Lakers Eye Jackson; Warriors Targets Emerge
2:24pm: The Warriors haven’t reached out to Stan Van Gundy yet, Wojnarowski tweets. Van Gundy has support in “several corners” of the Warriors organization, Wojnarowski notes, but the lack of contact with him suggests the team views Kerr as its top priority for now, having already spoken with him, as we passed along below.
12:47pm: Sources tell Kawakami that Kerr isn’t necessarily the team’s top choice, though that could change, given the compressed time frame as Kerr reportedly nears a decision on where he’d like to coach (Twitter links).
WEDNESDAY, 12:05pm: Kerr appears to be the team’s No. 1 option, according to Kawakami, who believes Pacers assistant Nate McMillan is also on the Warriors short list of candidates that they’d consider if Kerr chooses to coach elsewhere.
TUESDAY, 5:39pm: The Warriors have already contacted Kerr about the job, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
4:36pm: ESPN’s Chris Broussard suggests the Thunder as a possible destination for Jackson if Oklahoma City lets go of coach Scott Brooks (video link).
4:02pm: Kerr is indeed interested in the Warriors job, as Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group hears (Twitter link).
3:58pm: The Warriors likely have interest in University of Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie and Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group, who hears the Warriors aren’t in a rush to pick their next coach.
3:34pm: Mike D’Antoni and Mike Dunleavy Sr. are interested in the Warriors job, USA Today’s Sam Amick reports.
3:21pm: The Warriors have Steve Kerr and Stan Van Gundy at the top of their list to replace the fired Mark Jackson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who also names Fred Hoiberg as a candidate. The team will consider asking the Bulls for permission to speak with Tom Thibodeau, Wojnarowski adds. Jackson, meanwhile, is a candidate for the Lakers coaching vacancy, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Kerr, who’s zeroing in on the Knicks job, is tight with Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob and his son, assistant GM Kirk Lacob, but whether Golden State truly considers him a candidate is unclear, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Kerr prefers to move along toward the Knicks job, but he will give the Warriors some thought, according to Wojnarowski.
The Warriors are likely to reach out to former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, too, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
Bulls Considering Fred Hoiberg?
Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg is a potential candidate for the Bulls should they part ways with Tom Thibodeau, writes Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. The Bulls and Thibodeau have consistently downplayed rumors that they’d part ways this season, but other teams appear willing to test their relationship, as reports have indicated the Lakers and Warriors will ask the Bulls for permission to interview Thibodeau for their vacancies.
Hoiberg has been linked to the Warriors and Wolves, though it appears unlikely he’d take the Wolves job. Hoiberg is in the midst of a long-term deal with Iowa State, and the school recently raised his annual salary to $2.6MM. Thibodeau has multiple seasons remaining on his contract with Chicago.
The Warriors appear to have Steve Kerr atop their list, but Hoiberg’s name isn’t far behind, according to Kawakami. Golden State would have keen interest in Thibodeau if he were available, Kawakami writes, though that would probably be true of any number of teams across the league, given Thibodeau’s reputation as an elite bench boss.
More Fallout From Mark Jackson’s Firing
Mark Jackson said in a radio appearance this morning on The Dan Patrick Show that if the Warriors hadn’t fired him, he would have resigned or demanded changes, as Sports Xchange notes. Here’s more on the reaction to Jackson’s ouster in Golden State:
- Former assistant coach Darren Erman was worried that Jackson was speaking ill of him behind his back, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes, which suggests that was the reason that Erman reportedly taped the conversations of other coaches. The Warriors are investigating allegations that another assistant coach was also recording conversations within the organization, Lowe reports.
- Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob doesn’t think that the decision to fire Jackson will cause Stephen Curry to sour on the organization, and Lacob says he took the star point guard’s support for the coach under consideration. Lacob made those comments and more to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group, Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle and Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com, and Kawakami provides a transcription.
- Lacob also told the reporters that GM Bob Myers made the decision to fire Jackson, though he admits that he had the power to overrule him. Myers said he didn’t consult with Curry before he pulled the plug on Jackson, reports Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.
- Criticism that the team should have given Jackson an extension last summer is “unfair,” in Lacob’s eyes. Still, it appears the dissolution of extension talks proved pivotal to Jackson’s future with the Warriors, Kawakami tweets.
- Lacob told the reporters that he didn’t require Jackson, who commuted to his job from Southern California, to move to the Bay Area, but he thinks that he’ll insist that his next coach live close to work. On-court expectations will be high for the next coach of the team, Lacob asserts.
- Lacob suggests that while Jackson succeeded in connecting with his players, the coach could do a better job of “managing up and sideways,” seemingly pointing to Jackson’s tension with management and much of the Warriors organization. Still, he insists his relationship with Jackson was generally friendly.
- Jackson and Kings coach Michael Malone, Jackson’s former assistant, used to share the same agent, who negotiated the title of Warriors associate head coach for Malone behind Jackson’s back, according to Kawakami. When Jackson found out, he took the title away and changed agents. That begat the tension between Jackson and Malone, Kawakami says (All Twitter links).
Steve Kerr Likely To Pick Coaching Gig By Friday
Steve Kerr is likely to choose the team he’ll coach next season by Friday, a source close to Kerr tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. We heard earlier tonight that Monday marked when Kerr was expected to begin dialogue with Phil Jackson and the Knicks about a coaching role, but talks had yet to commence between the two sides. The Warriors appear to be New York’s primary competition, but Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the Jazz have attempted to wedge their way into the race for the former Bulls sharpshooter (Twitter link).
Sources tell Isola that Kerr is concerned about Knicks owner James Dolan‘s hands-on management style, and that Kerr would have no interest in taking the role if it wasn’t for Jackson’s presence within the organization. Reports have claimed New York remains the front-runner for Kerr’s services, but taking a gig with the Lakers or Warriors would allow Kerr to keep living on the West Coast. Plus, Golden State’s young roster is undoubtedly appealing to the soon-to-be first-time coach. Stein nonetheless says the Knicks still have an overwhelming lead on the other teams attempting to land Kerr (on Twitter). That’s why the Lakers haven’t viewed Kerr as a candidate for their open coaching job.
If the Knicks miss out on Kerr, Isola says the recently fired Mark Jackson shouldn’t be completely ruled out as a candidate for the position, but it’s more likely the Zen Master chooses to hire someone close to him. Isola points to Bill Cartwright, who has already interviewed with New York about a possible role within the organization.
Phil Jackson was reported to have told Carmelo Anthony that he expects to hire Kerr. Earlier reports indicated the Lakers didn’t consider Kerr to be a realistic candidate for their coaching vacancy, but Isola labels him as the top candidate for Los Angeles, New York, and Golden State. In fact, the Warriors, who have been linked to Stan Van Gundy, would reportedly prefer to land Kerr, even though the current TNT analyst has never coached at the NBA level.
And-Ones: Sterling, Stackhouse, Warriors, Jazz
The NBA’s legal strategy for ousting Donald Sterling has been revealed, writes Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. According to Rovell, the NBA constitution states that grounds exist to remove any owner that “fail(s) or refuse(s) to fulfill its contractual obligations to the Association.” Among other “morals clauses,” Sterling has signed a document stating he would not “take any position or action that will materially and adversely affect a team or the league,” says Rovell. There’s still expectation that Sterling or his wife will fight the NBA in court, but the league at least has a starting point for Sterling’s removal. Here’s tonight’s look around the NBA:
- The Knicks will interview Jerry Stackhouse for a position within the organization, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. It’s not entirely clear what position Stackhouse will interview for, but he expressed interest in coaching at some capacity. It seems highly unlikely his interview would be for anything more than an assistant position, given New York’s strong pursuit of Steve Kerr.
- Many around the league think that if the Pacers lose to the Wizards and Roy Hibbert continues to struggle, Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird will “do everything he can” to trade the All-Star center, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard. Broussard made his comments on the Mike & Mike Show (Audio link).
- The Jazz will work out draft prospects Taylor Braun, Akil Mitchell, Bryce Cotton, Mike Moser, Stephen Holt, and Ronald Roberts Jr, the team announced (via Twitter).
- James Nunnally has signed a contract to play for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico, the team announced (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Nunnally spent most of 2013/14 in the D-League but did see NBA action on 10-day deals with the Hawks and Sixers.
- Each member of Mark Jackson‘s coaching staff has been relieved of their duties, the Warriors announced (hat tip to Diamond Leung of Bay Area News).
- The decision to fire Jackson means that Warriors‘ management will face pressure to win big next season in order to prove they made the right call, opines Tim Kawakami of Mercury News.
- In his latest Insider piece, Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks the top point guard prospects in the 2014 draft. To no surprise, Dante Exum sits atop his list. Hoops Rumors’ Zach Links recently profiled the Australian slasher.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Poll: Did Mark Jackson Deserve To Be Fired?
Mark Jackson had long been rumored to be on his way out of Golden State, so it was no shock when the team announced his dismissal this afternoon. A report implied he didn’t have any supporters in the front office, and the dysfunctional state of the Warriors’ organization this season is rumored to have even potentially hurt his stock going forward. Multiple disputes with assistant coaches over the past few months helped to damage Jackson’s image, even though it was later discovered that he wasn’t exactly responsible for either issue.
Ideological differences with the front office seemed to be the most important factor in Jackson’s discharge. It’s hard to blame him for a lack of success, since the team went 121-109 during his tenure, and reports indicated he had the support of players in the Warriors’ locker room. The club did suffer an early exit in the playoffs, but pinning all the blame on Jackson is unrealistic since the W’s were facing a tough Clippers squad with Andrew Bogut sidelined. In fact, Joe Lacob and Bob Myers sat down with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News and revealed they simply didn’t feel Jackson was the best fit for their organization going forward.
Did Mark Jackson deserve to get the ax in Golden State? The Warriors won more games this year than they had since 1991/92, and it will surely be tough to completely sell the locker room on the dismissal of a well-liked coach. At the same time, it’s hard for a team succeed when management has different fundamental views than the coach does, and a change in leadership will help distance the club from the “dysfunctional” image they acquired over the course of the season. It’s certainly a difficult question, but Hoops Rumors wants to know what the readers think. Vote below and tell us whether or not Golden State made the right call giving Jackson the boot.
Did Mark Jackson deserved to be fired?
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No 75% (1,005)
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Yes 25% (336)
Total votes: 1,341
Coaching Rumors: Jackson, Warriors, Kerr
The Warriors cut ties with Mark Jackson today, and rumors have already started swirling about potential fits for the now vacant coaching spot in Golden State. Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders rounds up the situation and discusses possible candidates and also suggests a few teams that might be wise to seek out Jackson’s services. Here’s the latest on Jackson, Kerr, and the Lakers coaching search:
- Brian Scalabrine was also dismissed from Warriors, reports Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). Scalabrine had been an assistant coach with Golden State under Jackson before a mid-season demotion sent him to their D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.
- Kerr was expected to begin talks with the Knicks about a coaching role yesterday, but there have still been no contact between the two sides, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. There’s a strong chance Kerr has a conversation with the Warriors about taking on the head coaching role in Golden State, but his preference remains New York, says Wojnarowski (Twitter links).
Earlier updates:
- The Knicks haven’t called Jackson about their head coaching position, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- It’s very unlikely the Timberwolves have any interest in bringing Jackson aboard, passes along Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter).
- The Pistons should consider hiring Jackson in Detroit, even though it wouldn’t be a cheap acquisition, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Goodwill points to Jackson’s ability to earn his players’ respect as a particularly valuable trait.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com discusses the likelihood that Steve Kerr chooses to take on head coaching duties for the Warriors rather than the Knicks. Both teams are reportedly interested in Kerr, but Begley concludes that Phil Jackson‘s presence in New York will give the Knicks an edge in their pursuit.
- Kerr’s college coach, Lute Olson, also sees the Knicks as the front-runner to land Kerr, even after Jackson’s dismissal in Golden State, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Lakers management is taking a slow approach to its coaching search, but Kobe Bryant and Byron Scott have talked in the past few weeks, notes Chris Broussard of ESPN during an interview on the Mike & Mike Show (Audio link).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Reaction To Warriors Firing Of Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson wasn’t alone in losing his job today, as the Warriors ousted Jackson’s entire coaching staff, and even the club’s video coordinator, notes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). The reaction has been swift around the league, and while we’ll keep track of the latest on Jackson’s future and the team’s coaching search in this post, we’ll roundup the rest of the fallout from the Warriors’ decision below:
- There were some Warriors players who felt Jackson showed too much favoritism toward Stephen Curry, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard (video link). Curry learned of the firing from Jackson, and many players weren’t pleased that the team didn’t inform them of the news first, and that they weren’t consulted in the decision, Thompson tweets.
- GM Bob Myers told reporters, including Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, that he didn’t find the team’s regular season unsatisfactory, but he suggested the team’s on-court performance played a role in the decision (Twitter link). “It’s harsh to critique the record, but this is a harsh business,” Myers said.
- The Warriors were concerned that Jackson wouldn’t agree to appoint a new lead assistant coach, but the team’s brass didn’t give Jackson a chance to offer any concessions or state his willingness to change his staff, Thompson writes in a full piece.
- Jackson, who reportedly had a recent falling out with assistant GM Kirk Lacob, told Lacob not to talk to his assistant coaches, Thompson notes in the same piece. Lacob is the son of co-owner Joe Lacob.
- Myers had been largely a neutral party amid the discord between Jackson and team management, but when he grew weary of the coach, that was the breaking point, a source tells fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Tim Kawakami (Twitter link).
- Warriors brass viewed Jackson as a “disruptive” force who simply caused too much friction, Kawakami hears (Twitter links).
Warriors Fire Mark Jackson
The Warriors have officially announced that they’ve fired coach Mark Jackson. Sam Amick of USA Today was the first to report the news (on Twitter). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports noted that it was the team’s decision to fire him, meaning Jackson didn’t quit instead (Twitter link). The move was widely expected, and comes on the heels of a meeting between Jackson, co-owner Joe Lacob, and other Warriors executives within the last few hours.
“Mark Jackson has had a big impact on the improvement of our team and the success that we’ve had over the last couple of years,” Lacob said. “Nonetheless, we must make some difficult decisions in our day-to-day operations of the club and this would certainly qualify as one of those examples. We wish Mark the best of luck in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions over the last three years.”
Reports in recent weeks cast significant doubt about Jackson’s future with the team, and his chances of remaining in Golden State seemed to grow progressively bleaker after a report of dysfunction surrounding Jackson surfaced when the team reassigned former assistant coach Brian Scalabrine. The team also recently fired assistant coach Darren Erman, who was reportedly recording conversations among the coaching staff.
The tension between Jackson and his bosses appeared to be mutual and to extend to issues beyond basketball. The Warriors organization seemed to present a united front against the coach, with the exception of the players, who offered nearly universal support. A key fracture may have been Jackson’s lack of a relationship with assistant GM Kirk Lacob, the son of the co-owner, after the two engaged in a recent spat. Jackson’s attitude, unwillingness to move to the Bay Area and even his religion have drawn mention in various reports as reasons why Warriors management seemed anxious to let the coach go.
Jackson compiled a 121-109 record over three seasons as Warriors head coach, his first experience on an NBA bench after having worked as a broadcaster following his playing career. The Warriors improved their regular season record each of the last two years, but the Warriors still reportedly took issue with coach’s on-court style, which relied heavily on isolations. Golden State failed to reach the second round of the playoffs this season, as it did last year, and that may have sealed the coach’s fate.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Warriors, Jackson Meet To Decide Coach’s Fate
Multiple reports have painted a grim picture of Mark Jackson‘s chances to remain as coach of the Warriors, but the team has been holding off on a decision. Jackson is meeting with co-owner Joe Lacob and team executives at present, and it will be a “pivot point” in determining the coach’s future, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links). Sources close to Warriors management tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports they expect the team will fire Jackson (Twitter link). The team appears poised to make it’s decision later today, or tomorrow at the latest, Kawakami adds (on Twitter).
Jackson isn’t enamored with Warriors brass either, tweets Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area. The issues between Jackson and his bosses extend beyond basketball, Kawakami hears, reiterating an earlier report from Wojnarowski that no one in the front office will lobby for him to stay (Twitter links). The Warriors have consulted with staffers throughout the organization about their decision on Jackson, and it doesn’t sound like he’s drawing much support, Kawakami tweets. Ultimately, Lacob will make the decision, as Kawakami points out (on Twitter).
Jackson and assistant GM Kirk Lacob, the owner’s son, have had no relationship following a recent dispute, Kawakami adds (Twitter link). Jackson’s stubbornness and defensive attitude in the face of criticism are among the complaints from the Warriors, as fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Marcus Thompson wrote earlier. The “religiosity” of Jackson, an ordained minister, has also made some in organization uncomfortable, according to Thompson.
Still, several Warriors players, including Stephen Curry, have expressed their fondness and support for their coach. The Warriors would nonetheless like to see Curry in a more free-flowing offense, Kawakami wrote overnight. Jackson’s lack of interest in moving to the Bay Area instead of continuing to commute from Southern California and perhaps his asking price on an extension are factors that hurt him in the team’s eyes, Kawakami adds. Ultimately, his coaching style and the way he manages the staff appears to be the major sticking points, according to Kawakami.
Steve Kerr, Fred Hoiberg and, most recently, Stan Van Gundy have been linked to the as-yet-unopen Warriors head coaching job. The Warriors have a short list, but they haven’t engaged in serious talks about a replacement for Jackson yet, Kawakami tweets.