Cavs Interested In Maccabi Coach David Blatt
8:54pm: A person familiar with the Cavs coaching search told Tom Withers of The Associated Press that Cleveland has contacted Blatt in regards to their coaching job. The contact has not amounted to a formal interview at this point, reports Withers.
4:00pm: The Cavaliers may be interested in Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt for their own head coaching position, two sources tell Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Blatt has interviewed for assistant coaching positions with the Warriors and T’Wolves.
Blatt is a Massachusetts native who played for the legendary Pete Carril at Princeton, and, like his mentor, is widely viewed as an offensive genius. He boasts 30 years of experience overseas and also coached Russia to a bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, a team that featured Sergey Karasev. He may be an NBA neophyte but at 55 years old, he would bring both basketball and life experience.
For those of you keeping score at home, the Cavs have five candidates in the mix and are believed to have already interviewed Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins, Adrian Griffin, and Tyronn Lue. Recently it was reported that Blatt looks like Flip Saunders‘ top choice if he decides to bring on an assistant who he can groom to take over in Minnesota.
Coaching Rumors: Jazz, Fisher, Cavs, Lakers
It’ll be a long time, if ever, before we see Coach Cal back in the NBA. John Calipari‘s new contract with the University of Kentucky, which takes him through 2021, doesn’t have a buyout, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (on Twitter). Calipari coached the Nets to a 72-112 record over three seasons in the late 90s but has found himself linked to several high-profile jobs thanks to his success at UK. Here’s more from the coaching front:
- Brad Jones will be hired as an assistant on Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff for the Jazz, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Jones’ hiring was expected when news of Snyder landing the job surfaced earlier today.
- While Alex Jensen is set to move up as an assistant with Snyder, Jody Genessy of Deseret News is hearing that other teams might make a play to hire Jensen away from the Jazz (Twitter link).
- Right now, it seems like Knicks president Phil Jackson is only interested in coaching candidates who come from his inner circle, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Steve Kerr, of course, was Phil’s first choice and the current presumed frontrunner, Derek Fisher, has a long history with the Zen Master.
- The Knicks hope to secure Fisher for head coaching duties next week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Stein adds that the Cavs are likely to make the next coaching hire after the Knicks, and that the Lakers are still “in no rush” to fill their vacancy.
- Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders runs down the Lakers coaching candidates and attempts to identify the best fit for the job. Byron Scott and Lionel Hollins, in his view, should be considered strong candidates.
- Jeff Van Gundy told KFAN 1003 that while he would have “loved to work for [Flip Saunders]” and live and coach in Minnesota, he couldn’t get past the idea that Saunders was the best coach for the Wolves, according to the T’Wolves PR Twitter account.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Central Rumors: Cavs, Van Gundy, Love
The Cavs’ head coaching vacancy could filled within the next 10 days, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (on Twitter). The team has been linked to Alvin Gentry, Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, and Tyronn Lue, but Amico adds in the same tweet that there’s a mystery candidate in the mix for the job who hasn’t been revealed to the media. Here’s the latest from the Central:
- The Cavs have interest in LaMarcus Aldridge, but it’ll be tough to pry the big man away from Portland after the Blazers’ unexpectedly strong season, writes Amico in a full-length piece. Cleveland has also shown interest in Joakim Noah, says Amico, noting the club is just “lukewarm” on Al Horford.
- Two teams with lottery picks have contacted the Cavs, passes along Amico in the same piece. Each club would ostensibly be interested in moving up in the draft by dealing for the number one overall selection.
- When Stan Van Gundy was hired by the Pistons, he told staff members left over from the previous management team that they would have a six week working interview to prove they belong in the organization, explains David Mayo of Mlive.
- Bulls management holds Carmelo Anthony in higher esteem than Kevin Love, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Friedell says it’s true Chicago would be excited to add Love, but the team sees ‘Melo as their primary target this summer.
Four Favorites Emerge For Jazz Coaching Job
3:00pm: Snyder appears to be the front-runner, but the team likes Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, too, Genessy tweets.
THURSDAY, 2:48pm: Jazz assistant Brad Jones is also on the team’s “short list” for its head coaching job, along with Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, Genessy hears (Twitter link). Presumably, Jones is the unknown candidate whom Genessy referred to on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: Gentry, Griffin and Snyder remain the top candidates for the job in the wake of their second interviews, while Boylen is no longer a candidate, reports Jody Genessy of the Salt Lake Tribune. There is an unknown fourth candidate in the mix, too, Genessy says (All Twitter links).
MONDAY, 10:43pm: Clippers associate head coach Alvin Gentry will have a second interview with the Jazz on Tuesday, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
SATURDAY, 5:18pm: Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin and Hawks assistant Quin Snyder will both interview a second time for the Jazz head coaching vacancy, sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Snyder was already believed to be a front-runner for the job, and Griffin now joins him at the front of the pack. A third, unnamed candidate could also still be in the running, sources tell Jones.
Griffin, also linked with the Cavs opening, is gaining steam toward landing his first head coaching gig. Jones adds that the Knicks are now apparently interested in the defensive specialist’s services for their head coaching position. Snyder hasn’t been reported as a candidate for any other NBA teams.
This presumably leaves one or both of Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry and Spurs assistant Jim Boylen out of the running for Utah’s vacancy, depending on whether either represent the unnamed candidate still under consideration. Both Grififin and Snyder are young, up-and-coming coaches, and if the Jazz are narrowing their search to meet that profile, Gentry wouldn’t fit the bill. Boylen is working within the highly successful and respected coaching corps of Gregg Popovich, but there is some antipathy for him in Utah due to his unsuccessful run as head coach at the University of Utah. Other names that have been linked as potential candidates include Jazz assistant Brad Jones and European coach Ettore Messina.
Wolves Find Celtics Unappealing Suitor For Love
THURSDAY, 7:55am: The Celtics have yet to make an offer for Love, though they are prepared to do so, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. It’ll almost certainly include the No. 6 pick, though Ainge has been in contact with two teams in the top five about moving up, Murphy adds.
WEDNESDAY, 11:48pm: Kevin Love is willing to consider a long-term deal with the Celtics, sources tell Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com, but the Wolves aren’t thrilled with what the Celtics can offer, MacMullan hears. The Wolves privately maintain they’ve received better offers from Bulls and others, according to MacMullan.
Minnesota owner Glen Taylor is reluctant to deal with Boston, stung by the divergent fortunes of the Celtics and Wolves following the 2007 Kevin Garnett trade, MacMullan writes. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has hard feelings about Flip Saunders, who holds the same title in Minnesota, feeling as though Saunders undermined former Wolves boss Kevin McHale, Ainge’s longtime teammate, as MacMullan details. There are basketball-related stumbling blocks, too. Minnesota, like most others, is enamored with Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker, but Boston’s pick, at No. 6 overall, isn’t as nearly as attractive as one in the top three, MacMullan notes. Still, the Wolves aren’t interested in trading with the Cavs, either, according to MacMullan, in spite of Cleveland’s possession of the No. 1 overall pick.
Taylor would be willing to re-sign Love for the max if he changed his mind about wanting out, and he’s otherwise not eager to take a drastic step down in a trade involving Love, MacMullan writes. MacMullan lists the Celtics, Bulls, Warriors, Suns, Lakers and Rockets as teams that will make a run at trading for Love. Certainly every team in the league has some level of interest in the Second Team All-NBA power forward, but MacMullan appears to indicate that those six are the clubs poised to make the most aggressive pushes.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported about two weeks ago that Boston was becoming more and more appealing for Love, who, with agent Jeff Schwartz in tow, made a high-profile visit to the city this past weekend. Still, Love is not yet a free agent. The Wolves will have the final say over where he plays next season, and it doesn’t look like they’re as high on the Celtics as Love is.
Thompson, Waiters Part Of Preliminary Trade Talk
The Cavs have had “exploratory” trade discussions involving Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters with another team in the lottery that’s looking to move up, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Amico wrote earlier this week that either the Bucks or the Sixers had inquired with Cleveland about acquiring the No. 1 overall pick, though it’s unclear if the discussions about Thompson and Waiters took place with one of those teams or another within the top 14 picks.
Teams around the league have reportedly held interest in Thompson and Waiters, suggesting that Cleveland GM David Griffin wasn’t the one who floated those names in the talks. Indeed, Griffin has spoken fondly of his backcourt pairing of Waiters and Kyrie Irving. Thompson has meanwhile expressed a mild frustration with Cleveland’s rapid coaching turnover, and he, like Irving, is up for a rookie scale extension this summer. It would be difficult to trade Thompson if he received an extension, thanks to the Poison Pill Provision, so perhaps Griffin feels as though the best time to deal him is before the October 31st extension deadline.
Owner Dan Gilbert’s impatience has led to speculation that the Cavs will trade the top pick for veteran help. Sending young vets Waiters and Thompson away in any deal that doesn’t net a significant upgrade would seem to run counter to the goal of winning in the short term. Still, given the exploratory nature of the conversations, it seems that neither former No. 4 overall pick should feel it necessary to have a bag packed.
Draft Rumors: Embiid, Wiggins, Gordon, Suns
Chris Mannix of SI.com hears from sources who maintain their belief that the Cavs are deciding between Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins, as Mannix writes in his latest mock draft. The Sixers hope that Embiid and Jabari Parker go with the first two picks, since they covet Wiggins, as Mannix hears. There’s more from Mannix amid our latest look at the draft:
- Danny Ainge is “locked in” on Aaron Gordon at No. 6 for the Celtics, several sources tell Mannix, who nonetheless points to the distinct possibility that Ainge will trade the pick.
- The Suns are shopping the 27th overall pick, rival executives tell Mannix.
- The Wolves are listening to offers for the 13th overall selection, but they aren’t actively seeking deals, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- Clint Capela, Eric Moreland, Victor Rudd and Akeem Williams are the previously unreported names on the list of players working out for the Celtics today, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com details.
- The Raptors are auditioning Deonte Burton and Niels Giffey today among others we’d already heard about, the team announced.
- Chaz Williams has the Warriors, Bucks, and Cavs on his workout agenda, as he tells Daniel Malone of MassLive.
- It appears as though Devyn Marble has set up another workout for the Bucks today after having to call off last week’s plans, as he tweeted that he would be auditioning for Milwaukee today after performing for the Spurs on Tuesday (hat tip to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Ford’s Latest: Cavs, Embiid, Trades, Payton
It’s unlikely the Cavs will promise any player they’ll draft him at No. 1, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who writes in an Insider-only piece. That means there’s a strong chance that Joel Embiid, who’s scheduled to work out and take a physical for the team, will go through the same with the Bucks and perhaps others. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is pushing new GM David Griffin to make the playoffs next season, Ford hears, adding that he believes Cleveland would prefer to trade the top pick. There’s more from Ford’s piece amid this afternoon’s look at the draft, and we’ll hit the highlights here:
- An NBA GM tells Ford that he’s surprised at the number of picks available via trade, seconding what others have told the ESPN.com scribe. The Celtics, Lakers, Kings, Hornets, Wolves and Suns are all at least open to the idea of trading their lottery picks, Ford hears, though he says via Twitter that the teams are “shopping” those picks, suggesting that they’re actively seeking deals and not just sitting back and listening to offers. In contrast, the Bucks, Sixers, Magic and Jazz are likely to retain their picks, Ford also writes.
- The Bucks, Hawks, Mavs, Blazers and Raptors will probably look to acquire additional first-rounders, Ford adds.
- Sources tell Ford that Elfrid Payton is “in the mix” to go to the Kings at No. 8 overall.
- Ford adds the Bulls to the list of teams that have worked out Jordan Clarkson.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Bucks, Sixers, Temple
Another team with a top-three pick has inquired with the Cavs about trading up for the first overall pick, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. That means either the Bucks, currently picking second, or Sixers, at No. 3, would like to see if they can improve their respective draft positions. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference, home to the teams with five of the top six selections in the draft:
- Soon-to-be free agent Garrett Temple says he’ll consider teams that offer an expanded role for him, but he nonetheless adds that he’d “love” to be back with the Wizards, as Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com observes.
- NBA veteran Lance Thomas has dropped out of this week’s Nets workout, tweets Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
- Semaj Christon, Bryce Cotton, Deonte Burton, Russ Smith, Kendrick Perry, Kyle Casey, Reger Dowell and Tim Frazier are the previously unreported players working out for the Celtics today. Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe passes along the list on Twitter.
And-Ones: Rockets, Melo, Fisher, Corbin
Rockets owner Les Alexander says he wants to make a “big splash” this summer but wanting to doesn’t make it so, writes Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders. Carmelo Anthony is clearly target number one for Houston, but he is also the least likely to get Houston beyond the second round. Scoring was not the Rockets’ problem in 2013/14, so adding Anthony wouldn’t make them substantially better, Ingram argues. Others possible targets like Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving could make a huge difference, but it’ll be hard to land either one for different reasons. More from around the NBA..
- Derek Fisher told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (on Twitter), that it’s too early to determine if he’s going to retire. Of course, if the Thunder veteran steps away from playing, he’ll find himself among the hottest coaching candidates in the league with vacancies on the Lakers and Knicks benches.
- Croatian forward Damjan Rudez will workout for the Cavaliers in the coming days, according to a report from Gigantes passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Rudez, who went undrafted in 2008, ended his season with CAI Zaragoza averaging 10.4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He is under contract with the club but he does have a buyout clause.
- Former Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin is set to interview for an assistant coaching gig with the Kings, a source tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Corbin had spent the past ten years with Utah in various capacities.