Knicks Emerge As Favorites For Derek Fisher
2:44pm: The NBA has fined Jackson $25K for tampering with Fisher, stemming from Jackson’s comments in a press conference last week, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Meanwhile, the Lakers plan to interview more candidates, but it’s not clear if Fisher will be among them, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is likely to call Fisher soon to gauge his interest before deciding whether to interview him, Amick writes.
1:02pm: The Knicks appear to have greater interest than the Lakers do in hiring Derek Fisher as coach, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. There’s no indication that the Lakers will give Fisher serious consideration, Wojnarowski hears, as they focus their attention on experienced candidates. Fisher said yesterday that he hadn’t spoken with any NBA teams about their vacancies, but Knicks president Phil Jackson has publicly expressed his support for the Thunder guard, and both the Knicks and Fisher expect to start talks by the end of the week, Wojnarowski reports.
Jackson and “the Knicks’ support system” are attractive to Fisher, according to Wojnarowski. Steve Kerr appeared to have concerns about the trappings of the Knicks organization before he took the Warriors job instead, but perhaps Fisher isn’t as worried about owner James Dolan and others in the Madison Square Garden company.
New York seems focused primarily on Fisher for the coaching job, while the Lakers have interviewed Mike Dunleavy, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott and Lionel Hollins, as Wojnarowski points out. Alvin Gentry is also on the list of those reportedly set to interview with the purple-and-gold.
Fisher still hasn’t announced his retirement from playing, and a report last week indicated he may rejoin the Thunder in a reduced playing role that would allow him to function much like an assistant coach on the bench. Still, it seems more likely that Fisher will walk away from the game, whether it’s to pursue coaching or another capacity.
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.
Draft Notes: Smart, Randle, Jazz, Knicks
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders cautions us not to overlook Julius Randle. Randle, a surefire lottery pick and possible top five selection, has the killer instinct and confidence that NBA talent evaluators love. That fire is something Randle has had dating back to his high school days and he continued that at Kentucky. Here’s a look at the latest draft news..
- Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart knows that he’s a polarizing prospect heading into the NBA draft, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. A year ago, Smart might have been the No. 1 overall pick. Instead, he stayed in school and played out a sophomore season that raised more question marks than anything. Still, Smart is a talented point guard and a tenacious defender and appears to be a mortal lock for the lottery.
- The Jazz will work out second-round candidates Aaron Craft, LaQuinton Ross, Roscoe Smith, and Cam Bairstow tomorrow morning, tweets Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. Ross and Smith will be the first two underclassmen that the Jazz have brought in (link). Ross has a connection to the state of Utah as his father, Chris Russell, played at Utah State.
- UNC’s James Michael McAdoo and Middle Tennessee State’s Shawn Jones worked out for the Knicks today, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Atlantic Notes: Katz, Melo, Ewing, Noel
There was tragic news this morning as Daniel Rubin and Alfred Lubrano of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that former Nets owner Lewis Katz died Saturday night in a plane crash. All seven people, including three crew members, perished in the accident at a Massachusetts airfield. Katz was known not only for being an investor in the Nets, New Jersey Devils, and New York Yankees, but also as a prolific philantropist. Hoops Rumors would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Katz and all of those who lost their lives in the awful tragedy. Here’s the latest out of the Atlantic..
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com weighs the pros and cons of Carmelo Anthony opting in from all sides. If Melo opts in, it’ll allow the Knicks to get a clear idea of how much cap space they’ll have to work with next summer. As for Melo, he can potentially make more money overall by waiting until next summer to sign his next big deal, whether it comes from the Knicks or someone else.
- Once again, Patrick Ewing wants to coach the Knicks but has not been contacted about the vacancy, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. “My family’s still there I still have a home there,” Ewing said Saturday on CBS Sports Radio’s Eye On Basketball show. “I don’t know what is going to happen in terms of who they’re going to have to fill that void. But if I get a call, I’ll be ready.” Ewing has plenty of experience as an assistant coach but for one reason or another has not been given serious consideration for a head coaching gig.
- After sitting out all of last year, Sixers center Nerlens Noel is eager to show what he can do, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “The whole offseason I’ve really focused on getting stronger, putting on weight and gaining muscle, and that’s what I did,” the 6’11” Noel said. “Every aspect and skill point, I’ve been working on, too. My shot, I’ve progressed a lot, and I’m working on my technique. Every part of my game I’ve improved on.”
Atlantic Notes: Love, Sixers, Knicks
Kevin Love was in Boston this weekend, as Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune details. Love wasn’t officially there to meet with the Celtics, but the team has shown interest in possibly acquiring the player if the Timberwolves decide to trade him. Of his visit, Love said, “I’m here to just check out the city and see what it’s like.” When asked about the possibility of playing for Boston, Love said, “I’m sorry man. I can’t do nothing. I can’t.” He was referring to his inability or unwillingness to talk publicly about the purpose of his visit, Zgoda notes.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks currently have no picks in this June’s NBA Draft, but Phil Jackson may attempt to buy a second round pick, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Two teams that Jackson might try to swing a deal with are the Bucks and the Sixers, notes Pompey. Philadelphia has five second-rounders and Milwaukee has three.
- Tom Moore of Calkins Media examines the different draft scenarios for the Sixers based on what the Cavs and Bucks do picking ahead of them.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post thinks that Carmelo Anthony should put the team first and opt in this summer. This would allow the ‘Melo a chance to make a better educated guess as to the direction the Knicks franchise will take under Jackson, as well as demonstrate his willingness to be a team player and a leader, opines Berman.
Eastern Notes: Bucks, Knicks, Bird
New Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens tell Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel that they know it will be difficult to turn around the franchise, but are optimistic they can do so over the long haul. “Our view is we’re going to try to do this over the next five years,” Lasry said. “We’ve got the best 23-and-under team, but that’s not the way it works.” Here’s more from the East:
- The co-owners also revealed to Gardner that they used a coin flip to determine Edens would represent the Bucks in the role of primary owner.
- Both James McAdoo of North Carolina and Shawn Jones of Middle Tennessee State worked out for the Knicks today, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. While McAdoo projects as a potential second round pick, Begley hears that Jones, who isn’t expected to be drafted, outplayed the Tar Heel.
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today argues that Pacers team president Larry Bird deserves a share of the blame for Indiana’s disappointing season. Zillgitt writes that Bird’s acquisitions ran counter to his chemistry-building efforts in years past, and he gave up assets without yielding the depth the Pacers needed.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel outlines the Magic‘s cap situation and provides an overview of the decisions that the team will be faced with once the draft and free agency periods are underway.
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Coaching Rumors: Griffin, Lue, Corbin
We learned earlier today that Adrian Griffin is being brought back for a second interview in Utah as part of a smaller group of candidates for the job, and a source tells Jody Genessy of Deseret News that Griffin has a “very, very good shot” at landing the Jazz head coaching job (Twitter link). Here’s more on the coaching front:
- Tyronn Lue made a strong impression with Cavs officials in his interview for the Cleveland head coaching job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Lue is currently serving as an assistant with the Clippers.
- Tyrone Corbin will interview for an assistant coaching position with the Kings, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Another tweet from Genessy adds that Sacramento and Corbin are still in the early stages of the interviewing process. Corbin was fired by the Jazz after a rocky 2013/14 season.
- Corbin is also drawing interest as an assistant for the Warriors and Rockets, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Hubie Brown believes Derek Fisher, thought to be the front-runner for the Knicks head coaching job, can be successful in transitioning from an NBA player to head coach if he chooses to do so, Brown tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. “You’re not dealing with a typical basketball player. You’re dealing with a guy [in Fisher] with great intelligence,” said Brown. “And he displays leadership with a team that won championships where he was not a star player — just a guy who made the chemistry go and then had leadership in the union.”
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr denies Phil Jackson‘s assertion that he had given a verbal commitment to accept the Knicks head coaching position, telling Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News that his strong intimations probably gave Jackson the impression that he was virtually committed. “We didn’t have a handshake agreement or anything like that,” said Kerr. “I think Phil and I both thought it was going to happen…But in the end, Phil knew I wasn’t quite comfortable and he didn’t hold me to any of our conversations.”
Charlie Adams contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Knicks, Suns, Raptors, Randle
The Knicks find themselves without a selection in the upcoming draft, but Phil Jackson admitted he will try to buy a second-round pick from the Bucks or the Sixers, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Teams are allowed to exchange draft picks for cash, and Jackson sees Milwaukee and Philadelphia as the two teams who could most easily stand to part with some of their selections. Let’s round up the latest on the draft:
- We already heard that the Suns worked out Lamar Patterson, De’Mon Brooks, and Kendall Williams yesterday, but the team watched another three seniors show their skills off as well, writes Paul Coro of AZ Central. Phoenix also observed Dwight Powell, Russ Smith, and Andre Dawkins.
- Stephen Holt, John Bohannon, Eric Moreland, and Brendan Lane are scheduled to work out for the Kings, according to a team press release. Moreland has the most potential in the group according to the rankings of Chad Ford from ESPN, who has the Oregon State big man slotted at No. 77 on his list of top prospects.
- Although Masai Ujiri considers second-round selections to be valuable, the Raptors GM said he would consider all of his options on draft night, ostensibly implying he wouldn’t be opposed to trading one or both of his second-rounders to move up. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun has the full story.
- League scouts and executives tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that Julius Randle is a safe bet to be a solid contributor in the league and that he has the potential to “wreak havoc” and excel in the post at the level of Zach Randolph.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Atlantic Rumors: Jackson, Kerr, Sixers, Love
Phil Jackson called Derek Fisher a “good candidate” for the Knicks coaching job, but the Zen Master admitted there are a lot of unknowns about the Thunder guard’s future, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “He’s got a family in L.A.,” said Jackson. “He’s got little kids in L.A. I have no idea if he wants to move his family and come here. There’s so many unknowns.” Here’s more out of the Atlantic:
- Jackson harbors no hard feelings toward Steve Kerr despite his decision to take the head coaching job in Golden State, reveals Berman in the same piece. Kerr originally made a commitment to take the Knicks vacant coaching gig but spurned Jackson and New York once he was given a more appealing offer from the Warriors.
- Kerr’s discussions with former Knicks employees discouraged him from taking the job, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, who also adds Jackson’s presence is the only reason Kerr even considered accepting New York’s offer (Twitter links).
- With the third and 10th picks in the exceptionally deep 2014 draft, the Sixers potentially have a chance to land two impact players. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders takes a look at the various options Philly will have with each selection.
- Kevin Love visited Boston last night to get a feel for the city, passes along Kevin O’Connor of CelticsBlog. A trip to Beantown certainly isn’t indicative of a desire to play for the Celtics, but Boston has shown interest in acquiring the T’Wolves big man, who can opt out of his current contract at season’s end.
And-Ones: Hansen, Blazers, Aldridge, Love
Despite losing one his biggest and wealthiest partners in Steve Ballmer to the Clippers, Chris Hansen remains committed to bringing a team to Seattle, according to an article by The Associated Press. Hansen said that environmental reviews on a proposed arena are nearing completion and “we will soon be in a strong position to attract a franchise to Seattle“, the article notes.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Jeff Kramer of SB Nation looks at why it would be a good move for LaMarcus Aldridge to sign a contract extension with the Trail Blazers.
- The Trail Blazers face a difficult decision in regards to free agent guard Mo Williams, writes Roger Gregory of The Oregonian. Williams decided to opt out of the second year of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- The staff at Basketball Insiders (video link) debate the best landing spot for Kevin Love, should the Timberwolves decide to trade him.
- According to Phil Jackson, the Knicks intend to approach other teams in an effort to buy a draft pick, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report looks at what the $2 Billion sale of the Clippers means for the Lakers.