Steve Kerr Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Want To Hire Steve Kerr After First Round

April 29th, 2014 at 12:24pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:24pm: Kerr’s timetable is different from that of the Knicks, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who hears from a source who says Kerr and Jackson still have “lots to explore organizationally” (Twitter links). That echoes Kerr’s comments about a desire for more discussions with the Zen Master.

10:43am: The Knicks are attempting to complete a deal that would make Steve Kerr the coach of the team after the first round of the playoffs, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. In team president Phil Jackson‘s plan, Kerr would leave his job as a TNT broadcaster after the first round is complete, thus making it easier for the network, but it remains to be seen whether Kerr is willing to go along at this point.

Kerr has been the front-runner for the job for at least a month, and while Kerr has been “inching closer” to the Knicks job, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, a source told Isola that a decision was not imminent. An earlier report indicated Kerr would have interest in talking to the Warriors if they wind up with a vacancy, but in spite of Golden State’s apparent interest in Kerr, the Knicks remain the favorite to land him, Stein writes, given his connection to Jackson. The former Suns GM counters widespread skepticism about Jackson’s chances for success in charge of the Knicks front office, believing that the Zen Master will succeed in New York, according to Stein.

Kerr reportedly has concerns about the Knicks’ inability to capitalize on their resources over the years, prompting a measured approach as he considers whether to join the team, even as he’s said that he would be “crazy not to look into” coaching the Knicks. Still, he told reporters this weekend that he and Jackson still had much to discuss, as Isola points out. Kerr and Jackson have both indicated that their conversations this weekend were the first they’d had about the job, which conflicts with a report from early last week that they were deep into discussions.

New York Notes: Knicks, Jackson, Kerr, Johnson

April 27th, 2014 at 9:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Longtime Phil Jackson assistant Frank Hambien says he would gladly work for the Zen Master again, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. “Absolutely,” Hamblen said when asked of the possibility. “I’m bored to death..Opportunity is an amazing thing. I know Phil was sitting in Playa Del Rey bored to death, itching to get back in. I don’t know if he’ll even call. I don’t know what’s going through his mind. But he has my number.” Hambien also gave a strong endorsement for Kerr as a possible coach of the Knicks. More from NYC..

Steve Kerr says that he met with Jackson on Friday to discuss the Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy and publicly stated his interest in the job, tweets Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. Kerr went on to say that there will be future meetings between himself and his former coach. The former guard turned TNT analyst has long been believed to be the frontrunner for the Knicks’ job.
“We share a lot of the same philosophies,” Kerr said when asked about Jackson’s triangle, according to Barbara Barker of Newsday. “I learned a lot of my basketball from him and Tex Winter. It is safe to say that we have a lot of the same ideas . . . Obviously, there’s a strong connection between us and our beliefs.“
Joe Johnson‘s contract was an albatross with the Hawks but he has transformed himself to the Nets‘ most consistent player, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Tonight wasn’t a shining example of that, however, as Johnson went 2-7 for 7 points across 42 minutes of play.

And-Ones: Smith, Sterling, Kerr, Pressey

April 27th, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Eddie Scarito

Nolan Smith has received partially guaranteed offers from the Bulls and the Thunder for next season, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Smith played in Croatia this season and averaged 17.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 4.1 APG.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Woodson, Celtics

April 27th, 2014 at 10:23am CST by Eddie Scarito

Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press thinks that the Pistons should focus on finding a GM before concentrating on filling their vacant head coaching position. By waiting until after the playoffs, the franchise could see the pool of available coaches grow. Ellis notes that if their teams get bounced out of the playoffs in the first round, Pacers coach Frank Vogel, Thunder coach Scott Brooks and Warriors coach Mark Jackson could get lose their jobs and become possibilities for Detroit.

Eastern Notes: Nurkic, Sixers, ‘Melo

April 27th, 2014 at 8:43am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers Michael Carter-Williams is the favorite to win this year’s Rookie of the Year award, but Tom Moore of Calkins Media believes that GM Sam Hinkie should examine the possibility of trading him for another lottery pick. Moore isn’t sure if Carter-Williams will become a star, and if Hinkie could land a top five pick for him, he believes that it would be worth considering.

Coaching Rumors: D’Antoni, Kerr

April 26th, 2014 at 9:49am CST by Cray Allred

While a report of the Lakers retaining Mike D’Antoni for next season may have been premature, Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News tweets that the Lakers have been leaning toward keeping the coach for a month. Here’s more on the coaching front:

In a series of tweets, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders says Lakers brass are partial to D’Antoni because of the way he handled young players this season. Kyler thinks that the Lakers have “kicked the tires” on other named possibilities, but have determined that there are no hires that would be a guaranteed upgrade.
A source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that D’Antoni hopes to meet with the Lakers next week in regards to his fate, but no date has been set (Twitter link).
Steve Kerr will likely meet with Knicks president Phil Jackson this weekend to discuss New York’s head coaching job, per Peter Botte and Frank Isola of New York Daily News. Kerr is in town to broadcast the Nets/Raptors game on Sunday.
Kerr would be open to discussing a job with the Warriors, should Golden State act on their rumored preference for Kerr over Mark Jackson, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Kerr, Kings

April 25th, 2014 at 8:13pm CST by Cray Allred

The Pacific Division isn’t represented in any of tonight’s playoff matchups, but the winner of the Clippers/Warriors series will hope to stay relevant deep into the postseason. Here’s the latest from the west coast:

The Warriors will canvass their fans about the notion of changing their name from the Golden State Warriors to the San Francisco Warriors with a move across the bay forthcoming, team president and CEO Rick Welts tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com that they believe Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob would prefer Steve Kerr as coach rather than Mark Jackson, as Stein notes amid a 5-on-5 with other writers. We’ve heard before that Lacob holds Kerr in high regard, and there have been plenty of rumors surrounding Jackson’s job security, but it remains to be seen whether Lacob is inclined to pursue a change.
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro discussed his mindset heading into this year’s draft with Katie Cracchiolo of Kings.com. Among other notes, the GM said that Ray McCallum‘s strong play at point guard won’t affect the team’s plans to select the best player available, regardless of position.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Thunder Rumors: Brooks, Fisher, Presti

April 25th, 2014 at 5:33pm CST by Cray Allred

The Thunder are in a 1-2 hole against the Grizzlies, fueling speculation about the organization that expected to reach the Finals with a healthy Russell Westbrook for the playoffs. A few quick wins could quiet the chatter, otherwise it will only grow louder. Here’s a roundup of Oklahoma City notes:

Westbrook spoke in support of Scott Brooks on Friday after Westbrook’s brother took to Twitter to call for the Thunder coach’s ouster, as Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman observes. “Me and Scotty have a great relationship,” the point guard said. “I’ve never once mentioned that I want Scotty to leave ever since I’ve been here. We created a bond with each other that’s grown.”
Multiple executives tell Marc Berman of the New York Post that they believe Steve Kerr and Thunder guard Derek Fisher are the most intriguing coaching candidates in Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s eyes. Still, Fisher, who’s set to retire at season’s end, has said coaching the Knicks or any other team isn’t on his mind.
SB Nation’s Tom Ziller looks ahead at the tough decisions that await GM Sam Presti if the Thunder come up empty in the playoffs again, as Kevin Durant‘s ability to become a free agent in 2016 looms.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Knicks Rumors: Jackson, ‘Melo, Kerr

April 23rd, 2014 at 1:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks owner James Dolan isn’t allowing team president Phil Jackson to make peripheral changes to the organization, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, but it’d be a stretch to call it the end of Jackson’s honeymoon with the Knicks, Isola cautions. The personnel that Jackson targeted for removal were likely members of the team’s front office, medical or media relations staff, Isola posits, though that’s unclear. Jackson addressed the report in a press conference today, saying that Dolan has “been very true to his word” about giving Jackson complete control over basketball decisions, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com documents. We’ll round up more from Jackson’s talk here:

Carmelo Anthony has spoken about a willingness to take a discount if he chooses to re-sign with the Knicks, and Jackson hopes he’s “true to his word” about that, notes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. Jackson said he views the decision of Miami’s trio of stars to take less money as a precedent and believes it’s difficult to assemble a title-winning roster unless players make financial sacrifices.
If Anthony doesn’t re-sign, the Knicks are prepared to move forward, Jackson said, according to Botte.
Jackson said he plans to talk to Steve Kerr about the coaching job in the next week or two, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post, That conflicts with the report that they’re deep into discussions about the job.
There are other candidates in the mix for the job, Jackson said, but he wouldn’t name them, and he gave the impression that Kerr is indeed the front-runner, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Jackson’s fiancee, Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, tried to encourage him to coach the team himself, but he reiterated today that he will not return to the bench. In any case, Jackson isn’t looking for a retread, Berman adds, but it does appear he wants his coach to run the triangle, writes Dave D’Alessandro of the Star-Ledger.
Jackson indicated that a new coach might be in place within the next month, but he said he just wants to make sure someone’s in the job before summer league action starts in July, Berman notes. The Zen Master said that while he’ll allow his new coach to pick a staff, he’ll exercise veto power if need be.
Hiring someone new for the front office is “not a priority,” Jackson said, as Zagoria tweets.

And-Ones: Harper, Kerr, Rockets

April 22nd, 2014 at 9:04pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Since Phil Jackson joined the Knicks, there has been ample speculation about him bringing along connections from his winning past to work for the organization. As we’ve noted recently, Steve Kerr appears to be the strongest candidate being considered for the team’s head coaching position. We also relayed that former Jackson-assistant Jim Cleamons has his sights set on joining the team in any capacity. Today, Ron Harper – who played for Jackson in Chicago and Los Angeles – told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he expects to interview for a position:

“I would expect so…A few guys are expecting to hear from (Jackson). We’re in a wait-and-see mode. Whatever he needs me to do, I will do. He knows that.”

Here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous notes:

Though there are reports that the Kerr wants the Knicks job, Berman writes that his ideal preference would be a West coast team, echoing Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Kerr currently lives in San Diego, and an opportunity to stay close to home could present itself with Mike D’Antoni allegedly on thin ice in Los Angeles; however, it wouldn’t seem likely that Lakers president Jeanie Buss would try to compete with Jackson for Kerr’s services.
If Carmelo Anthony doesn’t remain with the Knicks as expected, the Rockets would be in prime position to acquire him this summer, says Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. Sefko imagines that the Mavericks would also try to land Anthony, but isn’t sure if putting hope in him as a number one guy would be the most prudent thing to do at this point.
Kevin McHale doesn’t seem to be the right coach for Houston, opines Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders, who in his weekly chat addressed a scenario in which the Rockets attempted to pursue George Karl if they ultimately decided to make a coaching change. Such a courtship would be incompatible with the team’s interest in Carmelo, opines Ingram, to the point that Karl would not even consider accepting the job if they acquired the star forward.
It’s worth pointing out that almost all of the potential coaching candidates for the Jazz opening are represented by Warren LeGarie, who also happens to be the agent of Utah GM Dennis Lindsey (Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune mentions via Twitter).
Former NBA forward Dominic McGuire has signed with Gigantes de Guayana of the Venezuelan league, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.