Steve Kerr Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks, Steve Kerr Nearing Deal

May 11th, 2014 at 8:45pm CST by Charlie Adams

8:45pm: Negotiations between the two sides will “pick up” tomorrow, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).

5:46pm: Steve Kerr is close to finalizing a deal to become the head coach of the Knicks, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The two sides are still negotiating contract details, but the source tells Isola that the two parties expect to have a deal in place by early this week so that Kerr can accompany Phil Jackson to the draft combine in Chicago.

The Knicks have been considered the front-runners to land Kerr for weeks now. Golden State was dubbed as the only realistic competition for the future first-time coach’s services, but the Jazz and Lakers were said to have interest in him as well. Kerr will get the chance to learn the ropes of coaching under Jackson, who he played for in Chicago.

Isola doesn’t provide any insight as to what the terms of the deal might consist of, but Kerr was reportedly seeking a pact in the neighborhood of five years and $30MM. The deal will need to be completed by Thursday in order for Kerr to accompany Jackson to the draft combine as planned.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Brand, Celtics

May 11th, 2014 at 12:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If the Sixers pull the trigger on a trade of Michael Carter-Williams, their point guard of the future might be Dante Exum, writes Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Many believe that Exum has a higher upside than Carter-Williams, Ford notes, pointing to Carter-Williams as one of the Sixers’ most appealing trade chips.

Western Notes: Kerr, Trail Blazers, Rockets

May 10th, 2014 at 10:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Warriors are growing increasingly pessimistic about their chances of convincing Steve Kerr to turn down the Knicks in favor of Golden State’s coaching job, report Ian Begley and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Warriors fear Kerr is “too deep” into talks with the Knicks at this point, according to the article. Begley and Stein also note that their sources also stressed that Stan Van Gundy is actually the closest thing to a top target at this early stage of Golden State’s search. This feeling is based on the premise that an experienced coach can ensure that the Warriors maintain upward momentum in the competitive Western Conference, per the article.

Eastern Notes: Kerr, Anthony, Jackson

May 10th, 2014 at 6:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Steve Kerr is seeking a five-year deal worth $30MM from the Knicks, notes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. The article speculates that Kerr wants his deal to be the same length as Phil Jackson‘s, and he wants a salary comparable to Mike D’Antoni‘s $6MM per season when he was the team’s head coach. Kerr is expected to decide next week if he’ll become the next coach of the Knicks.

And-Ones: Kerr, Shengelia, Coaches

May 9th, 2014 at 10:56pm CST by Cray Allred

Tornike Shengelia is in talks to sign with a Spanish league team, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Shengalia has played in 45 games over the last two seasons for the Nets and Bulls, who waived the small forward in April. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Steve Kerr‘s agent tells Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group that there is “nothing new” for his client this evening (Twitter link). The Knicks were expected to extend a written contract offer to Kerr by the end of the day.
Sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that a decision from Kerr won’t happen until next week, due in part to formal details that need to be worked out on a contract.
In the same piece, Kerr tells Berman that he decided to finish out the playoffs as a commentator for TNT because he is under contract and it’s “the right thing to do.” Berman reports that the Knicks aren’t bothered by Kerr’s choice.
Tim Bontemps of The New York Post ranks the six head coaching vacancies in the NBA, and offers some under-the-radar candidates for each.

Warriors, Knicks, Steve Kerr Rumors: Friday

May 9th, 2014 at 8:52am CST by Chuck Myron

We put together a lengthy post Thursday on the latest about the Warriors and Knicks coaching situations, both of which seem tethered to Steve Kerr at this point. We’ll keep track of today’s updates below:

The Warriors appear to have interest in Jerry Sloan and Heat assistant David Fizdale, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, who adds that Kerr and Stan Van Gundy remain the team’s primary targets. Sloan and Fizdale are the newest names on the list of coaches the Warriors are reportedly eyeing, one that already included Kerr, Van Gundy, George Karl, Mike D’Antoni, Nate McMillan, Kevin Ollie, Alvin Gentry, Fred Hoiberg, Tom Thibodeau and Lionel Hollins.
Marc Berman of the New York Post is the latest to report that Kerr is leaning toward taking the Knicks job. Still, the former Suns GM intends to complete his TNT broadcast commitments, which run through the Western Conference Finals, regardless of whether he takes a coaching position in the meantime, a source tells Berman.
It looks like Kerr is seeking a five-year deal with money similar to that of the four-year, $24MM contract that the Knicks gave Mike D’Antoni in 2008, Berman reports, suggesting that it’s possible the fifth year would be a team option.
Kerr is concerned that he hasn’t seen a formal offer from the Knicks yet after expecting one would come by Wednesday, Berman also reports, adding that the Knicks will likely make their offer today.
The Knicks and Warriors were scheduled to talk to Kerr on Thursday, Berman adds.

Latest On Warriors, Knicks, Steve Kerr

May 8th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:38pm: Kerr is waiting on a formal, written job offer from the Knicks, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Kerr is believed to be looking for a four or five year offer similar to the four-year, $24MM contract Mike D’Antoni received from New York in the past.

It’s been reported that Kerr is somewhat uneasy with owner James Dolan’s style of doing business, and Berman’s source says Kerr is concerned that the Knicks haven’t yet produced a contract offer. Nonetheless, New York is expected to do so by the end of tomorrow. Surprisingly, Kerr has decided to finish out the postseason as a TNT analyst even if he is hired as a coach in the near future.

5:40pm: There is a difference of opinion on Kerr’s appeal as a coach between Warriors management and players, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Begley reports that some players aren’t sold on Kerr, a factor that could convince him to settle on the Knicks. Kerr is believed to be with his family “collecting information” and considering his options at the moment, a close friend told Begley.

3:48pm: Kerr told a close friend late Wednesday his preference is to coach the Knicks, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

11:41am: Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv also hears that the Knicks remain the favorites for Kerr, and that the Warriors haven’t made Kerr an offer. A source tells Zagoria that the Warriors are likely to interview several candidates, including Van Gundy.

10:53am: A source tells Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com that the Knicks remain the favorites to hire Steve Kerr, but fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ian Begley writes in a joint report that the Warriors are confident that they have a legitimate shot at landing Kerr instead. Kerr’s admiration for Knicks president Phil Jackson is prompting him to lean toward New York, but his ties to Warriors president and COO Rick Welts are fueling the Warriors hopes, according to Begley.

Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob says that he might interview Kerr, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group reports, but there have been conflicting reports about whether the Warriors have already reached out. Golden State is well aware it can’t offer more money than the Knicks can, Begley writes, but the Warriors are counting on their status as a winning team and their location close to Kerr’s home in San Diego as selling points. The Warriors fear that Kerr is just using them as leverage against the Knicks, according to Begley, but an earlier report cast doubt on that notion.

Lute Olson, Kerr’s college coach and a close confidant, a week ago dismissed the idea that Kerr preferred to stay close to home and said that Kerr would more than likely take the Knicks job, but Olson seemed to take a different stance Wednesday. The former University of Arizona coach said that he was sure that the presence of Kerr’s daughter at the University of California in Berkeley was “tugging at” Kerr, and that he didn’t know what Kerr would decide to do, as Newsday’s Al Iannazzone and Barbara Barker report. Still, Olson told Marc Berman of the New York Post on Wednesday that he feels Jackson is the “trump card” that will lead Kerr to pick New York.

Berman also received confirmation from Suns owner Robert Sarver that Kerr still owns a tiny fraction of the Suns, for whom he served as GM from 2007-10. Kerr would have to sell the share, believed to be less than 1% of the franchise, within a league-mandated time frame after accepting a coaching job with another team, Berman notes.

No other candidates have emerged for the Knicks, but USA Today’s Sam Amick suggests that Jackson is growing impatient as Kerr hesitates. The Warriors are pursuing others, including Stan Van Gundy. The team has been in contact with the former Magic and Heat coach, but this morning he hedged a bit about his reported interest in the Golden State vacancy. Van Gundy made his latest comments on 740 AM radio near his home in the Orlando area, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel notes.

“I have not met with them or anything else,” Van Gundy said. “There have been calls to gauge interest, and until you get a chance to actually talk to somebody, it’s even hard to say if they’re interested or if I would be [interested]. So we’re not at that point of even sitting down and talking yet.”

Van Gundy, who seemed as of late February to be highly unlikely to coach next season because of his desire to be with family, said today that “part of me does, and part of me doesn’t” want to return to coaching. He acknowledged that he was a “huge fan” of the Warriors while growing up in the Bay Area.

George Karl expressed this week that he’s open to any coaching vacancy, and the Warriors have interest in him, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Warriors will consider Karl among as many as eight candidates for their open position, Spears says. Other reports have indicated that the Warriors have interest in 10 coaches: Kerr, Van Gundy, Karl, Mike D’Antoni, Nate McMillan, Kevin Ollie, Alvin Gentry, Fred Hoiberg, Tom Thibodeau and Lionel Hollins.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Hoiberg, Jackson, Curry

May 8th, 2014 at 3:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Warriors will take their time finding a new coach, as Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group hears, and he sees it as an indication that the team won’t land Steve Kerr if the TNT broadcaster is anxious to take a job soon (Twitter links). There’s more on Golden State’s coaching search as well as the future of their ex-coach amid the latest on the Warriors:

Kerr, Fred Hoiberg, Stan Van Gundy and Kevin Ollie are in the first tier of Warriors coaching candidates, Kawakami believes (Twitter link).
Ousted Warriors coach Mark Jackson says he’d like to coach again and cited the “great jobs available” at present in an interview Wednesday on ESPN New York 98.7 FM, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com notes. Jackson, who played for the Knicks, said New York hasn’t contacted him about its vacancy. The former point guard is reportedly a candidate for the Lakers job.
The deadline trade that sent Kent Bazemore to the Lakers angered Stephen Curry, who yelled “It’s a business!” as he ran past a press conference in which GM Bob Myers was announcing the deal, according to Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher.

Western Notes: Draft, Clippers, Warriors

May 7th, 2014 at 9:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft approaching, college coaches and player agents are relieved that Clippers owner Donald Sterling received a lifetime ban, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. A number of coaches Zagoria spoke to said there wouldn’t be an issue for any players the Clippers draft now that Sterling is gone.

Coaching Rumors: Jackson, Kerr, Karl, Izzo

May 7th, 2014 at 5:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mark Jackson addressed the circumstances regarding his former Warriors assistant coaches Brian Scalabrine and Darren Erman in an interview with the NBA’s Sirius XM radio station earlier today (hat tip to Ben Golliver of SI.com). Of Scalabrine, Jackson said, “The one that was demoted [Scalabrine], I would have had handled it six weeks, a month, two months earlier. The things that took place from his side, I would have nipped it in the bud initially. That’s my fault for allowing it to go on. I’m pretty much a guy, just like ministry, I try to show you a different way of handling it. Hope that seeing me handle your disrespect, you’ll come around and realize this isn’t the way to handle it. Fortunately for me, it works for a lot of folks, there are some folks that just won’t get it and you have to handle them differently. I would do that differently.”

In regards to Erman, Jackson said, “As far as assistants, you have to pick people who are loyal and dedicated. It’s inexcusable what the second assistant [Erman] did. That cannot be tolerated. For folks to say, two situations, it’s obviously documented that they both were 100 percent wrong. The only fault I got is hiring those guys. I would use wisdom in who is around me.”