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Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies Continue To Talk

June 4th, 2013 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple recent reports have indicated the outlook for Lionel Hollins with the Grizzlies isn't good, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports suggesting over the weekend that Hollins is likely done in Memphis. But as Hollins repeatedly expresses his desire to return to the team he led to the Western Finals, the Grizzlies and their head coach continue to discuss an extension, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required).

Tillery reports that if the Grizzlies make Hollins an offer, it would likely be for a shorter term, rather than for four years. It's also not clear if Memphis will be able to match the financial commitment that other suitors could be willing to make to Hollins. We heard yesterday that the Nets have requested permission to speak to Hollins, and that the coach's representatives have reached out to the Clippers, who have some interest.

While the Clippers have been fairly stingy on coaching contracts in recent years, their willingness to target bigger names this offseason could signal an inclination to spend more. As for Brooklyn, money is likely no object to owner Mikhail Prokhorov, so if the Nets wanted to make a run at Hollins, they'd be difficult to outbid. It sounds like the Nets may be more focused on Brian Shaw, however, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports (via Twitter) that GM Billy King has been doing a lot of background checking on the Pacers assistant.

In spite of Hollins' adamant public stance that he wants to return to the Grizzlies, it would be a surprise if he reached an agreement to remain in Memphis, given the difference in philosophies between Hollins and the club's front office.

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Western Notes: Hollins, Suns, Liggins, Kings

June 4th, 2013 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

After appearing on Memphis radio to express surprise and disappointment at his current situation with the Grizzlies, head coach Lionel Hollins reiterated to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's still holding out hope for a contract extension.

"I hope things can work out and I think things can work out," Hollins said. "I'm happy in Memphis. I've been there for a long time. My kids went to school in Memphis. My son graduated as a doctor in Memphis. My daughter is a grad student at the University of Memphis. I love the city of Memphis and really want to be there. I have no reason to want to leave."

Despite Hollins' comments, Grizzlies management is still upset that the head coach didn't publicly support the Rudy Gay trade, according to Spears. It appears the team and Hollins will end up going their separate ways, with the Grizzlies coach potentially receiving interest from the Clippers and Nets.

Here's more from around the Western Conference:

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Latest On Lionel Hollins

June 3rd, 2013 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that the Grizzlies had given head coach Lionel Hollins permission to speak to other suitors, after talks between Hollins and the team reached an impasse. With Hollins seemingly unlikely to return to Memphis, plenty of this morning's links relate to the futures of the coach and the club. Here are a few of them:

  • Hollins' representatives called the Clippers today to inquire on their coaching vacancy, two NBA execs told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.  Hollins and his agent are waiting for the Clippers’ front office to hear back from owner Donald Sterling before any decisions could be made, one executive said.  Meanwhile, the Clippers' reported interest in Nuggets Coach George Karl appears to be going nowhere, another NBA executive says.

Earlier Updates:

  • Appearing on AM 560 Sports 56 WHBQ in Memphis, Hollins told Peter Edmiston (Twitter link) that he's not really interested in speaking to other teams, and would prefer to work out a fair deal to return to the Grizzlies, unlikely as that seems. The full conversation with Hollins, which featured a number of other interesting comments, can be found under "Featured Audio" on the right-hand sidebar here.
  • Among the other comments made by Hollins, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, was this one, in reference to Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger: "Why would you move a proven coach, who has shown what he can do, to bring in an 'upcoming superstar?' To me, that's ludicrous. … It's puzzling when I hear comments like that."
  • Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer takes an extended look at the Hollins situation, concluding that it appears a divorce between the Grizzlies and their head coach is likely. Herrington also thinks there's a scenario possible in which Hollins isn't an NBA coach next season.
  • The reason Hollins' time in Memphis appears over is because of a difference in philosophy between Hollins and management, rather than the coach's increasing price tag, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
  • The way Hollins needled the front office throughout the year made it virtually impossible for the Grizzlies to bring him back, according to Tom Ziller of SBNation.com, who thinks team management will be unfairly blamed if the team doesn't return to the Western Finals next year without Hollins.
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Coaching Rumors: Karl, JVG, Clips, Hollins, Nets

June 3rd, 2013 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After we heard yesterday that there are some question marks surrounding George Karl's future in Denver, TNT's David Aldridge echoes that report, writing that the head coach is "antsy" about his current situation. According to Aldridge, the Nuggets don't plan to exercise the 2014/15 option on Karl's contract, which means he'll be on an expiring contract in '13/14.

"They want to play it out and see where they're at," one league source tells Aldridge. "And they're not going to budge on that."

As Aldridge notes, the Nuggets don't appear to actively be seeking a replacement for Karl, but if he wants to leave for a more lucrative opportunity when his current deal runs out, the team may not be inclined to stop him.

Here are a few more of the latest coaching-related rumblings from around the league:

  • Jeff Van Gundy and the Clippers talked multiple times about the team's head coaching job, but discussions are now dormant, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Van Gundy was reportedly at or near the top of L.A.'s wish list, but it doesn't sound as if he's a serious candidate at this point.
  • Two of the Nets' top coaching targets may become available for interviews within the next few days, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes, pointing to Lionel Hollins and Brian Shaw. In fact, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), the Nets formally requested permission today to interview Hollins.
  • The newly-retired Jason Kidd has interest in coaching, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
  • Vitaly Potapenko, who was a Cavaliers lottery pick way back in 1996, will return to Cleveland as an assistant coach to Mike Brown, tweets Wojnarowski.
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Grizzlies OK Lionel Hollins To Speak With Teams

June 2nd, 2013 at 5:09pm CST by Zachary Links

5:09pm: Hollins is likely done as the coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, league sources tell Wojnarowski.  After several days of talks between the two sides, they were unable to seriously consider terms of a contract because of hurdles that they couldn't clear with how new management wants the coach to fit into the franchise's belief systems, sources said.  Reading between the lines, there would appear to be a divide between Hollins and the stats-oriented members of the Grizzlies front office such as John Hollinger.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are eyeing Memphis assistant Dave Joerger as a possible replacement. Grizzlies management is expected to meet soon with Joerger to discuss the situation while Hollins tests his market value.

2:38pm: The Grizzlies have granted permission to coach Lionel Hollins to discuss openings with other clubs, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).  Talks between the two sides have been ongoing for several days but stalled over the weekend, Wojnarowski hears.  Hollins figures to be in-demand as several clubs still have coaching vacancies, even after last week's flurry of hirings.

One recent report pegged Hollins as the favorite in Brooklyn, though that might not be the case.  Neither the Nets nor the Clippers have made headway with the coach as of last week, but today's news could put things into high gear.  Hollins didn't expect to get permission from Grizzlies brass to talk to other teams before his contract expiration on June 30th, but he'll get a jump on the coaching carousel a few weeks sooner.

Hollins owns a career 214-201 coaching record, counting his 1999/00 season at the helm in Vancouver and four game interim stretch with the Grizzlies in in 2004/05.

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Coaching Rumors: Clippers, Shaw, Nets, Hollins

May 31st, 2013 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Although there are still a handful of NBA head coaching jobs available, the openings in Brooklyn and Los Angeles stand out, based on the regular-season success the Nets and Clippers had this past season. Neither team appears to have made significant progress in its search so far, but that could change soon. Here's the latest on the Nets' and Clippers' respective searches:

  • The Clippers have reached out to Brian Shaw and Jeff Van Gundy, who are reportedly atop the team's wish list, and both men appear to have interest in the job, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
  • According to Turner, Alvin Gentry has also been in touch with the Clippers and expressed interest in the job. Jerry Sloan's representatives called the Clips as well, but he has since "backed away" from pursuing the opening, says Turner.
  • All the Clippers' discussions so far have been preliminary, with no formal interviews set up yet, writes Turner.
  • Neither the Clippers or Nets seem to be making any headway with Lionel Hollins. Turner reports that L.A. has yet to speak to the Grizzlies coach, while Fred Kerber of the New York Post says Hollins isn't necessarily the odds-on favorite for Brooklyn.
  • The Nets aren't among the teams who have called the Pacers about Shaw, according to Kerber, who hears from a source that Brooklyn may be inclined to favor a candidate with previous head coaching experience. "I think they have high regard for [Shaw]," the source said. "But with that roster and owner, my gut says they would want an established guy."
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Odds & Ends: Jackson, Drew, Allen, Hollins

May 30th, 2013 at 7:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Although Phil Jackson recently criticized Mike D'Antoni and seemed skeptical about the thought of Dwight Howard wanting to re-sign with the Lakers, the eleven-time NBA champion coach appeared to backtrack on those comments during an appearance on the Willard and Thompson Show on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles (Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News). Also, Jackson reiterated that he has no plans of coaching again and explained how he's still somewhat connected with his former team: "I’m playing a role regardless whether I’m hired and on the staff and part of the payroll, I’m here to be a sounding board and personal companion to my fiance, who’s the chief operating officer I guess you would say of the Lakers. As they ferry their way through these contract problems they have and the whole mess they have right now in the organization, I’m listening. There’s not a whole lot I’m doing. But my role right now is to be attentive and supportive.”

Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes:

  • The Pistons and former Hawks coach Larry Drew appear to have some mutual interest in an interview for Drew, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Drew is believed to be one of two finalists for the Bucks' coaching opening, along with Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson. 
  • Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets that Heat guard Ray Allen hasn't thought about whether or not he'll pick up his $3.23MM player option this summer.
  • Marc J. Spears of Yahoo tweets that the Nets, Clippers, and Bucks have not contacted the Grizzlies for permission to talk to Lionel Hollins as of yet. Coincidentally, we relayed a report yesterday which indicated that the 59-year-old coach doesn't expect to be granted permission to speak with other teams before his contract expires on June 30.
  • In light of the rumblings that the Nuggets might not match the Raptors' five-year, $15MM offer to Masai Ujiri, SBNation’s Tom Ziller makes the argument that coaches and general managers should be paid more.
  • Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com reviews Gerald Wallace’s season in Brooklyn. Just over a month ago, Wallace had alarmingly admitted that he didn’t “have a clue” as to what his role on the team was, but as of today the veteran forward seemed to be encouraged about what his future holds with the Nets: "All in all I think this was kind of a down year for me, but I feel comfortable and excited about the way I finished the season," Wallace says."I'm going into the summer knowing the things I can do to get better."
  • Marcus Thompson of Mercury News reported that Warriors big man David Lee had surgery to repair a torn right hip flexor today and is expected to begin rehab within the next two weeks.
  • According to Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post, Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari had a slight setback in rehab and won't have surgery on his ACL for another two weeks. Consequently, an expected return date of January 1 has now changed to late January or February. 
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Western Notes: Hollins, Jackson, Kings

May 29th, 2013 at 10:11pm CST by Michael Pina

A look at a few notes from around the NBA's Western Conference.

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Coaching Rumors: Pistons, Hollins, Kings, 76ers

May 29th, 2013 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of the NBA's head coaching vacancies have been filled this week, with the Suns, Bobcats, and Hawks all deciding on new head coaches. Still, plenty of jobs remain open, including higher-profile positions in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Let's round up the latest rumblings on the Association's coaching carousel….

  • Sam Amick of USA Today follows up on his earlier report (linked below), tweeting that the reason the Kings may move quickly to hire Malone is a fear he'll be gone if they wait. Malone is expected to interview with the Clippers soon, according to Amick (via Twitter). Amick adds that the Kings have yet to contact Chris Mullin about the team's GM position.

Earlier updates:

  • The Pistons have interviewed Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin for their head coaching opening, reports CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes. While Nate McMillan and Maurice Cheeks are viewed as the favorites in Detroit, Griffin's extensive phone interview with GM Joe Dumars was "impressive," a source tells Haynes. The Bulls assistant also interviewed for the Suns job before Phoenix hired Jeff Hornacek.
  • Although the Nets are among the teams hoping to speak to Lionel Hollins, the Grizzlies coach told reporters, including Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, that he's not sure Memphis will grant rival suitors permission to talk to him before his contract expires on June 30th.
  • Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group backs up Peter Vecsey's report that Michael Malone appears likely to be hired as the Kings' next head coach. Sam Amick of USA Today is hearing the same thing, noting that the team could bring Malone aboard before hiring a general manager, which would be an unorthodox approach.
  • Amick also passes along an update on the Kings' search for a new head of basketball operations, reporting that the team has interviewed Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk and will likely interview Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace later this week. The Thunder denied Sacramento permission to speak to OKC's assistant GM Troy Weaver, while Spurs GM R.C. Buford isn't expected to have interest in the Kings job, according to Amick.
  • The 76ers continue to move slowly in their coaching search, and have yet to formally interview a candidate for the job, says John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Odds & Ends: Aldridge, Howard, Mavs, Hollins

May 28th, 2013 at 10:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge sat down with Leo Sepkowitz of Slam Online for a wide-ranging Q&A session earlier this week.  Seven years after the 2006 draft, Aldridge has proven to be the only player taken in the top five that didn't fall short of expectations.  Does the 27-year-old hold a grudge against the Bulls for passing him up?  "I used to, but I don’t think I do anymore. I think someone named a stat that I average more points and rebounds against them and Dallas than anyone else. So people say that whenever I play them I have something to prove, but I don’t think I do anymore. But if the stats say I do, then I guess I do."  Here's more from around the Association..

  • Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com is stacking up the Mavericks, Lakers, and Rockets in different facets as they pursue Dwight Howard.  Today, MacMahon weighs the allure of playing alongside Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki vs. James Harden.  With age being a key factor, MacMahon gives the edge to Houston and Harden.
  • Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (on Twitter) believes the process is too far down the line for the Pistons to bring Lionel Hollins in for an interview.  Hollins hopes to remain with the Grizzlies but a number of other teams are said to be interested in him.
  • Kansas center Jeff Withey is set to workout for the T'Wolves on June 13th, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter).  Our own Chuck Myron profiled Withey who recently worked out for the Celtics.  Minnesota's only pick in the draft is at No. 9, which means that they'll have to find their way into the mid-to-late portion of the first round to make the KU product a possibility.
  • Scouts representing the Celtics, Mavs, Thunder, and Grizzlies were in Varese, Italy to watch the game between Cimberio and Montepaschi, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter).
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