Jason Kidd Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Earl Watson In Front As Suns Begin Coaching Search

April 18th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 5:19pm: The Suns have interviewed Watson but haven’t done so with anyone else yet, according to John Gambadoro of KMVP-FM in Phoenix (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 2:19pm: People in the Suns organization and around the league believe Suns interim head coach Earl Watson is the front-runner among the candidates the Suns will consider as they search to formally fill the head coaching position, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The team’s search begins in earnest today, Coro writes.

Kevin McHale and Scott Brooks have drawn mention, according to Coro, though it’s unclear if the team is indeed considering them. Some hear that Jason Kidd is a possibility, Coro writes, though Kidd appears poised for an extension with the Bucks. Previous reports have indicated the team will consider Sixers assistant and former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, Warriors assistant Luke Walton, Grand Canyon University coach Dan Majerle and Villanova coach Jay Wright, as Coro discusses.

Watson appeals to the Suns because he helped rehabilitate Markieff Morris‘ trade value, improved the team defensively down the stretch, and has a reputation as a skilled free agent recruiter, as Coro details, pointing out that he and star Eric Bledsoe are both clients of Klutch Sports. The interim coach has earned the support of Suns players, who appear to be unanimously behind him, Coro tweets.

“I think he’s done an incredible job,” Suns center Tyson Chandler said. “I try to stay out of the way of management decisions, but he’s done an incredible job with the team he inherited with all the injuries and everything else like that. He’s done an excellent job coming in and helping the young players, as well as helping guys like myself get adapted here. He’s added structure. Everything he has done has been positive. He came in and took over this team in a tough position. I thought he has done an excellent job. Nobody could’ve asked for anything better.”

The Suns were only 9-24 under Watson, though he was mostly without Bledsoe and Brandon Knight because of injury. A recent Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround invites your discussion on the Suns coaching situation.

Eastern Notes: Lin, Novak, Mayo, Vasquez, Jefferson

April 18th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Jeremy Lin was convinced he would sign with the Mavericks for the room exception this past summer, as he told Dan Feldman of ProBasketballTalk, but Dallas turned away when DeAndre Jordan reneged on his commitment to the Mavs, leading the point guard to turn to the Hornets instead. “Charlotte came out of nowhere,” Lin said. “Had I known it was going to go down the way it went down, I would’ve definitely planned things a little differently.”

Lin enjoys his Hornets teammates, but no guarantee exists that he’ll be back with them next season, since he can opt out of his contract. No team gave a higher percentage of its minutes after the trade deadline to players who can hit free agency this summer, Feldman points out, but Charlotte has been successful because of an unusual bond between the players, as Feldman details. Al Jefferson conceded that he probably wouldn’t have accepted a reduced role during a contract year if he were younger but said he’s never been on a team quite like this one in Charlotte.

See more from the Eastern Conference:

Steve Novak wants to re-sign with the Bucks after a brief, injury-shortened time in Milwaukee this season, and coach Jason Kidd indicated that the feeling is mutual as the team seeks to improve its shooting, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Novak is a guy we thought was going to help in that [shooting] department,” Kidd said. “Hopefully we can re-sign him. We liked what he did briefly on the floor, but we also enjoyed what he did for us off the floor, even being hurt. That’s what a vet does. We would all love to have him back. That kind of threat is what we need as a team to have any kind of success.”
Gardner suggests in the same piece that the Bucks want to move on from O.J. Mayo and Greivis Vasquez but have better regard for Jerryd Bayless. All three will hit free agency in July.
Richard Jefferson‘s contribution in Game 1 was subtle but important and showed the value of his signing this past offseason for the Cavaliers, observe Michael Beaven  and George Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Central Notes: Kidd, Brown, Jones

April 16th, 2016 at 1:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bucks coach Jason Kidd said the franchise’s biggest need this offseason was to acquire outside shooters who can stretch the floor for the team’s big men, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel. “In today’s game, two is not going to beat three,” Kidd said. “The three is so important. We didn’t have enough guys that could make the three. There’s no tricks. I’m not going to sit here and make up something that we’re going to have to shoot a higher percentage of twos. You’ve got to be able to shoot the three. Everybody is shooting them. You’ve got to have guys on the floor who can stretch the floor and are threats to make a three.”

GM John Hammond shot down the rumblings that he and Kidd don’t have a solid working relationship, Gardner notes. “We just finished our second season together, and I think we have a very good working relationship,” Hammond said. “We talk together, we spend time together. We have a business relationship; we have a social relationship. With what we do, the season ends but it stays busy. We jump right into the draft until the end of June, and then we begin free agency and summer league. You’re stuck together in the season and in the offseason. It’s part of what we do and we love it.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said the team inked Lorenzo Brown in order to have enough bodies to practice heading into the playoffs with Reggie Jackson needing rest to recover from an abdominal injury, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
Andre Drummond is pleased with how his relationship with Jackson is developing as well as what the point guard has brought to the Pistons franchise, David Aldridge of NBA.com relays. “You know, getting Reggie last season at the trade deadline, I didn’t know what to expect,” Drummond told Aldridge. “He came off the bench for OKC. I didn’t know what he’d be like as a starter. When he came, I spoke him, told him these are the different things that I’m going to need from a point guard. He embraced it. And he’s been playing great for us. He’s building, and we’re working together.”
The Cavaliers have added Damon Jones to Tyronn Lue‘s coaching staff for the playoffs, relays Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group. The team believes it can benefit from Jones’ experience and rapport with players in its quest to return to the NBA finals, Haynes adds. Jones spent the season as an assistant with the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League affiliate.

Coaching Rumors: Scott, Thibodeau, Kidd, Brooks

April 14th, 2016 at 10:28am CST by Chuck Myron

A strong belief exists within the Lakers organization that the team will keep Byron Scott, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, nonetheless revealing that next season is a team option on Scott’s contract. Still, too much discord exists within Lakers ownership for a consensus to form on a coaching change, sources tell Wojnarowski. Primary owner Jeanie Buss is advocating for Scott behind the scenes, and Scott has a “major chance” to remain in his job, one source told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

See more coaching rumors around the NBA with the regular season having come to a close:

Carmelo Anthony would prefer the Knicks hire Tom Thibodeau as coach, a source close to Anthony insisted to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Team president Phil Jackson doesn’t seem to have any interest in Thibodeau, as Isola points out, and strong indications exist that Thibodeau is looking for player personnel power as he seeks a coaching job, sources tell Chris Mannix of The Vertical (Twitter link).
Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry publicly backed coach Jason Kidd on Wednesday in the wake of rumors that Kidd is on shaky ground with the team, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. Lasry said it’s reasonable to assume the team will give Kidd an extension on the three-year, $15MM contract that expires after next season, Gardner notes. Lasry has long been close to Kidd, and it’s the other owners to whom Kidd hasn’t endeared himself, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times wrote this week, but Gardner indicates that fellow primary owners Wesley Edens and Jamie Dinan made it clear Wednesday that they also want Kidd to stay. “At the end of the day, Jason is our coach,” Lasry said. “I know there’s been a bunch of articles. We think he’s done a great job. He’s our guy. Everybody who keeps talking about it, it’s a non-issue. I never understand why in this league you have these issues.”
Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Nets interim coach Tony Brown are unlikely to have their interim tags removed, barring unforeseen events, according to Berger. Rockets candidate Scott Brooks is wary of the uncertainty about whether Dwight Howard will opt out, Berger writes, which suggests that it’s not an open-and-shut case that Howard will opt out as he’s long been expected to do.

And-Ones: Pope, Kidd, Casey

April 13th, 2016 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri noted that coach Dwane Casey‘s job was safe regardless of how the team performs in the playoffs, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports relays (via Twitter). “He’s been phenomenal, I think,” Ujiri said of Casey. “Whether it’s reading games, or adjustments and just growth overall as a coach. To be honest, everybody makes such a big deal about, like okay if we don’t go past the first round what’s going to happen? Coach Casey deserves to be the coach, that’s 100% and I stand by that. He deserves to be our coach in the future because he’s put in the work to bring winning to our program. Players have responded well and it’s translated a little bit. We hope that it translates to the playoffs and I’m very hopeful that it will because he’s a defensive-minded coach. I think he’s been tremendous for us.”

Here’s more from around the league:

San Diego State sophomore small forward Malik Pope intends to test the waters and declare for the 2016 NBA draft, the University announced. Pope, who is the No. 25 overall sophomore according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and the No. 46 overall player according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, won’t hire an agent which will allow him to return to school should he withdraw prior to the May 25th deadline. “Malik Pope, with our consultation and approval, has submitted his name to the NBA for the upcoming draft, but will not hire an agent, allowing himself the opportunity to return to San Diego State,” coach Steve Fisher said. “With the rule change, it is a great opportunity for Malik to get workouts and evaluations from NBA personnel. Together, we will monitor his progress.”
Bucks coach Jason Kidd dismissed the rumors that say his job may be in jeopardy and said he wanted to remain in Milwaukee for the long-term, Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel tweets. The coach, who still has one season remaining on his deal, said he doesn’t plan on broaching the subject of a contract extension this summer, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel relays (via Twitter).
Oklahoma senior power forward Ryan Spangler has hired agent Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports to represent him, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter).
Potential 2016 second-rounder Jake Layman has signed with Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. The senior power forward from Maryland averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 35 appearances on the season for the Terrapins.

Uncertainty Surrounds Jason Kidd, John Hammond

April 11th, 2016 at 4:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

League sources who spoke with Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times believe Bucks GM John Hammond will either be fired or resign soon, and people close to the team tell Woelfel that coach Jason Kidd is also on shaky ground. The news on Kidd jibes with a February report from The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicating that Kidd was losing his influence with Bucks owners in the wake of player personnel moves that haven’t panned out. Kidd has exerted control over the composition of the roster, as Woelfel told Hoops Rumors earlier this season.

Some around the league speculate that Hammond will end up with the Pelicans, who’ve long been linked to Joe Dumars, Hammond’s former boss, Woelfel hears. The Bucks signed Hammond to an extension this past September that carries through next season, which is also the last on Kidd’s deal. Lottery-bound Milwaukee has disappointed this year and can finish no better than 35-47 after last season’s 41-41 record.

Woelfel indicates the Bucks plan to shop Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams this summer, though it’s unclear if that plan would persist if neither Hammond nor Kidd is around to execute it. The Bucks reportedly had talks with the Pelicans about Monroe before the trade deadline, and Wojnarowski heard Bucks owners vetoed a would-be trade with the Pelicans that Kidd was spearheading, though it’s unclear if that would have involved Monroe.

Central Notes: LeBron, Love, Carter-Williams, Bulls

March 29th, 2016 at 9:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs are confident LeBron James won’t leave in free agency again, but they understand that at least a slight chance exists that he would if they once more come up short in the postseason, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. James “lashed out” at his teammates during the players-only meeting that followed the firing of David Blatt, sources told Lowe, and many in the Cavs brass have kept a nervous eye on the signs of discontent that James has shown on the court. The four-time MVP has the power to press for changes. Lowe confirms that the Cavs and Celtics spoke about Kevin Love before last month’s trade deadline but hears the Celtics made a lowball offer. The ESPN scribe believes chances are strong that Cleveland will trade Love if the team doesn’t deliver in the playoffs, underscoring the unusual level of concern surrounding a team poised to grab the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

See more from the Central Division:

It’s a key summer for the development Michael Carter-Williams, Bucks coach Jason Kidd argues, but Kidd maintains his faith in the former Rookie of the Year, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel details. Carter-Williams, who’s out for the season with a torn labrum in his left hip, will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension from July through October. “Michael is able to guard the point,” Kidd said. “Giannis [Antetokounmpo] isn’t going to guard the point. You’ve got to have a small on the floor. With Michael being able to work on his jump shot and become consistent, it only makes us better.”
Bulls GM Gar Forman and executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson know they need to change the roster this summer, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf seems inclined to empower them to do so, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Still, Friedell takes Forman and Paxson to task for failing to see the fissures in this group of players last year and for a coaching change that hasn’t panned out. The Bulls, who held a team meeting Sunday, have lost four in a row and are two games in the loss column behind the Pistons for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Cavs GM David Griffin is at fault for failing to put someone in the locker room who can hold LeBron accountable, at least to a degree, but the superstar is ultimately worth all the angst, contends TNT’s David Aldridge in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.

Eastern Rumors: Bucks, Bosh, Lawson, Dedmon

March 5th, 2016 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks owner Wes Edens denies rumors of dissension within the ownership group, which also consists of principal owners Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel. Milwaukee has been among this season’s most disappointing teams, carrying a 26-36 record after last year’s playoff appearance. Regardless, Edens insists that ownership believes in Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker as the foundation for its future. “It’s definitely disappointing where we are; that’s the bad news,” Edens said. “The good news is, especially since the All-Star break, you look at the team of Giannis and Jabari and Khris, and others of course, and it’s not hard to imagine what this thing could really turn into.”

Edens added that no trades were given serious consideration before last month’s deadline and that any decision on a contract extension for coach Jason Kidd will be made after the season. “We can’t change what happened but we can improve on what’s going to happen,” Edens said. “That’s for the off season. Jason has been a big part of our involvement with the Bucks since we became owners, and I expect him to be a big part of our involvement with it going forward.”

There’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

Heat center/forward Chris Bosh held a workout today and tweeted encouraging news about his health. “Feeling good! Feeling great!” he wrote as questions continue to linger about his availability for the rest of the season. Bosh hasn’t played since he missed the All-Star Game with a calf strain that was later reported to be a blood clot. Bosh is rumored to be on blood-thinning medication, just as he was last year for a blood clot in his lungs, though neither the condition nor the medication has been confirmed by him or the team.
Point guard Ty Lawson is expected to sign with the Pacers on Monday and be in uniform for that night’s game, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Lawson agreed to sign with Indiana after the Rockets waived him Monday in a buyout agreement.
The Magic have assigned Dewayne Dedmon to the Erie Bayhawks of the D-League, the team announced today. The fourth-year center is averaging 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 38 games with Orlando.

Central Notes: Kidd, Motiejunas, Hoiberg

February 25th, 2016 at 5:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bucks coach Jason Kidd appears to be losing his influence with team ownership after a number of personnel decisions have gone awry or have met with disapproval, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports relays (video link). Kidd, who holds sway over the team’s basketball operations, was the engineer of the trade that shipped out Brandon Knight in exchange for point guard Michael Carter-Williams, which, according to Wojnarowski, has upset team management in the wake of his disappointing play.

The scribe also relays that ownership nixed a potential deadline trade with the Pelicans this year that Kidd was spearheading, though the players involved were not named in the report. The team is also showing increased reluctance to allow Kidd a say in personnel matters, which may become an issue for the coach, considering Kidd reportedly wants to move into a front office position that would allow him even more power, Wojnarowski adds.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Pistons may have dodged a bullet when the three-team trade that would have landed Donatas Motiejunas was nixed over medical concerns regarding the power forward, David Mayo of MLive writes. The Pistons now retain their 2016 first round pick and will still have the opportunity to pursue Motiejunas this summer when he becomes a free agent, though doing so may raise some eyebrows around the league after the team pulled out of the trade, Mayo adds.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg lacks the fiery outward demeanor of his predecessor Tom Thibodeau, but he scoffs at the notion he isn’t tough on his players, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. “We’ve had some pretty heated conversations over the course of the year,” Hoiberg said. “If we need a little kick in the butt, you get on them and hopefully they respond. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.” Chicago has been criticized this season for lacking toughness and Hoiberg wonders if that can be altered this late in the season, Johnson adds. “I just look at the different ebbs and flows,” Hoiberg said. “If you look before January 1st, we were winning a lot of these battles. We were fourth in the league in defense and doing a lot of really good things on that end of the floor. It was winning games for us when our offense wasn’t very good. We’ve slipped. Some of it has to do with some of the bodies we don’t have. But guys have to give effort. In this league, if you don’t make first contact, you’re going to get hit.”
Longtime Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao wasn’t taking a shot at his former club when he announced upon arriving in Golden State that he was glad to come to a locker room where the players love each other. He was merely expressing his excitement at joining the Warriors, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes. Varejao signed with the Warriors after being waived by the Blazers, who acquired him from the Cavs in a deadline deal. When initially informed of Varejao’s comments, LeBron James responded, “I would hope if you’re 50-5 that everyone loves each other. … What else do you want at that point? … Duh,” Pluto notes.

Northwest Notes: Rubio, Martin, Foye, Green

February 17th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Bucks coach Jason Kidd, who holds sway over the team’s personnel decisions, has a longstanding admiration for Ricky Rubio, and while the Timberwolves haven’t been looking for Rubio trades, they’re likely to do so this summer, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Other recent reports have indicated that Rubio is currently on the block, though Minnesota doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to deal him for the time being, judging by Wojnarowski’s reporting. See more from Minnesota amid the latest from around the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves shooting guard Kevin Martin is unlikely to end up in a trade unless he turns down his player option, worth nearly $7.378MM for next season, league sources told Wojnarowski for the same piece. Martin probably won’t do that, since he’d have a tough time making up that money on the free agent market this summer.
Randy Foye‘s eminently positive locker room presence appeals to the Nuggets, who won’t be quick to give him up, according to Wojnarowski. The Heat reportedly have interest, and Wojnarowski suggests others do as well.
Erick Green, whose second 10-day contract with the Jazz expired Sunday, will return to the D-League affiliate of the Kings, a league source tells Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link).
Joey Dorsey, whom the Nuggets acquired in the Ty Lawson trade this past summer and later waived in a buyout, has left Turkey’s Galatasaray and will sign with Barcelona of Spain, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter links).