Beno Udrih Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Beno Udrih To Coach Bucks’ G League Team

August 9th, 2023 at 6:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA player Beno Udrih will become head coach of the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ affiliate in the G League, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Udrih spent last season as a scout with the Hawks. He has also served as a player development coach for the Pelicans and an assistant coach with the G League’s Westchester Knicks.

Udrih, 41, played 13 NBA seasons before officially announcing his retirement in 2021. He suited up for eight teams during his career and won two titles with the Spurs in his first three seasons in the league.

Udrih will be the fourth head coach in the history of the Herd, who debuted in the 2017/18 season. He replaces Chaisson Allen, who guided the team for the past two seasons.

Beno Udrih Announces Retirement

November 27th, 2021 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA guard Beno Udrih has officially announced his retirement, according to EuroHoops.

It was mostly a formality, as the 39-year-old guard hasn’t played in three years and has been a player development coach on the Pelicans‘ staff since last November. However, he hadn’t made a formal announcement until today when he shared the news on an Instagram post.

“They say professional athletes die two deaths – the first being when you’re unable to play the sport any longer,” Udrih wrote. “It has taken me 2 long years to accept and announce my retirement from playing basketball. Coming from a small village in Slovenia to playing 13 consecutive years in the NBA and winning 2 championships, is more than I could have dreamed of and I loved every minute of it.

“Basketball has been a part of my life professionally since I was 16 years old and is something I hope I never have to give up. I now want to be a coach just as badly as I wanted to be a professional player back when I was a kid. I hope to share my knowledge and guide the next generation, just as many coaches did for me.”

Udrih played seven seasons overseas before the Spurs drafted him with the 28th pick in 2004. He spent three seasons with San Antonio, winning two NBA titles, before signing as a free agent with the Kings. After four years in Sacramento, Udrih became a journeyman, making brief stops with the Bucks, Magic, Knicks, Grizzlies, Heat and Pistons. He played 831 career games, averaging 8.4 points and 3.4 assists per night.

Pelicans Hire Beyer, Hill, Walters For Van Gundy’s Staff

November 16th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans announced on Monday they have hired Bob Beyer, Casey Hill, and Rex Walters to join Stan Van Gundy’s staff, according to a team press release.

The addition of Beyer was previously reported and comes as no surprise. Beyer has a long history with Van Gundy, serving as an assistant in Orlando and Detroit for a combined nine seasons. He was on the Kings’ staff last season.

Hill was an assistant with the Clippers the past two seasons. Walters had a stint on Van Gundy’s staff in Detroit and served as an assistant at Wake Forest last season.

In another significant development, Van Gundy has promoted former WNBA great Teresa Weatherspoon to the staff. She was a two-way player development coach last season in New Orleans.

Longtime NBA players Corey Brewer and Beno Udrih have been hired as player development coaches. Fred Vinson has been retained as an assistant, while Darnell Lazare will remain as a player development coach.

Knicks Notes: Branding, Oakley, Dotson, Udrih

January 26th, 2020 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks need more than a brand agency to help improve their image with fans, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. On Thursday, Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg broke the news that the team will be partnering with Steve Stoute’s Translation agency, which helped create a positive image for the Nets. Stoute will serve as a special adviser to the Knicks and will use data and analytics to develop public relations campaigns.

“We have a ways to go,” Stoute told Soshnick. “People can say what they want, but the world knows when you get it right — when the New York team is winning — basketball is better. When the New York Knicks are right, the NBA is a better place. That is the opportunity.”

Popper contends there’s little the franchise can do to improve its image as long as it’s putting a losing product on the court. He adds that the basketball side of the Knicks brand is “poison” because of a “culture of fear and backstabbing” that has executives and coaches afraid to speak out about the problems that are holding back the organization.

There’s more out of New York:

The new marketing effort could result in the return of Knicks legend Charles Oakley to Madison Square Garden, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman that Oakley and Stoute are friends, and the power forward tweeted a congratulatory message this morning. Oakley has been a vocal critic of team owner James Dolan, particularly since being evicted from the Garden in 2017. Oakley claims the incident has caused some players to decide they don’t want to play for the Knicks.
Damyean Dotson‘s improved play has helped make up for the loss of RJ Barrett, who is sidelined with a sprained ankle, observes Greg Joyce of The New York Post. Dotson made seven of 10 shots and scored 21 points Friday night. “We find the minutes for the guys that need to be playing,” interim coach Mike Miller said. “As they’re out they’re playing, Dot’s playing well, so he played the whole fourth quarter.”
Beno Udrih has joined the coaching staff for the Knicks’ G League affiliate in Westchester, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Udrih spent 13 years in the NBA, including a brief stop in New York.

Beno Udrih Signs With Lithuanian Team

December 24th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran point guard Beno Udrih, who was waived by the Pistons in October, has signed to play in Lithuania, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Udrih will join Zalgiris Kaunas, one of the oldest and most decorated teams in the EuroLeague.

Udrih, 35, played for eight teams during a 13-year NBA career after being drafted by the Spurs with the 28th pick in 2004. His best seasons came in Sacramento, where he was a double-digit scorer for four straight years from 2007/08 to 2010/11.

He was involved in a controversy in February of 2016 when he agreed to a buyout with the Heat that gave Miami enough cap room to sign Joe Johnson after his buyout from the Nets. Udrih was sidelined because of foot surgery at the time and had no chance to catch on with another team. Miami re-signed him in August of that year, but he failed to earn a roster spot.

The Pistons claimed him off waivers and he spent a full season in Detroit, averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 assists in 39 games. The team opted to part with him in mid-October, even though it was already down to the roster limit of 15.

“It was still hard for me because I love the guy, and so does everybody out here,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told Ansar Khan of MLive at the time. “Good guy, knows how to play, really has a good way about him of helping the young guys and talking to them and teaching them. I’ve seen a lot of veterans who try to help young guys, but they come across as condescending a little bit, like, ‘I know more than you.’ Beno never came across like that. He was able to talk to guys.”

Central Notes: Pistons, Udrih, LaVine, Cavs

October 17th, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

After waiving veteran point guard Beno Udrih on Saturday, the Pistons are down to 14 players on their NBA roster to open the season, and head coach Stan Van Gundy doesn’t anticipate filling that final opening right away, per Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.

“Is there going to be anyone out there right now?” said Van Gundy, who also serves as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations. “I don’t know that. I’m not saying there won’t be, but that’s not really the plan, but as you get going on and you assess needs or get an injury, that 15th spot can give you some flexibility.”

As for Udrih, the 35-year-old has aspirations of getting into coaching once his playing career is over, but he’s not ready to retire as a player quite yet, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

“I’m not there yet; I know I can still play, especially in a system that people know what I can do,” Udrih told Beard. “I’m a pick-and-roll player and I’ll make the right play and try to find open shots for my teammates or take the mid-range shot. … I still can play and I still want to play. If it doesn’t happen here, maybe somewhere else, and we’ll go from there.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Although the Bulls and Zach LaVine‘s representatives remained in communication, the two sides never really got close to working out a contract extension for LaVine before Monday’s deadline, says Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago. However, Goodwill reiterates what we’ve heard from other reporters, suggesting that the club has no intention of letting LaVine get away in restricted free agency next summer.
With so many new players to incorporate, the Cavaliers are anticipating “somewhat of a bumpy ride” early in the season, writes Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
One of those new arrivals is veteran guard Dwyane Wade, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at how the Cavaliers are accommodating the future Hall-of-Famer during his first season with the club.

Pistons Waive Beno Udrih

October 14th, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons have waived veteran point guard Beno Udrih, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Detroit had already trimmed its roster to 15 players plus a pair of two-way deals, so the decision to waive Udrih could pave the way for another move.

The 35-year-old spent one season with the Pistons after being claimed off waivers last October. Udrih appeared in 39 games in Detroit, averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 assists in 14.4 minutes per night. He will go back on waivers, putting him in a situation similar to last year, when the Heat released him just before the start of the season.

Udrih was a first-round pick by San Antonio in 2004. He has also played for the Kings, Bucks, Magic, Knicks and Grizzlies.

Pistons Re-Sign Beno Udrih, Finalize Camp Roster

September 25th, 2017 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have formally announced their training camp roster, confirming that 19 players will start the preseason with the club. In addition to the 16 players who were already officially under contract with the club, Detroit has announced the signings of point guard Beno Udrih, forward Derek Willis, and center Landry Nnoko.

The Pistons’ agreements with Willis and Nnoko were reported all the way back in July, so those moves have long been anticipated. However, the team’s deal with Udrih is new.

Udrih, 35, was a Piston last season, spending the year with the franchise after being claimed off waivers in the fall. The Slovenian guard provided some depth at the point, appearing in 39 games for Detroit and averaging 5.8 PPG to go along with 3.4 APG. As Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press tweets, Udrih has spent the offseason working out in Detroit, hoping to catch on with an NBA team.

Details of Udrih’s contract haven’t been reported, but I’d expect a non-guaranteed pact. If that’s the case, the Pistons would head into camp with 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, and Udrih, Willis, Nnoko, and Eric Moreland also vying for roster spots.

FA Rumors: Muhammad, Farmar, Mbah a Moute, Allen

July 12th, 2017 at 10:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks, Nets, Bucks, Knicks and Magic have all expressed interest in swingman Shabazz Muhammad, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Bulls are on that list as well, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. Muhammad became an unrestricted free agent last week when Minnesota pulled his qualifying offer to create enough cap room to sign Taj Gibson. He has been with the Wolves for all four of his NBA seasons and averaged 9.9 points in 78 games last year.

There’s more tonight on the free agent front:

Jordan Farmar is hoping to return to the NBA and spoke to Lakers coach Luke Walton today about a possible opportunity, Kennedy relays (Twitter link). The 30-year-old point guard played two games for the Kings in November of last season.
The Raptors have talked about making a play for former Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute, reports Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet (Twitter link).
The Clippers and Timberwolves are both considering Tony Allen, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Coaches Doc Rivers in L.A. and Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota have connections with Allen from their time with the Celtics.
Veteran point guard Beno Udrih is talking to several teams in Las Vegas, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Now 35, Udrih believes he can play for several more years. He got into 39 games with the Pistons last season.
Former Baylor standout Royce O’Neale is considering several NBA offers, according to Kyler (Twitter link). The 24-year-old forward went undrafted in 2015 and has been playing in Lithuania, but he has an NBA opt-out in his contract through July 20th.

Central Notes: Pistons, Pacers, Stephenson

April 18th, 2017 at 6:54pm CST by Austin Kent

After a disappointing 2016/17 campaign, the Pistons will look to shore up their three-point shooting. So says head coach Stan Van Gundy, at least. Aaron McMann of MLive wrote about Detroit’s goal heading into the offseason.

“We’ve got to shoot the ball better, there’s no question about that,” Van Gundy told the media following his exit interviews with Pistons players.

Not long after, he’d go on to complain about the team’s regression throughout the season, as has become somewhat of a custom for the Pistons bench boss.

“We just talked about that with our team. I think a lot of that can be internal development. [The Pistons] had virtually an entire roster that took a step back in that area this year.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers have brought about WNBA legend Tamika Catchings to serve as director of player programs and franchise development, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star tweets.
Prior to signing with the Pacers last month, Lance Stephenson was worked out by the Cavaliers. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes that the forward wasn’t offered a deal at the time because he was still recovering from a groin injury.
The general manager of the Cavaliers‘ D-League affiliate, Mike Gansey, was named the NBA D-League’s executive of the year according to a press release from the Canton Charge.
The Pistons had the seventh highest payroll in the NBA this year, so Brendan Savage of MLive took a good long look at the value of each player’s contract. Marcus Morris, Ish Smith and Beno Udrih were the only relative bargains.