David Blatt Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Blatt, Bucks, Love

June 18th, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

LeBron James‘ attitude and demeanor toward Cavaliers coach David Blatt during the NBA Finals was unbecoming and inappropriate, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Stein references LeBron essentially calling his own timeouts and making substitutions, as well as eschewing Blatt for assistant coach Tyronn Lue. James also nixed a number of plays that Blatt had drawn up during timeouts, which only served to undermine the coach in the eyes of the rest of the team, Stein notes.

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

While some have speculated that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert might make a play for former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, a number of Cleveland’s front office personnel insist that Gilbert is Blatt’s biggest supporter, Zach Lowe of Grantland tweets. GM David Griffin downplayed any issues between Blatt and James in today’s season-ending news conference, saying, “Sensationalism sells. LeBron said David’s a hell of a coach,” Sam Amico of FOX Sports.com relays (Twitter link).
Griffin said that he expects James and Kevin Love to both opt out of their deals this summer, but he anticipates that both will re-sign with the Cavs, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets. While this news isn’t a surprise as far as LeBron is concerned, it does run counter to what Love told Haynes back in January that he planned to do.
The Bucks held workouts today for Josh Gasser (Wisconsin), Keifer Sykes (Wisconsin-Green Bay), Olivier Hanlan (Boston College), Cady Lalanne (Massachusetts), Amere May (Delaware State), and TaShawn Thomas (Oklahoma), the team announced (via Twitter).
Cavs veteran forward Shawn Marion confirmed today that he is indeed retiring after 16 years in the league, Stein relays in a separate article. “I wanted to go out on my terms,” Marion said. “The biggest thing is having a son. I got attached to him. Seeing him periodically is hard. Watching him grow up on pictures and videos is hard.” The Matrix’s final career numbers through 1163 contests are 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Bucks coach Jason Kidd is excited about the team’s possibilities for tweaking its roster this offseason, Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press writes. “Yeah, I like what [GM John] Hammond has done, the position he has put us in pre-draft,” Kidd said. “We’ll see what happens,” Kidd continued. ”You’ve got a lot of different things, possibilities that you’re not landlocked to get better, and that means not moving a major piece.”

Central Notes: Thibodeau, Blatt, J.R. Smith

May 27th, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s well-known throughout the NBA that the Bulls would grant other teams permission to interview Tom Thibodeau if they asked, but no team has done so this year, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson believes that suggests the options for Thibs to coach elsewhere next season are fading and sees Chicago’s slow-paced approach to Thibodeau so far this offseason as a sign that the team isn’t opposed to simply paying off the $9MM left on his contract and parting ways with him. There’s more on the Thibodeau drama amid the latest from the Central Division:

There is indeed a set-off clause in Thibodeau’s contract, so the Bulls would recoup at least part of that money — and as much as 100% of it if his contract is like that of most coaches, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com recently detailed — if the Bulls fire him and he ends up with another job, Johnson reports in the same piece. Still, it’s unknown how owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who Johnson refers to as an occasional “oasis” of sorts for Thibodeau amid the coach’s squabbles with management, wants the situation to play out, Thibs received more pushback from players this year than ever, Johnson adds.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert insists that the team never considered firing coach David Blatt, in spite of a report to the contrary and another that indicated the organization was concerned by Blatt’s uneven early season performance, as Gilbert said to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. The owner said his confidence never wavered about the coach who’s in his first NBA job. “It really didn’t,” Gilbert said. “I don’t care what the expectations were, especially after we changed coaches twice in two years. This was a guy with a long-term record of success. You have to at least give a season, maybe more than just one. I think it would have destabilized the entire franchise and it would have been bad.”
Cleveland received permission from the Knicks to talk to J.R. Smith prior to trading for him in January, and he impressed upon the Cavs that he was excited for the chance to play with them, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith later said that he would walk to Cleveland to play with LeBron James, Isola adds amid a story that casts the Cavs as a long-term threat atop the Eastern Conference.

Eastern Notes: Wizards, Blatt, Fournier

May 12th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

League insiders are split in their opinions regarding the Wizards’ chances to lure Kevin Durant to Washington D.C. when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2016, Zach Lowe of Grantland writes. While the franchise’s future appears brighter than many teams in the East, its success is tempered by the fact that it plays in a relatively weak conference, Lowe adds. What the Wizards will also need to decide upon is how aggressive they wish to be in pursing Durant, considering his mounting injuries, the Grantland scribe notes. Lowe also opines that the team should consider if coach Randy Wittman is the coach who will take them to the next level, and if not, then Washington should attempt to find that person this offseason.

Here’s more from the NBA’s Eastern Conference:

David Blatt has proven himself to be a good coach during his career overseas, but that doesn’t mean he is the right coach for LeBron James and the Cavs‘ current roster, Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report writes.
Swingman Evan Fournier did not disappoint during his first season with the Magic, John Denton of NBA.com writes in his season review of the player. Fournier proved himself to be one of the Magic’s best outside shooters and finishers at the rim, though he did miss 24 games due to various injuries, Denton notes. In 58 appearances the 22-year-old averaged 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 28.6 minutes per night.
The Heat have not traditionally had great luck in regards to the NBA draft lottery, and the team will need that to change if it is to retain its first-rounder this year, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. Over the past 15 years, no team seeded beyond No. 10 has moved up in the lottery, Winderman notes, and if Miami’s pick falls out of the top 10 selections it will convey to the Sixers.

Western Notes: Chandler, Kings, Milutinov

May 11th, 2015 at 7:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks need to retain Tyson Chandler if they fall short in their pursuit of DeAndre Jordan this summer, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com opines. Both become unrestricted free agents this summer and Jordan is the more attractive option because he’s younger, a better defender at this stage of his career and has led the NBA in field-goal percentage the last three seasons, MacMahon continues. Jordan would be a foundation piece for Dallas but the Clippers’ success in the playoffs makes it more unlikely he’d leave the organization, MacMahon adds. Losing Chandler without upgrading the center spot would be a disastrous situation for the Mavs since it would also hamper their chances of signing a top-level power forward like LaMarcus Aldridge, MacMahon concludes.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive admits he made a mistake in hiring ex-coach Michael Malone before selecting a GM and assembling his front office, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee reports. Malone was fired in mid-December and replaced by interim coach Ty Corbin before Ranadive hired George Karl in February. “People told me not to do that. But I knew Malone from when he was an assistant with the Warriors, and again, with the draft only weeks away, I had to make very quick decisions,” Ranadive told Voisin about the Malone hire in June 2013. “I didn’t know any GMs.”
The Timberwolves would probably not pursue David Blatt as their head coach if he’s fired by the Cavaliers, Darren Wolfson of KSTP.com tweets. Minnesota president of basketball operations and head coach Flip Saunders was interested in Blatt as an assistant and coach-in-waiting last offseason but wasn’t considering him for the head coaching job, Wolfson adds.
The Timberwolves could consider 6’11” Serbian center Nikola Milutinov as a stash prospect with either of their second-round picks, Wolfson reports in a separate tweet. Minnesota owns the No. 31 and No. 36 overall picks and the team’s European scout, Zarko Durisic, is a fan of Milutinov, Wolfson adds. Milutinov is ranked No. 44 on Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider Big Board and No. 35 on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress prospect list.

Eastern Rumors: Cavs, Kidd, Johnson

April 13th, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

GM David Griffin turned the Cavs into a potential championship contender with his in-season moves and unwavering support of first-year coach David Blatt, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today opines. Cleveland needed those improvements to be a true contender, Zillgitt continues, and his acquisitions of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov made the desired impact. Griffin also diffused a potentially divisive issue with his public support of Blatt while the team was struggling, Zillgitt adds. Cleveland’s turnaround this season has made Griffin a prime candidate for the league’s Executive of the Year award.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Jason Kidd deserves Coach of the Year consideration after guiding the Bucks to the playoffs one season after they won 15 games, Matt Walks of ESPN.com writes. Kidd had to deal with the season-ending injury losses of Jabari Parker and Kendall Marshall as well as Larry Sanders‘ mental health issues that led him into retirement. Kidd also changed point guards from Brandon Knight to Michael Carter-Williams at the trade deadline, yet the club ranks second in defensive efficiency, Walks points out. The Bucks have a strong young core, provided they retains restricted free agent Khris Middleton, and has the draft choices to add more pieces, Walks concludes.
Tyler Johnson‘s story offers hope for prospects with seemingly little chance to be drafted, as he went from undrafted to a prominent role in the Heat’s playoff push within a single year, as Shams Charania of RealGM examines. Johnson, who’s averaging 18.4 minutes in 30 appearances, has a non-guaranteed salary for next season that becomes 50% guaranteed if he remains under contract through August 1st.
The Cavs assigned Joe Harris to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, the team announced on Monday. The guard has played in 50 games for the Cavs this season, averaging 2.7 points in 9.5 minutes per game. Harris was available to play for the Charge in their postseason game on Monday against the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Eastern Notes: Ross, Blatt, Pistons

February 18th, 2015 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Terrence Ross is unlikely to be dealt by the Raptors before Thursday’s trade deadline, Michael Grange of SportsNet reports. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri tells Grange that it’s too early to give up on Ross, even though Ross’ playing time has dropped from 31.1 minutes in December to 20.9 in January and 22.0 for February. “I would be shocked if we did something with Terrence,” Ujiri said to Grange. “Trust me. I can’t tell you more how I totally don’t think that would happen before Thursday.” Ross has been rumored to be part of a package that could deliver a quality big man such as the Pacers‘ David West.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

David Blatt’s job security is on firmer ground because LeBron James has gained respect for him, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports. James, who did not give Blatt ringing endorsements earlier in the season, called him “great” and added that Blatt has handled his first season as the Cavs coach “extremely well so far, and I’m happy to be playing for him.“
The Cavs have recalled Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. Harris has played in seven games for Canton this season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per contest.
Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy says that things are quiet on the trade front for Detroit, and that it was doubtful the team would make a move prior to the trade deadline, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press tweets.
Free agent Jamaal Tinsley has turned down 10-day contract offers from the Pistons, Hornets, and Wolves, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Tinsley appeared in eight games for the Jazz last season.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said the team will get another point guard in time for its next game, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pompey did not elaborate on whether that would occur by trade or free agent signing.
Suspended Sixers forward Andrei Kirilenko is a likely buyout candidate, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets. Philadelphia would prefer to trade him for assets but it’s expected that won’t happen and the team will wind up buying Kirilenko out, Mazzeo adds.
Brandon Bass made it clear that he has no interest in a buyout, as Jay King of MassLive relays (Twitter link). Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck identified him as a likely buyout candidate last week.

Eddie Scarito and Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Cavs Notes: Mozgov, Smith, Blatt, Waiters

January 24th, 2015 at 4:13pm CST by Charlie Adams

David Griffin‘s pursuit of Timofey Mozgov began just weeks after becoming the Cavs’ GM, and LeBron James told Cleveland’s front office late in the summer to swing a deal for the 28-year-old Russian if at all possible, as Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer details. Mozgov has quickly developed a close relationship with James, observes Pluto, who also notes that the big man’s arrival has benefited David Blatt by providing the first-year NBA coach a player who he’s had experience coaching in the past. There’s more from Pluto below amid our latest look at what’s happening in Cleveland..

The Cavs’ front office had concerns about J.R. Smith‘s past legal troubles, but the team elected to pull the trigger on the deal to bring him to Cleveland after LeBron and Kyrie Irving, two players who knew Smith, urged Griffin and company to complete the trade, according to Pluto.
Prior to the acquisition of Smith and Iman Shumpert, there were serious concerns about the Cavs’ lack of depth within Cleveland’s locker room, as one anonymous player tells Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. One more player told Haynes that the issue was never a collective lack of faith in Blatt, who was rumored to have lost the attention of his players.
LeBron hasn’t reached out to Dion Waiters since the third-year guard was shipped to Oklahoma City, but Waiters doesn’t appear to be devastated by the lack of communication, as Haynes passes along in another piece. “Man, he had his chance to reach out,” Waiters told Haynes. “I’m not losing any sleep… Both teams are doing great. [We’re both winning]. Everybody seems at ease now and that’s what it’s about.“

Cavaliers Notes: Blatt, James, Mozgov

January 18th, 2015 at 10:44am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers had internal discussions about firing coach David Blatt, reports Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal, but refused to give into demands by LeBron James. When GM David Griffin sniped at the media recently regarding Blatt rumors, Lloyd said he was sending a message to players that Blatt will remain the coach and they need to commit to him. The team seems re-energized by back-to-back wins in Los Angeles, but James still hasn’t offered much public praise for his embattled coach.

There’s more from Cleveland:

Connecting with James is key to Blatt’s long-term future in Cleveland, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Blatt has let his superstar dictate the terms of the relationship, refusing to clash with him in public or in private, while hoping his vision of winning eventually settles in with James and the team. “He’s got his own opinions and he expresses them,” Blatt said of James. “At times, he can be stubborn. But what I know from him, what he wants from me, is a vehicle to help him win. And beyond that, nothing else is really important.”
Blatt’s persistence may finally be paying off, contends Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. The Cavs’ offense had one of its best games of the sesaon Friday against the Clippers, displaying ball movement and productive sets in a 126-121 victory. It’s a sign that players may be warming up to their coach. “We weren’t great offensively in Miami our first year either,” said Mike Miller. “Just because his philosophies aren’t showing up on the stat sheets right now doesn’t mean they’re not genius. I still think they’re really good.”
Someone who shouldn’t have to worry about his long-term future in Cleveland is newly acquired center Timofey Mozgov, according to Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. The Cavaliers have been pleased with Mozgov’s performance since sending two protected first round picks to Denver to acquire him in a January 7th trade. Mozgov said he was happy with the Nuggets, but welcomes the challenge of changing teams. “Now it’s a new story, a new page, a new part of my life,” he said. “It’s another team. I’m happy to be here playing [with] guys like Kyrie [Irving], LeBron and Kevin Love.”

Central Notes: Datome, Blatt, Noah

January 17th, 2015 at 5:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons sent Gigi Datome to their D-League affiliate on Wednesday, an assignment the player wasn’t happy about, David Mayo of MLive writes. “You know what? Not really,” Detroit’s president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy said when asked if Datome was excited about the move. “There’s sort of a … he’s leaving the NBA, he’s a little older, he’s not a 21-year-old guy. So no, not really. But hopefully, when he gets down there to California, and gets practicing, and gets ready to play, and is getting ready for a game that he knows he’s going to get a chance to play in, hopefully he will get enthused about it.” Datome is reportedly on the trading block.

Here’s the latest from the Central Division:

Van Gundy was honest when he said that he had a few second thoughts about his decision to accept the job in Detroit when the Pistons began the season with a 5-23 record, Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report writes. “What I started doubting, quite honestly, at 5-23, was myself,” Van Gundy said. “After being out two years and being 5-23, I’d be lying if I tell you I wasn’t doubting myself as a coach. There’s no question, as a coach. I’ve never doubted our organization and what we’re doing and the ability we have down the road. Even at 5-23, I had confidence in everybody else in the organization but myself. Yes. That’s where it suffered.”
Bulls center Joakim Noah is still trying to regain his form after undergoing offseason knee surgery, a process that hasn’t gone as quickly or smoothly as the player had hoped, Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com writes.
David Blatt was hired by the Cavs with the reputation and track record of being a great coach, but he hasn’t quite lived up to that pedigree since taking over in Cleveland, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. The large amount of roster turnover and the injuries the team has dealt with explain some of the team’s difficulties, notes Zillgitt. But other contributing factors to the Cavs’ struggles this season are that Blatt is an unknown around the league, his players haven’t quite bought into his system, and they may not trust enough in him yet, Zillgitt adds.

Cavs Rumors: Thompson, Jackson, Love

January 14th, 2015 at 2:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs offered Tristan Thompson a four-year, $52MM extension this past fall before the October 31st deadline for rookie scale extensions passed, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Opposing teams aren’t gearing up to make that rich of an offer to Thompson in restricted free agency this summer, Wojnarowski writes, adding that rival executives were expecting Thompson to sign an extension for between $10MM and $12MM a year. Here’s more on the Cavs, who’ve sunk beneath .500:

Wojnarowski suggests in the same piece that the Cavs understand they have little choice but to turn to Mark Jackson if LeBron James won’t play for David Blatt. Cavs brass “wanted nothing to do” with hiring Jackson as a coach before James came back to Cleveland, Wojnarowski adds. Jackson and James are both clients of agent Rich Paul.
Cavs players have frequently and openly spoken about the team’s coaching issues with players and other personnel from opposing teams, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
The Cavs indeed met with Kevin Love before their trade to acquire him from the Timberwolves was official, as Windhorst writes in the same piece, noting that if the two sides talked about any contractual terms during the visit, it would have violated league rules. Love said Tuesday that he plans to opt in for next season, a likely financial sacrifice.