Mike D’Antoni is scheduled to meet with Hornets owner Michael Jordan on Tuesday to discuss the team’s head coaching position, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson had agreed earlier this month to become Charlotte’s new head coach, but backed out of his agreement with the team over the weekend.
D’Antoni, who was also a finalist before the Hornets chose Atkinson, had reportedly been scheduled to meet with Jordan a couple weeks ago, but it’s unclear if that sit-down ever took place — Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report wrote today that Atkinson was the only candidate to meet with the Hornets’ owner.
Besides D’Antoni, Terry Stotts was the other candidate believed to be a finalist for the Hornets before they reached a deal with Atkinson. It’s unclear if the team has any plans to meet with Stotts again now that its head coaching search is back on.
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- The Hornets want to retain “a large portion” of James Borrego‘s coaching staff, since many of them have one guaranteed year remaining on their current contracts, according to Fischer. Atkinson had wanted to bring in some of his own assistants, but he and the Hornets weren’t able to come to financial agreements for them, sources tell Fischer, who notes that Charlotte’s assistant coaches are known to be among the NBA’s bottom five in terms of salary.
- Fischer adds that Atkinson’s decision not to join the Hornets doesn’t appear to have anything to do with a succession plan in Golden State, since there’s no indication Warriors head coach Steve Kerr plans to go anywhere anytime soon.
- The Pistons and Pacers are believed to have interest in pursuing restricted free agents this summer and have been the only teams mentioned as potential threats to pursue Hornets RFA Miles Bridges, reports Fischer. Shams Charania of The Athletic wrote on Monday that Charlotte may be reluctant to match a maximum-salary offer for Bridges.
- The Hornets are expected to gauge the trade market for Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington, Kelly Oubre, and Mason Plumlee “in advance of Bridges’ free agency,” writes Fischer. The fact that Fischer links those potential trade talks to Bridges’ contract situation suggests that Charlotte may be trying to save some money that could be put toward Bridges’ new contract.
I mean, an assistant coaching job with the warriors has to trump the headache of a head coaching gig. Great location. Great salary. Great culture. Very little pressure. No brainer.
So Atkinson backed out of the job after the Hornets 1) refused to let him build his own coaching staff in order to avoid dead money and 2) refused to pay market rate for their assistant coaches. So much for Atkinson being unprofessional. Maybe that adjective is more aptly applied to MJ now.
Can’t blame Atkinson for wanting out of a bad situation before it starts. Article also mentions the Hornets gauging the value of their depth in order to move off it to pay Bridges, so likely a top heavy roster next season that will depend on jumps from Ball and Bridges just to make the play-in again.
Kerr convinced him that MJ is the worst thing about that franchise + Lacob is paying Kenny like a head coach.
Remember how Lacob is the 25th-richest NBA owner? Its funny how I have to say this now because there’s some fraudulent “Warriors playing with unfair money” narrative going around now, which is a big ol nooope. Lie.
Arena size, market size, and brand revenue (I.e., kid in Nebraska buying a Curry uniform) all have a lot to do with a team’s revenue. GS has been doing well on all fronts for almost a decade so kudos to them. If Charlotte go replicate what GS did then they would have a lot of financial power as well. Success breeds success with good management.
MJ has to be the worst owner in the nba. Maybe second to Knicks owner. All he wants to do is hire yes men. He wants to nickel and dime. And he surprisingly doesn’t know how to put together a well rounded roster. The hornets will never see success with him in charge.
Oubre is only worth 5m in a trade at this time unless they fully guarantee it.
Jordan is penny pinching. I would have backed out as well.
You’d think a man like MJ who was all about winning as a player and had a great head coach would understand the importance
I’m not believing that CHA is so bad a situation. There are also issues when a HC is hired on a good team— the new guy has a high bar to reach. It never looks ideal, just make it better! That’s why the substantial raise.
CHA is about in the middle, but Atkinson is not, at least not after him rejecting the one chair over.
If Miles Bridges gets a max offer, CHA in response, is damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Ive read in HR his value is $20-25m/yr. If that’s their cost, CHA should continue rising.
The right for a HC to name the ACs is not really meritocracy. Funny if it’s supported by people who dislike players doing it… or those critical of yes men— Yes to whom?
Atkinson has good situation….apparently paid well….excellent working conditions…winning team…..WHY give that up for a situation waving more than a few red flags.
Charlotte will clean things up in a few years.