Kings To Interview David Morway For GM Job
10:06pm: Morway and Bird wouldn't be a package deal, Amick adds via Twitter, given their falling out toward the end of their time together with the Pacers.
9:13pm: Former Pacers GM David Morway is expected to interview for the Kings GM job on Friday, USA Today's Sam Amick reports. New Kings owner Vivek Ranadive continues to try woo Larry Bird, Morway's boss in Indiana, out of retirement to take over GM duties in Sacramento, but though Ranadive has spoken with Bird, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee says the two sides didn't meet today for an interview. That contradicts an earlier report from Peter Vecsey.
Amick first mentioned Morway as a possible candidate last month, and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported a couple of days ago that Morway and the Kings had been in contact. The team has interviewed Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, who appears to be the frontrunner, though Ranadive and company are reaching out to many other candidates. The Kings have also interviewed Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk and Mike Dunleavy, who has front office experience with the Bucks and Clippers.
The Kings are considering former star Chris Webber for a role in the organization, but he's not a candidate to become GM, Jones writes. Incumbent GM Geoff Petrie remains with the team even as it searches for his replacement, and he's still in charge of the Kings' draft preparation.
Odds & Ends: Shaw, Kings, Curry, Raptors, Allen
You could make a convincing argument that no head coaching candidate has a higher stock than Brian Shaw right now. The Pacers assistant has been linked in one way or another to all four teams currently without a head coach, and his agent Jerome Stanley tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link) that several teams have contacted Indiana about interviewing his client. While no interviews have been formally scheduled yet, Shaw intends to explore all the opportunities available to him, according to his agent (Twitter links).
Let's round up a few more odds and ends from around the Association….
- According to veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey (via Twitter), Larry Bird is meeting with Kings ownership today. Bird has been mentioned as a possible Sacramento target for the position of head of basketball operations.
- Stephen Curry tells Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer that he can't picture himself playing for any team besides the Warriors.
- New Raptors head of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is making a "hard push" to bring Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman to Toronto as part of his team in the front office, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
- Ray Allen remains undecided on his $3.23MM player option for next season, but will address it after the Finals, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- Manu Ginobili hopes to see fellow Argentine Pablo Prigioni continue to play in the NBA next season, rather than returning overseas, as he tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I think the last time he talked to the media (on Argentine radio) he was intending to get back in the (NBA)," Ginobili said. "If he wants to, he’ll be here."
Coaching Rumors: Hollins, Nets, Clippers, Shaw
As I noted yesterday when examining the longest-tenured coaches in the NBA, four teams – the Pistons, 76ers, Nets, and Clippers – are still in the market for a new head coach, while a couple other positions could open up later in the offseason. In addition to those head coaching openings, plenty of assistants are being hired, or moving from one NBA team to another. Here are today's rumors on those head coaching searches and the assistant coaching carousel:
- Although the Clippers have asked and received permission to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Nets' initial request to speak to Hollins was turned down, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter links). Tillery adds that Brooklyn has yet to make another request since being denied on the day after the Grizzlies' season ended.
- No teams have requested permission yet to speak to Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger, but the Sixers are believed to have interest, tweets Tillery.
- A report yesterday indicated that the Nets and Sixers were among the teams that have contacted Larry Brown about their head coaching openings. Brown threw cold water on that report today though, according to John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, saying he's happy at SMU. CSNPhilly.com, meanwhile, reports that Brown would likely have interest in returning to the NBA if it meant running a franchise. I'd be surprised if anything came of this.
Earlier updates:
- Less than 24 hours after ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard reported that Brian Shaw was a "serious target" for the Nets, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Shaw also appears to be the Clippers' top choice at this point. Since no official interviews have been conducted yet, the situation remains fluid, but the Clippers are intrigued by Shaw's youth, championship experience, and developmental skills, according to Shelburne.
- Talks between Jeff Van Gundy and the Clippers have cooled, and the team has yet to ask permission to speak to Nuggets coach George Karl, though he remains a possible target. Lionel Hollins, Byron Scott, and Alvin Gentry also remain under consideration for Los Angeles, says Shelburne.
- Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times provides the same list of contenders for the Clippers' job, though he's even more bearish on the likelihood of the team hiring Van Gundy, writing that he's essentially "out of the running." Shaw, meanwhile is gaining momentum for the position, according to Turner.
- Although the Pistons' search appears to have been narrowed down to Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks, there's no guarantee a decision happens this week, sources tell David Mayo of MLive.com.
- Following up on a report from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News last week which suggested Patrick Ewing could be hired as an assistant in Charlotte, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com says Ewing is interviewing for the Bobcats' lead assistant job today. The former Knicks big man has also received interest from the Kings, writes Haynes.
- Newly-hired Kings head coach Michael Malone is also talking to Ohio State assistant Chris Jent about joining his staff in Sacramento, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Yet another Lakers assistant coach appears to be on his way out of L.A., as Darvin Ham will talk to the Bobcats and Hawks about a spot on their respective staffs, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Pacific Notes: World Peace, Howard, Kings, Suns
Let's round up any and all links from the West's Pacific division in this post tonight:
- Confirming Jason Jones' report from earlier, the Kings announced the firings of assistant coaches Jim Eyen, Alex English, and Clifford Ray via press release. However, former assistant Bobby Jackson will be retained in some fashion, but will not serve as an assistant under Michael Malone.
Earlier updates:
- The Lakers have granted the Hawks and Bobcats permission to speak to Darvin Ham, currently an assistant in L.A., about joining their staffs, tweets Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.
- Metta World Peace will continue to defer to his agent, Marc Cornstein, on what he should do about his $7.7MM player option with the Lakers in 2013/14, writes Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, who exclusively spoke with the veteran forward. World Peace has until June 25 to make a decision. If he exercises his option, he will force the Lakers to make a decision on whether or not to use the amnesty provision on him.
- While the Lakers certainly have a built-in advantage when it comes to signing Dwight Howard, there are plenty of factors that make him obtainable for other teams, writes ESPN salary cap guru Larry Coon. In this Insider only piece, Coon breaks down what it will take for Howard to land with the Rockets or Mavericks, both of which are considered realistic destinations.
- It looks like new Kings head coach Michael Malone will not retain any assistant coaches from Keith Smart's staff from last season, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. According to the team's media guide, Smart's staff consisted of assistants Alex English, Jim Eyen, Bobby Jackson and Clifford Ray.
- Suns managing partner Robert Sarver understands that his team's rebuilding process could be long and painful, writes Paul Coro for USA Today. With the No. 5 pick in a draft that seems devoid of high-end talent, and not enough star power to lure one of the big-time free agents, franchises like Phoenix need this patient approach to avoid the pitfalls of trying to rebuild too quickly.
Western Notes: Hollins, Suns, Liggins, Kings
After appearing on Memphis radio to express surprise and disappointment at his current situation with the Grizzlies, head coach Lionel Hollins reiterated to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's still holding out hope for a contract extension.
"I hope things can work out and I think things can work out," Hollins said. "I'm happy in Memphis. I've been there for a long time. My kids went to school in Memphis. My son graduated as a doctor in Memphis. My daughter is a grad student at the University of Memphis. I love the city of Memphis and really want to be there. I have no reason to want to leave."
Despite Hollins' comments, Grizzlies management is still upset that the head coach didn't publicly support the Rudy Gay trade, according to Spears. It appears the team and Hollins will end up going their separate ways, with the Grizzlies coach potentially receiving interest from the Clippers and Nets.
Here's more from around the Western Conference:
- Suns owner Robert Sarver is hoping to continue seeing his team take small, steady steps back toward contention, rather than banking on a single game-changing move, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details.
- DeAndre Liggins, who has a non-guaranteed contract for next season, would like to return to the Thunder, but it's not clear whether or not Oklahoma City will retain him, writes Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
- Gani Lawal is reportedly drawing NBA interest from at least four teams, but the Timberwolves don't seem to be interested, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
- Vivek Ranadive and the Kings won't rush the process of finding a new general manager, as Ranadive tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The new Kings owner anticipates that the GM search, which is reportedly wide-ranging, will conclude in time for the draft, but wouldn't guarantee that.
- Don't expect the Kings' new ownership group to coddle DeMarcus Cousins, says Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee.
Pacific Notes: Howard, Gasol, Kobe, Kings
Dwight Howard is keeping mum on what his plans might be after July 1st, but if you’re one for reading between the lines, yesterday’s comments to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times could carry some weight. The prized free agent referred to his time with Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni in the past tense. “He’s a great person and I’m glad we had the opportunity to be together,” Howard said. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division..
- Pau Gasol said he hasn’t talked to Dwight Howard this offseason and won’t try to convince him to return, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “He has to make the decision,” Gasol said. Gasol wants Howard back like everyone else on the Lakers but he wants to give him space out of respect for him.
- Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie is still playing a key role with the team even as he knows he’s in his final month with the franchise, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Sulia link). Until the Kings hire a new GM, Petrie and his staff are running all the preparations and research leading up to the NBA Draft on June 27.
- Until Kings ownership settles on a new general manager, new coach Michael Malone is leaning on Petrie, Jones writes. “I just told (Petrie) how much I appreciate him sticking around because he knows the draft a lot better than I do,” Malone said. “He’s been studying these guys … And he also can offer great insights to the current players on our roster as to what their strengths, weaknesses are and personalities. But I’m still going to keep an open mind and form my opinion on these guys.”
- Kobe Bryant doesn’t envision Mike Krzyzewski talking him into playing in the 2016 Olympics, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com.
- With Jason Kidd retiring, Steve Nash is now the NBA’s oldest player under contract for next season, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
Draft Notes: Burke, Kings, Gobert, Karasev
The buzz on the smaller point guards in the 2013 Draft has not been positive, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Michigan's Trey Burke is widely regarded as the top one-guard in this year's class, but he's getting a lot of criticism for being too slow at the next level. Despite his lack of a fifth-gear, Burke's still likely to land somewhere in the top ten. Here's more on the draft..
- Here's a surprising bit of news: the Kings, who own the No. 7 pick, are showing interest in French center Rudy Gobert, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Most mock drafts have him as a late lottery/mid-first round pick, but none have him pegged for the top ten.
- More from Kyler, who writes that reviews are mixed on Sergey Karasev's performance this weekend in Las Vegas. Two big concerns from NBA teams were his rather slender frame and his overall feel for the game. The guard/forward is pegged as a late first-round pick in most mock drafts.
- Vegas wasn't an ideal setting for Karasev, writes Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Karasev had visa issues in Russia and wasn't able to get to Vegas until after midnight on the day of the event and was clearly sluggish from the long trip. Ford sees his draft range Karasev's draft range starting with the Timberwolves at No. 9 and the floor being the Nets at No. 22.
- Prospect Steven Adams is in Oklahoma City and worked out for the Thunder today, writes Royce Young of DailyThunder.com. The Pitt center made it clear that he'd like to land in OKC, saying in a Facebook video: “I’d love to be drafted here, man, straight up." Adams could be on the board when the Thunder draft at No. 12, but it's not a certainty.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) pegs the odds of the Cavs dealing the No. 1 pick at just 10% based on the overall lack of interest in it.
- Point guard prospect Isaiah Canaan will work out for the Knicks and Nets soon, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The Murray State product is projected to go towards the end of the first round or early in the second.
- Cody Zeller impressed in his workout for the Jazz, writes Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz pick at No. 14.
- Today, the Blazers worked out guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, forward Jared Berggren, guard Sherwood Brown, forward Brandon Davies, guard Abdul Gaddy, and guard Elijah Johnson, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
Kings Hire Michael Malone
MONDAY, 2:24pm: The Kings have made Malone's hiring official, announcing the move today in a press release.
"Hiring Coach Malone is our first step in giving the best fans in sports the excellence they deserve," Ranadive said as part of a statement.
THURSDAY, 8:48pm: Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Michael Malone has reached an agreement in principle on a four-year deal to coach the Kings. The fourth year deal will be a team option (Twitter links). Sam Amick of USA Today tweets that the deal will be worth more than $9MM if the fourth year option is picked up. Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter) says that the hiring won't be official until the sale of the Kings to the Vivek Ranadive-led investment group is official, adding that the sale is expected to close tomorrow.
This will be Malone's first opportunity as a head coach in the NBA, but it's worth mentioning that he's had plenty of experience in the league since joining then-Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy as a coaching associate in 2001. Malone has also worked as a top assistant for Mike Brown in Cleveland, Monty Williams in New Orleans, and most recently, Mark Jackson in Golden State.
The next presumable step for the Kings is to hire a general manager, and a few days ago we heard that the Spurs President R.C. Buford, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, and Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, and former Pacers GM David Morway figure to be among the team's top targets. Berger tweets that while Malone's hiring comes without a team president in place, no candidate would object to that decision considering that Malone has been highly regarded as one of the league's top assistant coaches.
Wojnarowski reports that Malone is expected to hire his father, longtime NBA assistant Brendan Malone, to join him on his coaching staff. A formal announcement on the younger Malone's hiring is expected on Friday.
Latest On Kings’ GM Search
Following up on his story from last week, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported earlier today that Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace appeared to be strengthening his position as the frontrunner for the Kings' general manager opening. According to Stein, the sense was that "something would have to go awry" to keep Sacramento from hiring Wallace for the job.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com suggests, however, the Kings have contacted a number of high-profile candidates as part of their search. In addition to formally interviewing Wallace, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, and former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy, the Kings have been in contact with former Pacers GM David Morway, and have had "exploratory conversations" with former Pacers president Larry Bird and former Warriors GM Chris Mullin. Both Bird and Mullin have been previously mentioned as potential candidates for the Kings.
One source tells Berger that the process remains "very fluid" while another says that it's still "wide open," with the potential to expand beyond the current group of candidates. With Warriors assistant Michael Malone having already reached an agreement to coach the team, Berger adds that there's some concern within the Kings organization about installing both a first-time coach and a first-time GM, meaning the club would prefer someone with past experience running a team.
According to Berger, there's also some concern about bringing in too many transplants from the Warriors organization. Vivek Ranadive, of course, was a part owner in Golden State before assuming control of the Kings, and there was some speculation that Warriors advisor Jerry West may have some input in the Kings' GM search, which West admantly denied to Sam Amick of USA Today.
"For some reason, I've gotten two or three calls from people (wanting the job) saying that (they) want to get in front of (Ranadive) and could you help, and I think it's ludicrous," West said. "I sent back to them and said that in no way, shape or form am I advising him — period."
While West's role in assisting Ranadive seems to be minimal at best, Berger writes that the new Kings owner may be interested in bringing in a "an experienced, recognizable leader" in an advisory role, similar to the position West has in Golden State.
Chris Wallace Frontrunner For Kings GM Job
MONDAY, 11:13am: Wallace's lead for the Kings' GM position only increased over the weekend, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, who thinks something would have to go awry now for Wallace not to be hired by Sacramento (Twitter links).
FRIDAY, 8:53am: In a reversal of the usual process, the Kings have decided on a coach, having reached an agreement with Michael Malone, and now intend to secure a general manager. And according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace has emerged as the frontrunner for the position.
Stein reports that Wallace's interview with new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive earlier this week went so well that it stretched into a second day. Although Wallace remains under contract with the Grizzlies, he has been somewhat marginalized in Memphis' front office since new owner Robert Pera assumed control of the franchise and brought in his own executives, including CEO Jason Levien.
In addition to interviewing Wallace, the Kings have also met with Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk and plan to meet with Mike Dunleavy, according to Stein (Twitter link). The team was said to be targeting Thunder assistant GM Troy Weaver and Spurs president R.C. Buford as well, but OKC reportedly denied permission to speak to Weaver, while Buford said he wasn't interested in leaving San Antonio.
Whoever eventually lands the Kings' GM job will be taking the place of Geoff Petrie, who had been the longest-tenured head of basketball operations in the NBA.