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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.

Byron Scott Takes Lead For Lakers Coaching Job

June 24th, 2014 at 8:08am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 8:08am: Scott and Kobe Bryant have been engaging in conversations on “coach/player terms,” while Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Michael Cooper, a few of Scott’s former Lakers teammates, are pushing the Buss family to hire him, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

MONDAY, 12:41pm: Byron Scott has become the front-runner in the race for the Lakers head coaching job, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Shelburne also identifies Lionel Hollins, Mike Dunleavy and Alvin Gentry as serious candidates. The inclusion of Gentry on that list is curious, since he’s agreed to leave his job as a Clippers assistant coach for an assistant’s job with the Warriors.

Scott has interviewed three times for the position, according to Shelburne. The Lakers have had at least one interview with Hollins, Dunleavy and Gentry, too, and they’ve also spoken with Kurt Rambis, whom Howard Beck of Bleacher Report listed as one of three favorites for the job about two weeks ago.

The 53-year-old Scott took this past season off from coaching after the Cavs fired him last year. It was the first time since the Nets hired him in 2000 that he hasn’t spent at least part of the season as the head coach of an NBA team. He’s 416-521 overall with the Nets, Pelicans (then Hornets) and Cavs, but he was the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2008 with New Orleans.

The Lakers are the only team without a head coach at this point, and while they appear poised to go through the draft and the start of free agency without one, they like the idea of waiting to see what potential signees are looking for in a coach, Shelburne tweets. Scott and the others still in the mix aren’t necessarily the only ones who’ll get consideration for the job as the Lakers remain open to other candidates, Shelburne adds (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Draft, Spurs, Hornets, Hollins, Wolves

June 17th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jarnell Stokes‘ representatives are excited about his performance against Adreian Payne in a workout for the Raptors today, with auditions for the Spurs and Clippers still to come, as Zach Links of Hoops Rumors reports (Twitter links). Zach also hears that Rodney Hood has rescheduled workouts with the Wolves and Kings this week after withdrawing from earlier auditions for the teams (Twitter link). Justin Jackson showed off twice for the Hornets last week, with the Hawks, Heat and Suns on his upcoming workout agenda, Zach also tweets. Here’s more from around the league:

A Western Conference executive who spoke with Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News suggests that teams will be wary of the poor performance that soon-to-be free agent Boris Diaw turned in for Charlotte preceding his tenure with the Spurs. Monroe also hears doubt from an exec about Patty Mills‘ ability to succeed outside of San Antonio.
The Hornets are interviewing Blazers director of college scouting Chad Buchanan for their assistant GM post, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The assistant GM will serve under GM Rich Cho, who gained full control of the front office when president of basketball operations Rod Higgins resigned last week.
The Rockets are aggressively seeking Lionel Hollins to serve as an assistant coach even though they know it will be difficult to land him as he seeks head coaching jobs, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Hollins has interviewed to become the head man for the Cavs and Lakers.
The Timberwolves named Sam Mitchell an assistant coach today, the team announced (on Twitter). Mitchell interviewed for the head coaching job and was reportedly a favorite of owner Glen Taylor.

Latest On Cavs Coaching Search

June 7th, 2014 at 2:01pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Cavs hope to have a head coach in place before draft day, reports Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer. Cleveland has met with a several candidates, including coaching veterans Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, and Alvin Gentry, as well as two candidates without any head coaching experience in Adrian Griffin and Tyronn Lue.

Pluto throws cold water on reports indicating Lue and Griffin impressed management during their interviews, suggesting that such narrative is likely originating from each candidate’s respective circle of friends, family, agents, etc. in an attempt to make the candidate appear worthy of serious consideration to other potential suitors. The Knicks and Lakers are also actively searching for a coach.

While Pluto doesn’t completely rule out the notion of the Cavs hiring a rookie head coach, he thinks the pressure being placed on GM David Griffin to make the playoffs next season will lead the team to hire a candidate who has experience in a leading role. This morning we learned that the Cavs will bring in Gentry for another interview, and Pluto hears Del Negro, Hollins, and “some others” will meet with owner Dan Gilbert in the near future as well.

And-Ones: CBA, LeBron, Thompson, Anthony

May 31st, 2014 at 1:48pm CST by Cray Allred

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel expects the $2 billion sale of the Clippers to have far-reaching effects on the next round of collective bargaining between the NBA and the players’ union. While the league has negotiated without recognizing appreciation values of franchises, the Clippers selling for so much will take away that luxury. Winderman anticipates the National Basketball Players Association will terminate the current CBA at its first opportunity in 2017, and thinks the players can and should fight to do away with maximum salary limitations for themselves. Here’s more from around the league:

Winderman specifically looks to LeBron James as a player that could make immediate decisions based on the altered landscape following the Clippers sale. The Sun Sentinel scribe wouldn’t be surprised if James decides against opting out of his contract with the Heat in the coming seasons, taking a year-by-year approach until more lucrative contracts could become available.
If Klay Thompson reaches free agency, he could field multiple offers at or near the max, NBA sources tell Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group. If the Warriors and Thompson can’t agree to an extension by the deadline early next season, he will become a restricted free agent in 2015/16.
Joakim Noah hasn’t relented in his “consistent efforts” to recruit Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Johnson says Chicago is sure to “get in the game” to pursue Anthony this summer, even though signing him remains a long shot.
Mark Price has told Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer that he has long been interested in coming to Cleveland as a coach, but multiple Cavs regimes haven’t reciprocated the interest. Price played for Cleveland in nine of his 12 seasons, and is now working as an assistant with the Hornets.
In addition to his candidacy for multiple head coaching jobs, Lionel Hollins is drawing interest as an associate head coach for the Warriors and Rockets, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Wolves Coaching Rumors: Skiles, Hollins, Karl

May 29th, 2014 at 9:17am CST by Chuck Myron

It’s been more than a month since Rick Adelman retired from coaching the Wolves, and while a week ago it seemed they had his replacement lined up, Dave Joerger pulled a 180 and returned to the Grizzlies, leaving Minnesota still on the lookout. Darren Wolfson and Nate Sandell of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities break down the chances of several of the candidates who’ve been identified so far. We’ll pass along a few highlights from the piece here:

Scott Skiles spoke with Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders, but Skiles’ agent hasn’t talked to the team yet, Wolfson and Sandell write. That offers an explanation for conflicting reports about an interview for the former Suns, Bulls and Bucks coach.
Lionel Hollins is unlikely to fill the job, according to Wolfson and Sandell, who cast his recent interview with the team as merely an informal discussion between him and Saunders.
The Wolves want a coach who’ll be around for a while, Wolfson and Sandell say, suggesting that’s one reason why the team hasn’t made contact with 63-year-old George Karl.
There’s likely a “mystery candidate” who’s yet to be reported in connection to the Wolves, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities believes (Twitter link),

Wolves Notes: Hollins, Love, Karl, Draft

May 28th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Lionel Hollins would be willing to take the Wolves head coaching job, which he interviewed for two weeks ago, regardless of whether the team is able to keep Kevin Love, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Zgoda also hears from George Karl, who expresses interest in the gig but says he’s had no contact with Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders. There’s more from Zgoda’s piece among the latest updates from Minnesota:

Zgoda reiterates a report from earlier this month by Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com indicating that Scott Skiles has interviewed for the Wolves job, but Skiles’ agent, Keith Glass, has denied contact with the team.
The Wolves might be down to their ninth option in their coaching search, so it would behoove owner Glen Taylor to allow Saunders to coach next season rather than commit to a long-term deal with someone the team considers a fallback, argues fellow Star Tribune scribe Jim Souhan.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities adds Chane Behanan, Langston Hall, Austin Hollins, Mike Moser and Chaz Williams to the list of draft prospects scheduled to work out for the Wolves (Twitter link).
The Kings would probably need to find additional teams to participate in a trade that would bring Love to Sacramento, since Minnesota is probably uninterested in the assets the Kings would make available, opines Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
The Suns are also in the running for Love, but they, too, face an uphill battle, as Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic concludes.

Lakers To Interview Lionel Hollins

May 27th, 2014 at 5:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

TUESDAY, 5:35pm: Hollins’ interview with L.A. is scheduled for this Thursday, and he will also interview with the Cavs sometime next week, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News.

SUNDAY, 12:38pm: Lionel Hollins has emerged as a candidate for the Lakers vacant head coaching position, and team management plans to interview Hollins later this week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The team has already interviewed Mike Dunleavy and Byron Scott for the opening left by the resignation of former coach Mike D’Antoni. This will make Hollins the first candidate to sit down with the team who doesn’t have a history with the organization, notes Wojnarowski.

Hollins has coached in parts of seven seasons, all with the Grizzlies, and has a career coaching record of 214-201 in 415 total games. In his final season with Memphis in 2013, Hollins won 56 games and lost in the Western Conference finals to the Spurs. Hollins’ career postseason record is 18-17.

One thing that sets Hollins apart from many of the other candidates being mentioned for the Lakers position is that Hollins is primarily a defensive-minded coach, which is in stark contrast to the “showtime” basketball the Lakers have been known for throughout the years. The team might be banking on Hollins’ serious-minded leadership style appealing to Kobe Bryant, writes Wojnarowski.

Jazz, Cavs Plan Interviews With Gentry, Griffin

May 26th, 2014 at 5:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 5:20pm: The Cavaliers have scheduled an interview with Adrian Griffin for Tuesday, reports Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal (hat tip to Sam Amick of USA Today). GM David Griffin will also be meeting with Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, Gentry, and Tyronn Lue later this week, the article notes.

SUNDAY, 9:40am: Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that Gentry had interviewed with the Cavaliers and the Jazz earlier this month for their vacant head coaching positions.

THURSDAY, 7:41am: The Cavs have asked the Clippers for permission to interview Gentry, the Plain Dealer reports (Twitter link). I’d be surprised if it wasn’t granted, since it appears as though L.A. gave Utah the green light.

WEDNESDAY, 4:37pm: The Jazz are expected to interview Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Cavs have made contact with Gentry, too, but they haven’t arranged for an interview, according to Spears. Utah has completed an interview with Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin after receiving permission from Chicago to speak with him last week, Spears adds.

Gentry hadn’t been among the candidates formally linked to Utah, which is planning an extensive search and more than 20 interviews. Lionel Hollins, John Stockton, Jim Boylen, Ettore Messina, Brad Jones and Quin Snyder are other names in the mix. The Jazz are reportedly unlikely to hire someone with NBA head coaching experience, which perhaps makes Gentry a darkhorse, given that he spent parts of 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns.

The Cavs appear to have Gentry high on their list, and he worked with Cavs GM David Griffin in Phoenix, as Spears points out. The Warriors and Kings have interest in Gentry as an assistant coach, according to Spears, who notes that Gentry remains under contract with the Clippers.

Fallout From Grizzlies, Joerger Reconciliation

May 26th, 2014 at 9:10am CST by Chuck Myron

Robert Pera challenged Tony Allen to a game of one-on-one before last season, and when Dave Joerger expressed misgivings about such an event, owner Robert Pera blamed him, rather than Allen, whose indifference was the main reason the game never happened. Chris Mannix of SI.com passes along that detail along with others in his peek inside the rollercoaster relationship between Pera and the coach that appears hunky dory now. Yet after the Allen-Pera showdown failed to come off, Pera wanted to fire the coach, Mannix writes. Pera’s unconventional ideas included using Mike Miller as a player-coach, which would be impossible under the collective bargaining agreement. He also insisted on more minutes for Ed Davis, and when Davis only played a single minute in an early season game, Pera again wanted Joerger gone. Only when told it would be unseemly to fire a coach so early into his tenure did he back off, according to Mannix. Here’s more from a strange situation in Memphis and Minnesota:

There was some confusion last week over whether Lionel Hollins has interviewed for the Wolves head coaching job, but according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, he’s done so. Zgoda also confirms that Sam Mitchell, a favorite of owner Glen Taylor, has interviewed with Minnesota, too.
The Grizzlies likely would have asked to swap first-round picks, perhaps attached to additional draft compensation, according to Zgoda, but the Wolves were reluctant to give up even a future second-rounder, as Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com write. That’s because the Wolves believed the Grizzlies would fire Joerger rather than keep him, allowing Minnesota to scoop him up without relinquishing any compensation.
Pera, on Twitter, said that he never spoke with the Wolves about compensation for Joerger, and Pera and Joerger appear nonetheless sincere when they say they’re in it for the long haul together, tweets Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal. Pera “improved” Joerger’s contract this weekend, Zgoda writes.
The Grizzlies owner vowed on Twitter to spend to upgrade the team. “I will open up the checkbook and do whatever it takes to bring us closer to a championship organization,” Pera tweeted.
Pera also said the team has begun the hunt for a new head of basketball operations, as Stein and Shelburne note, and he added that he wants interim GM Chris Wallace in the organization in some capacity, whether he keeps his GM role or not.