Danny Ferry Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Wizards, Hawks

September 26th, 2013 at 10:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune discusses the health of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, Luol Deng's uncertain long-term future with the franchise, how Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to mesh with the roster, and how Jimmy Butler will handle a move to starting shooting guard as five things to look at for the Bulls going into fall. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) says that Chicago's official training camp roster is expected to be released tomorrow but doesn't expect Malcolm Thomas or Chris Wright to be on the list.
Michael Lee of CSN Washington wonders if John Wall is ready to lead the Wizards to the playoffs, who will step up in the absence of Emeka Okafor, if Bradley Beal is primed for a breakout season, what to expect from Otto Porter, and the health of Nene as the team's top storylines heading into training camp.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry wouldn't set a timeline for the return of Louis Williams (who is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery), though he did say that the eighth-year guard has been playing one-on-one games and has had no restrictions in doing so. Ferry also appeared encouraged about what Dennis Schröder can contribute to the team now as a promising prospect and said that Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala still need to continue their development overseas (USA Today via the Associated Press).
As Tom Layman of the Boston Herald points out, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will look toward Avery Bradley to be the team's floor general while they wait for the return of Rajon Rondo. In another piece, a handful of college coaches had positive comments for Stevens regarding how they believe he'll be able to transition to the NBA game (NBA.com via the Associated Press).
With Steve Mills in place as the Knicks' newest GM, Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld thinks that it will be important for Mills to start forming a strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony now, especially with the possibility that he could become a free agent this upcoming summer.
Since arriving in New York City, Anthony has been able to build his brand and explore plenty of business opportunities, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. From the sound of it, Zwerling doesn't think that Anthony will be leaving New York anytime soon, even with an opt-out clause at the end of the season.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York examines the orange and blue's current situation at small forward.
With the rest of the NBA's power elite growing tired of the Heat's dominance, Sam Amick of USA Today delves into why the 2013/14 season could be Miami's toughest campaign for a title yet. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Bulls are especially eager to put a halt to the Heat's reign as the NBA's top dog.

Hawks Match Bucks’ Offer Sheet For Teague

July 13th, 2013 at 8:11pm CST by Spencer Lund

8:11pm: The Hawks' President of Basketball Operations and GM Danny Ferry said in a press release tonight: "We are happy to bring Jeff back to our team. He has improved each year of his career and continues to get better." Ferry continues, "At 25, he’s already been a key contributor on a playoff team and we look forward to seeing him develop into even more of a leader on our team.”

Hawks' head coach Mike Budenholzer also added his thoughts on retaining the point guard: "I am very excited to have the opportunity to coach Jeff. He has a high level of talent. Keeping him with our group allows us to continue to build and improve going forward."

5:50pm: A source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that the Hawks' intention all along was to keep Teague, not sign-and-trade him to the Bucks (Twitter).

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets that a Bucks source tells him the Hawks have officially matched the Bucks' offer for Teague.

As Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer points out, via Twitter, Teague didn't want the Hawks to match the offer and was hoping to be reunited with his coach from the Hawks last season, Larry Drew.

The Racine Journal Times' Gery Woelfel tweets that it'll be interesting to see whether the Bucks still pull of the Brandon Jennings sign-and-trade now that Teague is going back to Atlanta.

5:34pm: According to the Atlanta Journal-Constituation's Chris Vivlamore (via Twitter), the Hawks will match the Bucks' four-year $32MM offer sheet for Jeff Teague.

Only a little earlier today, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times had heard continued chatter the Hawks were not likely to match the Bucks' offer sheet and would let Teague, a restricted free agent, go to Milwaukee. But that appears to have been a mask for their true intentions to match the offer.

Teague had already expressed his desire to Hawks general manager Danny Ferry that he'd like to continue his career elsewhere, which Vivlamore mentions in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution update. Teague would have been reunited with his coach from the Hawks last season, Larry Drew, if the Hawks hadn't matched the offer.

Ferry, Hawks Mulling Decision On Larry Drew

May 6th, 2013 at 2:07pm CST by Ryan Raroque

MONDAY, 2:07pm: As Ferry weighs the next move for the Hawks, Drew and his coaching staff in Atlanta have begun exploring other employment opportunities, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Spears hears from one source close to the staff who believes there's a "slim chance" Drew and his coaches will be retained.

SATURDAY, 7:50pm: Earlier this afternoon, we briefly heard that the Hawks planned to hold off on decisions regarding personnel (including the head coach) for a few days. According to an ESPN report (via the Associated Press), Hawks GM Danny Ferry went on record saying that he isn't ready to make a decision on whether he'll retain Larry Drew beyond this season:

"We're going to take some time, give it some distance, give it some space from the season, from the playoffs, from the emotions of that…Then we'll make decisions that we feel are best in the short-term and long-term interests of the team."

Drew – recently rumored to be interested in the 76ers' head coaching vacancy - has compiled a 128-102 record in three seasons as Atlanta's head coach. After the Hawks were dealt their second consecutive first-round playoff exit this year, Drew gave credit to his team's overall performance this season considering that many on the team's roster are headed for free agency. He also said that he's not sure about whether or not his future involves a continued tenure in Atlanta:

"I thought we had a really good season given what our circumstances were. They weren't the best…Whether I'm back here or not, I don't know. The one thing I will say is I've had a great run here."

Considering that the Hawks only have three players guaranteed to be under contract next season, I'd be surprised if Ferry didn't make a decision on the head coaching situation soon, especially before scouring free agency this summer and determining the players who would be a good fit.

Berger On Smith, Bucks, Dwight, Hickson

February 19th, 2013 at 11:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Ken Berger of CBS Sports described the difficulty for the Hawks to find the type of assets they want in exchange for Josh Smith, and GM Danny Ferry has been firm in telling other teams that he's not willing to take back future salary. Atlanta has prioritized draft picks and young players in exchange for their star forward, though other teams have been insistent on including some long-term deals as part of their offers.

The Nets are one interested team that would be hard-pressed to complete a trade before Thursday, as the current CBA would prohibit a luxury taxpayer to complete a sign-and-trade in the offseason. With Brooklyn set to be around $4MM above the tax line this summer, the only way they could acquire Smith after this season would be to significantly shed salary first. Here's more out of Berger's column tonight:

Ferry realizes that the number of potential trading partners will decrease this summer, and while Phoenix had originally been seen as an ideal destination for Smith, the Suns appear to have their reservations about whether or not the assets they'd be sending out would be worth it.
The Bucks have been "definitely active" in Smith talks considering the uncertain future of Brandon Jennings, who is said to have been intrigued by bigger markets and had recently switched agents (from Bill Duffy to Jeff Schwartz, known for being a strong advocate for the opportunities that a bigger market can provide).
Luc Mbah a Moute could be a key component of a Smith-to-Milwaukee deal, factoring in his production and manageable contract.
It is widely believed that the Hawks will try to make a strong push to acquire Dwight Howard before the trade deadline.
The Trail Blazers continue to shop J.J. Hickson in exchange for a first-round pick.
Wizards guard Jordan Crawford has drawn interest from some teams, but the team isn't willing to take back any long-term contracts.
76ers guard Nick Young has been part of many discussions, but there isn't a deal to be made as of now.
The Nets know that a Kris Humphries-for-Ben Gordon trade with the Bobcats is still on the table, but are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith before returning to that avenue.

Odds & Ends: Popovich, Lopez, Wizards, Bucks

November 30th, 2012 at 10:30pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news from around the NBA on Friday evening:

CBSSports.com's Ken Berger reports that the NBA is considering instituting a new policy on resting players following Gregg Popovich's controversial decision on Thursday.
Howard Beck of the New York Times writes that Brook Lopez' foot is not seriously injured, despite indications to the contrary.
The New York Times' Dan Duggan writes that the Wizards are trying to put their horrific start to the season behind them.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Bucks have still not set a time for Luc Mbah a Moute's return.
Sam Amico of FoxSportsOhio.com writes that Hawks GM Danny Ferry has turned the team around faster than expected.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer writes that Cavs rookie Kevin Jones is not expected to find his way into the rotation anytime soon.

Eastern Notes: Varejao, Pietrus, Celtics

November 29th, 2012 at 10:36pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao received as good a vote of confidence as one can get from head coach Byron Scott, who called the Brazilian big man "the best center in the NBA right now." Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes that Varejao's statistical production makes Scott's statement a difficult one to disagree with, also mentioning that some fans have wondered if Cleveland should take advantage of his value and trade him. With that being said, Amico asserts that Cavaliers brass currently has no intention of dealing their most tenured veteran. For the rest of tonight's tidbits from the Eastern Conference, you can find them below:

Bill McCandless, the agent of Mickael Pietrus, told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com about the other teams that that had been under consideration while they had waited for the right opportunity in free agency. Whereas the Rockets and Timberwolves were potential destinations in the West, McCandless listed the Bulls and Hawks as the other Eastern Conference teams which had been in the hunt along with Toronto.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers offered a poignant comment about Rajon Rondo and the current state of his team, telling reporters: “I don’t know if I want to rally around my 6-foot guard being the enforcer. That’s nice but at the end of the day, if that’s the threat you’re sending, the other team has to feel [good]" (Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com reports). Although we heard Rivers say earlier that the team is in no rush to make any changes to the roster, Petraglia hypothetically mentioned Kenyon Martin as a possible target if Boston decided to look into free agency for help.
Aside from wanting rookie guard Maalik Wayns to become a more accomplished defender, 76ers coach Doug Collins likes the direction of his development, writes Mark Narducci of Philly.com.
Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer points out that Zydrunas Ilgauskas was at the Cavaliers' practice facility on Thursday to help Byron Scott teach forward Tristan Thompson about making quicker decisions and moves offensively to counter shotblockers.
Mary Schmitt Boyer (also of the Plain Dealer) discusses the challenge that Danny Ferry faces in building the Hawks into a playoff contender, just as he had done in Cleveland from 2005 to 2010.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap has taken notice of Jeff Taylor's development as the rookie has stepped in to fill the void left by Gerald Henderson's injury. In another article, Bonnell mentions that the continued lobbying of New Orleans Hornets owners to rebrand their franchise could mean an opportunity for Charlotte to re-acquire the Hornets nickname.
Nate Taylor of The New York Times discusses Tyson Chandler's offensive efficiency as of late, noting that the 7'1 Knicks center is averaging a career best in points (12.0 PPG) and leading the league in field goal percentage at 71.8%.

Danny Ferry Gives Backing To Larry Drew

November 10th, 2012 at 2:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

Hawks GM Danny Ferry attempted to defuse rumors that he would like to bring fired Lakers coach Mike Brown aboard to replace Larry Drew after Drew's contract is up at the end of the season, saying that he's committed to working with his current coach, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

"Mike is a good friend and I have great respect for him as a coach but I am fully engaged with Larry and our partnership," the GM said. "I have enjoyed our process together so far and think we are building a positive foundation."

Brown was coach of the Cavs when Ferry was GM in Cleveland, and the team's parting of ways with Brown in 2010 was the main reason behind Ferry's departure from the Cavs two weeks later, as Vivlamore points out. Drew declined comment on Brown's firing Friday. The Hawks exercised their 2012/13 option on Drew's contract before Ferry took over as GM this summer, though Ferry reportedly agreed with the team's decision to do so.

Ferry On Hawks, Howard, Johnson, Free Agents

August 13th, 2012 at 6:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

New Hawks GM Danny Ferry recently spoke to Charles Bethea of Grantland and held forth on several topics, including the Dwight Howard trade. Ferry says he never got close to a deal for the superstar big man because Magic were unwilling to trade him within the Southeast Division, though Zach Lowe of SI.com tweets that it isn't necessarily true. The entire Q-and-A is worth a read, but we'll run down a few highlights here:

On joining the Hawks and his relationship with co-owner Bruce Levenson:

I looked at it as a challenge. But once I spent time with ownership, with Bruce, specifically — a lot of time, a lot of deep questioning and thoughts back and forth — I got the sense that: One, he was committed to do this right. And he understands that things needed to change, on his behalf, and on ownership’s behalf, to help make that happen. There was a sense of humility from him: that we can do better than what we’ve done. And I felt like he was gonna empower someone to come in and do that. On top of that, I like the man: He seemed like a pretty good guy. Him being from the D.C. area, me being from the D.C. area. From a background standpoint everything was really positive.

On trading Joe Johnson to the Nets:

"We started talking about it June 26th, and we agreed on things July 3rd. I think it was a win-win for both teams. They got a good player who’d help keep around Deron Williams. It was a hard deal for us. But, at the end, we had a good making-the-playoff run, but we hadn’t had a good playoff run, if that makes sense. And the goal is to have a good playoff run. That was going to be hard to sustain, with how we were set up."

On the ability to attract Howard and other stars scheduled to hit free agency soon:

"I can’t talk specifically about Dwight Howard, with him being a free agent next year, for one. And two, who’s to say he won’t (come here)? But it’s a hard thing to get players to leave where they are, more than anything else. This is a place guys like to play. You see them settle in the offseason here. If we start doing things in an even better way, build a better program and a better model here, then it will be more attractive. We have to make an investment in the team infrastructure."

Hawks Hire Danny Ferry As President, GM

June 25th, 2012 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have officially hired Danny Ferry as the team's new president of basketball operations and general manager, the team announced today in a press release. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported yesterday that Atlanta had offered Ferry the job, with Chris Broussard of ESPN.com adding that the offer was for six years.

Hawks Have Contacted Danny Ferry About GM Job

June 22nd, 2012 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The majority of our Danny Ferry rumors in recent weeks have seen him linked to the 76ers, as Rod Thorn's successor. However, Philadelphia isn't the only team with interest in the Spurs executive, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Broussard reports that the Hawks have been in touch with Ferry about becoming the team's new general manager.