Jason Kidd Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lowe’s Latest: Kidd, Blatche, Hammond, Profits

June 30th, 2014 at 1:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

Departing Nets coach Jason Kidd planned to eventually fire most if not all of the team’s front office as he sought control of the club’s basketball operations, several league sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe. The Grantland scribe has plenty more revelations on Kidd’s shocking change of address as well as insight on revenue and profitability for several NBA franchises. We’ll hit the highlights here:

Kidd suggested to Nets ownership at midseason that they replace GM Billy King, though he didn’t pitch himself for the job at that point, Lowe writes. The Bucks sought permission to talk to Kidd earlier this month, and when the Nets hesitated to respond, Kidd made his push to assume control of Nets front office.
The Nets publicly termed Andray Blatche‘s midseason absence a product of “personal reasons,” but it was instead because Kidd had essentially suspended him out of concerns over the big man’s conditioning and preparation, according to Lowe. Kidd’s move impressed Nets brass, Lowe adds.
The jobs of Bucks GM John Hammond and assistant GM David Morway are safe for the time being, Lowe hears, adding that those two nonetheless had no knowledge of ownership’s negotiations with Kidd.
The Nets are projected to have lost a league-high $144MM this year, Lowe reports. The Wizards are next on that list, projected to have lost just $13MM.
The Bucks are set to make about $18MM from the league’s revenue sharing program and $3MM from luxury tax payouts, making up for the $6.5MM the team is projected to have lost this year.
The Hornets are projected to have lost almost $34MM while taking in only about $22MM in revenue sharing income. The Pistons are set to tally $26MM in losses and recoup only $10.6MM.
The Lakers lead the league with a $100.1MM projected profit, followed by the Bulls at $61MM, Rockets at $40.7MM, Celtics at $33.1MM and Thunder at nearly $29MM. The Spurs, Jazz and Nuggets also are in line to profit.
The high-revenue Knicks are expected to have lost $3.5MM.

Kidd Leaving Could Affect Nets’ Roster

June 29th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Charlie Adams

If Jason Kidd isn’t back with the Nets next season, some of Brooklyn’s free agents will likely be less inclined to return as well, reports Roderick Boone of Newsday. Specifically, Boone mentions that Shaun Livingston‘s offseason plans could be altered if Kidd departs from the organization.

Livingston’s decision to sign with the Nets for the veteran’s minimum last summer was largely tied to his relationship with Kidd, a source confirmed to Boone. Since Brooklyn is a taxpaying team and only own Livingston’s Non-Bird Rights, the Nets will only be able to offer him a contract with a starting salary of $3.278MM. After resurrecting his career last season, Livingston could likely grab a higher payday somewhere else.

For the time being, the Nets and Bucks are not close on a deal that would send the second-year coach packing to Milwaukee, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). As we passed along earlier, however, Kidd still isn’t anticipated to be coaching Brooklyn next season. Teams can begin discussions with free agents on Tuesday, and although the Nets are interested in bringing Livingston back, Kidd’s seemingly imminent departure might make a pursuit more difficult.

Lionel Hollins Front-Runner If Kidd Replaced

June 29th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Charlie Adams

Lionel Hollins is the early front-runner to take over coaching duties for the Nets if Jason Kidd isn’t heading the team next season, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. We’ve heard that Kidd’s attempted power play to gain more control of basketball operations in Brookyln will likely put him out of the job, whether or not he eventually winds up taking a position with the Bucks.

Hollins hasn’t coached since leading the Grizzlies to the 2012/13 Western Conference finals, but he’s also been mentioned as a potential candidate to fill the Lakers’ head coaching vacancy. George Karl is another serious candidate to take over for Kidd, says Amick, but Hollins seems to be the club’s top option for the time being.

Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson are unlikely to be considered for the Nets job, sources tell Amick, who notes that it’s equally remote that a prestigious college coach is considered for the role. Brookyln’s desire to win in the short term is the primary reason why they’re seeking a coach with experience, says Amick.

And-Ones: Suns, Summer League, Kidd

June 29th, 2014 at 5:54pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jason Kidd met with members of the Bucks on Friday, and a resolution to the situation is expected within the next 24 hours, reports Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links). Gardner also notes that Kidd was discussing only a coaching position, and the Nets were asking for a first-round draft pick, while the Bucks are offering a second-rounder as compensation.

Eastern Notes: Kidd, Celtics, Heat

June 29th, 2014 at 4:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jason Kidd might look like the “bad guy” right now for trying to leave the Nets, but it might be the smartest thing for him to do, opines Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News. Lupica cites the Nets’ declining roster, absentee owner, and a franchise that seemingly prizes headlines over wins as reasons Kidd might be trying to leave Brooklyn.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Pistons, Nets

June 29th, 2014 at 2:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers fans need to prepare themselves for another tough season of rebuilding, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Moore opines that while GM Sam Hinkie‘s draft strategy could pay off in the long term, the franchise isn’t currently much improved over last season.

Latest On Jason Kidd

June 28th, 2014 at 11:30pm CST by Cray Allred

The Bucks offered no comment to David Aldridge of NBA.com regarding the Jason Kidd bombshell (Twitter link), but there is plenty of chatter elsewhere. Here’s the latest:

Kidd’s demands for the Nets were about more than gaining control, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The first-year coach was miffed at the salary figures first-time coach hires have been bringing in, especially the contract Derek Fisher received. The Knicks are paying Fisher $4MM in guaranteed salary per year, substantially more than what Kidd earns.
Michael Lee of The Washington Post points out (on Twitter) that Kidd’s total earnings as a player dwarf those of Steve Kerr and Fisher.
Wojnarowski confirms that it is unlikely Kidd will remain with Brooklyn in any scenario (via Twitter). While the Yahoo! scribe’s source says GM Billy King is somewhat forgiving, ownership would not be open to keeping Kidd around.
A source tells Wojnarowski that a realistic compensation package from the Bucks to the Nets would be “a bunch of second-round picks” (Twitter link).
Mark Jackson‘s name is coming up in the Nets front office as a potential replacement for Kidd, reports Ohm Youngmisuk ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweets that Lionel Hollins and George Karl would also draw interest from Brooklyn for a coaching vacancy.
Lawrence Frank would not be a candidate to replace Kidd, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.

Jason Kidd Denied Promotion, Bucks Interested

June 28th, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Cray Allred

10:18pm: The Bucks have already begun discussing potential compensation to spring Kidd from the three remaining years on his contract with the Nets, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. One source believes the outcome will be known by Monday (Twitter links).

10:00pm: Bucks officials are under the belief that Kidd is seeking the role of president, which would give him the option of installing himself as coach, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

9:30pm: A source tells Howard Beck of Bleacher Report that Kidd isn’t looking to coach the Bucks, but is rather pursuing a role as president of basketball operations (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is told that Kidd is indeed seeking to both coach and lead the front office in a role where he is “running everything.” (Twitter link)

9:00pm: A source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com it would be difficult to imagine Kidd remaining with the Nets, regardless of how his talks with the Bucks go (Twitter link).

8:52pm: While it remains unclear what exact role Kidd is seeking in Milwaukee, Sam Amick of USA Today reports that the Bucks front office was unaware of the talks (via Twitter). Sources confirm to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com that coach Larry Drew and the Bucks front office were unaware that Kidd would be interviewing for their positions (Twitter link). Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times tweets that Bucks owner Marc Lasry is friends with both Kidd and Kidd’s agent.

8:18pm: Jason Kidd demanded to be placed in charge of Nets basketball operations in addition to his coaching duties, and Brooklyn did not grant his request, a league source tells Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. Nets ownership has given permission for Kidd to seek other opportunities, including with the Bucks, who have interest in hiring him, per Bontemps. It is not clear from the report if Milwaukee is interested in Kidd as merely a coach or in an expanded role like he was seeking in Brooklyn.

Reportedly, Kidd did not ask for GM Billy King to be fired, but did want to be placed in authority above King. The news is surprising considering Kidd’s inexperience as both a coach and executive. There are only a handful of people in the league with the kind of consolidated power Kidd was seeking, and they all possess much longer track records of success than the first-year coach has under his belt.

This isn’t the first turbulence Kidd has experienced since going straight from playing to coaching. The expensive Nets roster performed poorly out of the gate, and Kidd’s job was reportedly at risk as he adjusted to his new profession. Assistant coach Lawrence Frank was demoted in an ugly mid-season period, although there are conflicting reports as to whether Kidd or the Nets made the call. After the embarrassing start, Kidd managed to turn around the team’s performance, ultimately finishing 44-38 and advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

Coaching Rumors: Jazz, D’Antoni, Boylen

April 24th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Executives, coaches and other league insiders struggle to come up with names of intriguing coaching candidates after last year’s record volume of new hires, but Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com was able to pry the identities of a few well-regarded potential hires. Some of them have been in rumors in recent weeks, but University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney, and Blazers assistant David Vanterpool are the names we haven’t heard. Potential head coaches with ties to the Spurs were already popular, and they’ve grown even more so this year, Arnovitz hears. Here’s more from the coaching rumor mill:

The Jazz plan to interview more than 20 candidates fitting virtually every description, team president Randy Rigby said Wednesday on The Zone Sports Network radio, notes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Though a few candidates have reportedly emerged, Rigby insists the club hasn’t identified any potential targets. He also said the decision will be a group effort and won’t lie solely with GM Dennis Lindsey.
Mike D’Antoni won’t be coaching Marshall University next season, but his brother Dan D’Antoni will be, the school announced. Dan D’Antoni is leaving his job as a Lakers assistant coach to take the new gig.
The Pacers weren’t pleased when former assistant coach and current Jazz head coaching candidate Jim Boylen left last year to become a Spurs assistant, tweets Scott Agness of Pacers.com. “He did us dirty,” one Pacers player told Agness.
Knicks president Phil Jackson said Wednesday that his coaching search could extend into July, but he adds that it’s not because he’s waiting around to see which, if any, coaches working in the playoffs become available, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
Nets GM Billy King said on NBA TV that he, and not coach Jason Kidd, made the decision to reassign assistant coach Lawrence Frank earlier this season, fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Mike Mazzeo observes.

Poll: Experienced Coach Or First-Timer?

April 11th, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

As we approach the end of the NBA regular season, it’s the time of year when the annual coaching carousel begins to spin and a slew of faces will end up in brand new places. Heading into the 2013/14 season there were a total of 13 coaching changes, which if you’re keeping score at home, is the most ever in a single offseason.

We won’t know for sure just how many teams will be making a change on their bench until the playoffs are over. Normally you would think a playoff spot would ensure job security, but Lionel Hollins, Vinny Del Negro, and Larry Drew all weren’t retained after reaching the playoffs last year. So the exact number of vacancies are up in the air, but we know there will be some.

If your team is making a head coaching change, which would you prefer in your new hire? Do you want a veteran coach with years of experience to lead your team? One who has a proven track record, but also could be carrying baggage and bad habits picked up throughout the years. Or, would you prefer the energy and new ideas a first-time coach can provide? A new coach has more to prove, and might be more in touch with the pulse and culture of his players, but has no experience to rely on, and no track record to predict future performance.

Let’s look at how this year’s crop of new coaches fared as an example. First up, the ones with prior experience:

Doc Rivers (Clippers): The team is 55-24, first in the Pacific Division, and the third seed in the playoffs. Last year’s team went 56-26 under Vinny Del Negro, before Del Negro wasn’t retained and the team traded for Rivers.
Maurice Cheeks (Pistons): He was fired 50 games into the year with a record of 20-29. Detroit was 29-53 in 2012/13 under Lawrence Frank. After the team signed Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings in the off season, owner Tom Gores expected a much better record and for the team to make the playoffs.
Mike Brown (Cavaliers): The team sits at 32-47, which is good for tenth in the eastern conference. Last year under Byron Scott the team had a record of 24-58 and ended up with the first overall selection in the draft.
Larry Drew (Bucks): The Bucks sit at 14-64. which is good for the worst record in the league. In 2012/13 under Scott Skiles and Jim Boylan the team went 38-44.

Now for how the first-time coaches performed:

Jason Kidd (Nets): The Nets are at 43-35, which is good for the fifth overall playoff seed. Kidd replaced interim coach P.J. Carlesimo, whose team finished 2012/13 with a record of 49-33.
Brad Stevens (Celtics): Stevens, taking over for Doc Rivers, has gone 23-55, but has the re-building team heading in a positive direction. Last year’s team went 41-40.
Mike Budenholzer (Hawks): The Hawks have gone 35-43 and currently hold the final playoff spot in the east. Last year’s Larry Drew led squad went 44-38.
Steve Clifford (Bobcats): Clifford has led the Bobcats to a 40-38 record and the sixth seed in the east. Under Mike Dunlap the team went 21-61 during last year’s campaign.
Brian Shaw (Nuggets): The Nuggets have been hampered by injuries all season, and sit at 35-44. Shaw replaced coach of the year winner George Karl, who led the team to a record of 57-25.
David Joerger (Grizzlies): Joerger replaced Lionel Hollins and has guided the team to a record of 46-32, and has the team is one game out of the final playoff spot. Last year the team went 56-26.
Brett Brown (Sixers): Under Brown the Sixers have the second worst record in the league at 17-61, including a record-tying 26 game losing streak. Last season under Doug Collins, the team went 34-48.
Jeff Hornacek (Suns): The Suns are one of the most improved teams in the league with a record of 47-31, and hold the seventh seed in the western conference. Last year under Lindsey Hunter and Alvin Gentry the team went 25-57.
Mike Malone (Kings): Under Malone the Kings have gone 27-52. During the 2012/13 season under Keith Smart the team ended up 28-54.

This means that in their first seasons with their new teams, experienced coaches went 121-164 (.424), and the first-timers went 313-391 (.444). There are many different factors outside a coach’s control that contribute to the team’s final record, but the nature of the NBA is that the coach is the first one to take the heat.

Now it’s time to vote. If your team makes a coaching change this off season, do you want an experienced person hired, or would you prefer the team brings in a brand new face? Cast your vote below and feel free to give your thoughts in the comments section below.