Steve Kerr, Joe Lacob On Deal, Curry, Warriors
Steve Kerr thought at one point that the Warriors preferred to hire Stan Van Gundy instead of him, as ESPN.com reports, but when the Pistons swooped in and hired Van Gundy, Kerr became Golden State’s clear-cut No. 1 option. Kerr appeared to be leaning heavily toward the Knicks all along, and it was “agonizing” for him to say no to Knicks president Phil Jackson, as Kerr told Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group, but he wound up accepting a five-year, $25MM offer from Golden State. The deal is devoid of team or coach options, as USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets, and a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that Stephen Curry, a vocal supporter of Jackson, is excited about Kerr (Twitter link). Kawakami scored a one-on-one with the new Warriors coach, while Amick spoke with Golden State co-owner Joe Lacob. The full interviews are tantamount to required reading for Warriors fans, and perhaps Knicks fans, too, and we’ll pass along a few highlights from them that detail how the deal went down:
Kerr on the relationships that led him to Golden State:
“What helped is that I have previous relationships with Joe and Kirk and definitely Bob. Bob and I have known each other for years–he was Robin Lopez’s agent; I drafted Robin in Phoenix, so we spent some time together then. So I knew Bob. And I’ve known Joe actually a long time through a mutual friend, a venture capitalist in the Bay Area. So we’ve been on golf trips together. The familiarity for sure was helpful and it helped everybody relax and just sort of … be themselves. I’ve been preparing for this for the last year. I knew I wanted to coach and I had some prepared materials that I showed them. But more than anything we just talked about the opportunity and the team and the possibilities. We were just all very comfortable with one another.”
Lacob on his relationship with Kerr:
“I knew him through friends — and through golf, quite frankly. I’ve been on golf trips with Steve before, so I know him socially for many years. He’s best friends with one of my best friends and some other people, so I’ve known him, but not necessarily that close or that professionally as has been portrayed. He is certainly somebody who we have always liked, sort of a great, intelligent guy. So he was on our list, and when we decided to make a change he was on our short list of people who we wanted to talk to.”
Kerr on the draw of Stephen Curry, whom Kerr, then Suns GM, tried to acquire in 2009:
“It was huge. I talked to him tonight and I told him this is retribution for that deal falling through back in ’09. [Laughs.] A big part of the pull was not just Steph but the whole roster. It’s a really skilled, talented team. They’ve done a lot of good things the last couple years, they play both ends which was very important. This is not a renovation by any means. This is more just this team has done great things the last couple years and let’s try to build on that. I love the mentality. I think Mark really instilled a defensive identity and the emphasis on rebounding. He did a lot of really good things. That makes my job a lot easier. I’m able to build on that rather than starting to try to build a foundation. The foundation is already there. It’s really an attractive job.”
Lacob on player support for Kerr:
“[Curry] is extremely supportive. That’s all I can tell you. We got Steve Kerr because of our players. We have great players, great character individuals. They all want to win, and I can just tell you that they’re very supportive.”
Kerr on whether he’ll have front office input:
“Yeah, but not as a decision-maker and I wouldn’t want that. I’m going to have a busy enough job as it is. I think to me the healthiest situation for any coach is to have a say, but not have the ultimate decision. I think that’s what the GM is for and I got a really good sense from all the guys that it’s about a consensus. And I’ll be part of that.”
Lacob on hiring another first-time coach:
“Yes, it’s true, [Kerr] has not coached before. But this is what management is all about. You have to be able to pick people, and he is incredibly prepared…Every detail you can imagine. He knew our roster in and out. He had assistant coaches he wanted to go after. It was like a tour de force. Look, at the end of the day I know he knows a lot about basketball. We’re taking a little bit of a risk on his coaching ability, but we did that with Mark and it worked. So it’s just about finding the right fit for the organization and a guy who has extremely high potential, is a hard worker and is very prepared. That’s what we have got.”
Reactions To Kerr Heading To Warriors
It was reported earlier that Steve Kerr accepted the Warriors five-year, $25MM offer to become their new head coach. This news comes as a blow to the Knicks who had been the favorites to sign Kerr.
The latest on Kerr:
- In an article by ESPN.com, multiple sources said Kerr told Knicks president Phil Jackson he chose the Warriors for family reasons. Sources also said that Kerr preferred the Warriors’ job to the Knicks job all along, but it was a difficult decision because of his relationship with Jackson.
- The article also notes that the draw of working close to his San Diego home factored heavily into his decision.
- In regards to Kerr’s hiring, Warriors owner Joe Lacob said, “We love Kerr. Incredibly prepared. We got him because of our players. The Golden State Warriors’ future is bright,” per a tweet by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Knicks are regrouping after the Kerr announcement, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Shelburne’s sources told her that Kurt Rambis and Derek Fisher will be among the candidates considered for the team’s head coaching position.
- Kerr will stay in his broadcasting position through the Western Conference Finals before reporting full-time to Warriors, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link).
- The five-year, $25MM contract Kerr signed makes him one of the best paid coaches in the league, writes Nick Schwartz of USA Today.
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops thinks the Knicks should be glad that Kerr passed on their position. This leaves the door open to hire the best candidate, Mark Jackson, opines Sheridan.
- One of the points that the Warriors were going to make to Kerr was that Knicks owner James Dolan had gone through eight coaches since 2001, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- Kerr showed how smart he was by picking Golden State’s superior roster over the Knicks’, writes Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News.
Eastern Notes: Van Gundy, Knicks, Cavaliers
Stan Van Gundy hit a home run when he interviewed in Los Angeles with Pistons owner Tom Gores and representatives from his Platinum Equity firm, as Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press details. He broke down every player on the roster and presented a detailed plan for his first 100 days as he convinced the team he could handle the front office and coaching duties at the same time, Ellis writes.
More from the east:
- The Knicks have officially named their new D-League team the Westchester Knicks, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer breaks down the coaching candidates for the Cavaliers head coaching position.
- Balancing coaching with running the Pistons might prove too difficult for Van Gundy, writes Drew Sharp of USA Today. Sharp looks at the reasons why he thinks things could get ugly for Van Gundy as an executive in Detroit.
- Now that Steve Kerr is headed to the Warriors, Al Iannazzone of Newsday looks at some coaching candidates that Phil Jackson might turn to next.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Warriors, Pelicans, Jazz
The Warriors could hire one of the known coaching candidates, but Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area Newsgroup (Twitter link) thinks team owner Joe Lacob would love to do a “stealth hiring” if he’s unable to lure Steve Kerr. Kawakami also tweets that just because certain names keep being mentioned, that doesn’t mean those are the only ones in play for the position.
More from out west:
- When Stan Van Gundy met with the Warriors, the Pistons had already presented him with their plan of a dual executive/coach role, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports. Van Gundy wasn’t a product of the team’s search committee, led by Phil Norment and Bob Wentworth, but owner Tom Gores forged ahead, according to Lowe, who says Van Gundy has told the Pistons he’ll take an analytical approach to both his front office and coaching jobs.
- The Pelicans have no interest in trading for Josh Smith, Lowe writes in the same piece.
- The Jazz‘s one-to-one affiliation with Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League still remains likely, reports Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (Twitter link). The Jazz shared the Bakersfield Jam with four other NBA teams this season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Steve Kerr Rumors: Wednesday
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
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
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
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
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
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.