Jeff Hornacek Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Hire Jeff Hornacek

May 28th, 2013 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 10:15am: The Suns have officially hired Hornacek as their new head coach, the team announced today in a press release.

"We are thrilled to introduce Jeff Hornacek as the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns," GM Ryan McDonough said in a statement. "Jeff has all of the qualities we were looking for in a head coach—he is a leader, a teacher and a student of the game. Jeff's name has been high on our list ever since my first interview with the Suns. His successes as a player and as an assistant coach, along with his deep ties to this franchise and this community, give us confidence that he will do great things as the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns."

SUNDAY, 4:56pm: Hornacek's deal will give him three years guaranteed with a club option for year four, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

3:53pm: Jeff Hornacek has agreed to become the next coach of the Suns, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Phoenix made Hornacek an offer over the weekend and the two sides spent today hammering out an agreement. The 50-year-old will now become the 16th coach in club history.

While Hornacek is widely known for his time spent with the Jazz, the former guard played for the Suns in his first six NBA seasons. Hornacek met with Suns owner Robert Sarver, president Lon Babby, and new GM Ryan McDonough this week and apparently made a strong impression. Phoenix chose Hornacek over Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff who also got to meet with the Suns decision makers.

The Suns had plans to also interview fellow Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, Lakers assistant Steve Clifford, and appeared to have interest in Quin Snyder. However, all three will now have to look elsewhere.

The hiring means that the club will part ways with interim coach Lindsey Hunter, who is said to be in the mix for the Pistons job. Hunter will vie with Nate McMillan, Mike Budenholzer, J.B. Bickerstaff, and Darrell Walker for the gig.

Jeff Hornacek Has Offer To Become Suns Coach

May 26th, 2013 at 8:20am CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns and Jazz assistant coach Jeff Hornacek are working over the weekend to finalize a deal that would make him Phoenix's new head coach, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Suns have offered Hornacek the position, and the two sides have already begun working on assembling a staff of assistants. Phoenix never formally parted ways with interim coach Lindsey Hunter, who remained a candidate for the full-time Suns job even after interviewing for the Pistons coaching vacancy, but it appears they'll soon be doing so.

Hornacek met with Suns owner Robert Sarver, president Lon Babby, and new GM Ryan McDonough this week. Phoenix also sat down Friday with Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff, according to Wojnarowski, but it appears Bickerstaff will join Hunter on the list of candidates who came up short. Phoenix was also reportedly set to interview fellow Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, and appeared to have interest in Quin Snyder. The Suns received permission from the Lakers to interview assistant Steve Clifford, though it's unclear if they followed through with a meeting.

The 50-year-old Hornacek spent the first six seasons of his playing career with the Suns, who dealt him to the Sixers in the Charles Barkley trade. He interviewed Thursday for the Bobcats coaching job and was also rumored to be a candidate for the Sixers vacancy as well.

Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Jack, Bayless, Hollins

May 23rd, 2013 at 6:26pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In an article he released yesterday, Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram cited that two point guards who interest the Mavericks include Jarrett Jack and the Grizzlies' Jerryd Bayless. The source also said that after the Clippers released Vinny Del Negro, the feeling in Mavs camp is that Chris Paul would likely stay in Los Angeles considering he'd be given significant control over the next coaching hire. With that being said, Dwight Howard continues to be the team's top priority. Here are few more miscellaneous notes from around the league:

Though the future of Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins still remains uncertain, the impending free agent coach says that he's not worried about an extension or heading elsewhere and is currently focused on the playoffs, "I have a job…I'm happy with where we are and excited about what we're doing. That's my only concern. Everything else is irrelevant" (Teresa M. Walker of NBA.com).
Erik Spoelstra was pleased about James Jones' decision to not opt out at the end of this year and thus return to the Heat next season, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link). Spoelstra: "It's great news…J.J. is a Miami Heat guy. (He and Udonis Haslem), they're special. All of our guys are special in this organization, but they're Miami-bred guys. They're Miami true and blue."
Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweeted that Jeff Hornacek interviewed with the Bobcats today and that Steve Clifford is headed for his next interview with the Suns, respectively.
If there's any coach that isn't confident about his team making significant improvements next season, it's definitely not Wizards head coach Randy Wittman, who told CSN Washington: "It doesn't matter with the No. 3 pick. If we could stay healthy and come together as we did last year, have a full season right from the start, we should put ourselves in that (playoff) position…It doesn't matter if we pick eighth, third or 30th" (J. Michael of CSN Washington).
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside sheds some light on Mike Singletary (not to be confused with the current NFL assistant coach), who has been making waves for his standout play overseas. The 6'6 swingman, who recently won the NBDL title with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, has been playing for Barako Bull Energy Cola – a PBA team currently participating in a tournament in Dubai. With his solid production in the D-League (10.1 PPG and 4.9 RPG along with 41% shooting from long range in 49 games) and his experience with competitive international play, Schlosser thinks that the next step would involve an NBA summer league invite and is curious to see what kind of opportunities Singletary could find heading up to the start of NBA training camp in the fall.

Latest On Bobcats Coaching Search

May 19th, 2013 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bobcats will interview Jazz assistant coach Jeff Hornacek by the end of this week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, adding another name to the list of coaches who are sitting down with Charlotte's brass. Alvin Gentry, Kelvin Sampson and Elston Turner have already interviewed for the job, and according to Stein, Steve Clifford is scheduled to interview Tuesday (Twitter link). The team is also expected to interview Quin Snyder.

Hornacek is set for an interview with the Sixers as well, and is reportedly drawing interest from the Suns and Bucks. His strong relationship with Deron Williams could make him a candidate for the Nets opening, too.

The Bobcats appear to be following the same script as last year, when a drawn-out search involving roughly a dozen candidates took nearly two months to reach a resolution. The team hired college assistant Mike Dunlap in a surprise move, and fired him about a month ago. Many of last year's candidates resurfaced in this year's hunt, including Cavs assistant Nate Tibbetts, who wound up joining Terry Stotts' staff with the Blazers. Another is Brian Shaw, to whom Charlotte has once more been linked. Like last season, the Bobcats would have to wait until after the Pacers' playoff run to speak with him.

Odds & Ends: Hornacek, Oden, Celtics, Thunder

May 18th, 2013 at 9:26pm CST by Spencer Lund

The coaching carousel this offseason is personified by Jazz assistant coach Jeff Hornacek. The former Jazz player was a smart shooting guard next to Hall-of-Famer John Stockton, in the backcourt of some consistently excellent Jazz teams. But even with less than three years of experience on the Jazz bench, he's become a go-to interview for teams with a coaching vacancy.

Brad Rock of the Salt Lake City Desert News opines on Hornacek's bonafides as a head coach somewhere in the league, while current head coach Tyrone Corbin is also in a state of flux, but appears set to return to the sidelines next season after a vote of confidence from general manager Dennis Lindsey. In a summer of discontent for 29 NBA teams (and the city of Seattle), there are still plenty of question marks, like Hornacek, with uncertain, yet bright futures. Like the next item on our list…

Greg Oden continues to impress those who have seen him workout, with the latest being predraft workout partner and former Ohio State forward, Deshaun Thomas, who told the The Oregonian's Jason Quick the former number one pick, "looks unbelievable." We've already shared Mary Schmitt Boyer's assessment that Oden looks terrific. A number of Eastern Conference teams have already targeted the rehabilitating center and it appears only a matter of time before he's back in the league.
Speaking of comebacks, what are the Celtics going to do this offseason? Steve Bulpett at the Boston Herald did an informal survey of general managers at the predraft combine in Chicago on Friday, and they were as undecided as most observers. Some believe the Celtics may make another go of it with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, while others think they could blow the whole thing up and trade their franchise mainstays since the summer of 2007 for younger players and draft picks.
The Thunder aren't undecided; they're title contenders now, and Barry Tramel writes at the Oklahoman that the Thunder are unlikely to make any splashy moves this offseason with about $66.12MM in salary for 10 players next season. The time for the young team to win is now.
Also, the Oklahoman's staff answered four different questions about the Thunder's 2012/13 season, the most tenuous one being: was the Thunder's season a failure?

Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Sampson, Howard, Kidd

May 16th, 2013 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up the latest out of the Atlantic, where the division's lone remaining team (the Knicks) will attempt to stave off elimination at Madison Square Garden tonight….

The Sixers have received permission to interview Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, according to John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sampson had already been on Philadelphia's list of candidates before former Rockets assistant GM Sam Hinkie was hired by the Sixers, but it will be interesting to see whether or not the Houston connection makes Sampson a stronger candidate for the opening.
Mitchell adds in the same piece that Hinkie is believed to be eyeing Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek as well.
Hinkie says he'll look at all options in building his team back up to contention, writes PhillyBurbs.com's Tom Moore.
In identifying Dwight Howard's five likeliest free agent destinations, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes that there's still mutual interest between Howard and the Nets. While Kennedy notes that, due to their cap situation, the Nets are a "long shot," I'd classify Brooklyn's odds of landing Howard as even more miniscule than that.
Mark Hale of the New York Post notes that Jason Kidd has said there's no guarantee he'll finish his current three-year contract, and wonders if Kidd's struggles during this postseason could influence a retirement decision.

Michael Pina contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Lee, 76ers, Blake, Len, Draft Risers

May 7th, 2013 at 9:32pm CST by Alex Lee

The Knicks have evened their conference semifinal against the Pacers at one. While the Grizzlies try to do the same, here are some news and notes from around the league:

ESPN Boston's Chris Forberg examines the chances that Courtney Lee will stick in Boston as the Celtics head into their offseason. After being traded three of the last four summers, Lee struggled to carve out a role in his first year as a Celtic despite being given every chance to do so. Lee is under contract and the Celts coveted him a year ago, so it would make sense if they gave him another year to assimilate.
Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com has a litany of Sixers coaching updates in his latest story. According to Moore, the team won't interview Michael Malone or Jeff Hornacek until next week at the earliest. Moore reiterates the team's interst in Brian Shaw and Michael Curry, while also adding a new name, Quin Snyder, to the coaching mix in Philadelphia. Snyder coached on Doug Collins' staff in Philly during the 2010-11 season and was mentioned earlier tonight as a possible fit in Atlanta.
While Steve Blake is one of four Lakers to be amnesty eligible, his strong play this season as a role player makes it unlikely that he will be the one to go, writes Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times. Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol are his other three amnesty eligible teammates.
Alex Len and his agent, Michael Lelchitski, contemplated delaying last week's ankle surgery until after pre-draft workouts in an attempt to move into the conversation for the No. 1 pick, writes RealGM's Shams Charania. “If he had a chance to work out, I truly believe he could have moved up and gone No. 1,” Lelchitski said of the Maryland center. While it was clearly the right decision, Len's injury will certainly affect his draft stock, as it will sideline him for anywhere from four to six months.
In an Insider-only blog, ESPN's Fran Fraschilla breaks down five underrated draft prospects he believes will rise up boards as team's get a better look at them in the coming weeks. Among them, Frachilla lists Murray State's Isaiah Canaan, Cal's Allen Crabbe, Brazil's Lucas Nogueira, NC State's Lorenzo Brown and Baylor's Pierre Jackson.

Berger On Malone, 76ers, Hornacek, Nets

May 6th, 2013 at 5:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest news on coaching and GM vacancies courtesy of CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger..

It’s too early to identify a front-runner in the Sixers search, but things sound promising for Warriors assistant Mike Malone. Philly execs have contacted the Warriors multiple times about Malone, including several conversations with consultant Jerry West. In fact, the Sixers are consulting players who’ve played under both Malone and Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to get a feel for how the two candidates differ, according to one source.
To the surprise of some rival executives, the Sixers‘ coaching search is being led by GM Tony DiLeo, whose contract expires this summer. With team president Rod Thorn moving into a smaller role and DiLeo’s contract expiring, rival execs expect the Sixers seek out a new decision maker as well. In fact, that process has already begun through back-channel conversations, one person contacted on the Sixers’ behalf told Berger.
Nets star Deron Williams has been vocal in his support of Jerry Sloan for the job but also has a strong relationship with Jeff Hornacek. In addition to the Sixers, the former Jazz sharpshooter has attracted interest from the Bobcats, Suns, and Bucks, sources told Berger.
The Suns are in the advanced stages of their GM search and the latest word is that Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough‘s is gaining momentum. Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman has been viewed as the favorite in some circles, however, and the Suns also have interviewed Spurs exec (and former Knicks GM) Scott Layden.
The Clippers are expected to can Vinny Del Negro and Hawks are expected to let Larry Drew go, league sources said. The Clippers are said to be “exploring all options,” while the Hawks’ decision on Drew’s future is expected “sooner than later,” sources said. It is widely believed that GM Danny Ferry prefers to install his own head coach in Atlanta.

Pacific Links: Warriors, Kings, Kobe, Hornacek

May 3rd, 2013 at 10:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers are fighting for their playoff lives tonight against the Grizzlies, but their division rivals aren't far from the spotlight. The playoff triumph of the Warriors, the future of the Kings, an offseason of uncertainty for the Lakers, and a possible coaching vacancy for the Suns are all making headlines out of the Pacific tonight:

Andrew Bogut's performance as the Warriors' sealed their upset of the Nuggets last night provided vindication for Golden State co-owner Joe Lacob, who signed off on the unpopular swap of Monta Ellis for Bogut last year, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports examines.
The Sacramento bidders for the Kings, led by Vivek Ranadive, have placed half of the purchase price for the team into escrow, tweets Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee.
A group of Sacramento arena opponents have filed suit claiming the city withheld documents that show secret "sweeteners" in the deal with investors that enhance the public contribution to the project, as Kasler and fellow Bee scribe Tony Bizjak write. In a separate piece, Bizjak, Kasler and Ryan Lillis explain the dispute. Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com hears an attorney involved in the suit has already received the sought-after documents (Twitter link).
In his NBA PM piece, HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram outlines the reasons why he thinks the idea that the Lakers would amnesty Kobe Bryant is "ludicrous." I don't think the team will do it, either, though I'm not certain the Lakers are as unwilling to save money as Ingram suggests.
Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune notes Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek's candidacy for coaching jobs with the Bobcats and Sixers, and speculates that the former Suns player could draw interest from Phoenix if the new GM there decides to change coaches.

Sixers To Interview Michael Malone, Jeff Hornacek

May 2nd, 2013 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

As they search for a head coach to replace Doug Collins, the 76ers are expected to begin conducting interviews next week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski reports that the Sixers figure to begin their interview process with two current assistant coaches, Michael Malone (Warriors) and Jeff Hornacek (Jazz).

Besides receiving permission to interview Malone and Hornacek, the Sixers are also eyeing a handful of other candidates, says Wojnarowski. According to the Yahoo! scribe, Philadelphia is "strongly considering" Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and is "closely monitoring" the contract status of Lionel Hollins in Memphis.

We had previously heard that Malone and Shaw were at or near the top of the Sixers' wish list, and that the team has contacted the Pacers about interviewing Shaw, which will likely happen when Indiana's playoff run ends. Wojnarowski adds that the Sixers have been doing extensive research on Malone, and have received "excellent feedback" so far.