Phil Jackson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Harden, McMillan, Jackson, Wolves

November 12th, 2012 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than two weeks into the NBA season, the Association's two biggest stories so far have come from two teams expected to compete for the Western Conference crown — the Thunder's trade of James Harden, and the Lakers' coaching change. We have updates on both Harden and the new Lakers coach, along with a few other notes out of the West, so let's check them out:

The final year of Harden's max-salary deal with the Rockets is only 50% guaranteed, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (via Twitter). However, Deeks adds in a second tweet that there are a number of conditions Harden could meet to ensure it becomes fully guaranteed.
Mike D'Antoni is expected to reach out to Nate McMillan to offer him a spot as defensive assistant on his Lakers staff, reports Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link), people around the NBA expect Phil Jackson to take a job within the next year, since he's interested in returning if a team can meet his demands.
Wesley Johnson spoke to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld about adjusting to a new situation in Phoenix, and the Suns' prospects for the 2012/13 season.
With Chase Budinger set for knee surgery, the Timberwolves could ask the league for an injury exception to add a player without cutting anyone, but it doesn't appear they will, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

Reactions To Lakers’ Hiring Of Mike D’Antoni

November 12th, 2012 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

After appearing for most of the weekend as if they were on track for a reunion with former head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers pulled off a shocker late last night, announcing that Mike D'Antoni would be Mike Brown's successor in Los Angeles. With reactions continuing to flood in, we'll round up some of the early takes right here:

D'Antoni may not be able to match Jackson's Hall of Fame credentials, but he'll be a fine fit for the Lakers, opines Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com doesn't believe that D'Antoni is a "championship coach," arguing that the Lakers would've been better off hiring any of the other reported candidates (Sulia links).
Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times tweets that D'Antoni will fit better in L.A. than in New York, where he didn't have the point guard talent necessary for his system.
Kobe Bryant let the Lakers know he was fine with the team hiring D'Antoni, according to J.A. Adande of ESPN.com (via Twitter). However, in a piece for ESPN's Daily Dime, Adande writes that D'Antoni's fit with Dwight Howard will be even more crucial for the Lakers.
If nothing else, D'Antoni will make the Lakers a much more fun team to watch, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Billy Witz of FOX Sports thinks the Lakers will regret not getting a deal done with Jackson.
Jackson was the popular choice among Lakers fans, but they may come around on D'Antoni, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
Also at USA Today, Adi Joseph examines how individual players on the Lakers will mesh with D'Antoni.
D'Antoni will be motivated to prove that he can win a title and to prove that he deserved the Lakers job more than Jackson, says Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.
According to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, D'Antoni is just a one-dimensional as Brown, and the Lakers' roster is too old for his style of play.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com looks at a few ways the marriage of D'Antoni and the Lakers could go wrong.

Lakers Coaching Rumors: Sunday

November 11th, 2012 at 9:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

As the Lakers zero in on Phil Jackson to be their next coach, Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports that the Lakers are only focused on winning titles this season and next, and plan to make payroll cuts thereafter to curb luxury tax penalties. Here's the rest of what we're hearing, from Ding and others.

Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Lakers guard Steve Nash's first two choices for a new coach are Jackson and D'Antoni.
David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets that D'Antoni is believed to be the Lakers' second choice should they not land Jackson, with Mike Dunleavy third on the list.
The New York Daily News' Frank Isola believes Jackson's return to the Lakers is inevitable.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Lakers have not contacted former Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan about the job opening.
If the Lakers hire Jackson, he would likely make his debut Friday against the Suns, but could possibly coach the team Tuesday versus the Spurs, Ding reports.
Jackson is expected to give the Lakers an answer about the job on Monday, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. "He's intrigued by the job but not completely sure it's the right thing to do," a source told Broussard.
Jackson's deal would be for two years, and he would attend a limited number of road games, Broussard reports in the same piece.
A representative for one of the top coaches on the market tells Broussard the Lakers would have to be especially accomodating to attract a coach other than Jackson given "the initial storm of disappointment" from fans.
If hired, Mike D'Antoni wouldn't be available to coach for another 10 days to two weeks because of his knee replacement surgery, according to Broussard's report. The Lakers don't plan on meeting with D'Antoni in person after yesterday's phone interview.
The Lakers confirmed on their website that Jackson met with executive Jim Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak yesterday, with another meeting scheduled for early next week, writes Greg Beacham of The Associated Press (via the Detroit News).
Everyone at yesterday's meeting has the belief that Jackson is likely to return, report Howard Beck and Mark Heisler of The New York Times, who add Nate McMillan to the list of coaches the Lakers will interview as backup plans that includes D'Antoni and Mike Dunleavy.
While we heard yesterday that Jackson would command an annual salary of more than $12MM, Beck and Heisler say it's likely he'll earn a bit less than that.

Odds & Ends: Lazenby, O’Bryant, Hibbert

November 10th, 2012 at 11:08pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jabari Davis of Sheridan Hoops noted a few highlights from a roundtable discussion between longtime personal friend of Phil Jackson/NBA author Roland Lazenby and the hosts of a blog talk radio show called TheOpinioNationNetwork. Most notably, Lazenby feels that Jackson's return to the Lakers is a foregone conclusion and went on to briefly talk about how Jackson would be able to handle the team's schedule, Nash's fit within the triangle offense, and where he currently stands with Jerry Buss.

While the head coaching situation in Los Angeles currently appears to be the most polarizing topic of the basketball world, we'll keep track of tonight's other rumblings from around the Association here:

There is no timetable for Clippers guard/forward Grant Hill's return to action (he has been out after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee on October 14th), although an MRI on Friday revealed that his condition hadn't worsened (Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports).
Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune mentions that Timberwolves guard Alexey Shved is starting to become more comfortable playing in the NBA: "It's so different here from Europe, it takes time…I feel pretty good. Now I'm starting to know what I can do."
Eric Patten of NBA.com makes note of DeAndre Jordan's development and it has been an important cog in the Clippers' offense.
Greg Stiemsma credits Al Jefferson and Kevin Garnett as two players who have helped with his development as an NBA player, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
Although Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy was removed from the lineup tonight because of knee soreness, coach Rick Adelman says that he won't be overly concerned for now and hopes that it's just a minor setback (Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago reports).
Former Warriors lottery-pick Patrick O'Bryant is headed abroad, as Sportando.net reports that he has been officially signed by Tiburones de Vargas of the National Basketball League of Venezuela.

Lakers, Phil Jackson ‘Getting Close’ To Deal?

November 10th, 2012 at 9:54pm CST by Zachary Links

9:54pm: In addition to rumblings that the Lakers would try to bring back Brian Shaw (currently an assistant on the Pacers) as an assistant if Jackson is hired, the former Bulls coach would reportedly consider bringing along Scottie Pippen to his staff as well (Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News reports).

9:29pm: Although this isn't much different that what has been implied before, Chris Broussard of ESPN also confirmed that Jackson's demands from today's meeting included travel restrictions for road games and an increased role in personnel decisions (Twitter link), a price which Broussard calls "steep."

8:53pm: According to Yahoo's Marc J. Spears, Jackson is expected to meet again with Lakers brass on Sunday or Monday. Should he accept an offer to coach the team, he is expected to bring former assistants Kurt Rambis, Frank Hamblen, and Jim Cleamons on board. Most notably, Mitch Kupchak has said that money will not be an issue in negotiations.

6:30pm: Kevin Ding of the OC Register (via Twitter) says that Phil's meeting with Kupchack and Jim Buss this afternoon went well.

5:45pm: Sam Amick credits a source close to Jackson who told USA Today that a deal would get done barring something significant. Mike Trudell of Lakers.com tweets that Jackson, Kupchak, and Jim Buss have all agreed to meet again within the next several days, also mentioning that Bernie Bickerstaff will remain as the interim coach in the meantime.

Kobe Endorses Phil Jackson Return

November 10th, 2012 at 8:31am CST by Zachary Links

While he has ties to several of the coaches that are said to be in the mix for the Lakers job, Kobe Bryant gave a little extra support to one in particular. The guard told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that he is pulling for the return of his former coach Phil Jackson.

"We have a good enough relationship where he knows where I stand," Bryant said. "He's realistically the greatest coach to ever coach in any sport. It's as simple as that. He's that for a reason. When you have the greatest coach of all time in any profession out there available you have to reach out to him."

Other candidates for the job include Mike D'Antoni, Brian Shaw, Nate McMillan, and Mike Dunleavy. While Bryant's preferred choice would be Jackson, he said that he wouldn't be disappointed if the Lakers went in another direction. As Spears notes, Bryant watched D'Antoni play basketball in Italy growing up and also threw his support behind Shaw to take the Lakers job following Jackson's departure.

Jackson, D’Antoni Top List Of Lakers Candidates

November 9th, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:59pm: TNT's David Aldridge hears the Lakers are pursuing Phil Jackson "like crazy," but he would likely command a salary of more than the $12MM he made in 2009. That would make him the league's highest paid coach by a wide margin over Celtics boss Doc Rivers, who makes $7MM a year. The decision on a coach will be made by owner Jerry Buss, and not son Jim, Aldridge says, adding that Mike D'Antoni would welcome the chance to coach Steve Nash again.

9:34pm: A meeting between the Lakers and Jackson could happen by the end of the weekend, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

8:31pm: Phil Jackson and Mike D'Antoni are the leading candidates for the Lakers head coaching position, Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com report, adding that the two coaches are "neck and neck" in the eyes of Lakers management.

The team is expected to reach out to them and several other candidates as early as Saturday morning. Shelburne hears there's "no ill will" between Jackson and Lakers executive Jim Buss.

8:27pm: Former Jackson assistants Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons are prepared to return to the bench should Jackson get the Lakers job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

8:13pm: Gary Payton, who played for the Lakers under Jackson, doesn't foresee a return, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link). "Because he’d be going back into a situation where they blasted him when he left," Payton said. "You heard all that stuff (from the Lakers) when he left that they didn’t want to hire anybody affiliated with Phil Jackson’s system. That’s why they didn’t hire (Brian Shaw). They fired everybody that was affiliated with Phil."

7:19pm: "Prominent figures" in the Lakers organization want the team to hire Jackson, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger hears Jackson wanted to coach the Knicks this summer before they recommitted to Mike Woodson, and the Zen Master would have brought former assistant coach Kurt Rambis with him. If hired by the Lakers, Jackson would have his choice of assistants to bring on board.

Berger hears other names the Lakers are considering are Mike D'Antoni, Jerry Sloan and Nate McMillan. The Lakers haven't had contact with Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, whose team wouldn't let him walk midseason, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Cavs coach Byron Scott isn't interested in the position, tweets The Plain Dealer.

6:38pm: The Lakers have compiled a list of four or five candidates to become the team's new head coach, and the list includes Phil Jackson's name, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin hears the Lakers have not yet reached out to Jackson, though a source hinted to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News that the two sides have had contact, as we passed along earlier.

Jackson, who finished his second stint as Lakers coach in 2011, is still a frequent visitor to the team's practice facility, McMenamin notes, and his longtime girlfriend is Lakers executive Jeanie Buss, daughter of team owner Jerry Buss. The 67-year-old Jackson has often cited his health as a reason why he wouldn't return to coaching, but McMenamin hears Jackson's health is "getting better and better."

Sources indicate to McMenamin that Jackson would like to bring along an assistant coach whom he could groom as an eventual replacement. Jackson was scheduled to make a speaking engagement at an investor's convention next week in Chicago, but has canceled, according to Financial Advisor magazine.

Reaction To Mike Brown Firing

November 9th, 2012 at 9:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

As the focus of the Lakers switches from what happened today to what happens next, a number of NBA reporters and other figures are weighing in the team's decision to fire Mike Brown, a move that many saw coming, but not quite as quickly as it came. Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth takes it as a sign of panic, and writes that the Lakers can't afford to make a mistake with their next hire. Michael Lee of The Washington Post concludes the task of replacing Phil Jackson was simply too daunting for Brown to handle. Here's what others are saying.

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler hears Brown was seen as "too nice" and reluctant to address problems, adding that the directive to fire Brown came from the top down, without player influence. He also believes Jackson is the clear-cut top choice, and isn't sure Jerry Sloan would be a fit (All four Twitter links).
The Buss family concluded that Brown wasn't a championship coach, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who argues that Jackson, who has won more titles as a coach than anyone, is the perfect fit.
Kobe Bryant released a statement of support for Brown on Facebook, and Royce Young of CBSSports.com praises the gesture.
Grantland's Zach Lowe examines the on-court issues that fomented the Lakers "ludicrous" decision to let Brown go today.
Mark Cuban believes the firing was a mistake, but for the sake of his Mavericks, he hopes it's the first of many miscues by the Lakers this season, as Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com passes along.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News characterizes the move as one of desperation that raises fundamental questions about the future of the organization.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel says the Lakers aren't going to hire Stan Van Gundy, but thinks they should, calling the former Magic boss "the best NBA coach available" and citing cooled tensions between Van Gundy and Dwight Howard.

Lakers Coaching Rumors: Friday

November 9th, 2012 at 6:11pm CST by Luke Adams

As national and local reporters alike continue to seek out info in relation to the Lakers' coaching opening, we'll round up all of today's new updates right here. Be sure to check out our previous posts to catch up on news of Mike Brown's firing and vote on who would make the best hire for the Lakers.

Phil Jackson is open to a return, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles, who adds that he hears the Lakers have not yet been in touch with Jackson.

Earlier updates:

Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News hears that Brown's firing has been in the works for the last two or three weeks, and Goodwill's source hinted that the Lakers have already been in contact with Phil Jackson (Twitter link).
If the Lakers wanted to hire Mike D'Antoni, he could be cleared to travel with the team later this month, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Former Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy will also be considered by the Lakers, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Speaking to the media this afternoon, GM Mitch Kupchak said he wouldn't rule out pursuing other teams' assistant coaches, but that the Lakers are more likely to hire a free agent coach (Twitter link via Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com).
Dwight Howard has told the Lakers his preference is for the team to bring back Phil Jackson, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
A source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link) that the Lakers plan to interview four or five candidates. "It's not going to be a long process, that's for damn sure," said the source.
The Lakers fired Brown without having made a short list of potential replacements, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. The team will put together a list this afternoon, according to Broussard.
Bernie Bickerstaff doesn't expect to be the Lakers' interim coach for longer than a game, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. It sounds as if that means another assistant would take over the job in the interim, rather than the Lakers completing their search that quickly.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports and J.A. Adande of ESPN.com both share tweets on the odds of Phil Jackson returning to the Lakers — the consensus seems to be that Jackson wouldn't rule it out, but that doesn't necessarily mean he wants the job.
Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register adds (via Twitter) that there don't seem to be any obstacles from either the Lakers' or Jackson's side that would preclude Jackson returning, if both parties are interested in a reunion.
When asked if they'd have interest in the Lakers' job, Brian Shaw and Jerry Sloan both declined comment, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) and Jazz announcer David Locke (Twitter link), respectively.

Latest On Lakers Coaching Candidates

November 9th, 2012 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers' decision to fire Mike Brown didn't necessarily come as a surprise, given the team's sluggish start to the season. The timing of the move, however, just five games into the regular season, was a bit of a shock, including to Brown himself — according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the coach was "caught off guard" by today's decision (Twitter link).

It appears the Lakers will make Bernie Bickerstaff the interim coach, but the team will almost certainly bring in a higher-profile name sooner or later. Here's some of the speculation flying around Twitter about possible replacements for Brown, with pros and cons for each potential candidate:

Mike D'Antoni: The Lakers are reportedly considering the former Knicks head coach, though Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com argues that only Steve Nash would benefit from a D'Antoni hire (Sulia link). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports adds (via Twitter) that D'Antoni's recent knee surgery will likely make him unable to coach until late December.
Brian Shaw: Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that Shaw was the Lakers' players choice for head coach when Phil Jackson retired. However, Marc J. Spears and Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports suggest Shaw may not be a likely candidate, considering the "acrimony that ensued" when the Lakers front office chose Brown over Shaw.
Phil Jackson: Arash Markazi of ESPNLA.com argues that Jackson is the best fit for the Lakers, rather than a rookie head coach like Shaw or Chuck Person (Twitter links). Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game says (via Twitter) that Jackson is not in the picture, however.
Jerry Sloan: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld heard from one league source earlier this week that Sloan would be the Lakers' coach by December 1st. Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News questions whether Sloan would be the best fit for a job that involves working in Los Angeles and coaching Dwight Howard (Twitter links). Bucher adds in a tweet that he can't see Sloan and Jim Buss co-existing.
Nate McMillan: Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News suggests (via Twitter) that McMillan may be the best free agent coach available. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes that, last we heard, McMillan was happy not coaching (Twitter link), but McMillan may have changed that stance recently, as Marc J. Spears tweets that the former Blazers coach is open to an NBA job. The Lakers haven't contacted him though, says Spears.