Steve Hetzel Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Chalmers, Magic, Foster, Hawks

June 4th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agents and former Heat teammates Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers have been working out together in Miami, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. They were Miami’s starting backcourt during its championship runs in 2012 and 2013. Wade finished last season with the Heat, while Chalmers played for the Grizzlies. They have been working out at DBC Fitness, a Miami gym run by David Alexander, one of LeBron James‘ trainers, Winderman notes.

In other news around the Southeast Division:

New Magic coach Steve Clifford is bringing in two of his former Hornets assistants in Pat Delany and Steve Hetzel, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Both worked under Clifford the past four seasons. New Knicks coach David Fizdale was interested in bringing on Delany to his staff, Stein adds.
Greg Foster will join the staff of new Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. Foster had been an assistant with the Bucks since 2014.
Georgia forward Yante Maten is among the draft prospects the Hawks will work out on Tuesday, according to a team release. Elijah Stewart (USC), Isaiah Wilkins (Virginia), Melvin Frazier (Tulane), Elijah Brown (Oregon) and Trevon Bluiett (Xavier) are also scheduled to visit.

Southeast Notes: Zeller, Vonleh, Anderson, Wiz

June 18th, 2014 at 6:04pm CST by Alex Lee

Today’s news that Josh McRoberts has opted out of his contract, while widely expected, promises to make a busy offseason in Charlotte even busier. The Hornets have two first round picks and, as GM Rich Cho tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte observer, there are plenty of teams looking to make moves heading into next Thursday’s talent-rich draft (Twitter links).

Here are some additional updates from the Southeast division:

Bonnell also tweets that Cho is still very much committed to the development of Cody Zeller, who the Hornets took fourth overall in last summer’s draft. Should Charlotte select a power forward next Thursday, it would not be an indictment of Zeller according to Bonnell.
The Hornets were supposed to host one of the draft’s premier bigs today in Noah Vonleh, but Adam Zagoria of SNY tweets that the Indiana product pulled out of the workout. Vonleh is almost certain to be off the board by the time Charlotte is on the clock at No. 9.
Kyle Anderson will work out for the Hawks on Monday, reports Zagoria. It will be Anderson’s second workout in Atlanta. Zagoria reported a few weeks back that the Hawks had been trying to get the intriguing UCLA product back in town. Atlanta picks 15th.
The Wizards will work out Davion Berry, Andre Dawkins, Cory Jefferson, Shawn Jones, Wally Judge and James McAdoo on Thursday, the team announced today.
The Hornets officially announced via a team release that they have added Steve Hetzel as an assistant coach. Hetzel coached the Canton Charge of the D-League this season.

And-Ones: Nash, T’Wolves, Knicks, Hornets

May 29th, 2014 at 10:48pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Steve Nash tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles that he doesn’t need to have any input on the Lakers’ head coaching search. “I’m completely happy to have a conversation…but I’m also fine having nothing to do with it.”

The former MVP also talked about how he got the sense that Mike D’Antoni wasn’t going to return for 2014/15. “(2013/14) wasn’t an enjoyable year for him. I think he could foresee that next year wasn’t going to be any more enjoyable from his standpoint, so I’m happy for him that he was able to walk away…towards the end of the season (I) could sense that he felt that he really didn’t want to do it next year…So, if that’s his wish, you want the best for him.”

Nash does, however, think that his former coach could possibly find another opportunity to coach again elsewhere soon. “I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he ended up with another job in the short term.”

Here are a few more miscellaneous links to pass along tonight:

Timberwolves GM Milt Newton says that the team isn’t in any rush to find a head coach, but conceded that they do have more of a timetable on possible trade talks about Kevin Love, reports Marcus R. Fuller of the Pioneer Press. Newton says he hasn’t spoken with Love since the season ended, but added that “maybe” there was more recent contact between Love and team president of basketball operations Flip Saunders.
The Knicks plan to purchase a mid-to-late second round pick from the upcoming draft, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Hornets are willing to part with their draft picks if the right deal comes along, reports Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer, who also writes that the team’s biggest needs are perimeter shooting and finding a backup big man for Al Jefferson.
Charlotte plans to add Steve Hetzel as an assistant coach on Steve Clifford’s staff, according to an earlier tweet by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Hetzel has been serving as head coach of the Canton Charge of the NBDL.
Larry Bird will have to think hard about matching any offer that Pacers swingman Lance Stephenson gets in upcoming free agency, senses Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

Cavs Notes: D-League, Deng

February 12th, 2014 at 7:17pm CST by Cray Allred

Steve Hetzel, coach of the Cavs D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, gives Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside some insight as to how the developmental process works for Cleveland: “We all talk and communicate about when they’ll be sent down, their overall expectations and how they’ll be able to be coached. They allow me to coach these guys as if they’re my players. It’s a good relationship in the sense that we give constant feedback to each other on when we’re going to have those players and what they want the players to work on in-game. It’s a real benefit to be directly affiliated with the Cavs because it’s a struggle for teams who don’t have a direct NBA affiliation.”
Here’s more from Cleveland:

In the same interview, Hetzel doesn’t rule out the possibility of an Anthony Bennett assignment, telling Schmidt, “That’s completely up to Coach [Mike] Brown and the Cavs organization. If they want to send him down, we’d be open arms. Right now Bennett is getting time with Cleveland and if you’re getting minutes in the NBA, then that’s the best experience that you can get. Whether he’s flourishing or struggling, he’ll improve with the playing time that he gets. If that time comes, we’ll cross that bridge as it happens.” Bennett’s play has finally picked up in recent days, after his historically poor play for a number one pick had some calling for him to get some time in the D-League.
Rival executives believe new Cavs GM David Griffin‘s best option going forward would be trading recently acquired Luol Deng and trying to land a premium first-round pick in this year’s draft, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Since it appears unlikely that Deng will stay with Cleveland beyond this season, Kennedy thinks buyers would see value in obtaining him now, while he still has his Bird Rights, to have a leg up on signing him to a long-term contract extension. Deng can be traded a second time this season with some limitations: he cannot be dealt back to the Bulls and he cannot be traded away along with any other Cavs players.
The Cavs have recalled rookie Sergey Karasev from the D-League, per Cavs.com. Karasev has been in the D-League since being assigned late last month, and has totaled 17 games in his time with the Cavs.

Odds & Ends: Bulls, Beasley, Heat, Cavaliers

September 11th, 2013 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Wednesday odds and ends from around the NBA….

The Bulls have some good assets in the pipeline, such as Nikola Mirotic, a Bobcats first-round pick, and the opportunity to clear some cap space next summer. Nonetheless, this year's roster may provide Chicago its best chance at a title over the next few years, says Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, wondering if 2013/14 will be the current core's final run.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times explores a similar topic, writing that the Bulls' apparent willingness to let Luol Deng hit unrestricted free agency in 2014 indicates the team may have its eye on other targets.
As teams consider whether to take a flier on free agent Michael Beasley, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com cautions that Beasley's potential and talent may have been overstated. The troubled forward hasn't been effective since he played at Kansas State and has regressed in each of his NBA seasons, says Deeks.
Due to increasing tax penalties, many NBA teams, including the Heat, figure to be less inclined to carry the maximum 15 players this season, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in his latest mailbag.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Amin Elhassan lists the top 30 potential free agents of 2014, ranked in order of their expected average annual salary.
The Cavaliers officially announced today that Steve Hetzel will coach the team's D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge.

Eastern Notes: Ayon, Cavs, Heat, Bucks

September 4th, 2013 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

While the Heat, Pacers, Bulls, Nets, and Knicks are generally viewed as locks to earn postseason spots in the Eastern Conference, those final three spots are up for grabs, and Lang Greene of HoopsWorld argues that the Raptors are being overlooked as a contender. In his NBA AM piece, Greene takes a look at the Raps, writing that they'll be competing with clubs like the Pistons, Hawks, Wizards, Cavs, and Bucks for those last few playoff berths in the East. Here are a few more Wednesday items out of the conference:

Even when he was released by the Bucks, Gustavo Ayon didn't consider returning to Europe, as he tells Gonzalo Aguirregomezcorta of ESPNDeportes.com. The Hawks ultimately claimed Ayon off waivers, and the Mexican big man is looking forward to trying to carve out a larger role in Atlanta.
The Cavaliers are still working to finalize the details, but they'll hire Steve Hetzel to coach their D-League squad, the Canton Charge, according to Bob Finnan of the News-Herald. Hetzel has served as the Pistons' player development coach for the last several seasons.
Ira Winderman's Wednesday mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel is an all-Michael Beasley edition, but Winderman can't fathom the Heat looking into bringing back its former second overall pick.
The Bucks have officially announced the assistant coaches who will be a part of Larry Drew's staff in 2013/14.