Eastern Notes: Pistons, Hornets, Dolan, Celtics
The Pistons have big plans for their new NBA D-League team in Grand Rapids, writes David Mayo of MLive. Coach and president of basketball operations, Stan Van Gundy intends to use the D-League as a major part of their development plan for young players, reports Mayo. Van Gundy said, “If you get that coach integrated with what you’re doing, and you’re playing the same system and everything else, I think that D-League thing can be very, very valuable. And we’ll take the hiring of that coach as a very big part of our staff because I think it can be that valuable.“
More news from the east:
- If the Hornets don’t want to regress next season they will have to add some offensive weapons to their roster, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
- Knicks owner James Dolan needs to observe how Heat owner Micky Arison and Spurs owner Peter Holt do business, writes Mitch Lawrence of The New York Daily News. Lawrence cites Dolan’s tendency to meddle in basketball affairs as one of the main issues affecting the franchise’s ability to rebuild and contend.
- If the Celtics want to acquire Kevin Love from the Timberwolves the possibility of re-signing him will be directly tied to what GM Danny Ainge decides to do with Rajon Rondo, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Without Love the team has less of a reason to retain Rondo, and without Rondo the team would be less likely to entice Love to stay in Boston, opines Murphy.
Atlantic Notes: Cartwright, Walton, Sixers
Bill Cartwright is waiting to hear from either Phil Jackson or Steve Kerr about an assistant coaching position, writes Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News. According to the article, Cartwright had met with Jackson back in April about joining the Knicks bench if Kerr was hired as coach. On his lack of recent contact with Jackson, Cartwright said, “We’re waiting for them to make a decision, obviously about the head coach and there’s nothing going on.” On possibly working as an assistant under Derek Fisher, Cartwright said, “That’s a Phil question, not my question. I’m looking to coach. There’s really nothing more to say, outside of that. I’m looking to coach.”
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Luke Walton also hasn’t heard from Jackson since Kerr spurned the Knicks for the Warriors, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Jackson was possibly interested in bringing in Walton to help coach the triangle offense, and according to Begley, Jackson said that Walton would make a great head coach someday.
- With an abundance of picks in this year’s draft, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie needs to take a bold approach to jump start the team’s rebuilding process, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
- The Knicks worked out Johnny O’Bryant, Semaj Christon, DeAndre Kane and Akil Mitchell, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Eastern Rumors: Seraphin, Knicks
Kevin Seraphin tells Brandon Parker of The Washington Post he would “for sure” like to re-sign with the Wizards, but wants an opportunity to play more. “I love this game so if I don’t play I’m frustrated,” Seraphin said. The power forward took a step back in his fourth season, with his minutes and production nearly cut in half across the board. Seraphin will either become a restricted or unrestricted free agent, depending on whether Washington extends his $3.9MM qualifying offer. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Phil Jackson explained to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com why he is committed to finding a Knicks coach with which he is familiar. “I’d like to have a prior relationship with a coach so that we know that we’ve gone through some kind of issues together,” said Jackson. “We’ve had conflicts, we’ve had disagreements and we know how to work things out. Those, I think, are part and parcel I think to having a relationship with people that can work together that can still disagree and come to terms.”
- Jackson revealed that there are college coaches that intrigue him for the job, and confirmed that he sees a benefit in hiring a younger coach for the position. Jackson said he is looking for a coach to last for the long-term, not just as a one or two year stop gap.
- We learned earlier today that the Cavs plan to offer Kyrie Irving a max extension this summer.
Lakers Won’t Pursue Derek Fisher
The Lakers have decided they need a head coach with previous experience leading an NBA team, ending Derek Fisher‘s candidacy for their vacancy, reports Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. was interested in Fisher, the Knicks’ front-runner at the moment, but has opted against exploring a repeat of Jason Kidd‘s immediate transition from player to head coach with the Nets last season. It is unclear if Los Angeles ever reached out to Fisher as planned, or if this decision was made before such contact could be made. The Lakers’ narrowed focus on experience also eliminates any college coaches as potential candidates, Bresnahan writes.
Fisher has yet to officially announce his retirement, but Phil Jackson has spoken with the veteran point guard about the job. Jackson received permission from the Thunder to contact Fisher after getting dinged for tampering by making public comments regarding the player still under contract in Oklahoma City. If Fisher does decide to join the coaching ranks, the Knicks appear to be the most serious contender for his services. The possibility of Fisher playing another year in Oklahoma City to function as an informal assistant coach has been raised, but such a scenario doesn’t seem likely by any current reports.
Although Fisher was largely expected to end up with the Knicks anyway, this should come as welcome news to Jackson. Steve Kerr was Jackson’s first choice to come lead the team under the Zen Master’s authority and tutelage, but made the surprising choice to accept Golden State’s job offer instead. Jackson reportedly wants to reach an agreement with Fisher very soon, although Fisher has maintained publicly that he doesn’t want to rush to a decision so soon after what was presumably his last season as a player.
And-Ones: Gay, Sterling, Shumpert
Keyboard warriors around the world took to Twitter last night to criticize Heat star LeBron James for exiting Game 1 of the Finals with leg cramps. After the game, Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas spoke with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports and came to LeBron’s defense. “There is no athlete on the planet who could’ve played through those cramps,” Thomas said. “Michael Jordan absolutely couldn’t have played through those cramps. I absolutely couldn’t have played through those cramps. As an athlete, there’s nothing you could do.” More from around the league:
- The Kings are bringing in Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond to help team leadership try and convince Rudy Gay to pick up his $19.3MM option for next season, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Sacramento has already made known a desire to keep Gay, and is hoping to leverage the reputation of their former players with excitement about their future arena in persuading Gay to remain with the team that traded for him in-season.
- Donald Sterling is having second thoughts about giving up his battle with the league because he had wrongly assumed a truce with the league would entail his lifetime ban being lifted, people familiar with the situation tell James Rainey and Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post thinks it’s likely the Knicks will want to revisit the talks with the Thunder that centered around Iman Shumpert this past trade deadline. Berman cites the New York’s desire to acquire a first round draft pick, and Oklahoma City’s willingness to trade away either of its two first round selections.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Hood, Stokes, Jackson, Anderson
This morning, Hoops Rumors learned (Twitter link) that Duke sharpshooter Rodney Hood will audition for the Celtics, Kings, Hawks, and Hornets in the next few weeks. As previously reported, his future workout schedule will also include the Sixers and he has already worked out for the Bulls, Magic, Nuggets, and Suns. Back in May, Hood told Hoops Rumors that he could go as high as No. 6-12 and it sounds increasingly plausible as he has worked out for most of the top half teams. Here’s the latest draft news..
- Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders explains why he thinks Noah Vonleh would have limited upside as a lottery pick. Duncan thinks Vonleh’s leaping ability has become overrated, and cites poor instincts on both ends of the floor as reason to temper expectations.
- Robby Kalland of Hawks.com checked in with Brian Schroeder of Hardwood Paroxysm to get the goods on first round draft prospect Jusuf Nurkic. Schroeder raves about his size, relative mobility, rebounding, and scoring touch. Currently, the big man is slated to go No. 11 to the Nuggets in DraftExpress‘ mock draft.
- Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders runs down some common mistakes teams make in the draft, highlighting players from this year’s pool that could produce similar letdowns.
Earlier updates:
- Jabari Parker would have no issue with being drafted by the Bucks, his father Sonny and Duke teammate Hood tell Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
- The Suns were expected to work out Adreian Payne, Jordan Adams, Markel Brown, Sean Kilpatrick, Daniel Miller, and C.J. Wilcox today, reports azcentral sports.
- Shawn Glover worked out for the Jazz today, reports Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune, and both Payne and David Stockton will work out for Utah tomorrow, Falk tweets. Payne is projected near Utah’s No. 23 overall pick, but neither Glover or Stockton (son of Jazz legend John Stockton) are projected as either first or second round picks.
- A source tells Hoops Rumors (Twitter link) that Clemson small forward K.J. McDaniels will work out for the Thunder tomorrow. McDaniels is projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick and while he figures to be in range, he could be gone by the time OKC picks at No. 21.
- Hoops Rumors has also learned (via Twitter) that Stanford forward Josh Huestis auditioned for the Knicks this week and will be playing in front of the Magic today. The source adds that there aren’t enough days before the draft for Huestis to work out for every team that wants to see him (link).
- In continuing their trend of working out point guards, the Magic will work out Tyler Ennis and Elfrid Payton over the next few days, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
- Hoops Rumors has also learned (via Twitter) that former Tennessee Volunteers big man Jarnell Stokes is one of the 12 players working out for the Jazz today. Stokes is projected to be a first round pick thanks to his tenacious rebounding and high motor.
- A source tells Hoops Rumors (via Twitter) that Cincinnati forward Justin Jackson has worked out for the Bulls with the Mavs, Pacers, Hawks, Hornets, and Suns still on the docket. To learn more about Jackson, a second-round prospect, check out the interview we conducted with him last month as a part of our Prospect Profile series.
- Former UCLA point guard Kyle Anderson will work out for the Thunder tomorrow and the Sixers on Monday, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.
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.
New York Notes: Teletovic, Liggins, Knicks
Yesterday we heard that Knicks president Phil Jackson sought and obtained permission from the Thunder to interview Derek Fisher this week. It doesn’t sound as though talks have gotten serious yet, but it’s seems like a safe assumption that they will. At this stage, all signs point to Fisher being Jackson’s top choice. Here’s the latest out of NYC on a beautiful 77 degree day..
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks back at the season that Mirza Teletovic had after signing with the Nets as an unknown free agent two summers ago. Teletovic struggled mightily in the early goings but found his groove when the Nets switched to a smallball lineup. Now, the forward could wind up in Brooklyn’s starting lineup if the club loses Paul Pierce in free agency.
- Former Kentucky big man DeAndre Liggins is working out for the Nets and seeking a second chance in the NBA, writes Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com. Liggins allegedly struck his girlfriend in August of 2013, prompting the Thunder to waive him less than a week later. “I got into one off the court issue. On the court, I was always on time, always first on the bus. The whole year I was with OKC, off the court, no complaints. On the court, I played hard,” the 26-year-old said.
- With the Clippers selling for $2 billion, it’s only natural to wonder how much the Knicks might be worth. Rich Tullo, an analyst at Albert Fried & Company, tells ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell that the Knicks are worth between $1.4 and $3 billion. Some Knicks fans might welcome a change in ownership, but there’s no indication that they’ll be on the market anytime soon.
Atlantic Notes: Fisher, Knicks, MCW, Rondo
Knicks president Phil Jackson sought and obtained permission from Thunder GM Sam Presti to interview Derek Fisher this week, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. The pair spoke on Wednesday and plan to reconvene next week sometime, hears Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. It doesn’t sound as if the discourse has been formal, but talks may quickly pick up after this weekend when Fisher discusses with his family whether or not he’ll retire, suggests Wojnarowski. Here’s more from the Knicks and the Atlantic:
- The Knicks worked out Florida guard Scottie Wilbekin yesterday, reveals Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
- Michael Carter-Williams is unfazed by a report indicating that the Sixers have considered trading him and hasn’t directed agent Jeff Schwartz to check with GM Sam Hinkie about the rumor, as the Rookie of the Year tells Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
- Rajon Rondo appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America this morning and admitted that he hopes that the Celtics can make some big changes this offseason to improve the team (Instagram video link). He praised Danny Ainge‘s performance as an executive but also suggested he’s eager to be back playing in the finals soon.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines why Nick Johnson’s family ties make the projected second-round pick a good fit to play for the Celtics. Boston doesn’t currently own a second-round selection in the upcoming draft.
- The uncertainty on whether or not upcoming free agent Kyle Lowry is going to return to Toronto will put the Raptors in a difficult decision come draft day, opines Eric Koreen of the National Post.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
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.