Monty Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns, Monty Williams Expected To Meet For Second Interview

April 30th, 2019 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

After interviewing Sixers assistant Monty Williams in Toronto last Friday, the Suns plan on meeting with the head coaching candidate a second time, reports Shams Charania of Stadium (video link).

According to Charania, the interview – which will likely take place later this week – is expected to include team owner Robert Sarver. That’s a noteworthy detail, since it means that Phoenix is taking a step forward in the process of pursing Williams, Charania notes.

Williams, who previously served as the head coach in New Orleans from 2010-15, is drawing plenty of interest so far this spring. He has already interviewed twice with the Lakers, meeting last week with a large contingent of executives that included team owner Jeanie Buss.

The Suns reportedly view Williams as their top candidate, but didn’t make him an offer after Friday’s interview. Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic has suggested that the Suns may be waiting for the Lakers to make an offer so that they can counter that proposal and make a better one — though the fact that Sarver has yet to meet with Williams represents another reason to wait.

If Williams has a preference between the Lakers and Suns, he has yet to tip his hand. As Rankin points out, it’s worth noting that Williams could become a head coaching candidate in Philadelphia too, should the Sixers fall to the Raptors and consider moving on from Brett Brown. However, if Brown continues to coach like he did in Philadelphia’s Game 2 win, that’s probably an unlikely scenario.

Western Notes: Dieng, George, Nelson, Williams

April 28th, 2019 at 2:48pm CST by clarkcrum

In an interesting pierce regarding former head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau‘s tenure with the Timberwolves, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic shares a story involving how the relegation of forward Gorgui Dieng to the bench was just one example of Thibodeau’s inability to effectively communicate and integrate with others in the organization.

Dieng, a starter for all 82 games in Minnesota during the 2016/17 season, Thibodeau’s first, showed up for training camp in 2017 expecting to continue starting, or at least have an opportunity to compete for a starting position with newly-signed Taj Gibson, a stalwart for Thibodeau during his days in Chicago coaching the Bulls. After all, Dieng had just signed a four-year, $62.8MM contract extension with the Timberwolves the previous summer.

However, before the first practice of camp, and without any communication of any kind from Thibodeau or any representative thereof, Dieng was relegated to the second unit by discovering a second-unit jersey hanging in his locker. Per Krawczynski, Dieng took the lack of communication as a sign of disrespect, one which he seemingly never got over during the course of Thibodeau’s tenure with the Timberwolves.

Rather, Dieng’s play suffered, as did his playing time, going from 10.0 points and 7.9 rebounds in 32.4 minutes per game in 2016/17 to averages of 5.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 16.9 MPG, with zero starts, during the 2017/18 campaign. With two seasons left on his current contract, Dieng, now 29, will look to return to the form he displayed during the 2016/17 season, as Gibson enters this offseason as an unrestricted free agent, his future with the Timberwolves still unknown.

There’s more news from the Western Conference this afternoon:

It’s clear from his decision to sign a long-term deal with the Thunder this summer that Paul George wants to be in Oklahoma City, but the question now becomes whether or not George is able and willing to overtake Russell Westbrook as the franchise’s marquee player, which Brett Dawson of The Athletic writes may be necessary if the Thunder ever want to reach their full potential with the team’s current core.
Pelicans‘ new general manager David Griffin is prioritizing hiring highly-respected trainer Aaron Nelson, currently the Suns’ Senior Vice President of Athlete Health & Performance, away from Phoenix, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times. As his profile on the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association states, Nelson and his staff have built the Suns into an industry leader with a reputation for prolonging the careers of some of the game’s best players.
In other Suns’ news, 76ers’ assistant coach Monty Williams, a highly-regard head-coaching candidate this offseason for both Phoenix and the Lakers, had a “very positive” meeting with Suns’ brass on Friday (story). Williams, the first candidate to meet with the Suns’ front office since Igor Kokoskov‘s firing on Monday, is a top contender to be James Jones‘ pick for the team’s next head coach.

Monty Williams Interviews With Suns

April 27th, 2019 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns met with Sixers assistant Monty Williams on Friday, but didn’t make a job offer, reports Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The meeting was described as “very positive,” Rankin adds, and Williams remains a top contender for the position.

He was the first candidate the Suns have interviewed since firing first-year coach Igor Kokoskov on Monday. The meeting was held in Toronto because the Sixers are there for the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Lakers also interviewed Williams this week, along with former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue.

Williams, 47, has head coaching experience in New Orleans, where he worked for new Suns VP of basketball operations Jeff Bower. Williams compiled a 173-221 record in five seasons. Phoenix GM James Jones also has experience with Williams, who was an assistant coach with the Trail Blazers during the three seasons that Jones played there.

The Suns were scheduled to meet today with Portland assistants Nate Tibbetts and David Vanterpool.

Coaching Updates: Williams, Lakers, Suns, Cavs

April 25th, 2019 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers sent a big contingent of executives to Philadelphia today for their second interview with head coaching candidate Monty Williams, reports Bill Oram of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to Oram, in addition to GM Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss, the meeting will also include Lakers executives Joey Buss, Jesse Buss, Kurt Rambis, Linda Rambis, and COO Tim Harris.

Williams won’t be the first candidate to meet with such a big group. According to Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), the same Lakers executives met with Juwan Howard on Tuesday and Tyronn Lue on Wednesday. It was Howard’s first interview and Lue’s second for L.A.’s head coaching job.

As Oram observes (via Twitter), it’s somewhat interesting to see the younger Buss siblings, Jesse and Joey, involved in the process. While they’ve been part of the Lakers’ organization for years, their contributions have been limited to the scouting department and the G League affiliate — they’d been largely left out of major basketball operations decisions until now.

Here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the NBA:

The Lakers aren’t the only team with interest in Monty Williams. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Suns officials are traveling to Toronto to meet with the Sixers assistant on Friday before Philadelphia opens its series against the Raptors on Saturday. Phoenix received permission earlier this week to interview Williams, who has been identified as the team’s top candidate to replace Igor Kokoskov. The Suns may try to preempt a Lakers offer, Wojnarowski writes.
The Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff are working to set up a meeting for next week, sources tell Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Bickerstaff said on Wednesday that he’s “definitely interested” in Cleveland’s head coaching job. Vardon also confirms that Juwan Howard and Jamahl Mosley are the only candidates who have formally interviewed with the Cavs so far.
The Cavaliers remain interested in Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez, but have yet to officially line up an interview, league sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Denver remains alive in the playoffs, so the Cavs will have to work around the Nuggets’ schedule.

Suns Look To Interview David Vanterpool, Monty Williams

April 23rd, 2019 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

2:11pm: The Sixers have granted the Suns permission to interview Williams, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that the former Pelicans coach is Phoenix’s top target (Twitter links).

8:37am: Having dismissed head coach Igor Kokoskov on Monday, the Suns will start their search for a new coach by requesting permission to interview a pair of veteran assistants, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). League sources tell Charania that Phoenix is eyeing Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool in addition to Sixers assistant Monty Williams.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the Suns’ interest in Williams shortly after Kokoskov’s dismissal on Monday. The former Pelicans head coach, who also served as an assistant in Portland and Oklahoma City, has emerged as one of the most popular targets this spring for teams in search of a head coach. The Lakers have interviewed him already, and the Kings were said to have him on their list before they hired Luke Walton.

As for Vanterpool, his name has been connected to multiple job openings in recent years, as he has long been viewed as one of the assistant coaches most prepared for a head coaching position. He reportedly met with the Magic and Hornets last spring, and the Cavaliers are expected to interview him after Portland’s playoff run ends.

I expect the Suns’ list of targets to continue to grow in the coming days, but the fact that Williams and Vanterpool have emerged as the first names on that list suggests that the club thinks highly of them.

Lakers Schedule Second Interview For Tyronn Lue

April 23rd, 2019 at 11:20am CST by marksuleymanov

APRIL 23: Lue will have his second interview with the Lakers on Wednesday, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. As noted below, this meeting will involve Buss in addition to Pelinka.

The team’s second interview with Williams is expected to happen later in the week.

APRIL 20: As the Lakers progress with their search for a new head coach, Tyronn Lue will be among those brought in for a second interview, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin report (Twitter link).

Lue, who led the Cavaliers to a world championship three years ago, interviewed with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on Friday. As Wojnarowski and McMenamin note, that meeting was held with the purpose of both sides getting to know one another, and setting up a second interview with owner Jeanie Buss.

Los Angeles met with Sixers’ assistant coach Monty Williams earlier in the week and is also expected to receive a second interview. As we relayed on Friday, the Lakers will also meet with Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard.

After three seasons at the helm, Luke Walton was dismissed by the Lakers at season’s end. He has since latched on with the Kings as their new head coach.

Suns Fire Head Coach Igor Kokoskov

April 23rd, 2019 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

APRIL 23, 7:32am: The Suns issued a press release late Monday night confirming that they’ve parted ways with Kokoskov and announcing that the search for the club’s next head coach will begin immediately.

“After extensive evaluation, I determined it is best to move in a different direction with our head coaching position,” Jones said in a statement. “I want to thank Igor for his work this past season and wish him the best with his future endeavors.”

APRIL 22, 11:45pm: The Suns have become the latest NBA team to dismiss their head coach this spring, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has fired Igor Kokoskov.

Despite a disappointing season in Phoenix, it’s still a somewhat surprising development. After all, it was less than a year ago that the Suns hired Kokoskov, making him the NBA’s first European-born head coach last May after interviewing upwards of 10 candidates. Kokoskov and the club reportedly agreed on a three-year deal at the time.

In his first and only season at the helm in Phoenix, Kokoskov led the Suns to a 19-65 record, which placed the team dead last in the Western Conference and just two games ahead of the NBA-worst Knicks.

A playoff berth in 2018/19 always seemed like a long shot for the franchise, but after signing Trevor Ariza and drafting Deandre Ayton during the 2018 offseason, the Suns had hoped to take some positive steps forward. Instead, the club won fewer than 25 games for the fourth straight year.

The other lottery teams that have fired head coaches so far – the Lakers, Grizzlies, Cavaliers, and Kings – announced their decisions within a couple days of their regular season finales. The Suns delayed their decision, and Wojnarowski tweets that the team had initially planned on bringing Kokoskov back for a second season.

Instead, he becomes the latest victim of the organization’s frequent turnover — Phoenix has employed six head coaches – including interim coaches – since the start of the 2012/13 season, and will now be on the lookout for its seventh.

It’s not clear exactly what prompted the Suns’ change of direction on Kokoskov, but it’s worth noting that the team recently finalized some front office changes, giving James Jones the permanent general manager title and adding Jeff Bower in a top management role. Perhaps the new group wanted to make its own coaching hire, as Kokoskov was Ryan McDonough‘s pick.

As for which candidates the Suns may target now that Kokoskov has been let go, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the club is interested in Sixers assistant Monty Williams. The Lakers have already met with Williams and plan to conduct a second interview with him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers To Interview Juwan Howard

April 19th, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

APRIL 19, 9:45pm: The Lakers will meet with Howard on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

APRIL 14, 2:28pm: Members of the Lakers’ front office will travel to meet with Williams sometime after Game 2 of the Sixers’ playoff series, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

APRIL 14, 2:14pm: The Lakers have received permission to talk to Heat assistant Juwan Howard about their head coaching vacancy, tweets ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. An interview will probably take place next week, she adds.

Howard is the third name to appear in the Lakers’ coaching search since they parted ways with Luke Walton on Friday. L.A. also plans to discuss the job with former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue next week and has gotten permission from the Sixers to interview assistant coach Monty Williams.

Earlier today, we told you that Howard and Jamahl Mosley will interview to replace Larry Drew in Cleveland

Pacific Notes: Looney, Lakers, Suns, Kings

April 19th, 2019 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

When it comes to Warriors players facing free agency this summer, the focus has rightly been on Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, but those aren’t the only players on the roster with expiring contracts.

One key role player up for a new deal this offseason is Kevon Looney, who played regular minutes at center this season as DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Jones dealt with injuries. Now, his role has increased once again with Cousins expected to miss the rest of the playoffs, perhaps putting him in a position to boost his value as he nears free agency.

The Warriors hold Looney’s Bird rights, allowing the team to go over the cap to re-sign him. But if Thompson and Durant return, it’s not clear how high Golden State would be willing to go to retain a role player. Asked about Looney’s upcoming free agency, teammate Andre Iguodala acknowledged that a more lucrative payday may await the youngster elsewhere.

“I hope he gets paid,” Iguodala said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (video link). “So I hope he doesn’t come back because I hope he gets all the money.”

Here’s more out of the Pacific:

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka met with Sixers assistant Monty Williams earlier this week to discuss the club’s head coaching vacancy, and there’s an expectation on both sides that a second visit will occur at some point, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Williams is one of three known candidates for the Lakers’ job, along with Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard.
The Suns‘ approach to the offseason will hinge largely on where the team’s first-round pick lands in the lottery, as Gina Mizell of The Athletic explains. Mizell sketches out multiple potential paths for Phoenix’s offseason — one that involves Zion Williamson, one featuring Ja Morant, and one in which the Suns land outside the top two in the draft.
In a story published shortly after Dave Joerger was let go by the Kings, Jason Jones of The Athletic passes along some fascinating tidbits on Joerger’s tenure in Sacramento. According to Jones, Joerger never really seemed to connect with youngsters Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles, favorites of the front office. Sources also told Jones that Joerger favored drafting Luka Doncic over Bagley, and would have been on board with trading Buddy Hield before the 2018/19 season.

L.A. Notes: Lakers, Lue, Williams, Clippers, West

April 19th, 2019 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed earlier this week, Tyronn Lue‘s meeting with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka about the team’s head coaching vacancy is taking place today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter).

Lue has experience coaching LeBron James in Cleveland, which could be a point in his favor as Pelinka and the Lakers weigh their options for Luke Walton‘s replacement. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst writes, coaching James isn’t without its challenges, but if a coach comes in with a game plan, holds LeBron accountable, and is prepared for push-back, he can succeed.

Lue and Monty Williams are among the candidates apparently in the running for the Lakers’ job, though both men have reportedly been warned to proceed with caution. As Colton Jones of Amico Hoops relays, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said during an appearance on 710 ESPN that “everyone in the league” has told Williams not to take the job, while Jorge Sedano of ESPN said one of Lue’s close friends has given the former Cavs coach a similar warning.

It remains to be seen which direction the Lakers are leaning, or whether they’ll expand their search beyond Lue, Williams, and Juwan Howard. However, Shelburne also notes that it wouldn’t be a total surprise if Williams prefers to remain with the Sixers, where he’s an assistant on Brett Brown‘s staff. His family is settled there, and he could be next in line if Philadelphia were to move on from Brown, says Shelburne (via Jones).

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, there’s no indication that the Lakers plan to reach out to Clippers consultant Jerry West about the possibility of returning to the franchise following Magic Johnson‘s resignation from his president of basketball operations role. For his part, West said he’s preparing for an eventful offseason with the Clippers, but made no guarantees about his role next season and beyond. “Well, as far as I can tell, I really don’t have a future, OK? My future is now,” West told Amick. “I don’t really worry about that. I worry about getting through this season, and really concentrating – all of us, concentrating – on free agency.”
Although they fell back to earth last night, the fact that the Clippers made the postseason and are capable of performances like their Game 2 win over Golden State bodes well for the pitch they can make to free agents this summer, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times conveys a similar sentiment, writing that the club’s future is bright regardless of what happens in the playoffs.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a deep dive into the Lakers’ offseason, exploring the head coaching search, the possibility of revisiting Anthony Davis trade talks, the club’s free agency options, and more.