Kaleb Canales Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Blazers Entering Final Phase Of Coaching Search

August 3rd, 2012 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

2:50pm: According to Jason Quick of the Oregonian, Allen's interviews with Stotts and Canales in London have already been completed (Twitter link).

2:29pm: The final two candidates for the Trail Blazers head coach job, Mavericks assistant Terry Stotts and Blazers interim coach Kaleb Canales, are traveling to London this weekend to meet with team owner Paul Allen, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. According to Haynes, the London meetings will represent the final phase of the interview process, with a decision on the new Portland coach expected shortly thereafter.

Stotts and Canales were joined by Suns assistant Elston Turner and Magic assistant Steve Clifford as finalists for the Blazers job, but Turner and Clifford were informed earlier this week that they were no longer in the running, says Haynes.

Canales' stint as Nate McMillan's replacement in 2011/12 was his first NBA head coaching gig. Stotts, meanwhile, coached the Hawks from 2002 to 2004, and the Bucks from '05 to '07.

Latest On Trail Blazers’ Coaching Search

August 1st, 2012 at 7:29pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 1, 7:29pm: The field of finalists has been trimmed to two, with Steve Clifford and Elston Turner out of the running, Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports. That leaves Terry Stotts and Kaleb Canales as the two remaining candidates.

JULY 26, 12:25pm: The second round of interviews will include owner Paul Allen and will begin on Tuesday, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes also hasn't heard anything about a fifth candidate being in the mix.

JULY 25, 5:34pm: There could be a fifth "mystery" candidate involved, according to Jason Quick of The Oregonian. While his identity is unknown, the fifth candidate is not represented by Warren LeGarie, the agent for GM Neil Olshey, or Steve Kauffman, another prominent agent in coaching circles. If the Blazers go with the fifth candidate, it would be late in the process, Quick hears, so it appears he's regarded as a fallback option (All Twitter links).

3:14pm: The final four candidates for the Blazers' opening are Terry Stotts, Elston Turner, Steve Clifford, and Kaleb Canales, reports Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter). The team will conduct a second round of interviews next week with the remaining contenders, according to Quick (Twitter link).

3:11pm: Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin is also out of the running for the Portland job, having been informed by the team that he's no longer being considered, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.

3:07pm: After an offseason in which he interviewed for a number of head coach positions, Brian Shaw will be returning to Indiana as an assistant. According to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter), Shaw and Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey spoke today and decided that the Portland coaching job wasn't a fit for the Pacers assistant, who also interviewed with the Magic and Bobcats.

Agent Jerome Stanley tells Quick that Shaw called Pacers coach Frank Vogel today to tell him he was eager to return and help Indiana pursue a title (Twitter link).

As for the Blazers, even with Shaw out of the running, there are still plenty of candidates for the club's head coach position. Quick confirms that the team has interviewed at least the following candidates so far: Warriors assistant Michael Malone, Mavericks assistant Terry Stotts; Grizzlies assistant David Joerger; former Magic assistant Steve Clifford, Suns assistant Elston Turner, Hawks assistant Lester Conner; Heat assistant David Fizdale, Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin, and former Knicks and Suns assistant Phil Weber.

Fizdale has withdrawn from consideration, while Clifford is nearing a deal to join the Bulls as an assistant, says Quick.

Blazers Rumors: Aldridge, Batum, Hibbert, Canales

July 20th, 2012 at 8:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

It was a busy day for the Blazers, who officially welcomed Nicolas Batum back after matching his offer sheet from the Timberwolves. They also were involved in a three-team trade, picking up Sasha Pavlovic, the cash to cover his salary, and two second-round picks in exchange for 2011 second-round pick Jon Diebler. There's also encouraging news from LaMarcus Aldridge, who says he's "98 percent" healed from hip surgery and expects to be playing five-on-five again in a week, tweets Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. There's plenty more going on in the Rose City, and we've got it here:

Batum addressed some of the comments he and others made during his contentious restricted free agency. In a video on CSNNW.com and transcribed by Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Batum said it was true that he wanted to go to Minnesota, but never ruled the Blazers out. "Minnesota was a good situation for me, but I never said it was better than Portland," he said. "I told Portland, 'If you really want me, match. If you don't want me, I'll go.'"
Aldridge told reporters, including Chris B. Haynes of CSNNW.com, that he was communicating with Roy Hibbert throughout the Blazers' courtship of the restricted free agent center who ultimately chose to re-sign with the Pacers (Twitter links). "I was disappointed," Aldridge said of Hibbert's decision. "I definitely felt like he would put us over that hump of being on the next level."
Aldridge said he hasn't been paying attention to the team's head coaching search, but reiterated his endorsement of interim coach Kaleb Canales, as Freeman notes, via Twitter.

Warriors Rumors: Howard, Watson, Malone

June 7th, 2012 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

The next few weeks figure to be eventful for the Warriors, who have four picks in this year's draft and should be active in exploring deals. Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle writes in his latest piece that Golden State may face some trade competition from the Raptors, who pick one spot after the Warriors in the draft and are seeking the same thing in a potential trade — an athletic veteran small forward. Here are a few more notes from Simmons' article for the Chronicle….

Canzano On Kaleb Canales, Neil Olshey, Lottery

June 6th, 2012 at 11:57am CST by Daniel Seco

An unsettled situation in Portland appears to be gaining stability as the Trail Blazers named former Clippers general manager Neil Olshey to the same post in the City of Roses. The next major decision becomes finding a permanent head coach for a team that went 28-38 and finished eight games behind the Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. John Canzano of the Oregonian has the latest news and headlines on the Trail Blazers after attending Tuesday's news conference introducing Olshey…

Blazers Introduce Neil Olshey As GM

June 5th, 2012 at 9:47pm CST by Alex Lee

Neil Olshey was introduced as the new Blazers GM today and spoke to the press for over 30 minutes (video via CSN Northwest). Olshey will be very busy very quickly with the NBA Draft approaching, free agency looming in July and of course, the Blazers' coaching vacancy. Last week the Clippers announced that they had agreed to retain Olshey as their general manager but after Portland kept pushing, the two sides parted ways and Olshey agreed to terms with the Blazers.

Trail Blazers Rumors: GM Finalists, Draft, Canales

June 3rd, 2012 at 8:54am CST by Daniel Seco

The Trail Blazers' search for a general manager became more difficult this week as we reported on Friday that Clippers GM Neil Olshey was being retained by Los Angeles. With the draft drawing closer and the team still without a permanent head coach, the Trail Blazers are expected to make a decision on both positions in the coming weeks. CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes has the latest news and rumors from Portland that sheds light on the future of the front office and sideline…

Blazers Notes: Crawford, Canales, Aldridge

April 27th, 2012 at 5:58pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Blazers finished the 2011/2012 season with a record of 28-38, marking their worst winning percentage in six seasons. The team faces a busy offseason as they look to rebuild their front office, coaching staff and roster. Here's the latest news and notes from the City of Roses.

Blazers acting general manager Chad Buchanan says the team isn't worried about Jamal Crawford's pending decision to opt out of his contract given their depth at shooting guard, tweets CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes. Buchanan points to Wesley Matthews and Elliot Williams as options to replace the former Michigan star if he elects to become a free agent. Crawford, 32, averaged 14.0 PPG and 3.2 APG in 60 games with the Blazers.
Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge says Buchanan expects the Blazers to pick up the team's option on interim head coach Kaleb Canales for next season (via Twitter). The team has not yet announced whether Canales would continue in his role as head coach or return to his duties as an assistant. The 33-year-old former video intern went 8-15 in 23 games with the Blazers and was applauded by the front office for always maintaining a positive attitude with his players.
LaMarcus Aldridge will undergo hip surgery on May 10 in Vail after last playing for the Blazers on April 9, tweets Golliver. Aldridge was enjoying a strong season before his injury as the former Texas big man was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career. The 26-year-old forward had hoped to be healthy in time to play in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London but is not expected to make the final roster cut due to his injury.
Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor thinks former Blazers head coach Nate McMillan was unfairly fired when the team dismissed him on March 15, reports Haynes. "He had two-and-a-half bad weeks and they fire him. I mean, that to me, I don't understand it. But that's, I guess, I shouldn't be in somebody else's business."