David Fizdale Rumors | Hoops Rumors

David Fizdale Notes: Assistants, Reactions, More

May 4th, 2018 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

With David Fizdale and the Knicks in agreement on a four-year contract that will make the former Grizzlies coach the new head man in New York, Fizdale will now be tasked with filling out his coaching staff.

Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com recently suggested that Fizdale could recruit some of his old Grizzlies assistants to join him elsewhere, and Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News agrees with that assessment, tweeting that a list of potential Knicks assistants should start with Bob Bender, Keith Smart, and Nick Van Exel.

Meanwhile, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype attempts to identify a few more candidates to join the Knicks as assistants, including Juwan Howard, who spent plenty of time with Fizdale in Miami.

Here are a few more items related to the Knicks’ decision to hire Fizdale:

An NBA source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post that the Knicks are prepared to open cap room this summer in the event that LeBron James shows any interest in heading to New York. While Fizdale has a good relationship with James and it may technically be possible for the Knicks to create cap space, that scenario is an extreme long shot. As Mitch Lawrence of Forbes writes, the Knicks hope Fizdale’s popularity among NBA players with help them in free agency, but they’re probably looking ahead at least to the 2019 market.
Before he accepted a four-year offer from the Knicks, Fizdale turned down a four-year offer from the Suns to become their new head coach, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.
There has been no shortage of praise for the Knicks’ decision to go with Fizdale. As Marc Berman of The New York Post relays, ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups referred to Fizdale as the “best coach on the market,” while Jalen Rose called him the “right fit” for the Knicks. Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post agrees that Fizdale is the right man for the job, and Enes Kanter told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic that he likes the ex-Grizzlies coach “a lot.”
Still, not everyone is bullish on the Knicks’ hire. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports believes the optimism on Fizdale is misplaced, arguing that there are still too many issues within the Knicks’ organization to expect success from any new head coach.
Ian Begley of ESPN.com takes a look at the next steps for Fizdale and the Knicks as they attempt to turn the page on years of dysfunction.

David Fizdale Agrees To Become Knicks Head Coach

May 3rd, 2018 at 4:46pm CST by marksuleymanov

David Fizdale has agreed to a deal to become the Knicks’ new head coach, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Fizdale will sign a four-year deal with New York, Wojnarowski adds.

Fizdale was a popular head coaching candidate this spring, as the Magic, Hawks, Suns, and Hornets interviewed him for their vacancies. As it turns out, Fizdale recently turned down an offer from Phoenix to become the Suns’ head coach because he wanted the Knicks’ job, per ESPN’s Marc J. Spears.

The Knicks fired Jeff Hornacek at the end of the regular season, ending his two-year stint as head coach. Despite having another year left on his deal, Hornacek was the odd man out as the team’s new regime of president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry rebuild the franchise.

We relayed yesterday that Fizdale had gained serious traction to become the Knicks’ next head coach. Fizdale was among 11 candidates that New York considered throughout the process. Former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, and former Warriors coach and analyst Mark Jackson were reportedly finalists.

Fizdale will become the Knicks’ 11th head coach since the 2001/02 campaign, ESPN’s Ian Begley notes. New York is seeking stability in the role and the organization hopes the 43-year-old Fizdale can provide it. As part of his new job, Fizdale is expected to travel to Latvia soon to meet with Kristaps Porzingis, Wojnarowkski noted.

Fizdale coached the Grizzlies to a 43-39 record during the 2016/17 campaign, but the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Fizdale was relieved of his duties 19 games into this season as Memphis struggled to win while the head coach’s relationship with All-Star Marc Gasol reportedly deteriorated.

Before he joined the Grizzlies, Fizdale served as an assistant coach with the Warriors, Hawks, and Heat. He was part of the Heat organization for eight seasons, helping the team reach four NBA Finals, winning two of them. Despite his issues with Gasol in Memphis, Fizdale had been endorsed by several of his former players, including future Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade.

“He’s a phenomenal coach — everyone has seen that in the job he was able to do in Memphis [last season],’’ Wade said. “I definitely think his name will be in the running for a lot of jobs. He’s going to bring to a team his work ethic, a great offensive-minded coach, but has defensive principles from Miami [president] Pat Riley has installed in every coach that’s come here.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Woodson Willing To Serve As Assistant To Fizdale With Knicks

May 3rd, 2018 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Woodson is among 11 candidates who interviewed for the Knicks’ head coaching job, but he would be happy as an assistant if David Fizdale is hired, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Fizdale is reportedly among the favorites, along with Mike Budenholzer and David Blatt, as the Knicks get closer to a decision. Woodson is currently the top assistant with the Clippers, but Doc Rivers isn’t certain to return next season and Woodson said he would listen if offered a similar post under Fizdale in New York.

“I love David. I gave him his first job on the bench — I know he worked one season before in Golden State,” he said. “We’re very close. I’m sure he would call.’’

Fizdale, who is set to interview with the Magic, has also talked to the Hornets and Hawks, along with the Suns, who will fill their vacancy with Igor Kokoskov. Fizdale spent four seasons as Woodson’s assistant in Atlanta and they share an agent, so they have a good working relationship.

If Fizdale does come to New York, he may not have access to all the assistants he had in Memphis, which decided to keep interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Berman adds. That group is made up of Keith Smart, Bob Bender, Nick Van Exel, Greg Buckner and Adam Mazarei. Heat assistant Juwan Howard, who worked with Fizdale in Miami and interviewed for the Knicks’ opening as well, could be a candidate for Fizdale’s staff.

Woodson called his interview with Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry a “great meeting,” adding that “everyone’s just waiting.”

Names Emerge In Bucks’ Coaching Search

May 3rd, 2018 at 8:41am CST by Arthur Hill

A few early candidates have been identified as the Bucks begin their search for a new head coach, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

He names five former head coaches — Steve Clifford, Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, David Fizdale and David Blatt — that Milwaukee would like to interview, adding that a few more could be in the mix.

Because they made the playoffs, the Bucks got a late start in their pursuit of a new coach and are facing competition for several names on the list. Fizdale, considered one of the finalists for the Knicks’ job, has an interview scheduled with the Magic this week. He has also interviewed with the the Hornets and Hawks, as well as the Suns, who will fill their vacancy with Igor Kokoskov.

Budenholzer, who recently parted ways with the Hawks, is also believed to be a Knicks finalist, along with Blatt, who coached the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2015. Budenholzer inteviewed for the Suns’ job, as did Clifford, who was fired as head coach of the Hornets after the season ended. Williams, a former head coach with the Pelicans, serves as VP of basketball operations for the Spurs.

The Bucks may be the most desirable destination for potential coaches, boasting a playoff-caliber roster that includes MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Interim coach Joe Prunty, who led the team to a 21-16 record after taking over for Jason Kidd at midseason, will get consideration, but the franchise may be hoping to attract a bigger name to make a splash as it moves into a new arena this fall.

David Fizdale Gaining Traction In Knicks’ HC Search

May 2nd, 2018 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

5:24pm: Per Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Fizdale has gained serious traction in the Knicks’ search for their next head coach.

In his story, Charania adds that while the Knicks interviewed a wide array of candidates for their vacant head-coaching position, Fizdale emerged as a leading candidate immediately after the Knicks fired Jeff Hornacek.

There is still no agreement between Fizdale and the Knicks.

11:37am: The Knicks appear to be getting closer to a decision on their new head coach, and Mike Budenholzer, David Blatt, and David Fizdale are among the candidates believed to receiving the strongest consideration, according to multiple reports.

NBA columnist Mitch Lawrence (Twitter link) hears from team sources that Budenholzer is a finalist, and adds that Blatt and Fizdale were “locks” to get at least this far in the process. Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) singles out those three candidates as well, suggesting they’re viewed as “prime contenders” for the Knicks’ head coaching job.

According to Stein (Twitter link), one other interesting wrinkle in the Knicks’ coaching search involves Mark Jackson, who has received a “strong behind-the-scenes push” from Rich Kleiman. In addition to being Kevin Durant’s longtime business partner, Kleiman is a lifelong Knicks fan who is close with both Jackson and team president Steve Mills.

In total, the Knicks’ list of interviewees included at least 11 names, as we detailed on Tuesday. However, it’s unlikely that all of those candidates are still in the running.

Magic To Interview David Fizdale

May 1st, 2018 at 6:15pm CST by Austin Kent

The Magic will add David Fizdale to their pool of head coaching candidates, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes, the two parties have a forthcoming interview scheduled.

Fizdale will have at least one leg up on other reported candidates in that he’s served as a head coach in the NBA previously, although there’s no indication that that would necessarily impact the team’s decision. While Jerry Stackhouse, David Vanterpool and Ime Udoka have all logged time as assistant coaches, Fizdale coached the Grizzlies through one and a half seasons until his dismissal last November.

Prior to the head coaching gig in Memphis, Fizdale served as an instrumental assistant coach with the state rival Heat. He’s said to be in the mix for several other vacancies around the league, having been reported to agree to interviews with the Knicks, Hornets, Hawks and Suns.

The Magic remain a forlorn pile of young assets and bloated contracts heading into the second year of general manager John Hammond‘s tenure with the franchise. Adding a passionate young coach like Fizdale could serve the organization eight seasons removed from its last 40-win campaign well.

Central Notes: Bucks, Doncic, Pacers

May 1st, 2018 at 4:59pm CST by clarkcrum

As we relayed yesterday, Bucks’ interim head coach Joe Prunty is still a candidate to retain Milwaukee’s head coaching position. However, as we also indicated, former Hawks’ coach Mike Budenholzer is just one name circulating as a possible replacement for Prunty, with the Bucks planning to conduct an open and active search for their next head coach.

According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Bucks would be wise to move on from Prunty and seek a head coach who can do a better job of inserting franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo into a superstar role. Per Deveney, the Bucks have failed to do so to this point in Antetokounmpo’s young career, and it is negatively affecting both Antetokounmpo and the team.

Deveney mentions Budenholzer, former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt as worthwhile candidates for the position, but ultimately opines that whoever the Bucks hire, he needs to be able to formulate an offense that runs through Antetokounmpo, creating mismatches and finding options for when teams double team him.

Deveney also touches on what he deems disappointing seasons from role players Tony Snell, Thon Maker, and Matthew Dellavedova, as well as the upcoming free agency of former No. 2 overall pick, Jabari Parker. Deveney feels that the best case scenario for the Bucks, although highly unlikely, is a total lack of suitors for Parker, thereby opening the door for the Bucks to potentially sign Parker to a one-year deal at the value of his qualifying offer.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Regardless of how the Bucks plan on approaching Parker’s free agency, at least one teammate is extremely confident that the former Duke star is not leaving Milwaukee (story).
As one part of a 10-part series focusing on the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft, Marc Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago argues that the Bulls should select Luka Doncic if he is available when Chicago makes its selection in June, as his elite-level passing ability is a perfect fit for today’s fast-paced NBA game.
Fresh off a heartbreaking loss to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the teams’ first round series, the Pacers should be excited about their promising future, writes Michael Marot of The Associated Press. As Marot notes, the Pacers could have their top eight players all back next year if Thaddeus Young and Cory Joseph exercise their player options and the Pacers exercise their team option on fan favorite Lance Stephenson.

Knicks Interview Mike Brown, Aim To Hire New Coach Soon

May 1st, 2018 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have completed their interviews for their head coaching vacancy, and will huddle this week to attempt to reach a consensus on Jeff Hornacek‘s replacement, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Woj, the club hopes to have a new head coach hired by the end of the week.

As Wojnarowski details, the Knicks conducted one final interview in addition to the meetings that have already been reported, speaking to Warriors assistant Mike Brown about their head coaching position. That brings New York’s list of reported candidates to 11 names. They are as follows, in alphabetical order:

David Blatt (former Cavaliers head coach)
James Borrego (Spurs assistant)
Mike Brown (Warriors assistant; former Cavaliers head coach)
Mike Budenholzer (former Hawks head coach)
David Fizdale (former Grizzlies head coach)
Juwan Howard (Heat assistant)
Mark Jackson (ESPN analyst; former Warriors head coach)
Jay Larranaga (Celtics assistant)
Kenny Smith (TNT analyst)
Jerry Stackhouse (Raptors 905 head coach)
Mike Woodson (Clippers assistant; former Knicks head coach)

Budenholzer and Blatt have generated the most buzz as potential targets for the Knicks, while Fizdale, Stackhouse, and Jackson were initially considered among the club’s top tier as well.

If the Knicks do name a new head coach this week, they’ll likely become the first team to complete a full-fledged search this offseason. The Grizzlies became the first team to hire a new permanent head coach last week, but they didn’t consider outside options, opting instead to promote J.B. Bickerstaff from the interim role.

Hawks Set To Interview David Fizdale Today

April 28th, 2018 at 11:30am CST by marksuleymanov

The Hawks are set to interview David Fizdale later today for their now vacant head coach position, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports. Fizdale is among several candidates as Atlanta will also consider Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts and Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, Stein adds.

We relayed on Thursday that the Hawks were expected to consider Fizdale, Tibbetts, and Silas. Atlanta entered the offseason with Mike Budenholzer under contract for two more seasons but both sides parted amicably earlier this week after he interviewed with the Suns and Knicks.

Fizdale has been a popular candidate for various head coaching vacancies. He previously served as an assistant coach for four seasons with the Hawks under Mike Woodson.

He coached the Grizzlies to a 43-39 record during the 2016/17 campaign but the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

The 43-year-old was relieved of his duties 19 games into this season as Memphis struggled to win while Fizdale’s relationship with All-Star Marc Gasol reportedly deteriorated. Fizdale has been endorsed by his former players and fellow coaches as he looks for his next opportunity.

Hawks Expected To Consider Fizdale, Tibbetts, Others

April 26th, 2018 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

2:13pm: Vanterpool won’t be among the Hawks’ head coaching candidates after all, tweets Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

9:30am: The Hawks are the latest NBA team to embark on a search for a new head coach, having confirmed on Wednesday that they’ve parted ways with Mike Budenholzer, who had held the position since 2013. While there’s no presumed frontrunner to replace Budenholzer yet, a number of potential candidates have already emerged for Atlanta.

The Hawks are expected to talk to former Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale and current Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts about their head coaching position, a source tells Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Fizdale has been one of this spring’s most popular head coaching candidates, having previously been linked to the Knicks, Suns, and Hornets. It’s the first time we’ve heard Tibbetts connected to one of the ongoing searches, however.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds a few more names to the Hawks’ list of candidates, reporting that the club is also expected to consider Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, Spurs assistants Ime Udoka and James Borrego, and another Trail Blazers assistant, David Vanterpool.

Borrego has been another assistant whose name has frequently popped up in coaching rumors this spring — he has been linked to the Knicks and Suns. Meanwhile, Silas was identified as a possible head coaching candidate in the wake of Steve Clifford‘s ouster in Charlotte. As Amick and Zillgitt note, Silas is “widely respected” around the NBA and was with the Warriors at the same time as current Hawks GM Travis Schlenk.

It’s no surprise that the initial group of candidates for the rebuilding Hawks includes a number of NBA assistants. Wojnarowski writes that the team wants to hire an up-and-coming coach who can evolve along with Atlanta’s young roster. Vanterpool, Silas, and Tibbetts all showed up near the top of a recent list of NBA assistants who should receive head coaching consideration — that list was voted on by about three dozen executives around the league.