Rick Adelman Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Broussard On Cavs, Bucks, Suns, Wolves

April 25th, 2013 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

Cavs fans worried about what the hiring of Mike Brown might mean for the team's potential pursuit of LeBron James in 2014 shouldn't put too much stock in the move one way or the other, says Chris Broussard in his latest ESPN.com piece (Insider-only link). Brown's return to Cleveland doesn't mean LeBron is coming back too, but it also shouldn't be a deterring factor, according to Broussard, who notes that there will be plenty of other factors in play over the next 14 months. The ESPN.com scribe explores that topic and a number of others in his article, so let's round up the highlights….

The Cavs are hoping to upgrade the roster before next summer in an attempt to lure James (or another impact free agent, presumably). As we heard from Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! Sports yesterday, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, and draft picks could be dangled as trade chips. Broussard mentions LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love as potential targets.
The Bucks would like to keep all three of their free agent guards this summer, but recognize that they'll probably only be able to retain two, with Brandon Jennings the player most likely to stay put.
Several sources around the league believed Lance Blanks, who the Suns fired earlier this week, was a scapegoat for the team's poor season. According to Broussard, the widely panned signing of Michael Beasley was Lon Babby's call, and Blanks had "little to do with" Alvin Gentry's firing as well.
Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman is viewed as the frontrunner for the Suns' GM opening, says Broussard.
Former Suns assistant Elston Turner may join Rick Adelman's staff in Minnesota, with an understanding that if Adelman steps down, Turner would take over as the Timberwolves' coach. We've heard in the past that Adelman "badly wanted" Turner on his staff when he first took the Wolves' job.
While Kevin McHale isn't expected to step down as Rockets head coach anytime soon, Broussard hears from sources that the team would have "strong interest" in Stan Van Gundy if McHale left.

Coaching Rumors: Suns, Pistons, Raps, Sixers

April 18th, 2013 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Two teams have already made coaching changes today, as the Cavaliers parted ways with Byron Scott and the Sixers announced that Doug Collins won't be returning as head coach. There could be a few more spins on the coaching carousel before the day is done, so let's round up the latest….

ESPN.com's Marc Stein gets the sense that the Suns will take their time to make a decision on the future of coach Lindsey Hunter, who is not assured of returning (Twitter link). According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, Hunter didn't fare well in his end-of-season player evaluations — "players don't want him back," one source tells Berger.
It sounds as if Lawrence Frank is on the way out in Detroit, but he won't officially learn his fate until he meets with Pistons owner Tom Gores today, tweets Stein. Berger hears that one reason Frank wants his fourth-year option picked up if the team brings him back for a third year is that his wife has been ill, so he's reluctant to make a commitment to Detroit if the club isn't committed long-term to him.
The situation with Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman figures to take a couple weeks to be resolved, according to Berger.
Berger adds that Dwane Casey's job with the Raptors appears to be safe for now.
Although he acknowledges that the Sixers could replace Collins internally, John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer expects the team to interview several coaching candidates, including perhaps Mike Brown, Nate McMillan, Stan Van Gundy, Brian Shaw, and Michael Malone.
Tom Sorenson of the Charlotte Observer is at a loss in trying to determine whether or not the Bobcats should bring back head coach Mike Dunlap for next season.
According to GM Chris Grant, the Cavaliers' search for a new coach will begin immediately (Twitter link via Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio).

Odds & Ends: T’Wolves, Temple, Magic, Mavs

April 14th, 2013 at 12:24am CST by Ryan Raroque

Kevin Love seemed optimistic about being able to bounce back from a difficult season with the best offseason of his life, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. He also spoke about his desire for Rick Adelman to continue coaching the team, saying: "We need to have him back…I know his family comes first, but hopefully we can sit down and talk to him. This year has given us a lot of perspective, and hopefully he can see we have the making of a very good team here. We can make a push and have a special year next year…I think he’ll come back.”

You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

According to Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press, Rick Adelman has deemed finding a quality shooting guard among the top of Minnesota's priorities this offseason.
Garrett Temple hopes to have found a home with the Wizards, telling J. Michael of CSN Washington that he'd "love" to be back with them next year.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel thinks that the Magic should look to move Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and/or Glen Davis (at least one of them) in order to continue creating cap space for the future.
Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops wonders if a 35-year-old Dirk Nowitzki will have to endure another season like this one, especially if the Mavericks are unable to hit a home run in free agency for the second straight year after breaking up their championship roster.
Though Mark Cuban isn't happy that Dallas is going to miss the postseason, he vouched for coach Rick Carlisle: "Rick’s a great coach…We obviously didn’t have what we thought we would have, but we obviously should have had more. I don’t know if we could have, but we should have, so it’s all on me. If that means I let Rick down, I let Rick down" (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reports).
Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation writes that Manu Ginobili has been "progressing" in rehab according to coach Gregg Popovich, and that the Spurs veteran shooting guard could be cleared for full contact soon. On a more unfortunate note, Boris Diaw is expected to miss three-to-f0ur weeks (including the start of the playoffs) after the forward underwent a procedure to remove a synovial cyst that had been bothering his spine.

Zgoda on Kahn, Pekovic, Kirilenko, Saunders

April 13th, 2013 at 10:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune believes that several topics of discussion surrounding the Timberwolves are tied to whether or not Rick Adelman decides to return as head coach next season, namely Andrei Kirilenko's $10MM player option as well as the impending free agencies of Nikola Pekovic and Chase Budinger. Another question mark is tied to future of GM David Kahn, as majority team owner Glen Taylor maintains that he is undecided on Kahn's future and has no timetable on a decision. Zgoda has more things to discuss about the team, and you can find the highlights below:

Kahn seems confident that he'll return for the draft and next season: "Glen and I talk all the time…My sense is that we’ll be working on this for a while.”
The team hasn't made it a secret that they'd like to keep Pekovic for the long-term, but it remains to be seen if that stance will change should the 6'11 center garner a max contract offer from another team.
Although a $10MM salary in 2013-14 appears lucrative, Kirilenko – at age 32 – may find it wiser to opt out and seek a three-or-four year contract, which would likely be the last of his NBA career.
Taylor speaks regularly with Flip Saunders, mostly because the former Timberwolves head coach has been involved with an investment group looking to buy the team. With that being said, their relationship has fueled speculation that Saunders could be among the next in line to be considered for the general manager position if Kahn isn't retained.
Brandon Roy most likely doesn't have a future in Minnesota, but his salary could still be used to make a trade work around draft time.
Taylor, who looked to sell the team before the start of this season (preferably to a buyer with Minnesota ties that would keep the team where it is), looks to continue owning the team for the foreseeable future.
There has been some tension brewing after some comments that Kevin Love made about being unhappy with his contract situation earlier this year, causing some to speculate the 6'10 forward's desire to remain in Minnesota. With that being said, Love denies wanting out, and teammate Derrick Williams is among those who believe him: "I can vouch for my teammates, the people we’re around every single day, and I think he wants to be here…And we want him here. He’s one of the best players in the game. Who wouldn’t want one of the best power forwards in the game and in the world to be on their team?”

Wolves Owner On Adelman, Kahn, Saunders, Sale

April 12th, 2013 at 6:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor identifies the uncertainty surrouding the future of coach Rick Adelman as his top offseason concern, but his comments to Ray Richardson of St. Paul Pioneer Press seemed to dispel this week's report that Adelman is likely to retire. Taylor plans on Adelman coming back, and doesn't have a contingency in place if Adelman steps down. The owner said he isn't sure if assistant Terry Porter, who filled for Adelman during his absence, would be the choice. "If Rick were to leave, I would want to think about all options we have available to us. My thought process right now would be to not look at just one person," Taylor said.

Richardson's Q&A with Taylor is worth a read in its entirety, but we'll hit the highlights here:

On the future of GM David Kahn:

I haven't come to the time to make a decision on that. Let's finish the season first. I want to find out about my coach first. I don't have a time frame to address David's situation. He and I have been talking about the draft and other things as we go into the offseason. At some point, I know I need to make a decision.

On his relationship with Flip Saunders:

First of all, Flip was just trying to help a friend who had an outside group, but that group never submitted a bid. I have a coach and I have a GM. Me and Flip have not talked about those things. What we talk about mostly is his work at ESPN and what's going on in the league. I have maintained a friendship with Flip. We kept in touch when he was at Washington and Detroit.

On a potential sale of the team:

I haven't come up with anybody who meets all the needs. One of my problems is that I haven't found anybody who lives in Minnesota or has a Minnesota background. The interest has come from people outside the state. I'm interested in a local person buying the team on a limited partner basis. Right now, I don't have a strong feeling that I want to get rid of the team. I still enjoy it. I was thinking of a long run to try to find a successor, but I might keep things the way they are.

On Nikola Pekovic's restricted free agency this summer:

I want him to stay, and he has told me he wants to stay. It's to our advantage to try and work something out with him. We know and he knows he's able to test the market. When he tells me he wants to stay, I take him for his word, but agents play a big role in all of this.

On the notion that the team's signing of Brandon Roy was a mistake:

It's fair criticism … for me and David. We did take a risk, and it was proven to be a wrong risk. There were other players out there with some experience who we could have gotten, who would have helped us at a position (shooting guard) where we needed help. We're out of the money this year ($5.1MM), but based on the contract we have, we don't have to pay him next year if he doesn't play.

Rick Adelman Considering Retirement

April 9th, 2013 at 7:34pm CST by Michael Pina

Last week, Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman won his 1000th game, joining an extremely small group filled with some of the best coaches in basketball history.

But according to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper, Adelman is likely to retire during the offseason if doctors aren't able to make a diagnosis and then successfully treat his wife's ongoing illness.

Adelman took a leave of absence from the team earlier this season, and says he won't do the same thing again next season, despite having two more years left on his contract.

Odds & Ends: Meeks, Kings, Clippers, Wolves

March 31st, 2013 at 10:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Jodie Meeks has been a critical role player for the Lakers this season under coach Mike D'Antoni after sitting on the pine for much of Mike Brown's tenure. The Lakers hold a team option on Meeks and he believes that it will be exericsed. “Yeah, I think so,” Meeks told Shams Charania of RealGM when asked if he believes he will be part of the Lakers next year. “You can’t really worry about that right now, just finish out this year. I’ll do that and see whatever happens.” Here's more from around the Association..

If Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman winds up walking away this summer due to family issues, J.B. Bickerstaff won't be considered a candidate for the job, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link). There are still hard feelings in the Minnesota office when Bickerstaff followed Kevin McHale to the Rockets that would keep him from being considered.
Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times rounds up the week's news on the future of the Kings, noting that Sacramento City Council's approval of an arena plan is non-binding, just like their endorsement of an ill-fated arena proposal last year (link via the Sacramento Bee).
The Clippers retooled bench worked hard in the offseason to become arguably the league's best bench, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld. In order for everything to come together for L.A., it was essential for Jamal Crawford to check his ego at the door and accept being the club's sixth man.
While we have heard that the Wolves are set to exercise GM David Kahn's option for next season, owner Glen Taylor says that he hasn't made a decision yet, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.

Western Links: Maloofs, Rush, D’Antoni

March 30th, 2013 at 10:29pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com hears more and more that the Maloof brothers could keep the Kings rather than sell the team to the Sacramento-led group if the NBA declines the Seattle bid, adding that it's not a total longshot at this point. Howard-Cooper also says that whether the possibility could drag on into this summer or next season, the Maloofs may step back and re-assess their options (All Twitter links). Interestingly enough, Aaron Bruski of USA Today tweeted that league sources "have maintained without any equivocation that the Maloofs will not own an NBA franchise next season."

We've got more to share out of the Western Conference tonight:

Howard-Cooper reiterates that he's not saying the above scenario will happen, but it's still a possibility. He also clarifies that the Maloofs keeping the Kings would be a way for them to start a bidding war and evaluate at the type of offers they can receive (Twitter links).
Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle says that Brandon Rush plans to do some light running and jumping in three weeks, and that the Warriors guard/forward should be ready by the start of the 2013-14 training camp (Twitter links).
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that he thinks Mike D'Antoni's job is safe for next season at least, being that the Lakers coach is still owed a lot of money and hasn't had a healthy roster.
Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has a tough challenge of trying to evaluate upcoming free agents Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson without enough playing time to find for them.

Odds & Ends: Ayon, Brooks, Mavericks

March 23rd, 2013 at 10:03pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bucks center Gustavo Ayon expressed some frustration about not being able to find court time in Milwaukee, and told reporters that he could return to Europe when his contract runs out, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Though coach Jim Boylan reportedly likes what he sees from the Mexican-born center, there hasn't been enough practice time to incorporate him into the rotation. We've got a few more tidbits to share from around the league tonight, and you can find them below:

In addition to wondering what the 76ers will do with Andrew Bynum, Tom Moore of Philly Burbs also ponders the future of Evan Turner, who will be eligible for an $8.7MM qualifying offer after he finishes his fourth year option worth $6.7MM next season. Moore adds that if Turner doesn't figure to be in the team's plans, the Sixers could look to trade him this summer or during next year's trade deadline.
HoopsWorld's Derek Page held his weekly chat with fans earlier today, and here are some of the highlights: he sees DeMarcus Cousins as a max-level player, thinks Josh Smith could be the biggest name to move in free agency, predicts that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul remain in Los Angeles beyond this season, and isn't sure that O.J. Mayo or Tyreke Evans are long-term solutions for the Mavericks.
Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK delves into what could have been as he revisits Scott Brooks' challenging contract negotiations with the Thunder last summer, and discussing the possibility that he could have joined the Trail Blazers.
Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reeled in some quotes about upcoming free agency from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban: "Our goal is to win championships, not win the summer, and so we have to see what’s available and what’s out there…We do the same thing we do every year and be opportunistic. We’re going to be opportunistic, and depending on how things go, we’ll make our decision."

Adelman To Consider Resigning This Summer?

March 21st, 2013 at 10:28pm CST by Ryan Raroque

10:28pm: Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that team owner Glen Taylor recently told him that he expects Adelman to be back next year, considering that the last update on his wife's condition contained good news.

10:10pm: Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman could consider resigning if his wife's health issues persist, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The 66-year-old coach had taken a three week break from the team in January to be with his family and had contemplated quitting twice this season. Balancing his attention between his family and a team battling through an injury-riddled year, Adelman isn't sure where he stands right now: “there’s a couple times I really struggled whether I should come back…I’m sure I’ll be thinking more about it as we move on here (through the season).”

While he says that his wife is doing fine, Adelman remained non-commital about the possibility of returning to the team next season: “I think it’s something I’m just going to have to sit down with my wife and family and just talk about and see where we’re going with this. The most important thing is where we’re going with her health. Whatever happens will happen naturally."

He also added: “It’s unfair for me to talk about that when I’m asking these guys to finish the season off and compete…And that’s all I’m trying to do now. I think there will be a right time to look at everything. I don’t want to really talk about those types of things until it’s done.”

The former Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings, and Rockets coach is currently finishing up the second year of a four-year, $20MM contract that he signed with Minnesota in 2011. Through 131 games with Adelman as the head coach, the team is 49-82.