Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Coaching Rumors: Nuggets, Donovan, Cheeks

June 9th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Michael Malone‘s candidacy for the Nuggets head coaching job is gathering momentum, but an increasing number of coaches around the league envision interim coach Melvin Hunt getting the position, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. In any case, it appears that Denver is drawing closer to a hire, as it’s believed that the team would like to have its new coach help with draft prep, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Here’s more coaching news from around the NBA:

Mike Miller lauded Billy Donovan‘s demeanor, preparation and communication when Kevin Durant asked him about the incoming Thunder head coach, as Miller tells Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Miller makes it clear he harbors no shortage of affection for his college coach, saying to Slater that it will be “very weird” to go against Donovan in the NBA. Miller wouldn’t necessarily have to do so if he declines his player option, worth nearly $2.855MM, and signs with the Thunder this summer, of course, but the Cavs reserve didn’t suggest that such a scenario was on his mind.
The Thunder are increasingly serious about rehiring Maurice Cheeks as an assistant coach, according to Stein, who notes the strong relationship between Cheeks and Russell Westbrook (Twitter links). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first identified Cheeks as a possible candidate for an assistant’s job in Oklahoma City, a role that would reprise the one he filled from 2009/10 to 2012/13.
Remaining with the Magic to serve as an assistant under Scott Skiles remains a “strong option” for James Borrego, Stein also reports (Twitter link). Borrego, who was Orlando’s interim coach and a candidate to remain in the head coaching position on a long-term basis before the Skiles hire, has drawn interest from the Pelicans and had talks with the Thunder about assistant coaching jobs, as Stein previously reported.

Western Notes: Wolves, Lakers, Kings, Nuggets

June 8th, 2015 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Coach/executive Flip Saunders didn’t give too many hints about whom the Timberwolves are leaning toward drafting with the No. 1 overall pick, telling Chris Mannix of SI.com that they haven’t made up their minds yet. Saunders did insist that he’d draft for talent rather than positional fit and that he’s not worried that top prospects will try to dissuade the team from picking them so that the Lakers can snap them up with the second pick instead.

“I have had contact with most of the top players and all they talk about is wanting to be the No. 1 pick and basically explaining why they should,” Saunders said. “We have an enticing situation. The enticing situation that we have is that we have got some great youth, as I said with [Andrew] Wiggins, a potential top-five player in this league, we have a great point guard in [Ricky] Rubio, we’ll get him back healthy, we have got a great mentor and still a pretty good player in [Kevin] Garnett that we hope to sign in July. We have a lot of things moving in the right direction. We just opened up a $29MM practice facility. We have a $160MM renovation of our arena starting in about a year. We have a lot of positive things. When we get people here and they can see what we have going on a little bit, it will sell the situation even more.”

Notable among the core players that Saunders mentioned is Rubio, a rumored trade candidate, lending further credence to the notion that the point guard will stick in Minnesota this summer, an outcome Rubio has made clear that he’d prefer. There’s more from Saunders amid the latest from around the Western Conference:

Saunders confirmed that the Wolves expect to re-sign Garnett in free agency this summer and said that while he’s evaluating head coaching candidates, he has no intention of relinquishing his bench duties for now, as Mannix also relays.
The Lakers are working out UMass big man Cady LaLanne today, as league sources told Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops and as the Lakers confirmed (Twitter links). Boston College combo guard Olivier Hanlan, Kentucky shooting guard Aaron Harrison, Arizona small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Texas combo forward Jonathan Holmes and LSU power forward Jordan Mickey are also showing off for the Lakers in the group audition, according to the team.
Willie Cauley-Stein and Cameron Payne will work out Thursday for the Kings, the team announced. Payne had been expected to work out with Sacramento, which at pick No. 6 appears to be his ceiling. The Kings, along with the Pacers, are reportedly the teams with the most interest in Cauley-Stein.
The Nuggets are expected to work out Justise Winslow on Wednesday, tweets Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.

Northwest Notes: Harrell, Batum, Jokic, Ollie

June 8th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Montrezl Harrell is a dangerous force around the basket, but it’s the former Louisville power forward’s improving midrange game that would make him attractive to the Jazz at pick No. 12, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News examines. He’d certainly already have been drafted by the time Utah’s other picks, at Nos. 42 and 54, come up, Genessy notes. Harrell worked out for the team Sunday. Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

Nicolas Batum envisions someday returning to play in France to finish his career, mentioning Le Mans and Caen as preferred destinations to Alexandre Lacoste of BeBasket.fr (translation via HoopsHype). Of course, that probably won’t be for a while, since Batum is only 26 even as he’s set to enter the final season of his contract with the Trail Blazers.
Draft-and-stash prospect Nikola Jokic has his sights set on joining the Nuggets, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. Pick reported last month that Jokic was holding out for a long-term deal from Denver, but it appears as though the center who plays for Mega Leks in his native Serbia is nonetheless enthusiastic about joining the NBA team that selected him 41st overall last year.
The Thunder and Kevin Ollie never engaged in formal talks about the Connecticut coach taking the Oklahoma City job, as Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant writes. There nonetheless appeared to be some contact, as Ollie was reportedly the team’s No. 1 target and apparently listened to overtures before pulling out of the running.

Malone Gets Second Interview With Nuggets

June 7th, 2015 at 6:17pm CST by Will Joseph

Michael Malone has landed a second interview with the Nuggets for their head coaching vacancy, tweets ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, who cites sources. Stein also tweets that he expects Mike D’Antoni to secure a second interview with the team, and that interim coach Melvin Hunt remains firmly in the mix to keep the job on a full-time basis. It is not clear when Malone’s second interview with the Nuggets will take place.

The Nuggets initially interviewed Malone, primarily known as a defensive coach, on Tuesday. Malone was fired as coach of the Kings in December. Malone’s regular season coaching record with the Kings was 39-67.

Hunt reportedly emerged as the front-runner to land the job on a more permanent basis in late May. Denver interviewed D’Antoni, who is known for running up-tempo offenses, on Tuesday as well. The Nuggets received permission to interview Wizards assistant Don Newman, who has been an NBA assistant coach for 16 NBA seasons, on Thursday. It also appears Denver is in line to interview Clippers assistant coach Mike Woodson. The Nuggets have the league’s only remaining coaching vacancy.

Draft Notes: Kaba, Nuggets, Rozier

June 7th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Alpha Kaba is expected to withdraw his name from the draft, sources informed NBADraft.net (Twitter link). The 6’10”, 19-year-old forward from France has participated in a number of NBA workouts in recent weeks, including the Celtics, Lakers and Sixers. Kaba, who is at the adidas Eurocamp this weekend, according to NBADraft.net, played for Espoirs Pau-Orthez in the French league last season and averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. Apparently, being ranked a second-round prospect was not enticing enough for him to leave Europe. Kaba is currently rated No. 42 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s list of Top 100 Draft Prospects and No. 44 by DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony.

In other news around the league:

The Nuggets will hold a solo workout for Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein on Monday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. Denver owns the No. 7 overall selection in the draft and Cauley-Stein could be an intriguing frontcourt option to pair with either center Jusuf Nurkic or power forward Kenneth Faried. Cauley-Stein has already worked out for the Lakers, who hold the No. 2 pick, and is scheduled to work out with the Knicks on June 16.
Louisville’s Terry Rozier has strengthened his status as a first-round pick, Spears reports in a separate tweet. As many as 17 teams have either worked out or are scheduled to work out Rozier, as we noted late last month. Ford has Rozier ranked No. 27 in his Top 100, putting him on the fringes of the first round, but the 6’2” point guard is rated as second-round material at No. 50 by Givony.

Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Jazz, Nuggets

June 4th, 2015 at 5:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, a report surfaced indicating that Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge had put his Portland area home up for sale. Apparently, that is not the case. Yes, the house is up for sale, but the 29-year-old free agent isn’t the owner. It turns out that the West Linn, Oregon home is actually owned by former Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire and Aldridge was simply renting it, as John Canzano of The Oregonian writes. Stoudamire later confirmed as much on Twitter [sic]:

“eating lunch and my house in West Linn comes across the screen. Don’t know if LA is leaving PO but, thx for the pub! #4sale,” Stoudamire wrote.

While Blazers fans calm down a bit, let’s take a look at more news out of the Northwest Division..

The Jazz have a greater chance at bringing over Tibor Pleiss next year than Ante Tomic, ESPN700’s Andy Larsen tweets. However, it’s also possible that both players make the jump or that neither player does. Larsen notes that what Utah does with both players is very much dependent on who they draft (link). There won’t be much room for both players if they draft a big man at No. 12 later this month.
The Jazz formally announced on Twitter that they will work out six prospects on Friday. That group includes SMU center Yanick Moreira, UNC Asheville center Jaleel Roberts, Kentucky guard Aaron Harrison, Maryland guard/forward Dez Wells, N.C. State guard Trevor Lacey, and St. John’s guard Phil Greene. Hoops Rumors spoke with Greene and his former coach Steve Lavin recently about the guard’s NBA prospects. Greene is represented by veteran NBA agent Keith Kreiter.
In a press release, the Nuggets announced that they will audition seven players on Friday. The morning group will feature forward Darion Atkins (Virginia), guard Devin Booker (Kentucky), forward Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), guard Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), guard Pierria Henry (Charlotte), and guard/forward SirDominic Pointer (St. John’s).
The Blazers‘ second pre-draft workout includes Henry, George de Paula, Chris Walker, Joshua Smith, and Seth Tuttle, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (on Twitter). As previously reported, Jarell Martin will also be a participant.

Nuggets Interview Michael Malone

June 4th, 2015 at 4:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

4:26pm: In a full article, Stein writes that Malone’s interview took place on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday.

12:15pm: The Nuggets’ search for their next head coach continues, and the latest person to interview for the post is Michael Malone, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Malone sat down with Denver’s front office personnel on Tuesday, Stein notes. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the Nuggets’ potential interest in Malone.

Denver’s interest in Malone is curious given the team’s reported plan to run a faster-paced offense next season, and the former Kings coach being known primarily as a defensive coach. The desire to implement a more up tempo offensive attack was one of the primary reasons Sacramento fired Malone and eventually replaced him with George Karl. Malone’s regular season coaching record with the Kings was 39-67.

Interim coach Melvin Hunt, who was reported to have emerged as the front-runner to land the post on a more permanent basis, still reportedly remains a strong contender for the position. Denver has also interviewed Mike D’Antoni, and team management could sit down with Clippers assistant Mike Woodson in the near future to discuss the opening. The Nuggets are “not an option” for former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com a few weeks ago.

Nuggets Interview Don Newman

June 4th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nuggets received permission to interview Wizards assistant Don Newman, and GM Tim Connelly discussed the franchise’s vacant head coaching position with him this week, Shams Charania of RealGM reports. Newman has been an NBA assistant coach for 16 NBA seasons, including an eight-year stretch with the Spurs where he developed a reputation as a strong defensive coach, Charania notes.

It seems as if Denver has changed gears after reportedly having designs on landing an offensive-minded coach who could revamp the team’s attack. The Wizards ranked tenth overall this past season in points allowed (8021), and second in field goal percentage allowed (.433). Both are areas that Newman’s coaching had a direct influence on, Charania notes. The franchise also reportedly interviewed former Kings coach Michael Malone this week, and Malone is also known primarily for his defensive acumen.

Other names reportedly in the mix for Denver’s head coaching vacancy are Mike D’Antoni, Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, and interim coach Melvin Hunt, who had been considered the front-runner to land the post on a more permanent basis.

Nuggets Interview Mike D’Antoni, Eye Malone

June 3rd, 2015 at 5:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mike D’Antoni met with the Nuggets on Tuesday regarding their head coaching position, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Denver’s post is the lone remaining coaching vacancy in the NBA now that Fred Hoiberg is in place in Chicago, Scott Skiles is on the job in Orlando, and Alvin Gentry has been hired to lead the Pelicans. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported that D’Antoni would be a potential target of Denver’s.

While D’Antoni’s fast-paced offensive style fits perfectly into what Denver wishes to transition to, interim coach Melvin Hunt, who was reported to have emerged as the front-runner to land the post on a more permanent basis, still remains a strong contender for the position, Wojnarowski adds. Also reported to be in the mix for Denver’s coaching billet is former Hawks and Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who could land an interview in the near future, and former Kings coach Michael Malone, who has had conversations with GM Tim Connelly, and Malone could warrant an interview as well, Wojnarowski notes.

D’Antoni, 64, spent less than a season as the interim head coach with the Nuggets during the 1998/99 campaign, and he has also been a head coach for the Suns, Knicks , and the Lakers. Through 881 career regular season contests his record is 455-426, with a postseason mark of 26-33.

Nuggets To Interview Mike Woodson?

June 3rd, 2015 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

Former Hawks and Knicks coach Mike Woodson “could” be the next candidate to interview for the Nuggets coaching vacancy, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe hears (Twitter link). It’s not clear what’s at the root of any uncertainty about whether Woodson will speak with Denver officials, but it nonetheless doesn’t appear as though Washburn is just speculating. Magic GM Rob Hennigan last month reportedly interviewed Woodson, now a Clippers assistant coach, for the Orlando job that instead went to Scott Skiles.

The Nuggets would like to hire a coach prior to the June 25th draft, GM Tim Connelly said at the beginning of the team’s coaching search, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post notes. Interim coach and player favorite Melvin Hunt is reportedly the front-runner to keep the job, though Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote a couple of weeks ago that Mike D’Antoni remained in the mix. Michael Malone and Blazers assistant David Vanterpool were other contenders that Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports identified in April, though there hasn’t been much connecting either of them to the Nuggets since. The Nuggets are “not an option” for Tom Thibodeau, sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com a couple of weeks ago.

Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling wrote last week that D’Antoni had yet to interview for the Nuggets job when he reported the news that Hunt is the favorite. Woodson, a year removed from his time as Knicks coach, is the first identified candidate other than Hunt who appears to be in line for an interview with Denver.