The Grizzlies have reached out to representatives for Frank Vogel, who plans to assess his options early this week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The team is talking to other candidates, too, and while it’s unclear just whom Memphis has spoken with at this point, ex-Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing, Blazers assistant Nate Tibbets and Heat assistant David Fizdale are among those on the team’s list of candidates, Wojnarowski hears. The team is also planning to gauge the interest of former NBA head coaches David Blatt, Brian Shaw, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal wrote earlier.
More candidates are expected to emerge, and GM Chris Wallace and assistant GM Ed Stefanski plan to start meeting with them at the draft combine this week, league sources told Wojnarowski. Memphis wants a coach who can foster player development around a core of Marc Gasol and soon-to-be free agent Mike Conley, as Wojnarowski details.
Vogel is in reportedly high on the Kings’ list, though Sacramento is deep in negotiations with ex-Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger. Houston would like to interview the former Pacers head man, and the Knicks have reached out to his representatives, according to reports, making him a candidate for every NBA head coaching vacancy except the Indiana job he just lost.
If Michael Conley stays, they have free agent cash, but the free agent pool is incredibly shallow. If Michael Conley walks, they almost have to trade Marc Gasol. But they can’t do that to a “hometown” kid in a small market, can they?
Gasol wouldn’t be the one being traded, it would have to be Z-Bo. Also there’s almost no reason to trade Gasol if you keep Conley. Keeping Conley would signal the team is still trying to contend…trading arguably their best player (when healthy) would be counterproductive to contending and would also probably make Conley a little upset (considering he would hypothetically resign just to see any real chance of contending go out the window with a Gasol trade).