David Fizdale Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Rumors: Fizdale, Nogueira, Ross

May 24th, 2014 at 10:43am CST by Cray Allred

Paul George has been cleared to play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, days after being diagnosed with a concussion suffered in Game 2. The Pacers have fared well on the road this postseason, and will hope to regain home court advantage by snagging a win in Miami. Here’s a roundup of Eastern Conference news:

Heat assistant David Fizdale hasn’t been contacted by any teams with head coaching vacancies, but does have Erik Spoelstra’s blessing to pursue a job, he tells Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel. “There have been no [contacts], no conversations, nothing like that,” Fizdale said. “Quite honestly, [Spoelstra] gets very annoyed with me, because he’s like, ‘Why don’t you care about being a head coach?’ And I’m like, ‘Cause we’re in the playoffs.'” Fizdale has been linked with the Cavs vacancy, but downplays having any ties to Cleveland’s front office.
Hawks 2013 first-round pick Lucas Nogueira has decided to leave his Spanish league team and either play for Atlanta or another European team next season, reports Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype). Nogueira still has a year left on his contract with Asefa Estudiantes of Spain, but his NBA buyout is $600K, which is precisely the maximum amount NBA teams are allowed to pay next season to cover a buyout from an international club without any money counting toward the cap.
In an answer to a mailbag question, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star suggests that Terrence Ross is a trading chip the Raptors should gauge interest in this summer.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Notes: LeBron, Cavs, Hammond, Pistons

May 21st, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs appear to face an uphill battle if they’re to sign LeBron James this summer, but they still intend to try, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who points to the team’s interest in Heat assistant David Fizdale as evidence. Still, Fizdale tells Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel that he’s had no contact with Cleveland and that his only ties to the team were through Mike Brown, whom the team fired last week (Twitter link). Here’s more on Cleveland’s coaching search and the team’s rivals from the Central Division:

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is enamored with Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, though Billups, who’s yet to retire from playing, prefers a future as an NBA GM as opposed to a coach, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins and Mark Jackson are more likely candidates for Cleveland’s head coaching vacancy, Boyer believes.
Adrian Griffin seemed like the early favorite for the Cavs coaching job, but it’s unclear whether he’s a high on Cleveland’s list, as Boyer writes in the same piece.
Bucks GM John Hammond will remain with the team at least through the draft, Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens said Tuesday, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel observes. Edens gave no assurances that the GM will last longer than that in spite of Hammond’s contract, which runs for two more seasons, Gardner notes.
The Pistons and Hornets had discussions about a deal during the season that would have allowed Detroit to keep its first-round pick regardless of where it ended up in the order, but they never got serious, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Charlotte wound up with Detroit’s first-rounder for next month when the Pistons fell to ninth in Tuesday’s lottery.
Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson are among the players the Pistons will consider with the 38th overall pick, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (on Twitter).
We rounded up more on the Cavs earlier today.

Eastern Notes: Fizdale, Pistons, Gortat

May 17th, 2014 at 10:22am CST by Cray Allred

Heat assistant coach David Fizdale is on the Cavs radar, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Broussard doesn’t specify that Cleveland’s interest regards its head coaching vacancy, but Fizdale recently drew interest as a Warriors head coaching candidate before Golden State hired Steve Kerr. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Stan Van Gundy has prioritized hiring a GM and some assistant coaches for the Pistons in the near future, he told reporters including Vincent Ellis of Detroit Free PRess. “The biggest thing right now for us is probably our GM search, getting through that,” said Van Gundy. “And at the same time we’ll make some other hirings pretty quickly to get more people on board.”
Van Gundy also said that he is considering some of his former players as assistant coaches with the Pistons.
Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel thinks that Van Gundy will have to become more patient in his approach to succeed in his front office role with the Pistons. Schmitz also worries that Van Gundy’s health will suffer if he doesn’t delegate his coaching and executive duties well.
Marcin Gortat said that he doesn’t want to play anywhere with a “blind” point guard as he approaches free agency, tweets Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com. The Wizards center praised John Wall‘s willingness to share the ball.

Warriors, Knicks, Steve Kerr Rumors: Friday

May 9th, 2014 at 8:52am CST by Chuck Myron

We put together a lengthy post Thursday on the latest about the Warriors and Knicks coaching situations, both of which seem tethered to Steve Kerr at this point. We’ll keep track of today’s updates below:

The Warriors appear to have interest in Jerry Sloan and Heat assistant David Fizdale, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, who adds that Kerr and Stan Van Gundy remain the team’s primary targets. Sloan and Fizdale are the newest names on the list of coaches the Warriors are reportedly eyeing, one that already included Kerr, Van Gundy, George Karl, Mike D’Antoni, Nate McMillan, Kevin Ollie, Alvin Gentry, Fred Hoiberg, Tom Thibodeau and Lionel Hollins.
Marc Berman of the New York Post is the latest to report that Kerr is leaning toward taking the Knicks job. Still, the former Suns GM intends to complete his TNT broadcast commitments, which run through the Western Conference Finals, regardless of whether he takes a coaching position in the meantime, a source tells Berman.
It looks like Kerr is seeking a five-year deal with money similar to that of the four-year, $24MM contract that the Knicks gave Mike D’Antoni in 2008, Berman reports, suggesting that it’s possible the fifth year would be a team option.
Kerr is concerned that he hasn’t seen a formal offer from the Knicks yet after expecting one would come by Wednesday, Berman also reports, adding that the Knicks will likely make their offer today.
The Knicks and Warriors were scheduled to talk to Kerr on Thursday, Berman adds.

Sixers’ Head Coaching Search Primer

August 8th, 2013 at 8:03pm CST by Alex Lee

We asked you earlier today which team in the Eastern conference made the best coaching hire this offseason. Missing from that list was the 76ers, who have mulled over their list of candidates for nearly four months now. There is word that their search will come to an end at some point this week, so while we continue to wait for an announcement from the team, let's round up the latest on all of the names that have been linked to the Philly job throughout the offseason:

Kenny Atkinson, Hawks assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 17. Atkinson, who was with the Knicks last season, is rumored to be in line for a second interview, so he appears to be in the mix.
Brett Brown, Spurs assistant: Interviewed at some point after June 24. Brown is one of the favorites for the job, and is also rumored to have a second interview. Brown was apparently interested in the Celtics' post, but it is unknown if the same can be said for the Sixers' job.
Michael Curry, Sixers assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 10. Curry has long been considered a leading candidate for the job but nothing concrete has surfaced on him since around the time of his interview.
David Fizdale, Heat assistant: Interviewed after July 16, if ever. The Sixers received permission to interview Fizdale, but there's been no word since. He is a longshot at best.
Adrian Griffin, Bulls assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 16. Griffin was rumored to have landed a second interview with Philly, but we heard tonight that he is no longer being considered for the position.
Melvin Hunt, Nuggets assistant: There is no confirmation that Hunt even interviewed with Philly, but multiple reports put him on their radar. It would be a shock if he was still a candidate.
Jay Larranaga, Celtics assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 12. Larranaga did enough to earn a second interview with Philly, but seems to be one of the longshots of that select group. It is worth noting that multiple reports have indicated Larranaga made a strong impression.
Ed Pinckney, Bulls assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 16, but we haven't heard much other than that the meet did, in fact, happen. Pinckney does not appear to be a realistic candidate.
Quin Snyder, Hawks assistant: If Snyder was interviewed, it was at some point after July 17. He does not seem to be in consideration any longer.
David Vanterpool, Blazers assistant: Interviewed on July 29. While no second interview has been confirmed for Vanterpool, he is still being seriously considered according to several reports, and has even recently been tabbed as the frontrunner.

We know that Atkinson, Brown, Griffin and Larranaga either had or will have a second interview with the team, and that Curry, who coached the Sixers summer league squad, is also considered one of the frontrunners. Sam Hinkie has has kept the media in the dark throughout the offseason, so the best anyone can do, reporters included, is guess. My money is on Brown, who was rumored to be the guy on draft night and seems tailor made to work with Hinkie. But again, at this point, it's anyone's guess.

Spears On Sixers, Camby, Bobcats, Jordan

July 16th, 2013 at 9:57pm CST by Alex Lee

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports relayed a string of news items for us on Tuesday night, which range from the Sixers never-ending coaching search to the Bobcats front office. Let's take a look at the latest from Spears:

The Sixers have received permission to interview Miami assistant David Fizdale for their coaching vacancy, Spears writes. We know the team has interest in Ed Pinckney, Adrian Griffin and Melvin Hunt, as well as in-house candidate Michael Curry and C's assistant Jay Larranaga, but this is the first mention of Fizdale and Philly in more than a month.
The Raptors are expected to buy out the final two years on the contract of Marcus Camby, who came over to Toronto in the Andrea Bargnani deal, tweets Spears, who lists the Clippers, Bulls and Rockets as teams with interest in the veteran center. Camby is still owed about $7.5MM through the 2014/15 season.
The Bobcats have promoted Larry Jordan, the older brother of owner Michael Jordan, to team director of player personnel, Spears writes. Larry's previous job title was team director of special projects, and he now takes over a job that has been vacant for three years, according to Spears. He will report to his brother, as well as team president Rod Higgins and GM Rich Cho.

Clippers, Celtics Re-Engage On Trade Talks

June 19th, 2013 at 10:44pm CST by Luke Adams

UPDATE 10:44pm: We suddenly have a number of late-night updates, courtesy of Shelburne, who reports that the Clippers have backed off their refusal to include two first round draft picks in the deal. She also reports that the deal should get done by Thursday, and the Clippers believe it will ensure that Paul re-signs with the team on July 1 rather than becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Because coaches cannot be traded, the deal must consist of two separate transactions – first a swap of Jordan for Garnett and then a transmission of the two drafts picks from L.A. to Boston as compensation for the release of Rivers from his contract. Because of this, Shelburne says that the teams will have to then convince the NBA that the two deals are not contigent on each other and that they are, in fact, separate transactions in order to meet the standards of the league's CBA.

8:28pm: A deal will not be finalized tonight, tweets Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The talks that resumed today will pick back up tomorrow morning.

6:53pm: Per Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne on Twitter, one source close to the trade talks expressed optimism that the teams could come to terms tonight.

5:56pm: Merely a day after both sides suggested the deal was dead, the Clippers and Celtics have re-opened trade discussions involving Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). While they appeared to be moving on with their coaching search, the Clippers reached out to the Celtics today to resume dialogue and according to Wojnarowski, Chris Paul's insistence was a big reason why. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets that the Clips are now determined to get a deal done, which could lead to a sweetener in the deal for the Celtics.

We know that Rivers was set to meet with C's GM Danny Ainge today. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that that meeting has officially ended, curiously at about the same time we heard that talked had been reignited. Citing a source close to Rivers, Shelburne writes that Rivers does want to coach next season but would like another shot at a championship, which he knows will not happen if Boston chooses to rebuild. Washburn also tweets if the C's lose Rivers, expect Ainge to look for a younger replacement like Brian Shaw or Heat assistant David Fizdale.

Meanwhile, sources tell ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that the meeting between Clippers owner Donald Sterling and head coaching candidate Byron Scott went "very well," yesterday. Shaw, who was scheduled to meet with Sterling today, is currently at the Clippers' office, tweets Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.

Talks between the two sides reportedly ended yesterday when the Clippers refused to include a second first-round draft pick in an offer that included DeAndre Jordan and one first-rounder. Jordan's $3MM trade kicker and the potential inclusion of Courtney Lee's or Jason Terry's contract were also believed to possible points of contention. There are a ton of balls in the air for both teams in this situation. Stay tuned.

Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Heat, McGrady

June 8th, 2013 at 10:40pm CST by Spencer Lund

According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, the Grizzlies' current ownership is in a serendipitous position to save money by honoring a bizarre clause in some assistant coach contracts (Sulia link). Usually, the playoff winnings from the NBA are shared with a team's players and personnel after postseason success. But former owner Michael Heisley negotiated deals with some assistant coaches that awarded a flat bonus based on a small percentage of their regular salaries.

After the Grizzlies surprised many by reaching the Western Conference Finals, the resulting playoff shares are worth $70K or more, depending on how many shares the team elected to have. Under the Heisley terms, some assistant coaches are due only 1/7th of that amount.

Current Grizzlies principal owner, Robert Pera, is under no obligation to stray from the deals the previous regime negotiated, but as Bucher points out "sometimes there is a divide between what is acceptable and what is right." In the grand scheme of things, it's a paltry sum to pay for assistants who may not be back next season and who helped guide a Rudy Gay–less Grizzlies team far into the tough Western Conference playoff bracket.

With Lionel Hollins' future as the Grizzlies' head coach in doubt, a sign of good faith to his assistant coaches, who rightfully deserve a larger share of the playoff winnings than their current contract calls for, might be the move that tips the odds in favor of Hollins returning to the sidelines for the Grizzlies next season.

Here are some other links from around this quiet NBA Saturday night before the Heat and Spurs do battle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals tomorrow:

Speaking of this current Heat team, assistant coach David Fizdale is a hot commodity in the NBA’s coaching market with his team in the NBA Finals for the third straight year this June. Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel says the 38-year-old Heat assistant would consider a head coaching job despite still having a year left on his contract with the Heat.
Cheap labor is the key to the future for the Heat, writes Winderman. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all have an opt-out clause in their contracts for the summer of 2014, so surrounding those three stars with talent that doesn’t break the bank is the key for the Heat to continue their dominance of the Eastern Conference.
Alex Kennedy spoke with Tracy McGrady about sticking around for so long and reaching his first NBA Finals as the 12th man on the Spurs despite the absence of some of his former NBA peers, like Stephon Marbury and Gilbert Arenas. Kennedy also has some terrific McGrady quotes via Twitter updates from tonight, including one about the NBA's age requirement (McGrady was drafted out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in 1997).
David Mayo at MLive believes Pistons general manager Joe Dumars deserves to pick the new Pistons head coach despite the presence of Phil Jackson as a consultant. Whomever becomes the new head coach could go a long way towards determining who is really in power for the Pistons, and with Maurice Cheeks expected to be announced as the new head coach some time this weekend, it seems Dumars' days with the Pistons may continue.
ShamSports has an update on all the available salary cap room teams have this offseason with cap holds included.
Danny Schayes of SheridanHoops.com on the inanity of all the coaching turnover this offseason.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee says new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive hasn’t met face-to-face with mercurial star DeMarcus Cousins. (Twitter links)
Mary Schmitt Boyer in her mailbag column for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, answers how all the Cavs’ offseason salary cap moves will affect the team.

David Fizdale, Melvin Hunt On Sixers’ Radar

June 7th, 2013 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Maurice Cheeks is said to be the frontrunner for the Pistons' head coaching job, and the openings with the Clippers, Nets, and Nuggets appear to be turning into a game of musical chairs featuring Brian Shaw, Lionel Hollins, George Karl, and others. Since Sam Hinkie was hired in Philadelphia though, we haven't heard a whole lot about the Sixers' head coaching targets.

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), a pair of assistant coaches are on the 76ers' radar: David Fizdale of the Heat and Melvin Hunt of the Nuggets. Fizdale had been mentioned as a candidate for Detroit earlier in the Pistons' process, and actually was said to be on the Sixers' list before Hinkie was hired as well. Hunt, meanwhile, hasn't received any head coaching buzz since he was named as a potential Cavs candidate back in April.

Besides Fizdale and Hunt, Rockets assistants Kelvin Sampson and Chris Finch have also been cited as possible candidates for the Sixers' job, while Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweeted earlier this week that Philadelphia appears to have interest in Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger.

Grantland's Zach Lowe also noted yesterday that Hinkie has long been an admirer of George Karl's offensive creativity, but Lowe hears from coaching sources that the new GM may prefer to develop a strong relationship with a first-time head coach of his choosing.

Latest On Pistons Coaching Search

May 23rd, 2013 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

After interviewing Maurice Cheeks yesterday, it appears the Pistons are done bringing in coaching candidates, reports Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News. According to Goodwill, Detroit's front office appears likely to decide on a new head coach "relatively soon."

In addition to Cheeks, the Pistons have interviewed a list of candidates that is believed to include Nate McMillan, Lindsey Hunter, Mike Budenholzer, J.B. Bickerstaff, and Darrell Walker. One report suggested the team also planned to interview Brian Shaw, but the Pacers reportedly aren't allowing Shaw to formally meet with any clubs until after Indiana's playoff run ends.

According to Goodwill, the Pistons likely won't wait for the Eastern Conference finals to finish to formally interview Shaw or Heat assistant David Fizdale, though that won't necessarily preclude the club from talking to one or both candidates via phone.

Goodwill also notes that there could have been mutual interest between the Pistons and Larry Drew. Drew, who technically remains under contract with the Hawks for a few more weeks, impressed the Pistons by taking a roster with nine expiring contracts to the playoffs, says Goodwill.

As for Phil Jackon's involvement in the process, Goodwill speculates that the advisory role may have merely been a way for Jackson to get his name back out there, as opposed to an attempt to push one of his preferred candidates to Detroit or strong-arm his way into the Pistons' front office.

"He was in town for a couple days, we spent time together in those couple days," Pistons GM Joe Dumars said of the Zen Master. "We've had a couple conversations since he left town."