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Grizzlies Fire Dave Joerger

May 7th, 2016 at 9:09am CST by Eddie Scarito

Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Sports Images

The Grizzlies parted ways with head coach Dave Joerger this morning, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter links). Joerger had asked Memphis for permission to speak with other teams regarding their coaching vacancies and Memphis decided to cut its ties with him, Wojnarowski adds. Memphis is still on the hook for Joerger’s $2MM salary for 2016/17, the scribe notes, adding that the coach’s deal included a team option for the 2017/18 season. The Grizzlies intend to pursue former Pacers coach Frank Vogel, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Sacramento had been pushing hard to gain permission from the Grizzlies to speak with Joerger regarding its coaching vacancy, Wojnarowski relays (via Twitter), and Joerger is now at the top of the Kings’ wish list as they seek a replacement for George Karl. Joerger had requested permission to speak with the Kings and Rockets about their coaching vacancies, as Wojnarowski writes in a full-length post. Sacramento’s willingness to give him a long-range deal with annual salaries likely around $4MM made the Kings attractive to Joerger despite their reputation for dysfunction, Wojnarowski notes.

Memphis confirmed that Joerger was let go in an official announcement. “After careful consideration, I concluded that a change was needed to foster the strong culture required to achieve sustainable, long-term success for this organization, the city and our fans,” said GM Chris Wallace. “On behalf of the Grizzlies organization I would like to thank Dave for his work and time in Memphis. We wish Dave and his family all the best and success as he moves forward in his career.”

The trust between Joerger and the front office had eroded over the past several months, Wojnarowski notes, and tensions escalated between the coach and team management. The organization was frustrated with Joerger publicly making disparaging comments about the roster and his own limited role in player personnel, a league source told the Vertical scribe. Joerger had reportedly grown increasingly belligerent to many within the organization, believing the team was setting him up to fail in 2016/17, Wojnarowski adds.

The Grizzlies are quite high on Joerger’s coaching ability, but they failed to see eye-to-eye on personnel matters, with Joerger believing the team didn’t take his opinions seriously and the team convinced otherwise, as Wojnarowski details. Joerger was pushing for either a long-term deal from the Grizzlies or a way out, and that’s what led to his dismissal, according to Wojnarowski.

In three seasons as the Grizzlies’ head coach, Joerger’s record was 147-99 (.598), including a mark of 9-13 in the playoffs. Memphis reached the conference semifinals in 2015, losing to the eventual champion Warriors. The coach arguably did his best work this season, leading a patchwork roster that had been decimated by injuries to a record of 42-40 and the seventh playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Henry Bibby Believes He Can Reach Cousins

May 6th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kings coaching candidate Henry Bibby believes he can reach DeMarcus Cousins, comparing the star center’s volatile temperament to that of Zach Randolph, another once-mercurial big man who shed his label as a malcontent while playing under a Grizzlies coaching staff that included Bibby, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee details. Bibby, who is scheduled to interview for the job Monday, said he’d hire son Mike Bibby for his staff, telling Jones that they’d long ago repaired what had been a troubled relationship. Henry Bibby added that he’d run an offense reminiscent of the one his son directed as the point guard for the Kings in the early 2000s. “What I’m trying to get back is what Vlade [Divac] used to have up there, the old Sacramento Kings,” Bibby told Jones. “I want to get that back again, that excitement. They played as a team. They ran that corner offense, and that’s what I’d run. I’d put DeMarcus where Vlade was [on offense], and you play basketball with [Rajon] Rondo, [Ben] McLemore and guys like that.”

Kings To Interview Nate McMillan

May 5th, 2016 at 11:09am CST by Chuck Myron

MAY 5TH, 11:09am: The interview will take place today or Friday, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

MAY 2ND, 8:20am: McMillan will interview soon, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The Pacers are out of the playoffs following Sunday’s Game 7 loss to the Raptors, and uncertainty surrounds the job status of Pacers head coach Frank Vogel.

APRIL 28TH, 10:04pm: The Kings have asked the Pacers for permission to interview assistant coach Nate McMillan for the head coaching job in Sacramento, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago (Twitter link). Sacramento reportedly hopes to make a hire sometime next week, but Goodwill indicates the Kings are willing to wait until Indiana’s playoff run is over to conduct the interview. The Pacers face an elimination game Friday against the Raptors.

Sacramento isn’t alone in its admiration for the former SuperSonics and Trail Blazers head coach, as Knicks team president Phil Jackson respects his “hard edge,” according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. It nonetheless doesn’t appear as though McMillan is a candidate for the Knicks job or any vacancy other than Sacramento’s at this point. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first identified the 51-year-old McMillan among those in the mix for the Kings opening.

McMillan is 478-452 in parts of a dozen seasons as an NBA head coach, with a 14-20 playoff record. He was last a head man for Portland, which fired him in March 2012.

The Kings have the NBA’s most well-populated list of reported candidates. They’ve interviewed Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson and would like to do so with Luke Walton, Kevin McHale and Jeff Hornacek, according to various reports. Mark Jackson, Brian Shaw, Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka, Monty Williams, Jeff Van Gundy, Patrick Ewing, David Blatt, Jay Larranaga, Elston Turner and Henry Bibby are the other apparent candidates.

Top Target McHale Pulls Out Of Race For Kings Job

May 5th, 2016 at 8:47am CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings made Kevin McHale their top target as they seek a new coach, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link), but McHale has withdrawn his candidacy, league sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The ex-Rockets coach had reportedly had extensive discussions with Sacramento about the opening, if not a formal interview, though doubt about his willingness to ultimately take the position has existed for weeks.

McHale’s withdrawal comes shortly before a 10am Central time press conference that Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird has scheduled. Coach Frank Vogel‘s job is in jeopardy, and belief around the league is rising that the Pacers will let him go, Stein writes. McHale and Bird were Celtics teammates from 1980-92.

Sacramento also reportedly had interest in Tom Thibodeau, Scott Brooks, Kenny Atkinson and Luke Walton, but all have since taken head coaching jobs with other teams. Still no shortage of Kings candidates remain. Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson have already interviewed, according to earlier reports. The same appears to be true of David Blatt and Mark Jackson. The team reportedly has plans to interview Ettore Messina, James Borrego, Henry Bibby, Patrick Ewing, Mark Jackson, Nate McMillan, Jeff Hornacek and Corliss Williamson.

Sacramento has reportedly received permission from the Grizzlies to interview assistant Elston Turner, but USA Today’s Sam Amick reported Monday that he’s a candidate to serve as lead assistant for the Kings, casting doubt on the idea that he’s in the running for the head coaching job. Jay Larranaga, Brian Shaw, Ime Udoka, Jeff Van Gundy and Monty Williams are the other reported head coaching candidates for Sacramento.

Kings To Interview Ettore Messina, James Borrego

May 3rd, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Kings have been granted permission by the Spurs to interview assistant coaches Ettore Messina and James Borrego for their vacant head coaching position, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The specific dates and times for the interviews have not been set due to San Antonio’s ongoing playoff series against the Thunder, Stein adds.

Messina had declined to comment Monday on a report that the Kings planned to speak with him about their head coaching position, other than to make it clear that he’s content in San Antonio. Sacramento certainly has no shortage of other candidates for its vacancy, but Kings GM Vlade Divac is said to be especially fond of Messina. “There is nothing more I can tell you other than that I am very, very happy [with the Spurs],” Messina had said.

This is the first mention of Borrego being part of the Kings’ ever-expanding list of candidates. Borrego went 10-20 as the Magic’s interim coach in 2014/15 and was replaced by Scott Skiles this past offseason. Borrego had reportedly garnered interest from the Magic, Pelicans and Thunder to join their respective coaching staffs, but he chose to head to San Antonio and join coach Gregg Popovich instead.

Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson have already interviewed, and Kevin McHale has spoken extensively with the team, earlier reports indicated, and it would appear as though David Blatt‘s interview took place Monday. The team reportedly has plans to interview Henry Bibby, Patrick Ewing, Mark Jackson, Nate McMillan, Jeff Hornacek and Corliss Williamson. Sacramento has reportedly received permission from the Grizzlies to interview assistant Elston Turner, but USA Today’s Sam Amick reported Monday that he’s a candidate to serve as lead assistant for the Kings, casting doubt on the idea that he’s in the running for the head coaching job.

Jay Larranaga, Brian Shaw, Ime Udoka, Jeff Van Gundy and Monty Williams are the other reported candidates who haven’t already taken jobs elsewhere.

Kings To Interview Mark Jackson

May 3rd, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

MAY 3RD, 6:25pm: Jackson’s interview is scheduled for Wednesday, Jones tweets.

APRIL 28TH, 5:27pm: The Kings’ reported list of coaching candidates is a wide-ranging one that continues to grow, with Mark Jackson the latest to land an interview with Sacramento, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays via Twitter. The interview hasn’t been scheduled yet, but the Kings want to hire a coach by sometime next week, as Jones previously reported. That would appear to mean any sit-down between the two parties will likely occur in the near future, though that is merely my speculation.

Jackson reportedly interviewed with the Wolves prior to Tom Thibodeau being hired and was in the mix for the Nets job that’s since gone to Kenny Atkinson. He’s been Jeff Van Gundy’s broadcast partner on ABC and ESPN since the Warriors fired him following a 51-win campaign two seasons ago. Jackson’s dismissal came primarily because his personality clashed with key members of the organization, and it was in spite of the widespread support he had from players. Jackson was 121-109 in three seasons with Golden State.

The Kings have received permission to interview Grizzlies assistant coach Elston Turner and have asked the Pacers for permission to interview assistant Nate McMillan, as Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago reported earlier today. They’ve interviewed Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson and would like to do so with Luke Walton, Kevin McHale and Jeff Hornacek, according to earlier reports. Van Gundy, Brian Shaw, Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka, Monty Williams, Patrick Ewing, David Blatt, Jay Larranaga and Henry Bibby are the other names the team is said to be considering.

Kings To Interview Henry Bibby

May 3rd, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings will interview Henry Bibby for their head coaching vacancy, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Jones reported last week that the team had reached out to the former USC head coach who’s served as an NBA assistant for multiple clubs. The interview, which Jones hears will take place Monday (Twitter link), is one of several the Kings are conducting in a wide-ranging search.

Bibby, 66, last served as an NBA coach during the 2013/14 season, when he was an assistant for the Pistons under Maurice Cheeks and later interim coach John Loyer. He was previously an assistant for the Sixers and Grizzlies after serving parts of 10 seasons as head coach at USC, where he went 132-120 and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. He’s also coached extensively in minor leagues and was a scout for the then-Bullets in the 1980s. Bibby is the father of former Kings point guard Mike Bibby.

Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson have already interviewed, and Kevin McHale has spoken extensively with the team, as I noted when I rounded up reports on the expansive coaching search last week, and it would appear as though David Blatt‘s interview took place Monday. The team reportedly has plans to interview Patrick Ewing, Mark Jackson, Nate McMillan, Jeff Hornacek and Corliss Williamson. The Kings apparently plan to at least speak with Ettore Messina, too. Sacramento has reportedly received permission from the Grizzlies to interview assistant Elston Turner, but USA Today’s Sam Amick reported Monday that he’s a candidate to serve as lead assistant for the Kings, casting doubt on the idea that he’s in the running for the head coaching job.

Jay Larranaga, Brian Shaw, Ime Udoka, Jeff Van Gundy and Monty Williams are the other reported candidates who haven’t already taken jobs elsewhere.

Kings Candidate Ettore Messina Happy With Spurs

May 3rd, 2016 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina declined comment Monday on a report that the Kings plan to speak with him this week about their head coaching vacancy, other than to make it clear that he’s content in San Antonio, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News relays. Sacramento has no shortage of other candidates for its vacancy, but Kings GM Vlade Divac is said to be especially fond of Messina. “There is nothing more I can tell you other than that I am very, very happy [with the Spurs],” Messina said.

Kings To Interview Corliss Williamson

May 3rd, 2016 at 7:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

7:59am: The interview with Williamson will take place this week, sources told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.

9:58pm: Kings assistant coach Corliss Williamson will receive a formal interview for the head coaching job, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Kings are also conducting interviews this week with David Blatt, Mark Jackson, Jeff Hornacek and Patrick Ewing for their opening, league sources told Stein (Twitter link).

Williamson has been an assistant coach with the Kings since the 2013/14. Prior to joining Sacramento’s staff, the 42-year-old Williamson was the head coach at Central Arkansas. Williamson began his playing career with the Kings in 1995 and played for five teams, winning a championship with the Pistons in 2004.

Willliamson would seem to be a long shot, considering all the big names under consideration for the position. He’s the only known candidate from George Karl’s staff.

Pacers assistant Nate McMillan is also expected to get an interview in the near future. Other possible contenders for the job, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors detailed last week, include Henry Bibby, Vinny Del Negro, Jay Larranaga, Kevin McHale, Ettore Messina, Sam Mitchell, Brian Shaw, Elston Turner, Ime Udoka, Jeff Van Gundy, Monty Williams and Mike Woodson.

Blatt is also expected to interview with the Rockets, and he’s under consideration for the Knicks’ job.

Kings Rumors: Blatt, Turner, Messina, Cousins

May 2nd, 2016 at 4:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings plan to speak with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina this week, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). It’s not entirely clear whether it’ll be a formal interview, as San Antonio has just begun its second-round series against the Thunder, though the series will be in hiatus between tonight’s Game 2 and Friday’s Game 3. Sacramento reportedly reached out to Messina weeks ago, suggesting that the Spurs have granted Sacramento permission to at least contact their assistant. San Antonio granted the Lakers permission for an interview, and one was scheduled for the gap between Games 2 and 3 of the Spurs-Thunder series before the Lakers called it off and hired Luke Walton instead, a league source told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. The European coaching legend apparently holds particular appeal to Kings GM Vlade Divac.

See more from the California capital:

4:06pm update:

David Blatt‘s interview with the Kings is today, as USA Today’s Sam Amick hears, advancing a Sunday report from Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Elston Turner is a candidate for the job of lead assistant for the Kings, Amick tweets, which suggests that he isn’t in the running for the head coaching job. Turner, a Grizzlies assistant, emerged among the many in the mix for Sacramento last week, and Memphis has reportedly granted the Kings permission to interview him.

10:26am update:

DeMarcus Cousins indicated that he’d prefer to stay with the Kings as he spoke in an interview with Carmichael Dave of CBS Sacramento (audio link; scroll to 6:24 mark). People in the Kings organization reportedly believe Divac will test the trade market for Cousins this summer. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve grown an attachment to the city, like, the way these people treat me, the love they give out to me, and vice versa,” Cousins said to Dave. “I feel like I have an attachment, and it’s something that I do owe to this city. I want to be the person to bring this city back to the glory days. I want to grow myself and this city all together. I want to bring us back to those glory days. So, that’s where I’m at with it. This is like a personal vendetta for me.”
Seth Curry said he wants to return to the Kings next season and that it would be difficult to do otherwise, but he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of moving on as he spoke at a basketball camp in India to Akash Khanna of Follow Your Sport. Curry reportedly intends to turn down his player option and hit free agency this summer.
Curry also told Khanna that he doesn’t want to sign with the Warriors and play with brother Stephen Curry, preferring to compete against him instead. The Currys were teammates with Golden State during the 2013 preseason.