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Coaching Rumors: Raptors, Casey, Bucks, Knicks

May 11th, 2018 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As we relayed in our story on Dwane Casey‘s firing earlier today, it didn’t take long for one outside candidate to be linked to the Raptors‘ head coaching job, with Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski both reporting that Mike Budenholzer is a name to watch.

Budenholzer’s name continues to surface in relation to the Raptors’ newly-opened coaching position. Sources confirmed to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) that Toronto is expected to pursue Budenholzer, while Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) hears from coaching sources that Raptors president Masai Ujiri has “strong interest” in the former Hawks head coach.

As we wait to see if Budenholzer emerges as the favorite for the Raptors’ job, let’s round up more coaching rumors and notes from around the NBA…

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link), Casey – who had one year left on his contract – sought an extension from the Raptors before he was let go. Zillgitt speculates that stance may have forced Ujiri’s hand.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) and Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provide updates on the Bucks‘ coaching search, writing that the first round of interviews should wrap up this week. Milwaukee has interviewed Ettore Messina, Steve Clifford, Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, and Joe Prunty so far, and still has meetings lined up with David Blatt and Becky Hammon. GM Jon Horst figures to narrow the team’s list to three or four finalists, at which point team ownership will get involved in the process.
A source tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press that Jerry Stackhouse “interviews well” for coaching jobs, but “does rub some people the wrong way.” Stackhouse entered the offseason as a popular rising head coaching candidate, but has yet to gain traction for any open jobs. In fact, despite a mid-April report indicating Stackhouse would meet with the Magic, that interview has yet to happen, per Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.
New Knicks head coach David Fizdale is expected to hire Nick Van Exel to join his staff in New York, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Like Keith Smart, who is also reportedly set to join the Knicks, Van Exel was on Fizdale’s staff in Memphis.

Raptors Fire Head Coach Dwane Casey

May 11th, 2018 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have fired head coach Dwane Casey, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The move had been anticipated, with reports earlier this week indicating that Toronto was leaning toward making a coaching change. The club has issued a press release confirming its decision.

“After careful consideration, I have decided this is a very difficult but necessary step the franchise must take. As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “We celebrate everything Dwane has done for the organization, we thank him, and we wish him nothing but the best in future. He was instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team, and we are so proud of that.”

Although it’s not a total surprise, it’s still remarkable that Casey will be looking for a new job just one month after he finished the regular season with a 59-23 record, establishing a new Raptors franchise record for wins in a season. On Wednesday, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced that Casey was its pick for Coach of the Year; he’s a strong candidate to also win the official award, which is voted on by media members.

Casey, who took over as the Raptors’ head coach in 2011, is the winningest coach in team history, leading the club to a 320-238 (.573) regular season record during his tenure. The Raps have enjoyed the best run in franchise history during the last five years, winning between 48 and 59 games each season and making five straight postseason appearances.

However, despite their regular season success, the Raptors have struggled to make deep playoff runs. After consecutive first-round exits in 2014 and 2015, Toronto has won at least one series in each season since then, but have been unable to mount a serious challenge against the Cavaliers, winning just two total postseason contests in three years against Cleveland. The Raptors were swept out of the playoffs by the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this spring.

While we’ll have to wait to see how expansive the Raptors’ search for a new head coach is, the team has a pair of strong internal candidates in assistant Nick Nurse and Raptors 905 head coach Jerry Stackhouse. Assistant coach Rex Kalamian could also receive consideration.

As for outside candidates, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link) says to keep an eye on Mike Budenholzer, sources tell Wojnarowski that the former Hawks head coach will likely get a “close inspection” from the Raptors.

Casey’s dismissal may also have an impact on other head coaching searches around the NBA. The Magic continue to seek out a new head coach, and former Raptors GM Jeff Weltman is currently the head of basketball operations in Orlando, so he knows Casey well. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press notes (via Twitter) that the Pistons had been monitoring the Casey situation in Toronto, so they could have interest as well.

Casey had one year left on his contract, worth $6MM, Wojnarowski notes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rick Carlisle Denies Interest In Bucks’ Job

May 9th, 2018 at 10:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle issued a statement to the media denying that he’s a candidate for the head coaching vacancy in Milwaukee, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.

“Rumors that I have interest in the Milwaukee Bucks’ job are completely inaccurate,” he wrote. “I work for Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks.”

Carlisle is responding to a report from Gery Woelfel this week suggesting that the Mavs coach might have interest in coaching the Bucks, Stein adds (Twitter link). Woelfel identified Mike Budenholzer and Monty Williams as the top two candidates for the job.

Carlisle just completed the first year of a five-year extension in Dallas that runs through the 2021/22 season. He has a 437-367 record in 10 seasons with the Mavericks.

Pistons Notes: Stackhouse, Budenholzer, Armstrong, More

May 7th, 2018 at 7:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jerry Stackhouse and Mike Budenholzer are two of the prominent names to look out for in the Pistons’ coaching search, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Detroit parted ways with coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy on Monday. Stackhouse is a former Detroit player and served as the Raptors’ G League coach this past season. Stackhouse met with the Knicks before they hired David Fizdale and also surfaced as a candidate for the Magic and Hornets’ jobs. Budenholzer, the former Hawks coach, is arguably the top experienced head coach on the market. Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin is another name to watch as the Pistons seek a new front office leader, Ellis adds.

Former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, ex-Warriors coach Mark Jackson and ex-Pacers and Magic coach Frank Vogel could also be coaching candidates. Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. Chauncey Billups has previously been mentioned as a possible front office candidate, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News notes. Spurs assistant James Borrego and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt are among the other names to watch in the coaching search, Deveney adds.

In other news involving the Pistons-Van Gundy split:

Player agent and former Bulls executive B.J. Armstrong could be a candidate for a front-office position, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. Armstrong has strong ties to Pistons chairman Arn Tellem and is a Detroit native. Goodwill adds.
Point guard Reggie Jackson was blindsided by the news of Van Gundy’s departure, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. Jackson told Beard he was “stunned by the whole thing…it’s difficult right now to take the whole thing in.” Fellow point guard Ish Smith told Beard he would miss Van Gundy, adding that “he was really instrumental to my growth as a player.” (Twitter links)
Van Gundy’s coaching replacement needs to build the attack around the skills of Blake Griffin, Kevin Pelton of ESPN argues. His front office replacement will have to come up with creative ways to upgrade the roster around him despite salary-cap restraints, Pelton adds.
Griffin had some positive things to say about Van Gundy earlier Monday before the news of his departure broke. He made the comments during a podcast, which were relayed by USA Today’s Andrew Joseph. “He’s actually a very cool guy. Very nice guy. Funny. And actually genuinely cares about people. That’s kind of rare.”

Bucks Line Up Coaching Interviews For This Week

May 7th, 2018 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have a busy week of head coaching interviews ahead of them, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will meet with Steve Clifford today after sitting down with Ettore Messina on Saturday.

In addition to today’s meeting with Clifford, the Bucks also have interviews lined up this week with Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, Becky Hammon, James Borrego, and David Blatt, per Wojnarowski. All of those interviewees had been previously named as potential candidates for the Milwaukee job, with Budenholzer and Williams viewed as possible favorites.

Assuming all those interviews take place this week as planned, the Bucks’ list of completed meetings would be up to at least seven. A recent report indicated that interim coach Joe Prunty would also get to interview for the permanent job, though it’s not clear if that meeting has already taken place or if he’ll sit down with Bucks management later in the process.

Wojnarowski said last week that the Bucks may interview up to about 10 candidates for their head coaching position, so it’s possible that one or two other contenders could join the fray. Jim Cleamons reportedly spoke informally to the club about the job, making him one candidate for a more formal interview.

Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams Favorites For Bucks Job?

May 5th, 2018 at 2:00pm CST by clarkcrum

According to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, former Hawks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer and Spurs’ vice president of basketball operations Monty Williams appear to be the favorites for the Bucks‘ head coaching job, according to league sources.

We’ve noted the Bucks’ interest in Budenholzer several different times in the recent past, and we just relayed yesterday the team’s plan to interview Williams, so the report isn’t altogether surprising. However, it’s interesting to see that some NBA sources view Budenholzer and Williams as higher on Milwaukee’s wish list than other previously named candidates such as Steve Clifford or David Blatt.

Budenholzer, 48, was the head coach of the Hawks for five seasons from 2013 to 2018, while Williams, 46, last coached for the Thunder during the 2015/16 season after being the head man in New Orleans for five seasons from 2010 to 2015.

Other candidates for the Bucks’ head coaching vacancy include Spurs’ assistants Ettore Messina, Becky Hammon, and James Borrego, as well as interim coach Joe Prunty.

Keep up with all the latest coaching developments with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Bucks To Interview Becky Hammon, James Borrego

May 4th, 2018 at 8:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks intend to interview Spurs assistant Becky Hammon for their head coaching position, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. As Wojnarowski notes, Hammon became the NBA’s first female assistant coach in 2014, and will now be the first woman to ever interview for an NBA head coaching job.

A member of the Spurs’ staff for the last four seasons, Hammon had a lengthy career as a player, spending several seasons with the WNBA’s New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars and earning six WNBA All-Star nods. She also played for a handful of international teams in Spain and Russia.

As Wojnarowski details in his report, this is the second time the Bucks have met with Hammon, as the two sides also spoke about the club’s general manager opening a year ago. According to Woj, Hammon isn’t necessarily viewed as a frontline candidate for Milwaukee’s head coaching opening, but GM Jon Horst and team ownership are intrigued enough to ask the Spurs for permission to speak to her.

Hammon will be the fourth Spurs assistant to interview for a head coaching job this offseason. Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka, and James Borrego have also received consideration from one or more teams. We heard earlier today that Messina is among the candidates scheduled to talk to the Bucks, and Wojnarowski adds Borrego to that list as well, tweeting that he’ll interview with the club next week.

In total, the Bucks reportedly plan to interview four members of the Spurs for their head coaching job: Hammon, Messina, Borrego, and vice president of basketball operations Monty Williams.

Wojnarowski notes that Mike Budenholzer, previously identified as a candidate for Milwaukee, will meet with the Bucks too. Meanwhile, Horst confirmed that interim coach Joe Prunty has “earned the right” to be a part of the process, and will be among those interviewed (Associated Press report via NBA.com).

Names Emerge In Bucks’ Coaching Search

May 3rd, 2018 at 8:41am CST by Arthur Hill

A few early candidates have been identified as the Bucks begin their search for a new head coach, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

He names five former head coaches — Steve Clifford, Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, David Fizdale and David Blatt — that Milwaukee would like to interview, adding that a few more could be in the mix.

Because they made the playoffs, the Bucks got a late start in their pursuit of a new coach and are facing competition for several names on the list. Fizdale, considered one of the finalists for the Knicks’ job, has an interview scheduled with the Magic this week. He has also interviewed with the the Hornets and Hawks, as well as the Suns, who will fill their vacancy with Igor Kokoskov.

Budenholzer, who recently parted ways with the Hawks, is also believed to be a Knicks finalist, along with Blatt, who coached the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2015. Budenholzer inteviewed for the Suns’ job, as did Clifford, who was fired as head coach of the Hornets after the season ended. Williams, a former head coach with the Pelicans, serves as VP of basketball operations for the Spurs.

The Bucks may be the most desirable destination for potential coaches, boasting a playoff-caliber roster that includes MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Interim coach Joe Prunty, who led the team to a 21-16 record after taking over for Jason Kidd at midseason, will get consideration, but the franchise may be hoping to attract a bigger name to make a splash as it moves into a new arena this fall.

David Fizdale Gaining Traction In Knicks’ HC Search

May 2nd, 2018 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

5:24pm: Per Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Fizdale has gained serious traction in the Knicks’ search for their next head coach.

In his story, Charania adds that while the Knicks interviewed a wide array of candidates for their vacant head-coaching position, Fizdale emerged as a leading candidate immediately after the Knicks fired Jeff Hornacek.

There is still no agreement between Fizdale and the Knicks.

11:37am: The Knicks appear to be getting closer to a decision on their new head coach, and Mike Budenholzer, David Blatt, and David Fizdale are among the candidates believed to receiving the strongest consideration, according to multiple reports.

NBA columnist Mitch Lawrence (Twitter link) hears from team sources that Budenholzer is a finalist, and adds that Blatt and Fizdale were “locks” to get at least this far in the process. Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) singles out those three candidates as well, suggesting they’re viewed as “prime contenders” for the Knicks’ head coaching job.

According to Stein (Twitter link), one other interesting wrinkle in the Knicks’ coaching search involves Mark Jackson, who has received a “strong behind-the-scenes push” from Rich Kleiman. In addition to being Kevin Durant’s longtime business partner, Kleiman is a lifelong Knicks fan who is close with both Jackson and team president Steve Mills.

In total, the Knicks’ list of interviewees included at least 11 names, as we detailed on Tuesday. However, it’s unlikely that all of those candidates are still in the running.

Central Notes: Bucks, Doncic, Pacers

May 1st, 2018 at 4:59pm CST by clarkcrum

As we relayed yesterday, Bucks’ interim head coach Joe Prunty is still a candidate to retain Milwaukee’s head coaching position. However, as we also indicated, former Hawks’ coach Mike Budenholzer is just one name circulating as a possible replacement for Prunty, with the Bucks planning to conduct an open and active search for their next head coach.

According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Bucks would be wise to move on from Prunty and seek a head coach who can do a better job of inserting franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo into a superstar role. Per Deveney, the Bucks have failed to do so to this point in Antetokounmpo’s young career, and it is negatively affecting both Antetokounmpo and the team.

Deveney mentions Budenholzer, former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt as worthwhile candidates for the position, but ultimately opines that whoever the Bucks hire, he needs to be able to formulate an offense that runs through Antetokounmpo, creating mismatches and finding options for when teams double team him.

Deveney also touches on what he deems disappointing seasons from role players Tony Snell, Thon Maker, and Matthew Dellavedova, as well as the upcoming free agency of former No. 2 overall pick, Jabari Parker. Deveney feels that the best case scenario for the Bucks, although highly unlikely, is a total lack of suitors for Parker, thereby opening the door for the Bucks to potentially sign Parker to a one-year deal at the value of his qualifying offer.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Regardless of how the Bucks plan on approaching Parker’s free agency, at least one teammate is extremely confident that the former Duke star is not leaving Milwaukee (story).
As one part of a 10-part series focusing on the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft, Marc Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago argues that the Bulls should select Luka Doncic if he is available when Chicago makes its selection in June, as his elite-level passing ability is a perfect fit for today’s fast-paced NBA game.
Fresh off a heartbreaking loss to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the teams’ first round series, the Pacers should be excited about their promising future, writes Michael Marot of The Associated Press. As Marot notes, the Pacers could have their top eight players all back next year if Thaddeus Young and Cory Joseph exercise their player options and the Pacers exercise their team option on fan favorite Lance Stephenson.