Michael Malone Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Hire Michael Malone

June 3rd, 2013 at 2:24pm CST by Ryan Raroque

MONDAY, 2:24pm: The Kings have made Malone's hiring official, announcing the move today in a press release.

"Hiring Coach Malone is our first step in giving the best fans in sports the excellence they deserve," Ranadive said as part of a statement.

THURSDAY, 8:48pm: Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Michael Malone has reached an agreement in principle on a four-year deal to coach the Kings. The fourth year deal will be a team option (Twitter links). Sam Amick of USA Today tweets that the deal will be worth more than $9MM if the fourth year option is picked up. Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter) says that the hiring won't be official until the sale of the Kings to the Vivek Ranadive-led investment group is official, adding that the sale is expected to close tomorrow.

This will be Malone's first opportunity as a head coach in the NBA, but it's worth mentioning that he's had plenty of experience in the league since joining then-Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy as a coaching associate in 2001. Malone has also worked as a top assistant for Mike Brown in Cleveland, Monty Williams in New Orleans, and most recently, Mark Jackson in Golden State.

The next presumable step for the Kings is to hire a general manager, and a few days ago we heard that the Spurs President R.C. Buford, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, and Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, and former Pacers GM David Morway figure to be among the team's top targets. Berger tweets that while Malone's hiring comes without a team president in place, no candidate would object to that decision considering that Malone has been highly regarded as one of the league's top assistant coaches.

Wojnarowski reports that Malone is expected to hire his father, longtime NBA assistant Brendan Malone, to join him on his coaching staff. A formal announcement on the younger Malone's hiring is expected on Friday.

Odds & Ends: West, Dwight, Drew, Malone, Spurs

June 2nd, 2013 at 12:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

A few executives from around the league have told Chris Mannix of SI.com that David West is likely to draw offers of three- to four-year deals worth between $11MM and $13MM per season (Twitter link). That's encouraging news for the Pacers, tweets HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram, who says the team was hoping to re-sign him for that sort of money to avoid the luxury tax. Indiana has only about $49MM committed for next season, so the Pacers could afford to pay him plenty more without going into the tax, though doing so could compromise their other offseason goals. Here's more on the offseason plans of others around the NBA:

Dwight Howard offered few hints about his next destination in an interview with T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times, though Howard said he'll prioritize winning and, for what it's worth, referred to his time with Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni in the past tense. "He's a great person and I'm glad we had the opportunity to be together," Howard said.
Lester Conner, who served as Larry Drew's lead assistant with the Hawks, tells Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel what the Bucks can expect from their new head coach. Conner will likely follow Drew to Milwaukee, according to Gardner.
Michael Malone hasn't officially been hired as coach of the Kings, but an agreement with the team is in place, and he spoke with Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee and fellow Bee scribe Ailene Voisin about his background and his plans for the club.
There's plenty of reason for Peter Holt to sell the Spurs, with the franchise value surging, but he has no intention of doing so, even as executive Rick Pych assumes more of Holt's duties, writes Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News.
Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post provides a brief sketch of Pete D'Allesandro, the vice president of basketball operations for the Nuggets who's rumored as a candidate for the team's vacant GM job, as well as a role in the Kings front office.
The Post's Christopher Dempsey runs down the issues surrounding the Nuggets in the wake of Ujiri's departure, including the notion that D'Allesandro could follow Ujiri to the Raptors. He also wonders if the changes could irk coach George Karl, though it appears the team may not be so high on Karl, either.

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Heat, Cuban

June 1st, 2013 at 10:57pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Celtics are at a crossroads and the shrouded future of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are a large reason why. Pierce is only guaranteed $5MM next year if the Celtics waive him before June 30th. But he's owed $15.3MM next year if they decide to make another run with this group, or deal him for assets.

Sources revealed to Jackie MacMullan at ESPNBoston.com yesterday, that Garnett will play next year even if Pierce doesn't come back. But it's likely the aging star would retire if the Celtics blow it up entirely. Garnett still has 2 years and over $24MM left on the 3-year deal he signed last summer.

Then again, anything that's considered "likely" for the Celtics will be "laughed at" because nothing is certain at this point. Plus, trading Pierce and excavating the rest of the Celtics' aging roster will be hard to do with the money still owed Jason Terry, Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee.

Chris Forsberg at ESPNBoston.com attacked the Celtics' offseason plans with a four-pronged approach, and he finally finished with his fourth hypothetical: a complete teardown. Starting over for the C's involves general manager Danny Ainge unloading the rest of the nucleus that won the Celtics a title in 2008, and was just one fourth quarter collapse away from a second in 2010.

Here's what else is happening around the league as the Pacers beat the Heat 91-77 to force a game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night.

Heat owner Micky Arison doesn't care about the summer of 2014 when LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all have early termination options. Arison told the Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman he's only focused on winning a title this year.
The Oklahoman continues their series of 2012/13 Thunder season reviews with beat reporter John Rohde looking at Nick Collison (also: Collison grades & roundtable with Rohde, Tramel and Mayberry).
Rohde also spent most of the night on Twitter answering questions about the Thunder's offseason questions.
Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, spoke with Ben & Skin at KRLD-FM 105.3, and the Dallas Morning News has the highlights of their chat.
Mike Malone will be formally introduced to the media as the Kings' new head coach on Monday.
The Bulls head athletic trainer, Fred Tedeschi, was named the 2012/13 Joe O'Toole NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year.

Kings Sale To Sacramento Group Finalized

May 31st, 2013 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 11:17am: The Maloof family has announced in a press release that escrow has closed on the sale of the Kings, putting Ranadive's group in control of the franchise and arena, tweets Howard Beck of the New York Times. Beck adds in a second tweet that the franchise valuation, according to the Maloofs, was over $534MM, an NBA record.

TUESDAY, 1:36pm: The NBA's Board of Governors has officially and unanimously approved the sale of the Sacramento Kings to a group of investors led by Vivek Ranadive, the league announced today. After the league denied the club's relocation bid and the Maloofs reached a sale agreement with Ranadive's group, approval from the Board of Governors was considered merely a formality.

Now that the sale has been approved, Ranadive and Co. are prepared to officially assume control of the franchise, taking the reins from the Maloof family. A Monday report from Sam Amick of USA Today indicated that the new ownership group had already begun the process of seeking out a new head of basketball operations to replace Geoff Petrie. Spurs president R.C. Buford, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, and former Pacers GM David Morway are among the names expected to be considered.

Meanwhile, with Keith Smart's future as the Kings' head coach uncertain, Peter Vecsey tweets that Warriors assistant Michael Malone is a "living lock" to become the next head coach in Sacramento. Typically, the team president and/or GM have input in the hiring of a coach, so it'd be a little surprising if the Kings decide on Malone before landing on a head of basketball operations, but we'll have to wait and see how that situation plays out.

With the sale of the Kings approved, Ranadive's group assumes control of 65% of the franchise, having paid an NBA-record valuation of $535MM.

Cousins A “Goner” In Sacramento?

May 30th, 2013 at 10:16pm CST by Ryan Raroque

10:26PM: Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets that the new ownership has no intention of trading Cousins, also mentioning that the center is supposed to meet with Ranadive soon.

10:16PM: On the cusp of Michael Malone's agreement with the Kings, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that a source in tune with Sacramento's head coaching decision suggests that the move was made with the presumption that DeMarcus Cousins "is a goner." In an earlier piece by Sam Amick of USA Today, it was noted that former Kings head coach Keith Smart had forged a close relationship with the young center during his first season in Sacramento. Amico (via Twitter) isn't quite sure he completely believes his source and thinks the Kings will give things a chance to work, though one may wonder if the 6'11 center's future in Sacramento could be tied to how well he gets along with Malone.

Despite admitting to some growing pains during the second season, Smart spoke candidly about how he envisioned playing a role in Cousins' development, saying that a third year could have been a prime opportunity to make things work even better:

"We put a lot of pressure on a 22-year-old to carry the franchise right now, and he's probably not there yet…But that's why I just thought all the work that you had to go through to get to a certain point and understanding how to manage a player, now you go into that third year, that next stage and (you're in a good place)."

"I understand him and he understands me now. And that's where you grow…You get a chance to develop that relationship. You had to push, you had to fight, you had to argue. But you come back, and you're able to trust each other."

With Malone now leading the bench, it will be interesting to see if or how long team brass will give him a chance to work with Cousins. The picture could be much clearer on this front once a general manager is put in place, though the speculation about how their relationship could develop is intriguing nonetheless.

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.

Western Notes: Allen, Kings, Cuban

May 25th, 2013 at 6:59pm CST by Spencer Lund

Despite the Grizzlies place in the thick of their Western Conference Finals series against the Spurs, their perimeter defensive specialist, Tony Allen, will be an unrestricted free agent this July.

Allen spoke with Ramona Shelburne at ESPN.com yesterday about the blue collar "Grit and Grind" Grizzlies, their blue collar Memphis fans, and–towards the end of the piece–his impending free agency. Said Allen:

"I don't even understand the business side. When July hits, somebody is going to have to sit me down and explain it. All I know is I'm a Grizzly and I believe I'm going to be a Grizzly when it's over with.

"I bleed blue. I think they going to keep me. But if they don't, I understand.

"I don't even think about it now. I just play. I love being in Memphis. I love the city. Hopefully I stay here. It feels like home."

Speaking of Allen's Grizzlies, here are some more notes from around the Western Conference:

Grizzlies coach, Lionel Hollins, tells ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz "Flopping isn't a part of the game and it shouldn't be a part of the game," in response to the controversy surrounding the flagrant 1 called on Manu Ginobili after his foul on Allen knocked him out of the air.
According to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link), Austin Daye will go on the Grizzlies' inactive list for game 3 tonight in favor of Donte Greene. Marc J. Spears of Y! Sports, confirms (Twitter link).
ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon brings us the highlights from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's interview on 103.3 FM's ESPN Dallas Game Day.
MacMahon also tells us after hearing from Cuban, that the Mavericks owner has a two year plan to turn the Mavericks into title contenders.
The new owner of the Kings, Viveck Ranadive, is looking at Warriors assistant, Mike Malone, to coach the team. But Matt Steinmetz at CSNY Bay Area says he'd be surprised if the Kings hire a coach before finding a general manger (Twitter link).

Latest On Clippers’ Coaching Search

May 22nd, 2013 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers officially announced yesterday that they wouldn't be bringing back Vinny Del Negro to coach the team next season, and that the search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Considering the Clips are coming off a 56-win season and a division title, and expect to keep their core intact, barring a surprising Chris Paul decision, there will be no shortage of coaching candidates interested in the position. Here are the early rumblings on L.A.'s search:

Nate McMillan is also among the candidates for the Clippers' head coaching opening, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. According to Turner's source, McMillan is one of about five candidates being seriously considered by the Clippers.

Earlier updates:

Del Negro and owner Donald Sterling never actually met in person last weekend, but had an extended phone conversation that a source described to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com as "positive."
According to Shelburne's source, Sterling told Del Negro he was optimistic the team would bring him back, but that there "were some issues with the players" to sort through. "Obviously they couldn't work through those issues with the players, or, player," the source said, referring to Paul.
After letting him go, the Clippers told Del Negro they'd do whatever they could to help him find another job, writes Shelburne.
The Clippers intend to move quickly in their search, says Shelburne, identifying Brian Shaw, Byron Scott, Michael Malone, and Alvin Gentry as likely candidates.
Although Gentry has worked for the Clippers in the past, he left on "great terms" and is still friendly with Sterling and Clips president Andy Roeser, tweets Shelburne.
Phil Jackson won't be considered for the Clippers' position, according to Shelburne, who hears from a source that the team feels it would be "too creepy" to pursue a coach engaged to the owner of the Clippers' crosstown rival.
While Paul is expected to have some sway in the Clippers' decision, Shelburne hears that he's currently more interested in watching how the team handles the situation rather than asserting his own opinions.
Hall of Fame writer Mark Heisler tweets that Lionel Hollins sits atop the Clippers' wish list, though Sterling denied to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times that he was in San Antonio on the weekend to scout the Grizzlies coach.

Kings Updates: Sale, Coach, GM, Hansen

May 17th, 2013 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

A little more than 12 hours after we heard that Vivek Ranadive's Sacramento investment group and the Maloof family had struck an agreement to transfer ownership of the Kings, the city of Sacramento held a press conference today to formally announce the good news. Mayor Kevin Johnson praised the city for never giving up on the Kings, and also confirmed that Chris Hansen isn't involved in the deal, so he won't be a minority owner of the team (Twitter link via Chris Daniels of KING5). As the new ownership group prepares to officially take over the Kings, here's a number of other items related to the sale and to the team:

Assuming Keith Smart is not retained as the Kings' head coach by the new ownership group, Warriors assistant Michael Malone is expected to be a top candidate, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick also points to Chris Mullin as a potential front office candidate, with Geoff Petrie likely on the way out.
The Sacramento Bee's initial story on the agreement between the new ownership group and the Maloofs has been updated with plenty of additional details, identifying a number of the investors in Ranadive's group.
Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (via Twitter) that the NBA's 30 owners offered to repay the $30MM non-refundable deposit Hansen's Seattle group made to the Maloofs, but Hansen declined. Mannix adds (via Twitter) that Hansen and Co. don't intend to file any lawsuits related to the Kings situation.
The 7% share of the Kings that Hansen bought in bankruptcy, pending NBA approval, will likely be auctioned off again, tweets Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton examines the next steps for the Kings.

Odds & Ends: Lee, 76ers, Blake, Len, Draft Risers

May 7th, 2013 at 9:32pm CST by Alex Lee

The Knicks have evened their conference semifinal against the Pacers at one. While the Grizzlies try to do the same, here are some news and notes from around the league:

ESPN Boston's Chris Forberg examines the chances that Courtney Lee will stick in Boston as the Celtics head into their offseason. After being traded three of the last four summers, Lee struggled to carve out a role in his first year as a Celtic despite being given every chance to do so. Lee is under contract and the Celts coveted him a year ago, so it would make sense if they gave him another year to assimilate.
Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com has a litany of Sixers coaching updates in his latest story. According to Moore, the team won't interview Michael Malone or Jeff Hornacek until next week at the earliest. Moore reiterates the team's interst in Brian Shaw and Michael Curry, while also adding a new name, Quin Snyder, to the coaching mix in Philadelphia. Snyder coached on Doug Collins' staff in Philly during the 2010-11 season and was mentioned earlier tonight as a possible fit in Atlanta.
While Steve Blake is one of four Lakers to be amnesty eligible, his strong play this season as a role player makes it unlikely that he will be the one to go, writes Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times. Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol are his other three amnesty eligible teammates.
Alex Len and his agent, Michael Lelchitski, contemplated delaying last week's ankle surgery until after pre-draft workouts in an attempt to move into the conversation for the No. 1 pick, writes RealGM's Shams Charania. “If he had a chance to work out, I truly believe he could have moved up and gone No. 1,” Lelchitski said of the Maryland center. While it was clearly the right decision, Len's injury will certainly affect his draft stock, as it will sideline him for anywhere from four to six months.
In an Insider-only blog, ESPN's Fran Fraschilla breaks down five underrated draft prospects he believes will rise up boards as team's get a better look at them in the coming weeks. Among them, Frachilla lists Murray State's Isaiah Canaan, Cal's Allen Crabbe, Brazil's Lucas Nogueira, NC State's Lorenzo Brown and Baylor's Pierre Jackson.