Jerry Sloan Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Bobcats’ Coaching Search

May 24th, 2012 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Bobcats may have set an NBA record for futility in 2011/12, but they also feature one of just two head coach openings in the league, so candidates continue to interview for the job. Here are today's updates on the team's search, with any new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:

Jerry Sloan will interview with the Bobcats this week, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. It was reported yesterday that owner Michael Jordan would meet with Sloan, so it's unclear if Jordan is conducting the interview or if other members of the Bobcats' brass will be involved.
The Bobcats have received permission from the Lakers to speak with assistant Quin Snyder, says Broussard.
Charlotte has also been granted permission by the Pacers to speak with Brian Shaw, but as we heard yesterday, his interview won't happen until Indiana's season ends — which could happen as soon as tonight.
We also heard last night that the Bobcats plan to reach out to Stan Van Gundy.

Coaching Rumors: Sloan, Bobcats, Shaw, Skiles

May 23rd, 2012 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

It was a busy day for coaching rumors and speculation on Tuesday, as our morning round of updates was trumped by afternoon news that Jerry Sloan is interested in both current head coach vacancies. Last night, when we asked about Sloan's future, over 70% of poll respondents predicted the former Jazz coach would either land the Magic job or stay retired. Here's the latest on Sloan and a few other coaches, past, present, and perhaps future:

Sloan told Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune that he has been in contact with Bobcats owner Michael Jordan and could meet with him as early as this week.
Lang Greene of HoopsWorld says that if Sloan can truly stomach the massive rebuild facing the Bobcats, the team should give him a long, hard look.
Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is drawing interest from both the Bobcats and Magic, but he tells Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star that he's still focused on the playoffs for now. "I'm just waiting until I'm done," Shaw said. "I don't want to be a distraction. Right now, the last thing I would want to do is take away from what we're trying to accomplish here."
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times is surprised that Scott Skiles is coming back as coach of the Bucks. According to Woelfel, people close to Skiles "insist he would crawl to Orlando" if it meant landing the Magic job.

Poll: Jerry Sloan’s Future

May 22nd, 2012 at 8:21pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier today, it was reported that Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan is interested in the vacancies of the Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic. Sloan last appeared in the NBA as head coach of the Utah Jazz, before resigning partway through the 2010/11 season. Do you think he will take either of these jobs? Or will he coach elsewhere? Will he stay retired? Weigh in below.

Jerry Sloan Interested In Coaching Magic, Bobcats

May 22nd, 2012 at 3:29pm CST by Luke Adams

As I noted this morning when I rounded up a few coaching rumors, the Magic and Bobcats are currently the only two NBA teams searching for a new head coach. While more desirable positions may open up in the next few weeks, former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan expressed his interest in the two current openings to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.

Sloan told Tomasson that the job in Orlando would be "very intriguing" and that the Bobcats' opening interests him as well, since "it's not always about starting at the top." However, he acknowledged that neither team has contacted him. For the Magic, who only let go of Stan Van Gundy about 24 hours ago, that's hardly a surprise, but the Bobcats have been conducting interviews for weeks — I wonder if they've decided to go in a different direction or simply weren't aware of Sloan's interest.

When Sloan left the Jazz last season, he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to coach again, but his desire to return to an NBA bench has resurfaced over time.

"I felt like I needed to get away from basketball," Sloan said. "I worked (26) years (as a head coach). It was time for me to move on and see what was going in the world. That’s been kind of interesting. But I still have that void of basketball."

Whether it's the Magic, the Bobcats, or another team that inquires on Sloan at some point this summer, he intends to keep an open mind.

"I don’t have an agent," Sloan said. "I don’t need for anybody to talk for me. If somebody calls me, I will listen."

Odds & Ends: Curry, Beal, Kidd-Gilchrist, Sloan

May 5th, 2012 at 6:03pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Warriors guard Stephen Curry had shown to be one of the league's most promising young talents after two years into his NBA career, but was limited by lingering ankle injuries during his third season. Rusty Simmons of SFGate reports that the former Davidson star views his recent ankle surgery as a relief and that he fully expects to be ready for training camp in October. Curry, who feels that backup power forward and depth are the team's biggest needs, also wants to be more involved with Golden State's draft process and plans to attend prospect workouts over the next two months (Sulia link). Here are the other significant links we've gathered up this evening:

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweeted that Bradley Beal from Florida has signed with Mark Bartelstein and Priority Sports. Beal is projected to be a top five pick in next month's NBA Draft.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist announced via his Twitter account that he has signed with Creative Artists Agency.
Following a season that likely included an innumerable amount of facepalms compared to high-fives, the Bobcats are now focused on adding a new head coach after recently parting ways with Paul Silas. Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News hears that Charlotte might try to pursue Jerry Sloan as a possible replacement, citing GM Rich Cho and Michael Jordan's admiration for the former Jazz coach. He also mentions that Sloan turned down six head coaching offers last season (among them Golden State and Detroit), which would imply that it will take a compelling proposal to convince him to join the league's biggest re-building project.
Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas briefly touches base on the possibility of Rick Carlisle becoming a free agent this summer. Carlisle is finishing up his last year of a four-year contract, and despite president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson continually saying that the Mavericks coach isn't going anywhere, there has been no mention of talks regarding a new deal. Owner Mark Cuban declined to elaborate on the situation today, saying that he "doesn't talk about free agent coaches or otherwise." In a separate article by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, Cuban insists that he does not regret letting Tyson Chandler leave because of the financial flexibility he was able to preserve.
David West has been one of the NBA's most significant free agent acquisitions from last year's offseason, helping the Pacers secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld discusses how West's presence has benefited the culture and confidence of the team.
Despite a second straight lottery season for the Cavaliers, owner Dan Gilbert remains a popular figure in Cleveland, writes Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston. With such a close connection to the team's fan base, Livingston sees Gilbert as a more wealthy, modern-day version of legendary baseball owner Bill Veeck.