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Sixers’ Head Coaching Search Primer

August 8th, 2013 at 8:03pm CST by Alex Lee

We asked you earlier today which team in the Eastern conference made the best coaching hire this offseason. Missing from that list was the 76ers, who have mulled over their list of candidates for nearly four months now. There is word that their search will come to an end at some point this week, so while we continue to wait for an announcement from the team, let's round up the latest on all of the names that have been linked to the Philly job throughout the offseason:

Kenny Atkinson, Hawks assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 17. Atkinson, who was with the Knicks last season, is rumored to be in line for a second interview, so he appears to be in the mix.
Brett Brown, Spurs assistant: Interviewed at some point after June 24. Brown is one of the favorites for the job, and is also rumored to have a second interview. Brown was apparently interested in the Celtics' post, but it is unknown if the same can be said for the Sixers' job.
Michael Curry, Sixers assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 10. Curry has long been considered a leading candidate for the job but nothing concrete has surfaced on him since around the time of his interview.
David Fizdale, Heat assistant: Interviewed after July 16, if ever. The Sixers received permission to interview Fizdale, but there's been no word since. He is a longshot at best.
Adrian Griffin, Bulls assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 16. Griffin was rumored to have landed a second interview with Philly, but we heard tonight that he is no longer being considered for the position.
Melvin Hunt, Nuggets assistant: There is no confirmation that Hunt even interviewed with Philly, but multiple reports put him on their radar. It would be a shock if he was still a candidate.
Jay Larranaga, Celtics assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 12. Larranaga did enough to earn a second interview with Philly, but seems to be one of the longshots of that select group. It is worth noting that multiple reports have indicated Larranaga made a strong impression.
Ed Pinckney, Bulls assistant: Interviewed at some point after July 16, but we haven't heard much other than that the meet did, in fact, happen. Pinckney does not appear to be a realistic candidate.
Quin Snyder, Hawks assistant: If Snyder was interviewed, it was at some point after July 17. He does not seem to be in consideration any longer.
David Vanterpool, Blazers assistant: Interviewed on July 29. While no second interview has been confirmed for Vanterpool, he is still being seriously considered according to several reports, and has even recently been tabbed as the frontrunner.

We know that Atkinson, Brown, Griffin and Larranaga either had or will have a second interview with the team, and that Curry, who coached the Sixers summer league squad, is also considered one of the frontrunners. Sam Hinkie has has kept the media in the dark throughout the offseason, so the best anyone can do, reporters included, is guess. My money is on Brown, who was rumored to be the guy on draft night and seems tailor made to work with Hinkie. But again, at this point, it's anyone's guess.

Sixers Eyeing Pinckney, Griffin, Hunt

July 16th, 2013 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The only NBA team still without a head coach, the Sixers have requested and received permission to speak to Bulls assistants Ed Pinckney and Adrian Griffin about the job, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Broussard adds that Sam Hinkie and the 76ers are also eyeing Nuggets assistant Melvin Hunt (Twitter links).

The two Bulls assistants have already drawn interest this summer as head coaching candidates, with Pinckney interviewing for the Grizzlies' opening, while Griffin met with the Pistons about their vacancy. Hunt, meanwhile was viewed as a candidate for the Nuggets job after the team parted ways with George Karl. Multiple reports in June suggested Hunt was on the Sixers' radar.

Despite the fact that it's been nearly three months since the Sixers confirmed Doug Collins wouldn't return as the club's head coach, Philadelphia doesn't seem to have narrowed down its head coaching options to one or two choices. In addition to Pinckney, Griffin, and Hunt, the 76ers also reportedly plan to interview current assistant Michael Curry and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga.

Nuggets Considering Brett Brown As Head Coach

June 24th, 2013 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

After the Nuggets' bid to land Doc Rivers failed, the team will turn its attention to at least five other candidates for their head coaching opening. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports, the latest contender to emerge for the job is Spurs assistant Brett Brown, who met with Nuggets CEO Josh Kroenke and GM Tim Connelly on Sunday. Brown is being considered a "serious candidate" for the position, according to Wojnarowski.

Brown is the fifth potential head coach to receive an interview with the Nuggets. Former Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, ex-Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro, and Nuggets assistant Melvin Hunt have also met with the team about the opening.

One Spurs assistant, Mike Budenholzer, has already landed a head coaching job this offseason, having been hired by the Hawks. With Budenholzer in Atlanta, Brown, who has served as an assistant under Gregg Popovich for seven years, is expected to become the top assistant on Popovich's staff, unless he lands the Nuggets job. Brown also acted as the head coach for the Australian national team at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Eastern Notes: Noel, Sixers, Hunt, Miller, Bucks

June 11th, 2013 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

As the latest rumors and rumblings continue to suggest that Nerlens Noel, long considered the odds-on favorite to be drafted first overall, could slip on draft day, Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports that the Kentucky big man has a meeting lined up on Saturday. Noel is unable to work out for teams while he recovers from his ACL injury, but he'll meet with the Wizards, who have the third overall pick, says Lee. Here are a few more notes out of the Eastern Conference:

John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer echoes a similar report from ESPN.com's Marc Stein, writing that the Sixers have interest in Nuggets assistant Melvin Hunt for their head coaching opening. Philadelphia has yet to officially seek permission to speak to Hunt, who is also said to be in the running for the Denver job, but there has been "some talk through the back channels," a source tells Mitchell.
Mike Miller talked this week about wanting to play a few more seasons in the NBA, but it remains to be seen if he'll remain with the Heat for the duration of his current contract. In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses the possibility of Miami amnestying Miller.
Now that the Sioux Falls Skyforce have entered a one-to-one affiliation with the Heat, the Magic will need a new D-League affiliate, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel explains.
A week ago, Bucks owner Herb Kohl told reporters that bottoming out and undergoing a full-scale rebuild wasn't an option for his team. However, Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel isn't sure the Bucks have another better option.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times believes Chris Andersen would make an ideal free agent target for the Bulls this offseason.

Nuggets May Promote Hunt To Head Coach

June 10th, 2013 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Nuggets will seriously consider promoting assistant Melvin Hunt to head coach, according to John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Hunt is also being considered for the Sixers' coaching vacancy.

We learned last week that Hunt is in the mix for Philadelphia along with David Fizdale, Kelvin Sampson, Chris Finch, and Maurice Cheeks, who is the frontrunner in Detroit. The Denver assistant has had some head coaching attention in the past as he was linked to the Cavs job back in April. He may not have to go house shopping in the Philly area, however, if the Nuggets decide to make him the successor to George Karl.

David Fizdale, Melvin Hunt On Sixers’ Radar

June 7th, 2013 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Maurice Cheeks is said to be the frontrunner for the Pistons' head coaching job, and the openings with the Clippers, Nets, and Nuggets appear to be turning into a game of musical chairs featuring Brian Shaw, Lionel Hollins, George Karl, and others. Since Sam Hinkie was hired in Philadelphia though, we haven't heard a whole lot about the Sixers' head coaching targets.

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), a pair of assistant coaches are on the 76ers' radar: David Fizdale of the Heat and Melvin Hunt of the Nuggets. Fizdale had been mentioned as a candidate for Detroit earlier in the Pistons' process, and actually was said to be on the Sixers' list before Hinkie was hired as well. Hunt, meanwhile, hasn't received any head coaching buzz since he was named as a potential Cavs candidate back in April.

Besides Fizdale and Hunt, Rockets assistants Kelvin Sampson and Chris Finch have also been cited as possible candidates for the Sixers' job, while Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweeted earlier this week that Philadelphia appears to have interest in Grizzlies assistant Dave Joerger.

Grantland's Zach Lowe also noted yesterday that Hinkie has long been an admirer of George Karl's offensive creativity, but Lowe hears from coaching sources that the new GM may prefer to develop a strong relationship with a first-time head coach of his choosing.

Cavs Rumors: Brown, Gilbert, Assistants

April 21st, 2013 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

A majority of Hoops Rumors readers don't believe Phil Jackson will consider coaching the Cavs, even though a source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Jackson would "absolutely" listen if the team called. While the Zen Master is far and away the biggest name associated with the team's search, there are plenty of other candidates, and there's news on several of them this morning:

The team has had informal conversations with former coach Mike Brown about a reunion, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald, who passes along a report from WKYC-TV in Cleveland that Brown and owner Dan Gilbert will meet Sunday.
A source tells Finnan that Brown would be the top choice for the Hawks if they decide to make a coaching change. That's no surprise, given the ties between Brown and Atlanta GM Danny Ferry.
The Cavs aren't expected to discuss the opening with any college coaches, and the hiring process will move swiftly, according to Finnan.
Finnan adds Melvin Hunt of the Nuggets and Michael Curry of the Sixers to the list of assistant coaches who may receive interviews, which already included Michael Malone (Warriors), Brian Shaw (Pacers) and David Fizdale (Heat).
The Cavs will indeed interview Shaw, just as they did when they hired Byron Scott in 2010, reports Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer.
Flip Saunders, Nate McMillan and Avery Johnson have all either directly or indirectly expressed interest in the position, Pluto also writes.
The Cavs have a chance to make an impression on Kyrie Irving with their coaching hire, so that means much is riding on the team's decision, opines fellow Plain Dealer scribe Bud Shaw.

Odds & Ends: Jackson, Wall, Hunt, Sixers

April 18th, 2013 at 11:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are a few more miscellaneous notes to pass along tonight:

With the Nets basketball operations staff on expiring deals, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) wonders if Mikhail Prokhorov is preparing to offer Phil Jackson an offer to run the team and make his own hires.
Wizards guard John Wall tells J. Michael of CSN Washington that he won't be one to recruit free agents, and would rather have players want to join his team.
RealGM's Sham Charania mentions Nuggets assistant coach Melvin Hunt as someone who could draw interest from teams with head coaching vacancies (Twitter link).
Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs outlines a list of potential coaching candidates for the 76ers, mentioning team assistant Aaron Mckie, Villanova coach Jay Wright, Michael Curry (who will be interviewed for the head coaching job), Warriors assistant Mike Malone, and Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer as names that could be considered.
Grantland's Bill Simmons says that when Thunder GM Sam Presti was quietly shopping James Harden last October, he was quickly rebuffed after calling the Raptors to inquire about a deal involving a package centered on Jonas Valanciunas.