The Suns fired coach Jeff Hornacek earlier this week and named Earl Watson as interim coach. The move to part ways with the coach was no shock, as Hornacek’s job was reportedly under immediate threat in late December, when the team instead fired assistants Mike Longabardi and Jerry Sichting and shifted fellow assistants Watson and Nate Bjorkgren to more prominent roles. The future of the 52-year-old Hornacek was up in the air even as the season began, with a contractual decision on his team option for 2016/17 looming. Little had gone right since, as the Suns compiled a 14-35 record under Hornacek in spite of realistic preseason hopes that they would make the playoffs for the first time since losing the Western Conference Finals in 2010. The Suns were 101-112 overall under Hornacek.
Here’s more from the week that was…
Miscellaneous News
- The Nets requested and received permission from the Rockets to interview their executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas for the team’s vacant GM post.
- Heat combo guard Tyler Johnson will miss upward of two months after undergoing left shoulder surgery this week.
- T.J. Warren will miss the rest of the season for the Suns because of a broken foot.
- The Suns formally hired NBA coaching veteran Bob Hill as an assistant coach.
- Wizards center Marcin Gortat parted ways with agent Guy Zucker.
- Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili will miss at least a month after undergoing surgery Thursday to treat a testicular injury he suffered in Wednesday’s game.
Signings
- The Pelicans signed Bryce Dejean-Jones to a second 10-day contract.
- The Grizzlies signed Ryan Hollins to a second 10-day contract.
- The Clippers signed Jeff Ayres to a second 10-day deal.
- Nuggets camp cut Oleksiy Pecherov signed with the Lebanese team Sagesse.
- The Jazz signed point guard Erick Green to a second 10-day contract.
- The Suns signed shooting guard Orlando Johnson to a 10-day contract.
You can stay up to date on all the 10-day deals handed out with our 10-day contract tracker.
D-League News
- Former Hornets point guard Jannero Pargo signed to play in the D-League and was claimed by the Thunder’s affiliate.
- Power forward Cory Jefferson returned to the Suns D-League affiliate following the expiration of his 10-day contract with Phoenix.
- Sean Kilpatrick went back to the Sixers D-League affiliate after the shooting guard’s pair of 10-day deals with the Nuggets lapsed.
- The D-League affiliate of the Pistons saw the return of point guard Lorenzo Brown after his two 10-day contracts ended.
You can stay up to date on all the D-League assignments and recalls for the season here.