James Borrego Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Assistant Turns Down NCAA Job, Open To NBA Head Coaching Opportunities

April 10th, 2017 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

1:35pm: New Mexico attempted to re-engage Borrego with a head coaching offer today, but the Spurs assistant will stay in San Antonio, as expected, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

12:59pm: According to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link), two of New Mexico’s top head coaching candidates are now out of the mix, and Borrego is “back in the fray,” so perhaps the school is making a renewed push to hire the Spurs assistant away from San Antonio.

12:22pm: Spurs assistant James Borrego had been considered a potential frontrunner for the University of New Mexico’s head coaching vacancy, but Borrego has decided to withdraw from the school’s search and remain in San Antonio, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

Although Borrego will stick with the Spurs for now, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll remain in San Antonio for years to come. The 39-year-old assistant was interviewed by the Rockets and Grizzlies for their head coaching jobs last spring before those teams hired Mike D’Antoni and David Fizdale, respectively. Borrego made a good impression on both clubs and will likely remain a top coaching candidate going forward, according to Wojnarowski, who suggests that the veteran assistant will continue to explore head coaching opportunities as they arise.

After joining the Spurs in 2003 and spending seven seasons with the franchise, Borrego spent time with the Hornets and Magic between 2010 and 2015. In Orlando, he was Jacque Vaughn‘s top assistant and even served as the Magic’s interim head coach in 2015 after Vaughn was dismissed. The Magic had a 10-20 record in Borrego’s 30 games as head coach.

Borrego returned to the Spurs as an assistant on Gregg Popovich‘s staff in 2015 and has spent the last two seasons with the team.

While the NBA’s head coaching carousel this offseason likely won’t be as active as it was a year ago, when one-third of the league’s teams made changes, I’d still expect at least a couple teams to be in the market for a new coach in the coming weeks, so Borrego may draw interest once again.

Southwest Rumors: Anderson, Pelicans, Nowitzki, Spurs

April 6th, 2017 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets power forward Ryan Anderson is expected to return to action this weekend after missing six games with a sprained right ankle, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Anderson practiced without limitations on Thursday and could return as soon as Friday against the Pistons, Feigen continues. Anderson feels it’s important to return to action before the postseason, as he relayed to Feigen. “It’s super valuable for me, in my mind, to be out there before the playoffs, to get my wind back, get back to the flow of playing with the group,” Anderson said. “Obviously, we want to have our full group ready to go at the best we can be for the playoffs. We have a few games to do that. We’ll be good. The timeline’s working out well.”

In other developments around the Southwest Division:

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry believes his club can be a serious playoff contender next season if it re-signs unrestricted free agent point guard Jrue Holiday, William Guillory of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. Gentry is brimming with optimism that the trio of Holiday, DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis can succeed after seeing the team go 8-5 over the past 13 games. “I think we’re light years ahead of where we were,” Gentry told Guillory. “We’ve got arguably two of the best 10 players in the NBA. Then you add Jrue to the mix, and hopefully that’s going to be somebody we can keep on our team, you’ve got guys that are a year older playing (together).”
Dirk Nowitzki realizes the Mavericks are probably a few years away from being a serous contender again but he’s enjoying his mentoring role, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. The team holds a $25MM option on Nowitzki’s contract for next season and he looks forward to playing with an increasingly younger group at least one more year, MacMahon adds. “To turn this around, to be a franchise that plays for the championship, is going to probably take a few years again,” Nowitzki told MacMahon. “I’ve got to do what I can to keep this thing going and get the young guys to improve and see where we can take this next year.”
New Mexico contacted Spurs assistant James Borrego regarding its head coaching job, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. Borrego, an Albuquerque native, was the interim coach of the Magic in 2015 before joining Gregg Popovich’s staff.

Southwest Rumors: Howard, Rockets, Grizzlies

June 6th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard‘s three seasons in Houston weren’t exactly an unequivocal success, and the veteran center didn’t mesh particularly well with Mike D’Antoni in Los Angeles during his brief stint with the Lakers. Still, appearing on SiriusXM Bleacher Report Radio, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told Howard Beck and Noah Coslov that his team, and his team’s new head coach, would “welcome [Howard] back” (link via Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report). Even if the club is saying the right things about re-signing Howard, hiring D’Antoni seemed to signal that the Rockets are at least as willing to move on from the eight-time All-Star as they are to re-sign him.

Here’s more from out of the Southwest division:

In pre-draft workout news, Croatian power forward Marko Arapovic tweeted today that he had a workout with the Rockets, while Ronald Tillery of The Commerical Appeal writes that the Grizzlies‘ Monday workout group featured Ryan Anderson (Arizona), Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame), Thon Maker (Athlete Institute Canada), Patrick McCaw (UNLV), Retin Obasohan (Alabama), and Tyler Ulis (Kentucky).
Spurs assistant James Borrego made a strong impression in multiple head coaching searches this year, and looks like a solid candidate to land a head coaching job in 2017, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Reports within the last couple months connected Borrego to the coaching searches in Houston, Memphis, Orlando, and Sacramento.
Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News identifies a few pending free agents who won’t command the max and who could be good fits for the Mavericks, including Kent Bazemore, Brandon Jennings, and Joakim Noah.
David Aldridge of NBA.com conducted a lengthy and interesting Q&A with new Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale.

And-Ones: Borrego, Onuaku, Swanigan

May 25th, 2016 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Grizzlies reportedly offering their head coaching spot to David Fizdale, the Rockets are set to be the lone NBA team without a head coach in place for the 2016/17 campaign. Spurs assistant James Borrego, who appears to have emerged as a serious candidate for Houston’s post, had his scheduled second interview today with team owner Leslie Alexander, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Houston is also believed to be considering Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin, Sixers assistant Mike D’Antoni, and Hornets assistant Stephen Silas for its head coaching opening.

Here’s more from around the league:

Louisville sophomore center Chinanu Onuaku will remain in the NBA draft and will not return to school for his junior campaign, coach Rick Pitino informed Jeff Greer of The Courier Journal (via Twitter). The 19-year-old is a projected second round pick with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slotting him as the No. 38 overall prospect.
New Mexico State sophomore power forward Pascal Siakam intends to remain in the 2016 NBA draft, Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com tweets. Siakam is the No. 54 overall prospect according to Givony.
Purdue freshman power forward Caleb Swanigan is withdrawing from the draft and will return to school next season, Rothstein relays (Twitter link). The 19-year-old is ranked No. 83 overall by Givony, who projects Swanigan as a late first-rounder in 2017.
Former Michigan State swingman Denzel Valentine is working his way up draft boards and is now a potential lottery pick, writes Michael Singer of USA Today. Valentine appeared in 31 contest for the Spartans this past season and averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 33.0 minutes per outing.
Nebraska junior small forward Andrew White will return to school for his senior campaign, Rothstein relays (via Twitter).
Sophomore point guard Melo Trimble is withdrawing from the draft and will return to Maryland next season, Rothstein tweets.

Coach Rumors: Rockets, Borrego, Pacers, Kings

May 24th, 2016 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Rockets continue to scour the market for their next head coach, Spurs assistant James Borrego appears to have emerged as a serious candidate for the job. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), Borrego, who interviewed with Houston on Monday, will have a second meeting with the team later this week. That second interview will include owner Les Alexander, Stein reports.

Borrego’s second meeting with the Rockets doesn’t come with any guarantees, as Houston is also believed to be considering Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin, Sixers assistant Mike D’Antoni, and Hornets assistant Stephen Silas for its head coaching opening. Still, Borrego remains in the mix for now.

Let’s check in on a few more coaching updates from around the NBA, courtesy of Stein…

After promoting Nate McMillan from an assistant coach job to replace Frank Vogel as head coach, the Pacers will have at least one opening on their bench, and the team is in pursuit of Bill Bayno, says Stein (Twitter link). A longtime coach at a variety of levels, Bayno most recently served as an assistant for the Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, and Raptors.
Bayno isn’t the only potential assistant being targeted by Indiana. Sources tell Stein (Twitter link) that the Pacers have also expressed interest in hiring Nick Van Exel. The former NBA guard, who coached the D-League’s Texas Legends this past season, is believed to be drawing interest from teams besides Indiana, Stein adds (via Twitter).
Dave Joerger is attempting to put together his staff for his first year as the Kings‘ head coach, and Stein tweets that the ex-Grizzlies head coach is targeting Elston Turner and Bryan Gates. Turner, who was mentioned as a candidate early in Sacramento’s coaching search, was a part of Joerger’s staff in Memphis, while Gates spent the 2015/16 season as a Timberwolves assistant.

Griffin Interviews For Rockets Coaching Job

May 23rd, 2016 at 11:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets are interviewing Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin for their head coaching job today, Mark Berman of Fox26 tweets. “Very special,” Griffin told Berman when he arrived for the interview. “I’m just looking forward to the opportunity.”

The 41-year-old Griffin, Scott Skiles’ lead assistant in Orlando, also interviewed for the Magic job before the franchise decided to hire Frank Vogel.

Before joining the Magic last summer, Griffin spent several years in Chicago as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau‘s staff. He also reportedly interviewed with the Blazers in 2012, the Pistons and twice with the Sixers in 2013, and the Jazz twice as well as the Cavs in 2014.

Spurs assistant coach James Borrego is also expected to be interviewed on Monday, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported this weekend. Griffin and Borrego will apparently have an uphill climb to get the job. The Rockets reportedly whittled down the prospective candidates to Sixers assistant coach Mike D’Antoni and Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas prior to those interviews.

The process toward hiring a new coach has been long-winded, with plenty of big names popping up along the way. New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, former Cavs coach David Blatt, Raptors assistant coach Rex Kalamian‎, Grizzlies assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik, San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell, current Rockets assistant Chris Finch and ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy were also linked to the opening at one time or another.

Rockets Coaching Rumors: Saturday

May 21st, 2016 at 11:23am CST by Eddie Scarito

11:23am: Houston also intends to interview Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin, Mark Berman of FOX 26 reports (via Twitter).

9:00am: The Rockets’ search for a new head coach continues and the latest candidate to join the process is Spurs assistant coach James Borrego, who has an interview scheduled with the team on Monday, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. Houston had reportedly whittled down the prospective candidates to Sixers assistant coach Mike D’Antoni and Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas, but apparently the team intends to cast an even wider net in its search by adding Borrego to the mix.

The Spurs assistant will be the 11th known candidate to interview for the Rockets’ opening, joining D’Antoni. Silas, new Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, former Cavs coach David Blatt, Raptors assistant coach Rex Kalamian‎, Grizzlies assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik, San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell and current Rockets assistant Chris Finch, Stein notes. Jeff Van Gundy reportedly received strong support from GM Daryl Morey for the job, but team owner Leslie Alexander could not be sold on a reunion with the former coach.

Borrego is reportedly a finalist for the Grizzlies vacant head coaching post as well, having impressed team officials during his interview. He previously spent 30 games as interim head coach in Orlando during the 2014/15 campaign before joining the Spurs at the start of this season. The Magic went 10-20 under Borrego during his brief tenure.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Anderson, Terry

May 18th, 2016 at 4:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies spoke with at least two candidates today as their search for a new coach heats up. Heat assistant David Fizdale came to Memphis for an interview, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com., as did Portland assistant Nate Tibbetts, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Both had been previously named as candidates for the job.

Spurs assistant James Borrego impressed Grizzlies officials during his interview earlier this week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis has also held interviews with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing and recently fired Pacers coach Frank Vogel (Twitter link). The Grizzlies have significant interest in Vogel, according to ESPN, but so does Orlando (Twitter link).

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Pelicans free agent Ryan Anderson says he was nearly traded to Cleveland at the deadline, relays Brett Dawson of The Advocate. Appearing on “The Vertical Podcast,” Anderson contends the Cavaliers were trying to work out a deal for him before they picked up Channing Frye from Orlando. “There was a very last-minute phone call that I could have gone to Cleveland,” Anderson said. “I would be playing for the Cavs right now.” Anderson said he didn’t ask the Pelicans to trade him because he wants to have the option in free agency of staying in New Orleans. Anderson’s last experience as a free agent came in 2012 when he was restricted and Orlando swung a deal to send him to the Pelicans. This time, he likes the feeling of being in complete control. “I want to enjoy this process and see where New Orleans is at this summer,” Anderson said. “I want to see where, I don’t know, Houston is at or Sacramento or Washington.”
The Spurs could be interested in power forward Thomas Robinson if he opts out of his deal with the Nets, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Robinson would give up a little more than $980K by opting out, but he stands to make much more on the open market with the expected jump in the salary cap. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has talked about the need to rebuild the bench with younger players, and the 25-year-old Robinson, a former teammate of LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland, could be a possibility.
Rockets point guard Jason Terry thinks Dwight Howard would be a “great fit” with the Mavericks, but only if he adapts to coach Rick Carlisle, according to The Dallas Morning News. “Whatever [Howard’s] role is, he would have to be the one to buy in first, and then you go from there,” Terry said on ESPN Radio’s Cowlishaw and Mosley show. “But he and Dirk [Nowitzki] together? That’s a powerful combination.” The 38-year-old Terry adds that he hopes to play one more season before retiring.

Grizzlies Talk To Spurs Assistant James Borrego

May 15th, 2016 at 9:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies met with Spurs assistant James Borrego today about their head coaching job, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Borrego spent 30 games as interim head coach in Orlando last season before joining the Spurs at the start of this season.

Wojnarowski notes that Borrego is among several assistants the Grizzlies are considering, along with Charlotte’s Patrick Ewing, Miami’s David Fizdale, Portland’s Nate Tibbetts and San Antonio’s Ettore Messina. A source says Memphis is going through initial meetings with candidates and the list could get even larger.

Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger was fired eight days ago after requesting permission to interview for other coaching jobs. The Kings hired him Monday, giving him a four-year deal worth $16MM.

Magic Eye Vogel, Hornacek, Ewing, Griffin, Borrego

May 12th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:38pm: Frank Vogel is also among the Magic candidates, Berger writes in an updated version of his story.

2:15pm: Jeff Hornacek, Patrick Ewing, Adrian Griffin and James Borrego have emerged as early candidates for the Magic coaching job, sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The position became open earlier today when Scott Skiles resigned.

Hornacek is in high demand, having interviewed Tuesday with the Rockets, and the Pacers are believed to be strongly considering him, too, Berger hears. The Grizzlies also reportedly have him on their list of candidates, one that includes Ewing, too. Griffin is a Magic assistant coach, while Ewing, currently a Hornets assistant, and Borrego, an assistant with the Spurs, are former Magic assistants. Borrego served as interim head coach for the Magic last season after they fired Jacque Vaughn. Hornacek impressed the Orlando brass when he interviewed in 2012 for the head coaching vacancy that went to Vaughn, Berger notes.

The Magic have yet to contact any candidates at this point, GM Rob Hennigan said minutes ago in a press conference to address Skiles’ resignation, tweets Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. Hennigan and Magic CEO Alex Martins took a trip with Skiles late last month in part to alleviate the concerns the coach had about the franchise, and while Martins and Hennigan returned thinking they’d been successful in doing so, Skiles’ resignation today was a clear signal they weren’t, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details. Hennigan said in the press conference that he didn’t think he and Skiles had a disconnect (Twitter link).

Skiles thinks the team struggled this season because the players are soft and lack a professional mindset, shortcomings he believes the Magic fostered because of an overemphasis on player development and lack of concern for winning in recent years, Robbins writes. Skiles was also upset that the Magic hadn’t picked up a team option on his contract, sources told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link), presumably referring to the option on the final season of the four-year contract he signed last spring.

Orlando hired Skiles just last year after also interviewing Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson and Fred Hoiberg, who later took the Bulls head coaching job.