John Hammond Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lawrence On Thibs, Irving, Love, Knicks

May 24th, 2014 at 2:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Grizzlies are on a shoestring budget and don’t have the room necessary to bring coach Tom Thibodeau over from the Bulls, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “Do they realize how much that will cost?’” said one Chicago official, when word surfaced that the Grizzlies will look at Thibs if Memphis winds up allowing Dave Joerger to take the Timberwolves’ head coaching position. An Eastern Conference president, factoring in Stan Van Gundy’s $7MM/year deal in Detroit, estimated that it would cost Memphis $8MM per year to have Thibodeau serve as their coach and president. Here’s more from today’s column…

The Cavs are making noises that they aren’t going to offer Kyrie Irving “max money’’ this summer via a long-term extension. They don’t want to deal the 2014 All-Star Game MVP, but it could come to that, especially if the guard and his family continue to tell people that he wants out. Irving hasn’t been a leader in his first three seasons and he’s also gained the unwelcomed reputation as a locker-room problem. “He was just handed too much, too soon,’’ said one source. “You’ve got to make these young guys earn it, and that’s where this team did a bad job with him.’’
The Cavs are not looking for a coach with a strong veteran presence who wants to do things only his way. That probably rules out Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, and Lionel Hollins, although Lawrence is a fan of all three. New GM David Griffin is looking for a college or NBA coach who agrees to accept input and instructions from himself and hands-on owner Dan Gilbert.
The Cavs know they can’t get Kevin Love from the Wolves in a deal for the No. 1 pick. If they keep it, they’re expected to take Kansas big man Joel Embiid, unless the stress fracture in his back injury from last season has the chance to become a long-term issue. Meanwhile, agent Arn Tellem might not make his client’s medical records available to teams with which he doesn’t want Embiid to play.
The Nuggets aren’t going to allow coach Brian Shaw to come to the Knicks if they fail to land Derek Fisher, even if the Knicks offer compensation. “We didn’t hire Brian for a one-year position with our team,’’ Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said. “We see Brian being with us for years to come.’’ If Fisher turns Jackson down, Kurt Rambis is the next in line.
Just because Bucks GM John Hammond and Pelicans exec Dell Demps came to New York for the lottery doesn’t mean that they’re going to be around for the long haul. Lawrence gets the sense that both are on the hot seat.

Eastern Notes: Celtics, Boozer, Del Negro

May 23rd, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Cray Allred

Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes that the Celtics may be better off enduring another year of rebuilding instead of turning in their best assets for a blockbuster acquisition like Kevin Love. Here’s the rest of the night’s notes from Boston and the rest of the Eastern Conference:

NBA GMs see Rajon Rondo among the league’s best when he has his A game, but they’re concerned about his personality and consistency, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, who examines the leaguewide perception of the players on the Celtics roster. One GM is wary of trading for Jeff Green, believing agent David Falk will convince him to opt out if he has a productive season, and the Celtics and other teams noticed the dedication Brandon Bass showed in an otherwise lost season for Boston, Bulpett hears.
The Bulls coaching staff told Taj Gibson to prepare to become a starter next season, sources indicated to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, who suggests it’s further evidence that Carlos Boozer has played his last game for the team.
The Cavs will soon schedule head coaching interviews with Alvin Gentry, Adrian Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, and other candidates, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Gentry and Griffin were known to be strong candidates, but this is the first report verifying Del Negro’s candidacy.
New Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens are taking the reigns in Milwaukee following the draft lottery, telling Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel they will soon start meeting with front office and coaching personnel, whose future with the team is still up in the air. “I think right now we just want to spend time with everybody,” Lasry said. “Then we’ll have more of an understanding.” Head coach Larry Drew and GM John Hammond both have multiple years left on their contracts, but haven’t been assured of staying with the team.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Notes: LeBron, Cavs, Hammond, Pistons

May 21st, 2014 at 4:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs appear to face an uphill battle if they’re to sign LeBron James this summer, but they still intend to try, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who points to the team’s interest in Heat assistant David Fizdale as evidence. Still, Fizdale tells Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel that he’s had no contact with Cleveland and that his only ties to the team were through Mike Brown, whom the team fired last week (Twitter link). Here’s more on Cleveland’s coaching search and the team’s rivals from the Central Division:

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is enamored with Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, though Billups, who’s yet to retire from playing, prefers a future as an NBA GM as opposed to a coach, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Vinny Del Negro, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins and Mark Jackson are more likely candidates for Cleveland’s head coaching vacancy, Boyer believes.
Adrian Griffin seemed like the early favorite for the Cavs coaching job, but it’s unclear whether he’s a high on Cleveland’s list, as Boyer writes in the same piece.
Bucks GM John Hammond will remain with the team at least through the draft, Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens said Tuesday, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel observes. Edens gave no assurances that the GM will last longer than that in spite of Hammond’s contract, which runs for two more seasons, Gardner notes.
The Pistons and Hornets had discussions about a deal during the season that would have allowed Detroit to keep its first-round pick regardless of where it ended up in the order, but they never got serious, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Charlotte wound up with Detroit’s first-rounder for next month when the Pistons fell to ninth in Tuesday’s lottery.
Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson are among the players the Pistons will consider with the 38th overall pick, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (on Twitter).
We rounded up more on the Cavs earlier today.

Lowe’s Latest: Bucks, Knicks, Grizzlies, Pelicans

May 20th, 2014 at 10:17am CST by Chuck Myron

Grantland’s Zach Lowe looks at instability in the executive suite, profiling the NBA’s six most volatile front offices in the wake of yesterday’s shakeup in Memphis. As usual, Lowe’s work is required reading, but we’ll hit some highlights here:

Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens have held preliminary talks about potential replacements for GM John Hammond and assistant GM David Morway, but the more likely outcome appears to be that they stay for at least one more year, Lowe writes.
Former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo is open to once more becoming an NBA GM, Lowe hears, but that’s no surprise, given that he was reportedly a candidate for the Cavs and Pistons front office searches. Lowe mentions him within his look at the Bucks, which is coincidental given an earlier report that linked him to an ownership group looking to buy the franchise when it was for sale. Still, it doesn’t appear as though there’s any particular link between the Bucks and Colangelo at this point.
The Knicks will likely hire someone within the next year to replace Steve Mills as general manager and shunt Mills off into some other role with the organization, according to Lowe.
Some high-level executives on teams around the league hadn’t heard about Grizzlies attorney David Mincberg, who’s reportedly assumed some power in the basketball operations department, Lowe hears.
The job of Memphis GM Chris Wallace, whom the team has restored to a prominent role after the departures of CEO Jason Levien and assistant GM Stu Lash, is safe “until he wants to leave,” Lowe writes.
There have been few reports alleging that GM Dell Demps is on shaky ground to return next year, but people around the league have been curious about whether the team would bring him back for 2014/15, according to Lowe. There have been disagreements between Demps and coach Monty Williams, and the team’s owners favor Williams, Lowe hears. In any case, he’ll probably return, though there will be pressure on him for the team to improve and perhaps make the playoffs next season, Lowe writes.
Louisiana native Joe Dumars is close to executives with the New Orleans Saints, the NFL franchise that Pelicans owner Tom Benson also owns. That would make him a likely candidate for Pelicans GM job should the team decide to oust Demps, Lowe asserts.
Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy says that the team’s ownership will have just as much say as he does in whom they hire as GM, as he tells Lowe.

Lawrence On D’Antoni, Gasol, Calipari, Sterling

May 3rd, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Charlie Adams

Mike D’Antoni walked away from the Lakers due in part because the team is likely to attempt to re-sign Pau Gasol this summer, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. A source tells Lawrence that D’Antoni knew that Gasol and Kobe Bryant didn’t want to play for him, so he made the decision to resign from the team on Wednesday. Let’s have a look at some more interesting notes from Lawrence’s piece:

Kurt Rambis and Byron Scott are two of the most viable candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job, hears Lawrence. We reported on Thursday that both Rambis and Scott are set to interview with the team.
Despite rumored interest, Lawrence says there’s no chance John Calipari will become the next head coach for the Lakers. The team reportedly has “zero interest” in hiring Calipari.
Stan Van Gundy was contacted about taking over the head coaching role for the Pistons, but talks didn’t get far because he wanted some level of control over the team’s personnel decisions, writes Lawrence.
Lawrence hears that once Adam Silver meets with Donald Sterling, Silver is expected to tell Sterling that the league will battle him in court to see that the franchise is sold, no matter the resistance Sterling puts up.
Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston and director of player personnel Mark Warkentien aren’t worried about their jobs, since the duo has contracts with owner Jim Dolan and not the Knicks specifically, says Lawrence. As a result, the pair will be able to retain their positions, even if Phil Jackson doesn’t want them around.
The Cavs and Bucks still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll keep their general managers beyond this season, reveals Lawrence. Both Central Division teams failed to meet preseason expectations and finished well below .500.
It’s likely Mark Jackson will be fired by the Warriors, suggests Lawrence, who adds the coach might have a hard time landing another job with an NBA team because of the perceived dysfunction in Golden State’s organization during his tenure.
The Thunder could potentially see a first-round playoff exit tonight, but Lawrence says Scott Brooks‘ position is safe in Oklahoma City.

Central Notes: Bucks, Monroe, Billups, Pistons

April 17th, 2014 at 8:47pm CST by Alex Lee

Earlier tonight we broke down the bevy of news coming out of Cleveland. Here is what is going on in the rest of the Central Division on Thursday night:

Once the dust settles from the Bucks ownership change, many league insiders expect the new regime to make changes in the front office and on the coaching staff in Milwaukee, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. As Kyler notes, general manager John Hammond and assistant GM David Morway are both under contract for two more seasons. Head coach Larry Drew inked a four-year, $10MM pact last summer.
Soon-to-be restricted free agent Greg Monroe spent what might be his last season with the Pistons keeping his head down and concentrating on his own production, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News.
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggests the Pistons would probably exercise their $2.5MM team option on Chauncey Billups for next season if the 37-year-old elects not to retire, but it seems questionable that the team would commit to that kind of money to him.
Several Pistons players conceded that chemistry issues plagued the team all season, with Brandon Jennings admitting that he never would have agreed to come to Detroit last summer had he known how things would turn out, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. Based on player comments, Mayo infers that veteran Josh Smith, the team’s highest paid player, is one of the reasons for the team’s fractured locker room. In a separate piece, Ellis concurs.

Bucks GM On Season, Antetokounmpo, Drew

January 23rd, 2014 at 10:39pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bucks GM John Hammond participated in a Q&A with the Journal Sentinel and gave his thoughts on the current state of the team. You can find some of his more notable responses below:

On the team’s league-worst record and having to rely on young players:

“We didn’t expect (Carlos Delfino) to potentially be missing the entire season. We didn’t expect Brandon Knight in the very first game, in the first 2 minutes of the game, to go out for an extended period. We didn’t expect (Zaza Pachulia) to have the injuries. We didn’t expect (Ersan Ilyasova) to be hurt. The Larry Sanders issue, Larry being out. We’ve had 10 players, and that leads the league, in games missed. A lot of it has to do with the injury issues.

(Relying on young guys) wasn’t the plan. Sometimes you are forced to change in midstream, so to speak. That’s kind of what happened to us. We’ve put the young players out there. We’re excited about their progress. The most important thing is they continue to improve now as the season progresses.”

On Giannis Antetokounmpo:

“We’re really excited. We talked before the season started that we wanted to expose him (to the league) but not overexpose him. We didn’t want him to lose confidence and have those around him lose confidence in him. Nearing the end of the exhibition season we looked at our stats and realized he was one of our leading scorers, he was one of our leading rebounders. He was our leading shot blocker. He was leading us in free throws attempted. Just little things like that, we started thinking to ourselves, is he even more ready than we realize? Even with that being said, we probably didn’t envision this happening. I know it’s a great opportunity for Giannis and it could be the right thing for our organization. There have been some ups and downs, and they’re probably going to continue. But there’s no greater teacher than actually getting the time on the floor. We feel very good we picked him at 15. I think he’s potentially a keeper piece and a piece you can build with.”

On Larry Drew‘s performance as the head coach so far:

“I think Larry has done the best job he can do in a very difficult situation. When Larry came here as coach, we didn’t hire him and say, “Oh, by the way, we’re going to go through this rebuilding process.” Our hope was to have a competitive team, a playoff team. We made some moves in the off-season and we included Larry in those decisions. Signing Carlos, signing Zaza, signing O.J. Mayo, trading for (Luke Ridnour) and (Caron Butler), you make those moves because you’re trying to put a competitive team on the floor. That was the plan going into the season. It’s easy for me to sit here and talk about changing in midstream but very difficult for the coach when he’s on the floor facing it every night. I think he’s done an excellent job in a very difficult situation.”

On how the situations of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings turned out in addition to dealing for Knight:

“Monta was unrestricted so (leaving) was his decision. Brandon was restricted (free agent). We had a decision to make there, to bring him back, to extend him, to have him come back and play the final year, or try to find an opportunity for ourselves we think could help us. And we made the move with Detroit and acquired Brandon Knight. Brandon has been very good for us. And I’m happy for Brandon Jennings. He’s playing well in Detroit. (Knight) is a man of outstanding character, an extremely hard worker. He’s still a young player, only 22 years old. I think he’s got plenty of time to continue to develop and grow as a player.”

On some veterans recently voicing their frustration and whether or not it’s a cause for concern:

Look, I understand. I understand completely. You have guys nearing the end of their careers and they want to continue to play. You have other guys at the midpoint of their careers and they want to keep their value at a certain level. I hate the fact that some of them are going through that. But we’re not the only team in the league with these sorts of situations. It happens. It is important to have guys who want to be here and understand the process we’re going through. For the most part this season, I think the veterans, even though frustrated, have been supportive through the process.

Hammond On Offseason, Roster, Expectations

October 24th, 2013 at 8:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bucks general manager John Hammond took part in a phone interview with Hoopsworld to talk about what the team had aimed to do during the offseason, shared thoughts on some of their acquisitions, and what he’ll be looking for in 2013/14. You can read a few highlights from the transcript below (Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld):

On their approach during the offseason and changing the team atmosphere:

“Our approach was two-fold; we wanted to stay competitive and yet build with young players as we move forward…One of the most important things is that the young players continue to improve. Guys like Larry Sanders, John Henson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brandon Knight and all of our young players, that at the end of the season they’re better than what they were at the start of the season.”

“One thing we felt like we really needed to do was change the culture, so to speak, and I really feel like we were able to do that…The kind of people we brought in, guys like Zaza Pachulia, Luke Ridnour, Carlos Delfino and, of course, Caron Butler, those guys are great pieces to have on your roster. They’re going to represent the organization well. They’re going to represent the community well. We’re excited about having them. We needed those veteran pieces to kind of help stabilize us, on the floor and off the floor.”

On the sign-and-trade deal with Detroit that brought Brandon Knight to Milwaukee:

“At the end of the day, from a roster standpoint, we felt like it was the right decision for us and we were happy to be able to acquire Brandon…We’ve been very impressed with him. He’s only 21 years old so he’s another very young piece, but he has two years of experience under his belt. He’s another guy who I feel is going to continue to improve and get better. We’re looking forward to having him as a keeper piece in the backcourt.

On Larry Sanders:

“He’s a difference maker on the floor…He’s a difference maker, a game changer, whatever you want to call it because of his defensive presence and his ability to block shots. Any time you can be identified as one of the best in the league at a particular aspect of the game, I think you do have a chance to be a [franchise] player. We’re hoping that Larry can continue to be that. All he has to do is continue to be what he has been – someone who is a rim protector, runs the floor and rebounds on both ends of the floor. And his game is going to continue to grow, I feel very confident about that.”

Taking a chance on Giannis Antentokounmpo:

“We didn’t know exactly how soon he was going to be able to get on floor or how soon we’d be able to play him when we drafted him and going into training camp, we still had no idea…But through training camp and through the exhibition season thus far, I think we do feel confident that we can put him on the floor and that he can play. There’s no greater experience than being on the floor and learning in live action. We’re expecting that to happen for him. As far as what his ceiling his, I really don’t know what his ceiling is. I think he has a chance to be – and I say this in a very guarded manner – he has a chance to be a special player. I do think he has a chance to be a special player in this league.”

The expectations for the upcoming season and thoughts on the draft:

“We hope to continue to improve as the season progresses and hope that our guys play unselfish, play hard every night and represent this organization and community…With that being said, the wins and losses will take care of themselves. We’re planning on winning and hopefully being a very competitive team throughout the season. But for us, as we move forward, we want to continue to build with the young pieces, continue to draft wisely and have good cap management.”

“(2014) seems like a great class, but I’m saying that today before the college season even starts…I’m kind of excited about this draft, but then again we always find out more and learn more throughout the season.”

Central Rumors: Rose, Butler, Bucks, Bulls

September 28th, 2013 at 11:02pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Bulls opened training camp today, and that meant a return to the practice court with a 100 percent healthy Derrick Rose. The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson relayed quotes from coach Tom Thibodeau, Bulls starters Carlos Boozer and others proclaiming the old Rose's return.

Rose was attacking the basket during scrimmages with a ferocity not seen when he was cleared to play in the spring.

“I got confidence in my (surgically repaired left) knee,” Rose told the Tribune. “There’s no testing anymore. It’s going out there and playing hard and attacking.”

“He attacked all day, in fact from the start,” Thibodeau revealed. “He made that clear.” Boozer added that "Pooh" – Rose's nickname – "had it going. It was like old times."

Rose is doing one thing differently from before tearing his ACL at the start of the 2012 Playoffs.

“I’m really taking stretching serious before and after — when I wake up, before I go to sleep. I just try to get my body as loose as possible because when you have ACL tears, your hamstrings will be the first things that go especially when you’re fatigued. Me building that tolerance up on my leg, I think that will help me in the long run.”

Here's more on Rose's return to practice, Jimmy Butler's excellent showing and divisional rivals, the Bucks…

The sentiments expressed by the players and coach in the Tribune's piece on the first practice of the 2013/14 season were echoed by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. Derrick Rose is back attacking the rim, and despite some hard fouls was fine with the contact.
Rose also offered some insight into his decision not to come back for the playoffs last season after being cleared to play. "I knew I wasn’t ready to take on a double team in the playoffs, so I had to make the decision not to come back," Rose said.
Another player who impressed coach Tom Thibodeau at the first day of practice, was 6'7" swingman Jimmy Butler. Thibs told the Tribune's Johnson "[Butler is] an excellent athlete, very explosive, very quick to the ball. That tells you how he sees the game. His reaction to the ball is special. He's very quick, strong, can think ahead, very strong."
The former Marquette player won the starting shooting guard spot last season with Chicago after some blanket defense on the wing, and improved 3-point shooting.
The Sun-Times' Cowley also paid deference to Butler saying that – other than Rose – he got the most attention after the first day of practice.
After the Bucks were again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, GM John Hammond started the offseason ready to make big changes, writes the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Charles F. Gardner.
After hiring a new coach – Larry Drew, formerly of the Hawks – the Bucks traded their point guard Brandon Jennings to the Pistons and let their other guard Monta Ellis leave for the Mavs. Hammond will see what a fresh start can do after the largest roster overhaul in his five years as GM.

Eastern Notes: Stevens, Rondo, Copeland, Tyler

September 5th, 2013 at 8:30pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Kyle Draper of CSNNE.com provided an abridged transcript of his one-on-one interview with Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, touching base on how he plans to adjust to the NBA game and the team's roster. In the 13-minute video of the full interview included in the piece, Stevens admits that he's not sure of a timetable on Rajon Rondo's recovery, still needs to learn more about the players, and offered this interesting answer when asked if the offense will be tailored to Rondo in his absence:

"That a very good question. Because what he may do well may not be as good a fit for somebody else. So, do you play that way? Start that way knowing that when he is going to come back we don't know yet, or do we change midstream?"

With that aside, let's take a look at what else is brewing in the Eastern Conference tonight:

Since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery at the beginning of August, Chris Copeland told reporters that his knee is feeling much better and expects to be ready for Pacers training camp at the end of this month (Michael Pointer of IndyStar.com)
As per the Knicks PR Twitter account, it was announced that forward Jeremy Tyler underwent surgery today to repair a stress fracture in his right foot and is expected to be out for eight to ten weeks (Twitter links). ESPN New York's Ian Begley tweets that according to the timetable, it would sideline the 6'10" big man through at least the first week of the regular season.
Bucks general manager John Hammond made it clear that Caron Butler was acquired to be a starter and have a significant role on the team, notes Jim Hoehn of the Associated Press (hat tip to the Star Tribune). Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter) says that head coach Larry Drew lobbied heavily for the team to acquire Butler for the type of positive impact he'd make on the team's young players.