Steve Hetzel Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Johnson, Hetzel, McCullar, Jokubaitis, Brunson

July 12th, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Keon Johnson played on a two-way contract with the Nets last season and is now an unrestricted free agent. He’s trying to earn another NBA deal while playing on Brooklyn’s Summer League team.

Johnson appeared in five Nets games last season.

“It’s really their interest that they’ve shown to me at the beginning,” Johnson told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Brooklyn had interest in me during the draft. They couldn’t get me in the draft, but really just having an organization around me that is hands-on and wants to see me grow. So I feel like with the free agency that I have right now, all I’m focused on is just someone giving me the opportunity to play ball. I feel like everything else will settle itself whenever I step out onto the court. But right now I’m just focused on step [one], being on the court and showing what I can do.”

We have more New York notes:

Jordi Fernandez and his Nets coaching staff want to establish their philosophy and approach during the Summer League, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “From our standpoint, as a group, as a coaching staff from Jordi and also the front office, we don’t see our style of play changing necessarily with our roster compared to the summer league,” Summer League coach Steve Hetzel said. “And that’s the importance of summer league is to set a foundation of how we want to play. … We want our Brooklyn Nets team to be disruptive, physical and help, and we want to play fast and share the ball. So the messaging, it will just carry over into that team.”
Knicks second round pick Kevin McCullar won’t play in the Summer League, The Athletic’s Fred Katz tweets. The 56th pick of the draft out of Kansas is still rehabbing a knee injury he suffered in his final college season.
Rokas Jokubaitis, a 2021 draft pick, is on the Knicks’ Summer League roster but he’s apparently returning to Europe, rather than coming to the Knicks’ training camp. After three years with Barcelona, the draft-and-stash prospect is close to returning to Zalgiris Kaunas in his home country Lithuania, according to Donatas Urbonas of Basket News.
Jalen Brunson‘s extension includes a 15% trade kicker, Katz tweets. The Knicks star guard signed the four-year extension on Friday.

New York Notes: Nets, Tsai, Brunson, Knicks, Randle

May 31st, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have formally announced Jordi Fernandez‘s coaching staff for the 2024/25 season, officially confirming (via Twitter) that previously reported names like Steve Hetzel, Juwan Howard, and Jay Hernandez will be among the assistants flanking the first-time head coach.

Hernandez is a carryover from last season’s staff, as are Adam Caporn, Ryan Forehan-Kelly, Corey Vinson, and Travis Bader. Besides Hetzel and Howard, the newcomers include Deividas Dulkys and Connor Griffin, whose hirings were also previously reported.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York-based teams, starting with Brooklyn:

The Nets don’t publicly share the names of the prospects they’re working out during the pre-draft process, but as NetsDaily relays, a few names are being reported. For instance, Rick Pitino tweeted earlier this month that St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins “killed” his workout with Brooklyn, while Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Thursday (via Twitter) that the Nets are among the teams that have worked out Adelaide 36ers wing Trentyn Flowers, who has also gotten a look from the Wizards, Bucks, Kings, Rockets, and Spurs, and has workouts on tap with the Lakers, Suns, Hornets, Jazz, Bulls, and Celtics.
While New York City has a history of bombastic sports team owners, Joe Tsai of the Nets has made it clear he doesn’t intend to be one of them, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “My first principle is don’t treat yourself too seriously. Don’t become the face of the franchise, because it’s not about you,” Tsai said recently. “Fans don’t care about you: They care about the players. They care about the star players. … You work for the fans. So you have to come in with that mindset, especially when you own a major sports team in a major city. It’s an institution. It’s not about you. It’s something that’s much much bigger than you and I feel like I’m a custodian of the team.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required) takes a closer look at Jalen Brunson‘s contract situation, writing that while the Knicks’ point guard may ultimately be willing to sign an extension this offseason, he’d likely be in better position to maximize his long-term earnings if he waits until 2025.
Fred Katz and Seth Partnow of The Athletic recently discussed the Knicks‘ offseason. According to Partnow, various analytics models had Isaiah Hartenstein‘s 2023/24 season valued in the range of $28-35MM. The 26-year-old center made $9.25MM this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. New York only holds his Early Bird rights, which means it will be somewhat limited (four years, $72.5MM) in what it can offer him. A recent report said people around the league think Hartenstein could receive $20-25MM annually on his next deal, and potentially losing him would certainly dampen Partnow’s view of the Knicks. Katz and Partnow also discuss the pros and cons of Julius Randle and ways in which the Knicks can improve next season, among other topics.
Speaking of Randle, the injured All-Star forward said he’s recovering well from shoulder surgery, though he still isn’t doing on-court work yet, per Bondy of The New York Post. One of New York’s main offseason questions is what to do with Randle, who is eligible for a lucrative extension this summer. For his part, the 29-year-old said he wants to stay long-term. “Yeah, I’ve always said from the very beginning I would love to be here in New York and I would love to continue to add on to what the guys did in the playoffs,” said Randle, who can also become a free agent in 2025. “I feel like that was my personal — biggest personal goal, or I’d say team goal in a sense, was when I got here is to be able to build and compete and to be at the point where we’re at now, where it’s an actual possibility (to win a championship). So really, that’s what my focus is, doing whatever I can to make sure I get healthy and get back and make sure I’m ready whenever we start playing again and contribute to winning. That’s really all my focus is and that stuff always in my career has taken care of itself.”

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

New York Notes: Tsai, Nets’ Coaching Staff, Knicks Offseason

May 26th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets owner Joe Tsai said while fielding questions in a public event that the franchise needs to take a long-term vision toward success, according to NetsDaily.com. He also hinted changes are coming beyond the coaching staff shakeup already made.

“Brooklyn Nets is at a crossroads in a way,” he said. “I think we are … we didn’t do well as we expected last season. We didn’t make the playoffs, but we hope to revamp the team and make sure we can compete … in the long run.”

That approach is a stark contrast from a couple of years ago, when the team went all-in with superstars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

“If you just want to win now, you could ruin their future by trading away all our assets and just win now,” Tsai said. “But I think what I want to do with the Brooklyn Nets is take a longer-term approach and build a winning sustainable winning culture.”

We have more from the New York clubs:

The choices Jordi Fernandez made for his Nets staff prove that the franchise is clearly looking toward development, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Most notably, Fernandez hired Steve Hetzel, whom the first-year head coach refers to as his “coaching father.” Current Cavs GM Mike Gansey hired Hetzel as the head coach of their G League affiliate with Fernandez as his assistant in 2013. The next season, he promoted Fernandez when Hetzel left. “Your young players are going to get better every single day between those two,” Gansey told Lewis. “Obviously Jordi’s great, but now adding Hetz, it’s just more ammunition. Guys are gonna get better, you’re gonna play fast, it’s gonna be fun.”
Just because the Knicks nearly reached the Eastern Conference Finals despite being decimated by injuries, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to replicate or surpass that success, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. Vaccaro notes how other New York teams were weighed down by high expectations.
In a subscriber-only story, Newsday’s Steve Popper takes a long look at the Knicks’ offseason priorities and free agents.

Atlantic Notes: Hetzel, Nets, Maxey, Thibodeau, Celtics

April 22nd, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets are hiring veteran assistant coach Steve Hetzel to be part of Jordi Fernandez‘s new staff in Brooklyn, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Hetzel was an assistant coach in Portland for the past three seasons under Chauncey Billups. Prior to his stint with the Blazers, he worked on Steve Clifford‘s staffs in both Charlotte (2014-18) and Orlando (2018-21).

Perhaps most notably, Hetzel was the head coach of the Canton Charge in the G League during the 2013/14 season. Fernandez was an assistant on his staff that year before taking over as the Charge’s head coach for the next two seasons after that.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Sixers have listed guard Tyrese Maxey as questionable to play in Game 2 on Monday due to an illness that forced him to miss this morning’s shootaround, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In an anonymous player poll conducted by The Athletic, 47% of the respondents named Tom Thibodeau as the head coach they’d least want to play for. However, Thibodeau’s Knicks players were prepared to go to bat for him, as Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. “Nobody’s in our locker room and everybody that talks is on the outside of our locker room. They don’t know what goes on,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “Thibs is a great leader. He’s a great head coach and he’s done an amazing job this year not only dealing with injuries in and out of the lineup but also getting the best out of every single player on our team. I’m having a career year. Different guys on the team are having career years.”
The Celtics have made at least the Eastern Conference Finals in five of the last seven postseason but haven’t won a title during that time. Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores how last year’s additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday give the team a new dimension and raise its ceiling entering the 2024 playoffs.
Porzingis passed a key test in Game 1 on Sunday vs. Miami, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com, scoring 18 points and finishing as a +17 in his 34 minutes. Porzingis – who had only played in 10 playoff games, including none since 2021 – lacks the extensive postseason experience of his fellow Celtics starters, but he showed on Sunday that he’s up to the challenge with the stakes raised, says Robb.

Western Notes: J. Jackson, Gasol, Blazers, Kings, Christie

August 3rd, 2021 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

A total of 56 free agents reached contract agreements with teams around the NBA on Monday, but not a single one of those players is signing with the Grizzlies. That’s by design though, according to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who writes that Memphis’ plan was always to have a quiet free agent period and focus on negotiating a potential contract extension with Jaren Jackson Jr.

One of 24 players eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, Jackson won’t get a maximum-salary deal like Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman has suggested that the former fourth overall pick remains very much in the franchise’s long-term plans.

“I think we’re going to be our best selves over time with Jaren,” Kleiman said after the draft, per Barnes. “Spacing the floor, attacking, creating, defensively taking advantage of the versatility he brings to the table.”

Here’s more from around the West as we wait for day two of free agency to start heating up:

When Marc Gasol signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Lakers last summer, there was some speculation that he might decide to retire after the 2020/21 season. That’s not his plan though. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN tweets, Gasol told reporters following Spain’s elimination from the Olympics on Tuesday that he intends to continue his NBA career and finish his contract with L.A.
The Trail Blazers formally announced Chauncey Billups‘ coaching staff in a press release on Monday, confirming that previously-reported assistant coaching hires such as Scott Brooks, Roy Rogers, Steve Hetzel, and Edniesha Curry are now official. Former Long Island Nets assistant Milt Palacio will also be part of Billups’ staff, according to the team.
Doug Christie is moving from the broadcast booth to the sidelines, as the Kings officially announced the former NBA player and veteran TV analyst will be joining Luke Walton‘s staff as an assistant coach. Christie, who played for Sacramento from 2000-05, said in a statement that coaching for the Kings has been a “dream of mine.”

Western Notes: Pelinka, Hetzel, Finley, Brunson, Rockets

July 28th, 2021 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mental toughness is one of the things the Lakers focus on regarding draft prospects, Jovan Buha of the Los Angeles Times writes. They have devised a 90-second shooting drill, among others, to help determine how well players can perform under pressure.

“It’s really a test of, ‘OK, it’s one thing to walk in the gym fresh and move and shoot and be effective. But how are you playing basketball once you’re exhausted, once you’re past your limits?’” president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said. “Because that’s the fourth quarter. That’s when the game’s on the line. Can you perform at a high level when you’ve spent everything you have? And that’s the mentality that we know Kobe (Bryant) always played with. And so we have drills that test that fortitude.”

The Lakers hold the No. 22 pick, though they might trade it to help improve the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Buha adds.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Steve Hetzel is expected to join Chauncey Billups’ Trail Blazers’ staff, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweets. Hetzel had been on the Magic’s staff under former head coach Steve Clifford.
Michael Finley is finalizing a new contract with the Mavericks which will give him a larger role in their front office as assistant GM and VP of player personnel under new president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, Marc Stein of Substack tweets. Finley had been Dallas’ VP of basketball operations for the past six seasons.
Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, who could become an unrestricted free agent next summer, might be part of any major trade the team makes in the coming days, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes. Brunson, whose $1.82MM salary must be guaranteed on August 1st, is a valuable asset the Mavs could use to reel in a bigger target, Townsend notes.
The Rockets have forged a partnership with Credit Karma Money as their new uniform patch sponsor, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The Rockets played last season without a uniform patch sponsor after the agreement with ROKiT cell phones ended before the 2020 summer restart.

Penny Hardaway Emerges As Serious Candidate For Magic Job

June 27th, 2021 at 6:03pm CST by JD Shaw

The Magic interviewed University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway for their head coaching position, with Hardaway now emerging as a serious candidate for the job, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

Hardaway, who played six seasons with Orlando from 1993-99, has coached at the University of Memphis for the past three years. He’s considered to be one of the top guards in Magic history, making the All-Star team four times during his tenure with the franchise.

The Magic and coach Steve Clifford parted ways earlier this month after finishing the season 21-51 — that was the third-worst record in the league. The team has missed the playoffs in seven of its last 10 seasons and is currently in a rebuilding phase.

Along with Hardaway, Orlando has requested to interview Suns assistant Willie Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.

The team has already interviewed Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and is expected to interview current assistants Tyrone Corbin, Pat Delany and Steve Hetzel, along with Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., says Charania. In addition, Marc Stein of The New York Times also reported (via Twitter) that Orlando requested to interview Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley.

Cavaliers Interview More Coaching Candidates

May 11th, 2019 at 6:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Members of the Cavaliers‘ front office are meeting with four candidates for their head coaching vacancy today in Denver, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

We told you earlier that Magic assistant coach Steve Hetzel had an interview, but GM Koby Altman and his staff also talked to Nuggets assistants Jordi Fernandez and Wes Unseld Jr.

Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool will interview tonight, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, while fellow Portland assistant Nate Tibbetts had a scheduling conflict and will hold his interview sometime after tomorrow’s Game 7. That will wrap up the first round of the coaching search, Fedor adds (Twitter link).

Cleveland has conducted the most wide-ranging interview process among the teams looking for a head coach. Spurs assistants Ime Udoka and Ettore Messina, former Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Jazz assistant Alex Jensen and Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley have all interviewed for the job.

Magic Assistant Hetzel Interviews For Cavs’ Job

May 11th, 2019 at 2:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic assistant Steve Hetzel interviewed for the Cavaliers coaching position on Saturday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Hetzel has worked under Steve Clifford in both Charlotte and Orlando, but has familiarity with Cleveland. He served as the team’s video coordinator and later as its G League head coach during the 2013/14 season.

Hetzel also worked four seasons as a player development coach for the Pistons and one season as an assistant video coordinator for the Spurs.

The Cavaliers have also interviewed Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, former Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Jazz assistant Alex Jensen and Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley as well as another Spurs assistant, Ettore Messina. They parted ways with Larry Drew after the season.

Larry Drew Unlikely To Coach Cavs Long-Term

January 24th, 2019 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have begun searching for a permanent head coach for 2019/20 and beyond, and Larry Drew isn’t believed to be a serious candidate, according to a report from Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. While Drew has served as Cleveland’s interim coach since Tyronn Lue‘s dismissal earlier this season, he’s unsure he’d want to return next season and doesn’t appear likely to be asked, per Vardon and Lloyd.

“I don’t know if I ever want to be a head coach again after this year,” said Drew, who has dealt with a constant stream of injuries since Lue’s ouster, guiding the Cavs to a 9-34 record.

According to Vardon and Lloyd, the Cavaliers will likely seek a first-time NBA head coach who has experience developing players and/or coaching in the G League. The club hasn’t yet begun reaching out to candidates or their agents, since the search is still in its infancy. However, The Athletic duo identifies six candidates who have ties to the Cavs or GM Koby Altman and could be fits. Those six candidates are:

Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez
Hornets assistant Steve Hetzel
Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin
Hawks assistant Chris Jent
Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley
Jazz assistant Alex Jensen

It’s not entirely clear whether Vardon and Lloyd are just speculating based on the criteria outlined by the Cavs and Altman’s history with those coaches, or if they have inside info on the club’s wish list. Either way, it seems safe to assume that at least a few of those assistants will receive consideration from Cleveland.

For now, Drew is still running the show and the 60-year-old coach admits that he’s happy Lue was let go early in the season — not because he wanted to supplant Lue, but because he believes the Cavs’ struggles this year would have been hard on the team’s former head coach, who battled stress and health issues last season.

“I wouldn’t want to see him go through this,” Drew said. “I wouldn’t want him to go through it from a physical and mental standpoint after some of the things that he went through. He deserves better after having won a championship. He deserves much, much better.”

When the Cavs initially replaced Lue with Drew, he resisted taking on the title of interim head coach until the team gave him a raise and a small financial guarantee for next season. Several months later, he still doesn’t sound like someone who wanted the job to begin with, as Vardon and Lloyd relay.

“I wasn’t looking to do this. I was not looking to do this at all,” Drew said. “But it happened. Ain’t a whole lot you can do about it.”