Steve Kerr Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Steve Kerr Rumors: Wednesday

May 14th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The focus is on Steve Kerr for both New York and Golden State now that Stan Van Gundy has joined the Pistons. Here’s the latest on the former Suns GM:

The Knicks have agreed to guarantee the salary in the fourth year of a deal for Kerr, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The team previously had insisted on a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option, Wojnarowski writes. That’s slightly different from previous reports that suggested the Knicks were offering four guaranteed years and that the stumbling block was a fifth season.
The Warriors and “several other teams” pursuing Kerr were already willing to guarantee at least four seasons, Wojnarowski adds in the same piece. The Jazz are the only other team known to be in on Kerr, so perhaps there are other suitors. In any case, Wojnarowski says that Kerr has narrowed his choices to the Knicks and the Warriors, and executives involved in process tell the Yahoo! scribe that money isn’t central to Kerr’s thinking as he weighs his options.
Tuesday’s meeting with Kerr further convinced the Warriors of his capabilities, but his bond with Knicks president Phil Jackson continues to loom over Golden State’s pursuit, as Wojnarowski writes.

And-Ones: Cavs, Nets, T’Wolves

May 13th, 2014 at 11:16pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There are plenty of head coaching options for the Cavaliers to consider, as the league’s current list of free agent coaches includes Mike D’Antoni, Lionel Hollins, Mark Jackson, and George Karl. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio briefly profiles each of the above-mentioned candidates according to their chances of landing in Cleveland next season. Additionally, Amico mentions Alvin Gentry, Jerry Sichting, Mark Price, Alex Jensen, and Steve Kerr as other names to keep in mind.

Here are some more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight:

Despite talk that Kevin Garnett could potentially retire after this season, with Paul Pierce slated to hit unrestricted free agency, all signs point toward both returning to the Nets next year, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Timberwolves brass will be heading to Chicago tomorrow in preparation for the NBA’s pre-draft combine and are expected to request interviews with many players, including Michigan State’s Gary Harris, Michigan’s Nik Stauskas, Kentucky’s James Young, Creighton’s Doug McDermott, and Duke’s Rodney Hood, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
In the same piece, Zgoda writes that the Wolves are looking to acquire their own D-League affiliate.
Don’t be surprised if LeBron James chooses to distance himself from Roger Mason Jr.‘s recent comments about boycotting the 2014/15 season if Donald Sterling still owns the Clippers, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Assuming he re-signs with the Thunder in 2016, Kevin Durant could earn somewhere around $143.75MM over five years, as Berry Tramel and Jon Hamm of NewsOK explain.
During an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Magic Johnson revealed that he declined an offer from Pistons owner Tom Gores to be part of his ownership group in Detroit (H/T to The Detroit News). Magic had been responding to the claim from Donald Sterling that the former Lakers star had been conspiring to purchase the Clippers.

Coaching Rumors: Warriors, Knicks, Jazz

May 13th, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Now that Stan Van Gundy has reached an agreement with the Pistons, the Warriors are again in pursuit of Steve Kerr for their head coaching job, writes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. Although plenty of signs point to Kerr being the favorite to land with the Knicks, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News alludes to reports that New York remains steadfast in offering a four-year deal, rather than the five-year agreement that Kerr’s representatives are looking for. Keeping in mind that Golden State had been reportedly willing to offer Van Gundy a five-year deal, the Warriors’ latest pursuit may be enough to cause the Knicks to eventually meet Kerr’s asking price.

Here’s more out of the NBA’s coaching carousel tonight:

Sources have told Isola that Kerr is concerned that the team has cycled through seven head coaches and GMs since Dolan took control of the franchise; those reservations likely have upset the Madison Square Garden chairman,
Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News that the front office is getting closer to beginning their interview process for a new head coach but declined to elaborate on any specific names linked to the job: “I’m optimistic and I think there’s a good talent pool of coaches available…Because we don’t know right now, there’s no one else that really knows. All the speculation is very premature…We’re getting closer to moving to the part where we’ll reach out.”
Expect the Timberwolves’ coaching search to wait until next week’s lottery, where landing in the top three could be enough to change Kevin Love‘s feelings about the team’s future as well as the team’s coaching prospects, opines Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune..
When asked if the Warriors considered Jerry Sloan for their head coaching job, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reminded that team co-owner Joe Lacob is targeting someone relatively young (Twitter link). Sloan turned 72 this past March.
No one has requested permission to speak with Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry about head coaching openings, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. According to Spears, Doc Rivers isn’t opposed to his assistants participating in interviews during the playoffs.
There are some notable complications that will arise should the Lakers attempt to dangle trade assets in their pursuit of Tom Thibodeau, details Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders.

And-Ones: LeBron, Hollins, T’Wolves, Klimenko

May 13th, 2014 at 6:20pm CST by Ryan Raroque

During an interview on Jim Rome on Showtime, NBPA vice president Roger Mason said that the players would boycott next season if Donald Sterling is still in place, adding that he had spoken about it with Heat superstar LeBron James:

“If it’s not handled (by) the start of next season, I don’t see how we’re playing basketball…Leaders of the teams, they’re all saying the same thing, ‘If this man is still in place, we (are not) playing’…LeBron and I talked about it…He (isn’t) playing if Sterling is still an owner.” (interview transcribed by James Herbert of CBS Sports).

Here are some more noteworthy links to pass along this evening:

With Stan Van Gundy and Steve Kerr looking like distinct possibilities for the Warriors’ head coaching position, the team should shift their focus toward Lionel Hollins, says Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. As we noted a few days ago, Hollins is scheduled to interview with Golden State on Thursday.
The Warriors are reportedly seeking an offensive-minded coach, and although Hollins’ defense-first mentality wouldn’t make him the most ideal fit for the job, Thompson hears that Hollins would look to bring on a respected offensive mind as one of his assistants, and would likely consider former Kings coach Paul Westphal for that particular position.
The Timberwolves haven’t had any contact with Kerr and don’t seem to be considering him for their head coaching opening, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
Agent Bill McCandless says that draft prospect Artem Klimenko has reached a buyout agreement with Avtodor of the Russian Super League. The 7’1 center is scheduled to travel to the U.S. next week to work out for six to eight teams before the start of Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy (Twitter links via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype).
2013 summer league standout Jack Cooley will participate in mini-camp workouts with the Spurs, Nets, Cavaliers, and Jazz, says RealGM’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Elston Turner has received an invite to work out for the Warriors in June and will participate in the upcoming NBA Summer League, writes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (H/T to Il Messagero).
Suns guard Archie Goodwin was arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in his hometown of Little Rock, according to a report from the Associated Press. Goodwin recently completed his rookie season in Phoenix and will be due in court on June 3.

Latest On Warriors, Knicks, Van Gundy, Kerr

May 12th, 2014 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Warriors are coalescing behind Stan Van Gundy as their primary coaching target as their chances of landing Steve Kerr become increasingly remote. A formal interview between Golden State and Van Gundy is “imminent,” as Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets, while it seems as though Kerr is choosing between coaching the Knicks and remaining in broadcasting, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. There remains a slight chance Kerr could end up with Golden State, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes, but the Warriors are moving forward with other candidates.

The Warriors haven’t had serious discussions with Kerr in days, and co-owner Joe Lacob is coming over to the side of his front office staff, who believe Van Gundy is the best option to coach the team, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. A report on Thursday indicated that some of the Warriors players were Van Gundy’s most significant proponents, with the front office sold on Kerr. That suggests the team’s brass is especially sensitive to the players’ wishes following the ouster of Mark Jackson, who was popular among those in uniform, but that’s just my speculation.

Kerr and his representatives are hoping for a resolution with the Knicks soon, Berman writes, a reversal of the dynamic from last week, when it appeared as though Knicks president Phil Jackson was becoming impatient as he waited for an answer from his would-be coach. The Knicks are wary of overpaying Kerr, and they’re reluctant to give him a long-term deal, preferring a contract that accords him more like the coaching neophyte that he is an less like a sought-after commodity, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter).

Kerr and the Knicks discussed a five-year, $25MM deal earlier this month, Begley hears, suggesting that those terms probably escalated when Golden State became involved. Kerr has reportedly been seeking a five-year deal with money similar to the four-year, $24MM contract that the Knicks gave former coach Mike D’Antoni in 2008. Salaries between $5MM and $6MM on a contract that lasts four or five years would make him one of the league’s most well-compensated coaches, seemingly counter to the Knicks’ desire.

Knicks, Steve Kerr Nearing Deal

May 11th, 2014 at 8:45pm CST by Charlie Adams

8:45pm: Negotiations between the two sides will “pick up” tomorrow, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).

5:46pm: Steve Kerr is close to finalizing a deal to become the head coach of the Knicks, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The two sides are still negotiating contract details, but the source tells Isola that the two parties expect to have a deal in place by early this week so that Kerr can accompany Phil Jackson to the draft combine in Chicago.

The Knicks have been considered the front-runners to land Kerr for weeks now. Golden State was dubbed as the only realistic competition for the future first-time coach’s services, but the Jazz and Lakers were said to have interest in him as well. Kerr will get the chance to learn the ropes of coaching under Jackson, who he played for in Chicago.

Isola doesn’t provide any insight as to what the terms of the deal might consist of, but Kerr was reportedly seeking a pact in the neighborhood of five years and $30MM. The deal will need to be completed by Thursday in order for Kerr to accompany Jackson to the draft combine as planned.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Brand, Celtics

May 11th, 2014 at 12:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If the Sixers pull the trigger on a trade of Michael Carter-Williams, their point guard of the future might be Dante Exum, writes Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Many believe that Exum has a higher upside than Carter-Williams, Ford notes, pointing to Carter-Williams as one of the Sixers’ most appealing trade chips.

Western Notes: Kerr, Trail Blazers, Rockets

May 10th, 2014 at 10:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Warriors are growing increasingly pessimistic about their chances of convincing Steve Kerr to turn down the Knicks in favor of Golden State’s coaching job, report Ian Begley and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Warriors fear Kerr is “too deep” into talks with the Knicks at this point, according to the article. Begley and Stein also note that their sources also stressed that Stan Van Gundy is actually the closest thing to a top target at this early stage of Golden State’s search. This feeling is based on the premise that an experienced coach can ensure that the Warriors maintain upward momentum in the competitive Western Conference, per the article.

Eastern Notes: Kerr, Anthony, Jackson

May 10th, 2014 at 6:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Steve Kerr is seeking a five-year deal worth $30MM from the Knicks, notes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. The article speculates that Kerr wants his deal to be the same length as Phil Jackson‘s, and he wants a salary comparable to Mike D’Antoni‘s $6MM per season when he was the team’s head coach. Kerr is expected to decide next week if he’ll become the next coach of the Knicks.

And-Ones: Kerr, Shengelia, Coaches

May 9th, 2014 at 10:56pm CST by Cray Allred

Tornike Shengelia is in talks to sign with a Spanish league team, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Shengalia has played in 45 games over the last two seasons for the Nets and Bulls, who waived the small forward in April. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Steve Kerr‘s agent tells Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group that there is “nothing new” for his client this evening (Twitter link). The Knicks were expected to extend a written contract offer to Kerr by the end of the day.
Sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that a decision from Kerr won’t happen until next week, due in part to formal details that need to be worked out on a contract.
In the same piece, Kerr tells Berman that he decided to finish out the playoffs as a commentator for TNT because he is under contract and it’s “the right thing to do.” Berman reports that the Knicks aren’t bothered by Kerr’s choice.
Tim Bontemps of The New York Post ranks the six head coaching vacancies in the NBA, and offers some under-the-radar candidates for each.