kadji and James Ennis are among the prospects working out Thursday for the Knicks, the team announced via Twitter.
Ennis, Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert, Mike Muscala, Cody Zeller, Jeff Withey, Shabazz Muhammad, Rodney Williams, Reggie Bullock, Kelly Olynyk and Tony Snell will all audition for Minnesota in the coming weeks, Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders tweets. He also lists "Thomas," likely in reference to Deshaun Thomas or Adonis Thomas.
The Wizards announced they'll put Deshaun Thomas, Keion Bell, Laurence Bowers, D.J. Seeley, James Southerland and Khalif Wyatt through a workout tomorrow.

Coaching Rumors: Hollins, Nets, Clippers, Shaw

June 5th, 2013 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As I noted yesterday when examining the longest-tenured coaches in the NBA, four teams – the Pistons, 76ers, Nets, and Clippers – are still in the market for a new head coach, while a couple other positions could open up later in the offseason. In addition to those head coaching openings, plenty of assistants are being hired, or moving from one NBA team to another. Here are today's rumors on those head coaching searches and the assistant coaching carousel:

Although the Clippers have asked and received permission to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Nets' initial request to speak to Hollins was turned down, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter links). Tillery adds that Brooklyn has yet to make another request since being denied on the day after the Grizzlies' season ended.
No teams have requested permission yet to speak to Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger, but the Sixers are believed to have interest, tweets Tillery.
A report yesterday indicated that the Nets and Sixers were among the teams that have contacted Larry Brown about their head coaching openings. Brown threw cold water on that report today though, according to John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, saying he's happy at SMU. CSNPhilly.com, meanwhile, reports that Brown would likely have interest in returning to the NBA if it meant running a franchise. I'd be surprised if anything came of this.

Earlier updates:

Less than 24 hours after ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard reported that Brian Shaw was a "serious target" for the Nets, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Shaw also appears to be the Clippers' top choice at this point. Since no official interviews have been conducted yet, the situation remains fluid, but the Clippers are intrigued by Shaw's youth, championship experience, and developmental skills, according to Shelburne.
Talks between Jeff Van Gundy and the Clippers have cooled, and the team has yet to ask permission to speak to Nuggets coach George Karl, though he remains a possible target. Lionel Hollins, Byron Scott, and Alvin Gentry also remain under consideration for Los Angeles, says Shelburne.
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times provides the same list of contenders for the Clippers' job, though he's even more bearish on the likelihood of the team hiring Van Gundy, writing that he's essentially "out of the running." Shaw, meanwhile is gaining momentum for the position, according to Turner.
Although the Pistons' search appears to have been narrowed down to Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks, there's no guarantee a decision happens this week, sources tell David Mayo of MLive.com.
Following up on a report from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News last week which suggested Patrick Ewing could be hired as an assistant in Charlotte, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com says Ewing is interviewing for the Bobcats' lead assistant job today. The former Knicks big man has also received interest from the Kings, writes Haynes.
Newly-hired Kings head coach Michael Malone is also talking to Ohio State assistant Chris Jent about joining his staff in Sacramento, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Yet another Lakers assistant coach appears to be on his way out of L.A., as Darvin Ham will talk to the Bobcats and Hawks about a spot on their respective staffs, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Draft Updates: Tuesday

June 4th, 2013 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Chad Ford has released version 4.0 of his 2013 mock draft (Insider-only link), and as usual, the piece is chock-full of rumors and rumblings he's heard from GMs, scouts, and other league sources. Let's dive in and round up some of the highlights from Ford's latest….

Nerlens Noel remains the default pick at No. 1, but the Cavaliers still haven't made a decision. Otto Porter and Alex Len would be the best bets to supplant Noel.
The Magic's decision at No. 2 is still extremely wide open, with nine players still under consideration, according to Ford.
If Porter and Anthony Bennett are still on the board at No. 3 for Washington, it will be a tough decision, since the Wizards' front office is split over which player it likes better.
The Pelicans will consider point guards with the sixth overall pick, but the team hasn't given up on Austin Rivers as its point guard of the future, so it may go in a different direction.
Ford is "hearing with increasing frequency" that the Pistons could target a point guard with the No. 8 pick.
Dario Saric appears to be a lottery pick, with Ford identifying the Blazers at 10 and the Sixers at 11 as real possibilities for the Croatian prospect, who is a "hot name" right now.
Shane Larkin's workout in Milwaukee was a "wow" for the Bucks, according to Ford, who has the point guard going at No. 15 to Milwaukee.

In addition to Ford's latest mock, there are plenty of other draft updates to pass along this afternoon. Here are a few of them:

Speaking to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, Dennis Schroeder and his agent downplayed reports that he has received a first-round guarantee from an unknown team, perhaps the Celtics. "I don’t know where that came from," agent Alex Saratsis said. "I don’t know anything about that."
The Knicks' workout on Wednesday will feature the following prospects, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday (via Twitter): Isaiah Canaan, Brandon Triche, Deshaun Thomas, Murphy Holloway, A.J. Matthews, and Norvel Pelle.
The Pistons will bring in Ray McCallum for a workout, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
After recently working out for the Jazz, Cody Zeller will work out for the Suns next, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Amico adds in another tweet that Mark Lyons, who averaged 24.3 PPG in three NCAA tournament contests in March, is working out for the Nuggets.
Ricky Ledo has already worked out for six teams, including the Nuggets, Bulls, Rockets, and Spurs (link via NBA.com).
Ledo will work out for his seventh team on Wednesday, when the Grizzlies hold a session that will also include Jud Dillard, Carrick Felix, Solomon Hill, Angelo Sharpless, and Tony Snell, according to a team release.

Draft Rumors: Thomas, Cavs, Porter, Wizards

June 2nd, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Chuck Myron

There are three teams still alive in the NBA playoffs, but draft season is already upon us, with news of potential trades, players jockeying for the top pick, and fringe prospects simply hoping to hear their name called on June 27th. Here's the latest:

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald hears the Kings have offered Isaiah Thomas to the Cavs in exchange for the No. 19 pick, though he hasn't confirmed that rumor. Thomas, a starter in Sacramento, would back up Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
Finnan unveils the latest version of his mock draft, writing that the Wizards hope the Cavs pass on Otto Porter.
John Wall tells Eric Detweiler of the Washington Post that he thinks the team should use the No. 3 pick on "a four man that can pick and pop," leading Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com to point to Anthony Bennett as Wall's likely favorite (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves will work out several big men later this month, including Steven Adams and Mike Muscala, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
The Wizards are giving second-round hopeful Travon Woodall his first pre-draft workout, reports Josh Newman of SNY.tv.
Zeke Marshall, another second-round prospect, has worked out for the Mavs and will also do so for the Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Lakers, Bulls and Pacers, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Agent Dino Pergola said other teams could be in the mix, too.
Brandon Triche will work out with nine teams, including the Lakers, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Mike Waters of The Post-Standard identifies the Blazers, Kings and Knicks as three of those clubs.
The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto makes the case that the Cavs should take Ben McLemore first overall.

Cheeks, McMillan Front-Runners For Pistons

June 2nd, 2013 at 8:23am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons appear to be deciding between Maurice Cheeks and Nate McMillan as their next coach, according to TNT's David Aldridge and Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (Twitter link). There are "strong signals" that Cheeks has already won the endorsement of Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes, though there is speculation that the team is waiting to interview Brian Shaw, a favorite of adviser Phil Jackson.

Cheeks has been in Detroit this weekend for a third interview, Stein notes. Cheeks and McMillan are widely seen as Dumars' top choices, while Jackson's pick would likely be Shaw, leading executives around the league to consider the coaching choice an indication of how much control Dumars still wields over the team's decisions.

McMillan appears to be a candidate for the Clippers job as well, but the Pistons look like Cheeks' only option for a head coaching job in the NBA this year. In addition to Cheeks, the Pistons are believed to have interviewed McMillan, Lindsey Hunter, J.B. Bickerstaff and Darrell Walker, as well as Mike Budenholzer, who already became coach of the Hawks. They'd have to wait until after the Pacers are eliminated to talk to Shaw.