New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

David Fizdale Notes: Assistants, Reactions, More

May 4th, 2018 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

With David Fizdale and the Knicks in agreement on a four-year contract that will make the former Grizzlies coach the new head man in New York, Fizdale will now be tasked with filling out his coaching staff.

Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com recently suggested that Fizdale could recruit some of his old Grizzlies assistants to join him elsewhere, and Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News agrees with that assessment, tweeting that a list of potential Knicks assistants should start with Bob Bender, Keith Smart, and Nick Van Exel.

Meanwhile, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype attempts to identify a few more candidates to join the Knicks as assistants, including Juwan Howard, who spent plenty of time with Fizdale in Miami.

Here are a few more items related to the Knicks’ decision to hire Fizdale:

An NBA source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that the Knicks are prepared to open cap room this summer in the event that LeBron James shows any interest in heading to New York. While Fizdale has a good relationship with James and it may technically be possible for the Knicks to create cap space, that scenario is an extreme long shot. As Mitch Lawrence of Forbes writes, the Knicks hope Fizdale’s popularity among NBA players with help them in free agency, but they’re probably looking ahead at least to the 2019 market.
Before he accepted a four-year offer from the Knicks, Fizdale turned down a four-year offer from the Suns to become their new head coach, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.
There has been no shortage of praise for the Knicks’ decision to go with Fizdale. As Marc Berman of The New York Post relays, ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups referred to Fizdale as the “best coach on the market,” while Jalen Rose called him the “right fit” for the Knicks. Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post agrees that Fizdale is the right man for the job, and Enes Kanter told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic that he likes the ex-Grizzlies coach “a lot.”
Still, not everyone is bullish on the Knicks’ hire. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports believes the optimism on Fizdale is misplaced, arguing that there are still too many issues within the Knicks’ organization to expect success from any new head coach.
Ian Begley of ESPN.com takes a look at the next steps for Fizdale and the Knicks as they attempt to turn the page on years of dysfunction.

David Fizdale Agrees To Become Knicks Head Coach

May 3rd, 2018 at 4:46pm CST by marksuleymanov

David Fizdale has agreed to a deal to become the Knicks’ new head coach, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Fizdale will sign a four-year deal with New York, Wojnarowski adds.

Fizdale was a popular head coaching candidate this spring, as the Magic, Hawks, Suns, and Hornets interviewed him for their vacancies. As it turns out, Fizdale recently turned down an offer from Phoenix to become the Suns’ head coach because he wanted the Knicks’ job, per ESPN’s Marc J. Spears.

The Knicks fired Jeff Hornacek at the end of the regular season, ending his two-year stint as head coach. Despite having another year left on his deal, Hornacek was the odd man out as the team’s new regime of president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry rebuild the franchise.

We relayed yesterday that Fizdale had gained serious traction to become the Knicks’ next head coach. Fizdale was among 11 candidates that New York considered throughout the process. Former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, and former Warriors coach and analyst Mark Jackson were reportedly finalists.

Fizdale will become the Knicks’ 11th head coach since the 2001/02 campaign, ESPN’s Ian Begley notes. New York is seeking stability in the role and the organization hopes the 43-year-old Fizdale can provide it. As part of his new job, Fizdale is expected to travel to Latvia soon to meet with Kristaps Porzingis, Wojnarowkski noted.

Fizdale coached the Grizzlies to a 43-39 record during the 2016/17 campaign, but the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Fizdale was relieved of his duties 19 games into this season as Memphis struggled to win while the head coach’s relationship with All-Star Marc Gasol reportedly deteriorated.

Before he joined the Grizzlies, Fizdale served as an assistant coach with the Warriors, Hawks, and Heat. He was part of the Heat organization for eight seasons, helping the team reach four NBA Finals, winning two of them. Despite his issues with Gasol in Memphis, Fizdale had been endorsed by several of his former players, including future Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade.

“He’s a phenomenal coach — everyone has seen that in the job he was able to do in Memphis [last season],’’ Wade said. “I definitely think his name will be in the running for a lot of jobs. He’s going to bring to a team his work ethic, a great offensive-minded coach, but has defensive principles from Miami [president] Pat Riley has installed in every coach that’s come here.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks Interview Jay Larranaga

May 3rd, 2018 at 11:42am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga recently interviewed for the head coaching position with the Hawks, tweets ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. We passed along Atlanta’s interest in Larranaga earlier this week, and it appears the organization was able to quickly work out the details of an interview.

The field of candidates has become crowded after the Hawks parted ways with Mike Budenholzer last week. Nate Tibbetts, David Fizdale, Jarron Collins, Darvin Ham and Stephen Silas have all either interviewed or have interviews scheduled. Atlanta is also rumored to have interest in Spurs assistants Ime Udoka and James Borrego.

In addition to his playoff duties with the Celtics, Larranaga has been busy on the interview circuit, Forsberg adds. He met with the Knicks and reportedly made a strong impression during his interview with the Hornets.

Keep up with all the latest coaching developments with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Woodson Willing To Serve As Assistant To Fizdale With Knicks

May 3rd, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Woodson is among 11 candidates who interviewed for the Knicks’ head coaching job, but he would be happy as an assistant if David Fizdale is hired, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Fizdale is reportedly among the favorites, along with Mike Budenholzer and David Blatt, as the Knicks get closer to a decision. Woodson is currently the top assistant with the Clippers, but Doc Rivers isn’t certain to return next season and Woodson said he would listen if offered a similar post under Fizdale in New York.

“I love David. I gave him his first job on the bench — I know he worked one season before in Golden State,” he said. “We’re very close. I’m sure he would call.’’

Fizdale, who is set to interview with the Magic, has also talked to the Hornets and Hawks, along with the Suns, who will fill their vacancy with Igor Kokoskov. Fizdale spent four seasons as Woodson’s assistant in Atlanta and they share an agent, so they have a good working relationship.

If Fizdale does come to New York, he may not have access to all the assistants he had in Memphis, which decided to keep interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Berman adds. That group is made up of Keith Smart, Bob Bender, Nick Van Exel, Greg Buckner and Adam Mazarei. Heat assistant Juwan Howard, who worked with Fizdale in Miami and interviewed for the Knicks’ opening as well, could be a candidate for Fizdale’s staff.

Woodson called his interview with Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry a “great meeting,” adding that “everyone’s just waiting.”

David Fizdale Gaining Traction In Knicks’ HC Search

May 2nd, 2018 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

5:24pm: Per Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Fizdale has gained serious traction in the Knicks’ search for their next head coach.

In his story, Charania adds that while the Knicks interviewed a wide array of candidates for their vacant head-coaching position, Fizdale emerged as a leading candidate immediately after the Knicks fired Jeff Hornacek.

There is still no agreement between Fizdale and the Knicks.

11:37am: The Knicks appear to be getting closer to a decision on their new head coach, and Mike Budenholzer, David Blatt, and David Fizdale are among the candidates believed to receiving the strongest consideration, according to multiple reports.

NBA columnist Mitch Lawrence (Twitter link) hears from team sources that Budenholzer is a finalist, and adds that Blatt and Fizdale were “locks” to get at least this far in the process. Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) singles out those three candidates as well, suggesting they’re viewed as “prime contenders” for the Knicks’ head coaching job.

According to Stein (Twitter link), one other interesting wrinkle in the Knicks’ coaching search involves Mark Jackson, who has received a “strong behind-the-scenes push” from Rich Kleiman. In addition to being Kevin Durant’s longtime business partner, Kleiman is a lifelong Knicks fan who is close with both Jackson and team president Steve Mills.

In total, the Knicks’ list of interviewees included at least 11 names, as we detailed on Tuesday. However, it’s unlikely that all of those candidates are still in the running.

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: New York Knicks

May 2nd, 2018 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

While their $72MM investment in Joakim Noah back in 2016 stands out as the Knicks’ worst use of cap room in recent years, the team’s use of its space in 2017 was also questionable — a massive offer sheet for Tim Hardaway Jr. ate up most of New York’s flexibility, and the club’s room exception went to Ron Baker. A year later, the Knicks won’t have as much money to spend, and that should be just fine. With Kristaps Porzingis‘ recovery from a torn ACL expected to sideline him for the start of the 2018/19 season, New York shouldn’t be focused on win-now moves in the coming months.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Knicks financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Joakim Noah ($18,530,000)
Tim Hardaway Jr. ($17,325,000)
Courtney Lee ($12,253,780)
Lance Thomas ($7,119,650)
Kristaps Porzingis ($5,697,054)
Emmanuel Mudiay ($4,294,480)
Frank Ntilikina ($4,155,720)
Damyean Dotson ($1,378,242)
Total: $70,753,926

Player Options

Enes Kanter ($18,622,514)
Ron Baker ($4,544,400)
Kyle O’Quinn ($4,256,250)
Total: $27,423,164

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Trey Burke ($1,795,015)¹
Troy Williams ($1,544,951)²
Total: $3,339,966

Restricted Free Agents

None

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

No. 9 overall pick ($3,708,089)³
Michael Beasley ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Jarrett Jack ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
Total: $6,707,485

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

There are a number of variables in play when it comes to cap space for the Knicks. Our projection assumes that Kanter and Baker will pick up their player options and that the team will retain all 10 players currently under contract – including the non-guaranteed deals – along with its first-round pick. Combining all those cap hits would take team salary to almost exactly $101MM.
There are scenarios in which the Knicks could create room. Kanter opting out and not re-signing would remove $18.6MM+ from the team’s books, and waiving and stretching Noah would trim team salary by another $11MM or so. Still, I think the Knicks are more likely to make an effort to open up cap space in 2019 than in 2018.

Footnotes:

Burke’s salary becomes guaranteed for $100K after July 10 and guaranteed for $400K after the first game of the 2018/19 regular season.
Williams’ exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
The Knicks are ninth in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking as high as No. 1 ($8,095,595) and as low as No. 12 ($3,179,248).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Current Regime Takes Different Approach

May 1st, 2018 at 9:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry have taken a much more thorough, well-thought-out approach to their coaching search, unlike predecessor Phil Jackson, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The amount of candidates interviewed has reached double digits and the duo has traveled across the country and over the Atlantic Ocean in order to find the right fit, Berman continues. They don’t pretend to know everything and that’s a stark contrast to Jackson, who stopped listening and learning, according to Berman.

Knicks Interview Mike Brown, Aim To Hire New Coach Soon

May 1st, 2018 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have completed their interviews for their head coaching vacancy, and will huddle this week to attempt to reach a consensus on Jeff Hornacek‘s replacement, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Woj, the club hopes to have a new head coach hired by the end of the week.

As Wojnarowski details, the Knicks conducted one final interview in addition to the meetings that have already been reported, speaking to Warriors assistant Mike Brown about their head coaching position. That brings New York’s list of reported candidates to 11 names. They are as follows, in alphabetical order:

David Blatt (former Cavaliers head coach)
James Borrego (Spurs assistant)
Mike Brown (Warriors assistant; former Cavaliers head coach)
Mike Budenholzer (former Hawks head coach)
David Fizdale (former Grizzlies head coach)
Juwan Howard (Heat assistant)
Mark Jackson (ESPN analyst; former Warriors head coach)
Jay Larranaga (Celtics assistant)
Kenny Smith (TNT analyst)
Jerry Stackhouse (Raptors 905 head coach)
Mike Woodson (Clippers assistant; former Knicks head coach)

Budenholzer and Blatt have generated the most buzz as potential targets for the Knicks, while Fizdale, Stackhouse, and Jackson were initially considered among the club’s top tier as well.

If the Knicks do name a new head coach this week, they’ll likely become the first team to complete a full-fledged search this offseason. The Grizzlies became the first team to hire a new permanent head coach last week, but they didn’t consider outside options, opting instead to promote J.B. Bickerstaff from the interim role.

Bucks Could Challenge Knicks For Budenholzer

April 30th, 2018 at 9:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks pose a threat to the Knicks in the pursuit of ex-Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The Knicks are reportedly focused on Budenholzer and ex-Cavs coach David Blatt to replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired after the season. But if Milwaukee decides not to remove the interim tag from Joe Prunty, several league sources told Berman that the Bucks would join the Budenholzer sweepstakes. The Bucks are already a playoff team and have a young superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, adding to their appeal, Berman continues.

Prunty was named interim coach of the Bucks in late January when they fired Jason Kidd. The Bucks responded by making the playoffs and testing the Celtics to the limit in the opening round of the playoffs. Milwaukee hasn’t made any announcement regarding Prunty’s status.

The Bucks’ president is former Knicks executive Peter Feigin.

Knicks Rumors: Howard, Blatt, Leonard, Mudiay

April 29th, 2018 at 2:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Juwan Howard, the latest name to emerge in the Knicks’ coaching search, has a powerful connection in the team’s front office, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. GM Scott Perry is a former assistant at the University of Michigan, and his first year with the Wolverines was Howard’s last season there.

Howard will be the 10th candidate to talk to Perry and team president Steve Mills, who were in Europe this week to interview former Cavaliers coach David Blatt and to scout Luka Doncic, along with other prospects. Despite the long list of interviewees, Bondy hears that the Knicks’ next coach may be someone not yet mentioned by the media.

There’s more news from New York:

Howard has a long list of former teammates with coaching experience who could potentially fill out his staff if he gets the Knicks job, notes Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. The list includes Adrian Griffin, Nick Van Exel, David Vanterpool, James Posey, Darvin Ham, Jamaal Magloire, God Shammgod, Rafer Alston and John Lucas III.
If the Spurs make Kawhi Leonard available in trade the summer, the Knicks should go all in, even if it costs them Kristaps Porzingis and this year’s first-rounder, contends Tommy Beer of Forbes. Leonard’s scoring ability, defensive prowess and record of big-game performances make him a player that a franchise can be built around, Beer argues. He adds that the Knicks are hoping to construct a contender by surrounding Porzingis with top-level free agents, but their recent record in free agency casts doubt on that plan. He cautions that New York should make the deal with the Spurs only if team doctors determine that Leonard’s quad injury won’t be a long-term issue and he agrees to a four-year extension.
One-time Knicks coach Larry Brown remains optimistic about Emmanuel Mudiay‘s prospects in New York, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Brown tried to recruit Mudiay to SMU before he opted for China, and he believes the 22-year-old can excel by getting into top physical condition. “I don’t think Emmanuel has ever been in the greatest shape of his life,” Brown said. “That position you have to be an elite athlete and in unbelievable shape. I don’t know until he got to the NBA if he has ever been coached the way he needed to be coached.” Mudiay was placed in the league’s concussion protocol after hitting his head late in the season and was just cleared for basketball activities last week.