Mark Daigneault Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Daigneault, Nuggets, Blazers, Holiday, Jazz

November 15th, 2020 at 9:01pm CST by JD Shaw

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault took a rather unique path toward his new position, starting out as a manager at UConn several years ago, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes.

“I’ve been with people that have definitely seen potential in me and definitely believe in me,” Daigneault said, “but they’ve given me these opportunities well before I’ve earned them. They’ve invested rather than rewarded.”

Oklahoma City promoted Daigneault, 35, as the franchise’s new coach this month, making him the second-youngest head coach in the league besides Minnesota’s Ryan Saunders. He first joined the organization in 2014 as head coach of the team’s G League affiliate.

“When Sam called me and offered me the job the other day,” Daigneault said, “I was just so overwhelmed thinking about all the people that have had their fingerprints on my life and career.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division tonight:

Mike Singer of the Denver Post explores the Nuggets‘ thinking ahead of the draft, with team president Tim Connelly offering his own perspective on the upcoming event. “Collectively teams are probably less certain what might be happening around them, what other teams are thinking, because we’ve lacked those avenues to get together and talk about what this team’s doing, that team’s doing,” Connelly said. “It should make for a fun night. There’s some clarity on the very top of the draft, and then after that, it’ll largely be a free-for-all.”
The Trail Blazers have expressed interest in Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor (Twitter link). O’Connor added that a potential trade between the teams remains unlikely, however, citing Portland’s lack of potential assets to include in an offer.
Sarah Todd of the Deseret News examines five prospects the Jazz should consider in Wednesday’s NBA draft. Utah owns the No. 23 pick this year, which could be used on a player such as Tyler Bey (Colorado) or Robert Woodard II (Mississippi State).

Thunder Promote Mark Daigneault To Head Coach

November 11th, 2020 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

9:53am: The Thunder have made it official, announcing in a press release that Daigneault is the team’s new head coach.

“We are thrilled to have Mark assume the role of head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder,” Presti said in a statement. “He has been a selfless and effective leader within our organization since his arrival in 2014. Mark is a values based leader, continuous learner, and someone that will help us continue the repositioning of our organization on and off the court.

“The amount of head coaching experience and diverse experiences through his tenure with the Blue is rare for someone his age. He has also shown the ability to empower both the players and staff he works with, and we are confident that he will help us continue to modernize our approach as an organization in a constantly evolving industry.”

9:07am: The Thunder are promoting assistant coach Mark Daigneault to fill their head coaching vacancy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Daigneault, who worked under Billy Donovan at the University of Florida from 2010-14, was hired in 2014 as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate. He held that role for the next five years before reuniting with Donovan in OKC in 2019, becoming an assistant on the Thunder’s coaching staff.

During his five years with the OKC Blue, Daigneault posted a 143-107 (.572) record, including a 96-54 (.640) mark during his final three seasons — the G League squad finished atop the Midwest division in each of those three years.

While a report last week indicated that Daigneault was receiving strong consideration for the Thunder’s head coaching job, he was still a somewhat under-the-radar candidate, given his age (35) and his limited experience at the NBA level.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that general manager Sam Presti is enthusiastic about Daingeault’s track record within the organization, as well as his ability to connect with players, teach the game, and make short- and long-term adjustments.

Donovan’s departure from the franchise in September was believed to be related to the fact that he didn’t have the appetite for a rebuild, and there are indications that the Thunder will be pivoting in that direction soon. The expectation is that the franchise will probably move on from veterans like trade candidate Chris Paul and free agent forward Danilo Gallinari, while focusing on building around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley, and Luguentz Dort.

The hiring of a first-time head coach like Daigneault is the latest indication that the Thunder may be taking a step back from contention in the next year or two — Daigneault should get the opportunity to grow into the job as the club’s young players develop, without the pressure of having to make the playoffs every year.

Will Hardy, Brian Keefe, Will Weaver, and Charles Lee were among the other candidates rumored to have been in the running for the Oklahoma City job before the team landed on Daigneault. With the Thunder poised to make Daigneault’s promotion official, all nine teams that made head coaching changes this year will have hired replacements, as our tracker shows.

Stein’s Latest: Thunder, Morey, Rose

November 4th, 2020 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

Spurs assistant coach Will Hardy, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, and Oklahoma City assistant Mark Daigneault are among the candidates who have received strong consideration for the Thunder‘s open head coaching position, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.

The only one of nine teams making a head coaching change this year that has yet to finalize a new hire, the Thunder are conducting a lengthy, deliberate search for Billy Donovan‘s replacement. While one of the candidates mentioned above could ultimately land the job, Stein admits that he wouldn’t be shocked if Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti hires someone who has yet to be connected to the vacancy. That would be the “Prestian move,” Stein writes.

With the draft just two weeks away and training camps expected to open next month, it likely won’t be long before we get some clarity on OKC’s search.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein’s latest newsletter for The New York Times:

Industry sources estimate that Daryl Morey‘s salary on his new five-year contract with the Sixers is worth over $10MM per year, according to Stein, who adds that some people insist Morey’s new annual salary may even exceed $12MM. Morey had been planning to take a year off after leaving the Rockets this fall, but such an aggressive offer from Philadelphia would certainly have been a factor in his decision to change course.
Another new head of basketball operations in the Atlantic, Knicks president Leon Rose, is said to have received an annual salary in the $8MM range, writes Stein.
Stein’s newsletter also included a couple Rockets-related notes, which we passed along in an earlier roundup.

Thunder Notes: Paul, Carmelo, Daigneault

October 5th, 2020 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Making an appearance on Sunday night’s broadcast of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Thunder point guard Chris Paul was asked how he feels about spending the “twilight years” of his career with a retooling Oklahoma City team. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN details, Paul expressed no complaints about his time in OKC and seemed to welcome the idea of remaining with the club.

“I just love to hoop,” Paul said. “(Former Thunder coach) Billy Donovan was amazing. My teammates have been amazing. So, for me, you call it twilight years, I call it a blessing. Just being able to compete at a high level at 35 years old, (I’m going to) just keep rolling.”

Trade rumors have swirled around Paul since the day he was sent to OKC in July 2019. Having traded away Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Jerami Grant and stockpiled draft picks, the Thunder were viewed as a strong candidate to go all-in on a rebuild. However, the team ended up keeping Paul and exceeded expectations during the 2019/20 season, compiling a 44-28 record and pushing the Rockets to seven games in the first round of the playoffs.

Paul, who now has just two years left on his pricey contract, figures to become a trade candidate again this offseason. But if the Thunder front office doesn’t find a deal it likes, it sounds like the veteran point guard will be fine with returning to Oklahoma City for at least one more season.

Here’s more on the Thunder:

Like Paul, Carmelo Anthony says he liked playing in Oklahoma City, though he admitted that the Thunder team he was a part of in 2017/18 didn’t outperform its expectations like this year’s group did. “For me personally, I actually really enjoyed my time at OKC. That team, I enjoyed it. Being around those guys, I enjoyed it,” Anthony said during an appearance on J.J. Redick‘s The Old Man and the Three podcast (link via Nick Crain of Forbes). “Granted, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do. The goal was to win with that team. We didn’t do it. We underachieved. … I wish OKC would’ve worked out.”
If the Thunder decide to stay in-house and promote a current assistant to fill their head coaching vacancy, Mark Daigneault would be a prime candidate, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who takes a closer look at the OKC assistant.
In case you missed it last week, Precious Achiuwa, RJ Hampton, Tre Jones, and Tyrell Terry are among the draft-eligible prospects who have met with the Thunder.

Western Notes: Heslip, Marion, Spurs

August 22nd, 2014 at 6:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA season won’t officially start until Tuesday, October 28th, when the Spurs begin their season against the Mavericks. An expert poll over at ESPN.com has picked San Antonio to repeat as NBA champs, with the Cavs coming in second, and the Thunder rounding out the top-three. The Heat were the last franchise to go back-to-back, winning titles in 2012 and 2013, while the Spurs have never accomplished that feat.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Wolves were impressed with undrafted point guard Brady Heslip‘s performance for their summer league team, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Heslip recently changed agents, hiring Bernie Lee, and is attempting to land an NBA training camp invitation, Wolfson adds.
The Thunder have named Mark Daigneault as the new head coach of their D-League team, reports Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. Daigneault spent the last four seasons as an assistant on Billy Donovan‘s staff at Florida, and replaces Darko Rajakivic who accepted a position on Scott Brooks‘ staff with the Thunder. Speaking about the hire, GM Sam Presti said, “Mark has placed a high value on development throughout his career and we feel that he is well aligned with the goals of our organization. His experience at Florida under Coach Donovan has provided him the platform to apply his intelligence and relationship skills to help strengthen the program. We are excited about Mark joining the organization and continuing his professional growth.“
When Shawn Marion left the Mavericks as a free agent this summer to sign with the Cavaliers, he did so knowing that he would come off the bench and play fewer minutes than he had in Dallas, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. In regards to Marion leaving, Mavs owner Mark Cuban said, “It’s different when you’re going back to your same team as supposed to going to a new team. I think there’s a different dynamic and different expectation.” Marion placed the opportunity to contend for a championship above monetary and playing time concerns in making his team selection, notes MacMahon.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.