Derek Fisher Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: LeBron, Monroe, Magic, Bulls

July 8th, 2014 at 9:10pm CST by Ryan Raroque

LeBron James is scheduled to meet Wednesday with Heat president Pat Riley in Las Vegas, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Broussard. A few days ago, we passed along that the free agent superstar was planning to have a sitdown with Riley at some point this week. Here’s what else has been buzzing in the Eastern Conference this evening:

Pistons president/head coach Stan Van Gundy reiterated that restricted free agent Greg Monroe is still part of the team’s future plans, reports David Mayo of MLive. Mayo also explains how Detroit could potentially create an additional $4.5MM in cap space this summer by making other moves in free agency first before signing Monroe to a new contract.
In their final move of this summer’s free agency, the Magic aim to land a third point guard to back up Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
The Bulls’ pursuit of Pau Gasol is dependent on what Carmelo Anthony decides to do in free agency, reports Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, who hears that the wait has become “frustrating” for Chicago’s front office.
When Knicks head coach Derek Fisher spoke with Carmelo last week, he guaranteed that the team would be better next season with the new system, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Fisher, who hasn’t spoken with Anthony since Thursday’s meeting, wouldn’t say whether he felt good or not about New York’s chances of retaining the star forward.
In another piece, Berman writes that Anthony has held out faint hope that Knicks president Phil Jackson can clear the necessary cap space this summer to bring LeBron James to New York. Doing so would at the least require New York to find takers for Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani in salary dump deals.
Having completed his workout for the Raptors, former NBA swingman Yakhouba Diawara will be auditioning for the Bucks next, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket (Twitter link).
Celtics guard Rajon Rondo recently spoke with Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe and brushed off speculation that the arrival of rookie point guard Marcus Smart could affect his future in Boston. “I don’t think (anything) of it… I can be here today, gone tomorrow. You never know. For me to get bent out of shape, or to feel threatened by the Celtics drafting a point guard, it means nothing.”

Eastern Rumors: ‘Melo, Fisher, Cavs, Chalmers

June 16th, 2014 at 2:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat won their fourth straight Eastern Conference championship this year, but like the last team to pull that off, the 1986/87 Celtics, they fell short of an NBA title. Miami certainly hopes it doesn’t repeat the fate that befell Boston, which failed to win another Eastern Conference title for 21 years after that. Here’s the latest from the East:

Carmelo Anthony would prefer to stay in New York, but he knows his best chance to win would be to leave, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. ‘Melo is reportedly leaning toward signing with a team other than the Knicks this summer.
Derek Fisher‘s contract to coach the Knicks runs for four years instead of five, as had been initially reported, according to TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Another report indicated the deal contains at least one team option, so perhaps it’s guaranteed for four seasons with a team option for the fifth, though that’s just my speculation.
It’s logical to suspect that David Blatt would prefer a head coaching job to an assistant’s post, but it seems he won’t wait around on the Cavs opening if they dally, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports explains. The Warriors and some close to the former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach believe that he’ll accept a job on Steve Kerr‘s Golden State staff if Cleveland doesn’t move quickly to hire him after its face-to-face interview with him this week, Wojnarowski hears.
The Cavs continue to pursue high-profile college coaches behind the scenes, Wojnarowski also writes in the same piece.
The Heat benched the slumping Mario Chalmers in Game 5, but the soon-to-be free agent hasn’t soured on Miami, as he tells fellow Yahoo! Sports scribe Marc J. Spears. “I hope we stay together,” Chalmers said. “I think we have a good thing going.”

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Randle, Machado, Lue

June 12th, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Derek Fisher believes that Carmelo Anthony can thrive in the triangle offense, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. According to the article, Fisher also believes the team can build a contender around Anthony. Fisher said, “I believe Carmelo can and will thrive in the triangle system. He’s actually the prototypical triangle player because of his versatility we can use him in all five positions on the floor. That’s the beauty of the system — being able to put players around on different spots on the floor. I believe [Anthony] can be great and that’s why I believe we can be great right away. Because we have that guy that we can anchor that system around to make the game easier for him but also allow for all of our team to be impactful and to give us something every single night.”

And-Ones: Gay, Fisher, Rubio, Rockets, Union

June 11th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings pulled out all the stops for Tuesday’s meeting with Rudy Gay to try to convince him to remain with the Kings, though GM Pete D’Alessandro was careful not to make too aggressive a pitch, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee details.

“There’s no pressure here,” D’Alessandro told Jones before the meeting. “It’s not a pressure situation. It’s got to work. It’s got to work for him, it’s got to work for us, and we’re looking for a really good, just honest conversation, and hopefully, it turns out the way we expect.”

While we wait to find out what Gay decides to do with his player option for next season, worth more than $19.3MM, here’s more from around the league:

Derek Fisher‘s five-year contract with the Knicks contains team options and bonus clauses that could bring it to its reported five-year, $25MM value, but his base pay is much lower according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Fisher is guaranteed only about $4MM this year, Beck writes.
Ricky Rubio has spoken mostly in positive terms about the Timberwolves, but in an interview with Marca.com, Rubio suggested that he would make signing with a winner his top priority when he hits free agency (translation via HoopsHype). The point guard is up for a rookie scale extension this summer with Minnesota, which hasn’t made the playoffs since he arrived.
Rockets coach Kevin McHale tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle that he doesn’t feel like coaching on an expiring contract is a detriment. He also said that he’s confident the team can take the necessary steps forward with minor moves and internal improvements rather than a rumored splashy offseason addition.
Joseph Lombardo, the founder of an investment firm affiliated with the players union for more than a decade, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for forging a contract with the union, reports Tom Hays of The Associated Press. The firm, Prim Capital, had close ties to ousted union executive director Billy Hunter.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

Knicks Rumors: Fisher, ‘Melo, Jackson

June 10th, 2014 at 11:43am CST by Chuck Myron

Derek Fisher insisted during his introductory press conference today that he’s ready to take on the task of coaching the Knicks in spite of just having finished his playing career, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relays (Twitter link). The new Knicks bench boss had plenty more to say about the job and how he wound up with it, and we’ll hit the highlights of his joint press conference with Knicks president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills:

The new coach made it clear that he wants Carmelo Anthony to stay with the team, and said that he’ll be a part of an effort to “do everything we can to keep him,” as Chris Mannix of SI.com observes. Jackson and Mills plan to meet with ‘Melo soon, the Zen Master said, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (Twitter links).
Anthony reportedly sees the strength of the team’s roster as a key factor in his decision whether to remain with the Knicks, but Fisher expressed confidence about the players he’s set to coach, as Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal tweets. “I’m not as down on the roster and the team as some of you in the room are,” Fisher said to the gathering of reporters.
The Lakers reached out to Fisher only on an informal basis, the new Knicks coach said, and he found the team’s choice against an all-out pursuit surprising. Still, Fisher admitted that the Lakers would have had an uphill battle to hire him, given how far along he was with the Knicks when L.A. called. Medina has the details in three separate tweets.
Fisher said that the presence of Jackson helped accelerate his decision to take the Knicks gig, Medina notes (on Twitter). “This is not for Phil and I just to hang out again as friends,” Fisher said, according to Diamond (Twitter link). “We want to add more banners to this ceiling.”
A recent report indicated that Fisher is more comfortable with James Dolan than Steve Kerr is, but Fisher downplayed his relationship with the Knicks owner, and Mills said he and Dolan didn’t talk about Fisher. Mannix and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com pass along the news via Twitter.

Knicks Hire Derek Fisher As Coach

June 10th, 2014 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks have hired Derek Fisher as head coach, the team announced. The 39-year-old, who retires from his 18-year playing career to take the gig, is taking a five-year, $25MM deal, the same terms that New York’s first choice for coach, Steve Kerr, signed for when he spurned the Knicks for the Warriors. Fisher will likely hire Bill Cartwright and Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis for his staff.

NBA: Playoffs-New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers

“Today marks the next step of this journey for the New York Knicks franchise as we name Derek to lead the team as its head coach.” Knicks president Phil Jackson said. “Our relationship began 15 years ago, and over time, it has come clear to me that he and I can form a great partnership once again.”

Fisher has been considered the front-runner for the Knicks’ job for a few weeks now but nothing could be safely assumed after Jackson & Co. whiffed on Kerr. Kerr seemed like a lock to take the position earlier this offseason but he shocked everyone by accepting a five-year, $25MM offer from the Warriors instead.

In Fisher, Jackson has landed another former pupil without any coaching experience. That lack of experience, strangely enough, is part of what appealed to Jackson. The Zen Master has been looking for a young, malleable coach who will be open to his instruction since an NBA retread would be less open to doing things Jackson’s way. It has been widely speculated that Jackson would instruct whatever coach he hired to run his beloved triangle offense.

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, who is a free agent this summer, was said to be in favor of the club hiring Kerr as its head coach. It remains to be seen how Melo feels about Fisher and whether he’ll be enough to convince him to sign a new deal or opt in for his final season. If Anthony opts in, he’ll earn $23.333MM next year, which would mean more money in the short term. That might not be a risk that he wants to take after recently celebrating the big 3-0, however. If Carmelo wants a big, cushy deal with another club, this summer is probably his best opportunity.

It’s certainly conceivable that the likable Fisher could appeal to Melo and maybe other free agents down the line. Fisher has a very strong bond with Thunder star Kevin Durant, who becomes a free agent in the summer of 2016. Of course, that’s not the key consideration for the Knicks at this juncture, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind. Fisher was also linked to the Lakers’ vacancy, though in recent weeks it started to sound as though they weren’t all that interested.

The deal demonstrates the quickly escalating value of first-time coaches. Jason Kidd was elated to land the Nets’ job this time last year, but he might be feeling a little shortchanged now. Kerr and Fisher have each netted $25MM contracts but Kidd signed with Brooklyn for $10.5MM over four years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Chuck Myron contributed to this post. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News was the first to report that Fisher and the Knicks were nearing agreement (via Twitter) and that they had struck a deal. Isola’s report on the agreement also includes the news that Cartwright and Rambis would likely join the Knicks as assistant coaches under Fisher. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported the contract terms (on Twitter). Bleacher Reports’ Howard Beck provided additional detail (Twitter links).

Atlantic Notes: Fisher, Odom, Celtics, Stackhouse

June 9th, 2014 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks are set to ramp up their pursuit of Derek Fisher this week, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein hears that the Knicks are approaching the situation with some level of trepidation since Steve Kerr unraveled after he appeared to be a slam dunk. Here’s more out of the Atlantic..

Lamar Odom, who has a non-guaranteed deal with the Knicks for 2014/15, is expected to join the club at their practice facility by the end of the month, a source with knowledge of the veteran forward’s plans told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The 34-year-old signed with the Knicks on the final day of the regular season.
Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge indicated the team could trade back into the second round in what is expected to be a deep draft, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The C’s gave their second-round pick (No. 34) to the Mavs last year to jump up three spots and grab Kelly Olynyk in the first round. The 76ers, meanwhile, have five second round choices in this year’s draft.
Jerry Stackhouse is pushing for a job within the Knicks organization, writes Brett Pollakoff of Pro Basketball Talk. “It’s a possibility,” Stackhouse told reporters at the Adidas Eurocamp. “I think [Jackson] is still figuring it out. He doesn’t know who the head coach is going to be, but I think after that is settled, there could be some realistic possibilities.” Stackhouse, who has been coaching at the AAU level for five years, wants to ultimately become a head coach, but he’s willing to start out as an assistant to move towards that goal.
Kevin O’Connor of WEEI.com looks at UCLA power forward Kyle Anderson and how he could be a potential fit for the Celtics. Because C’s coach Brad Stevens likes his offense to move the ball and shoot it from deep, Anderson would be a natural fit right from the get go.

Northwest Notes: Snyder, Nuggets, Fisher

June 8th, 2014 at 11:47am CST by Eddie Scarito

In his introductory press conference, new Jazz coach Quin Snyder didn’t oversell the team’s goals, writes Brad Rock of the Deseret News. In regards to his team’s chances to contend, Snyder said, “You know, it’s hard to give specifics. I think (it’s) what I mentioned before about building an identity and not skipping stops in the process, and trying to do something that will last, where you can become a playoff team and become a playoff team for a long time.” When asked about the franchise’s ability to attract free agents, Snyder responded, “I mean, in a manner of speaking, I was a free agent.” He also applauded the Jazz ownership’s commitment, the practice facilities, and the tradition of loyalty, saying Utah is “an attractive place,” notes Rock.

Atlantic Notes: Cartwright, Walton, Sixers

June 7th, 2014 at 8:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bill Cartwright is waiting to hear from either Phil Jackson or Steve Kerr about an assistant coaching position, writes Mitch Abramson of The New York Daily News. According to the article, Cartwright had met with Jackson back in April about joining the Knicks bench if Kerr was hired as coach. On his lack of recent contact with Jackson, Cartwright said, “We’re waiting for them to make a decision, obviously about the head coach and there’s nothing going on.” On possibly working as an assistant under Derek Fisher, Cartwright said, “That’s a Phil question, not my question. I’m looking to coach. There’s really nothing more to say, outside of that. I’m looking to coach.”

Lakers Won’t Pursue Derek Fisher

June 7th, 2014 at 8:25am CST by Cray Allred

The Lakers have decided they need a head coach with previous experience leading an NBA team, ending Derek Fisher‘s candidacy for their vacancy, reports Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. was interested in Fisher, the Knicks’ front-runner at the moment, but has opted against exploring a repeat of Jason Kidd‘s immediate transition from player to head coach with the Nets last season. It is unclear if Los Angeles ever reached out to Fisher as planned, or if this decision was made before such contact could be made. The Lakers’ narrowed focus on experience also eliminates any college coaches as potential candidates, Bresnahan writes.

Fisher has yet to officially announce his retirement, but Phil Jackson has spoken with the veteran point guard about the job. Jackson received permission from the Thunder to contact Fisher after getting dinged for tampering by making public comments regarding the player still under contract in Oklahoma City. If Fisher does decide to join the coaching ranks, the Knicks appear to be the most serious contender for his services. The possibility of Fisher playing another year in Oklahoma City to function as an informal assistant coach has been raised, but such a scenario doesn’t seem likely by any current reports.

Although Fisher was largely expected to end up with the Knicks anyway, this should come as welcome news to Jackson. Steve Kerr was Jackson’s first choice to come lead the team under the Zen Master’s authority and tutelage, but made the surprising choice to accept Golden State’s job offer instead. Jackson reportedly wants to reach an agreement with Fisher very soon, although Fisher has maintained publicly that he doesn’t want to rush to a decision so soon after what was presumably his last season as a player.