Timberwolves To Interview Bucks’ Darvin Ham
The Timberwolves have added another name to the list of interviewees for their head coaching job, according to Jon Krawcznyski of The Athletic (Twitter link), who identifies Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as a candidate for the position.
Krawczynski doesn’t specify whether the Wolves have already requested and been granted permission to meet with Ham, but it sounds like he’s expected to interview with the club. Ham, who spent time with six NBA teams during his playing career, served as an assistant for the Lakers and Hawks before joining Mike Budenholzer‘s staff in Milwaukee.
Led by new president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, Minnesota is embarking on a search for a head coach, though the club hasn’t ruled out the possibility of retaining Ryan Saunders, who is still a “prominent” candidate.
In addition to Saunders and Ham, the Wolves are considering a list of contenders that includes Heat assistant Juwan Howard, Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool, and Pelicans assistant Chris Finch.
It remains to be seen how much further Minnesota’s search will expand, or what sort of timeline the team expects for its coaching hire. A report last Friday night indicated that the Wolves would make a decision on their head coach within 7-10 days, but that could have referred to the decision to open up the search beyond Saunders, rather than a final decision on a hire.
Timberwolves To Interview Pelicans’ Chris Finch
As part of their newly-launched head coaching search, the Timberwolves have been granted permission to interview Pelicans assistant Chris Finch for the position, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
We learned earlier today that new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has decided to open up the team’s head coaching search beyond interim coach Ryan Saunders. While Saunders remains a strong candidate for the full-time job, the team is also said to be meeting with Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool. We can now add Finch to that list of candidates too.
Although he’s currently part of the Pelicans’ staff, Finch’s longest-term role as an NBA assistant came in Houston from 2011-16. Rosas was part of the Rockets’ front office during that time, so he’s very familiar with the veteran assistant.
Finch was also the associate head coach in Denver for one season between his stints with the Rockets and Pelicans. Last year, he received interest from the Hornets and the Suns when they sought new head coaches.
Wolves Begin Head Coaching Search; Saunders Still ‘Prominent’ Candidate
Having settled into his new role in Minnesota, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has decided to launch a search for the club’s head coaching position, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Interim coach Ryan Saunders, who had widely been viewed as a strong bet to keep the job, will remain a “prominent” candidate, according to Wojnarowski, but the team will interview outside candidates as well. League sources tell Woj that Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool are among those will meet with the Wolves about the position.
Howard and Vanterpool have been popular targets so far this spring for teams making head coaching changes. Howard interviewed with the Lakers and Cavaliers, while Vanterpool has met with the Cavs and Suns.
[RELATED: 2019 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]
Wojnarowski reports that Howard is expected to meet with Rosas during this week’s draft combine, while Vanterpool will likely connect with Rosas later in the week.
As for Saunders, he has made a strong impression on team ownership since taking over for Tom Thibodeau on Minnesota’s bench during the 2018/19 season, according to Wojnarowski. Saunders has also impressed Rosas, having met with him for “a dozen or so hours” since the former Rockets exec was hired. Nonetheless, the Wolves want to consider all their options before simply handing the reins to Saunders on a permanent basis.
Timberwolves To Choose Coach In 7-10 Days
The Timberwolves will fill their head coaching position in the next 7-10 days, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
New president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has talked extensively with interim coach Ryan Saunders over the past three days but Rosas will continue to mull his options, according to Hine.
Their discussions have included the roster, style of play and player development. Rosas vowed to “question the norm” after getting named to the post.
Saunders might be a good fit with Rosas since he’s a firm believer in analytics. There are no other known candidates at this point.
The perception around the league after the season was that Saunders would have the interim tag removed. That hasn’t changed since Rosas took over, Hine continues.
After Saunders replaced Tom Thibodeau, the Wolves went 17-25 but Saunders forged strong relationships with top players Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. GM Scott Layden’s future with the team remains unknown, Hine adds.
Wolves Notes: Rosas, Front Office, Draft Workouts
Promising to question the norm with everything, new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas was introduced at a news conference on Monday while flanked by owner Glen Taylor and CEO Ethan Casson, writes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune.
Rosas was noncommittal about the status of interim head coach Ryan Saunders and general manager Scott Layden, but did say that he was looking forward to sitting down and visiting with them and talking about the organization.
As for the roster itself, Rosas stressed player development and being creative in maximizing talent. As an example, Rosas spoke about Andrew Wiggins, saying that the team is going to work him day in and day out, and that he still has a tremendous upside.
There’s more from Minneapolis this evening:
- According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, the Timberwolves hosted draft workouts for forward Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) and guard Jordan Geist (Missouri) on Tuesday.
- Per Britt Robson of The Athletic, it is widely expected that Saunders will progress from interim to official head coach, and that Layden will be retained in some fashion.
- In addition to his basketball credentials, Rosas emerged as the favorite for the top job in Minnesota for his ability to have a personal connection with Taylor, something the owner covets in his front office employees, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Draft Notes: Zion, Norvell, Ponds, Tinkle
There’s a ton at stake this offseason for many of the teams involved in next week’s draft lottery, but there’s plenty at stake for consensus top prospect Zion Williamson as well. As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, Kevin Pelton, and Bobby Marks outline in an Insider-only article, not every team that has a shot at Williamson would be an ideal fit for him.
In the view of ESPN’s insiders, the Hawks, Mavericks, and Pelicans would be the most preferable landing spots for Williamson. The opportunity to play with up-and-coming play-makers – Trae Young in Atlanta, or Luka Doncic in Dallas – would help unlock Williamson’s potential.
On the other hand, ESPN’s panel doesn’t consider the Lakers, Bulls, and Sixers great fits for Williamson. Spacing is the primary concern for the Lakers and Sixers, and it’s unclear how a pairing with Joel Embiid would work. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine‘s ball dominance and Jim Boylen‘s “outdated” offense are viewed as red flags.
Here are several more draft-related notes:
- Gonzaga sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. told reporters today that he intends to keep his name in the 2019 NBA draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Norvell was one of 66 prospects announced on Wednesday as a 2019 draft combine participant.
- St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds, another one of those 66, has workouts lined up with the Warriors, Bulls, Kings, Jazz, Celtics, and Mavericks, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Ponds is ranked as the No. 51 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
- After working out for Utah and Philadelphia, Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle has auditions this week with the Raptors, Celtics, and Hornets, and will work out for the Hawks next week, writes Nick Daschel of The Oregonian.
- After turning in an impressive performance at the Portsmouth Invitational, forward Jarrell Brantley (Charleston) has workouts lined up with 10 teams, including the Celtics, Nets, Timberwolves, Hornets, and Clippers, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
NBA Announces 2019 Draft Lottery Representatives
With the NBA’s 2019 draft lottery set to take place next Tuesday night, the league has now officially confirmed who will represent each team on stage and in the lottery room on May 14.
While there are only 14 picks in the lottery – including four determined by the drawings of ping pong balls – there will be 15 team representatives in attendance due to various trades. The full breakdown of each club’s odds in this year’s lottery can be found right here.
[RELATED: Four More-Likely-Than-Not Draft Lottery Outcomes]
Here’s the full list of 2019 lottery representatives, with each team sending two reps — one will be in the lottery room during the actual draw, while the other will be on stage for the broadcast portion of the event.
- New York Knicks
- On stage: Patrick Ewing (former player)
- Lottery room: Allan Houston (special assistant to the GM)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
- On stage: Patrick Ewing (former player)
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- On stage: Nick Gilbert (son of team owner)
- Lottery room: Brock Aller (senior director of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
- Phoenix Suns
- On stage: Deandre Ayton
- Lottery room: Jim Pitman (CFO)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
- On stage: Deandre Ayton
- Chicago Bulls
- On stage: Horace Grant (special advisor to president/COO)
- Lottery room: Joey Reinsdorf (son of president/COO)
- Top-four odds: 48.0%
- Atlanta Hawks
- On stage: Jami Gertz (co-owner)
- Lottery room: Michelle Leftwich (VP, salary cap administration)
- Top-four odds: 42.1%
- Note: The Hawks will also land a second lottery pick if the Mavericks’ pick doesn’t move into the top four.
- Washington Wizards
- On stage: Raul Fernandez (vice chairman)
- Lottery room: Tommy Sheppard (senior VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 37.2%
- New Orleans Pelicans
- On stage: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
- Lottery room: David Griffin (executive VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
- On stage: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
- Memphis Grizzlies
- On stage: Elliot Perry (minority owner / director of player support)
- Lottery room: Zach Kleiman (executive VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
- Note: The Grizzlies will lose their pick if it falls outside of the top eight (42.6% chance).
- Dallas Mavericks
- On stage: Cynthia Marshall (CEO)
- Lottery room: Keith Grant (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
- Note: The Mavericks will lose their pick if it doesn’t move into the top four.
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- On stage: Gersson Rosas (president of basketball operations)
- Lottery room: Brad Ruiter (VP of communications)
- Top-four odds: 13.9%
- On stage: Gersson Rosas (president of basketball operations)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- On stage: Kyle Kuzma
- Lottery room: Rob Pelinka (GM)
- Top-four odds: 9.4%
- On stage: Kyle Kuzma
- Charlotte Hornets
- On stage: James Borrego (head coach)
- Lottery room: Buzz Peterson (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 4.8%
- Miami Heat
- On stage: Alonzo Mourning (VP, player programs)
- Lottery room: Andy Elisburg (senior VP of basketball operations / GM)
- Top-four odds: 4.8%
- Boston Celtics
- On stage: Rich Gotham (president)
- Lottery room: Mike Zarren (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 3.8%
- Note: The Celtics will receive the Grizzlies’ pick if it falls outside of the top eight and the Kings’ pick if it falls between 2-14.
- Philadelphia 76ers
- On stage: Chris Heck (president)
- Lottery room: Ian Hillman (VP, strategy & analytics)
- Top-four odds: 1.0%
- Note: The Sixers will only receive a pick if the Kings’ first-rounder jumps up to No. 1.
- On stage: Chris Heck (president)
Gersson Rosas Wows Timberwolves With Knowledge Of Franchise
- Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson has nothing but high praise for recent franchise hire Gersson Rosas, Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune writes. Rosas impressed the organization with a detailed vision not only for a generic basketball franchise but for the Timberwolves in particular. Beyond the team’s current roster, Rosas had a deep understanding of the team’s history and marketplace.
Timberwolves Notes: Rosas, Saunders, Layden
With the Timberwolves set to hire Gersson Rosas as their new president of basketball operations, the next issue to address will be determining who will coach the team next season.
Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune contends that Ryan Saunders didn’t show enough during his stretch as the Wolves’ interim head coach to lock him into the job going forward, arguing that Saunders should instead be offered the head coaching position for Minnesota’s G League affiliate in Des Moines. That would give him the opportunity to show his potential to lead an NBA team, while allowing Rosas to hand-pick his own coach to lead the Timberwolves.
However, that doesn’t appear to be a likely scenario at this point. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes that Rosas has a “long-standing connection” with Saunders, and while nothing has been finalized in regard to his future, Saunders is widely expected to be named the Wolves’ permanent head coach. Virtually all of Minnesota’s players – including star Karl-Anthony Towns – would be on board with that move, per Krawczynski.
As we wait to see what happens with Saunders, here are a few more notes out of Minnesota:
- The Wolves’ initial plan after interviewing four candidates for their president of basketball operations vacancy had been to trim the field to two finalists before making a decision, according to Krawczynski. However, Rosas stood out to such a degree that the team ultimately decided to simply go with him.
- Minnesota liked Rosas’ polished presentation and the success he had in Houston, and believes he’s someone who is capable of uniting all levels of the organization, sources tell Krawczynski. Rosas also received some strong recommendations during the vetting process, including a glowing review from former Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale, who worked with the veteran exec in Houston.
- Rosas briefly left the Rockets in 2013 to become the Mavericks’ GM, but returned to Houston after just three months when both sides decided the fit wasn’t right. According to Krawczynski, Rosas didn’t have the level of control he expected in Dallas, with Donnie Nelson and Mark Cuban still calling the shots. That shouldn’t be an issue in Minnesota, where he’ll be unquestionably be running the show.
- It’s not clear yet whether GM Scott Layden will be retained, per Krawczynski. Layden still has two years and $4MM left on his contract and has a reputation for being team-oriented, so Krawczynski believes he may stick with the Wolves in some capacity.
Wolves To Hire Gersson Rosas As President Of Basketball Operations
The Timberwolves are moving forward with plans to hire Rockets executive Gersson Rosas as their new president of basketball operations, league sources tell Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms as much, tweeting that Rosas will assume control of Minnesota’s front office.
Rosas has spent the better part of two decades with the Rockets, most recently serving as the team’s executive vice president of basketball ops. A close associate of general manager Daryl Morey, Rosas had a brief stint as the Mavericks’ general manager in 2013 but returned to Houston shortly thereafter when things didn’t pan out in Dallas.
Rosas has been a popular target in recent years for teams with openings in their front office. He was reportedly considered for top jobs in Charlotte, Detroit, and Philadelphia in 2018. This spring, he interviewed with the Pelicans and Wizards in addition to the Wolves. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Rosas met with Minnesota for a second time today in an interview that included owner Glen Taylor.
Heading into 2018/19, head coach Tom Thibodeau held the president of basketball operations title for the Wolves, but general manager Scott Layden assumed control of the front office when Thibodeau was fired during the season.
Now that he’s being hired to lead Minnesota’s front office, Rosas will have a hand in determining Layden’s future, as well as that of head coach Ryan Saunders. The Wolves reportedly prefer to bring back both men.
Once he sorts out the Wolves’ front office and coaching staff, Rosas will turn his attention to what figures to be a challenging offseason. Minnesota doesn’t project to have cap room this summer after missing the playoffs in 2018/19, and big contracts for Andrew Wiggins ($27.5MM), Jeff Teague ($19MM), and Gorgui Dieng ($16.2MM) remain on the club’s books.
The Timberwolves also interviewed ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups, Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth, and Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon for their president of basketball operations vacancy.