Adrian Griffin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Notes: Jones, Vonleh, Favors, Kanter

June 6th, 2014 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

Jazz assistant Brad Jones is indeed a candidate for the head coaching position, but he could also be in line for an assistant job on the team’s new staff if they go with Alvin Gentry, Quin Snyder, or Adrian Griffin as the hire, tweets Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. After having spent the 2012-13 season in charge of player development, Utah promoted Jones to a full fledged assistant in July of last year. Being appointed as head coach would mark a very rapid climb up the organizational ladder for Jones. The latest out of Utah..

A source tells Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link) that the Jazz saw Indiana big man Noah Vonleh workout privately last week in New York.
After attending Utah’s pre-draft workout yesterday, Jones learned (link) that the organization sees Derrick Favors as a center, not as a power forward. Because of that, the Utah front office is confident that Vonleh can come in and play alongside Favors without any trouble (link). Meanwhile, if the Jazz see Favors as a five, that raises some questions about how they view Enes Kanter (link).
Utah State big man Jarred Shaw and Weber State guard/forward Davion Berry are among the 12 players working out for the Jazz this morning, tweets Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. Neither player is featured on DraftExpress’ Top 100.

Four Favorites Emerge For Jazz Coaching Job

June 5th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Cray Allred

3:00pm: Snyder appears to be the front-runner, but the team likes Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, too, Genessy tweets.

THURSDAY, 2:48pm: Jazz assistant Brad Jones is also on the team’s “short list” for its head coaching job, along with Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, Genessy hears (Twitter link). Presumably, Jones is the unknown candidate whom Genessy referred to on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: Gentry, Griffin and Snyder remain the top candidates for the job in the wake of their second interviews, while Boylen is no longer a candidate, reports Jody Genessy of the Salt Lake Tribune. There is an unknown fourth candidate in the mix, too, Genessy says (All Twitter links).

MONDAY, 10:43pm: Clippers associate head coach Alvin Gentry will have a second interview with the Jazz on Tuesday, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

SATURDAY, 5:18pm: Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin and Hawks assistant Quin Snyder will both interview a second time for the Jazz head coaching vacancy, sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Snyder was already believed to be a front-runner for the job, and Griffin now joins him at the front of the pack. A third, unnamed candidate could also still be in the running, sources tell Jones.

Griffin, also linked with the Cavs opening, is gaining steam toward landing his first head coaching gig. Jones adds that the Knicks are now apparently interested in the defensive specialist’s services for their head coaching position. Snyder hasn’t been reported as a candidate for any other NBA teams.

This presumably leaves one or both of Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry and Spurs assistant Jim Boylen out of the running for Utah’s vacancy, depending on whether either represent the unnamed candidate still under consideration. Both Grififin and Snyder are young, up-and-coming coaches, and if the Jazz are narrowing their search to meet that profile, Gentry wouldn’t fit the bill. Boylen is working within the highly successful and respected coaching corps of Gregg Popovich, but there is some antipathy for him in Utah due to his unsuccessful run as head coach at the University of Utah. Other names that have been linked as potential candidates include Jazz assistant Brad Jones and European coach Ettore Messina.

Coaching Rumors: Griffin, Lue, Corbin

May 31st, 2014 at 7:50pm CST by Cray Allred

We learned earlier today that Adrian Griffin is being brought back for a second interview in Utah as part of a smaller group of candidates for the job, and a source tells Jody Genessy of Deseret News that Griffin has a “very, very good shot” at landing the Jazz head coaching job (Twitter link). Here’s more on the coaching front:

Tyronn Lue made a strong impression with Cavs officials in his interview for the Cleveland head coaching job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Lue is currently serving as an assistant with the Clippers.
Tyrone Corbin will interview for an assistant coaching position with the Kings, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Another tweet from Genessy adds that Sacramento and Corbin are still in the early stages of the interviewing process. Corbin was fired by the Jazz after a rocky 2013/14 season.
Corbin is also drawing interest as an assistant for the Warriors and Rockets, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Hubie Brown believes Derek Fisher, thought to be the front-runner for the Knicks head coaching job, can be successful in transitioning from an NBA player to head coach if he chooses to do so, Brown tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. “You’re not dealing with a typical basketball player. You’re dealing with a guy [in Fisher] with great intelligence,” said Brown. “And he displays leadership with a team that won championships where he was not a star player — just a guy who made the chemistry go and then had leadership in the union.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr denies Phil Jackson‘s assertion that he had given a verbal commitment to accept the Knicks head coaching position, telling Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News that his strong intimations probably gave Jackson the impression that he was virtually committed. “We didn’t have a handshake agreement or anything like that,” said Kerr. “I think Phil and I both thought it was going to happen…But in the end, Phil knew I wasn’t quite comfortable and he didn’t hold me to any of our conversations.”

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

Quin Snyder Among Front-Runners For Jazz Job

May 30th, 2014 at 2:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

Quin Snyder is a leading candidate for the Jazz’s head coaching vacancy, multiple sources tell Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first identified the Hawks assistant as among many in contention for the vacancy last month, but apparently he’s surged close to the head of a shrinking field. The team had planned on interviewing more than 20 candidates, but Snyder is “very high on a short list,” a source tells Genessy, and team president Randy Rigby said on 1280 The Zone that the club is “well into the project” of selecting a coach, Genessy notes.

Adrian Griffin and Alvin Gentry remain in the running for the job, and Jim Boylen, who earlier appeared to be the favorite, is still a possibility, according to Genessy. Utah has interviewed Griffin and Gentry, but it’s unclear if the team’s done so with Snyder and Boylen, or if the club has interviews scheduled with either of them.

Snyder was a candidate for the Sixers, Bobcats and Suns last summer, and was also a candidate for the Bobcats job in 2012, the same summer he was among those in the running for the Magic’s vacancy. The Jazz opening is the only one he appears to be in contention for this time around, but Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and Kobe Bryant share respect for Snyder, who served as a Lakers assistant coach in 2011/12.

Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey also has ties with Snyder, having worked with him when Lindsey was assistant GM for the Spurs and Snyder was the coach of San Antonio’s D-League affiliate from 2007 to 2010, as Genessy notes. The 47-year-old Snyder also served a season as an assistant for the Sixers and coached under Ettore Messina for CSKA Moscow in Russia. Messina was at one point this spring seemingly a co-favorite with Boylen for the Jazz opening, but Genessy doesn’t mention him among the shrunken field of candidates.

Eastern Rumors: ‘Melo, Griffin, Pistons, Saric

May 29th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

A source tells Ian Begley of ESPN.com that Carmelo Anthony would “embrace” playing for Mark Jackson, but that doesn’t mean he only wants to play for Jackson or would feel uncomfortable playing for anyone else, Begley cautions. Knicks president Phil Jackson hasn’t ruled out hiring the former Warriors coach, but it doesn’t appear as though there are plans for an interview. Jackson appears to be a leading candidate for the Cavs job, though no interview has been scheduled with Cleveland, either. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Adrian Griffin impressed the Cavs during his interview for the team’s coaching job this week, with one source telling Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that the performance as “fantastic” (Twitter link).
Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden, former Heat GM Randy Pfund and former Pelicans GM Jeff Bower are among the candidates for the Pistons GM job, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Stu Jackson, who’s completed an interview for the job, and Otis Smith are the previously reported names.
Dario Saric reportedly would come to the NBA for next season if the Celtics or Lakers were to draft him, but the C’s consider him a candidate for their pick at No. 17, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, indicating that he’s not in the mix to go at No. 6.
Marcin Gortat is likely in line for $10-12MM salaries while Trevor Ariza will look for $8-9MM as both Wizards hit free agency this summer, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post.

Coaching Rumors: Cavs, Joerger, Fisher

May 27th, 2014 at 7:07pm CST by Cray Allred

The Cavs would improve their chances of retaining Luol Deng if they hired Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin as head coach, sources tell Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Griffin, a candidate for the job, worked with Deng in Chicago, and although Deng’s departure has essentially been a foregone conclusion, it will be interesting to see if Cleveland re-calibrates their free agency goals after unexpectedly landing the first overall pick. Here’s more of the night’s coaching notes:

Dave Joerger acknowledged in a radio interview with Eli Savoie of Sports 56 that he was offered the Wolves coaching job before smoothing things out with Grizzlies owner Robert Pera. Joerger added that his contract extension was not a condition for staying with Memphis (Twitter links; H/T Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities).
Joerger said that three teams called the Grizzlies to request permission to speak with him, but only the Wolves were granted the opportunity, according to a report from The Associated Press (H/T The Star Tribune).
The Lakers are curious to see if Derek Fisher is a good fit for their head coaching vacancy, but will wait until his season with the Thunder is over, reports Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. This jibes with earlier reports that have marked Fisher as a candidate for both the Lakers and Knicks coaching jobs.
While continuing to downplay his talks with NBA teams, Billy Donovan explained to Edgar Thompson of The Orlando Sentinel that he won’t rule out leaving his coaching job at Florida for the pros. “I’ve seen a lot of coaches over the years come out and say, ‘No, no, no, no, I’m not going anywhere, I’m not going anywhere,’ and then all of a sudden they go somewhere and it’s like, ‘Well, this guy is a complete liar,'” said Donovan. “I don’t want to get into that situation. There (have) been some teams that have called, but that’s really it.”

Jazz, Cavs Plan Interviews With Gentry, Griffin

May 26th, 2014 at 5:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 5:20pm: The Cavaliers have scheduled an interview with Adrian Griffin for Tuesday, reports Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal (hat tip to Sam Amick of USA Today). GM David Griffin will also be meeting with Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, Gentry, and Tyronn Lue later this week, the article notes.

SUNDAY, 9:40am: Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that Gentry had interviewed with the Cavaliers and the Jazz earlier this month for their vacant head coaching positions.

THURSDAY, 7:41am: The Cavs have asked the Clippers for permission to interview Gentry, the Plain Dealer reports (Twitter link). I’d be surprised if it wasn’t granted, since it appears as though L.A. gave Utah the green light.

WEDNESDAY, 4:37pm: The Jazz are expected to interview Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Cavs have made contact with Gentry, too, but they haven’t arranged for an interview, according to Spears. Utah has completed an interview with Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin after receiving permission from Chicago to speak with him last week, Spears adds.

Gentry hadn’t been among the candidates formally linked to Utah, which is planning an extensive search and more than 20 interviews. Lionel Hollins, John Stockton, Jim Boylen, Ettore Messina, Brad Jones and Quin Snyder are other names in the mix. The Jazz are reportedly unlikely to hire someone with NBA head coaching experience, which perhaps makes Gentry a darkhorse, given that he spent parts of 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns.

The Cavs appear to have Gentry high on their list, and he worked with Cavs GM David Griffin in Phoenix, as Spears points out. The Warriors and Kings have interest in Gentry as an assistant coach, according to Spears, who notes that Gentry remains under contract with the Clippers.

Western Notes: Van Gundy, Jazz, Blazers

May 25th, 2014 at 10:56am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Grizzlies might have interest in hiring Jeff Van Gundy to be their coach and head of basketball operations in a deal similar to the one that Stan Van Gundy received from the Pistons, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. This would be in the event that current coach Dave Joerger takes the Timberwolves coaching position, an occurrence that Stein’s sources classify as an “inevitability.” The article also notes that team owner Robert Pera doesn’t want Joerger back no matter what happens with Minnesota.

Eastern Notes: Celtics, Boozer, Del Negro

May 23rd, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Cray Allred

Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes that the Celtics may be better off enduring another year of rebuilding instead of turning in their best assets for a blockbuster acquisition like Kevin Love. Here’s the rest of the night’s notes from Boston and the rest of the Eastern Conference:

NBA GMs see Rajon Rondo among the league’s best when he has his A game, but they’re concerned about his personality and consistency, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, who examines the leaguewide perception of the players on the Celtics roster. One GM is wary of trading for Jeff Green, believing agent David Falk will convince him to opt out if he has a productive season, and the Celtics and other teams noticed the dedication Brandon Bass showed in an otherwise lost season for Boston, Bulpett hears.
The Bulls coaching staff told Taj Gibson to prepare to become a starter next season, sources indicated to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, who suggests it’s further evidence that Carlos Boozer has played his last game for the team.
The Cavs will soon schedule head coaching interviews with Alvin Gentry, Adrian Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, and other candidates, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Gentry and Griffin were known to be strong candidates, but this is the first report verifying Del Negro’s candidacy.
New Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens are taking the reigns in Milwaukee following the draft lottery, telling Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel they will soon start meeting with front office and coaching personnel, whose future with the team is still up in the air. “I think right now we just want to spend time with everybody,” Lasry said. “Then we’ll have more of an understanding.” Head coach Larry Drew and GM John Hammond both have multiple years left on their contracts, but haven’t been assured of staying with the team.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Amico’s Latest: Cavs, Deng, Waiters, Thompson

May 23rd, 2014 at 8:38am CST by Chuck Myron

There might be more storylines surrounding the Cavs than any other team in the NBA. A third No. 1 overall pick in four years, a coaching search, tons of cap flexibility and the lingering specter of a LeBron James return figure to fill up our Cavs rumors page all summer long. We passed along some news about the Cleveland’s plans for the top draft pick from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio last night, and he has plenty more on the team in his latest dispatch. We’ll run down the highlights here:

The Cavs will likely explore sign-and-trade possibilities for Luol Deng, Amico writes. Deng has given indications that he doesn’t want to re-sign with Cleveland, and the Cavs can still execute a sign-and-trade even if they renounce his Bird rights to clear cap space.
Teams around the league have interest in Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson, Amico writes. It’s nonetheless unclear how willing the team is to trade either of them.
The Cavs don’t appear to be ruling out a trade of Anderson Varejao, Amico suggests.
GM David Griffin has reportedly been planning a strong push to retain Spencer Hawes, but Amico hears the team is having second thoughts about the center.
The coaching search remains “in the very early stages,” Amico writes, but Tom Izzo isn’t a possibility, in spite of Cleveland’s reported pursuit, and John Calipari is highly unlikely to end up in the job, according to the Fox Sports Ohio scribe.
Bulls assistant coach Adrian Griffin remains a legitimate candidate for the Cavs head coaching position, but Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry, whom the Cavs want to interview, would have to dazzle owner Dan Gilbert to be hired, sources tell Amico.