Mike Budenholzer Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Larranaga, Anthony, Whiteside, Weltman

April 30th, 2018 at 6:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga is on the Hawks’ radar in their search for a head coach, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops reports. Larranaga has been an assistant with the Celtics since 2012 after being a head coach in the G League. The son of college coach Jim Larranaga has also coached in Ireland. The younger Larranaga is also on the long list of candidates for the Knicks’ coaching vacancy, Amico adds.

In other developments around the Southeast Division:

Trading for disgruntled Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t make any sense for the Heat, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel argues. Miami already has a better defensive power forward in James Johnson and Anthony has already indicated he doesn’t want to come off the bench, Winderman continues. Anthony’s expiring contract wouldn’t give the Heat notable cap relief in 2019 because of the salary commitments they already have, Winderman adds.
Those salary commitments are also why it’s unlikely the Heat will deal Hassan Whiteside for an expiring contract or two, Winderman writes in a separate blog. In essence, they’d simply be giving away their center for nothing if they chose that route, Winderman continues. Whiteside has two years and $52.5MM remaining on his $98MM deal. The Bucks, Trail Blazers and Mavericks are among the potential landing spots for Whiteside if a trade goes through, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman will have final say in the head coaching hire, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Orlando is searching for a coach after firing Frank Vogel. “If you’re asking do I have autonomy to do this job, I can tell you simply that I would not have come here had I not,” Weltman told Robbins.
The Hornets’ coaching search could get complicated if they chose to pursue former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes. Reuniting Budenholzer with center Dwight Howard wouldn’t be a good idea, given how their relationship deteriorated in Atlanta, Bonnell adds.

Knicks Focused On Budenholzer, Blatt

April 27th, 2018 at 10:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

Among all their coaching candidates, the Knicks are showing particular interest in former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.

Both men interviewed for the job in the past five days, and Knicks management “ramped up” its background work on Budenholzer and Blatt this week, according to Stein.

Budenholzer officially ended his relationship with Atlanta this week after requesting permission to interview for openings in Phoenix and New York. He has withdrawn from consideration for the Suns’ post, but is said to be particularly interested in joining the Knicks. Budenholzer led the Hawks to four straight playoff appearances before this season, but didn’t want to remain with a rebuilding franchise.

Blatt has been coaching in Turkey since being fired by Cleveland midway through the 2015/16 season. He took the Cavaliers to the finals in his only full NBA season, but was dismissed amid rumors that LeBron James preferred to have a former player as his coach.

Mike Budenholzer To Receive Full Hawks Salary

April 27th, 2018 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the end of the relationship between Mike Budenholzer and the Hawks was classified as a mutual parting of ways, it doesn’t appear the two sides agreed to any sort of buyout of the two years and $13MM+ remaining on Budenholzer’s contract.

Budenholzer will receive the full amount of the money left on his contract with the Hawks, reports Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That was a “lump Hawks owner Tony Ressler did not want to swallow,” according to Schultz, who suggests that the team was willing to agree to the arrangement in order to move on and begin searching for a new long-term head coach.

Continuing to pay their old head coach isn’t an ideal situation for the Hawks, but Schultz notes that Atlanta’s financial obligation to Budenholzer will be lessened if he lands a new head coaching job elsewhere. While the specifics aren’t clear, it sounds like the agreement between the Hawks and Budenholzer includes some form of set-off rights that will prevent the veteran coach from collecting his full salary from Atlanta while also earning a full salary from a new team.

In order for the Hawks to reduce their commitment to Budenholzer though, he’ll need to be hired by a new team. After interviewing with the Suns, Budenholzer withdrew from consideration for that job, so he appears to only be in the mix for the Knicks’ position for now. There have been rumblings in recent weeks that Budenholzer could be eyeing the Bucks’ job, but as long as Milwaukee remains in the playoffs, interim coach Joe Prunty continues to hold that role.

As Schultz observes, Ressler and GM Travis Schlenk initially wanted to leverage other teams’ interest in Budenholzer into compensation for letting him out of his contract. Not receiving any compensation and remaining on the hook for Budenholzer’s $13MM salary is almost a worst-case scenario for the franchise. However, with Budenholzer’s return having become increasingly untenable and Atlanta wanting to start interviewing candidates to replace him, the club felt it was time to make a move, even if the financial pill was a tough one to swallow.

Knicks Notes: Kanter, Blatt, Budenholzer

April 26th, 2018 at 9:23pm CST by marksuleymanov

Enes Kanter made an appearance in Oklahoma City for the Thunder’s first-round series against the Jazz. A former member of both the Thunder and Jazz, Kanter said he was there to support his friends and enjoy the game. The Turkish big man also addressed his opt-out, which he is likely to exercise and hit free agency this summer.

Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Kanter’s opt-out date is on June 29, at which point his future will be clearer. Kanter enjoyed a strong season with the Knicks, averaging 14.1 PPG and 11.0 RPG as New York struggled to another poor season. Kanter said he’s unsure what his future holds but he will talk with teams this offseason. He also spoke glowingly of his time in Oklahoma City.

“Man, I don’t wanna say nothing crazy and make the New York fans sad, but this place [was] always special for me,’’ Kanter said of OKC. “It doesn’t matter — 10, 15 years from now — it’s gonna always be in my heart, because it actually was my first home, Oklahoma City. I was just outside. Everybody was yelling. I can’t tell you how often I get texted, ‘Enes! Come back! You should come back! Come back!’ Whatever. I think it just shows how nice the Thunder fans are.”

Check out more Knicks notes below:

David Blatt met with the Knicks in Europe on Thursday, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. It was Blatt’s second interview with the Knicks. The former Cavaliers head coach is one of several candidates for the Knicks’ search to fill their vacant head coach position.
As we relayed earlier today, Blatt is seeking another opportunity in the NBA as he feels he did not maximize his potential during his first stint in Cleveland.
After Mike Budenholzer‘s mutual parting with the Hawks, general manager Travis Schlenk gave a strong endorsement for the coach and wished him well, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Budenholzer has already interviewed with the Knicks and he reportedly prefers to land the gig in New York. The Knicks are mulling over numerous candidates, but with Bundeholzer no longer employed by the Hawks, New York wouldn’t have to compensate Atlanta for his services.

Knicks Interview Jay Larranaga For Coaching Job

April 26th, 2018 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks’ list of possible candidates for their head coaching job continues to grow, with a Celtics assistant joining the mix. According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, New York received permission last week to talk to Brad Stevens’ top aide Jay Larranaga, and met with him about the club’s head coaching vacancy.

Larranaga, who had an extensive international career as a player, transitioned into coaching after he retired in 2009. He served as the head coach for the Erie BayHawks before joining the C’s as an assistant in 2012. As Iannazzone notes, Larranaga has been previously considered for head coaching jobs by the Celtics, Sixers, and Grizzlies.

While Larranaga becomes the ninth candidate on the Knicks’ list of interviewees, word of his meeting with the club may be overshadowed by the latest news out of Atlanta. As we relayed on Wednesday night, Mike Budenholzer and the Hawks have mutually agreed to part ways, opening up a path for the Knicks to potentially hire Budenholzer.

It’s not clear if Budenholzer is the Knicks’ top choice, but a source tells Iannazzone that the team views him as a “strong candidate.” Marc Berman of The New York Post, meanwhile, hears from sources that the Knicks have “strong feelings” for the former Hawks coach.

Team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry are still in Europe, having headed overseas to meet with David Blatt and scout Luka Doncic, per Iannazzone. However, the Newsday scribe indicates the duo is scheduled to interview Spurs assistant James Borrego stateside soon — with San Antonio now out of the playoffs, that meeting could happen this weekend.

Hawks, Mike Budenholzer Part Ways

April 25th, 2018 at 8:57pm CST by clarkcrum

Mike Budenholzer and the Hawks have mutually agreed to part ways, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (story).

As Luke Adams opined last week, there was a belief that it may be difficult for Budenholzer to return to Atlanta after interviewing for jobs with the Knicks and Suns, and it appears that both the Hawks and Budenholzer have come to the same conclusion.

Hawks GM Travis Schlenk confirmed to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the two parties have moved on, saying he “feels like it’s in the best interest of both parties.” The Hawks have also officially announced the move.

It is still unknown whether Budenholzer will retain any of the $13-14MM remaining on his contract with Atlanta, but it may not matter, as Stefan Bondy of the Daily News tweets that it’s possible Budenholzer may already have his next job lined up — perhaps with the Knicks.

If so, it would be a win-win for both Budenholzer and the Knicks, as Budenholzer reportedly views New York as his top destination, while the Knicks would be gaining a well-respected leader in NBA circles.

Speaking to ESPN, Budenholzer said “I am grateful for the five years that I spent as coach of the Atlanta Hawks, and will always cherish the incredible contributions, commitment and accomplishments of the players that I was fortunate enough to work with here. From ownership to management, support staff to the community, I’ll look back with great pride on what we were able to achieve together with the Hawks.”

Budenholzer was awarded the NBA’s Coach of the Year award in 2015 after a 60-win season and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. He also won four NBA titles as a member of Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio.

Pacific Rumors: Thomas, Budenholzer, Cook, Kings

April 24th, 2018 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Thomas‘ hip issue has severely damaged his value on the open market, some front office executives told Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Fears that his hip is either pre-arthritic or already arthritic will likely force the Lakers point guard to accept a one-year “prove it” deal or a two-year deal with a team option, Deveney continues. That’s a dramatic fall for a player who was expected to be a max contract candidate just a year ago, Deveney notes. One GM that Deveney talked to predicted that Thomas would have to accept a “low-risk deal.”

In other news around the Pacific Division:

It’s unclear why Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told the Suns he was no longer interested in their head coaching job, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic writes. He was either underwhelmed by what he heard from the Suns’ brass, didn’t get a sufficient financial offer or found a better opportunity somewhere else, Bordow adds. Ex-Grizzlies coach David Fizdale appears to be the favorite for the job but he’s also being pursued by the Knicks, Hornets and perhaps the Bucks, Bordow continues. Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov also appears to be a prime candidate but if the Trail Blazers fire Terry Stotts, he would likely become the frontrunner, Bordow adds.
Quinn Cook‘s long odyssey from being undrafted in 2015 to rotation player with the Warriors in this year’s playoffs is chronicled by Sports Illustrated’s Jack Fischer. This season alone was a whirlwind, as Fischer explains, with Cook getting waived by the Hawks before training camp, then signing a two-way contract with Golden State. When Stephen Curry was sidelined by a left knee injury, the Warriors signed Cook to a standard contract. He’s averaging 6.8 PPG in 19.8 MPG against the Spurs in the opening round.
The Kings have $5.4MM in cap room to use by the end of June, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. They increased it by $2MM through the set-off in the waived contracts of Anthony Tolliver and Arron Afflalo, Marks adds. The new cap year begins in July.

Community Shootaround: Can Budenholzer Return To Hawks?

April 23rd, 2018 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Mike Budenholzer has interviewed for two of the NBA’s open head coaching positions so far this offseason, meeting with the Suns and Knicks about their vacancies. Budenholzer withdrew from consideration for the Phoenix job, but is reportedly interested in landing in New York.

The only problem? Budenholzer already has a coaching job, with two years and about $13-14MM remaining on his contract with the Hawks. While Atlanta has been willing to let Budenholzer interview for other jobs, the team has maintained that it’s open to bringing back its head coach for the 2018/19 season.

Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is skeptical, writing today that he finds it hard to believe that Budenholzer could remain the Hawks’ head coach going forward. As Cunningham outlines, Budenholzer wasn’t thrilled to lose personnel decision-making power to GM Travis Schlenk a year ago, and isn’t all that interested in working through a long rebuilding process in Atlanta.

A person familiar with Budenholzer’s plans tells Cunningham that the head coach would be ready to return to Atlanta if he doesn’t get another job, and the Hawks have maintained that they could be on board with that scenario too. But Cunningham views that scenario as untenable, since it’d be hard for Hawks players to commit to a lame-duck coach who may have his eye on other jobs.

The best-case scenario for both Budenholzer and the Hawks would for him to find another situation he likes, and for that team to offer Atlanta a fair compensation package to let him out of his current contract. That way, Budenholzer could move on to a more favorable situation and Atlanta’s new management group could hand-pick a new head coach after having gotten out from under Budenholzer’s contract.

If Budenholzer doesn’t get an offer though, or if a team that wants him isn’t willing to give the Hawks compensation to let him go, the situation could get messy. It wouldn’t be unprecedented if Budenholzer ultimately remains in Atlanta – Dave Joerger signed an extension with the Grizzlies in 2014 after they let him interview with the Timberwolves – but it wouldn’t be ideal either.

What do you think? Can the Hawks bring Budenholzer back? Will they have the opportunity to make that decision, or will he be offered a job by another team? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Mike Budenholzer Wants To Coach Knicks

April 22nd, 2018 at 10:05pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has a genuine interest in the Knicks’ coaching vacancy, Marc Berman of The New York Post reports.

“New York’s his top choice,’’ the NBA source tells Berman. “If they offered him the job, he’d say yes. He wants to live in New York.’’

Atlanta appears to be heading toward a Process-like rebuild, something Budenholzer isn’t pleased with.

“Phoenix and the Knicks are trying to win every game,’’ said the NBA source who has spoken to Budenholzer recently. “There’s a good chance Atlanta is not looking to win games the next two years. This wasn’t Mike’s decision. He didn’t expect it. He doesn’t want to lose games.’’

Budenholzer has two years and $13MM remaining on his deal, though the Hawks seem open to letting him coach elsewhere next season, as they’ve already allowed him to interview with the Suns and Knicks. Budenholzer withdrew his name from the Phoenix job last week.

Atlanta could be looking for compensation in return for its coach. However, Berman hears that finances may be the franchise’s top priority, meaning they could ultimately end up receiving cash considerations rather than draft picks from a team looking to bring Budenholzer aboard.

“Ownership has quite a bit of money on the line,’’ an NBA executive said. “They may be thinking why pay him $6 million a year if they’re not a playoff contender? Why not pay someone $2 million a year for the next two years?’’

Budenholzer previously coached the Knicks’ highest-paid player, Tim Hardaway Jr., while the shooting guard was in Atlanta and he helped the Michigan product develop into a serviceable option. That, along with his excellent reputation, could give him a leg up for the job in New York.

“He’s an excellent coach and teacher,’’ another NBA personnel director tells Berman. “He’s really a student of the game and did a very good job developing young players. He’s a good combo of disciplinarian and players coach. Doc Rivers isn’t a bad comparison.”

Latest On Knicks’ Head Coaching Search

April 20th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Austin Kent

9:00pm: The Knicks will meet with Mike Budenholzer on Sunday, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets.

7:48pm: Add James Borrego to the list of candidates scheduled to interview with the Knicks regarding their coaching vacancy. Ian Begley and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN report that the current Spurs assistant has been granted permission to interview for the position.

Borrego was previously linked as a potential Suns candidate although it wasn’t known at the time whether he had been granted permission to interview there.

Worth noting is that Borrego worked with Knicks general manager Scott Perry in Orlando between 2012 and 2015, serving as an assistant and eventually interim head coach prior to joining San Antonio.

Here’s more on the search for a new Knicks’ coach:

Representatives from the franchise will travel abroad to interview David Blatt this week. Wojnarowski and Begley write that Blatt has a strong relationship with Knicks president Steve Mills but doesn’t have a relationship with Perry.
For what it’s worth, the ESPN scribes say that Jerry Stackhouse and David Fizdale both made strong cases for themselves in their previously conducted interviews.
And finally, Kenny Smith‘s interview with the franchise is now in the books, although the ESPN piece gives no indication of how it went. Smith is a native of New York but has no coaching experience.