Derek Fisher Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Anthony, Bucks, Magic

May 30th, 2014 at 8:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Marc Berman of The New York Post notes that Carmelo Anthony has until June 23rd to decide if he will opt out of his contract with the Knicks and become an unrestricted free agent. Most NBA players have until June 30th to decide. It was reported earlier that Anthony is considering opting in and putting off free agency until next summer.

Western Notes: Lakers, Draft, Nuggets

May 28th, 2014 at 9:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report breaks down the various candidates who have been mentioned in connection with the Lakers coaching search thus far. Ding believes Derek Fisher may be the most interesting name on the list, but also notes that the Thunder might also be in the running for Fisher’s services if the team decides to part ways with current coach Scott Brooks.

Coaching Rumors: Cavs, Joerger, Fisher

May 27th, 2014 at 7:07pm CST by Cray Allred

The Cavs would improve their chances of retaining Luol Deng if they hired Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin as head coach, sources tell Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Griffin, a candidate for the job, worked with Deng in Chicago, and although Deng’s departure has essentially been a foregone conclusion, it will be interesting to see if Cleveland re-calibrates their free agency goals after unexpectedly landing the first overall pick. Here’s more of the night’s coaching notes:

Dave Joerger acknowledged in a radio interview with Eli Savoie of Sports 56 that he was offered the Wolves coaching job before smoothing things out with Grizzlies owner Robert Pera. Joerger added that his contract extension was not a condition for staying with Memphis (Twitter links; H/T Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities).
Joerger said that three teams called the Grizzlies to request permission to speak with him, but only the Wolves were granted the opportunity, according to a report from The Associated Press (H/T The Star Tribune).
The Lakers are curious to see if Derek Fisher is a good fit for their head coaching vacancy, but will wait until his season with the Thunder is over, reports Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. This jibes with earlier reports that have marked Fisher as a candidate for both the Lakers and Knicks coaching jobs.
While continuing to downplay his talks with NBA teams, Billy Donovan explained to Edgar Thompson of The Orlando Sentinel that he won’t rule out leaving his coaching job at Florida for the pros. “I’ve seen a lot of coaches over the years come out and say, ‘No, no, no, no, I’m not going anywhere, I’m not going anywhere,’ and then all of a sudden they go somewhere and it’s like, ‘Well, this guy is a complete liar,'” said Donovan. “I don’t want to get into that situation. There (have) been some teams that have called, but that’s really it.”

Eastern Notes: Heat, Hornets, Knicks

May 25th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat are facing some major uncertainty next season, writes Andrew Keh of the New York Times. Of course, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all have early termination options, but a number of other players including Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers will be free agents. Guard Norris Cole is the only player on the books next season.

Nuggets President: Shaw Won’t Coach Knicks

May 22nd, 2014 at 9:52pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Nuggets president Josh Kroenke tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that Brian Shaw will remain with the Nuggets and that he doesn’t foresee the 48-year-old head coach leaving anytime soon. This morning, we relayed that Knicks president Phil Jackson was still hopeful about finding a way to lure Shaw away from Denver; however, New York was reportedly in doubt about how they’d be able to compensate the Nuggets in return. Wojnarowski reports that the Knicks haven’t reached out for permission to speak with Shaw. Earlier tonight, a source told Marc Berman of the New York Post that Shaw would have been willing to listen to Jackson’s pitch only if the Nuggets gave their blessing.

Nonetheless, Kroenke made it clear that the Nuggets and Shaw are mutually committed to each other. “Brian has said publicly – and privately to us – that his desire is to be here, and we feel strongly about him as our coach…I don’t foresee a scenario or circumstance where he’s going to be anywhere but with the Nuggets next season.”

With Shaw now out of the fold, Derek Fisher stands as the frontrunner to land the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy. The 39-year-old guard is also considered a candidate for the Lakers’ opening, although sources tell Wojnarowski that L.A. is leaning toward hiring a candidate with head coaching experience. Fisher has a strong interest in becoming a head coach next season, Wojnarowski hears, adding that Jackson wants to hire a coach whom he can mold and who’s willing to run the triangle. So, it appears that New York will be Fisher’s likeliest landing spot next season if he wants the job.

Knicks Maintain Hope Of Landing Brian Shaw

May 22nd, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Chuck Myron

Brian Shaw would be Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s first choice to coach the team if he could somehow find a way to shake him loose from the Nuggets job, and Jackson hasn’t given up hope of managing to do so, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Shaw nonetheless reiterated his commitment to Denver on Tuesday, and a report from earlier this week indicated that the Knicks worry they won’t be able to meet the Nuggets’ demands for compensation if they were to let Shaw out of his contract, which runs two more years.

Jackson would prefer Shaw to Derek Fisher, but the executive would be even more motivated to find a way to land Shaw if he can’t lure Fisher, Berman suggests. Fisher won’t speak with the Knicks until he’s done playing for the Thunder this season, and Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks says the 39-year-old hasn’t ruled out continuing to play next season, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News wrote this weekend. That jibes with Wednesday’s report that there’s a legitimate possibility that Fisher will re-sign with the Thunder as a player and serve as a de facto assistant coach as he sits on the bench. Fisher is also a Lakers coaching candidate, and Berman, who’s pointed to concern about a bidding war between the Knicks and Lakers over the longtime Kobe Bryant teammate, raises the notion that the Lakers would give Fisher a front office role rather than the coaching job.

Berman also mentions previously reported candidate Tyronn Lue as a fallback option for the Knicks, noting that Lue is friends with Carmelo Anthony, who intends to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer. Mark Jackson, Mike Dunleavy, Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons, Nate McMillan, Fred Hoiberg and Luke Walton are other candidates rumored to be on the Knicks radar in the aftermath of Golden State’s hiring of Steve Kerr.

The Knicks are light on draft picks and can’t give up more than $3.2MM in cash in trades between now and June 30th, and the NBA doesn’t allow teams to give up players as compensation for hiring coaches under contract with other teams. Jackson has planned to trade cash for a draft pick, so that would further reduce the Knicks’ flexibility in prying Shaw from the Nuggets, unless they intend to wait to do so until July, when teams will have a fresh pot of $3.3MM in cash to use in trades.

And-Ones: Hunter, Draft, Hairston

May 21st, 2014 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Ousted players union executive director Billy Hunter has dropped his appeal of a civil ruling in a suit Hunter had brought against former union president Derek Fisher and Jamie Wior, Fisher’s business manager. Hunter must pay more than $200K to cover the legal fees for Fisher and Wior. A case in which Hunter alleges the union owes him $10.5MM remains active. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has the details in three separate tweets.

Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Fisher, Woodson

May 19th, 2014 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Celtics GM Danny Ainge wants to turn things around this summer but he’s not putting a ton of pressure on himself, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. “I understand that we have an opportunity [this summer], but we’ve still got to find trading partners. I don’t think people understand how difficult trades can be sometimes,” Ainge said. Here’s more out of the Atlantic, including an update on the Knicks‘ coaching search..

Derek Fisher confirmed today that he won’t speak with Phil Jackson about the Knicks‘ head coaching job until the playoffs are through, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. “Obviously (Jackson) is busy in terms of trying to make the changes he needs to make there, but I have a day job as well and I think he respects that more than anybody,” Fisher told reporters in San Antonio. “He taught me a lot about how to operate during this time of year.”
Former Knicks coach Mike Woodson told ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike that he would like to coach again in the NBA “extremely quick,” tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY. While other coaches who got the axe this offseason, like Mark Jackson, are content to do other things, Woodson is champing at the bit to get back in the game.
As they enter an offseason of uncertainty, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks at five questions the Nets must answer. Aside from the obvious – the uncertain futures of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce – the Nets also have to worry about keeping free agent Shaun Livingston. After the season he had, the mini mid-level exception of $10MM over three years might not be enough to keep him in Brooklyn.

Knicks Want To Wait For Derek Fisher

May 18th, 2014 at 11:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Knicks president Phil Jackson continues to send out signals that he’s in no rush to hire a coach until he can seriously discuss the position with Thunder guard Derek Fisher, sources close to the process tell Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Fisher’s interest in coaching remains a matter of debate and for his part, he’s trying deflect all questions about his future, whether it be as a coach or a front office executive, until after the playoffs. Fisher, like previous frontrunner Steve Kerr, would be a coaching neophyte with strong ties and familiarity to Jackson.

Sources say that in addition to Fisher, the Knicks still have interest in Nuggets coach Brian Shaw but do not currently plan to ask the Nuggets’ permission to speak with him. Because teams can only offer cash or draft picks as compensation for coaches, sources say New York fears it likely can’t meet the Nuggets’ demands.

Coaching Rumors: Dunleavy, Fisher, Ollie

May 17th, 2014 at 11:44am CST by Cray Allred

Mark Jackson has a multiyear agreement to return as a lead game analyst for ESPN, according to a report from The Associated Press. Although this may be an indicator that Jackson isn’t occupied with any serious coaching opportunities at the moment, the contract would presumably allow for Jackson to return to the bench should he land another head coaching gig. Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group tweets that Jackson is still in the head coaching mix. Here’s more of the day’s coaching rumors:

Phil Jackson‘s meeting with Mike Dunleavy Sr. is believed to have been an interview for the Knicks open coaching job, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post.
A confidant of Derek Fisher tells Berman that the Thunder guard would be open to coaching next season if the right opportunity presented itself. Fisher is considered a leading candidate for the Knicks job.
Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal hears that it would take more than the $25MM contract Steve Kerr just received to lure Kevin Ollie to an NBA coaching job (Twitter link).