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Latest On Clippers’ Coaching Search

May 22nd, 2013 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers officially announced yesterday that they wouldn't be bringing back Vinny Del Negro to coach the team next season, and that the search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Considering the Clips are coming off a 56-win season and a division title, and expect to keep their core intact, barring a surprising Chris Paul decision, there will be no shortage of coaching candidates interested in the position. Here are the early rumblings on L.A.'s search:

Nate McMillan is also among the candidates for the Clippers' head coaching opening, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. According to Turner's source, McMillan is one of about five candidates being seriously considered by the Clippers.

Earlier updates:

Del Negro and owner Donald Sterling never actually met in person last weekend, but had an extended phone conversation that a source described to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com as "positive."
According to Shelburne's source, Sterling told Del Negro he was optimistic the team would bring him back, but that there "were some issues with the players" to sort through. "Obviously they couldn't work through those issues with the players, or, player," the source said, referring to Paul.
After letting him go, the Clippers told Del Negro they'd do whatever they could to help him find another job, writes Shelburne.
The Clippers intend to move quickly in their search, says Shelburne, identifying Brian Shaw, Byron Scott, Michael Malone, and Alvin Gentry as likely candidates.
Although Gentry has worked for the Clippers in the past, he left on "great terms" and is still friendly with Sterling and Clips president Andy Roeser, tweets Shelburne.
Phil Jackson won't be considered for the Clippers' position, according to Shelburne, who hears from a source that the team feels it would be "too creepy" to pursue a coach engaged to the owner of the Clippers' crosstown rival.
While Paul is expected to have some sway in the Clippers' decision, Shelburne hears that he's currently more interested in watching how the team handles the situation rather than asserting his own opinions.
Hall of Fame writer Mark Heisler tweets that Lionel Hollins sits atop the Clippers' wish list, though Sterling denied to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times that he was in San Antonio on the weekend to scout the Grizzlies coach.

Phil Jackson Talks Seattle, Nets, Howard

May 21st, 2013 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Phil Jackson appeared on the Dan Patrick Show (video link) this morning to promote his new book, to compare Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and to address a few more items of note. The Zen Master confirmed to Patrick that he doesn't intend to return to coaching, but did talk about another job he had discussed with the prospective Seattle ownership group. Here are a few highlights from Jackson's appearance:

On whether he would have been involved with a Seattle franchise had the Kings relocation been approved:

"I had an agreement with the guy that put the deal together for Seattle…. Chris Hansen. I thought he was dynamic, I thought he had great ideas. He went through the whole process of getting an arena. He did everything right, except win the franchise. But his vision I could buy into. I thought he had the right vision for a team. And he made basically the offer of take what you want to take as a job — a consultant, if you want to be an owner, be a part-owner, work in the basketball operations side of it if you want to, or coach. It didn't matter to him. We talked about a number of things that would progress the team that was going to move, which was Sacramento, which is a team that has to improve to be a significant team that's going to stay in Sacramento."

On whether the Clippers have reached out to him:

"No, I've never had any contact with Clippers management."

On the best offer he has received recently:

"Well, the Brooklyn situation I think is a good situation…. That was coaching, basically. They wanted to know if I was still interested in coaching."

On whether he thinks Dwight Howard will re-sign with the Lakers:

"Would you, if you felt like your game wasn't going to be featured?"

Stein’s Latest: Clippers, David West, Ujiri, Nets

May 21st, 2013 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Marc Stein passes along a few notable tidbits in his latest piece for TrueHoop, including word of a potential Clippers target, a Phil Jackson update, and some items on the coaching front. Let's dive in and check out the highlights….

"Whispers are already swirling" that the Clippers intend to make a hard run at free-agent-to-be David West, says Stein. West and the Pacers seem to be mutually interested in a reunion, and Indiana will have the ability to offer West much more than the Clippers could, barring a sign-and-trade. But Stein points out that if West's old teammate Chris Paul re-signs in Los Angeles, the Pacers forward figures to be interested in at least listening to a Clippers pitch.
The Nuggets remain confident that they'll be able to hang on to Masai Ujiri, despite rumblings that the Raptors may offer him an annual salary of $2MM+. Ujiri had reportedly been making about $500K with the Nuggets, according to Stein, so he appears in line for a raise no matter which team he ends up running.
According to Stein, some league observers "remain convinced" that Phil Jackson's flirtations with various teams are designed to convinced Jim Buss to cede his organizational power with the Lakers to Jeanie Buss, which could allow Jeanie to bring Jackson aboard to run the team's basketball operations.
Part of the reason the Nets' coaching search has been moving slowly so far is that two of the team's top potential targets remain active in the playoffs — Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and Pacers assistant Brian Shaw. Stein adds that Ettore Messina, who is rumored to be a candidate for the Hawks, isn't on the Nets' list.
While the Nets and perhaps the Clippers appear to have interest in Hollins, the Grizzlies appear determined to lock him up to a new contract once their season ends, says Stein.

Atlantic Rumors: Amare, Prigioni, Jackson, Rondo

May 19th, 2013 at 11:45am CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith might have cost himself millions with his poor showing following his suspension in the playoffs this season, but that could make a return to the financially hamstrung Knicks a stronger possibility. He reiterated his desire to retire as a Knick after last night's elimination at the hands of the Pacers, though he still figures to opt out of his $2.9MM contract for next season. With the final Atlantic Division team done for 2012/13, it's time to look ahead to the summer, and that's the focus as we round up the latest from the Atlantic:

Amare Stoudemire didn't start any games this season, but he thinks a lineup featuring him alongside Carmelo Anthony could work, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post. "We didn’t give it a chance," Stoudemire said. "We need to understand exactly what my style of play is and what I bring to the table. It’s something I have to sit down with Coach Woody (Mike Woodson) and express to him."
Pablo Prigioni hasn't made up his mind about whether he wants to return to the NBA next season, tweets Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal. Prigioni has spoken about going back to the Spanish league, but agent George Bass recently said his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks.
Newsday's Al Iannazzone identifies five offseason questions for the Knicks, pointing to a post threat, youth and athleticism as pressing needs.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com also chimes in on the summer ahead for the Knicks, whom he believes must "hit a home run" with the 24th overall pick this June (Insider only).
The notion that Phil Jackson could wind up overseeing the Raptors front office is "total bunk," according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
One NBA general manager tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he isn't hearing Rajon Rondo's name discussed as heavily on the trade market as it has been in the past.
Danny Ainge is open to trading the 16th pick in the draft, and there is "major speculation" that the Celtics will indeed do so, either to move up or move down in the draft order. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details amid his roundup of NBA news.

Poll: Who Should Coach USA Basketball?

May 18th, 2013 at 6:32pm CST by Spencer Lund

Mike Krzyzewski isn't ruling out returning as the coach of USA Basketball through the 2016 Olympics, Pete Thamel at SI.com reports. "There's a chance," Krzyzewski says, "That's correct." USA Men's Basketball chairman, Jerry Colangelo, said "Give it another week and we should be resolved."

The Men's Basketball national team will be meeting for a mini-camp this summer from July 22-25, but they're still not decided on a coach, unless Krzyzewski comes back to coach again after winning the gold medal at this past summer's Summer Olympics. So, do you want Coach K back, or would you prefer one of these other candidates?

Pistons To Interview Brian Shaw

May 14th, 2013 at 10:23pm CST by Spencer Lund

Brian Shaw will interview to be the new head coach of the Pistons, according to a report by WXYZ-TV passed along by Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. The former player is in the midst of a playoff run as an assistant coach with the Pacers, but once their season ends, Shaw will interview for the head coach position. Pacers president Donnie Walsh has asked that his assistants not interview for other jobs until after the team's playoff run.

In a recent article for HoopsHype, longtime Phil Jackson confidant Charley Rosen said that he wouldn't be surprised if Jackson's former player was offered the Pistons job. The Zen Master, of course, is currently serving as a hiring consultant for Detroit.

Shaw is also in the running for the Nets' head coaching position, with Larry Brown and Jackson himself on Brooklyn's list of candidates, though Jackson isn't interested in the Nets' opening. Shaw is also up for the Sixers open slot as head coach, as we learned earlier this month.

Latest On Raptors, Bryan Colangelo

May 13th, 2013 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

A report over the weekend suggested that the Raptors were likely to pick up Bryan Colangelo's option for 2013/14, bringing the longtime general manager back for at least one more season. That report indicated that the move could become official as soon as today, but with no formal announcement made yet, rumors continue to swirl about whether or not Colangelo will be retained. Here's the latest on the Raps' front office:

One source familiar with MLSE president and CEO Tim Leiweke's thinking told Bruce Arthur of the National Post that he's leaning toward replacing Colangelo, but Leiweke denies that a decision has been made yet. The MLSE board has ceded the decision to Leiweke, Arthur notes.
MLSE's next board meeting is schedule for Wednesday, and it was initially expected that there'd be resolution on Colangelo by then, but Michael Grange of Sportsnet says it's possible Leiweke waits a litte longer to make a decision.
Leiweke on the timeline, according to Grange: "I’m not going to let the board dictate the timing on this and this is no disrespect to the board. That’s not the right way to do this. I think it’s a matter of whatever time that takes is what it takes, we’re not going to knee jerk. I’m not going to let the board overrule the time and to their credit, they haven’t asked it. They’ve been very patient."
If the decision drags out much longer, Colangelo may take action preemptively and tender his resignation, according to Grange, who says that the delay may serve as evidence that Colangelo isn't Leiweke's first choice.
Leiweke seemed to acknowledge the possibility of Colangelo resigning, telling Grange, "It wouldn’t shock me that if at the end of the day, if I’m not going to give him a vote of confidence, he moves on."
Even if Colangelo doesn't return, the chances of the Raptors hiring Phil Jackson are "remote," says Grange.
With the pre-draft camp in Chicago scheduled to happen this week, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes that it's time for the Raptors to make a decision, since plenty of groundwork for future transactions could be laid in Chicago, with execs from every team in attendance.

Latest On Phil Jackson

May 11th, 2013 at 8:50am CST by Zachary Links

Phil Jackson is taking his time when it comes to deciding on his basketball future, and a source close to the situation told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the possibility of the Kings moving to Seattle could have something to do with it. The Seattle group appears to have an uphill battle on their hands but Jackson may be waiting for the possibility to be completely ruled out before giving serious thought to where to he wants to be next season.

It was reported recently that Jackson and principal Seattle investor Chris Hansen "hit it off" in a recent meeting. Meanwhile, sources say the Raptors continue to pursue Jackson and believe they have a shot to land him as team president thanks to his relationship with newly minted exec Tim Leiweke.

The Raps, though, are still in flux as they have yet to announce a decision on current team president Bryan Colangelo. One source briefed on the process expects the call on Colangelo's to come down this week in advance of the Chicago pre-draft camp. Jackson, who doesn't seem to be interested in coaching again, presumably wouldn't be a fit if Colangelo is retained for 2013/14.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Jackson, Colangelo, Celtics

May 8th, 2013 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2013 draft lottery less than two weeks away, no division has less invested in the outcome of the ping-pong balls than the Atlantic — the Celtics, Nets, and Knicks are already locked into their first-round picks, having made the playoffs, while the Sixers and Raptors, at 11th and 12th in the lottery standings, each have less than a 3% chance of jumping into the top three. The Raps have likely already resigned themselves to giving up their pick, since it will be sent to the Thunder unless it lands in the top three.

Here are a few more Wednesday notes out of the Atlantic:

Discussions between the Nets and Phil Jackson didn't get far, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who describes the conversations as "very limited" (Twitter link). Jackson simply wasn't interested in the role the Nets presented, says Shelburne.
No decisions were announced on Tuesday, but Bryan Colangelo met with the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment brass to discuss the team and Colangelo's future, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes. Resolution on whether or not the Raptors will pick up Colangelo's 2013/14 option is expected soon.
Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald breaks down the Celtics' roster position by position, noting that the makeup of next season's team will depend in large part on what happens with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Nets Contact Jackson, Like Brown And Shaw

May 7th, 2013 at 10:51pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 10:51pm: A source tells ESPN that Jackson is still open to coaching if he has a say on the roster, tweets ESPN L.A.'s Ramona Shelburne. Shelburne says that the legendary coach would prefer a front office gig, but would be willing to coach if he had power within the franchise. Jackson is a in "listen mode," not "look mode," Shelburne tweets, adding that it would have to be a perfect fit, a la Pat Riley in Miami (Twitter links here).

5:18pm: Jackson is not interested in a return to coaching and therefore will not become the next coach of the Nets, reports Tim Bontemps of the New York post, citing a league source. Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski confirms the Post report, also tweeting that Jackson's inclination remains to make his NBA return in a "broader management role."

MONDAY, 8:30pm: The Nets have contacted Phil Jackson about the possibility of becoming their next coach, a source told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. After Jackson, the source says the list of current Nets' candidates consists of Larry Brown and Brian Shaw.

Nate McMillan, Jeff Van Gundy, and Stan Van Gundy aren't on the list, the source said, but that could change if the Nets strike out on their aforementioned top three choices. Celtics coach Doc Rivers would interest the Nets though if the Celtics agree to let him out of his current contract, the source said.

Jerry Sloan is a long-shot candidate for the gig, even though Deron Williams recently endorsed him. Nets GM Billy King understands that Jackson is not likely to come to Brooklyn to coach, but he is open to bringing Jackson into the front-office, according to the source. Jackson would perhaps join the Nets as the team's president while also getting a slice of stake in the club's ownership.

Shaw would be a likely coaching candidate if Jackson joined the Nets front office thanks to the prior ties between the two.