Steve Kerr Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

And-Ones: Ratings, Kerr, Kings, Sixers

April 22nd, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

All five of the teams in the NBA’s three largest media markets saw declines in local ratings during the regular season, and local ratings fell about 5% leaguewide, report John Ourand and John Lombardo of Sports Business Journal. The news belies an otherwise rosy financial picture for the league, with the latest salary cap projection for 2014/15 coming in at $63.2MM, a more than 7.7% hike from this season. Here’s the latest from the Association:

Steve Kerr is concerned with the failure of the Knicks to capitalize on their resources in the James Dolan era, and Kerr intends to do his research before taking any offer from the team, a source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Former New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is likely to become Kerr’s agent, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports.
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro isn’t ruling out the idea of trading the team’s first-round pick, and he’ll also try to trade for a second-round pick, as he told reporters, including Ailene Voisin and Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (All Twitter links).
Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News would be shocked if Arnett Moultrie were back with the Sixers for 2014/15. Cooney sizes up the future for each Sixer and looks ahead to the draft, noting that Brett Brown is enamored with Dante Exum.
The Warriors‘ purchase of land in San Francisco for a new arena appears to end any hope that they’ll remain in Oakland, writes Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group. “I wish them well,” Oakland city councilman Larry Reid said. “It was my hope that the Warriors would build a new arena in Oakland, but there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do.”
Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune provides a taste of the local antipathy toward leading Jazz coaching candidate Jim Boylen.

Knicks, Steve Kerr Deep Into Discussions

April 21st, 2014 at 7:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks and Steve Kerr are deep into discussions for the former GM and Phil Jackson pupil to take over as the team’s next head coach, a person familiar with the situation told Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports.

On Friday we learned that Kerr has been expecting the Knicks to offer them the job once they officially dispatched Mike Woodson. The former Bulls guard has reportedly been the front-runner for the job for a while, and his name was linked to the Knicks as a possible candidate even when the team was still negotiating its deal with Jackson.

Several teams apparently would like to bring Kerr aboard as an executive, but his focus is on coaching. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently suggested Jim Cleamons as a potential candidate to become the top assistant coach for the Knicks if they hire Kerr as head coach.

Steve Kerr Interested In Coaching Knicks

April 21st, 2014 at 2:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:47pm: Kerr said that he anticipates hearing from Jackson about the team’s coaching vacancy, reiterated his desire to coach, and said that he’d be interested in the Knicks job in radio appearances today on SiriusXM’s NBA Radio and ESPN Chicago 1000. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com passes the news along via Twitter.

MONDAY, 8:44am: Kerr’s friends say he may wait to see which other coaching jobs come open before saying yes to the Knicks, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Kerr intends to work his full playoff schedule for TNT, which runs through the conference finals, and he hasn’t spoken to his bosses about adjusting it to accommodate a coaching gig, Isola hears.

FRIDAY, 8:17am: Steve Kerr “absolutely expects” the Knicks to offer him their head coaching job, and he intends to accept such an offer, a source tells George Willis of the New York Post. Kerr has already spoken to TNT about adjusting his broadcasting schedule for the playoffs so he can start working for the Knicks, Willis hears.

Kerr has reportedly been the front-runner for the job for a while, and his name was linked to the Knicks as a possible candidate even when the team was still negotiating its deal with Phil Jackson. Mike Woodson is under contract to coach the team in 2014/15, but the Knicks had reportedly been planning to fire him if they failed to make the playoffs. Even after falling short of the postseason, Woodson received strong public support from Carmelo Anthony, who on Thursday referred to Woodson as “almost a father figure, a friend, a guy I can bounce stuff off of,” notes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Woodson still appears on his way out, according to Isola, who hears from a source who says that Woodson and Jackson will speak Friday, and either set up a meeting for next week or discuss the terms of their parting.

Several teams apparently would like to bring Kerr aboard as an executive, but his focus is on coaching. Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests Jim Cleamons as a potential candidate to become the top assistant coach for the Knicks if they hire Kerr as head coach.

Coaching Rumors: Warriors, Wolves, Knicks

April 21st, 2014 at 2:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The week began with the creation of a pair of coaching vacancies, as the Knicks fired Mike Woodson an hour before Rick Adelman announced his retirement from the Wolves. There will probably be other jobs opening up, but Jermaine O’Neal gets the sense that Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob isn’t down on Mark Jackson, as the veteran center tells USA Today’s Sam Amick.

“When I speak to Joe, he likes what we have,” O’Neal said. “But hey, it’s a different era right now. We have a new breed of owners in our league and their patience is a lot shorter. So I don’t know ultimately what his plan is — that’s up to him. He pays the bills. He can do whatever he wants to do with his team. But from the conversations I’ve had with him, he likes Mark.”

Here’s more on the Warriors and other coaching news from around the league:

Andre Iguodala has Jackson’s fate on his mind as the Warriors go through the playoffs, observes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. “We’re trying to save our coach,” Iguodala said. “Every game is pressure for us.”
Fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Tim Kawakami suggests that Steve Kerr and Fred Hoiberg would top the Warriors‘ list of targets if the team parts ways Jackson (Twitter link). Jackson would “almost surely” want an extension that includes a pay raise if the team decides to keep him, Kawakami writes.
Adelman said he made his decision to retire in part because he didn’t think it would help the Wolves to have both him and Kevin Love on expiring contracts next season, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes. Adelman also said he probably would have retired regardless of his wife’s health, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter links).
Flip Saunders hinted that the Wolves will prioritize coaching candidates who’d continue to run an offense similar to Adelman’s, Zgoda tweets.
The Knicks will encourage whomever they hire to replace Woodson to re-hire longtime assistant coach Herb Williams, who was let go along with the rest of the team’s coaching staff today, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News casts doubt on the report, suggesting that the idea that team wants Williams back comes from neither Phil Jackson nor Williams (Twitter link).

Knicks Notes: Woodson, Kerr, Jackson

April 19th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Cray Allred

The Knicks are one of the unique teams that can dominate headlines during a sub-.500 season, and they continue to generate buzz while the playoffs get going without them. Here’s the latest from New York:

Phil Jackson spoke with the team after their season finale, promising there would be personnel changes, an unnamed player told Frank Isola of New York Daily News. “Phil was honest; he said it was a disappointing season,” the player said. “He told us that there will be changes in the locker room and that not all of us will be back.”
Isola added that Jackson is trying to build a relationship with Carmelo Anthony, as the superstar decides whether to opt in or re-sign with the Knicks this summer.
Toni Kukoc thinks his former Bulls teammate Steve Kerr would make a good coach, but said in an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio he worries that Kerr might not be up for the off-the-court demands of the job (transcription via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com). “I know Steve Kerr well and his basketball IQ is really high. He knows everything about basketball. I am just concerned about his willingness to be a coach, travel, spend that time in the hotels, the locker rooms, the games. I don’t know if he’s ready to do that,” Kukoc said. “If he’s ready to do that I don’t see any problem with Steve being a good basketball coach.”
Mike Woodson was left out of New York’s exit meetings, but has not been informed of his fate, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Sources tell ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard and Marc Stein that Woodson is bracing for the worst.
While Kerr is expected to take the Knicks coaching job, a source close to him tells Berman that “nothing is going on right now” between Kerr and the Knicks, as Berman writes in a separate piece.
Anthony offered no comment on the looming Woodson decision, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.

Amico’s Latest: Allen, Battier, Rivers, Kerr

April 7th, 2014 at 9:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Ray Allen appears unlikely to return to the Heat next season, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. League insiders nonetheless believe that if the Heat’s trio of stars return, there’s a strong chance the team will try to re-sign Allen, too, so it seems his future is contingent on what LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decide to do. Indeed, those three will have much to say about what happens in free agency leaguewide, and Amico has more on the summer ahead and another member of the Heat as we highlight here:

Several teams are expected to court Heat forward Shane Battier for an executive job or a gig related to player development, Amico hears. Battier recently reiterated his plans to retire at season’s end.
The emergence of Brian Roberts has strengthened the belief around the league that the Pelicans will trade former lottery pick Austin Rivers this summer, according to Amico. Roberts is set to become a restricted free agent.
Sources tell Amico they wouldn’t be surprised if several teams aside from the Knicks try to convince Steve Kerr to run their basketball operations. Kerr has expressed a desire to coach, but it looks like the leaguewide interest in him is as an executive, the role he held with the Suns from 2007 to 2010.
Boris Diaw, Luol Deng, C.J. Miles, Marvin Williams, Luke Ridnour, Kris Humphries, Devin Harris and Jimmer Fredette are other free agents who appear unlikely to be back with their respective teams, Amico writes.

Steve Kerr Front-Runner To Coach Knicks

March 28th, 2014 at 3:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Steve Kerr is indeed the favorite to coach the Knicks in 2014/15, a source tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News first suggested earlier this month that there was a decent chance Kerr would replace Mike Woodson after the season, and there’s been plenty of speculation surrounding the TNT broadcaster and former Suns GM since. Many around the organization quickly came to believe that Kerr would take over on the bench with his former coach, Phil Jackson, installed as team president, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported.

The latest news is a further blow to Woodson, though there has long been little hope of him continuing to coach the team beyond 2013/14, even though the Knicks picked up his 2014/15 option before the season. New York is just a game and a half out of the playoffs, but Woodson’s charges have spent much of the season plumbing the depths of the Eastern Conference after a 54-win season and a trip to the conference semifinals last year.

Kerr hasn’t given his broadcasting colleagues the sense that he’s ready to leave his gig, and he’s refused to discuss the possibility of taking the Knicks job, but he said prior to the season that he could envision becoming a coach and he recently reiterated that point. Jackson, who would have run basketball operations for the Kings had they moved to Seattle last year, had reportedly convinced Kerr to coach the team in that circumstance. The Zen Master also strongly encouraged Pistons owner Tom Gores to hire Kerr last summer, though Detroit wound up picking the since-fired Maurice Cheeks instead.

The Warriors apparently would also target the 48-year-old Kerr, who’s never coached before, if they part ways with Mark Jackson this summer, so the Knicks may have some competition. Speculation has linked many other names to the New York job, so if Kerr decides against taking it, the team probably won’t be short on alternatives.

Coaching Rumors: D’Antoni, Warriors, Stotts

March 28th, 2014 at 12:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mike D’Antoni was exasperated when reporters asked him Thursday about an ESPN.com report that Marshall University, his alma mater, wants him to coach its team. He appeared to downplay the idea, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News observes, but he didn’t completely dismiss it.

“I hear from them all the time,” D’Antoni said. “I’m the head of their capital [fundraising] campaign. I’m close friends to them. Whatever they need, I try to do. But who knows.”

It’s obvious that D’Antoni would prefer to coach the Lakers, Medina writes, though his continued employment in L.A. is uncertain, given his unpopularity with Kobe Bryant and other Lakers players. Here’s more on the coaching market:

Steve Kerr “could make Warriors owner Joe Lacob’s dreams come true” if the team lets go of coach Mark Jackson in the offseason, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). Lacob held Kerr in high regard as an executive when Kerr left his post as Suns GM in 2010, as Amick notes in a second tweet. Grantland’s Zach Lowe also believes that Kerr could be in the mix to coach the Warriors (on Twitter).
The Warriors would be unlikely to seek a big-name, established coach, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Warriors brass wanted more of an X’s-and-O’s coach to take over as lead assistant when Michael Malone left, but Jackson, who’s sensitive to the notion he’s not strong at in-game tactics, chose Pete Myers instead, Kawakami writes in a full piece.
The Blazers and Terry Stotts haven’t had any talks about an extension, nor have they discussed the team picking up its 2014/15 option on his contract, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who explains that it’s no surprise. GM Neil Olshey has a longstanding policy against negotiating contracts during the season, Haynes writes. Olshey, then Clippers GM, retained Vinny Del Negro when he was at precisely the same point in his contract in which Stotts now finds himself.