Byron Scott Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Clippers’ Coaching Search

June 12th, 2013 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

2:55pm: Because Hollins was attending an NBA competition committee meeting in San Antonio today, his interview with the Clippers will be pushed back to Thursday and Friday, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. McMillan had been scheduled to meet with the team on Thursday, but that interview was cancelled and may not be rescheduled, given the club's "lukewarm" interest in McMillan, says Turner.

Hollins, meanwhile, expects to interview with the Nuggets on Saturday after meeting with the Clippers.

10:11am: As the Nets appear to be closing in on Jason Kidd, a coaching candidate with no previous experience, the Clippers continue to interview previous head coaches for their own opening. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), owner Donald Sterling is seeking a candidate with head coaching experience and is a fan of Lionel Hollins, who will meet with the team today.

Stein reports (via Twitter) that Hollins remains "firmly in the mix" for the Clippers' job, and that today's sitdown with the team will be the third time the former Grizzlies coach has spoken to the club. In addition to Hollins, the team has also met with Byron Scott and Brian Shaw, with Shaw still a "strong contender" for the job, says Stein.

Although we heard earlier in the week that the Clippers will also interview Nate McMillan tomorrow, it sounds as if he may not be as strong a candidate for the position as the other contenders. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported last night that George Karl is still in play for the job as well, though it's unclear if the team has scheduled a meeting with the ex-Nuggets coach.

Reports have yet to indicate whether there's a specific timeline for a Clippers hire, but I would guess that after this week's interviews, the team will at least narrow its search to a smaller list of finalists.

Coaching Notes: Scott, Karl, Clippers, Suns

June 11th, 2013 at 9:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

An NBA-record 12 coaching jobs are changing hands this offseason, with almost half the jobs still open. Five teams are still searching for a coach, though David Joerger appears the strong front-runner for the Grizzlies. It looks like Jason Kidd has the edge for the Nets job, but Brian Shaw remains in the mix. It's more unsettled for the Nuggets, Clippers and Sixers, and as we await more clarity on those vacancies, here's the latest coaching news:

Byron Scott's interview with the Clippers today "went very well," an executive tells Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The Cavaliers are rumored to owe Scott more than $4MM for the final season of his contract, and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com wonders if that could drive down his price, making him more attractive to skinflint Clippers owner Donald Sterling (Twitter link).
The Clippers haven't spoken to George Karl yet, but he remains a strong candidate for the job, Shelburne also tweets.
New Suns coach Jeff Hornacek added a couple of assistants to his staff, tweets John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR radio. Wizards assistant Jerry Sichting and Mark West, who had been serving as the Suns' vice president of player programs, will be on the Phoenix bench.
Maurice Cheeks developed a strong connection with Russell Westbrook the past few seasons as a Thunder assistant, and The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson wonders if the fiery point guard will miss the calming influence of Cheeks, whom the Pistons hired as head coach on Monday.
Cheeks faces an uphill climb in Detroit, MLive's David Mayo opines.
Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com thinks Tom Thibodeau's new position as a Team USA assistant coach could help the Bulls attract superstar talent.
Tyrone Corbin has survived this spring's purge of head coaches around the NBA, but Brad Rock of the Deseret News believes the Jazz boss will be among the unemployed if the team falters next year.

Coaching Updates: Clippers, Jent, Snyder, Kidd

June 10th, 2013 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

It's already been a busy day when it comes to NBA coaching news and rumors, with the Pistons officially reaching an agreement with Maurice Cheeks, the Grizzlies parting ways with Lionel Hollins, and Jason Kidd emerging as a serious candidate for the Nets. Here are a few more of the latest updates relating to potential head coaches and assistants:

The Clippers interviewed Brian Shaw today, and have meetings lined up with Byron Scott on Tuesday, Hollins on Wednesday, and Nate McMillan on Thursday, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Ramona Shelburne and Chris Broussard of ESPN.com note that many of those candidates have already spoken to the Clippers at length on the phone, but these are the first in-person meetings scheduled by the team.
The Kings have officially hired Chris Jent as an assistant coach, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. We heard last week that Michael Malone had made Jent a three-year offer to become his top assistant in Sacramento.
Just hours after we heard that Quin Snyder had left CSKA Moscow to return stateside for an NBA job, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Hawks have hired Snyder as an assistant on Mike Budenholzer's staff.
Josh Newman of SNYNets.com spoke to Jeff Van Gundy about whether or not Kidd would make a good head coach for the Nets.

Coaching Rumors: Hollins, Nets, Clippers, Shaw

June 5th, 2013 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As I noted yesterday when examining the longest-tenured coaches in the NBA, four teams – the Pistons, 76ers, Nets, and Clippers – are still in the market for a new head coach, while a couple other positions could open up later in the offseason. In addition to those head coaching openings, plenty of assistants are being hired, or moving from one NBA team to another. Here are today's rumors on those head coaching searches and the assistant coaching carousel:

Although the Clippers have asked and received permission to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Nets' initial request to speak to Hollins was turned down, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter links). Tillery adds that Brooklyn has yet to make another request since being denied on the day after the Grizzlies' season ended.
No teams have requested permission yet to speak to Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger, but the Sixers are believed to have interest, tweets Tillery.
A report yesterday indicated that the Nets and Sixers were among the teams that have contacted Larry Brown about their head coaching openings. Brown threw cold water on that report today though, according to John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, saying he's happy at SMU. CSNPhilly.com, meanwhile, reports that Brown would likely have interest in returning to the NBA if it meant running a franchise. I'd be surprised if anything came of this.

Earlier updates:

Less than 24 hours after ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard reported that Brian Shaw was a "serious target" for the Nets, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Shaw also appears to be the Clippers' top choice at this point. Since no official interviews have been conducted yet, the situation remains fluid, but the Clippers are intrigued by Shaw's youth, championship experience, and developmental skills, according to Shelburne.
Talks between Jeff Van Gundy and the Clippers have cooled, and the team has yet to ask permission to speak to Nuggets coach George Karl, though he remains a possible target. Lionel Hollins, Byron Scott, and Alvin Gentry also remain under consideration for Los Angeles, says Shelburne.
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times provides the same list of contenders for the Clippers' job, though he's even more bearish on the likelihood of the team hiring Van Gundy, writing that he's essentially "out of the running." Shaw, meanwhile is gaining momentum for the position, according to Turner.
Although the Pistons' search appears to have been narrowed down to Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks, there's no guarantee a decision happens this week, sources tell David Mayo of MLive.com.
Following up on a report from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News last week which suggested Patrick Ewing could be hired as an assistant in Charlotte, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com says Ewing is interviewing for the Bobcats' lead assistant job today. The former Knicks big man has also received interest from the Kings, writes Haynes.
Newly-hired Kings head coach Michael Malone is also talking to Ohio State assistant Chris Jent about joining his staff in Sacramento, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Yet another Lakers assistant coach appears to be on his way out of L.A., as Darvin Ham will talk to the Bobcats and Hawks about a spot on their respective staffs, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Pacific Rumors: Clippers, Paul, Warriors, Kings

June 1st, 2013 at 5:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mark Jackson, having just completed his second year on the Warriors' bench, is the longest-tenured coach in the Pacific Division. Mike D'Antoni, whom the Lakers hired at midseason, is next, while the division's other three teams are making offseason changes. Jeff Hornacek is the new Suns coach, and Michael Malone is poised to take over the bench in Sacramento. It's unclear who'll lead the Clippers, but there's news on that among the items out of the Pacific this evening:

Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game counts Alvin Gentry and Jeff Van Gundy as the leading candidates for the Clippers coaching job. A source tells Bucher that Nate McMillan and Byron Scott probably won't end up with the gig. The Clippers want a proven head coach, making Brian Shaw another unlikely choice, particularly given his reputation for interviewing poorly (Sulia link).
The idea that Chris Paul didn't have anything to do with Vinny Del Negro's ouster as Clippers coach is preposterous, according to Bucher, who hears that Paul is telling team management who he wouldn't want to have as the next coach, rather than giving them his preferred choices. That way he can retain an air of removal from the team's decisions, as Bucher explains (Sulia link).
Michael Malone, set to become head coach of the Kings, might not be the only Warriors assistant coach headed out of town. Bob Beyer is a candidate to wind up on Malone's staff or with new Bobcats coach Steve Clifford, Bucher reports (Sulia link). The Warriors might not rush to fill those vacancies, Bucher says, but Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes that the W's have prior interest in 'Cats assistant Stephen Silas (Twitter link).
With Malone perhaps just the first of many Warriors to make the jump up the road to Sacramento, the new Kings owners are concerned about the perception they're poaching from Golden State, tweets USA Today's Sam Amick. Sacramento principal owner Vivek Ranadive has yet to formally divest himself of his Warriors share.

Clippers Rumors: Del Negro, CP3, Scott

May 31st, 2013 at 8:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Paul is reportedly upset about the perception that he engineered the ouster of coach Vinny Del Negro, but the former Clippers coach and the team agree that CP3 wasn't involved. We've got more details on that, as well as the latest on a search for Del Negro's replacement:

Clippers vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks tells Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com that the dismissal of Del Negro was "an organizational decision from the top down." Sacks confirmed to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times that he, Sterling, team president Andy Roeser, and director of basketball operations Eric Miller all agreed that Del Negro should go.
Del Negro echoed those comments, telling Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld that Clippers owner Donald Sterling was the one who made the final decision to part ways with him. Del Negro will probably take next season off, but remains open to coaching again.
Sacks tried to make it clear that he doesn't believe players should have power when it comes to major decisions for the team. "I don't think players should be consulted on any decisions personnel-wise once we decide on something," Sacks said to Turner. "Do we, in the course of talking to our players, get some input? Sure. But all decisions are made strictly by us — 100%. There's no wavering. There's no gray area there."
If Paul had gone to the team's brass to lobby for Del Negro to keep his job, management would have tried to change his mind on the issue, a source tells Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, furthering the point that the decision wasn't in CP3's hands (Twitter links).
Turner adds Byron Scott to the list of coaching candidates with whom the team has had preliminary discussions, one that already included Brian Shaw, Jeff Van Gundy and Alvin Gentry.

Odds & Ends: Wizards, Orton, 76ers

May 30th, 2013 at 11:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here's more of tonight's miscellaneous links:

J. Michael of CSN Washington hears that despite the Wizards owning three draft picks next month, the team doesn't want to add three rookies and will try to at least deal one pick (or possibly both second rounders) in a package to land a veteran player.
As much as Thunder big man Daniel Orton enjoys being on a championship contender, he tells John Rohde of NewsOK that he's open to a change of scenery if it provides an opportunity for more playing time. Orton has two more non-guaranteed years with Oklahoma City.
Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com wonders why 76ers GM Sam Hinkie hasn't hired a coach yet, making the argument that it will be counterproductive if they wait to name a coach after significant roster decisions – such as selecting a player in the draft – have been made.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio took to Twitter to have a brief chat with readers, noting that there "absolutely" is interest in Rockets forward Thomas Robinson, the Cavaliers might be able to consider Danny Granger a real possibility as a trade target, Byron Scott looks to be the leading candidate for the Clippers head coaching job, and that the Celtics may go after Josh Smith if Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are done in Boston (All Twitter links here). Interestingly, Amico also tweets that Beantown could be in play for Andrew Bynum if they decide to gut the roster.
Though he had originally been disappointed that he didn't land with the Knicks on draft night four years ago, Warriors star Stephen Curry now happily has the keys to the city in Golden State and wouldn't have it any other way (Will Leitch of Sports On Earth).
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles points out that not only was Michael Malone the only coaching candidate being considered by Vivek Ranadive, but notes that Jerry West – currently a consultant for the Warriors – has been counseling Ranadive throughout the hiring process.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside notes that D-League guard Tony Taylor Jr. has an opportunity-laced summer to catch the attention of NBA executives, as the young guard will participate in a free agent camp for the Magic before joining the Thunder and Heat at separate times on their respective summer league teams.
Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW thinks that Chris Paul makes much more sense for the Mavericks than Dwight Howard.

Pacific Rumors: Clippers, Scott, Kings, Buford

May 30th, 2013 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few items of note from out of the Pacific Division on a Thursday afternoon:

The Clippers have gotten in touch with at least one of the coaching candidates presumed to be on their list of targets. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reports that the team has contacted Byron Scott, and while no formal interview has been scheduled yet, Scott is interested in the job.
Scott is currently the leading vote-getter in our poll from earlier this afternoon asking who will be the Clippers' next head coach. The former Cavs coach is barely edging out Pacers assistant Brian Shaw for now.
With Vivek Ranadive assuming control of the Kings, he'll need to divest himself of his stake in the Warriors, as Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News notes. Kawakami has heard estimates that Ranadive's share of the Warriors was about 10% (Twitter links).
Speaking of Ranadive's Kings, a report earlier this week had suggested the new ownership group in Sacramento would be targeting R.C. Buford as the Kings' head of basketball operations. However, the Spurs GM said today that he's exactly where he wants to be in San Antonio, and that he's not going anywhere, as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News writes.

Clippers Eyeing Big Name Candidates

May 28th, 2013 at 6:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Clippers have taken an ambitious approach in the early stages of their coaching search and they're eyeing names previously thought to be outside their price range such as Jeff Van Gundy, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, and Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw, multiple sources with knowledge of the team's thinking tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

The Clippers also are thinking about requesting permission to speak with at least one other current NBA head coach, one source said. Former Suns coach Alvin Gentry, former Cavs coach Byron Scott, and former Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan are also on the team's radar, sources said.

There's considerable skepticism around the league that Clippers owner Donald Sterling would be willing to fork over the kind of money it would take to land Van Gundy, Hollins, or Shaw. However, Los Angeles' front office has so far been acting as though money won't be a major issue, sources said. Sterling, who still hasn't entirely shaken his reputation for being cheap, has been reluctant to sign coaches or front office staff to contracts longer than one year after he was stuck with a $13.5MM payout to former coach and GM Mike Dunleavy.

The Clippers have yet to formally request permission from the Grizzlies to speak to Hollins, but intend to soon, sources said. The Clippers will also have to wait to speak to Shaw as the Pacers won't let him talk to clubs until the club's season is over. The Clippers would prefer a coach with NBA experience, sources said, but would make an exception for Shaw. Clippers players have given strong endorsements for Shaw, including Lamar Odom.

Latest On Clippers’ Coaching Search

May 22nd, 2013 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers officially announced yesterday that they wouldn't be bringing back Vinny Del Negro to coach the team next season, and that the search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Considering the Clips are coming off a 56-win season and a division title, and expect to keep their core intact, barring a surprising Chris Paul decision, there will be no shortage of coaching candidates interested in the position. Here are the early rumblings on L.A.'s search:

Nate McMillan is also among the candidates for the Clippers' head coaching opening, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. According to Turner's source, McMillan is one of about five candidates being seriously considered by the Clippers.

Earlier updates:

Del Negro and owner Donald Sterling never actually met in person last weekend, but had an extended phone conversation that a source described to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com as "positive."
According to Shelburne's source, Sterling told Del Negro he was optimistic the team would bring him back, but that there "were some issues with the players" to sort through. "Obviously they couldn't work through those issues with the players, or, player," the source said, referring to Paul.
After letting him go, the Clippers told Del Negro they'd do whatever they could to help him find another job, writes Shelburne.
The Clippers intend to move quickly in their search, says Shelburne, identifying Brian Shaw, Byron Scott, Michael Malone, and Alvin Gentry as likely candidates.
Although Gentry has worked for the Clippers in the past, he left on "great terms" and is still friendly with Sterling and Clips president Andy Roeser, tweets Shelburne.
Phil Jackson won't be considered for the Clippers' position, according to Shelburne, who hears from a source that the team feels it would be "too creepy" to pursue a coach engaged to the owner of the Clippers' crosstown rival.
While Paul is expected to have some sway in the Clippers' decision, Shelburne hears that he's currently more interested in watching how the team handles the situation rather than asserting his own opinions.
Hall of Fame writer Mark Heisler tweets that Lionel Hollins sits atop the Clippers' wish list, though Sterling denied to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times that he was in San Antonio on the weekend to scout the Grizzlies coach.