Phil Jackson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Phil Jackson Interested In Return To NBA

April 17th, 2013 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

It's been nearly two years since Phil Jackson's Lakers were eliminated from the postseason by the eventual-champion Mavericks, effectively ending Jackson's coaching career. But after two seasons off, Jackson has become "increasingly interested" in working in the NBA again next season, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.

Stein and Shelburne clarify that Jackson may not be interested in returning in a coaching capacity, since he's more intrigued by the possibility of joining a front office and running a franchise. According to the duo's sources, Jackson is interested in the "opportunity to oversee an organization" like Pat Riley in Miami, or Larry Bird's former role with the Pacers. There was some speculation earlier in the year that if the Seattle ownership group landed the Kings, they may also pursue Jackson for a prominent front office position.

Jackson's interest in a front office role doesn't necessarily mean he has ruled out coaching opportunities. Although he told SheridanHoops.com in January that he had no intention of coaching again, that won't stop teams, such as perhaps the Nets and Cavaliers, from approaching the 11-time champion about potential vacancies this summer. A return to the Lakers, however, is highly unlikely, according to the ESPN.com report.

If no opportunties arise that Jackson views as ideal fits, remaining retired is also a possibility for the Zen Master, according to Stein and Shelburne.

Eastern Notes: Nets, Raps, Maggette, Heat, C’s

March 25th, 2013 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

With the Bucks currently holding a seven-game lead on the ninth-seeded Sixers for the Eastern Conference's final postseason spot, there won't be a race for the playoffs over the season's final few weeks. But if we flip the standings upside-down, there is a race developing for the best chance at June's first overall pick. A pair of Bobcats wins last week pulled them within two games of the Magic, and the two teams are set to square off in Charlotte this Wednesday. As we, uh, look forward to that contest, let's round up a few Monday items from around the conference:

Following up on the latest report linking John Calipari to the Nets, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game suggests (via Sulia) that owner Mikhail Prokhorov is too discerning to simply be interested in Calipari because the Kentucky coach is a "big name." According to Bucher, Prokhorov had genuine interest in Phil Jackson, but Bucher thinks the idea of Calipari being a worthwhile fallback option is "absurd," despite the improvements he has made since his last NBA stint.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun looks ahead to the summer and predicts which Raptors will be back with the team next season.
Corey Maggette isn't entirely sure why he hasn't played in over three months, but he isn't going to complain about his situation, as David Mayo of MLive.com writes. Earlier this month, a report suggested that Maggette and the Pistons were both open to the veteran returning to the team next year via free agency. I have to think he'll at least explore the market in search of an opportunity for more minutes though.
Responding to a reader's question in his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel agrees that Shane Battier has been the Heat's best non-Big-Three signing of this era.
Last summer, the Celtics participated in both the Orlando and Las Vegas summer leagues. However, since the C's aren't expecting to add as many young prospects to the roster this summer, they'll only participate in the Orlando league, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

Kings/Seattle Rumors: Monday

January 21st, 2013 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The possibility of the Sacramento Kings moving to Seattle appears to have taken a big step forward, as news broke last night that the Maloofs have reached an agreement to sell the franchise to the Seattle group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer. According to various reports, the Seattle group will buy 65% of the franchise for about $340MM, with the total valuation of the team at $525MM. Sacramento and mayor Kevin Johnson will still receive an opportunity to present a counter-offer to the NBA Board of Governors, but it sounds as if it may be a long shot. Here are the latest details on the team's potential sale and move:

Hansen and the Seattle Center are already working toward preparing the KeyArena for the fall, tweets Chris Daniels of KING 5 TV in Seattle.
According to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), the Maloofs approached Larry Ellison about the $525MM price, but Ellison wasn't interested. Ellison was involved in the bidding when the Warriors were sold, and reportedly inquired about buying the Grizzlies as well.

Earlier updates:

Hansen and the Maloof family have each released official statements confirming the agreement between the two sides. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee shares Hansen's statement and the Maloofs' statement via Sulia.
The NBA confirmed this morning that it has received an "executed purchase and sale agreement" for the transfer of the Kings' controlling interest. The statement reads: "The proposed transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors and has been referred to the Board's committee process for review" (link via Sam Amick of USA Today).
The relocation committee has been briefed several times on the possible move to Seattle, and is fully behind it, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. An official announcement detailing the agreement is expected to happen this week.
Wojnarowski also reports that the Seattle group is already targeting candidates to run the team's front office, including the Spurs' R.C. Buford and former Pacers president Larry Bird. With Hansen's group expected to overhaul the front office, current Kings president Geoff Petrie will likely retire at season's end, says Wojnarowski. Peter Vecsey also throws Phil Jackson into the mix as a possible candidate to run Seattle's basketball operations (Twitter link).
While the Hansen/Ballmer group has agreed to buy just 65% of the franchise initially, the group would like to buy out the remaining 35% in the near future, reports TNT's David Aldridge on NBA.com. According to Aldridge, the final agreement was signed by the Maloofs and Hansen late Saturday night.
Given the transition in ownership, the Kings aren't expected to be active at this season's trade deadline, but could make "major changes" in the summer, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
In an Insider-only FAQ for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton rounds up the key details on the potential sale of the Kings.
ESPN.com's latest 5-on-5 discussion focuses on the Maloofs' agreement with the Seattle group.

Kings/Seattle Rumors: Saturday

January 12th, 2013 at 2:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

The fate of the Kings figures to be a hot topic between now and the March 1st deadline to file for relocation. We dedicated a post to all of yesterday's rumors on a potential Kings sale, and there's more where that came from today. Here's the latest.

Another set of local bidders has come forward with interest in buying the team, as Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee report. A group of investors, including the new owners of a troubled downtown Sacramento shopping center, say they want to purchase the team and build a $400MM arena on the site of the shopping center. The same architectural and engineering firm that designed the Barclays Center in Brooklyn has already drawn up plans for the arena, according to the Bee report.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported that the Maloofs would like to retain some decision-making role if they sell the team, as we passed along yesterday, and Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game hears that the Kings owners are threatening to take a "sweetheart deal" to move the team to Anaheim if potential buyers won't give them the control they want (Sulia link). Bucher cautions that such a move could involve the Maloofs pursuing a messy antitrust suit if the Lakers try to prevent them from setting up shop in Southern California.
Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson thinks a Sacramento buyer would only have to pony up between $425MM and $450MM, as opposed to the rumored $500MM to $525MM asking price for the Seattle group. That's because there would be no relocation fee, and local ownership could assume a $77MM loan the city of Sacramento granted to the Maloofs, as Sam Amick of USA Today details.
Phil Jackson keeps saying he won't coach again, but his son Charlie is close friends with Chris Hansen, the investor at the forefront of Seattle's bid for the Kings, notes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Nonetheless, Jackson is ignoring questions about whether he would become a part of the team if Hansen's group bought it. "Some things are too premature to even talk about," Jackson said.
Answering a question about whether the Lakers would pursue Tyreke Evans, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler said the Kings won't be taking on payroll during sale negotiations, which would limit their ability to swing a trade (Twitter link). Yesterday, Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors examined Evans' trade candidacy, surmising that it wouldn't be a surprise to see the fourth-year guard remain in Sacramento this season.

Latest On Trade Candidates From Reno

January 11th, 2013 at 7:40pm CST by Sean Highkin

Marc Stein of ESPN.com attended the NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nevada this week, where many NBA GMs and executives were present. He posted a roundup of trade-related chatter he heard during the event:

The Raptors are making the hardest push for Rudy Gay, offering the Grizzlies a package that includes Jose Calderon and Ed Davis. Memphis is still undecided as to whether they will move Gay.
There is a growing sense from front offices around the league that the Lakers will not ultimately trade Pau Gasol this season.
Teams have continued to ask the Kings about DeMarcus Cousins, and were told that he is not available.
A source told Stein that it is highly unlikely the Bucks will move Brandon Jennings before the end of the season.
The Jazz are more likely to trade Al Jefferson than Paul Millsap, even though both are free agents this summer.
The Hornets are not expected to trade Eric Gordon, despite previous rumors that he may be available.
Despite his recent statement that he intends on staying retired, the Nets are still making a hard push to convince Phil Jackson to be their next head coach.
Stein lists several players as having been made known to be available by their teams, including the Raptors' Andrea Bargnani, the Spurs' DeJuan Blair, the Cavs' Omri Casspi, the Rockets' Cole Aldrich, and the Bucks' Drew Gooden, Samuel Dalembert, and Beno Udrih.

Odds & Ends: Redick, Turkoglu, Lakers, Livingston

January 11th, 2013 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up some Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:

Although J.J. Redick doesn't want to be traded by the Magic, he's not exactly thrilled with the team's 10-game losing streak, as Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets.
Tomasson also spoke to Hedo Turkoglu, who said he's not actively trying to be bought out by the Magic, though he understands if the team decides to trade him.
After telling Sheridan Hoops earlier this week that he doesn't expect to coach again, Phil Jackson reiterates the point to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), writing in an email that there's no chance he returns to the Lakers.
A collection of SI.com writers discuss what's next for the Lakers, including potential pre-trade-deadline moves, and the team's chances of re-signing Dwight Howard this summer.
Shaun Livingston tells Richard Hardy of HoopsWorld that he's hoping to stay with the Cavaliers for longer than just this season.
Having recently parted ways with agent Joel Bell, Trail Blazers guard Nolan Smith has replaced him with former Bull B.J. Armstrong of the Wasserman Media Group, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
David Mayo of MLive.com explores whether the Pistons should attempt to trade for Rudy Gay, while multiple Celtics writers discuss whether Boston should take a flier on Greg Oden (link via CSNNE.com).
In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford looks at some potential fits in June's draft for the Hornets.

Phil Jackson Has No Plans Of Coaching Again

January 8th, 2013 at 7:17pm CST by Ryan Raroque

7:37pm: According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, friends close to Phil say that while they aren't sure if he'll coach again, it's not something they would rule out. They also believe that the only way to entice Jackson out of retirement would be a situation in which he sees nothing less than a "path to the championship" (Twitter links).

7:17pm: Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com reports that Phil Jackson has no interest in returning to the NBA to coach, which quells any notion of the 67-year-old replacing P.J. Carlesimo on the Nets for now. Jackson gave an exclusive statement, saying: "I have no intention of ever coaching again.” Regardless, Sheridan believes Jackson's admittance to be more of a hedge and anticipates that the 11-time champion guru will still be contacted by teams in the future.

Interestingly enough, Jackson's words had no implication on whether or not he'd be open to joining a team in another capacity. In that case, Sheridan thinks that the Nets could thrust themselves back into the radar if they were to offer a top executive job.

This season, there have been ample rumblings of a potential comeback. In November, Jackson had been strongly linked to the Lakers before being turned away in favor of Mike D'Antoni. After Avery Johnson's exit in Brooklyn, the former New York Knick player had widely been reported to be the Nets' top target. According to Sheridan, Jackson did not elaborate on nor address Brooklyn's efforts to try to lure him to their organization either. It is also mentioned that as recently as today, the Zen Master was still drawing interest and that another team had recently been in touch to inquire about his availability.

Odds & Ends: Lakers, Rose, DeQuan Jones

January 5th, 2013 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's a 10-game night in the NBA, and the best game might be the last one to tip off, as the Warriors and Clippers square off for the second time in four days. The teams, who occupy the top two spots in the Pacific Division, will also meet January 21st, so it's a taste of playoff-level familiarity for untested Golden State. Here's more from around the Association.

Mark Heisler, writing for The New York Times, reveals that part of the reason the Lakers hired Mike D'Antoni instead of Phil Jackson was because the front office was concerned the triangle offense would minimize Steve Nash's effect on the offense.
People who've seen Derrick Rose work out believe he's almost ready to return, but the Bulls front office and coaching staff have different opinions on when the star point guard will be back on the court, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes.
The Magic can place DeQuan Jones on waivers by Monday afternoon and avoid paying him his full rookie minimum salary this season, but as Josh Robbins affirms via Twitter, it's unlikely the team will do that with the 6'8" small forward who rejoined the team's starting lineup this week.
With another bumper crop of prospects on the way, including point guard Andrew Harrison, No. 3 on the Draft Express 2014 mock, and twin brother Aaron Harrison, 13th on that list, next year's University of Kentucky team is already drawing plenty of interest from NBA scouts. Some teams will assign scouts to Lexington for the entire season, notes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter links).
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside engages Mike James in a Q&A after the 37-year-old guard signed this week with the Texas Legends of the D-League in hopes of getting a call-up from the Mavericks.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, D-Will, Bynum, Stoudemire

January 2nd, 2013 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Atlantic Division was expected to be the strongest in the Eastern Conference, and perhaps even in the NBA, this season. So far though, only the 21-10 Knicks have exceeded expectations. The Nets, Sixers, Celtics, and Raptors are a combined 56-68, putting the division one game below .500 as a whole. Here's the latest out of the underachieving Atlantic:

As we've heard before, the Nets are targeting Phil Jackson for their head coach opening, and are expected to launch their pursuit of Jackson soon. However, if they can't persuade the Zen Master to come to Brooklyn, the Nets may wait until the offseason to find a permanent solution for the position, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter links).
Current Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo doesn't want to see struggling point guard Deron Williams put so much pressure on himself, as he tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News: "I think a lot of it is the reality of what has happened to our franchise this year. It would be hard to overstate how dramatically different the franchise, the team, the expectations, the focus, everything is this year compared to last year. And he’s in the middle of the whole thing. So it’s been a big challenge. I think it’s important for me to not let him think it all revolves around him."
Asked whether there had been any progress in Andrew Bynum's recovery, Sixers GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, that there was no news at the moment. Cooney expects an update from the team next week.
Lang Greene's NBA AM piece at HoopsWorld is particularly Atlantic-heavy, focusing on Avery Bradley's return to the Celtics, Amare Stoudemire's 2012/13 debut for the Knicks, and Jrue Holiday's All-Star chances.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com also takes a look at Stoudemire's first game back with the Knicks, including Carmelo Anthony's assertion that he and Stoudemire have to focus on "not listening to what everybody has to say" about the duo's ability to play together.

Odds & Ends: Nets, D-Will, Heat, Iguodala

December 31st, 2012 at 6:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets are looking to win their third straight game under P.J. Carlesimo tonight in San Antonio, and whether or not they can pull it out, the team appears to be in no rush to begin searching for a replacement for Carlesimo. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com echoes what we've heard over the last couple days, writing that the interim head coach will get a "legit shot" to finish the 2012/13 season. Phil Jackson remains Brooklyn's "dream hire," but the club recognizes that it's difficult to hire an established coach to take over mid-season (all Twitter links). As the Nets and Spurs play one of the final games of 2012, we'll take a look at a few Monday evening odds and ends:

According to Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops, Deron Williams is "a Ferrari with engine problems" at the moment, which is particularly troublesome after the Nets signed Williams to a five-year, maximum-salary contract over the summer. D-Will says Avery Johnson's dismissal was a big wake-up call for the team as a sign of "what happens when you lose" (Twitter link via Rod Boone of Newsday), so we'll see if the point guard's performance improves in the coming weeks.
Asked about the possibility of the Heat signing Kenyon Martin, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests it's hard to argue that he wouldn't be an upgrade.
Despite being in a potential contract year, Andre Iguodala hasn't had to think about trade rumors this season, which has been a relief, as he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
The Celtics still have plenty of time to turn things around, and the impending return of Avery Bradley should provide a boost, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.