Billy King Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Nets, McHale, Felix

November 14th, 2013 at 11:10pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Shortly after the Nets’ 21-point loss in Sacramento on Wednesday night, Brooklyn GM Billy King had a closed-door meeting with head coach Jason Kidd and Kevin Garnett to presumably discuss (as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News surmises) why almost nothing seems to be going according to plan in Brooklyn right now. In another Nets-related piece, Lenn Robbins of NBA.com writes that the current roster hasn’t shown they deserve a player’s coach like Kidd.

Here’s more of the miscellaneous links to pass along tonight:

When asked further about why Omer Asik didn’t play during tonight’s game in New York, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said that Asik told him that he wasn’t feeling well earlier (Sean Deveney of the Sporting News via Twitter). It should be noted that this was Asik’s first DNP-CD of his NBA career.
Cavaliers shooting guard Carrick Felix recently returned to the practice floor after being out with a sports hernia, but head coach Mike Brown made it clear that the 23-year-old rookie would find his minutes in the D-League once he’s ready to play (Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Zach Harper of CBS Sports details why Andre Iguodala may be the ultimate role player.
Although Michael Beasley may be a ways away from being a contributor with consistent playing time on the Heat, NBA.com’s Couper Moorhead tells us how the former second-overall pick continues to work hard and has taken a significant step forward to improve his overall game.
Joseph Lombardo, who founded the investment firm Prim Capital (which previously handled the investments and finances of the NBPA), has been charged with fraud, according to the Associated Press. Authorities say that Lombardo used a signature stamp to forge the signature of a deceased general counsel for the NBPA and another employee that awarded Prim Capital a $3MM fee over five years.
Nate Duncan of Hoopsworld goes in depth about what to make out of the Timberwolves’ and Pacers’ hot starts this season.

Atlantic Notes: Collins, 87ers, Nets

October 2nd, 2013 at 6:00pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes from around the Atlantic Division.

The Knicks showed some interest signing free agent center Jason Collins, but in the end decided to go with younger talent, like Cole Aldrich and Jeremy Tyler, tweets ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com spoke to Brandon Williams, the new GM of the Sixers' D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers. Williams, who spent time in the D-League himself before earning a spot on a championship team in San Antonio, hopes to convey to young players that the league should be viewed not as a demotion, but as a place to improve their game.
Nets general manager Billy King declared this upcoming season to be his roster's championship window, according to ESPNNY.com's Ohm Youngmisuk.

New York Notes: Kidd, Prokhorov, Ewing

June 15th, 2013 at 10:04am CST by Zachary Links

While the basketball world is zeroed in on the Heat and Spurs, the Nets managed to steal some of the spotlight this week by naming Jason Kidd as their new head coach. Here's a look at the latest out of Brooklyn and Manhattan..

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is happy with his new head coach, writes David M. Herszenhorn of the New York Times. The billionare reportedly hasn't talked to Kidd directly, but he made it clear at a press conference in Moscow this week that he approved of the move. “The point is that there are people who are born coaches,” Prokhorov said. “It is known that Jason Kidd was, in fact, a player-coach on many teams, and he has been training for a long time. He has played under many coaches, and he has always wanted to be a coach.”
When asked about the potential departure of C.J. Watson, Billy King said that he has already discussed possible replacements for players who may leave with Kidd, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. If Watson does wind up leaving, the question will be who the Nets bring in to provide competition to Tyshawn Taylor for the backup point guard job. They could either draft a point guard with the No. 22 pick or pursue a veteran free agent.
In the wake of Kidd going from player to head coach in a matter of weeks, Patrick Ewing is disappointed that his time has yet to come, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

Nets Sign Billy King To Multiyear Extension

April 26th, 2013 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:37pm: The Nets have officially signed King to a contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. Details on the years and dollars involved in the deal weren't disclosed.

"Billy has been a great asset to the Nets organization over the last three years," owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. "He has shown he is not afraid to be bold and take risks, and, as a result, we have a playoff team with a world of potential. We are glad we will have the opportunity to continue our work together and realize that potential."

THURSDAY, 1:10pm: The Nets and Billy King are in the process of finalizing a multiyear contract extension for the general manager, whose current deal is set to expire this summer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. A formal announcement from the team is expected sometime in the near future, according to Wojnarowski.

King, who assumed his current role with the Nets in July 2010, has rebuilt the club into an Eastern Conference contender since then, with the help of a free-spending owner in Mikhail Prokhorov. King and the Nets were the NBA's biggest spender last summer, when the team signed Deron Williams and Brook Lopez to maximum contracts, inked Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace to eight-digit, multiyear deals, and assumed Joe Johnson's hefty contract in a trade with the Hawks.

Prior to becoming the Nets' GM, King spent more than nine years in Philadelphia as general manager of the 76ers.

Atlantic Links: Bynum, Carlesimo, Rondo, Raptors

January 29th, 2013 at 8:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Led by Jrue Holiday, the 76ers remain three games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Significant help in the form of another all-star caliber player could be on the way within the next several weeks, as Andrew Bynum has continued to make progress toward his goal of possibly returning to practice next week, notes Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com. The 7'0 center has been plagued by bone bruises in both knees since the start of the season. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Atlantic Division:

Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York reports that Nets GM Billy King will meet with owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday to discuss P.J. Carlesimo and the job he's done so far as the interim head coach. While Carlesimo has done an exceptional job after replacing Avery Johnson, Prokhorov is said to still be enamored with going after big names such as Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy in the offseason.
According to A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSNNE.com, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo will get a second opinion on his ACL injury from Dr. James Andrews, who is considered be arguably "the best orthopedic surgeon in the business."
Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun lays out the Raptors' top five pressing issues as they inch closer to the deadline, calling their interest in Rudy Gay the "most likely to come to fruition" rumor, examining the return of both Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas from injury, Terrence Ross' progression into coach Dwane Casey's crunch-time lineup, and the continued acclimation of Landry Fields. With regard to Bargnani, Ganter thinks that Casey may have to provide a significant role at the expense of Ed Davis' minutes in order to showcase the 7-footer's health.
Eric Koreen of the National Post doesn't think that Gay is the cure-all answer for the Raptors, who still have many other important questions to answer regardless of whether they land him or not. Among those question marks involve the franchise's commitment to GM Bryan Colangelo, the need for more significant roster moves, and the struggles of point guard Kyle Lowry.
Doc Rivers doesn't appear too concerned about his players making an adjustment without Rondo, saying that a "no-point guard system" is something that the second unit has already found success with, writes Greg Payne of ESPN Boston.
Mike Woodson will place a higher priority on getting Knicks three point sharpshooter Steve Novak more involved in the offense, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York.

Nets Coaching Search Rumors: Thursday

December 27th, 2012 at 9:42pm CST by Luke Adams

While many have already been labeling Deron Williams as a "coach killer," the Nets' decision to fire Avery Johnson today wasn't on D-Will, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). SI.com's Chris Mannix agrees, noting (via Twitter) that no Nets players, including Williams, were consulted before the decision was made. No matter who was behind the move, the Nets are in the market for a new coach, with P.J. Carlesimo taking over in the interim. We'll round up today's rumblings about the search right here, with the latest updates at the top….

Despite reports that the Nets have Phil Jackson atop their wishlist, an informed source tells David Aldridge of TNT (on Twitter) that the Nets don't have a top target.
Earlier tonight, Williams denied having a role in Johnson's dismissal.

Earlier updates:

Phil Jackson's representative, Todd Musburger, tells TNT's David Aldridge in a text that Jackson currently has "no interest" in the Nets' job (Twitter link).
Nate McMillan isn't on the Nets' radar right now, according to Mannix (via Twitter).
Johnson had "badly wanted" a contract extension from the Nets, and was surprised when the team engaged in talks with GM Billy King before talking about a new deal for the coach, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Brooklyn isn't expected to begin its coaching search in earnest until the new year, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).
The Nets are launching a "broad" search that will include a call to Phil Jackson, among others, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. However, TNT's David Aldridge points out (via Twitter) that nothing seems to have changed regarding Jackson's desire to gain organizational control in any job he accepts.
Talks with the Lakers got Jackson thinking about coaching again, so he'd at least listen if and when the Nets call, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
According to Aldridge (Twitter link), the Nets have yet to contact Nate McMillan or Brian Shaw, but that doesn't mean they won't do so eventually.
McMillan, David Blatt, and both Van Gundys (Stan and Jeff) are candidates Ken Berger of CBSSports.com thinks the Nets may consider in their search. However, "the answer to whether the Nets will consider [John] Calipari is an unequivocal no," according to Berger.
In an email to Mannix at SI.com (Twitter link), Stan Van Gundy reiterated something we heard earlier today, writing that he has "no interest at all" in the Nets' job.

Atlantic Rumors: DeRozan, King, Knicks, Felton

October 31st, 2012 at 9:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

The reaction to the Raptors' decision to grant DeMar DeRozan an incentive-laden four-year extension worth at least $38MM met with immediate criticism this evening, as it seemed the Raptors had overpaid. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, one of those initial critics, wonders about the timing of the commitment, but notes that the team made a similar move when they extended Andrea Bargnani, and he's turned out to be a bargain. Still, he believes both players are too inefficient to cover for their flaws (Twitter link). As we wait for more news as the extension deadline draws near, here's the latest from around the Atlantic Division.

Nets GM Billy King admits he was making moves just to keep his job when he was GM of the Sixers, but he's been much more bold since taking over the Nets, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday.
Despite a spate of injuries, Knicks coach Mike Woodson is confident his request that the team sign veteran players in the offseason will bear fruit, as Nate Taylor of The New York Times documents.
Raymond Felton is anxious to vanquish the ghosts of Jeremy Lin, his predecessor as Knicks point guard, notes Newsday's Al Iannazzone. "Jeremy's gone," Felton said. "He's in Houston now. That's a lost cause. He's not coming back. It's my team. I'm the point guard. Me and (Jason) Kidd, so Jeremy Lin is in Houston. Only time he comes back is when he plays against us."
No player will ever burst on the scene quite like Lin did last year, but Chris Copeland is the Knicks best candidate for a breakout season in 2012/13, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Though Jeff Green struggled in his first game since his offseason signing with the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com says Green's best is yet to come.

Odds & Ends: Aguilar, Hettsheimeir, Lakers

September 22nd, 2012 at 9:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Hornets scout Don Sellers attended a workout featuring Japeth Aguilar, according to HoopsHype (Twitter link). On Tuesday, we relayed a report that the 25-year-old Filipino forward's agent had been contacted by two undisclosed teams. In another tweet, HoopsHype moved along this story from ESPN Estadao which says that center Rafael Hettsheimeir has signed a contract with Real Madrid. Earlier this month, the Brazilian big man had reportedly fielded interest from the Mavericks and Cavaliers. Here's what else we're hearing from around the league this evening…

Mavericks veteran Dirk Nowitzki is excited about the team's offseason additions and says that anything is possible if the chemistry is right, according to Eddie Sefko of SportsDay DFW.
Kendrick Perkins doesn't think that he nor any of his Thunder teammates need to personally intervene in order to influence James Harden's contract negotiations, believing that his decision will be affected just by returning to training camp and seeing his "family" again (John Rohde of NewsOK reports).
HoopsWorld provides their season preview of the Lakers, who enter the 2012-13 season with a collection of superstar talent and championship aspirations. According to Eric Pincus, the Lakers' powerfully talented lineup along with improved depth gives them the opportunity to compete at the highest level. On the flip side, Pincus writes that age is definitely not on their side and wonders if Mike Brown has the personality to lead this team to a championship.
Brian Geltzeiler of SheridanHoops.com offers his thoughts on hot topics that he's been asked about on Twitter and the radio, namely about his projections for the Bulls this season, the idea that Ray Allen's addition to the Heat makes them unbeatable, and if the new CBA is having its desired effect.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nets, Atkinson

August 7th, 2012 at 5:52pm CST by Ryan Raroque

A few months removed from a tough playoff exit against the Heat and now with added firepower from a busy offseason, anything less than a rematch with Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals would be unfathomable for the Celtics, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston. A panel made up of Celtics bloggers also weighed in on Boston's chances this season, with all predicting an appearance in the conference finals and one of them predicting a championship. Here's more of what we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston (via Twitter) noted Celtics guard Avery Bradley's thoughts on Ray Allen leaving Boston: "We’re a family before anything… It’s tough, but we all wish him the best."
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes that Nets GM Billy King and head coach Avery Johnson will be in London this week to attend the Olympics, presumably to watch Deron Williams play.
According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Tyson Chandler sees the departure of assistant coach Kenny Atkinson to Atlanta as a big loss for the Knicks (Sulia link).

Odds & Ends: Draft, Sloan, King, Playoffs

June 3rd, 2012 at 3:12pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Chris Bosh-less Heat and Celtics resume battle this evening in a pivotal Game 4 in Boston. A win for the Celtics would continue a Conference Finals streak of the home team coming away with a victory. The Thunder brought their series with the Spurs to a tie as they beat San Antonio 109-103 in Oklahoma City on Saturday night. Let's catch up on the latest news and happenings making headlines from around the league…