Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Grizzlies Rumors

Odds & Ends: Clippers, Afflalo, Karl

June 15th, 2013 at 10:51pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Celtics–Clippers saga continues with Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski saying that Eric Bledsoe had been a part of discussions between the two teams until Saturday morning (Twitter). The Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett mentioned earlier that Doc Rivers might feel uncomfortable returning to the Celtics after this flirtation with the Clippers, but Wojnarowski said within the Celtics it hasn't been acrimonious between team and Doc (Twitter).

ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne thinks the Clippers should dare the Celtics to cut Paul Pierce (he's owed $15.3MM if he's not waived before June 30th), and see if Kevin Garnett and Rivers will really hold to their promise to only be moved from the Celtics as a tandem (Twitter). Shelburne goes on to cite an objective league source who proposed the Clippers keep DeAndre Jordan and Bledsoe, sign Pierce after he's waived, and trade Caron Butler and a pick for Garnett (Twitter).

Shelburne also says that the Clippers have been "shaking every tree" looking for a third star to complement Blake Griffin and Chris Paul if he re-signs this summer (Twitter). According to Shelburne, the Clippers have expressed interest in Danny Granger and Arron Afflalo already as a possible third threat on their roster.

Here are some more tidbits about the Clippers and Celtics as well as other teams around the league on this rumor-filled Saturday night with a huge game 5 in the NBA Finals tomorrow.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Latest On Grizzlies Coaching Search

June 15th, 2013 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

Former Nuggets coach George Karl will meet with Memphis brass tomorrow, followed by Dave Joerger on Tuesday, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).  They're certainly not the only two people vying for the job, however.  The Grizzlies met with former Suns coach Alvin Gentry about their head coaching vacancy yesterday and came away extremely impressed, the source says (link).

The Grizzlies granted Lionel Hollins permission to speak with other teams earlier this month and it wasn't a surprise earlier this week when they officially let him go.  Former Hollins assistant Joerger was said to be a frontrunner for the job, but he may have his work cut out for him after Gentry's strong showing and the legendary Karl in the mix.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Western Notes: Wolves, Mavericks, World Peace

June 13th, 2013 at 10:40pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes that the Timberwolves will likely trade either J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour by draft night. In the same piece, Zgoda notes that GM Flip Saunders is impressed with Victor Oladipo. Minnesota – currently slated to draft ninth overall – would have to swing a deal into the top five in order to have a chance at the former Hoosier star, though Zgoda doesn't think the team has enough assets to accomplish that. Here are more news and notes from the Western Conference tonight: 

  • The Grizzlies interviewed Ed Pinckney today and are another team among those monitoring Doc Rivers' situation with Boston, says USA Today's Sam Amick (Twitter links). 
  • While recalling the Mavericks' decision to break up their championship roster, coach Rick Carlisle described it as "gut-wrenching." This summer, Dallas will have another chance to reap the rewards from that tough decision, and Carlisle seems determined to get things done: "We're going to be active in free agency…We're an aggressive franchise by nature; our owner (Mark Cuban) is. And that's good. We're going to put together a good team" (A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com) 
  • Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been working out at the IMG Academy and reportedly looks great, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld. 
  • Matt Moore of CBS Sports isn't so sure George Karl would be a good fit with the current Grizzlies roster. Going off of reports that Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins are in the lead for the Nuggets' job, Moore thinks Shaw would be an ideal fit, whereas Hollins would have more of a challenge with Denver's youth. 
  • Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK explains why Mason Plumlee would be a solid pick for the Thunder with the 12th overall pick. 
  • Janis Carr of the OC Register (Subscribers only) takes a closer look at Mark Madsen's coaching opportunity with the Lakers' D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders.  
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

George Karl On Grizzlies, Clippers, Nuggets

June 13th, 2013 at 7:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

George Karl told reporters yesterday that he has been talking with the Grizzlies and Clippers about their head coaching jobs respectively. With that being said, the former Nuggets coach doesn't think that anything will get done by this week – and if it does, he says, it'll involve another head coaching candidate. Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post has other notable comments to share from Karl, of which you can read below: 

On his meeting with Josh Kroenke upon being let go: 

"Josh was nice and complimentary, said he'd honor my contract and the coaches. The conversation was on the decision, and I said, 'I think I should tell you, I think it's very stupid.' And since then, I don't understand it."

"I stopped myself — I could've rambled for two hours. I didn't want that argument. Basically I've had two meetings with Josh Kroenke. We met on Sunday (before the firing), and it lasted about an hour and I thought it was a positive meeting, very constructive, a lot of thoughts…I agree with them 100 percent that losing in the playoffs was disappointing and I could've done a better job. But Kenneth Faried (being hurt), he was never Faried the whole (playoff) series."

On the notion that he demanded a contract extension: 

"I didn't demand an extension — I said to Josh, 'I will coach this team next year, I'm excited about coaching this team next year, but in the last year of a contract, there are things that could happen. I didn't say they would happen, I said they could happen. I said I didn't think I deserved a three-year extension, but it's a signed contract (with an option), so let's compromise. I don't think I deserved to get my option picked up, even if we won in the first round (of the playoffs), but there's a middle ground."

On the argument that he didn't play young players: 

"…It shouldn't be that I didn't play young players, it's I didn't play young players enough, because we played a lot of young players — Kenneth Faried, Kosta Koufos, Evan Fournier at the end of the year, Ty Lawson…

"I think all of our young players are in a good place except for maybe Jordan Hamilton. He's the only guy I can say, 'OK, he might have should've been given more minutes.'

On not playing Javale McGee more and his lack of fit with Faried: 

"I'm sorry, I've never had management tell me that money's important (for playing time). Every team I've ever coached, it was, 'It's your job to distribute minutes.' I think JaVale built a foundation that next year is going to be very good with him. I don't think our relationship was in a bad place. It wasn't in a great place, but it wasn't in a bad place. … I felt pretty good that JaVale, with a good summer with us, probably would have been the starter next year. But in the same sense, I don't think JaVale and Kenneth fit. They have similar limitations. I still think having a passing point guard for JaVale, like Andre Miller, is an asset."

Thoughts on the Nuggets' season:

"We won 57 wins and are in a great place. Continuity, consistency, togetherness all are so much more valuable than they have on their priority list than playing JaVale McGee or the young players…And I never had a meeting where that disappointment (on not playing young players) was voiced to me. I never had that meeting. I heard through whispers. I'm sorry that 57 wins doesn't make you happy."

"I think it was a special season because of the connection this team has with each other and with the coaching staff and with the city. The fans like this team. The staff likes each other. And to blow up that connection is, in my opinion, extremely disrespectful to coaching."

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies To Interview Alvin Gentry, George Karl

June 13th, 2013 at 4:07pm CST by Michael Pina

THURSDAY, 4:07pm: The Grizzlies have an interview lined up with Karl for Monday, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that Karl is very interested in coaching the Grizz.

WEDNESDAY, 6:30pm: The Grizzlies are set to interview former Suns head coach Alvin Gentry on Friday, according to Yahoo! NBA reporter Marc J. Spears. Gentry was contacted by Memphis today and is set to meet with new owner Robert Pera and CEO Jason Levien in Washington D.C.

As was reported earlier today, along with Gentry, former Nuggets coach (and reigning Coach of the Year) George Karl and Bulls assistant coach Ed Pinckney are also being considered for the position.

Gentry has experience as the head coach with several teams, including the Suns, Heat, Clippers, and Pistons. His all-time record is 335-370. According to a tweet from ESPNLA.com's Ramona Shelburne, Gentry is also in the mix with the Nuggets.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies Rumors: Pinckney, Lee, Rivers

June 12th, 2013 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

While Dave Joerger is viewed as the favorite for the Grizzlies' head coaching job, it appears the team will explore plenty of other options before making a decision. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that Memphis has received permission to speak to Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney about the position, marking the first time this offseason that we've heard Pinckney's name come up in a head coaching search. Here's more on the Grizzlies:

  • In addition to Joerger and Pinckney, the Grizzlies have also spoken to George Karl and Alvin Gentry and intend to have them in for formal interviews, says Berger. The team isn't interested in Brian Shaw.
  • Memphis is also eyeing new faces for its front office, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who reports that the club has been granted permission to speak to Nets director of basketball operations Milton Lee. The Grizzlies are considering Lee for a senior executive position in the front office, and Amick adds that the decision to interview him is tied to Chris Wallace's uncertain future with the team.
  • Amick also has some updates on the coaching search, following up on Berger's report by confirming that Pinckney will meet Thursday with the Grizzlies.
  • The Grizzlies have not requested permission to speak to Doc Rivers, but the club would have "serious interest" if Rivers decided to step down as coach of the Celtics, says Amick. For now, Memphis is monitoring the situation in Boston.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Spurs, Nets, Pekovic, Muhammad

June 11th, 2013 at 11:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs blew out the Heat tonight, behind 51 combined points from Danny Green and Gary Neal. Though Green and Neal are American-born success stories, many of the Spurs' accomplishments have been built around players from overseas, as Seth Wickersham of ESPN The Magazine examines.  Foreign players are "fundamentally harder working than most American kids," Gregg Popovich says. GM R.C. Buford is similarly high on imports, as no team in the league has more players from outside the U.S. than the Spurs do. We'll see if San Antonio's global approach sparks copycats in the years to come, but in the meantime, here's the night's news from the Association:

  • The Nets, reportedly deciding between Brian Shaw and Jason Kidd for their next coach, want to make their choice by the end of the week, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The Nets can give Shaw, also in the hunt for the Clippers job, the more lucrative offer, Bondy adds, speculating that Shaw's interview may be little more than a courtesy, given how high Brooklyn is on Kidd.
  • Timberwolves president Flip Saunders had to cut short his meeting with Nikola Pekovic in Italy this past weekend, but the team still "badly" wants to re-sign their restricted free agent center, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. 
  • Shabazz Muhammad will work out for the Blazers, The Oregonian's Mike Tokito notes via Twitter.
  • Peyton Siva highlights a group of second-round hopefuls set to work out Thursday for the Grizzlies, reports Chris Vernon of  92.9 FM ESPN in Memphis (Twitter link). Julian Gamble, Jason Jones, Murphy Holloway, Jordan Aboudou and Romero Osby will also participate.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Dave Joerger Strong Favorite To Replace Hollins

June 10th, 2013 at 7:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies announced earlier tonight that Lionel Hollins would not be offered a new contract, with CEO Jason Levien saying in a statement: "We have begun to identify our next head coach, who we feel can best move us forward." According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, there's a good chance that next head coach is current assistant Dave Joerger.

This isn't the first time we've heard Joerger mentioned as a candidate to take over Hollins' job in Memphis, but Stein puts it in the strongest terms yet, tweeting that Joerger has been considered for weeks to be the "overwhelming favorite" for the job. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets a similar sentiment, saying it shouldn't be a surprise if Joerger is at the team's draft workout on Wednesday and is named the new head coach shortly thereafter.

If the Grizzlies don't end up promoting Joerger to replace Hollins, other candidates expected to receive consideration are ex-Nuggets coach George Karl and former Suns coach Alvin Gentry.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies Part Ways With Lionel Hollins

June 10th, 2013 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

7:00pm: The Grizzlies have confirmed in a press release that Hollins won't receive a new contract and that the team will begin searching for a new head coach.

"After a thorough internal process, which included conversations with Lionel and his representatives, we decided as an organization to move in a different direction," said CEO Jason Levien in a statement.

5:38pm: Lionel Hollins is out as the Grizzlies' head coach, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, who reports (via Twitter) that the team won't extend Hollins' contract.

With Hollins' contract set to expire at the end of June and an oft-mentioned "difference in philosophies" between the head coach and Memphis' new management, the team was expected to make a change this offseason. However, Hollins has repeatedly expressed a desire to return to the Grizzlies, and the two sides had been discussing the possibility of a new contract.

With Hollins now officially on the market, he becomes a more viable potential candidate for other teams searching for a head coach, such as the Clippers, Nets, and Nuggets. As for the Grizzlies, they reportedly have interest in former Nuggets coach George Karl, and could also promote assistant Dave Joerger to the head coaching role.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Heat, McGrady

June 8th, 2013 at 10:40pm CST by Spencer Lund

According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, the Grizzlies' current ownership is in a serendipitous position to save money by honoring a bizarre clause in some assistant coach contracts (Sulia link). Usually, the playoff winnings from the NBA are shared with a team's players and personnel after postseason success. But former owner Michael Heisley negotiated deals with some assistant coaches that awarded a flat bonus based on a small percentage of their regular salaries.

After the Grizzlies surprised many by reaching the Western Conference Finals, the resulting playoff shares are worth $70K or more, depending on how many shares the team elected to have. Under the Heisley terms, some assistant coaches are due only 1/7th of that amount. 

Current Grizzlies principal owner, Robert Pera, is under no obligation to stray from the deals the previous regime negotiated, but as Bucher points out "sometimes there is a divide between what is acceptable and what is right." In the grand scheme of things, it's a paltry sum to pay for assistants who may not be back next season and who helped guide a Rudy Gay–less Grizzlies team far into the tough Western Conference playoff bracket. 

With Lionel Hollins' future as the Grizzlies' head coach in doubt, a sign of good faith to his assistant coaches, who rightfully deserve a larger share of the playoff winnings than their current contract calls for, might be the move that tips the odds in favor of Hollins returning to the sidelines for the Grizzlies next season. 

Here are some other links from around this quiet NBA Saturday night before the Heat and Spurs do battle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals tomorrow:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts