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Coach/GM Notes: McMillan, Petrie, Woodson, SVG

May 7th, 2012 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

As teams continue to play their final games of the 2011/12 season, jobs on NBA benches and in NBA front offices will begin to open up. Already, rumors are swirling about who could be on the hot seat and who could be in line for a new position, so let's round up a few Monday morning coach and GM updates….

  • It seems likely that Nate McMillan will return to an NBA bench soon, and the former Trail Blazers coach isn't necessarily interested in a win-now position, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. "Coaching is coaching," McMillan said. "It would be a new beginning for me. Young team or a veteran team….If you're saying, 'I'm just looking for a veteran team,' that's not true." There has been some speculation that McMillan could be a fit for the Bobcats.
  • McMillan's old team in Portland is seeking a GM, and Kings president Geoff Petrie has been cited as a possible candidate. Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee says that if the Blazers are interested, Petrie should listen, given Sacramento's uncertain future.
  • On a conference call with reporters this morning, Knicks coach Mike Woodson dismissed questions about his future with the team: "Right now, it's not about Mike Woodson and my contract… I'm still coaching this team and the job is not done."
  • Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel doesn't believe Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy have "kissed and made up" and says it would be impossible for both to return to the Magic next season.
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Bobcats Coaching Rumors: Silas, McMillan, Cho

April 30th, 2012 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Bobcats announced earlier today that Paul Silas wouldn't be returning to coach the team next season, they added that the search for his replacement would begin immediately. With Charlotte not wasting any time looking for a new coach, rumors about who that coach will be are already swirling. Here's the latest (all links via Twitter):

  • Silas may not be the head coach in Charlotte anymore, but he'll remain with the team in a consulting role, says Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Within the same tweet, Bonnell says Paul's son Stephen Silas will be interviewed by the Bobcats for the coaching job.
  • Former Blazers coach Nate McMillan is a North Carolina native and seems like a logical fit, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports hears that there's a "remote chance" McMillan will have interest in the position.
  • McMillan himself told Bonnell, "I certainly do want to be in coaching again, so we'll see what happens."
  • The coaching free agent market is rich, but Bobcats owner Michael Jordan will have to sell hard on the Charlotte job, says SI.com's Chris Mannix. Wojnarowski is more blunt in his assessment of the Bobcats' opening, calling it "one of the least appealing coaching jobs in modern NBA history."
  • Bobcats GM Rich Cho wants the next coach to see the job as an opportunity rather than a burden, says Bonnell. That sales pitch could probably use some work.
  • Jordan needs to hand over control of the basketball decisions to Cho, suggests Mannix.
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Blazers Notes: Crawford, Canales, Aldridge

April 27th, 2012 at 5:58pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Blazers finished the 2011/2012 season with a record of 28-38, marking their worst winning percentage in six seasons. The team faces a busy offseason as they look to rebuild their front office, coaching staff and roster. Here's the latest news and notes from the City of Roses.

  • Blazers acting general manager Chad Buchanan says the team isn't worried about Jamal Crawford's pending decision to opt out of his contract given their depth at shooting guard, tweets CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes. Buchanan points to Wesley Matthews and Elliot Williams as options to replace the former Michigan star if he elects to become a free agent. Crawford, 32, averaged 14.0 PPG and 3.2 APG in 60 games with the Blazers.
  • Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge says Buchanan expects the Blazers to pick up the team's option on interim head coach Kaleb Canales for next season (via Twitter). The team has not yet announced whether Canales would continue in his role as head coach or return to his duties as an assistant. The 33-year-old former video intern went 8-15 in 23 games with the Blazers and was applauded by the front office for always maintaining a positive attitude with his players.
  • LaMarcus Aldridge will undergo hip surgery on May 10 in Vail after last playing for the Blazers on April 9, tweets Golliver. Aldridge was enjoying a strong season before his injury as the former Texas big man was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career. The 26-year-old forward had hoped to be healthy in time to play in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London but is not expected to make the final roster cut due to his injury.
  • Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor thinks former Blazers head coach Nate McMillan was unfairly fired when the team dismissed him on March 15, reports Haynes. "He had two-and-a-half bad weeks and they fire him. I mean, that to me, I don't understand it. But that's, I guess, I shouldn't be in somebody else's business."
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Stein On Wilson Chandler, Coaching Rumors

March 30th, 2012 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Weekend Dime, ESPN.com's Marc Stein says that Wilson Chandler's long-term deal with the Nuggets isn't worth quite as much as had been previously reported. According to Stein, the contract is for $31.7MM in total, starting at $5.5MM this season and topping out at $7.2MM in 2015/16. Only $2MM of that final season is guaranteed, Stein adds.

The rest of Stein's rumors this week revolve around coaching positions, so let's dive in….

  • The Bulls hold a team option on Tom Thibodeau for next season, but the Chicago coach is "dismayed" that he hasn't been offered a lucrative contract extension, according to Stein. Stein hears that Thibodeau's displeasure with his contract situation is an "open secret in team circles."
  • Mike Woodson is increasingly hopeful of keeping the Knicks coaching job, though if Phil Jackson expressed interest in the position, rival teams assume James Dolan would do whatever it takes to sign the Zen Master.
  • The Clippers may be in the market for a new coach this summer, ideally one who could convince Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to remain in Los Angeles long-term.
  • If Stan Van Gundy were to be replaced as the Magic coach, Nate McMillan appears to be the top candidate, says Stein.
  • Stein spoke to "[John] Calipari experts," who suggested the Wildcats coach may not be inclined to give up his power and prestige at Kentucky to coach in the NBA.
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