Warriors Fire Mark Jackson
The Warriors have officially announced that they’ve fired coach Mark Jackson. Sam Amick of USA Today was the first to report the news (on Twitter). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports noted that it was the team’s decision to fire him, meaning Jackson didn’t quit instead (Twitter link). The move was widely expected, and comes on the heels of a meeting between Jackson, co-owner Joe Lacob, and other Warriors executives within the last few hours.
“Mark Jackson has had a big impact on the improvement of our team and the success that we’ve had over the last couple of years,” Lacob said. “Nonetheless, we must make some difficult decisions in our day-to-day operations of the club and this would certainly qualify as one of those examples. We wish Mark the best of luck in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions over the last three years.”
Reports in recent weeks cast significant doubt about Jackson’s future with the team, and his chances of remaining in Golden State seemed to grow progressively bleaker after a report of dysfunction surrounding Jackson surfaced when the team reassigned former assistant coach Brian Scalabrine. The team also recently fired assistant coach Darren Erman, who was reportedly recording conversations among the coaching staff.
The tension between Jackson and his bosses appeared to be mutual and to extend to issues beyond basketball. The Warriors organization seemed to present a united front against the coach, with the exception of the players, who offered nearly universal support. A key fracture may have been Jackson’s lack of a relationship with assistant GM Kirk Lacob, the son of the co-owner, after the two engaged in a recent spat. Jackson’s attitude, unwillingness to move to the Bay Area and even his religion have drawn mention in various reports as reasons why Warriors management seemed anxious to let the coach go.
Jackson compiled a 121-109 record over three seasons as Warriors head coach, his first experience on an NBA bench after having worked as a broadcaster following his playing career. The Warriors improved their regular season record each of the last two years, but the Warriors still reportedly took issue with coach’s on-court style, which relied heavily on isolations. Golden State failed to reach the second round of the playoffs this season, as it did last year, and that may have sealed the coach’s fate.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raptors, Dwane Casey Agree To Three-Year Deal
TUESDAY, 9:12am: The Raptors formally announced their agreement with Casey, in a press release. Oddly, the release states that the team and the coach have merely agreed in principle, so it appears the contract isn’t yet finalized. Still, the move indicates that they’re at least on track to put pen to paper, with Casey and GM Masai Ujiri scheduled to address the media later this morning.
“From day one last summer Dwane has done an excellent job both on-and-off the court,” Ujiri said as part of the team’s statement. “There’s been growth from each player on the roster and the team’s identity of toughness and a desire to always compete has clearly been established. We’re very excited to continue to grow and develop this team with Dwane as our head coach.”
MONDAY, 6:27pm: Casey will earn just under $4MM per year in his new three-year deal, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (on Twitter).
5:33pm: The Raptors and Dwane Casey have reached agreement on a new three-year deal, sources tell Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (on Twitter).
Casey’s contract expired at the end of this season but a new agreement was widely anticipated. Just last week, Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke told SportsNet 590 The Fan that he wasn’t worried about Casey or free agent Kyle Lowry going anywhere this summer. “Why wouldn’t you want to be here?” Leiweke asked rhetorically. With their coach reportedly locked in through 2016/17, the Raptors’ next task will be to strike a new deal with their star point guard.
All of the buzz in the Atlantic Division this summer went to the Nets and (to a lesser extent) the Knicks, but it was the Raptors who came out on top with a 48-34 record in the regular season. Ultimately, the Nets bested the Raptors in a wild seven game series, but the Raptors took a significant step forward this year and reinvigorated a dormant Toronto fan base.
Between his three years at the helm in Toronto and his one-and-a-half seasons with the Wolves, Casey owns a career 159-193 (.451) record.
Magic Pick Up Options On Hennigan, Vaughn
10:00am: The team has officially announced the moves on its website.
“Rob and Jacque have worked extremely hard in establishing a culture which embodies teamwork, hard work, hunger for success and humility,” Martins said in the team’s statement. “With their strategic direction and leadership we feel we are headed in the right direction which will allow us to achieve our goals of contending in a long term sustainable fashion.”
9:30am: The Magic have decided to exercise their 2015/16 team options on GM Rob Hennigan and coach Jacque Vaughn, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Both came aboard during the 2012 offseason, when Hennigan made the Dwight Howard trade his first signature move. That kicked off a rebuilding project that’s seen the Magic win just 20 games in 2012/13 and 23 games this past season, but today’s moves signal that the DeVos family, who own the team, and CEO Alex Martins are satisfied with the team’s course.
Hennigan was just 30 years old when the team hired him away from the Thunder, where he’d spent four seasons, the last two as Oklahoma City’s assistant GM. He netted Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and Arron Afflalo, among others, in the Howard trade, and those three have played key roles for the Magic the past two seasons. Orlando has three first-round picks coming its way as a result of the Howard trade. Hennigan used the team’s own 2013 first-rounder to take Victor Oladipo second overall this past June, and the guard turned in a productive rookie season even as he adjusted to the team’s experiment of using him at point guard.
Hennigan also scored with his acquisition of Tobias Harris in the J.J. Redick trade this past summer. Still, the GM has had his share of disappointments, too, trading Josh McRoberts for Hakim Warrick in 2013 and failing to find takers for the expensive contracts of veterans Hedo Turkoglu, Glen Davis and Al Harrington, all of whom the Magic waived.
Vaughn, another useful presence who’s still just 39, joined the team after serving as an assistant coach with the Spurs, the organization that gave Hennigan his start in the NBA. The team ranked near the bottom in both offensive and defensive efficiency in Vaughn’s first season, but the Magic made strides defensively this year, finishing 13th in points allowed per possession, according to NBA.com.
Mike D’Antoni Resigns As Lakers Coach
8:55pm: Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) reports that D’Antoni will receive an undisclosed portion of the $4MM he was set to earn next season as part of his resignation.
8:21pm: Mike D’Antoni has resigned as coach of the Lakers, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). D’Antoni had been having discussions with GM Mitch Kupchak over the phone in regards to his future, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. These talks were also scheduled to continue on Thursday, prior to his resignation. Although no timetable has been established, the search for a replacement will begin immediately.
The Lakers have confirmed the news on their website. Kupchak said, “Given the circumstances, I don’t know that anybody could have done a better job than Mike did the past two seasons. On behalf of the Lakers, we thank Mike for the work ethic, professionalism and positive attitude that he brought to the team every day. We wish him the best of luck.”
Medina reports (Twitter link) that D’Antoni’s agent Warren Legarie said D’Antoni hit an “insurmountable impasse” with Lakers refusing to provide assurances they will exercise his team option for the 2015/2016 season. D’Antoni had concerns about having a “lame duck” status next season.
D’Antoni, who was hired by the Lakers to replace Mike Brown on November 12, 2012, had a 67-87 record in his two seasons with the team. He previously was head coach of the Nuggets, Suns and Knicks, and has a career record of 455-426.
Jazz, Tyrone Corbin Officially Part Ways
The Jazz have decided to part ways with coach Tyrone Corbin, the team announced. He was on an expiring contract this season, as rumors of his cloudy future with the team swirled after the Jazz decided to embark on a rebuilding project this past summer. Utah went 25-57, finishing in last place in the Western Conference this year.
Corbin took over in the middle of the 2010/11 season after longtime coach Jerry Sloan stepped down. The Jazz made Corbin only their fourth head coach since the franchise moved to Utah for the 1979/80 season. The team went 8-20 the rest of the way that year, but Corbin guided the team to winning records the following two seasons. Utah appeared in the playoffs only once during Corbin’s tenure, and they were swept by the Spurs in the opening round in 2012.
Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward, a restricted free agent this summer, praised the job Corbin did this season, after a summer in which the team let Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Mo Williams and others sign elsewhere. The Jazz sacrificed their cap flexibility this past offseason to acquire draft picks attached to player-friendly contracts in a trade with Golden State, leaving the team with a mix of untested young players and mediocre veterans.
Richard Jefferson, at 33, started 78 games and received the third-most minutes on the team this season, and Marvin Williams saw significant playing time for Corbin, too. That led center Enes Kanter, up for a rookie scale extension this summer, to make a public call last week for the team to feature more of its young players on the floor together.
The Jazz also parted ways with Corbin’s assistant coaches, according to Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the team’s player development staff will return, Falk adds (on Twitter).
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported Friday that Corbin was out as coach, (Twitter links), though the team and Corbin’s agent denied the report to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Rick Adelman Announces Retirement
Rick Adelman announced his retirement from coaching at a press conference today, the Timberwolves confirm (Twitter link). A parting of ways has been widely expected, and fellow Star Tribune scribe Sid Hartman wrote last week that there was “no chance” that Adelman would return. That followed a pair of reports last month that cast serious doubt on the coach’s future. The team and Adelman had a mutual option for 2014/15, and either side had the ability to walk away from the contract. He’ll remain with the team as a consultant, the team also says (on Twitter).
Tom Izzo, Fred Hoiberg and Stan Van Gundy are the team’s targets to coach next season, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported last week, though all three seem difficult targets. Hoiberg appeared unlikely to accept an offer from the team even before Iowa State gave him a raise, and report from February indicated Van Gundy probably won’t coach anywhere next season. Izzo vehemently denied rumors that he’d coach the Pistons. A more attainable replacement for Adelman could be Suns assistant coach Jerry Sichting, whom Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio identifies as a “name to really watch” in connection to the Wolves job (Twitter link). Wolves President of basketball operations Flip Saunders reportedly would like to take over as coach, but owner Glen Taylor prefers that two different people handle the top front office job and the head coaching gig.
Adelman, 67, is stepping away with the eighth-most wins in NBA history, having compiled a 1,042-749 record in 23 seasons. He arrived in Minnesota for the 2011/12 season after a three-year stint with the Rockets, but he failed to lift the Wolves into the playoffs during his tenure. He enjoyed much greater success elsewhere, leading the Trail Blazers to two Finals appearances in his first four seasons as an NBA coach and nearly guiding the Kings to the Finals in 2002, when they lost a seven-game heartbreaker in the conference finals.
Those Kings teams cemented Adelman’s reputation as an offensive wizard, but Zgoda suggested last month that if he hadn’t retired from the Wolves, the team would have declined to pick up his option for next season. In any case, the health of Adelman’s wife likely weighed heavily in his decision. He missed 11 games to tend to her during the 2012/13 season, when she was suffering from seizures, and Adelman missed time to deal with unspecified personal issues this season.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune was the first to report the news, via Twitter. Sam Amick of USA Today confirmed the report (Twitter link). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks Fire Mike Woodson
The Knicks have announced the firing of coach Mike Woodson and his staff. The move has been expected nearly all season long, as the team struggled to a 37-45 record after winning 54 games and advancing to the conference semifinals last year. Woodson was under contract through next season, and presumably he’ll still receive his $3.4MM salary for 2014/15.
The move follows a meeting between Woodson and Knicks president Phil Jackson, notes Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s Jackson’s first major move with the club, which hired him to run the front office last month.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Woodson and his entire staff,” Jackson said in the team’s statement. “The coaches and players on this team had an extremely difficult 2013/14 season, and blame should not be put on one individual. But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond. Everyone in this franchise owes a great deal of gratitude to what Mike and his staff have done. We wish him the best.”
Carmelo Anthony threw his support behind Woodson last week, but it wasn’t enough to save the job of the coach who went 109-79 in parts of three seasons with the Knicks. He was an assistant coach with the Knicks when he took the head coaching job late in the 2011/12 season after the team let go of Mike D’Antoni. Woodson went 18-6 that year and guided the team to the playoffs, where they lost to the eventual champion Heat in the first round.
The narrative was a positive one for Woodson until last year’s playoff loss to the Pacers. Marc Berman of the New York Post suggested Sunday that when the Knicks exercised their 2014/15 team option on Woodson before this season began, they knew it was unlikely he’d actually coach the team that season unless the team made it to the conference finals this year. Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reported earlier this month that the Knicks planned to fire Woodson if the team’s late push for the playoffs fell short, and indeed the ax fell soon after New York finished in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a game out of the final playoff spot.
Assistants Herb Williams, Jim Todd, Darrell Walker, Jerry Dunn, David Hopla and LaSalle Thompson join Woodson in exiting the Knicks, who begin their search for a new head coach at once, according to the team’s statement. Steve Kerr appears to be the front-runner, though there are conflicting reports about whether he’d jump at the job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Terrence Williams To Play In Puerto Rico
Former NBA player Terrence Williams has signed a deal to play in Puerto Rico with Brujos de Guayama, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The details and length of the deal haven’t been announced. The NBA veteran has struggled to earn a roster spot and playing time since showing some flashes in 78 games as a rookie with the Nets in 2009/10. His last NBA stint was during the 2012/13 season when he appeared in 24 games with the Celtics.
Williams has played two games in Turkey with Turk Telekom Ankara and averaged 4.0 PPG this season. He also played in the NBA D-League with Los Angeles D-Fenders scoring 20.6 PPG with 5.1 RPG and 6.3 APG in 34 games.
In parts of four NBA seasons, Williams’ career numbers with the Nets, Rockets, Kings, and Celtics are 7.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 19.1 minutes per game.
Dexter Pittman To Play In Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican team Caciques de Humacao announced the signing of Dexter Pittman, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Terms and length of the deal for the 26-year-old center haven’t been released. He was recently let go by the Rockets to make room for them to sign Josh Powell after only being with the team for five days. He didn’t see any action while with Houston.
Pittman appeared in two games for the Hawks this season and averaged 1.5 RPG, but didn’t score a point. He was released by the team on February 27th. Pittman also played seven games in China with Foshan averaging 12.7 PPG.
In 27 games this season in the NBA D-League with the Austin Toros the big man averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG.
Knicks Sign Lamar Odom
The Knicks have signed Lamar Odom for the remainder of the season, the team announced. We heard yesterday that New York was nearing a deal with Odom, but a report earlier today suggested there was a chance the team would opt to sign Ike Diogu instead. However, the Knicks eventually decided on Odom, and the big man inked a two-year, minimum salary pact that covers the final game of 2013/14 and features a non-guaranteed year next season, as Howard Beck of Bleacher Report passes along (via Twitter).
Odom’s injury will keep him from playing in the Knicks’ final contest tonight, but the real value in his signing comes from his non-guaranteed second season. New York will be able to use Odom to help match salaries in any deal the club makes before July. Or, if the Knicks are interested in potentially hanging on to the 34-year-old, they can evaluate his abilities in the offseason and cut him without taking a salary hit if it’s decided he isn’t fit to make the squad.
Over the course of 14 NBA seasons, Odom has averaged 13.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He hasn’t seen action since appearing in all 82 contests for the Clippers in 2012/13, when he played an average of 19.7 minutes per night. He’s represented by Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management. The Knicks roster now stands at a league maximum 15 players to conclude the year.