Monty Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Walker, Miller, Williams, Draft Pick Trades

May 31st, 2023 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Houston’s Jarace Walker appears to be the most likely draft choice for the Pistons, but the possibility of Alabama’s Brandon Miller sliding to No. 5 shouldn’t be dismissed, Mike Curtis of The Detroit News writes in a mailbag column. Miller is currently expected to be taken second or third, but unanswered questions about his connection to a fatal shooting in January continue to hang over him. He reportedly brought a legal brief from his attorneys to the draft combine that explained why he couldn’t go into detail about the case.

If the Hornets opt for Scoot Henderson at No. 2, Curtis views the Trail Blazers‘ pick as unpredictable due to rumors that they’re seeking to trade it for veteran help. The Rockets would also have to pass on Miller at No. 4, and while Curtis admits the scenario seems unlikely, he says it’s possible that Miller could continue to slip if teams are concerned about his legal issues.

If Detroit does wind up with Walker, Curtis sees it as a smooth fit for an organization that hopes to rebuild around defense. Walker is considered one of the strongest front court defenders in the draft, and he’s versatile enough to handle either forward position and maybe even see time as a small-ball center. Curtis notes that Walker has exhibited some promise as a play-maker as well.

There’s more from Detroit:

A report earlier today indicated that the Pistons are willing to give Monty Williams $10MM per year to become their next head coach, and Marc Stein states in an email that the offers he has heard are $50MM over five years or $60MM over six years. Stein adds that owner Tom Gores‘ recent meetings with finalists Charles Lee and Kevin Ollie came after Williams turned down the team’s first offer. The Pistons view Williams as a perfect choice to establish the culture for a young roster, according to Stein.
There’s a wide variance in opinions on prospects after the top three, so the Pistons’ best move might be to trade back and pick up more draft assets, state James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic. The authors view the Thunder, Jazz and Wizards as teams that might have interest in moving up to No. 5.
Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) also considers possible trades with the fifth pick, suggesting that it might be used in a package to get Jaylen Brown from the Celtics or Dejounte Murray from the Hawks.

Pistons Continue To Pursue Monty Williams

May 31st, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons remain in heavy pursuit of Monty Williams for their head coaching position, according to Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Detroit has been hopeful since Williams was dismissed by Phoenix that he’d consider accepting the Pistons’ job and is preparing an offer in the neighborhood of $10MM per year for the veteran coach, league sources tell Charania and Edwards.

Marc Stein has been on top of this story, reporting last week that the Pistons’ efforts to hire Williams with a “big-money” offer had thus far been unsuccessful, then following up a few days later to say that the team may not have given up on the idea of landing Williams.

When Williams was let go by Phoenix, he still had $20MM+ left on his contract with the team, so there was a sense that he wouldn’t be in any rush to take another head coaching job this offseason. He told interested teams, including the Pistons and Bucks, that he was leaning toward taking a year off, per Charania and Edwards. However, the Pistons appear to be doing all they can to convince him to change his plans.

Reports earlier in May indicated that Detroit had narrowed its head coaching search to Bucks assistant Charles Lee, former Overtime Elite head coach Kevin Ollie, and Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins, but those three candidates have been referred to as finalists for weeks, with little indication that the club was nearing a decision.

If Williams ultimately decides to turn down the Pistons’ pitch, Lee is expected to be the team’s next choice, sources tell The Athletic. Lee and Ollie have both met twice with team owner Tom Gores and general manager Troy Weaver and remain in contention to replace Dwane Casey on Detroit’s bench, according to Charania and Edwards.

Stein’s Latest: Irving, Russell, Wizards, M. Williams, Raptors

May 28th, 2023 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

If the Lakers opt to pursue Kyrie Irving in free agency, the Mavericks wouldn’t be interested in taking back free agent guard D’Angelo Russell as the primary player in a sign-and-trade deal, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack column.

There hasn’t been any concrete information that trying to sign Irving is part of the Lakers’ offseason plans, Stein adds, but there’s plenty of speculation that LeBron James would like to reunite with his former Cavaliers teammate. L.A. was heavily rumored as a possible destination for Irving when he considered opting out of his contract last summer and again when he asked the Nets for a trade in February.

James’ retirement talk after being swept by Denver is widely seen as a message to the Lakers’ front office that a roster upgrade is needed, but Stein isn’t convinced that they’ll be active on the free agent market. He states that the team’s preferred plan is to reach new deals with two of its own free agents, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. It’s less certain that L.A. wants to keep Russell after his disastrous performance in the Western Conference Finals, Stein adds.

The Mavericks appear committed to keeping Irving after paying a high price to acquire him from Brooklyn, according to Stein. A report last weekend indicated that a “handshake deal” may already be in place for Irving to remain in Dallas.

Stein passes along more inside information:

Teams around the league are expecting new Wizards president Michael Winger to be aggressive in trying to reshape the roster this summer, but Bradley Beal‘s no-trade clause may complicate his plans. Stein points out that Beal has four seasons left on his five-year, $251MM contract and can’t be sent to any other team unless he agrees to the deal. Stein also wonders how the front office change will affect Kristaps Porzingis, who reportedly began extension talks in March.
Kevin Ollie and Charles Lee were set for second interviews this week for the Pistons‘ head coaching vacancy, but Stein hears that the team hasn’t given up on its pursuit of Monty Williams. The former Suns head coach reportedly turned down a “big-money” offer from Detroit, but some members of the organization are hoping he might reconsider.
A source tells Stein that Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez is a legitimate candidate to become the Raptors‘ new head coach.

Western Notes: Jazz Picks, Warriors, Bridges, Suns

May 26th, 2023 at 8:47pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz currently control the Nos. 9, 16 and 28 picks in the upcoming draft, though it isn’t certain they’ll actually retain all three first-rounders. A lead ball-handler is reportedly high on their list of targets.

With that in mind, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link) lists six prospects the Jazz may be interested in with their lottery pick, including Arkansas guard Anthony Black, Kansas wing Gradey Dick, and UCF forward Taylor Hendricks. Walden concedes some of the players on his list may not be available at No. 9.

Here’s more from the West:

In another subscriber-only story for The Salt Lake Tribune, Walden examines eight prospects who might be a fit for the Jazz at No. 16. Some players mentioned: Keyonte George (Baylor), Kris Murray (Iowa) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana).
The Warriors are holding a draft workout on Friday featuring six prospects, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The six are Julian Strawther (Gonzaga), Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Kendric Davis (Memphis), Craig Porter Jr. (Wichita State) and Caleb Daniels (Villanova). According to ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects, Jackson-Davis (No. 33) is the highest rated of the group, followed by Hawkins (No. 53) and Strawther (No. 55). Golden State currently controls one pick in the 2023 draft: No. 19.
Nets wing Mikal Bridges, who was traded to Brooklyn by the Suns as part of the Kevin Durant deal, recently said on The Pivot Podcast that his former head coach, Monty Williams, isn’t to blame for Phoenix’s playoff struggles the past two seasons. “He’s going to get through it,” Bridges said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “He knows he’s a hell of a coach. He probably knows about the situation. Me personally, I say Monty is not the problem, but who am I?” As Rankin notes, Williams was fired after the season ended. “Monty’s not the problem, but he’s going to be great somewhere else,” Bridges continued. “He’s going to get another chance and he’s going to be alright.”

Coaching Rumors: Williams, Pistons, Young, Bucks, Griffin, Mazzulla

May 24th, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting last week that the Pistons had planned to pursue Monty Williams for their head coaching job if they’d won the draft lottery, Marc Stein writes at Substack that Detroit apparently went ahead with that plan even after slipping to No. 5 on lottery night.

League sources tell Stein that the Pistons made Williams a “big-money” offer to become the team’s new head coach. However, it appears that effort was unsuccessful. As we noted on Tuesday in response to a report that Williams might take the 2023/24 season off, he’s still reportedly owed about $21MM from Phoenix, so it’s not as if he needs another job anytime soon for financial reasons.

With Williams apparently not in play, the Pistons continue to decide between Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee, and Jarron Collins, who are reportedly meeting with team owner Tom Gores for a second time. As Stein writes, the “consistent buzz” in coaching circles is that general manager Troy Weaver prefers Ollie for the position.

Here’s more from Stein on the head coaching vacancies around the NBA:

While he lacks the head coaching experience that some of the Suns‘ other finalists possess, assistant coach Kevin Young has a legitimate chance to be promoted to succeed Williams, according to Stein, who hears that Young has received a “strong endorsement” from All-Star guard Devin Booker.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is expected to talk to the team’s head coaching finalists, is said to be “intrigued” by Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, Stein writes. Griffin is one of three candidates believed to be in the running for the job.
Even before the Celtics won Game 4 of their series vs. Miami on Tuesday, there was push-back against the idea that Joe Mazzulla‘s job as head coach was in real jeopardy, says Stein. While Stein isn’t entirely ruling out the idea that Mazzulla could be replaced this spring, he suggests it would conflict with what we know about president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and how he operates.

Raptors Notes: Nash, Hammon, Williams, Griffin, Offseason Approach

May 23rd, 2023 at 8:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Steve Nash, who interviewed for the Raptors’ head coaching vacancy, may be a better fit for Toronto than he was in Brooklyn, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. With the Nets, Nash was swallowed up by the superstars and their egos. Nash, who was known during his playing career as one of the all-time great teammates, could see his leadership qualities prove more effective in Toronto with a team that lacked cohesion throughout the season, Koreen writes.

We have more on the Raptors:

It doesn’t appear Becky Hammon will make history with the Raptors. The Las Vegas Aces head coach did not formally interview with Toronto’s brass, though there were conversations, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reports. There was a general sense that Hammon wasn’t in a rush to leave her current job.
Former Suns head coach Monty Williams is on the Raptors’ radar, Grange adds in the same story, and long-time assistant coach Adrian Griffin remains the leading internal candidate. Griffin is also a finalist for the Bucks’ head coaching job.
The Raptors are wise to take their time and look at a wide variety of candidates, Koreen opines. Toronto isn’t in the same spot as the Bucks and Sixers, who are looking for a coach to quickly guide them to a championship. The Raptors can afford to explore a wider range of options and search for an open-minded coach, who could inherit most of the current roster or find himself running a team that’s been completely revamped.
Along those same lines, Blake Murphy of Sportnet said this offseason could go any number of ways. While the simplest outcome is for the Raptors to retain their free agents, unload some salary and use cap exceptions for upgrades, it’s also possible there could be significant roster changes.

Coaching Rumors: Mazzulla, Bucks, Williams, Suns, Raptors, Nash

May 23rd, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics staffers, including president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, have shown “unwavering support” this season for head coach Joe Mazzulla, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says the sentiment as recently as last week was that Mazzulla would get plenty of runway to continue growing into the role he was thrust into following Ime Udoka‘s suspension last fall.

While it’s possible the Celtics could have a change of heart and decide to make a coaching change if the team is eliminated from the postseason in embarrassing fashion on Tuesday – or in the coming days – it would be a “stark change of direction” from the team’s original plan, Fischer writes.

While Fischer considers it unlikely that Mazzulla is replaced this offseason, he suggests that the Celtics’ coaching staff could undergo some significant changes, with multiple current assistants considered candidates to join Udoka with the Rockets. Frank Vogel and Stephen Silas are among the former head coaches who have been linked to the Celtics as possible assistant coach targets, Fischer notes.

Here’s more on the NBA’s coaching carousel from Fischer:

With the Bucks still focused on contending for championships with rosters built around Giannis Antetokounmpo, there’s some skepticism that Adrian Griffin – the only one of their three finalists without previous head coaching experience – will ultimately claim that job. However, Fischer acknowledges that Griffin has “certainly impressed” Bucks management during the interview process. Milwaukee’s search is expected to conclude this week, Fischer reports.
Many people around the league thought Monty Williams would be a serious candidate for the Bucks‘ coaching job and were surprised that he wasn’t a finalist in that process, per Fischer. The Pistons registered some interest in Williams, but he doesn’t appear to be in the mix for that job either and seems likely to take next season off, Fischer adds. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic also said Williams may not coach anywhere in 2023/24, which shouldn’t come as a surprise — he’s still owed $21MM by Phoenix, so it’s not as if he needs to rush into another position.
Former Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers is expected to receive consideration from the Suns, but Mike Budenholzer isn’t viewed as a likely candidate for Phoenix, Fischer writes.
The Raptors continue to take their time with their head coaching search, bringing back several candidates – including Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez and Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic – for second interviews, says Fischer. Many of the team’s initial meetings took place on Zoom, according to Fischer, who identifies Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as a name to watch in Toronto’s search.
Steve Nash, who interviewed for the Raptors’ vacancy, is “determined to learn from his shortcomings” following his first coaching stint in Brooklyn and has a strong desire to earn another head coaching job at some point, Fischer writes.

Eastern Notes: Love, Hornets’ Workouts, Pistons

May 22nd, 2023 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Love departed Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the first half due to a strained lower left leg, but he’ll likely play in Game 4 on Tuesday, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. The Heat big man says he’ll be “ready to go” as Miami looks to close out the series.

“It just felt like, honestly, a muscle cramp and was kind of off and on,” said Love, who was acquired by the Heat via the buyout market. “So I just wanted to ask to come out, wanted to be smart about it, tell Coach (Erik Spoelstra) that I could go back in if needed. At halftime we’d had a conversation. We were up 15. I said I was available. But then the score just got upwards of 20, 30. And from that point on, I just figured I’d get my treatment, make sure I was all good.”

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Hornets held a pre-draft workout for six prospects on Monday, the team tweets. Baylor’s Jalen Bridges, Akron’s Xavier Castaneda, Pittsburgh’s Nelly Cummings, Miami’s Jordan Miller, Appalachian State’s Tamell Pearson and Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin were the visitors.
Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie remain finalists for the Pistons’ head coaching job, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets. The trio will meet with the team’s brass again this week, with Edwards adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and former Suns coach Monty Williams take the year off.
Speaking of the Pistons, what are their lottery options now that they’ve dropped to No. 5 in the draft? Edwards explores that topic and lists a handful of prospects who could be available at that spot, including Alabama forward Brandon Miller if he slides down the draft board. If he doesn’t, Houston’s Jarace Walker or Villanova’s Cam Whitmore could be the pick.

Coaching Rumors: Lue, Popovich, Pistons, Raptors, Udoka

May 18th, 2023 at 2:39pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks and Suns are rumored to be interested in Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, but he’s still under contract for two more seasons, though only one of those is thought to be guaranteed.

There’s growing skepticism among those close to the coach and the Clippers that a rival team would be able to poach Lue away, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The Clippers still hope to contend for championships going forward despite another disappointing playoff exit in 2022/23, and owner Steve Ballmer is known to be a “huge fan” of Lue. As Fischer observes, the Bucks and Suns also don’t have much in the form of future first-round picks, which would likely be necessary to acquire Lue — assuming the Clippers would even permit a rival to interview him, and there’s no indication they would — while he’s still under contract.

The Bucks do have their 2029 first-rounder available, but Fischer suggests they’ll likely use it to acquire a player — either this offseason or in the future. Sources tell Fischer that Milwaukee contemplated dealing the pick to try to land Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic ahead of the February trade deadline.

Here are some more coaching rumors from around the NBA:

Gregg Popovich, the longest-tenured head coach in the league, is expected to stay with the Spurs for as long as he wants to continue coaching, and there’s no indication that the Hall-of-Famer plans to retire next season, especially after San Antonio won the draft lottery. However, Popovich’s contract expired at the end of the season, and he hasn’t signed a new deal yet, sources tell Fischer.
The fact that the Pistons have yet to hire one of their three coaching finalists has left coaching agents around the league wondering if they’ll reopen their search and consider more candidates, Fischer writes. The three finalists — Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee and Jarron Collins — met with owner Tom Gores last week, Fischer confirms. Detroit is thought to have interest in Monty Williams, who was fired by the Suns last week, so that might explain the holdup. That said, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com hears from sources that the job is expected to come down to either Ollie or Collins (Twitter link).
According to Fischer, the Raptors hope to be “blown away” in an interview with one of their long list of coaching candidates. Toronto is believed to be open to an “unconventional” choice. Assistant coaches Jim Sann and Rico Hanes are expected to be retained regardless of who is named head coach, sources tell Fischer.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated hears (via Twitter) that Ime Udoka “wants to do right” by his former Celtics assistants, and will extend those interested an invitation to join him with the Rockets after his unceremonious departure from Boston. Royal Ivey, who worked with Udoka on the Nets, recently joined his staff in Houston.

Sixers Dismiss Head Coach Doc Rivers

May 16th, 2023 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

10:51am: The Sixers have issued a press release confirming the dismissal of Rivers.

“Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely,” Morey said in a statement. “We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.””

10:16am: The Sixers are parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Rivers’ hold on his job was considered shaky after Philadelphia lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Boston on Sunday. A tight game at halftime turned into a blowout Celtics victory after Boston outscored the 76ers by a 33-10 margin in the third quarter.

The loss resulted in the Sixers’ third consecutive second-round playoff exit since Rivers was hired in 2020. During that time, the veteran coach led the club to a 154-82 (.653) regular season record but failed to make a deep playoff run. Philadelphia was eliminated by Atlanta in 2021 and Miami in 2022, losing the final game of the series at home in both instances.

Rivers is one of several accomplished head coaches to be let go this spring, joining recent champions and/or Coaches of the Year like Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, and Nick Nurse.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia lead the NBA in regular season victories since the start of the 2020/21 season, but all three clubs are making head coaching changes this offseason following disappointing postseason showings.

Previous reporting from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype indicated that Williams, Nurse, and Mike D’Antoni would likely be candidates to replace Rivers if the Sixers were to make a change. Wojnarowski confirms those names and adds a few more to Philadelphia’s list of potential candidates, tweeting that Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, and Frank Vogel are also expected to factor into the team’s search.

Of those six candidates, only Cassell – who is an assistant on Philadelphia’s staff – lacks head coaching experience. D’Antoni, Williams, Vogel are all former Sixers assistants, while D’Antoni has a long-standing relationship with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, having coached the Rockets during Morey’s time in Houston.

The decision to dismiss Rivers is the first one in a big offseason for the Sixers. While MVP center Joel Embiid is on a long-term contract, his co-star James Harden will reach free agency if he turns down his 2023/24 player option and has been repeatedly linked to the Rockets. Harden offered Rivers a very lukewarm endorsement following Sunday’s loss, so it’s possible the 10-time All-Star will be more inclined to remain in Philadelphia under a new head coach.

As for Rivers, it’s unclear at this point whether he’ll immediately emerge as a candidate to take over as the head coach for another NBA team. There are four clubs besides the Sixers with head coaching vacancies: Milwaukee, Phoenix, Toronto, and Detroit.