Jim Boylan

Eastern Notes: Boylan, Hornets, Saric, Yabusele

Former Cavaliers assistant coach Jim Boylan has filed an age-discrimination lawsuit against the franchise, which the team has labelled “frivolous” and a “shameless cash grab,” according to an Associated Press report. Boylan, 63, worked five seasons under former coaches David Blatt and Tyronn Lue but did not have his option picked up this summer. Boylan contends GM Koby Altman told him owner Dan Gilbert wanted a younger coach.

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • The Hornets have used a committee approach at the center spot and that position is likely to remain in flux, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports. Starter Cody Zeller, Willy Hernangomez, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Nicolas Batum, Frank Kaminsky and Bismack Biyombo have all taken turns in the middle but first-year coach James Borrego isn’t worried. “We’re still searching (but) I like the dilemma I have,” he told Bonnell.
  • Sixers coach Brett Brown is allowing forward Dario Saric to work through his shooting slump, Sarah Todd of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Saric has scored in single digits in each of the last three games while shooting 2-for-13 from long range. Brown has no plans to reduce Saric’s workload. “If he came to me and said, ‘I need some time,’ I would listen,” Brown said. “But I don’t feel like I’m force-feeding anything, I do not feel like I’m hurting him. In fact, I feel like I’m helping him.”
  • Guerschon Yabusele’s option was picked up for next season because his game fits the modern NBA, according to coach Brad Stevens, and the Celtics believe the 22-year-old has high upside, the team’s PR department tweets. Boston’s brass decided to retain Yabusele despite a cap hit of $3,117,240, a figure that could grow if Boston pays the luxury tax. The 6’8” Yabusele has played just 18 minutes this season after seeing action in 33 games in his rookie campaign. But with several players hitting the free agent market next summer, the Celtics felt Yabusele was too valuable to give up, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes. “Having Guerschon gives us continuity. He knows our system,” GM Danny Ainge said. “He’s loved by everybody. It’s just not easy to find that type of player.”

Central Notes: Cavs, Boylan, Bulls, Bucks

As if there wasn’t enough drama in Cleveland already this season, the Cavaliers are now the subject of another unusual story. As Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays, former Cavs assistant Jim Boylan has sued the team, along with owner Dan Gilbert and Koby Altman, for age discrimination.

Boylan’s lawsuit claims that Tyronn Lue left Boylan a voicemail informing him that Altman and the Cavaliers wouldn’t be picking up his option for 2018/19 since they wanted to “go younger.” Boylan subsequently had a conversation with Altman during which the GM confirmed that the Cavs wanted a younger coach, suggesting that the decision to move on from Boylan had nothing to do with his performance, per the suit.

The Cavaliers responded to the lawsuit today, calling it “frivolous” and referring to it as a “shameless cash grab.” Pointing out that Boylan simply had an option declined and wasn’t fired, the Cavs’ statement accused the assistant coach’s lawyers of attempting to shame the franchise into a settlement by releasing Lue’s voicemail.

As we wait to see what tomorrow brings in Cleveland, let’s round up a few more Central notes…

Cavs Rumors: LeBron, Love, Trade Talks, Coaches

While LeBron James will have until June 29 to exercise or decline his 2018/19 player option, his final decision on his next team won’t happen quickly and figures to stretch into July, Adrian Wojnarowski said on Monday during a draft special on ESPN (Twitter link via Sagar Trika). If that’s the case, James seems more likely to opt out than to opt in next week, which would have an impact on which suitors are viable destinations, as I explained here.

Meanwhile, Wojnarowski also reports that the Cavaliers would like to package Kevin Love and the No. 8 pick for a star player on draft night, but that combo may not net the kind of star they’re seeking (Twitter link via Trika). As Wojnarowski observes, Love’s value isn’t at its peak and the Brooklyn first-rounder isn’t quite as strong as Cleveland had hoped, limiting the appeal of that package to some extent.

Let’s round up a few more Cavs notes and rumors…

  • The Cavaliers have talked to the Grizzlies on more than one occasion, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoop.net, who cautions that he doesn’t know the specifics of those discussions. Memphis is reportedly open to the idea of attaching Chandler Parsons‘ contract to the No. 4 pick in a trade, so it’s possible Cleveland has checked in on that possibility.
  • Echoing a Monday report, Amico confirms that the Cavaliers are expressing interest in Hornets point guard Kemba Walker and have kicked the tires on disgruntled Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard.
  • Although Amico expects the Cavs to hang onto the No. 8 pick, a lot of teams are interested in trading up to that spot, including the Nets.
  • The Cavs have had discussions about potentially acquiring another late first-round pick “to help open up the possibilities,” a league source tells Amico.
  • The Cavs are parting ways with assistant coach Jim Boylan and player development coach Phil Handy, multiple league sources tell Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. By not renewing the contracts for Boylan and Handy, the Cavs are clearing the path to give Dan Geriot and Damon Jones larger roles on their coaching staff, per ESPN’s report. No longer employed in Cleveland, Handy may be a candidate to join Nick Nurse‘s Raptors staff, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Cavaliers Notes: Lue, Smith, Defense, Blatt

The Cavaliers are in their worst position since LeBron James returned and nobody is sure what’s coming next, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Dan Gilbert is known as an emotional and reactionary owner, and giving up 148 points to the Thunder on Saturday may push him to make a move. That could be a trade, alterations to the lineup or changes on the coaching staff.

Head coach Tyronn Lue is probably safe because there is no obvious choice to replace him. If Lue is dismissed, assistants Larry Drew and Mike Longabardi would probably follow, and Jim Boylan isn’t viewed as a potential head coach, according to Lloyd. The other assistants, James Posey, Phil Handy and Damon Jones, don’t have the experience to handle a high-profile team like the Cavaliers. Someone outside the organization would be put in a difficult position trying to install a new system in the middle of a season, Lloyd adds.

There’s more news out of Cleveand:

  • The Cavs aren’t getting much production from J.R. Smith, but they don’t have a good option to replace him until Iman Shumpert returns from knee surgery, Lloyd adds in the same story. Kyle Korver isn’t an option to start at age 36, and Cedi Osman isn’t a long-term solution. Dwyane Wade began the season as a starter, but has settled into his role as the leader of the second unit. Another problem is the poor play of Jae Crowder, Lloyd writes, which could force Lue to reinsert Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup and put Channing Frye back in the rotation.
  • Personnel changes are the only thing that can fix the mess in Cleveland, contends Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. The Cavaliers aren’t as good as they appear on offense, he writes, with poor ball movement and too much one-on-one play that leads to too many 3-pointers. They’re even worse at the other end of the court, with no rim protectors and no strong defenders on the perimeter. “I think it’s tough for us one-on-one [to defend],” Lue said Saturday when asked whether the issue was personnel or effort. “Look at the final score — you score 124 and still lose by 24, that’s tough to swallow.”
  • The Cavaliers’ problems haven’t escaped the notice of former coach David Blatt, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “I hope we don’t give up as many points as Cleveland did last night,” Blatt said before the Turkish All-Star Game.

Coaching Notes: Lue, Jones, Walton, Kings

A delay in working out an extension with Tyronn Lue has several Cavaliers assistants working in the summer league without contracts, according to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. The deals for Jim Boylan, Phil Handy, James Posey and Vitaly Potapenko expired July 1st. Lue, who has promised they will all be kept on his staff, is negotiating an extension after winning an NBA title in his first season as a head coach. He is still under a four-year, $6.5MM contract that he had as an assistant after refusing a three-year, $9.5MM offer when he replaced David Blatt in midseason. Lue has a year left on his current deal and said he isn’t worried about the status of the extension. “It’ll eventually get done,” he said.

There’s more coaching news around the league:

  • The Cavaliers are expected to make Damon Jones an assistant coach, Haynes writes in the same piece. Jones will replace Bret Brielmaier, who recently joined the Nets‘ staff.
  • After a two-month wait while the Warriors made their way through the playoffs, former Golden State assistant Luke Walton finally got to coach the Lakers, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Walton made his debut Friday night in the Las Vegas Summer League and received a rousing ovation from Lakers fans in attendance. “I know I still have a lot to learn, but I think everybody does, no matter how long you’ve been doing any job,” Walton said. “I’m excited and I feel like I’m ready for this and I’m looking forward to it.”
  • The Lakers did not keep player development coach Thomas Scott, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Scott is expected to pursue other opportunities.
  • The Kings have added Bob Thornton and Larry Lewis as assistants to new head coach Dave Joerger, tweets Sean Cunningham of KXTV in Sacramento.

Odds & Ends: 2014 Draft, CP3, Mavs, Warriors

About 12 hours after the 2013 NBA draft officially came to an end, ESPN.com's Chad Ford was already looking forward to 2014. Ford's latest Insider-only blog at ESPN.com takes a very early look at the '14 draft class, which several scouts and GMs believe could be one of the strongest ever. While Andrew Wiggins in the consensus top prospect for '14, the rest of Ford's top 100 is considered well above average as well, with Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Jabari Parker, and Andrew Harrison rounding out the top five.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • Speaking of next year's draft, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports that the NBA is considering moving the event back at least a week next year, since the current setup doesn't leave much time between the Finals and draft night. However, the league doesn't want to postpone free agency and Summer League play significantly, so it's unclear whether or not the timing will work. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the draft happen a few weeks after the free agency period begins, but it doesn't sound like that's an option.
  • Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show today, Doc Rivers said he talks to Chris Paul every day and that he believes CP3 wants to remain a Clipper (Twitter link via Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com).
  • Dirk Nowitzki addressed reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, on draft night and revealed that he has talked to Dwight Howard about the possibility of D12 signing with the Mavericks. "I reached out to him and told him we'd love to have him," Nowitzki said. "That's really about it. It's not like we call each other every day."
  • Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has an excellent in-depth look into what happened in the Warriors' draft room last night, detailing how happy the team was with the end result of its series of trades.
  • Mike Brown's staff with the Cavaliers will include the following assistants, according to Bob Finnan of the News-Herald (via Twitter): Jim Boylan, Bernie Bickerstaff, Igor Kokoskov, Jamahl Mosley, Phil Handy, Vitaly Potapenko, and Bret Brielmaier.

Odds & Ends: Fredette, Clippers, Terry, Oden

Following the hiring of Doc Rivers, the positive news keeps coming for Clippers fans. Rivers confirmed to the media today that he has spoken to Chris Paul since joining the franchise, which looks like a good sign for CP3's long-term future in Los Angeles (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com). The Clippers also appear poised to add Alvin Gentry to Rivers' staff, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter). Gentry had been deciding between assistant jobs with the Clippers and Lakers.

Here's more from around the NBA:

  • Despite reports to the contrary, Sam Amick of USA Today is hearing that the Kings haven't had talks about trading Jimmer Fredette. Amick adds that the new management group is willing to listen to anything, but there's no indication Fredette is being shopped or even discussed in trade talks at this point (Twitter links).
  • Appearing on KRLD-FM 105.3 in Dallas, Jason Terry said he hopes to wear a Mavericks uniform again before he retires. "You know what, I wear it every night anyway," Terry said (link via Dallas Morning News). "It's my home base. I'm with the Celtics for another two years. I would be more than happy to come back and put the Mavs jersey on and come back and get back on the runway for the Mavericks."
  • The Cavaliers have hired former Bucks head coach Jim Boylan to be the lead assistant on Mike Brown's staff, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  • Speaking to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor acknowledged that the Trail Blazers could be a thorn in Minnesota's side as the team attempts to lock up Nikola Pekovic this summer. Re-signing Pekovic remains the club's top priority, as Walters writes.
  • Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck appeared on WEEI in Boston today to address the departure of Rivers and the next steps for the C's, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passed along Grousbeck's comments.
  • In addition to discussing several of the team's own free agents, Heat president Pat Riley confirmed that Miami has interest in Greg Oden, as Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida outlines (via Sulia).

Jim Boylan Out As Bucks’ Coach

12:36pm: Former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy and Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson are expected to be among the Bucks' top targets as the team begins its coaching search, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

12:05pm: Following a four-game sweep at the hands of the top-seeded Heat, the Bucks have decided to replace interim head coach Jim Boylan, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gardner reports (via Twitter) that Boylan is "out" as Milwaukee's coach, with the Bucks confirming (Twitter link) that he won't return.

ESPN.com's Marc Stein had reported earlier in April that Boylan had a slim chance of keeping his job with the Bucks, while Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times noted this weekend that there were "increasing whispers" about Boylan being replaced.

With Boylan out, the Bucks will begin searching for a candidate to take over as the team's third head coach of the year. Scott Skiles and the Bucks parted ways back in January, resulting in Boylan assuming the reins to the team on an interim basis. Milwaukee had a 22-28 record under Boylan, sneaking into the playoffs as an eighth seed before being quickly dispatched by Miami. Whoever coaches the Bucks next may be working with a very different roster, with Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, J.J. Redick, and Mike Dunleavy among the players facing free agency.

Boylan is the fifth head coach to step down or be fired since the regular season ended. Interestingly, all five coaches were on Eastern Conference teams — Doug Collins (76ers), Lawrence Frank (Pistons), Mike Dunlap (Bobcats), and Byron Scott (Cavaliers) are the other four no longer coaching their respective clubs.

The Bucks' search for a new head coach will begin immediately, according to the team (Twitter link). Grantland's Zach Lowe and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com have both speculated that former Milwaukee assistant coach Kelvin Sampson could be a top candidate (Twitter links).

Bucks Notes: Redick, Boylan, Ellis

Brandon Jennings predicted that the Bucks would topple the Heat in six games but things didn't go that way exactly.  Miami completed their sweep of Milwaukee tonight, winning 88-77 behind a 30 point performance from LeBron James.  This figures to be an interesting offseason for the Bucks, and here's the latest as they look ahead to the summer..

  • Guard J.J. Redick fully intends to explore the free agent market and won't commit to staying in Milwaukee for next season, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times.  It's no surprise to hear that Redick will put his toe in the water as he figures to garner serious attention on the open market this summer.  Redick also didn't see the type of playing time in the playoffs that one would expect for a player of his caliber.
  • More from Woelfel, who tweets that there are increasing whispers that coach Jim Boylan will be relieved of his duties in the next couple of days.  Boylan likely could have shed his interim label with a competitive first round series, but that didn't happen for Milwaukee.
  • Monta Ellis gave a similar non-answer to Redick when asked if he'd return for 2013/14, saying that it's a "decision he has to make," tweets Andrew Gruman of FOXSportsWisconsin.com.

Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Boylan, Collins, Holiday

Marc Stein's final ESPN.com Weekend Dime of the season doubles as his awards ballot, and he has LeBron James winning MVP, of course. More intriguing are his selections in some of the tighter races: George Karl for Coach of the Year, Kevin Martin for Sixth Man of the Year, Tim Duncan for Defensive Player of the Year and Jrue Holiday for Most Improved Player. Stein also has plenty of news from around the league, as we round up: 

  • Before the season, the Hawks offered Josh Smith a three-year extension for the maximum amount, which would have been about $45MM, but Smith made it clear he wanted to hit free agency. That's no surprise, since an extension would have meant a smaller annual salary than he can sign for as a free agent, per collective bargaining agreement rules. The Hawks, wary of letting Smith walk, aggressively pursued trades, according to Stein, but wound up keeping him when an offer from the Bucks wasn't to their liking.
  • Bucks GM John Hammond is publicly heaping praise on coach Jim Boylan, but Stein hears Boylan has little to no shot of retaining the job, based on the team's late-season slump.
  • Doug Collins may join the Sixers front office or simply become an adviser to the team if he decides to step away from coaching.
  • Justin Holiday's deal with the Sixers includes a team option for next season, and it appears the deal is partially guaranteed for $50K, becoming fully guaranteed if he's not waived by August 15th.
  • The Nets also have a team option on Kris Joseph's deal for 2013/14.
  • A source insists to Stein that the Jazz will retain Tyrone Corbin for the final year of his contract next season, regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs.
  • Jermaine O'Neal, 34, is leaning strongly toward playing again next season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Suns last summer.